🗞️ Hungry black bears are on the move in Forsyth County

🗞️ Early voting starts Thursday, with two sites in Kernersville and one in Walkertown

🗞️ New Medicaid rules could cost Forsyth residents their coverage if they miss a notice

🗞️ Your Wednesday in Kernersville: summer heat in mid-October and early voting tomorrow

☀️ Sunny | High: 87°F | Low: 63°F

Grab the shorts one more time. Wednesday brings nonstop sunshine and a high near 87, which is more like July than mid-October, with only a light west breeze. Skies stay mostly clear tonight with a mild low around 63, and Thursday stays sunny and warm with a high near 84.

If something has been emptying your bird feeder overnight, it may not be a squirrel. Black bears are bulking up for winter, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is asking Forsyth and Guilford County residents to lock up anything that smells like an easy meal, the Winston-Salem Journal reports.

Bears are now in a phase called hyperphagia, when they eat almost nonstop to prepare for colder months. "During the hyperphagia phase, black bears increase their daily calories from 2,000 to 3,500 calories in spring and summer to approximately 15,000 to 20,000 calories a day," said Jenna Malzahn, a black bear biologist with the commission. Bears can gain up to 3 pounds a day this time of year and may roam for up to 20 hours a day looking for food, which raises the odds of running into people.

The commission's most recent Forsyth County report came on Sept. 1, when a Winston-Salem resident spotted a bear on her camera crossing her property. In Guilford County, a man saw a bear on his property for the first time on Sept. 17. He yelled at it, and it left without acting aggressively. Wildlife officials say sightings are common year-round across most of Forsyth County, which sits inside the species' occupied range.

The biggest temptations are bird feeders, outdoor pet food, garbage and compost. A single feeder holding 7 pounds of sunflower seeds is an easy meal, and once a bear finds food near a home, it may keep coming back. The commission recommends bringing in feeders and pet bowls, securing trash cans, checking the yard before letting pets out at night and staying alert when walking or driving after dark.

Most bears will settle into dens by mid-December, said Ashley Hobbs, the commission's statewide BearWise coordinator, but a steady supply of human food can keep some active all winter. "Bears will continue their search for food all year as long as it's available," Hobbs said. Tips are available at BearWise.org, and residents can report a bear incident to the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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One-stop early voting for the Nov. 3 general election opens Thursday, Oct. 15, at 15 sites across Forsyth County, according to the Forsyth County Board of Elections. Registered voters can cast a ballot at any early voting site in the county, no matter where they live.

Kernersville has two sites: the Kernersville Recreation and Event Center at 1020 Shields Rd. and Paddison Memorial Branch Library at 248 Harmon Ln. Walkertown voters can use the Walkertown Branch Library at 2969 Main St. Hours are 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, the final day. Eligible residents who missed last week's registration deadline can still register and vote at the same time during early voting.

Local races on the ballot include Forsyth County sheriff, district attorney and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education.

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Thousands of Forsyth County residents could lose their health coverage next year if they fall behind on new Medicaid rules, WFMY reports. Under a federal law known as H.R. 1, most adults ages 19 to 64 in the Medicaid expansion group will need at least 80 hours a month of work, school, job training or community service starting Jan. 1. About 20,000 of the roughly 120,000 Forsyth County residents on Medicaid are in that group, according to Forsyth County Social Services.

Expansion enrollees will also have to renew every six months instead of once a year, so more paperwork is on the way. "Pay attention to those notices that are coming to your front door," said Jennifer Hurdle, a program manager with Forsyth County Social Services. "Make sure you answer those notices by the deadline so that you can continue to receive services and not see an interruption in coverage." Anyone who loses coverage must meet the work requirement for three straight months before reapplying.

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The calendar says October, but the thermometer disagrees. Here's what's happening today and over the next few days.

One more taste of summer. Expect a sunny Wednesday with a high near 87, a mild night around 63 and another sunny, warm Thursday near 84.

Early voting tomorrow. Polls open at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Kernersville Recreation and Event Center and Paddison Memorial Branch Library, with weekday hours until 7:30 p.m. through Oct. 31.

Thursday and Friday nights. Comedian Chonda Pierce brings Girls Night to Triad Baptist Church Thursday at 7 p.m., and Next Stop Comedy takes the stage at Breathe Cocktail Lounge Friday at 7 p.m.

Town board follow-up. Results from last week's Board of Aldermen votes and Monday's Planning Board meeting still haven't been posted. We'll pass them along as soon as they are.

Weekend preview. Saturday brings the Weldon Park Apartments Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Triad Baptist Church Family Fallfest from 4 to 6 p.m., with free candy, food trucks and bounce houses. On Sunday, the Welden Village Picnic at the Park runs from 1 to 5 p.m.