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Sarah Willets

@sarahwillets.bsky.social

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Editor-in-Chief @indyweek.bsky.social

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Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · Jan 15

Big news - I'm back at the INDY, this time as editor-in-chief! Truly a full circle moment. We have a super talented staff and are in a promising position as an organization - I'm excited to see what we'll do together.

Give us a follow if you haven't already ⬇️

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Jan 14

A letter from new INDY Editor-in-Chief Sarah Willets: Here’s a taste of what you can expect from us going forward. (cc: @sarahwillets.bsky.social)

A Letter from the INDY's New Editor-in-Chief

Dear readers, For nearly 20 years, I’ve been an INDY reader like you. As a student at Carrboro High School, I would pick up a copy at Weaver Street Market during lunch and pour over each smooth page. ...

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 20h

indyweek.com/news/durham/...

Durham Primary Results: Incumbents Advance, Challengers Take Top Spots in Wards 1 and 2

While incumbents are moving forward in all four races, challenger Shanetta Burris led by a large margin in Ward 2 and Matt Kopac had a small lead in Ward 1.

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 1d

Final results are in ⤵️

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 1d

We’re bringing you election updates and results as voters narrow the field of candidates vying for Durham mayor and city council.

LIVE: Durham Voters Head to Polls for Mayoral, City Council Primaries

Durham voters are headed to the polls this morning for primary elections for mayor and Ward 1, Ward 2, and Ward 3 city council seats.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

Joe Killian @joekilliannc.bsky.social · 6d

Tonight in Chapel Hill, hear young journalists talk with some of our state’s top journalism minds about the future of what we do.

It’s free and it’s going to be a great time. Tell your students, tell your friends and I’ll see you out there.

youthjournalism.org/top-north-ca...

Top North Carolina journalists to speak at YJI forum in Chapel Hill - Youth Journalism International

CHAPEL HILL, NC – The nonprofit Youth Journalism International will host a panel discussion with four prominent North Carolina journalists at 7 p.m., Oct. 2, at the Varsity Theatre, 123 E. Franklin St...

youthjournalism.org

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 13d

“Read and hold the testimonies of these queer people with care and understanding. Queer people are in a fight for their lives against fascism. Your resistance and disruption may make the difference in how the fight goes." - Desmera Gatewood in @indyweek.bsky.social

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 13d

Each of these folks are choosing to speak out and be true to themselves despite attacks against them and their community. Please click through and read what they have to say.

indyweek.com/news/durham/...

Portraits of Pride: Fighting for Our Lives in the Face of Fascism

How queer people are under attack today and what it means to stand in solidarity with them during the Trump presidency. Plus, reflections from the staff of the LGBTQ Center of Durham.

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 13d

Each of these folks are choosing to speak out and be true to themselves despite attacks against them and their community. Please click through and read what they have to say.

indyweek.com/news/durham/...

Portraits of Pride: Fighting for Our Lives in the Face of Fascism

How queer people are under attack today and what it means to stand in solidarity with them during the Trump presidency. Plus, reflections from the staff of the LGBTQ Center of Durham.

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 13d

The queer community faces cuts to critical services, erasure of LGBTQ history, and policy changes that make it harder to live safely and openly.

@indyweek.bsky.social has personal reflections on this from Center staff and a Q&A with its co-director.

indyweek.com/news/durham/...

Portraits of Pride: Fighting for Our Lives in the Face of Fascism

How queer people are under attack today and what it means to stand in solidarity with them during the Trump presidency. Plus, reflections from the staff of the LGBTQ Center of Durham.

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 13d

Each September, @indyweek.bsky.social works with the LGBTQ Center of Durham on special #Pride coverage. It feels extra important this year and I want to thank everyone who contributed for their putting their hearts on the page at a time when it's very scary to do so.

Portraits of Pride: Fighting for Our Lives in the Face of Fascism

How queer people are under attack today and what it means to stand in solidarity with them during the Trump presidency. Plus, reflections from the staff of the LGBTQ Center of Durham.

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 28d

NEWS from @indyweek.bsky.social: Wake Forest residents have recently started celebrating Pride Month in their town in October, and at a town board of commissioners work session last week, the mayor seemed poised to support their efforts - but then quickly walked it back.

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 28d

“I now realize that by expressing support for our LGBTQ community, I may have unintentionally suggested the Town’s official support for one set of deeply held beliefs over another set just as deeply rooted,” Jones wrote.

Wake Forest Mayor Walks Back “Pride Month” Proclamation

Mayor Vivian Jones decided against issuing a proclamation for LGBTQ History month, which falls in October, leaving many residents upset.

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · Aug 29

Beautifully written @indyweek.bsky.social piece on Tift Merritt by @eddysarah.bsky.social and beautiful photos from Matt Ramey!

Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · Aug 28

on the eve of a special two-part release – a 20th anniversary issue of "Tambourine" and "Time and Patience," a compilation of acoustic demos and unreleased songs - I profiled the magnetic Tift Merritt (for @indyweek.bsky.social)

Tift Merritt, a True North Carolina Gem, Still Has Plenty of Material to Mine

This month, Tift Merritt releases a 20th anniversary reissue of "Tambourine," as well as a compilation of demos and unreleased songs.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Aug 15

“There’s very few resources to solve the problem, and that has been our only resource,” says Saunders. “We know that handcuffs and hospitals aren’t the solution for most people when they’re in crisis.”

“Handcuffs and Hospitals Are Not the Solution”: Chapel Hill's CARE Team Marks One Year

Chapel Hill leaders hope to expand CARE’s reach. But long-term funding remains uncertain amid widespread federal cuts to mental health support services.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · Aug 16

Read this story! (by @writingthings.bsky.social)

They Can’t Sell. They Can’t Stay. From a Chapel Hill Floodway, The Future Looks Grim.

