The Thread: Looking Closer

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Morning, gang.

Today, we continue to bring you some of our favorite stories from the last year. New stories will hit your inbox on July 14, after our annual two-week summer publishing pause.

In my years in daily newspapers, the grind of the constantly churning news cycle meant reporters had to work by that newsroom adage of Ben Bradlee, the legendary reporter and editor of The Washington Post: “Our best today, better tomorrow.” Breaking news was important, and you’d move the ball forward on developing stories day by day, sometimes producing hundreds a year. Serious investigative and enterprise stories, which took more time and resources, were often slated for the Sunday paper—the highest circulation day.

The news cycle and news business have changed a lot since those days. At The Assembly and our Greensboro newsletter, The Thread, we’re less concerned with chasing the hot story of the day you’ll read about everywhere else. We want to look deeper and tell better, more complete stories—the type you too seldom get anywhere these days, even on Sundays.

The stories we’re featuring today are good examples of this ethos. From a breakdown of the importance of this year’s city council elections and a look at preserving Black history to the backstory on how Kaiser went with Cone Health for its North Carolina expansion, these are stories that go beyond the surface level on important community issues. More signal, less noise.

Whether you caught these stories when they were first published or are seeing them for the first time here, enjoy — and tell a friend.

— Joe Killian

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Thanks for reading The Thread, a 3x week newsletter written by Greensboro editor Joe Killian and reporters Sayaka Matsuoka and Gale Melcher. Reach us with tips or ideas at greensboro@theassemblync.com.

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The Greensboro City Council Is About To Get A Lot of New Faces

Big changes could be in store with at least four, and possibly six, current members departing next year.

Why Kaiser Bet on Cone Health for Its N.C. Expansion

Cone Health hasn’t focused as aggressively on growth, but that could change now that a nonprofit spinoff of Kaiser Permanente is taking over. Can it expand its reach without losing its identity?

The Long Journey To Preserve Black History in Greensboro

An effort to commemorate a Greensboro neighborhood steeped in Black history finally paid off when it received federal recognition last December. Residents say it couldn’t have happened without a broad coalition of support.

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Objects Can’t Lie

A Greensboro museum has been working to return artifacts taken from Japan during World War II, part of a broader movement to repatriate items taken from foreign countries.

The Rule of Law in Crisis—At Home and Abroad

At a joint UNC Greensboro/Elon Law symposium, a group of experts discussed how we got here and what comes next.

A Conservative Newspaper Looks To the Future

For over 30 years, The Rhino Times has been an anomaly—a right-wing alt-weekly in left-leaning Greensboro. With its founder retiring and a new owner stepping in, the publication is looking to the future.

Revisiting the Greensboro Massacre 45 Years Later

“It is part of who we are and how we think about things,” says author Aran Shetterly. “We’re a country founded in revolution and in political violence in a lot of ways.”

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What We’re Reading

SBI Investigation, the Sequel: City Attorney Charles “Chuck” Watts recently retired, effective immediately. His departure came amid questions about work he was doing outside of his position with the city—and whether he was mingling the two jobs. This week, the Greensboro Police Department said the SBI is investigating Watts, who insists he only stepped down to avoid being a distraction during election season. The investigation is separate from another SBI investigation into an unnamed Greensboro City Council member, according to the GPD. The News & Record has the story.

Madame City Attorney: This week, on the heels of Watts’ retirement, the Greensboro City Council swore in Lora Cubbage as its new city attorney. Cubbage, who served in the Guilford County District Attorney’s office before former Gov. Roy Cooper named her a N.C. Superior Court judge, joined the city attorney’s office in March. The Triad Business Journal has the story.

Critical Condition: A Greensboro teen remains in critical condition following a shooting downtown on July 4, according to his family. WXII has the story.

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