Wake Forest Matters
@wakeforestmatters.bsky.social
Local stories. Real voices. Relentless truth. Wake Forest Matters is watchdog journalism for a growing town that deserves transparency, courage, and a future built on facts.
The Wake Forest Community Library officially reopened its doors today, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. The library has undergone a fresh update, including a full carpet replacement and a refreshed layout designed to improve flow and comfort. #WakeForestNC #WakeForestLibrary #CommunityHub
Wake Forest Community Library is Back
After a brief refresh, our local library returns with a bright new look and more space for community events.
wakeforestmatters.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:49 PM
The Wake Forest Community Library officially reopened its doors today, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. The library has undergone a fresh update, including a full carpet replacement and a refreshed layout designed to improve flow and comfort. #WakeForestNC #WakeForestLibrary #CommunityHub
You can’t fake experience. But you can’t manufacture a fresh start, either. That was the crossroads the Town Board faced Tuesday night. ❄️ #WakeForestNC #LocalNews #NCPol #WakeForest #TownHall
The Persistence of the Technician: Why Experience Won the Night
A deep dive into the appointment of Nicholas Sliwinski and the procedural "closed loop" that prizes Day One readiness over new perspectives.
open.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:23 AM
You can’t fake experience. But you can’t manufacture a fresh start, either. That was the crossroads the Town Board faced Tuesday night. ❄️ #WakeForestNC #LocalNews #NCPol #WakeForest #TownHall
We aren’t just approaching spiritual death; we are watching the rigor mortis set in. Defense spending now accounts for nearly half of all federal discretionary spending. We are spending vast sums on weapons while education and social services fight for scraps. #MLKDay
The Boomerang Has Landed: Why MLK’s “Beyond Vietnam” Is the Only Speech That Matters Today
Every year, we sanitize the ritual. We quote the 'Dream' and ignore the warning. But I don't think about the dream. I think about the nightmare he predicted exactly one year before his death. It isn't...
wakeforestmatters.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 6:48 PM
We aren’t just approaching spiritual death; we are watching the rigor mortis set in. Defense spending now accounts for nearly half of all federal discretionary spending. We are spending vast sums on weapons while education and social services fight for scraps. #MLKDay
We gathered to mourn Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of 3 murdered by an ICE agent. Masked men in a "ghost cruiser" showed up in Wake Forest, NC, shouting "White Power" and threatening families. They picked the wrong town. 🧵👇 #WakeForest #ICEOUT #JusticeForRenee
No Fear, No Retreat, No Surrender
Masked men, fake police cars, and anonymous threats won’t break us. Wake Forest is organized, watching, and unafraid.
wakeforestmatters.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 9:51 PM
We gathered to mourn Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of 3 murdered by an ICE agent. Masked men in a "ghost cruiser" showed up in Wake Forest, NC, shouting "White Power" and threatening families. They picked the wrong town. 🧵👇 #WakeForest #ICEOUT #JusticeForRenee
According to documents obtained through public records requests, the 25 solar-powered Automatic License Plate Readers installed by the Wake Forest Police Department logged 28,957,133 vehicle reads in 2025. #flock #alpr #wakeforestnc #ncpol open.substack.com/pub/wakefore...
The Subscription Loophole: How Town Hall Bypassed the Public to Build a Dragnet
Public records reveal how officials skirted bidding laws and DOT regulations to install the Flock camera system without a single public vote.
open.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:10 PM
According to documents obtained through public records requests, the 25 solar-powered Automatic License Plate Readers installed by the Wake Forest Police Department logged 28,957,133 vehicle reads in 2025. #flock #alpr #wakeforestnc #ncpol open.substack.com/pub/wakefore...
If the federal government comes to our town to do violence, who will stand between them and us?
The Shield of Wake Forest: Protecting Our Neighbors from the State
Our local police serve the community. The federal agents serve the regime. We must ensure the former protects us from the latter.
open.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:21 AM
If the federal government comes to our town to do violence, who will stand between them and us?
