During October through December 14 new businesses chose to locate or relocate in Wake Forest, based on permits issued by the town, and a few are already open. During O’Reilly Auto Parts purchased a lot and began construction of a new building at 2011 South Main Street; a new SportsClips said it would open in Suite 100 at 1040 Forestville Road; and Tropical Picken Chicken relocated from South Main to Suite 10 at 109 Capcom Avenue. In November, the Lidl grocery store received a permit and began construction at 1120 South Main Street; Panera Café is now open at 11620 Northpark Drive; Well-Bean said it would open in Suite 140 at 2624 Leighton Ridge Drive; Starbucks received a building permit for a store at 2815 Rogers Road; a hair salon is open in Suites 104-105 at 1600 Heritage Commerce Court; Party Delights is open at 701 North Main Street; and

The next R.I.S.E. workshop – Rise, Inspire, Succeed, Empower – will be held Saturday, Feb. 24, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Alston-Massenburg Center at 416 North Taylor Street. Designed for young women ages 11-18, the free workshop will be hosted by Wake Forest Commissioner Anne Reeve and Ruben Wall, director of the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department, which is sponsoring the workshop. The workshop will focus on anti-bullying and offer attendees useful strategies for standing up and speaking out against bullies. The event is free and a continental breakfast will be provided. A limited number of seats are available. Pre-registration is required at http://wakeforestnc.recdesk.com/recdeskportal/. For more information, contact Lisa Jacobs at 919-556-7063 or ljacobs@wakeforestnc.gov.

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts will host the Paperhand Puppet Intervention on Saturday, March 4, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. For over 15 years the Paperhand Puppet Intervention has been creating original large-scale puppet extravaganzas complete with giant puppets, masks, shadow puppets, stilt dancing, painted flats, live music and more. Their unique story style tells myths from around the world and stories that inspire audiences of all ages. Paperhand Puppet Intervention is part of the Renaissance Centre’s “Arts for All” free community performance series, which is supported by United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County. For more information, visit wakeforestrencen.org or contact Renaissance Centre Specialist Debra Horton at 919-435-9566 or dhorton@wakeforestnc.gov. To receive email notifications concerning special events and programs at the Renaissance Centre, sign up for E-Notifier at www.wakeforestnc.gov/enotifier.aspx.  

Forest Moon Theater will present “Agnes of God” Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18-19, at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre for the Arts on Brooks Street. The play begins Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. When a newborn child is found dead in a convent, a court psychiatrist must determine whether the nun accused of the crime is mentally fit to stand trial, with the question of the father’s identity hanging in the balance. Advance tickets are $15 plus tax for adults and $13 plus tax for students and seniors. These prices reflect a savings of $3 per adult and student/senior “day of” admission tickets. For more information, visit www.wakeforestrencen.org or call the Renaissance Centre Box Office at 919-435-9458. To receive email notifications concerning special events and programs at the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, sign up for E-Notifier at www.wakeforestnc.gov/enotifier.aspx.

Rockin’ the Forest continues Friday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m. with Sarah Shook & the Disarmers at the Renaissance Centre. Advance tickets are $10 plus tax and can be purchased online with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card at www.wakeforestnc.gov/tickets-events.aspx. Advance tickets may also be purchased with cash, check or credit card at the Renaissance Centre Box Office, 405 Brooks Street. On the day of the concert, tickets can be purchased at the door. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis and seating is limited. A country band with a sneer, a bite, and no apologies, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers were named by Rolling Stone as one of 10 New Country Artists You Need to Know. Regarding the band’s 2016 album “Sidelong,” The Alternate Root wrote, “Sarah Shook and the Disarmers are a country band out of North Carolina that wear its Rock’n’Roll smirk like a