The Wake Forest Police Department will host “Operation Medicine Drop” Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Town Hall Ground Floor Meeting Room, 301 S. Brooks St. The room is most easily accessed via Town Hall’s Taylor Street entrance. The police department offers Operation Medicine Drop as a prescription and over-the-counter medication take-back initiative that promotes proper medication disposal. By providing a safe and secure way for people to get rid of unwanted pills, tablets, and other medications, Operation Medicine Drop helps prevent accidental poisonings and drug abuse, while also protecting local rivers and streams. The service is free, anonymous and no questions will be asked. Due to COVID-19, anyone dropping off unwanted medications will be required to wear a mask when entering Town Hall. Participants can help law enforcement officials properly identify and sort the medications by disposing expired, unused, or unwanted medicine in its

The Taylor Street Sprayground at 416 North Taylor Street will open for the season on Saturday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then, from Sunday, April 25, through Sunday, June 13, the sprayground will operate according to the following schedule: Sundays, 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 4 to 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please Note: The sprayground will be open Memorial Day (Monday, May 31) from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public, the sprayground will operate on weekends in two-hour sessions and on weekdays in 90-minute sessions, then close 30 minutes for cleaning. To view the daily schedule, visit https://bit.ly/TaylorStParkSprayground. Community health and safety is the top priority for the Town of Wake Forest. The situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, so the sprayground operating schedule is subject to change. Town officials will continue to closely monitor updates and follow guidelines

Chamber hosts multiple events on May 1 The Wake Forest Area Chamber is sponsoring its first-ever Pickleball Open tournament on Saturday, May 1, at Flaherty Park in Wake Forest. Sponsored by Meals on Wheels of Wake County, more than 100 players have registered to play and compete in the day-long event. Spectators are invited to come and cheer on their favorite competitors. Play will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will last throughout the day. Simultaneously, there will be a play-for-fun category for ages 11 and up (under 16 must be accompanied by a partner aged 16 and up). The cost is $20, and no advance registration is necessary. Just show up on May 1 and sign up to play. Along with the Pickleball Open, the Chamber Foundation is hosting its fourth annual Young Entrepreneurs Fair, sponsored by Blue Wave Pressure Washing. Students from age 9 to 14 have created products

The Town of Wake Forest is inviting residents to share their thoughts and opinions on a future Citizens’ Academy by completing a brief survey. From now through Friday, April 30, residents can complete the survey by visiting www.wakeforestnc.gov/citizen-engagement and clicking on “Citizens’ Academy Survey.” Designed to gauge community interest, assess the preferred class format and determine topics of interest, the questionnaire takes less than five minutes to complete. For more information, email Strategic Performance Manager Lisa Hayes at lhayes@wakeforestnc.gov. #

Born on the island of Jamaica, Patrol Sergeant Alphanso James had a difficult road through his early years. But once he found his calling in Law Enforcement, he pursued it with all his heart. He has risen to the rank of sergeant in the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and spends his time, as he put it, “reaching out to the community and helping citizen’s one call at a time.” He spends many of his off-duty hours volunteering at community youth centers, coaching, mentoring, being a friend to local youth and encouraging them to follow their dreams by working hard. He is currently attending Gateway Community College, working toward a degree in criminal justice. He has a goal of being chief of police some day. Franklin County is fortunate to have such a dedicated officer and Wake Forest Memorial Post 8466, Veterans of Foreign Wars is honored to name him as