🗞️ Kernersville, meet your new farmers: Urban Farm School students hit the market

🗞️ East Forsyth graduation highlights local students' hopes and worries about AI in education

🗞️ Forsyth County Sheriff: 'Threat of Violence Will Not Be Tolerated' After Teen's Hit List

🗞️ East Forsyth student Camden Johnson earns spot at Naval Academy, inspired by grandfather

Students in the Urban Farm School program at Forsyth County are ready to share the fruits of their labor with the local community. This Wednesday, June 3, 2026, the class of 2026 will set up shop at the Kernersville Farmers' Market, selling fresh produce they've grown themselves over the course of the school year.

From 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, shoppers can find the students at 134 East Mountain Street. They'll be offering a variety of vegetables and other farm goods, all cultivated as part of their hands-on agricultural education.

The event is a chance for residents to support these young farmers while picking up some locally grown food. Cash and checks are accepted.

All proceeds go directly to supporting the Urban Farm School program. Organizers hope this market marks the beginning of a long relationship between the students and the community they're feeding.

For those who want to see what the students have been up to, photos of the produce and the class in action are available online. More details about the Urban Farm School can be found on the NC Cooperative Extension website.

Anyone with questions can reach out to Celine Richard at [email protected] or 336.703.2869.

The event is hosted by North Carolina Cooperative Extension, an equal opportunity provider. They ask that anyone needing accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act contact Leslie Rose at 336.703.2850.¹

Hundreds of East Forsyth High School seniors marked a major milestone Friday as they walked across the stage at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem to receive their diplomas. Among the graduates was Ilyana Moore, who celebrated the moment with family and friends after years of hard work in the classroom.

Moore admitted to feeling emotional during the choir performance and nervous as she crossed the stage. But for Moore and many of her classmates, the ceremony also signals the start of a future shaped by artificial intelligence.

A recent survey from the Pew Research Center found that more than half of teenagers use AI chatbots for schoolwork, including research, writing help, and solving math problems. The same survey showed that nearly 60 percent of teens believe AI is regularly used to cheat in school.

Moore said that when it came time to write college essays, many students turned to AI for a 1,000-word assignment. She felt strongly that students should do the work themselves rather than let AI do it for them, and she wrote her own essay without help.²

A 17-year-old Forsyth County girl admitted to creating a handwritten hit list of seven former classmates, then assaulted deputies during questioning. She now faces multiple misdemeanor charges including communicating threats and stalking. The sheriff's office has notified the families of all students named on the list.³

East Forsyth High School senior Camden Johnson is trading his lacrosse stick for a flight suit. This summer, he will report to the U.S. Naval Academy to study aerospace engineering, chasing a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot.

Johnson's path to Annapolis wasn't a straight line. As a kid, he thought he might become a car mechanic.

He wanted a hands-on job, not a desk job. It was his grandfather who first suggested the military, and the idea of flying stuck.

"Top Gun," Johnson admits, played a big role in sparking his interest in aviation. He figured there wasn't much cooler than being strapped to a rocket with wings.

High school wasn't always easy. Before transferring to East Forsyth, coaches at his old school told Johnson he wasn't fast or strong enough to play the positions he wanted.

When he arrived at East Forsyth, he told Coach Todd Willert his goals. Willert's response was simple: if Johnson wanted it, they would get to work.

The coach told him he would have to bust his butt in the weight room and on the track. Position coach Drew Whicker also believed in him, giving him the freedom to make mistakes and learn on the field.

Johnson describes his departure as bittersweet. He is excited for the next chapter but sad to leave his two younger brothers behind.

The transition is happening fast. He got his acceptance letter and will leave on June 25.

There won't be a long summer to say goodbye. After he reports for service, he will be living on his own for the first time.

Still, Johnson says he is proud of how far he has come. His goal is clear. He wants to fly for the Navy or the Marines.⁴