Home About Articles Audio Samples Contact
Winston-Salem Journal •

IFB Solution's employees reflect on 34 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Walking into the Community Low Vision Center, you see a lot of what you would expect in a busy office. In the span of a few minutes, five phone calls may come through, and people file in from all sides of the building.

The scene can be stressful for any worker, but Toni Fraser can be seen moving effortlessly from task-to-task. Holding conversations with customers, co-workers and people on the phone, Fraser makes it look easy.

The kicker? She can do all of this without seeing.
Winston-Salem Journal •

The International Black Theatre Festival is back in Winston-Salem. And it has something for everyone

Thousands of people are preparing to make their trip to the “Black Theatre Holy Ground” — also known as the streets of downtown Winston-Salem.

The International Black Theatre Festival is returning to Winston-Salem for the 18th time, July 29 through Aug. 3. The festival has been occurring biennially since 1989, after being founded by Larry Leon Hamlin, who also founded the North Carolina Black Repertory Company.

The event draws large crowds every year and was named one of the Top 100 events in North America by the American Business Association.

Felecia Piggott-Anderson, a member of the N.C. Black Repertory Company since its inception, called the festival a “Mecca for Black theater.”
Winston-Salem Journal •

HanesBrands back-to-school sale attracts large crowds. Sale continues through weekend

The sale comes after the June 5 announcement from HanesBrands that the company would be selling the Champion brand to Authentic Brands Group Inc.“It’s been really impressive — I think the community has really showed up in a really big way,” Stefanie Jaworski, store operations manager, said. “It’s a lot of hard work, but there’s a lot of love behind it, too, when you see the turn out we’ve had today.Shoppers could be seen carrying large plastic bags to place items in as they shopped. Some seasone...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Kernersville teenager reported missing by the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office

Law enforcement is currently asking for help to find a missing Kernersville teenager, according to a statement from the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office.Sabrina Martinez, 16, was last seen in the early morning of July 17 at her home in the 2000 block of Londonderry Road in Kernersville.The Forsyth County Sherrff's Office put out a call for community assistance in locating Martinez on its Facebook page in the afternoon of July 18.Martinez is described as being 5 feet tall, 110 pounds, having black...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Bookmarks leads summer voter education series

“The purpose (of the program) is to choose a book that is discussed throughout the summer — to engage people in conversation around that topic for the summer,” Lera Shawver, Bookmarks’ administrative coordinator, said. “So for this being a year of voting, this sort of offered us an opportunity to explore the history of voting rights and why voting is important.”Bookmarks is partnering with the Forsyth County Board of Elections to lead this summer’s Book with a Purpose series. Together, they are...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Interested in reptiles? Repticon is back in Winston-Salem this weekend

Winston-Salem residents can come out to the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds this weekend for some cold-blooded fun.Repticon, a convention dedicated to educating the public on reptiles, will be coming to the fairgrounds for a two-day convention on July 6-7.The event, which has been coming to the city for over a decade, will feature venders, educational booths and, of course, reptiles. People can come to learn more about these animals — and maybe even take home a new pet.Repticon is an organization base...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Burlesk Con comes to Winston-Salem this weekend

“We actually have a really great burlesque scene, and I think that we, especially our region, is left out of that quite a bit,” Carmichael said. “So we just want to kind of showcase that and show our little town and Trade Street what we have.”“Burlesque and drag have always been connected,” Carmichael said. “For instance, there’s someone named Lydia Thompson who came over to the United States with her burlesque traveling group (in the) very late 1800s/early 1900s … and she actually discovered th...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Setting off fireworks for July 4th? Make sure they're safe - and legal

However, there are a few firework laws and safety information to keep in mind before the Fourth of July. Here are some regulations and tips to keep your celebrations safe and legal.Any fireworks that leave the ground and explode in the air are considered illegal in North Carolina, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department’s webpage. That includes bottle rockets, firecrackers, roman candles and all other aerial fireworks.Fireworks that do not explode, spin or fly through the air are all le...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Rabid fox found near Old Salem after it attacks two people

The fox was found near Old Salem after it attacked two people. At this time, the condition of the individuals has not been reported.Public health officials advise reaching out to your primary care doctor if you came into contact with a fox between June 20 and 27. If you believe your animal may have come into contact with a fox, reach out to your veterinarian and Forsyth County Animal Services.This makes the fourth confirmed rabies case for Forsyth County this year. Others include two skunks and...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Couple grows flourishing business and family in Winston-Salem

