Wally Decker
Wednesday News for September 24, 2025
Did you get stuck in traffic in the Welcome community around RCR this morning?
Vice President JD Vance was in town (Welcome) for a fundraising event before heading to Concord. www.politico.com/news/2025/09/23/jd-vance-fundraiser-north-carolina-00577893
Grocery prices are rising as items such as beef and coffee have hit record highs.
About half of Americans say the cost of groceries is a major source of stress in their life. www.wfla.com/news/national/grocery-prices-are-rising-as-beef-coffee-hit-record-highs/?fbclid=IwY2
Bus drivers needed. Lexington City Schools currently have six bus driver vacancies.
The shortage is causing bus route delays for some students and is putting a strain on bus drivers. Additional community meetings about bus route proposals include…Pickett Elementary School this Thursday (5:30pm) Southwest Global Academy next Tuesday (5:30pm).
Update: Current and retired Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools employees will officially lose their ‘FREE dental care’ benefit at the end of the year, due to the need for more budget cuts. The Board of Education voted 7-2 to transition away from free dental care to a new self-pay dental plan beginning January 2026. https://myfox8.com/news/storylines/wsfcs-budget-crisis/winston-salem-forsyth-county-schools-employees-retirees-to-lose-dental-benefits-in-2026/
‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ was back on last night after nearly a weeklong suspension.
*Sinclair and Nexstar Media Groups, which together own about one in five ABC affiliates nationwide, are pre-empting the show till further notice.
https://abc45.com/news/nation-world/jimmy-kimmel-returns-to-abc-with-an-unapologetic-message
American Red Cross: Local blood drives for Wednesday
Deep River Friends Meeting, West Wendover Ave (High Point) = 2pm – 6pm
Schedule your blood donation appointment TODAY at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/
Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 1-800-RED CROSS
It’s DEER season: Drive carefully. The months of October, November, and December continue to be the most dangerous for animal-related collisions, accounting for an estimated 650,000 incidents. These three months alone made up 41% of all animal collision claims, according to a report from Sate Farm.
September is Suicide Prevention month. If you are dealing with a mental health crisis,
the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7. Call 988 or click https://988lifeline.org/
WBFJ will be broadcasting LIVE from the Gazebo all 10 days of the Carolina Classic Fair (October 3 – 12) in Winston-Salem – and we need volunteers!
If you would like to volunteer with WBFJ during the Carolina Classic Fair,
contact Bonnie via email… [email protected]
FREE Admission to Carolina Classic Fair?
Just drop off some gently used clothes to any Forsyth County Goodwill location and get a FREE fair admission ticket – now until October 2.
*The Carolina Classic Fair runs October 3 – 12 in Winston-Salem.
‘See You at the Pole’ https://syatp.com/
Thanks to everyone gathering and praying this morning
This year’s SYATP theme was ‘Lord, I am filled with awe’
…based on the passage from Habakkuk 3:2 (NLT)
“I have heard all about you, LORD. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy”
Commentaries reveal that Habakkuk 3:2 is a prophetic prayer asking God to revive his work, make his power known, and, even in judgment, remember mercy.
The verse reflects a prophet’s plea for a spiritual renewal of God’s people, recalling God’s past powerful deeds, and asking for a demonstration of that power to counter the present spiritual decline.Habakkuk petitions God to manifest His glory and power again, bringing spiritual revival… Lord, may we be filled with awe…
Bookmarks: 20th Annual Festival of Books & Authors begins Thursday
Festival Opening Keynote with Hoda Kotb (formerly with the Today show)
Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 7:30 pm | R. J. Reynolds Auditorium
Tickets: https://bookmarksnc.org/FestivalOpeningKeynote
Festival runs through Sunday (SEPT 25-28) https://bookmarksnc.org/festival
Helene: One Year later
This Saturday (Sept 27) is the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helen.
What was left of Hurricane Helene traveled through western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee through the early morning hours of Friday (Sept 27, 2024).
Bands of heavy rain and powerful winds brought catastrophic flooding and landslides to the region – that was already saturated by earlier rainfall.
Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the storm dumped up to 30 inches of rain in localized areas (that were already saturated by earlier rainfall). The storm also brought sustained winds of up to 60 miles per hour.
Many are still rebuilding and recovering from this once-in-a-lifetime natural disaster.
Source: Helene stats (National Hurricane Center) https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092024_Helene.pdf
Resources: Ways to help (by giving or volunteering)
Samaritan’s Purse: Post-Helene Rebuilding Lives (one year later)
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/hurricane-helene/
Baptists on Mission: Helene Rebuild Projects
https://baptistsonmission.org/Mission-Projects/By-Mission-Type/Disaster-Relief/Hurricane-Helene
Listen for ‘Fall Color’ updates from Dr Howie Neufeld (the Fall Color Guy)
Friday mornings (around 6:20am) on your Fall travel station, WBFJ!
