Volunteer Spotlight Honors Kimberly Fields at Walnut Creek Elementary
Apex, North Carolina — As National Volunteer Appreciation Week wraps up, Wake County Public School System officials spotlight Kimberly Fields, a parent volunteer at Walnut Creek Elementary. Fields supports kindergarten classrooms and field trips and helps organize school events, bringing energy and care to everything she does.
“Ms. Fields exemplifies what it means to be a true partner in education. Her commitment, compassion, and unwavering support make a difference in the lives of our students, staff, and families each and every day.” — Ebony Harris McDuffie, assistant principal
“In addition to her volunteer efforts, Ms. Fields serves as the parent representative on our School Improvement Team. In this role, she ensures that parent voices are heard, advocates for the needs of all students, and helps guide conversations around how we can better support our school community. We are truly thankful for all that Ms. Fields does for Walnut Creek Elementary.” — Ebony Harris McDuffie
We celebrate Ms. Fields and all of our volunteers for the impact they make in our schools every day. #ThankYouWCPSSVolunteers
| Apr 24, 2026 at 7:00 PM | School |
Wake County promotes home composting; bins on sale for $60
Wake County government in Raleigh is promoting home composting, urging residents to start now with discounted $60 compost bins and information at WAKE.GOV/COMPOST and the compost-bin sale site wakecompostersale.company.site.
| May 16, 2026 at 1:46 PM | Gov |
Wake County Principal Named N.C. Principal of the Year
Dr. Mariah Walker, principal of Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy in Apex, was named the 2026 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year and will serve as a statewide ambassador for about 2,700 principals through a two-year advisory with the State Board of Education and a seat on the North Carolina Public School Forum board, with the ceremony held at The Umstead Hotel & Spa earlier this afternoon.
| May 15, 2026 at 2:22 PM | School |
Harris Lake County Park spotlighted as Wake Parks mark 50th
Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space is marking its 50th anniversary in 2026 with monthly spotlights on its 12 parks, and May’s feature, Harris Lake County Park, a 680-acre site opened in 1999 on a peninsula of the Shearon Harris Reservoir, offers 10.5 miles of mountain bike trails, more than 5 miles of hiking trails and an 18-hole disc golf course that will expand to 27 holes with a 9-hole junior course, plus a 60-acre Longleaf Pine Restoration Area, wagon rides, a fishing pier and the Womble Interpretive History Trail, with a Longleaf Ramble event planned for September and located at 2112 County Park Drive in New Hill.
| May 15, 2026 at 9:34 AM | Gov |
Panther Creek DECA teams top international competition
Panther Creek High students excelled at the DECA International Career Development Conference, competing against more than 15,000 students worldwide and placing multiple teams in the top 20 nationally, including a top-10 finish, a second-place win in a challenge and a team taking first place overall.
| May 14, 2026 at 12:52 PM | School |
Wake County to hold final FY 2027 budget hearing Monday
Wake County commissioners will hold their final budget public hearing on the FY2027 budget Monday, May 18, at 2 p.m. at the Wake County Justice Center, 301 S. McDowell St., Raleigh, 2nd Floor Board Chambers, with residents able to sign up an hour before the hearing and allotted up to three minutes to speak; written comments are due by noon on May 20 at wake.gov/budget.
| May 14, 2026 at 12:00 PM | Gov |
Willow Spring High students collaborate on Cinco de Mayo crafts
Wake County Public Schools in Apex, North Carolina, said Willow Spring High's Spanish 2 Honors students joined with Ms. Stone's and Ms. Peters' special education students for the second straight year to learn about Cinco de Mayo and the art of making paper flowers (flores de papel), a Mexican folk-art tradition.
| May 14, 2026 at 8:47 AM | School |
Wake County to Hold First Budget Hearing Monday
Wake County will hold the first of two budget public hearings Monday, May 11, in Raleigh from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Wake County Commons Building, 4011 Carya Dr., Raleigh, to gather input on next year’s budget, with residents able to sign up an hour before and speak up to three minutes; the second hearing is Monday, May 18, at 2 p.m. at the Wake County Justice Center, and written comments may be submitted before noon on Wednesday, May 20, at wake.gov/budget.
| May 11, 2026 at 9:12 AM | Gov |
Wake County Offers Free Pre-K for 4-year-olds
Wake County Public Schools said eligible families with a child who will be 4 by Aug. 31 may qualify for free Wake Pre-K, with an in-person application event May 21, online applications available anytime, and a June 12 deadline for Title I preschool eligibility.
| May 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM | School |
Wake County Public Schools honors moms on Mother's Day
Wake County Public Schools in Apex, N.C., posted a Mother's Day message praising moms for being there from kindergarten through graduation.
| May 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM | School |
Wake County hosts virtual event on foster, adopted boys
Wake County Government in Raleigh, North Carolina, is hosting a free virtual Lunch & Learn session titled "Raising an adopted, foster or kinship young man?" led by Dr. Adam Anthony to explore the emotional realities faced by adopted and foster boys—especially boys of color—from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, May 12; registration is online and questions can be emailed to postadoption@wake.gov.
| May 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM | Gov |