🌱 Duke Health Cutting Over 200 Positions + NC Under Code Red Alert

Good morning, Durham! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your fresh copy of the Durham Patch newsletter. Keep reading for the most important things going on these days in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Thursday: Times of sun and clouds. High: 79 Low: 52.
• Friday: Sunny to partly cloudy. High: 80 Low: 52.

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Here are the top three stories today in Durham:

1. Duke University Health System in North Carolina has announced plans to eliminate approximately 280 positions in the coming months as part of a restructuring effort aimed at improving efficiency. The positions include vacant roles that will no longer be filled, and fewer than 50 actual employees will be affected. The decision follows a staffing analysis and the removal of key executives within the University Health System. (Subscription: News & Observer)
2. The North Carolina Air Quality Forecast Center issued a Code Red air alert for central North Carolina, including the Triangle and Piedmont Triad, due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. The smoke traveled hundreds of miles due to atmospheric conditions in the upper Midwest, resulting in ongoing air quality concerns. The region is expected to experience downgraded Code Orange conditions throughout the week, impacting local areas like Durham and Wake counties. (ABC 11)
3. One man has died in a shooting that occurred on Jun. 6 and a homicide investigation is underway. The shooting occurred Tuesday morning before 9:27 a.m. when officers and first responders arrived on the scene, where an agitated man had made a crisis call. The man told first responders that a confrontation nearby had led to a man being shot, officers later found the man who was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS. (CBS 17)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Durham:

Thursday, June 8

• Coffee and Connections With A Shot Of Espresso At The Morrisville Chamber of Commerce (8:00 AM)
• Twilight Thursdays: Spring Season At The North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill (4:00 PM)
• Introduction To Belly Dancing At The Walltown Park Recreation Center (6:15 PM)

Friday, June 9

• Holton Teen Open Gym At The Holton Career and Resource Center (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• A cat named Prince Trouble was rescued by Durham Police Officer C. Wood after climbing a tree and not being able to climb back down. Officer Wood did not hesitate when flagged down by someone urgently requesting his help. While rescuing Prince Trouble officers also located a sick kitten in a garbage bin - it has since been taken to safety and should recover. (Durham Police Department via Facebook)
• Blaze and Ollie are joining the Durham Fire Department as emotional support dogs! Blaze will be located at Station Four, and Ollie at Station Nine. (Durham Fire Department via Instagram)

You're all caught up for today! I'll see you back in your inbox soon with your next update.

— Amy Mayo

About me: Amy Mayo is a writer, visual artist, and political scientist, living in the NC Research Triangle. She graduated from the University of North Carolina Asheville with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and has worked in a variety of fields outside of copywriting including policy advocacy, the healthcare industry and pharmaceuticals, and education. She hopes one day to live up to the stringent expectations of her cat, Morty.