It’s been a busy winter and spring here at The 9th Street Journal. Our student reporters produced award-winning reporting, uncovered stories others missed, and wrote and produced memorable features reflecting the Bull City’s unique character.
As we take a break for the summer, we’re rolling out a series spotlighting some of our favorite pieces from recent moths, beginning with today’s first installment:
Student journalist Katelyn Cai broke an important story this winter about the Old Farm neighborhood, where residents such as Fred Foster (pictured above) still faced homes that were barely habitable months after Tropical Storm Chantal.
More strong reporting earned The 9th Street Journal a special distinction this spring, when student journalists Paige Stevens, Noor Nazir, Valentina Garbelotto, Katelyn Cai, Reece MacKinney (pictured above from left) and Jack Regan (not pictured) won the 2026 Frank Barrows Award for Excellence in Student Journalism. The award recognized our series on Durham’s most reliable voters — the small group who cast ballots in every local general election for the past two decades.
We also heard many admiring comments for the work of videographer Torrey Lin Weiner, who, together with a team of 9th Street journalists, considered the question: Why are Durham’s parking spaces so narrow?