Crossing signals on dead-end street ‘data error’               The $113,000 worth of crossing signals and gates where Friendship Chapel Road crosses the CSX railroad tracks was “a data error,” Drew Thomas, the crossing safety engineering manager in the state Department of Transportation, said this week.               The signals and gates were installed as part of the Safe Roads for Safe Schools program to improve safety at railroad crossings around the state with a significant amount of school traffic. Julia Hegele, a spokesman for DOT, told a News & Observer reporter in March that eight Wake County school buses carrying 250 children pass through the Friendship Chapel Road crossing every day.               Friendship Chapel Road is a dead end. The one house left has been abandoned. A landscape contracting firm operating from the old Holding Farm buildings, Friendship Chapel Baptist Church and the Town of Wake Forest Public Works Center are

The Wake Forest Human Relations Council is pleased to announce that Jay Jay Wilson and Sandy Matthews are Wake Forest’s 2023 Youth and Adult Good Neighbors of the Year. The honorees were announced during today’s Good Neighbor Day celebration at E. Carroll Joyner Park. Each was presented with a commemorative plaque. In her nomination narrative, Margaret Watkins acknowledged Wilson’s efforts to raise awareness about PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal) and PANS (Pediatric Acute Neuropsychiatric Syndrome). “Many kids are misdiagnosed if ever correctly diagnosed at all,” wrote Watkins. “He has raised money by selling T-shirts. All proceeds are donated to the PANDAS nonprofit advocacy group.” Watkins also highlighted Wilson’s impact on Wake Forest and beyond. “Jay Jay is one of the advocates who persuaded the mayor (that) Wake Forest needed an all-inclusive playground. Jay Jay has a TikTok account where he shares his medical endeavors searching for a

Through the decades Wake Forest residents have helped the town make decisions about programs and plans as well as helping themselves learn more about how town government works by volunteering to serve on a town board. The boards were established to give residents input into what happens in the community and advise the Board of Commissioners (BOC) on matters that affect citizens and their town government. Applications are being accepted through Friday, Oct. 6, for appointments to the following boards and commissions:  Area high school students (grades 11-12) are also invited to apply to serve as representatives on every board, except the Planning Board. The online advisory board application is available on the Town website at http://bit.ly/TOWFAdvBoardApplication. Anyone without access to a computer is invited to complete the application by using a computer kiosk in the lobby of Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. Hard copies are available upon request by contacting

The Northern Community Food Security Team is partnering with Ripe for Revival to offer a monthly mobile grocery store on the second Thursday of each month from 3-5 p.m. across from the Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave. Offering fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy from local and regional farmers on a pay-what-you-can scale, the Ripe for Revival Mobile Market will make its inaugural debut Thursday, Sept. 14. Ripe for Revival utilizes its network of farmer and food industry relationships to narrow the gap between farm excess and food access. The company purchases “retired” city or school buses, renovates them to include refrigerators and freezers, and transforms them into Mobile Markets that can drive into communities impacted by food insecurity. The brainchild of Will Kornegay, Ripe for Revival’s pay-what-you-can Mobile Markets aim to make fresh and local produce, proteins, dairy, eggs, and other food products accessible and affordable to all, regardless of their budget. When shopping,

If you’re looking for a “hauntingly” good time this fall, then don’t miss the Spirits of Wake Forest ghost walk in downtown Wake Forest. Presented by Wake Forest Downtown, Inc., in partnership with Firebox Theatre Company, these tours will be offered on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, from September 28 through October 28, according to the following schedule: Tickets are $15 each and go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 5, at noon at https://bit.ly/SpiritsofWF. Please note: Tickets are non-refundable/non-transferable and must be purchased in advance. Tours will take place rain or shine. Tours are recommended for ages 8 and up, but younger children are welcome at their parents’ discretion. Any attendees under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult. Downtown Wake Forest’s buildings and sidewalks have seen well over 100 years of history, and they have some spooky stories to tell! Join WFD, Inc. and Firebox Theatre Company’s incredible cast of