Tonight, (January 6), the Wale Forest Board of Commissioners will review the Updated CIP for FY 2026-2031.
open.substack.com/pub/wakefore...
open.substack.com/pub/wakefore...
The Price of Growth: Wake Forest’s "Identified Need" Jumps to $532 Million
The cost of the town's five-year wish list has risen by $36 million in just one year. As the Board reviews the new plan tonight, here is where the money is going, and what might be getting left behind
open.substack.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Tonight, (January 6), the Wale Forest Board of Commissioners will review the Updated CIP for FY 2026-2031.
open.substack.com/pub/wakefore...
open.substack.com/pub/wakefore...
Wake Forest is growing fast, and one of the most common sources of confusion at public meetings is the difference between these two jurisdictions. #WakeForest #WakeForestNC #LocalGovernment #CommunityPlanning #WakeCounty #KnowYourTown substack.com/inbox/post/1...
The Invisible Line: How Your Address Shapes Services, Taxes, and Representation
A plain‑language guide to Wake Forest Town Limits, the ETJ, and what each one means in everyday life.
substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:26 PM
Wake Forest is growing fast, and one of the most common sources of confusion at public meetings is the difference between these two jurisdictions. #WakeForest #WakeForestNC #LocalGovernment #CommunityPlanning #WakeCounty #KnowYourTown substack.com/inbox/post/1...
As we move into 2026, I am doubling down on the values that actually build a community. There is no newsroom here. It is just me, the public records, and the truth. #DefendTheForest
2026: The Year We Defend the Forest
Happy New Year, Wake Forest.
open.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 1:15 AM
As we move into 2026, I am doubling down on the values that actually build a community. There is no newsroom here. It is just me, the public records, and the truth. #DefendTheForest
The Morning After: How Wake Forest’s New Board Just Reset the Agenda. #wakeforestnc #ncpol #transferofpower #democracy #transparency #process open.substack.com/pub/wakefore...
The Morning After: How Wake Forest’s New Board Just Reset the Agenda
From reinstating the Senior Advisory Board to a transparent process for filling the vacancy, Mayor Clapsaddle and Commissioner Fatmi signaled an openness and transparency in their approach to governan...
open.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 5:22 PM
The Morning After: How Wake Forest’s New Board Just Reset the Agenda. #wakeforestnc #ncpol #transferofpower #democracy #transparency #process open.substack.com/pub/wakefore...
We have begun digging into the data to understand why the vibrancy of this community hub seems to have dimmed. The friction stems from a lack of confidence in the transition process itself. #wakeforestnc
More Than "Misinformation": Why the Mayor's Forum Failed to Restore Trust
Officials apologized for breaking key promises but still defended a transition that has crippled participation at the Center for Active Aging.
open.substack.com
December 7, 2025 at 6:33 PM
We have begun digging into the data to understand why the vibrancy of this community hub seems to have dimmed. The friction stems from a lack of confidence in the transition process itself. #wakeforestnc
We were at the Mayor’s Roundtable today. The Town apologized for the confusion, but questions remain. We filed a public records request following today's meeting wakeforestmatters.substack.com/p/wake-fores...
Wake Forest Center For Active Aging Open Forum
Town Addresses Staffing, Fees, and the Future of the Center's Transition
wakeforestmatters.substack.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:31 AM
We were at the Mayor’s Roundtable today. The Town apologized for the confusion, but questions remain. We filed a public records request following today's meeting wakeforestmatters.substack.com/p/wake-fores...
This is what a moral panic looks like, and why we have to stop it. We don’t have to accept it. #election2025
wakeforestmatters.substack.com/p/when-democ...
wakeforestmatters.substack.com/p/when-democ...
When Democracy Gets Ugly
Harassment, Fear, and the Erosion of Civic Decency in Wake Forest
wakeforestmatters.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 12:45 AM
This is what a moral panic looks like, and why we have to stop it. We don’t have to accept it. #election2025
wakeforestmatters.substack.com/p/when-democ...
wakeforestmatters.substack.com/p/when-democ...