WS Chronicle

JESS SCHNUR 

THE CHRONICLE 

On Friday, The Chronicle summarized the key data presented at the City’s mid-year report from the Public Safety Committee. According to data provided by the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD), the year-to-date (YTD) statistics have shown an overall decrease in violent crime categories by a combined 90% (including homicide, robbery, and aggravated assault, etc.). However, despite the downturn across various crimes, larceny was on the uptick by 10%. The WSPD emphasized the rates of missing persons cases and stated that authorities have begun to implement new strategies to assist in future searches, such as their use of a new website, social media networks, and even recruiting a new bloodhound, Bo, to help in police efforts to locate these missing persons. During the committee’s debriefing, there was discussion surrounding updates across different community programs, most notably Forsyth WINS. As a local subsidiary of the nonprofit Cure Violence Global, Forsyth WINS was implemented in 2022 as a response to a spike in violent crime in the community. Since its establishment, Forsyth WINS has worked to help younger individuals get connected to resources and assistance to help prevent violence before it can begin.  

Also on Friday, The Chronicle highlighted some of the adult athletics leagues hosted by the city’s Recreation and Parks Department. With leagues in dodgeball, volleyball and softball, residents are welcome to register for teams during each of the respective athletic seasons. Volleyball also hosts open-net nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

On Saturday, The Chronicle reported on the recent controversy surrounding proposed House Bill 270, which aims to lift the current halt on the death penalty in the State of North Carolina. The bill, sponsored by Republicans Bill Ward, David Willis, A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr., Jonathan L. Almond, Jennifer Balkcom, Todd Carver, Neal Jackson, Keith Kidwell, and Paul Scott, further suggests the reinstitution of the electric chair, as well as the incorporation of death by firing squad, as options for those who receive the death penalty. The bill serves to undo the work of former Governor Roy Cooper’s previous term in office, as many grants of clemency for death row inmates were enacted under his jurisdiction to combat injustices within the death row system.  

On Sunday, The Chronicle spoke with Executive Vice President Ted Ortiviz of the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem (HAWS) to discuss the implications of President Trump’s FY2026 budget proposal, specifically concerning the call to defund the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and how this could potentially impact individuals and families across Forsyth County. Running various programs to help facilitate equitable and accessible housing for those in need of assistance, such as through the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, the Choice Neighborhood (CNI) Partnership, Affordable Market Rate Housing, and more, HAWS would have to minimize its operations in the event of a cut to federal funds, impacting not only those who rely on their services, but can furthermore be felt as a “ripple effect” throughout the local economy.  

In addition, on Sunday, The Chronicle reported on the Board of Education’s recent vote on Tricia McManus’s budget proposal. Amid the current audit of the district’s $16 million overspending, in tandem with the ongoing search for a new superintendent and chief financial officer, McManus proposed an allotted $615.39 million, including $180 million from Forsyth County, $385 million from the state, and about $50 million in federal funding. The board approved McManus’s proposal in a 7-2 vote.