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Sarah Willets

@sarahwillets.bsky.social
418 followers 208 following 107 posts

Editor-in-Chief @indyweek.bsky.social

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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
A rural Apex road will transform into Veridea’s main street. Almost everyone who once lived there has sold—with the exception of two lifelong Apex residents.
indyweek.com
The Couple Who Didn’t Sell
A rural Apex road will transform into Veridea’s main street. Almost everyone who once lived there has sold—with the exception of two lifelong Apex residents.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The changes would also shrink eligibility, reduce the required instructional time, remove procedures for developmental screening, eliminate federal staff-to-child ratios, ease required qualifications for staff, and require all instruction to be conducted in English.
indyweek.com
Durham Leaders Oppose Federal Changes to Low-Income Child Care Program
Proposed changes could cut staffing and eligibility for the program, which provides free child care to about 500 kids in Durham.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Under the model, county staff and partners aim to assist people who become homeless by immediately helping them secure housing and providing rental assistance. Over the next year, residents will also receive supportive services, such as behavioral health care and workforce assistance.
indyweek.com
Since Summer Launch, Wake At Home Has Rehoused 30 People from “Large Encampment”
Wake County commissioners heard updates on the Wake At Home housing initiative and other efforts to address homelessness; they also voted on a potential new shelter space.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Service journalism: What is Woke County Speedway, the low-profile band with 86 monthly listeners on Spotify that’s sharing a stage with MJ Lenderman at Good Moon Festival? Tasso Hartzog for @indyweek.bsky.social
indyweek.com
Woke County Speedway, the Triangle’s Latest Slacker-Country Outfit, Picks Up Speed
Woke County Speedway keeps a low profile—but this weekend, the band will be sharing a stage with MJ Lenderman and releasing their debut album.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
@indyweek.bsky.social is live at the Durham Pride parade! Watch at indyweek.com
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
Dhruv Mehrotra @dmehro.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
NEW: DHS agents tracked people observing ICE arrests, photographed them, ran their plates, pulled personal information, and added them to a Palantir database, according to newly unsealed court filings. w/ @regret.bsky.social
wired.com
ICE Has Been Dumping Protester Photos Into a Palantir Database
DHS agents not only tracked and intimidated people observing ICE activity in Maine, but stored information about them in a Palantir-built database, newly unsealed court filings say.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
In addition to this being the Pride edition, it's also packed with beefy news stories!! We have two investigations (looking at ICE detainers at the Durham jail and, separately, a scammy children's clothing boutique) plus a deep-dive into how the WakeMed-Atrium deal will affect Southeast Raleigh.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Lea una traducción al español de este artículo aquí: indyweek.com/news/durham-...
indyweek.com
Los Funcionarios Judiciales de Durham están Poniendo Innecesariamente a Personas en la Mira de ICE por Delitos Menores
Una investigación de INDY revela que jueces y magistrados de Durham han señalado repetidamente a personas para que se verifique su ciudadanía cuando no era necesario, lo que ha llevado a que algunas p...
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
If you value this type of investigative reporting in your community, please give the story a read and consider supporting the INDY so we can keep paying stellar journalists like @twitterlessabe.bsky.social. indyweek.com/join/
indyweek.com
Join
The INDY is free to everyone who wants to read in Durham, Raleigh, and across the Triangle. Join the INDY Press Club and help keep it free.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Few of the people Abe contacted knew this was happening, or if they were, weren't willing to talk about it. He turned to case documents and every public record we could think of. Abe, along with a bilingual reporter, tracked people down in ICE detention. We spent about two months on this story.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Looking at a 30-day snapshot of arrests, Abe found at least four people who ended up in ICE custody after being referred to ICE without a triggering charge. Some are still in ICE detention, or have vanished from the agency's public tracking system.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
State law requires judicial officials to determine whether people charged with felonies and higher-level misdemeanors are citizens or legal residents. This sets off a process that notifies ICE, which can then issue a detainer asking for that person to be held in jail longer for ICE to pick them up.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
ICYMI - @indyweek.bsky.social published an investigation last week by writer Abraham Kenmore. Digging through hundreds of courts records, Abe found that judicial officials in Durham have put people on ICE's radar when they weren't required to by state law. indyweek.com/news/durham-...
