Police Chief Jeff Leonard will retire Feb. 1

After more than three decades of service to the Town of Wake Forest, Police Chief Jeff Leonard has announced his retirement effective February 1, 2025. Capt. Julius Jefferson will serve as Interim Police Chief until a permanent successor is named. Leonard’s retirement caps a 32-year career in public service, the last 15 as Wake Forest Police Chief making him Wake County’s longest serving Chief of Police. A Wake Forest native and NC State graduate, Leonard began his career in public service as a volunteer with the Wake Forest Fire Department in 1987, where he served until 2010.  Leonard joined the Wake Forest Police Department as a part-time auxiliary officer in 1992 before becoming a full-time officer in August 1994. Over the next several years, he served in a variety of specialized positions, including Juvenile Officer, General Crimes Detective, Narcotics Sergeant (2001), Investigations Lieutenant (2003), and as a member of the

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Town preparing for wintry weather

With weather forecasters calling for the possibility of frozen precipitation this weekend, the Town of Wake Forest is fully prepared should wintry weather affect our community. Forecasters say snow, sleet, and freezing rain are all possibilities from Friday evening through Saturday morning.  Town facilities will operate on a normal schedule unless announced otherwise. Any changes will be announced via the Town’s normal communications channels. Public Works In anticipation of this winter event, crews will begin applying brine to Wake Forest bridges, overpasses, and traditional slick spots on Thursday morning. Based on the current forecast, staff anticipate continuing preparations at least through Friday evening. Brine is a salt and water mixture. The use of brine uses less salt since it is applied in liquid form, and the salt can begin to work immediately. Unlike rock salt which can roll off or be blown off hard surfaces, brine bonds to the pavement.

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Board appoints interim town attorney

Tuesday evening, January 7, 2025, the Wake Forest town commissioners agreed to appoint the law firm Wyrick Robbins as the town’s interim attorney after the resignation of Hassan Kingsberry, who resigned on December 23. Kingsberry has been the Wake Forest town attorney for two years since the position was created. He left Wake Forest to take two positions in Henderson, NC where he will be the town manager with a salary of $161,906.40 and also the part-time town attorney at $40,000. Kingsberry grew up in Henderson. Most of the short meeting was taken up by a review of the town’s capital improvement projects, the CIP, led by Michelle Daniels, the budget and performance manager. The CIP is a five-year plan for the purchase, construction or acquisition of anything over $25,000. It has to take into account the town’s revenues, its capital reserve, the issuance of debt and its bond referendums

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Wake Forest’s growth topped 15% in 2004

Only 20 years ago – Recent Wake Forest history             The December residential building permit numbers show Wake Forest grew at 15.2 percent in 2004, three to four times faster than Town Manager Mark Williams has said its infrastructure can sustain.             The final numbers for the year just ended show 1,088 residential building permits were issued – 727 for single-family houses and 361 for townhouses or apartments. The town began 2004 with 7,140 dwelling units of all types.             The town’s rapid growth stood at 14.5 percent at the end of November, and in December the planning department issued permits for 41 single-family homes and 12 townhouses to bring the year’s total to 15.2 percent.             Williams has said consistently that the town must reduce its growth rate to 6 or even 4 percent because it cannot afford the roads, streets, fire and police protection, parks and administration that

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Wake Forest Power commended

Wake Forest Power has received a national commendation from the American Public Power Association for its support in electric power restoration efforts in Bartow and Ocala, Florida, last year following Hurricanes Milton and Helene.   In October, WFP sent crews to the Florida communities to help restore power following the storms that killed dozens and left millions without electricity. A public power utility, WFP participates in APPA’s Mutual Aid Network, which coordinates with utilities and authorities during widespread power outages. According to Wake Forest Town Manager Kip Padgett, mutual aid is at the heart of what public power is all about. “We are committed to the ideal of neighbor helping neighbor,” said Town Manager Kip Padgett. “Through APPA’s mutual aid program we can demonstrate that commitment by answering the call when our neighbors are in need – whether they are next door or thousands of miles away.” For more information

