durham

South Durham in Five: A Fatal Shooting, Rising Fuel Costs, and Durham’s Water Future

A Parkwood mother was killed, investigators linked a rare fatal infection to an El Futuro water feature, and global conflict pushed Durham fuel prices sharply higher. Which story should Southpoint Access keep following?

Good morning, neighbors.

This was a difficult week in South Durham.

A mother was shot and killed while driving through Parkwood with her children. State investigators identified a Durham water feature as the most likely source of a rare infection that killed a teenager. Meanwhile, events far beyond North Carolina continued reaching into local household and government budgets.

There also were signs of neighbors showing up for one another, from a school fundraiser to families helping design a home for children facing cancer.

Here’s South Durham in five questions.

1. What happened in Parkwood?

Victoria James was shot and killed shortly after 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, while driving near Revere and Sedwick roads in Parkwood. Court records indicate that her two children were inside the SUV when shots were fired.

Durham police charged 38-year-old Lontrel Diray Alston with first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, discharging a firearm into occupied property, and habitual misdemeanor assault.

Police described the shooting as an isolated incident and said there was no continuing danger to the public. The charges are allegations, and Alston is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Read what court records show about the Parkwood shooting.

The case also appeared in this week’s expanded SoDu Crime Watch. For the first time, the roundup includes a separate section for arrests involving serious charges.

Southpoint Access identified six such arrest entries in the coverage area from Sept. 11-17, along with 85 public incident reports at 66 address blocks. Vehicle-related theft reports fell from 65 to 38, while shoplifting reports increased from 19 to 21.

Those numbers come with an important caution. The Sept. 17 incident data appeared incomplete, and reports can be added or reclassified later. Arrest records and incident reports also measure different things, and neither establishes guilt.

Explore this week’s SoDu Crime Watch.

2. What did investigators find at El Futuro?

State investigators identified an interactive water feature at El Futuro’s Lakewood clinic as the most likely source of a rare brain infection that killed a teenage boy.

Tests detected DNA from Naegleria fowleri, the organism that causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM. Investigators didn’t find a viable amoeba in the samples, but the genetic evidence and the teenager’s exposure history led them to the water feature.

Family members said the teenager splashed water on his face there Aug. 13. He developed a severe headache Aug. 19, entered the hospital Aug. 22, and died Aug. 31.

The infection occurs when contaminated water enters the nose. It isn’t caused by swallowing the water, and it doesn’t spread from person to person.

El Futuro, a nonprofit mental health organization serving Latino families, closed the water feature after learning of the investigation. The organization expressed condolences to the teenager’s family and said it was cooperating with public health officials.

Read what investigators found and what questions remain.

You also can watch the Office Hours explainer.

3. Why are Durham fuel prices climbing?

Regular gasoline averaged about $3.99 a gallon in the Durham-Chapel Hill area Saturday, Sept. 12. Diesel averaged just under $5.99, setting a new local record.

The immediate cause wasn’t a Durham pipeline or terminal failure. The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has sharply reduced oil and refined fuel shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and other Middle Eastern routes.

North Carolina receives much of its fuel from Gulf Coast refineries through pipelines, including the Colonial Pipeline system. But those refineries operate in a global market. When overseas supplies tighten, competition grows for fuel produced elsewhere, including in the United States.

The result reaches beyond the gas pump. Diesel powers delivery trucks, construction equipment, farm machinery, school buses, and government vehicles. Higher transportation costs can eventually affect groceries, building projects, public services, and school budgets.

See how a global oil squeeze is affecting Durham fuel prices.

4. What changes for SNAP on Oct. 1?

Nearly 30,000 Durham County residents rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to help buy groceries.

Their benefits aren’t scheduled to disappear Oct. 1, but the cost of administering the program is about to shift sharply toward state and local governments.

The federal government currently pays half of SNAP administrative costs. Starting Oct. 1, its share drops to 25%, leaving states responsible for the other 75%. Because North Carolina counties handle applications, eligibility decisions, recertifications, and other daily work, Durham County expects to absorb about $2.1 million in additional costs this fiscal year. Its total administrative expense could reach about $7.8 million.

A U.S. Senate committee advanced legislation that would delay a separate future penalty tied to benefit-payment errors. That action wouldn’t postpone the administrative-cost increase arriving next month.

Read what changed in Congress and what didn’t.

