Independent news and updates for South Durham, covering local development, government, health, and community life.

[SoDu Stuff to Do] Your Weekend Ahead - Oct. 29, 2026

What's in the SoDu Events Calendar for this weekend? Southpoint Access provides a few highlights to consider!

Durham planners propose size limits, public hearings for data centers

A Nov. 4 discussion will help shape rules governing where facilities can operate and how they affect neighborhoods, water supplies, and utilities.

What does research tell us about school improvement plans?

Durham families can weigh in through Oct. 30. Studies offer clues about useful planning, but the evidence of student gains is mixed.

[SoDu Shopping Basket] Fresh Market’s total drops $10.26

The nine-store average falls to $65.68, Aldi holds its lead, and Food Lion closes to within four cents of Walmart.

[Parenting Radar] Phones, bus delays, and the school day

Cellphone limits, late buses, disrupted classrooms: The new Parenting Radar review follows school news across five states, with connections to North Carolina and Durham.

Durham reservoirs fall to 34% as accessible supply drops to 87 days

Durham’s reservoirs lost another 2 percentage points in four days, and the city’s estimate of readily accessible water fell by three days. Stage 2 restrictions remain in effect as Durham County stays in severe drought.

[SoDu We Take a Break] Leaves, Clues, and Culver’s

Test your Culver’s knowledge, tackle a fall-themed crossword, and give oak and maple leaves your own autumn colors. Your to-do list can wait.

Culver’s proposed near Stratford Lakes in South Durham

ButterBurgers and frozen custard could be coming to Fayetteville Road. The proposal leads the latest update to Southpoint Access’s SoDu We Grow development guide.

[In Memoriam] Durham obituary update: Memorials, funerals planned into November

Southpoint Access has updated its Durham obituary listings with 32 recent notices, including several funeral and memorial services scheduled this week and another planned for early November.

Rogers-Herr’s Tawauna Stewart named DPS Principal of the Year

The district recognized Stewart’s emphasis on shared leadership and student support. Families have until Oct. 30 to weigh in on Rogers-Herr’s proposed improvement plan.

Dry stretch continues as Durham reservoirs slip to 36%

Durham’s reservoirs lost another percentage point during a dry week, but lower demand helped keep the city’s readily accessible supply estimate at 90 days. Stage 2 water restrictions remain in effect.

[Dispatches Received in Error Issue 29] Children’s Primer from the Estuary

A weekly serial fiction project for paid subscribers, unfolding through a growing archive of documents from an alternate-universe Southpoint.