indyweek.com
Durham Judicial Officials Are Unnecessarily Putting People on ICE's Radar for Low-Level Crimes
Durham judicial officials flagged people for citizenship checks when they didn’t need to, landing some in ICE custody, INDY found.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Check out some of the stories from our Pride issue below. We'll be adding more to this link throughout the week leading up to the kickoff of Durham Pride Week. indyweek.com/news/communi...
indyweek.com
The 2026 INDY Pride Issue
The work of the LGBTQ Center of Durham and the need to "impose beauty on our future."
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
There are some lovely stories in here about Durham's incredible queer community. We're honored to continue collaborating with the LGBTQ Center of Durham to create this space each year. indyweek.com/listings/ite...
indyweek.com
INDY Print Edition Sep. 23, 2026
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
@indyweek.bsky.social's annual Pride edition is out!
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Great article on how sheriff's deputies in Durham, N.C. are referring people to ICE for very minor offenses. The cooperation between local cops and the immigration goon squads is a growing stain on America indyweek.com/news/durham-...
indyweek.com
Durham Judicial Officials Are Unnecessarily Putting People on ICE's Radar for Low-Level Crimes
Durham judicial officials flagged people for citizenship checks when they didn’t need to, landing some in ICE custody, INDY found.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
Mark Simpson-Vos @simpsonvos.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
This right here is why I read IndyWeek and why it is an indispensable local treasure. (Country Junction is, too. IYKYK)
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
For the first time, flag football is a sanctioned sport in North Carolina high schools, and Durham Public Schools has teams across the district vying for the first state championship.
indyweek.com
'Going Big or Going Home': The Girls Vying for Flag Football's First N.C. Championship
Flag football is now a state-sanctioned sport in N.C. high schools. Durham Public Schools' varsity teams have their eyes on the prize.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
In this @ccourtneybohl.bsky.social story, professional pickleball 🤝 private equity
indyweek.com
Relishing the Sights, Sounds, and Sales Pitches at the Veolia Pickleball Tournament in Cary
Relishing the sights, sounds, and sales pitches at the Veolia pickleball tournament in Cary
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Type in where you live and find bios for everyone on your ballot ⬇️
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
In a Q&A with the INDY, North Carolina Courage owner Steve Malik says the clock is ticking on securing updates to the team’s future training facilities at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary and a new Raleigh stadium.
indyweek.com
‘There’s An Urgency’: NC Courage Owner Gives Six-Month Timeline to Figure Out New Stadium, Training Facilities
‘There’s an urgency’, said NC Courage owner Steve Malik about the timeline for a new stadium and training facilities.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
"Language Barrier" lends itself remarkably well to a remix format, with styles often diverging sharply from one song to the next.
indyweek.com
With “Language Barrier at 10,” Shirlette Ammons Celebrates an Album, and a Career of Radical Collaboration
On September 17, the musician commemorates her 2016 album in characteristic fashion, reinventing it live alongside a cast of collaborators.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
A conversation with Valerie Hillings, whose eight-year tenure as director of the North Carolina Museum of Art drew to a close on August 31.
indyweek.com
Valerie Hillings On Fundraising, the Role of Regional Museums, and What Piece of Art She’d Most Like to Live Inside
INDY talks with Valerie Hillings, whose eight-year role as director of the North Carolina Museum of Art ended on August 31.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Are you over the age of twenty-five, with your most limber days long behind you? Same here, but that’s no reason to stay on the bench forever.
indyweek.com
So You’re an Adult Who Wants to Play a Sport
Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill offer many ways to get involved in recreational sports, from beginner-friendly baseball to weekly run clubs.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Wild story
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Newsrooms across NC worked tirelessly to cover last November's immigration enforcement operation. I'm really proud of the work our @indyweek.bsky.social and @theassemblync.bsky.social teams did. indyweek.com/news/indys-r...
