🗞️ Father breaks window to save daughter as flames engulf home

🗞️ Cool Treats and Community Spirit: Democrats Hand Out Freezy Pops at Kernersville Parade

🗞️ An 11-Year-Old's Art: How a Local Fifth Grader Designed Forsyth's New 'I Voted' Sticker

🗞️ North Carolina Museum of Art to open temporary downtown Winston-Salem gallery July 16

A Pfafftown family of four lost their home in a Wednesday morning fire, but both occupants escaped without injury. The homeowner and his teenage daughter woke to smoke and flames, with the father breaking a window to rescue his daughter. The American Red Cross is now assisting the family as they mourn the loss of six years of memories.¹

The Forsyth County Democratic Party is preparing for its sixth year in the Kernersville Fourth of July parade, the only Independence Day parade in the county. Volunteers will hand out about 4,000 frozen freezy pops along the one-mile route, with organizers emphasizing the event as a fun, community-building tradition. The parade starts at 9 a.m. behind Kernersville Elementary School on July 4.²

Forsyth County voters will see a fresh look on their "I Voted" stickers this fall, thanks to a local fifth grader. Paloma Kuzmovich, an 11-year-old student at The Arts Based School, won the Forsyth County Board of Elections' "I Voted" Sticker Contest.

Her design features the handwritten words "I Voted" with a set of diverse hands below, spelling out "Vote" in American Sign Language. The contest drew 44 submissions from K-12 students across the county.

The five board members reviewed each entry and picked 12 finalists. From there, the public voted online to choose the winner.

Elections Training Specialist Jessica Loasching said the contest helped the board connect with younger residents and teach them about the importance of voting and being involved in their community. The winning design will be handed out at polling places this election season.³

The North Carolina Museum of Art Winston-Salem is getting ready to open a new gallery in the heart of downtown. This temporary space on 4th Street will serve as the museum's home while crews finish renovating its permanent location in the Buena Vista neighborhood.

It sits just a block away from where the museum first started as an artist-run gallery seven decades ago. Starting this summer, the downtown spot will host a mix of events designed to bring people together.

Think outdoor concerts, vinyl listening nights, and rotating art exhibitions. The goal is to spark creativity and connect visitors with local artists and organizations.

Associate Director Devon Mackay shared that the first exhibition is called "Unboxed." It will showcase work from North Carolina artists who have taken part in the museum's Portable Gallery program.

That program began by bringing contemporary art into Winston-Salem and Forsyth County schools. It has since expanded to surrounding counties.

The show will feature about 13 artists working in different mediums from across the state. Some will be familiar faces, while others will be new discoveries for visitors.

The new downtown gallery opens its doors on July 16th.⁴