Reporting on campaigns and North Carolina politics for @NOTUSreports, fellow with @AJI_fellowships

Christa Dutton’s Journalist Portfolio

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Fare play? Advocates think food tax could make Greensboro youth sports hot spot. Restaurateurs cr...

Fare play? Advocates think food tax could make Greensboro youth sports hot spot. Restaurateurs cr...

Triad Business Journal — Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan and city council are proposing a 1% food and beverage tax, with the proceeds used to enhance sports and entertainment venues with the goal of attracting more tourism dollars. But restaurant owners object to a tax on an industry still feeling the effects of the pandemic.

How a mother's choice saved her child

How a mother's choice saved her child

Old Gold & Black — When Lydia Swortzel and her husband Stevien Reece found out they were having twins, they were shocked. They were shocked not only because carrying two babies at one time is daunting but shocked all the more because they had only one embryo implanted through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Faculty group calls for contract workers to be paid a living wage

Faculty group calls for contract workers to be paid a living wage

Old Gold & Black — On Sept. 12, Wake Forward, a group of progressive faculty, sent a letter to Wake Forest University administrators asking the university to review the working conditions of contract workers and to ensure they make at least a living wage. The letter, which was addressed to Wake Forest President Dr. Susan Wente, Provost Dr. Michele Gillespie...

'Winston-Salem Five' seek exoneration

'Winston-Salem Five' seek exoneration

Old Gold & Black — Four men are seeking to be exonerated of the 2002 murder of Nathaniel Jones, Winston-Salem native and grandfather of NBA star and former Wake Forest guard Chris Paul. A three-judge panel will be hearing arguments from the men's attorneys concerning whether they are innocent and must come to a unanimous decision to grant an exoneration.

WFU medical student placed on leave of absence

WFU medical student placed on leave of absence

Old Gold & Black — A fourth-year medical student at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Kychelle Del Rosario, has been placed on a leave of absence "as a result of [an] inappropriate and misleading post", according to an official statement released by the School of Medicine. Del Rosario shared a misguiding post on Twitter on March 29 that suggested...

Wake Forest community reacts to Weaver Fertilizer fire

Wake Forest community reacts to Weaver Fertilizer fire

Old Gold & Black — The fire at Weaver Fertilizer Plant that began on the night of Monday, Jan. 31, continues to affect the Wake Forest and Winston-Salem community. About 1,000 Wake Forest undergraduate and graduate students live within the one-mile-wide evacuation zone surrounding the plant, and those living in that area have been asked to relocate for at least...

Breaking: Author Christina Sharpe cancels WFU visit following Professor Laura Mullen's resignatio...

Breaking: Author Christina Sharpe cancels WFU visit following Professor Laura Mullen's resignatio...

Old Gold & Black — Dr. Christina Sharpe, a renowned Black studies scholar, has canceled her speaking event scheduled for Feb. 1 at Wake Forest because of what she described as the university's "lack of commitment to academic freedom." Professor Laura Mullen, Kenan Chair of the Humanities at Wake Forest, shared with the Old Gold & Black a statement written...

The Final Word

The Final Word

Old Gold & Black — On an overcast Saturday last November, bells rang out from the carillon in Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University. Inside, people found old friends, giving them hugs and saying, "It's been too long." Death has a way of reuniting people, bringing together those who have been touched by the deceased for a formal time...

As national attention turns to legacy admissions, what are Wake Forest's policies?

As national attention turns to legacy admissions, what are Wake Forest's policies?

Old Gold & Black — After the Supreme Court ruled against the use of affirmative action in college admissions, the nation has turned its attention to another factor often used in admissions at elite schools - legacy status. Legacy admissions refers to the practice of giving preference to the family of alumni during the admissions process.

Reflecting the times

Reflecting the times

Old Gold & Black — As soon as I entered J.D. Wilson's home, I could tell he is a man who loves art. Small sculptures sat on shelves, and large paintings hung on the walls. He proudly displays his grandchildren's crafts around the dining room. A cardboard cutout of a woman sat on one of the chairs at the table....