SoDu Morning Brief: Sunny Skies Expected for Election Day
Plus, remembering Durham neighbors who recently passed away in the latest Southpoint Access obituaries.
Your weekday local lowdown, powered by Southpoint Access.
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🌤️Today’s South Durham Weather Forecast (Nov. 4, 2025)
Sunny, seasonable, and calm. Expect lots of sun with a high in the mid-60s (≈66°F). Light breezes.
Tonight: Clear and chilly, dipping into the upper 40s to low 40s by late evening.
What this means for your day
- Commute & voting lines: Dry roads and great visibility. Morning starts crisp; it warms up nicely by lunchtime.
- Kids & activities: Layers help - light jacket early, t-shirt comfortable by afternoon. Outdoor practices look good.
- Yard & pets: A good day to air out cushions and let the dog get extra zoomies - no mud, no mess.
- Allergies: Sunshine + light wind can loft a bit of leaf dust; consider sunglasses if you’re sensitive.
Quick checklist
Sunglasses • light jacket for A.M./P.M. • water bottle • sunscreen for midday voters
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Durham Obituaries – Nov. 4, 2025
| Name | Age | Date of Death | Service Details | Funeral Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorothy Lee Faulkner | 84 | Oct. 31 | Nov. 9, 2 p.m., Mars Hill Baptist Church Cemetery, Hillsborough | Clements Funeral & Cremation Services |
| Frederick Otten Behrends | 91 | Oct. 30 | Services held Oct. 31 | Hall-Wynne Funeral Service & Crematory |
| Ronald Edward King | 77 | Oct. 30 | Nov. 7, 1 p.m., Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Durham | Hanes Funeral Home |
| Mary Aldridge Williams | 89 | Oct. 30 | No services listed | Clements Funeral & Cremation Services |
| Willie “Will” Nathaniel Andrews | 81 | Oct. 29 | Nov. 6, 12 p.m., Russell Memorial CME Church, Durham | Burthey Funeral Service |
| Joaquin Guzman Henriquez | 78 | Oct. 29 | Services held Nov. 1 | Hudson Funeral Home & Cremation Services |
| William Edward Self | 90 | Oct. 29 | Nov. 8, 2 p.m., Few Chapel, Croasdaile Village, Durham | Clements Funeral & Cremation Services |
| Lashawn Gonsalves-Alston | 31 | Oct. 27 | Services held Nov. 1 | American Cremation & Funeral Service |
| Patricia Ann (Hamlett) Martin | 70 | Oct. 27 | Nov. 4, 1 p.m., Antioch Baptist Church, Durham | Hanes Funeral Service |
| Rebecca Ann Morman | 77 | Oct. 27 | Nov. 6, 1 p.m., Holloway Memorial Funeral Home, Durham | Holloway Memorial Funeral Home |
| Harry Bernard Stokes III | 40 | Oct. 27 | Nov. 11, 12 p.m., Union Baptist Church, Durham | Holloway Memorial Funeral Home |
| George William Walsh IV | 66 | Oct. 27 | Nov. 9, 3 p.m., Clements Funeral Home, Durham | Clements Funeral & Cremation Services |
| Bertha Ruth Anderson | 89 | Oct. 26 | No services listed | Ellis D. Jones Funeral & Cremation Service |
| Robert Bradshaw Jones Sr. | 77 | Oct. 26 | Services held Nov. 2 | Clements Funeral & Cremation Services |
| Barbara Ann (Connor) Reed | 88 | Oct. 26 | Nov. 15, 1 p.m., Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Durham | Walker’s Funeral Home of Chapel Hill |
| Michael David Thorne Jr. | 51 | Oct. 26 | Celebration of life held Nov. 1 | Fisher Memorial Funeral Parlor |
| Allan Kirkpatrick Troxler | 78 | Oct. 26 | Celebration of life expected in 2026 | Endswell Funeral Home |
| Ira Jean Williams | 77 | Oct. 26 | Nov. 8, 1 p.m., Clements Funeral Chapel, Durham | Clements Funeral & Cremation Services |
| James Arthur Williamson | 91 | Oct. 26 | Services held Nov. 1 | Holloway Memorial Funeral Home |
| Vernell Quinn Dixon | 93 | Oct. 25 | No services listed | Scarborough & Hargett Celebration of Life Center |
| Elizabeth “Beth” Fleming Hammett | 86 | Oct. 25 | Dec. 5, 2 p.m., St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, Durham | Hall-Wynne Funeral Service & Crematory |
| Lloyd Lee Hollis | 89 | Oct. 25 | Services held Oct. 31 | Hall-Wynne Funeral Service & Crematory |
| Nekevius Rashad Shackelford | 40 | Oct. 25 | Services held Nov. 3 | Holloway Memorial Funeral Home |
| Phillip Andrew Williams | 70 | Oct. 25 | No services listed | Hanes Funeral Home |
| David Allen Ewing | 80 | Oct. 24 | Services held Nov. 1 | Holloway Memorial Funeral Home |
| Carolyn McCoy | 76 | Oct. 24 | Services held Oct. 31 | Burthey Funeral Service |
| Gloria Yvonne Webb | 76 | Oct. 24 | Services held Nov. 2 | Holloway Memorial Funeral Home |