indyweek.com
INDY’s Reporting on 2025 Immigration Operation Wins National Journalism Award
Breaking news coverage by the INDY and The Assembly Network received a prestigious Edward R. Murrow award.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
The Olympics for student athletes is coming to the Triangle ⬇️ - 12 days - 7,000 athletes and officials - 150 countries represented - 600,000 spectators across NC - 300 million+ viewers worldwide indyweek.com/news/culture...
indyweek.com
In Three Years, this “Generational” Global Sports Event Will Descend Upon the Triangle
In 2029, the Triangle and parts of the Triad will play host to the World University Games—the world's largest event for student-athletes.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Edible Atlas, a lab based at Duke, studies the human diet “not just as a health input, but as a window into culture, economics, and how communities live." indyweek.com/news/what-wi...
indyweek.com
What Will These Scientists Do with Durham’s Poo?
A Duke University lab took wastewater samples from across the state to study how diet relates to socioeconomic characteristics. Now, they want to narrow their scope to Durham neighborhoods and help lo...
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
A legal loophole has opened the door for developers to take advantage of a tax break meant to help nonprofits build affordable housing. An @indyweek.bsky.social investigation looks at the small industry that has cropped up to help them walk them through it. indyweek.com/news/the-mil...
indyweek.com
The Million-Dollar Industry Built Around NC’s Affordable Housing Tax Break
A small group of lawyers, brokers, and nonprofits are profiting from the Blue Ridge loophole—a tax break meant to support affordable housing.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
As of August 10, 135 families in Durham have been approved for subsidized childcare but are waiting for a seat to open up due to a lack of providers. indyweek.com/news/as-prov...
indyweek.com
As Providers Struggle to Hire, Durham Child Care Seats Go Empty
Child care centers are struggling to cover costs and pay teachers. In Durham, a provider shortage is leaving families on a waitlist.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
@indyweek.bsky.social has a new staff writer covering Durham schools and government—and she has her first cover story out this week on an issue I keep hearing about: A dearth of child care providers. Everybody welcome Tori Newby and give her story a read: indyweek.com/news/as-prov...
indyweek.com
As Providers Struggle to Hire, Durham Child Care Seats Go Empty
Child care centers are struggling to cover costs and pay teachers. In Durham, a provider shortage is leaving families on a waitlist.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
When he would get home from school in the afternoons, one of the first things 14-year-old Kyler Prescott would do was head to the family pool to check for bees in the water. If there were any, he’d fish them out and rest the insects on nearby flowers so their wings could dry.
indyweek.com
In New Documentary, a Moving Tribute to North Carolina's First Openly Trans Homecoming King
'What Will I Become?', which plays at OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival, looks back at the legacies of Blake Brockington and Kyler Prescott.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
“Is Cosmos aware of this?” Tim asks. “Wait, is Cosmos a real person?” “Yes, the owner. I have his autograph on a napkin.”
indyweek.com
Lunch Money: An Existential Crisis at Cosmic Cantina
A visit to Durham hole-in-the-wall Cosmic Cantina prompts a reckoning with memory, change, and Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
The wait is over — @writingthings.bsky.social has at last written a Lunch Money column about Cosmic.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Especially after COVID-era grants ran out, child care centers are struggling to cover costs and pay teachers. In Durham, a provider shortage is leaving families in need of subsidized care on a waitlist.
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As Providers Struggle to Hire, Durham Child Care Seats Go Empty
Child care centers are struggling to cover costs and pay teachers. In Durham, a provider shortage is leaving families on a waitlist.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
For Durham native Andie Morgenlander, bringing her debut feature film, Whistle Down Wind, to the Carolina Theatre is a homecoming.
indyweek.com
“Creating the Conditions for Care”: Durham Native Andie Morgenlander On Making Her First Feature and Humanizing Film Sets
‘Whistle Down Wind,’ Morgenlander’s debut, is deeply rooted in North Carolina and will screen at this year’s OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
A small group of lawyers, real estate brokers, and registered nonprofits are profiting from a tax break designed to support affordable housing, some raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, an INDY investigation found.
ift.tt
The Million-Dollar Industry Built Around NC’s Affordable Housing Tax Break
A small group of lawyers, real estate brokers, and registered nonprofits are profiting from a tax break designed to support affordable housing, some raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year,...
