I have spent my adult life watching the “preemption” doctrine fail from the inside. I was 16 on 9/11 and enlisted at 18. Over 13 years, I held the highest security clearances, working in intelligence collection and analysis for the Navy and later as a contractor supporting U.S. and Australian Special Forces. I’ve lived the […]
If you want proof of what happens when a community plans well, look at the data: in February 2026, Wake Forest was named the #1 most sought-after suburb in America. We have nearly five times as many people looking to move into our town as leave. But this unprecedented success has exposed a fatal flaw
It’s 43 degrees outside this February Sunday. It’s grey and rainy, but even in the damp chill, the buds on the serviceberry are close to popping. The rhythm of the rain brings it all back. When you grow up riding bikes through the woods and wading in the cold waters of Smith Creek, the smell
The best-laid municipal plans rarely survive contact with a packed room of frustrated homeowners, or the sudden whims of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. At Tuesday night’s Wake Forest Board of Commissioners meeting, what began as a quiet evening honoring retiring staff quickly pivoted into a masterclass in citizen advocacy. By the time the
A petition is currently circulating through the social media feeds of Wake Forest parents, gathering signatures at a rapid clip. Notably, this isn’t just a random outcry; it was started by Nicole Lewis, the President of the Wake Forest Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA). It calls for an immediate fix to the heating system
The agenda for Board of Commissioners dated Tuesday, 17 February 2026 has been archived. Access it here: https://wake-forest.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=1932 Tom Baker IVTom Baker IV is the publisher of Wake Forest Matters, Wake Forest’s only independent local newsroom. A Wake Forest native, Navy veteran, and intelligence professional, Tom launched Wake Forest Matters to bring serious accountability journalism
Mayor Ben Clapsaddle delivers his inaugural State of the Town address, centered on the theme “We Move Forward Together.” The phrase is a translation of the motto Katchi Kapshida, which he adopted from his time as a strategic planner with the Third Republic of Korea Army. On Monday night, the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre was
An oil painting filter was applied to a photograph of the Wake Forest Town Hall. (Image altered using AI) The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners convenes this Tuesday, February 17, at 6 pm at Town Hall (301 S. Brooks Street). A close analysis of the agenda reveals a pivotal moment of transition. The Town is
A notification from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services officially disapproving the UNC Health Rex Wake Forest Hospital proposal. If you drove down Capital Boulevard this morning, you sat in it. The gridlock. The red lights. The absolute nightmare that is our daily commute. Now, imagine doing that drive while having a
The Wake Forest Planning Board convenes this evening (Feb 10) at 6:00 PM. The agenda highlights the complex balance between supporting local business growth and preparing for the federally funded S-Line Rail Project. Here is your briefing for the meeting at Town Hall. An aerial view of the intersection at South Main Street and West
The agenda for Planning Board dated Tuesday, 10 February 2026 has been archived. Access it here: https://wake-forest.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=1926 Tom Baker IVTom Baker IV is the publisher of Wake Forest Matters, Wake Forest’s only independent local newsroom. A Wake Forest native, Navy veteran, and intelligence professional, Tom launched Wake Forest Matters to bring serious accountability journalism to
There was a time when local politics was defined by tangible disagreements: zoning variances, drainage assessments, and paving schedules. The stakes were real, but they were local. You might disagree heatedly with your town commissioner, but you didn’t accuse them of being part of a sinister national conspiracy. That era is over. Since 2016, we
Happy Monday, Wake Forest! We have some fantastic news to kick off your week. If you’ve been missing our local book haven, the wait is finally over. The Wake Forest Community Library officially reopened its doors today, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. For those who have walked past 400 E. Holding Avenue recently, you might have
The snow had largely retreated by Tuesday evening, leaving behind the grey, slushy evidence of a winter storm that had paused the pulse of Wake Forest for the better part of a week. The roads were clear, the power was on, and the town was slowly waking up from its icy hibernation. But as the
For the first time in over two decades, the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners is preparing to fill a vacancy that will not just complete a term, but cement a new political order. With Ben Clapsaddle’s landslide victory in the mayoral race last November, ousting 24-year incumbent Vivian Jones by a stunning 41-point margin, his
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