Whew! Rogers Road is finally open between Wake Forest and Rolesville. It opened for traffic Monday, Dec. 5, instead of the date announced earlier, Friday, Dec. 9. It had been closed since Oct. 8 when Hurricane Matthew blew through and Sanford Creek’s flood waters attacked the road bed and asphalt. * * * * At the first Wake Up! Wake Forest event sponsored by the Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Wake Forest early Tuesday morning, Mark Vitner, a senior economist with Wells Fargo in Charlotte, gave a group of about 50 people a detailed overview of economic trends. He said, along with other forecasts, that with the tax changes and decrease in business regulation that incoming President Trump will pursue he sees an increase in small business formation and success. He also noted that states like North Carolina with a thriving tech community are expected

Area residents are invited to experience the magic of the holiday season during the Wake Forest Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 10. Sponsored by PowerSecure and presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., the parade gets underway at 1 p.m. This year’s procession will feature over 100 colorful floats, three high school marching bands, entries from local businesses, churches, schools and civic groups, and – of course – Santa Claus. The parade will begin at the intersection of Elm Avenue and South White Street and continue north along South White Street before turning east onto Wait Avenue. It will then turn south onto South Brooks Street and continue until ending at the Elm Avenue intersection. Several street closures will take effect in the downtown area prior to the parade. Beginning at approximately 10 a.m., motorists traveling along the Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/NC 98 Bypass will not be permitted to turn onto

Wake Forest Town Manager Kip Padgett announced today that Transportation Planning Manager Candace Davis has been selected as the town’s first Assistant to the Town Manager. In her new role Davis will be responsible for assisting Padgett with a variety of town priorities, organizational initiatives, and special projects. She will also serve as program manager of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and the bond referendum projects approved by voters in 2014. “Over the past eight years Candace has been an incredible asset to Wake Forest – particularly in regard to securing grants and advocating on behalf of the town’s greenways and transportation system,” said Padgett. “I’ve always been impressed with Candace, particularly during the interview process, so I am confident her experience and leadership in this new position will continue to serve our residents well.” A native of Augusta, Georgia, Davis and her family have lived in Wake Forest for

Wake Forest Power is making it easier for customers to report electric outages and stay informed about power interruptions in their area through a new Outage Management System (OMS). The highlight of the initiative is a new automated outage reporting telephone number: 919-761-7899. Now customers need only to call the number and follow the prompts to quickly notify Wake Forest Power that their electricity is out. As an added bonus, customers disconnected due to non-payment who call the outage reporting number will hear an automated message explaining the reason for their electric service interruption. When a customer calls the outage reporting number, the OMS attempts to identify the telephone number from which the customer is calling and match that number to their account. As long as Wake Forest Power has the number in its system, the OMS will recognize the customer. If Wake Forest Power does not have the number,

The Wake Forest Police Department can now accept Shop With a Cop donations online via PayPal at www.wakeforestnc.gov/donate-to-shop-with-a-cop.aspx. Since 1999 the police department’s Shop With a Cop program has helped well over 400 less fortunate children in the Wake Forest area experience a joyous Christmas. The department raises money for the initiative through grants and donations from area citizens, churches, civic groups, and merchants. Now donations can be made conveniently and securely online. This year’s Shop With a Cop holiday shopping spree is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 14. On that day approximately 30 area children will visit the Wake Forest Police Department where they will be paired with their police officer “partners.” The kids and their partners will then be transported by bus to the Wake Forest Walmart, where each child will be given a winter coat and $175 to spend on items of their choice. Following the shopping spree,