Clester Astolfo Garcia Perez had been creating floral arrangements for years before starting his own business here in Winston-Salem.“It’s something that I always dealt in, but it wasn’t until I had the support of my husband that we didn’t actually start looking into a business,” Perez said through a translator.Perez and his husband both run Florista at Adolfo’s Creation, a floral shop off of Peters Creek Parkway, alongside their two sons. The shop has been open since 2015 and makes pieces for fu...
Winston-Salem Journal •

The 1Love Festival comes to Winston-Salem this weekend

Featured artists include Grammy-nominated Mumu Fresh and D Smoke. Artists both local to the Carolinas and throughout the country will be present — with some artists coming all the way out from Texas, California and Maryland.According to Dr. Melva Sampson, the festival’s co-founder, the idea for 1Love came to fruition in 2020, right around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sampson, alongside her husband and co-founder, Darrick Young, have worked for the past three years to grow and host the fes...
Winston-Salem Journal •

The Purple Bench Collective teaches art and acceptance in Winston-Salem

In a small shopping center off of Bethania Station Road, people can be seen chatting and relaxing in the sunshine on a purple bench.The Purple Bench Collective is an art studio that gets its namesake from a small purple bench sitting outside. Jeffrey Willey, owner of the studio, says that the idea of the purple bench came from his mother.“(My mom) had a purple bench in a garden, and we would go there, and it was our safe zone,” Willey said. “We could sit; we could confess … actually, that’s wher...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Wutyasay food truck in Winston-Salem feeds the soul

Billingsley-Hayes is the owner of Wutyasay, a Winston-Salem-based food truck and catering service. Since 2016, the truck has been serving the community and living up to its motto: “Good Food That Makes the Soul Smile.”One of Wutyasay’s dishes, the GG Burger, was rated the No. 1 must try food in the Journal in 2018. Since then, the business has continued to grow.“I do definitely believe that God has blessed my business,” Billingsley-Hayes said. “... And as a same gender-loving man, understanding...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Winston-Salem man charged with involuntary manslaughter following fatal April wreck

A Winston-Salem man involved in a fatal wreck on April 12 is facing charges for his alleged role in the incident, authorities said Thursday.Francisco Cisneros-Candela, 24, of Cash Drive was charged with involuntary manslaughter on June 27, Winston-Salem police said.Cisneros-Candela also is charged with driving with a revoked license, reckless driving, speeding, borrowing a registration plate, driving with no liability insurance, failing to stop at a steady red light, failing to wear a seat and f...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Winston-Salem's '5' Royales get downtown mural

"I really didn't know they were that well known because, when people come, they're just people to me," Pauling said. "They were regular people. They treated me regularly. ... It wasn't until I got older that I realized the significance of the group."Karen Scales, daughter of "5" Royales member Obadiah Carter, hopes that the mural will serve as a potential educational opportunity for students in the area. According to both Scales and Pauling, there are currently efforts to implement the story of...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Wilkes County teacher charged with sending lewd messages to students. Warrants detail messages, conversations with alleged victims

David Lee Gregory, 40, of Briar Creek Drive in North Wilkesboro, was charged with 10 counts of taking indecent liberties with a child, five counts of attempted sexual activity with a student, three counts of dissemination to minors under 16 years old and two counts of attempted second-degree sexual exploitation, according to arrest warrants.The warrants outline allegations against Gregory that he took indecent liberties with eight girls and attempted to have sex with girls at his home. Gregory a...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Local political leaders react to former president Donald Trump's conviction

“The conviction was not a surprise because we do firmly believe that the whole trial … was done in a manner to interfere with someone running for office,” Bumgardner said. “And I would suggest that most of us feel this is a tragedy for our country more than anything else — to use our legal system to interfere with the voice of the people.”“This has got to be very frightening for those wondering what the future looks like for anyone that opposes the Democrats that live under this abomination of a...
Winston-Salem Journal •

Tobaccoville church raises money following devastating fire

A fire broke out at New Bethel Baptist Church of Tobaccoville in the early morning of May 30. The fellowship hall of the church was heavily damaged, and the church has no insurance to cover the cost of reconstruction.“For 14 years that I have pastored here, it’s just been such a part of our ministry. It’s not only a church fellowship hall, it’s kind of a community center, too,” Robertson said. “The building is used so much that it’s just kind of devastating to see it all gone.”The Old Richmond V...
Load More