Viewpoints and Voices
Thoughts on Roboteachers?
Share your feedback about the idea promoted this week by First Lady Melania Trump.
Wes Platt
Neighborhood news guy for Southpoint Access!
office hours
Preservation Durham Home Tour Takes Us Back in Time with Hope Valley
Get a look at the historic South Durham neighborhood as it celebrates 100 years.
seegov
Durham County Board of Commissioners Meeting - March 23, 2026: Farmland Milestone and a Budget Crossroads
The board celebrates 25 years of farmland preservation, backs a jobs-heavy Welcome Venture Park deal, and lifts up second-chance reentry and fair housing work, while confronting a budget “inflection point."
Southpoint Access
One Week Left to Support Local News and Music at Rogers-Herr Middle
If you’ve been thinking about upgrading, now is a great time to do it. Your subscription helps sustain the reporting you rely on, and a share of that revenue will go directly to the Rogers-Herr boosters.
News
Power Outage Strikes South Durham
At least 5,000 customers in Woodcroft, Hope Valley area reportedly without power tonight.
SoDu Rezoning Radar
Rezoning Radar: Neighborhood Meetings Ahead - March 23, 2026
Projects range from a 225-townhome development off Virgil Road and a 437-home conservation subdivision on Farrington Mill Road to a self-storage proposal tied to annexation along U.S. 70 East and Leesville Road.
sodu week in review
Hope Valley Centennial Celebration Focus of 2026 Home Tour
Preservation Durham this spring will showcase eight early homes in the 100-year-old neighborhood.
News
Durham Schools Closed Monday Due to Weather
The forecast includes rare Level 4 storm risk that calls for strong winds and possible tornadoes.
sodu week in review
Children Are The Future - and I Told Them Journalism's a Decent Career
Plus, if you need a primer on how the Durham Public Schools afterschool lottery process works, Southpoint Access has you covered!
Southpoint Access
Ask Wes Platt Anything (Paid Subscriber Opportunity)
Ask me anything: Durham, the newsletter, and the occasional hill I’ll die on.
office hours
Rogers-Herr Career Day and Afterschool Lottery Update
Plus, we're heading into a pretty grim budget process for Durham Public Schools in the coming months.
![[SoDu How-To] Navigate the DPS Afterschool Lottery in 2026](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/33/50334374-93a7-4cf9-ba69-d7d51c63be2a/content/images/size/w600/2026/03/afterschoollottery.png)
Schools
[SoDu How-To] Navigate the DPS Afterschool Lottery in 2026
Elementary afterschool fees are rising for 2026-27, and families still have to clear a lottery before they can register for a seat.