5. How could Jordan Lake change Durham’s water future?

After a summer of drought restrictions and shrinking reservoirs, Durham is considering a major investment in another long-term drinking-water source.

City Council took up a proposed $32.4 million design contract Thursday for a new Jordan Lake water treatment plant on Farrington Road. The initial plant would provide Durham with as much as 20 million gallons of treated water a day.

City staff estimates the full project will cost about $496 million over its lifetime, including final design and construction. Regional plans call for the Jordan Lake system to expand in later phases as Durham and surrounding communities grow.

The project won’t solve the current shortage. Planning, design, construction, and startup will take years. But this summer offered a vivid example of why Durham is looking for more capacity and a more resilient mix of water sources.

Learn what Durham is planning at Jordan Lake.

Around the neighborhood

Durham links culture and health to access

County commissioners unanimously approved the Durham Cultural Roadmap, a long-range plan for arts and cultural programming and investment. The vote adopted the plan but didn’t fund every proposal in it.

Commissioners also reviewed a community health assessment based on 1,207 surveys. The results showed sharp income-related differences in housing, health care, food access, and mental health.

Read what stood out from the county commissioners meeting.

Hope Valley Elementary passes $25,000

Hope Valley Elementary’s talent show and raffle raised about $2,500 Wednesday, pushing the OneFundraiser total above $25,000. The PTA is working toward a $40,000 goal for recess equipment, classroom snacks, teacher grants, school improvements, and other needs.

See photos from the talent show and fundraiser.

Aldi retakes the grocery lead

The average 17-item SoDu Shopping Basket held nearly steady at $67, down 41 cents from the previous week. Aldi moved back into first place, while Walmart’s basket rose $3.55 and Fresh Market’s fell $6.20.

Compare this week’s grocery prices.

The Rams roll at home

Rogers-Herr Middle School’s boys soccer team defeated Lucas Middle 8-3 Thursday.

See the Southpoint Access photo gallery.

Useful for the week ahead

No DPS classes Monday: Sept. 21 is a teacher workday. Traditional-calendar students return Tuesday, while year-round schools begin intersession and remain out until Oct. 12. Check the Sept. 21-25 cafeteria menus.
Find something to do: Saturday brings the I AM Too Sexy 5K Run/Walk and a free youth introduction to ultimate at Piney Wood Park. Dungeons & Drafts is Sunday at Glass Jug Beer Lab downtown. Browse the weekend roundup.
Check your pantry: More than 2.3 million Ricky Joy Sour Crush candy bottles were recalled because the caps may pose a choking hazard. See the affected products.

Two deadlines Tuesday

Duke Energy’s proposed 270-foot communications tower near Scott King Road returns to the Durham Board of Adjustment at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Nearby residents who want to challenge Duke’s claims face an expensive hurdle. Cynthia Blum said an attorney estimated that legal and real estate experts could cost residents $3,000 to $5,000. Duke may rely on a property-value study that lists the wrong address, repeatedly names the wrong county, and evaluates an earlier, taller version of the tower.

Read why opposing the tower could carry a steep price.

Tuesday, my 60th birthday, also is the last day of the 100 Neighbors for Local News campaign. As of Thursday, 68 neighbors had contributed $3,789.46. That left Southpoint Access 32 neighbors and $1,210.54 short of the goals, with three days remaining when this newsletter goes out.

The money will help pay freelance reporters, cover public-records and research expenses, and produce more original reporting about South Durham.

Help Southpoint Access finish strong by Sept. 22.

Take a breather

Heather Hindin writes about how families facing pediatric cancer helped shape Harper’s Home, including its kitchens, laundry rooms, gathering spaces, and room for the family dog.

Read: What Durham Families Taught Us About Designing Harper’s Home.

Jeff Stanford remembers the forbidden thrill of watching HBO after bedtime and revisits Ron Howard’s Night Shift for Nerdspresso.

Read: “Night Shift” and the Joy of HBO After Bedtime.

And if you’ve heard South Durham described as a hellscape, 10 fictional residents have sent Civil War-style letters from the carpool line, the goose-occupied pond, and Target.

Read: Dearest Mother, the Target Still Stands.

Thanks for spending part of your weekend with Southpoint Access.

Which story mattered most to you this week? What should I keep following? Reply to this newsletter or join the conversation in the SoDu Town Square.

See you around the neighborhood.

Wes Platt
Neighborhood News Guy
Southpoint Access

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