For Lou Horton and her husband, Chantal was a singular catastrophe and the yearslong culmination of watching their situation grow more precarious.

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · Aug 15

Highly recommend this heartfelt profile by @justinlaidlaw.bsky.social of the NCCU student newspaper's longtime advisor, who retired this summer.

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Aug 13

DePyssler not only built an award-winning program but shaped generations of students, including yours truly, who say “DP,” as he is affectionately called by the NCCU community, wasn’t just their professor but a father figure who made the Echo feel like home, and its staff like family.

Bruce dePyssler, Who Led NCCU’s Campus Echo for 26 Years, Retires

Bruce DePyssler, who retired this summer, built an award-winning student newspaper at North Carolina Central University.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Aug 11

"Growing up in North Carolina, the classic thing is people want to leave. Nobody wants to really stay here. Everybody wants to go. So it’s kind of trying to shift that culture. We can make something special here, too."

LesTheGenius and Ricky Ricardo's In-State Intuition

With Raleighwood Fest 2025, the founders of the homegrown, Carolina-first music festival are dreaming big while doubling down on their roots.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Aug 13

The agency expressed alarm at contamination near a predominantly Black Durham neighborhood. Then the EPA eliminated its civil rights office.

A Test for Trump’s EPA: A Creek That Smells Like Death

The agency expressed alarm at contamination near a predominantly Black Durham neighborhood. Then the EPA eliminated its civil-rights office.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Aug 14

For this week’s installment of Ask INDY, we take a look at local universities and their interactions with ICE.

Ask INDY: What Are the UNC System's Policies on ICE?

For this week’s installment of Ask INDY, we take a look at local universities and their interactions with ICE.

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · Aug 14

Even if you already heard about a Holly Springs bar trying to break the world record for largest Bloody Mary, you should read @indyweek.bsky.social's version bc a) you should read everything Lena @writingthings.bsky.social writes and b) no one else was behind the scenes for this behemoth's creation.

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Aug 14

“You can put this in print: we wanted to put our foot in their ass,” says Paul Walters, Alexis’s husband. “That way, next time somebody wants to step up, they just have to pull us out.”

A Private Investigator, 34 Texans, and an $8,887 Bloody Mary Walk Into a Holly Springs Bar

Last week, a group of out-of-towners traveled to local restaurant The Blind Pelican with ambitions of breaking multiple world records.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · Aug 14

a hilarious and slightly unsettling story about an opulent drink deserves an opulent lede (@writingthings.bsky.social 🦀)

Reposted by Sarah Willets

webwidget @webwidget.bsky.social · Jul 31

Chapel Thrill, like a lot of uniquely Southern places, has a lot of landmarks and ghosts. This is an excellent story about both, with some details I was not aware of. A good read.

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Jul 30

These days, if you drive past Crook’s Corner, you’d be forgiven for thinking the restaurant is still open. Its automatic lights still switch on at night. The famed fiberglass pig still stands guard, casting a small, loin-shaped shadow over Franklin Street.

A New Podcast Revisits an Old Local Mystery: Who Killed Rachel Crook?

Elizabeth Woodman's gripping podcast looks back at the 1951 murder of Rachel Crook, a mystery that's haunted Chapel Hill for decades.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Aug 12

Volunteers have begun moving old skate park equipment from Wheels to Lakewood Shopping Center for a new park that will include Durham’s first public mini ramp.

Lakewood DIY Skate Park Ramps Up

Volunteers have begun moving old skate park equipment to Lakewood Shopping Center for a new park that will include Durham’s first public mini ramp.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Aug 12

"We all take for granted that when you just don’t want to be around people, you go to your room, and you close the door. Libraries can provide some of that solitude and space for people.”

How Two Wake County Libraries Are Navigating the Homelessness Crisis

At the two biggest libraries in downtown Raleigh, the homeless crisis has meant librarians must take on new roles.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · Aug 13

I wrote about Durham old-time musician Joseph Decosimo's beautiful new album, "Fiery Gizzard," with all its layers and textures from past. (@indyweek.bsky.social)

Joseph Decosimo Makes Old-Time Music That Brings People Together

To make responsive new release "Fiery Gizzard," the Durham folklorist and musician pulled together a group of friends far and wide.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · Aug 13

“What you do with them after is none of my business,” she says.

I think that’s as close to a blessing as I’m gonna get. Total with tip: $14.16.

Lunch Money: Wagyu and Pastries at Morning Rolls

You can’t get a cinnamon roll sandwich at the Raleigh restaurant. But you can get morning rolls and a wagyu burger that’s less than $10.

Reposted by Sarah Willets

Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · Aug 8

This is a big deal: “AIPAC, along with its members and affiliated superPAC, became her single largest benefactor in 2022 when it poured over $2 million into her campaign and made the race the most expensive Democratic congressional primary in state history.”

Reposted by Sarah Willets

Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · Aug 8

Rep. Valerie Foushee mentions the story the @indyweek.bsky.social broke in 2024 - about her non-publicized trip to Israel to meet with Netanyahu - in her town hall answer about the decision to not accept AIPAC money in the next election.

Valerie Foushee “Will Not Accept” AIPAC Money in 2026 Election

At a town hall this week, Representative Valerie Foushee shifted her stance on American-Israel PAC contributions and discussed her 2024 visit to Israel.

Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · Aug 8

This is the value of local journalism. Chase (AFAIK) was the only reporter in the room, who noticed an unusually worded response from an official, and asked questions. AI can't do this.

indyweek.com/news/northca...

Valerie Foushee “Will Not Accept” AIPAC Money in 2026 Election

At a town hall this week, Representative Valerie Foushee shifted her stance on American-Israel PAC contributions and discussed her 2024 visit to Israel.