Information from the Institute for Southern Studies Date on which North Carolina’s newly sworn-in Gov. Roy Cooper (D) announced he’d take executive action to expand Medicaid, the public health insurance program for the poor, under the Affordable Care Act: 1/4/2017 Year in which North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a law barring the executive branch from expanding Medicaid under ACA, complicating Cooper’s efforts: 2013 Number of North Carolinians who could benefit from expansion of Medicaid, which in that state is currently available only to children, people with small children, or those who are pregnant, disabled, or in a nursing home: up to 600,000 Amount of investment Medicaid expansion would bring to North Carolina: $2 billion to $4 billion Number of good-paying new jobs it would create: 20,000 to 40,000 By continuing to reject Medicaid expansion, which its residents are already paying taxes for, estimated amount of federal funds North Carolina would

Most people have a hazy idea that the town of Butner has a lot of government facilities such as the federal prison and the new state mental hospital. We even know it was an Army camp, but we have no details. The newly-formed Camp Butner Society – “Dedicated to telling the story of the soldiers, civilians, and prisoners of war who call Camp Butner, North Carolina home from 1942 to 1947.” – wants to shed light on Butner’s history. You can find them on Facebook, and one or two of the society members will be in Wake Forest Sunday afternoon, Jan. 22, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Wake Forest Historical Museum on North Main Street. The program is hosted by the Wake Forest Historical Association which will provide refreshments. The museum is at 414 North Main Street and there is parking on the street in front as well

Mayor Vivian Jones will deliver her 2017 State of the Town Address on Monday, Feb. 20, at 6 p.m., during the ninth annual State of the Town Address and Dinner. Presented by the Wake Forest Rotary Club, the event will be at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts on South Brooks Street. During her remarks, Mayor Jones will highlight the town’s key accomplishments in 2016 and outline the goals Wake Forest will strive towards in 2017. All area residents are invited to attend this special event. Tickets are $15 per person in advance and $20 on the day of the event and include a catered meal. Dress for the event is business casual. Tickets can be purchased online with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card at www.wakeforestnc.gov/state-of-the-town.aspx. Tickets may also be purchased at the Renaissance Centre Box Office with cash, check or credit card. A

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department will host two public meetings in January to solicit input from area residents concerning the future Joyner Park Community Center. The first session will coincide with the regularly scheduled Youth in Government Advisory Board meeting on Saturday, Jan. 21. The meeting will get underway at 9 a.m. in the ground floor meeting room of the Wake Forest Town Hall on Brooks Street. This session is specifically targeted to young people but anyone may attend. The second meeting is Thursday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. It will also take place in town hall’s ground floor meeting room. This room is most easily accessed by the Taylor Street entrance. Representatives from Clark Nexsen, the facility designer, and the PRCR Department will be on hand at each session to answer questions and gather public input. The interactive meetings will include a brief presentation, followed

Due to icy road conditions, Forest Moon Theater has postponed “Anne of Green Gables” auditions until Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 16-17. Originally scheduled for Jan. 9-10, the auditions will take place at 7 p.m. at the Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 North White Stzreet. Registration is from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Anyone planning to audition is encouraged to bring a completed audition form, along with a recent photo or head shot. Additional forms will be available at registration. The cast includes adult characters ages 30 and older and younger characters ages 10-29. The roles of the younger characters will be double-cast to include both a younger (ages 10-16) and older (ages 16-35) version of the children as they mature to young adults. A total of 21 roles are available, including 14 female and seven male. Anne of Green Gables will be presented at various times from March 10-19 at the