🗞️ As World Cup fever hits the Triad, one local surgeon traces her career back to soccer

🗞️ Winston-Salem/Forsyth schools may adopt a whistleblower policy after a $43 million budget overrun

🗞️ Looking for a family outing? North Carolina's children's museums are a hit (with the grown-ups, too)

🗞️ WSTA's Accessible Festival connects hundreds in Forsyth County with disability resources

🌡 Hot and humid, stray storm | High: 94°F | Low: 70°F

A hot, sticky Sunday with highs near the mid-90s and just a stray afternoon storm possible. Hydrate and find some shade if you are out.

The 2026 World Cup has the Triad buzzing, with Germany and Norway basing their national teams in the region, and for one local doctor the excitement is personal. Dr. Snow Daws, an orthopedic surgeon with Novant Health and a High Point native, says the sport she grew up playing is exactly what set her on her path.

One of six siblings in a soccer-loving family, Daws played from childhood through Duke University. All those games, and all the injuries that came with them for her and her brothers, meant a lot of time at the orthopedist’s office, and eventually a calling. Now specializing in feet and ankles, she says being an athlete helps her connect with patients. “I know how much it requires. I know how often they’re practicing and what the toll is on their bodies, and then I know their goals,” she said.

Her message for young athletes swept up in World Cup dreams: passions can evolve, and “you’re literally never too old” to play. Daws will be among the fans this summer, with her family heading to Atlanta to catch Spain play Cabo Verde.

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The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools board may soon adopt a formal whistleblower policy, a response to the financial troubles that have shaken the district. General counsel Dionne Jenkins told a board policy committee this week that she will research what such a policy could include and report back, possibly in August.

The district overspent its 2024-25 budget by $43 million, prompting a state audit that found poor financial practices dating back to at least 2017. Board members said they were stunned by the scope of the problem. Board member Sabrina Coone has been pushing for a clear, trusted way for employees to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.

“We will tell people, ‘If you see something, say something,’ but that only works if people feel safe speaking up,” Coone said. “I want every employee in this district to know that their voice matters.” The district already has some non-retaliation language in its rules, but no standalone whistleblower policy.

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When the kids need to burn off energy and you need an easy win, North Carolina’s children’s museums deliver. Closest to home, the Greensboro Children’s Museum (the Miriam P. Brenner Children’s Museum) in downtown Greensboro is packed with hands-on exhibits: a kid-sized city, gardening areas and pretend-play stations that pull grown-ups right into the fun. Bring socks and plan for active play.

Want to make a day trip of it? A few of the state’s best are worth the drive. Discovery Place Kids in Huntersville is built for imaginative play, from a kid-sized town to water play. Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh pairs build-and-explore exhibits with an IMAX theater. And the Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia mixes dinosaur skeletons, North Carolina habitats and a planetarium for families who want a little science with their fun.

Farther afield there’s Kidzu in Chapel Hill, the Children’s Museum of Wilmington for a rainy beach day, and The Children’s Playhouse in Boone for mountain trips. Wherever you land, these are the kind of places where the adults forget they are supposed to be supervising.

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Hundreds of people gathered at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds on Friday for the Winston-Salem Transit Authority’s annual Accessible Festival, a free event that links people with disabilities and their families to local resources and support services. Dozens of organizations were on hand with information on everything from food assistance and healthcare to adult day programs, advocacy and transportation help.

Organizers designed the entire layout to be navigable for any mobility device, and rounded out the day with games, entertainment and a free lunch. A highlight was WSTA’s application-based transportation assistance program, which helps people get to doctor’s appointments, the grocery store and other essential stops. “People don’t realize how important transportation is until they don’t have it anymore,” said WSTA’s Brandie Peterson.

WSTA expected 600 to 800 attendees this year, up from about 600 last year, and says the festival keeps growing as awareness of available services spreads. Residents can learn more about accessible transportation and other services by calling WSTA at 336-727-2000.

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