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WFPD and McDonald’s help Special Olympics

The Wake Forest Police Department and Heritage Station McDonald’s, 1001 Forestville Road, are joining forces to raise awareness and money for Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) during “Safety Day” on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Community members are invited to support the cause by dining at McDonald’s between 4 and 7 p.m. McDonald’s will donate 25 percent of their food and beverage sales during those three hours to support SONC. As part of the event, several public safety agencies will display police cars, fire trucks, EMS vehicles and other specialized vehicles for attendees to view and step inside. The WFPD accepts SONC donations year-round at https://bit.ly/WFPDSpecialOlympics. All funds raised go to SONC as part of The Law Enforcement Torch Run. For more information, Sgt. J. McArthur at 919-554-6150 or jmcarthur@wakeforestnc.gov.   ###

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PRCR holds meetings about Taylor Street Park

The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department is hosting a series of public meetings to solicit input from residents concerning the future of Taylor Street Park, 416 N. Taylor St. The first three meetings occurred on November 21, December 7, and December 10.  The PRCR Department will offer additional public input sessions at the Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 25, at 11 a.m.  Each session will include a brief presentation, followed by an open discussion where attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share suggestions. Town staff will be on hand to answer questions and gather public input. Discussions will focus on PRCR’s efforts to apply for the Accessible Parks (AP) Grant Program. The Accessible Parks Grant Program provides $3.7 million in matching grants for parks and recreation for the construction of special facilities

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Programs at Wake Forest Public Library

Refresh for the New Year Workshop  Friday, January 17 at 10-12 PM  Join us for an engaging workshop focused on building resilience. You will learn helpful techniques and strategies to better handle challenges that may arise this year. At the end of the workshop you will make a unique keepsake that will help you on your journey toward creating a resilient mind.  For ages 16+   Registration requested: bit.ly/WakeForestLibraryEvents   Finding Your Customers in Wake County – Wake Tech Small Business Center  Wednesday, January 22 @ 6:30 – 8 PM  Learn techniques and tools to help identify and find the lifeblood of your small business. Owners and entrepreneurs need to grow or start- either way!  Limited seating. Registration requested: bit.ly/wakebiz   Wake Transit Plan Update  Saturday, January 25 @ 1:30 – 2:30 pm  Wake County is in the process of updating the 2035 Wake Transit Plan, the region’s investment strategy to improve and

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to be celebrated on January 23 at Friendship Chapel Church

Several local churches and community organizations will honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a free, public celebration on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6:30 p.m. at Friendship Chapel Baptist Church, 237 Friendship Chapel Road. The evening’s theme will center around one of Dr. King’s messages: “Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude.” In the spirit of the event theme, the Wake Forest MLK Committee will offer creative performance, writing, and art competitions for students in Wake Forest and Rolesville-area schools. Complete contest rules and information, along with the online contest entry form, are available at http://bit.ly/WFMLKCelebration. The competition winners will be recognized during the January 18 program. The Wake Forest MLK Committee is accepting monetary donations from the community to help fund the monetary prizes and scholarships awarded to the competition winners. The MLK Committee hopes to raise $10,000 by January 31.

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Work on Dunn Creek Greenway underway

Crowder Construction, a contractor working on behalf of the Town of Wake Forest, began construction on Phase 3 of the Dunn Creek Greenway on Monday, Dec. 16. Funded by the 2022 Bond Referendum, Phase 3 will add 1.8 miles of greenway to the Dunn Creek network. Starting at the current end of the Dunn Creek Greenway north of Dr. Calvin Jones Highway/NC 98 Bypass, Phase 3 will connect with the existing greenway alignment to Ailey Young Park and the existing greenway network constructed in the Traditions neighborhood. Scheduled for completion in late spring 2026, Phase 3 will require the greenway to cross over Wait Avenue and three streams. The footbridges that span these streams will be constructed with precast concrete boardwalk systems, known as Permatrak, to reduce slipping conditions when wet and aid long-term maintenance and structural integrity. Construction activity will intermittently impact traffic along Wait Avenue throughout the project,

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