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
“Head Start is federally funded, and it’s not a priority of the administration. Some people have left the field because they don’t feel that this field, long-term, may serve their best interest,” David said.
indyweek.com
As Providers Struggle to Hire, Durham Child Care Seats Go Empty
Child care centers are struggling to cover costs and pay teachers. In Durham, a provider shortage is leaving families on a waitlist.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
A Duke University lab took wastewater samples from across the state to study how diet relates to socioeconomic characteristics. Now, they want to narrow their scope to Durham neighborhoods and help local advocates improve food access.
ift.tt
What Will These Scientists Do with Durham’s Poo?
A Duke University lab took wastewater samples from across the state to study how diet relates to socioeconomic characteristics. Now, they want to narrow their scope to Durham neighborhoods and help local...
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
🚨 must-read on the blue ridge loophole @indyweek.bsky.social
indyweek.com
The Million-Dollar Industry Built Around NC’s Affordable Housing Tax Break
A small group of lawyers, real estate brokers, and registered nonprofits are profiting from a tax break designed to support affordable housing, some raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, ...
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Even if you can't make it on Thursday, you can still contribute to the cause by buying raffle tickets (and win prizes!) www.eventbrite.com/e/rollin-wit...
eventbrite.com
Rollin' with Pride
Skate, celebrate, and support Durham's LGBTQ+ community at Rollin' with Pride, all proceeds directly support the community.
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
This Thursday!
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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Come skate with the INDY team for a good cause! 🛼🌈 Thursday 8/6, 6:30 p.m., Wheels Durham www.eventbrite.com/e/rollin-wit...
eventbrite.com
Rollin' with Pride
Skate, celebrate, and support Durham's LGBTQ+ community at Rollin' with Pride, all proceeds directly support the community.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Moore also took third place in the Illustrations category. Entries included illustrations for stories about a speed-dating app, a Durham campaign finance deep dive, and a dementia program at the Nasher Museum.
indyweek.com
How Do Triangle Singles Date these Days? For Some, It Involves Getting Shipp-ed
On a recent Saturday afternoon, a group of singles gathered at a Halloween-themed event to try Shipp, a local dating app.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Creative director Nicole Pajor Moore placed first in Newspaper Cover Design for a collection of covers spanning stories on the Durham Symphony, Raleigh’s resident paranormal investigators, a Wake County election race, and more. See all of her cover work here: 👇
issuu.com
indyweeknc Publisher Publications - Issuu
We are an alternative news organization.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Staff writer @writingthings.bsky.social placed first in Lifestyle Reporting for her account of salvaging luxury items left behind by Duke students departing Durham for the summer.
indyweek.com
I Salvaged $6,000 of Luxury Items Discarded by Duke Students. Why Did It Make Me Feel So Terrible?
At the end of the school year, a lot gets tossed by Duke students at my downtown Durham apartment building. This year I decided to dive in.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Finally, @ccourtneybohl.bsky.social has spent two years enmeshed in dogged reporting on the demise of Saint Augustine’s University. Her stories placed third for the Duke University/Green-Rossiter Award for Distinguished Newspaper Work in Higher Education Reporting.
indyweek.com
Saint Augustine’s University Loses Accreditation, Promises Legal Action Against Accreditor
Saint Augustine's University has lost accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Lena Geller’s two-story report on Yes for Durham, a shadowy, new-to-the-scene 501(c)(4) that cropped up shortly before Durham elections and turned out to have ties to one of the candidates it endorsed, placed third in Investigative Reporting.
indyweek.com
Anonymous Durham Political Group Has Ties to Candidate It Endorsed
Yes for Durham made candidate endorsements. But the group, which hasn’t disclosed its leadership, has ties to one endorsed candidate.
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Reposted by Sarah Willets
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Porter also placed third in Beat News Reporting for her reporting on Raleigh law enforcement. One story covered the release of footage showing that a state trooper and his supervisor lied about a 2024 police chase that left 31-year-old Tyrone Mason dead.
indyweek.com
Recordings Show NC Trooper, Supervisor Lied to Raleigh PD About Tyrone Mason Crash
Recordings show NC trooper, supervisor lied to Raleigh police about crash that killed Tyrone Mason.
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