Rogers Road bridge delayed again and Capital Blvd. pushed back to 2040 On February 21, the state Department of Transportation announced it will begin to study the possibility of Capital Boulevard as a toll road. The announcement was made during a meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, where Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones is the board chairman. The study will look at the logistics of making all or part of Capital Boulevard from I-540 to Purnell Road a toll road. During the January meeting Jones had put pressure on DOT to do the study. The study will begin in March, and DOT representatives said it could be completed by this fall. The cost is estimated at $600,000, and CAMPO pledged $150,000 for the study. There is no indication of what will happen after the study is complete except discussion. The North Carolina Turnpike Authority has said it could

The long-awaited, much anticipated opening of the Holding Park Inclusive Playground, 133 W. Owen Ave., will occur Saturday, March 2, at 7 a.m. The playground will be open daily from dawn to dusk. Due to the high volume of attendees expected throughout the opening weekend, free parking will be available in several lots on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) and along several side streets in the vicinity of Holding Park. Visitors are encouraged to make plans with family members and friends to carpool, use rideshare services, or take advantage of the free Wake Forest Loop (Saturday only) which offers stops less than a block away from the park. Designed to provide children of all abilities with a safe and fun place to play, inclusive playgrounds offer a sensory-rich play experience for every cognitive level and developmental stage. The Holding Park Inclusive Playground’s thoughtful design includes accommodations for

The Wake Forest Police Department (WFPD) is inviting residents to “Cover the Cruiser” to raise money for Special Olympics in North Carolina (SONC). On Saturday, March 2, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, March 3, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wake Forest Police officers will be at the Wake Forest Sam’s Club, 11460 Royall Cotton Road, selling “Cover the Cruiser” stickers for $5 each. Anyone who purchases one or more stickers can write their name on the sticker(s), with the goal of completely covering a WFPD ‘cruiser.’ “We’re proud to help Special Olympics NC, and every dollar counts,” said Sgt. J. McArthur. “We’re hoping to see one of our cruisers covered in stickers with people’s names on them to show our community’s support for Special Olympics.” As part of the WFPD’s efforts, officers will also be selling 2024 Special Olympics NC Torch Run T-shirts for $20. Cash, check, and credit cards

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre at 405 S. Brooks St., will host the 2024 Wake Forest Film Festival this Friday and Saturday, March 1-2. Intended for filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and anyone who enjoys a good story, the film showcase will engage audiences with films of all lengths and genres, including short and feature, documentary, sci-fi, music, family, and student (high school and college). The Renaissance Centre invited many of today’s most promising and accomplished local, national, and international filmmakers from our community and around the world to submit their original works and become a part of the 2024 film festival. Altogether, those filmmakers submitted 81 films for consideration with 18 vibrant and diverse works selected to be featured during this year’s event. The complete schedule, including movie titles and times, is available on the Renaissance Centre website at http://bit.ly/WFFilmFestival. Tickets to the two-day event are $20 and can be purchased online