| Brenda Bailey Lewis | 76 | Oct. 23 | Nov. 4, 12 p.m., First Calvary Baptist Church, Durham | Holloway Memorial Funeral Home |
| Johnsie D. Egerton | 88 | Oct. 22 | No services listed | Scarborough & Hargett Celebration of Life Center |
| Barbara Piffl-Singletary | 60 | Oct. 22 | Services held Oct. 29 | Clements Funeral & Cremation Services |
| Bobby Ray Stone | 63 | Oct. 22 | Celebration of life at a later date | Clements Funeral & Cremation Services |
| Lucille Beth Bearon | 74 | Oct. 21 | Nov. 16, 2 p.m., Seymour Senior Center, Chapel Hill | Endswell Funeral Home |
| Ret. Master Sgt. Curtis Harris | 81 | Oct. 20 | Services held Nov. 3 | Holloway Memorial Funeral Home |
| Shakirah Brittan Williamson | 36 | Oct. 20 | Services held Nov. 3 | Peaks & Waters Memorial Funeral Care |
| Theresa Gray Murrell | 87 | Oct. 18 | Services held Oct. 30 | Burthey Funeral Service |
| John Albert “Coach” LeBar | 91 | Oct. 17 | Jan. 17, 2026, 1 p.m., Croasdaile Country Club, Durham | Hall-Wynne Funeral Service & Crematory |
| Roosevelt McKinley Jordan | 80 | Oct. 16 | Nov. 7, 2 p.m., St. Joseph A.M.E. Church, Durham | Holloway Memorial Funeral Home |
| Dianne Elizabeth Timblin | 59 | Sept. 13 | Nov. 15, 4 p.m., Duke Memorial UMC, Durham | American Cremation & Funeral Service |
Durham Public School Lunch Today (SCHOOLS CLOSED)
Durham Public Schools campuses are closed today for a teacher workday/election day. Students return to school on Wednesday. Get the full week of menus here.
Back Southpoint Access and a percentage goes to the Hope Valley Elementary School PTA until Dec. 31, 2025.
Hillside High Opens 2025-26 Season with "Akeelah and the Bee"
Hillside High School’s award-winning drama department kicks off its new season with the stage adaptation of “Akeelah and the Bee,” running Friday–Sunday, Nov. 7–9 at the school’s on-campus theater at 3727 Fayetteville St..
Showtimes
- Fri, Nov. 7: 7:15 p.m.
- Sat, Nov. 8: 3:15 p.m. & 7:15 p.m.
- Sun, Nov. 9: 3:15 p.m.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at SeatYourself (QR code on the flyer). Bring your receipt to pick up tickets at will call. For group reservations or more information, the department lists (919) 560-3925 ext. 25240 and an email at tiffany_agerston@dpsnc.net.
Read the full story in Southpoint Access...
DPS, NCCU Team for Professional Development Event at Durham Megachurch
Zaretta Hammond, a consultant on the topic of culturally responsive teaching, is expected to speak Tuesday before educators from Durham Public Schools and North Carolina Central University’s School of Education.
The $15,000 speaking fee and the venue for the professional development event – held during a teacher workday – has raised some hackles on the r/bullcity subreddit.
Event organizers are spending $1,000 for the event to be held at the World Overcomers Christian Church on South Miami Boulevard in Durham.
“I would like to see the data that shows how a speaker like this can positively impact teachers and students,” wrote one respondent on a subreddit post. “At this moment, I know that some of our elementary school classrooms are very short on supplies and have too many students in them.”
Wrote another: “We should not be paying a church with public school funds, period.”
Read the full story in Southpoint Access...
Events In and Around South Durham – Nov. 4
🗳️ Election Day — All day
Across Durham
Vote at your assigned polling place. Check your sample ballot and precinct before you go.
🌱 Garden Club for Kids (Durham County Library) — 3:30–4:15 p.m.
Southwest Regional Library
Hands-on gardening fun and nature activities for kids.
✍️ Come Write In! (Durham County Library) — 6–7:30 p.m.
East Regional Library
Bring your work-in-progress for quiet writing time and creative momentum.
If this helps you plan your day, help us keep it free for South Durham.
Details can change - peek at the host pages before you go. Want your event listed? Send it to us via our Google Form
📅 More local happenings on the SoDu Events Calendar.
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?
What issues around your neighborhood in South Durham should get more attention? Reply to this newsletter and let me know. Send email to wes.platt@southpointaccess.news. You can also submit information via this Google form.
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