🗞️ Kernersville is getting the first bike park of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic

🗞️ Property tax relief many Kernersville homeowners don't know about

🗞️ High Point University students climbed 110 flights to honor 9/11

🗞️ The 5 R's for easing back-to-school stress

☀️ Partly sunny | High: 81°F | Low: 58°F

Tuesday eases off the weekend's heat with partly sunny skies, a high near 81 and a low near 58, about as close to a fall morning as we have had yet. Good weather for the 11:30 AM Lunch with Leaders roads talk at the Chamber, or the evening LEGO Club at Paddison. Wednesday turns sunny and 83 with a low near 59, and Thursday holds in the mid-80s under mostly sunny skies. If you have been waiting for the heat to ease up, this is the week.

Kernersville is set to get a USA BMX-sanctioned adaptive all-wheel race park, the first facility of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic and only the fifth entering development nationwide. The town's Board of Aldermen unanimously approved the first phase of the park's design on Sept. 1.

The project is a partnership between the Town of Kernersville, USA BMX and Visit Winston-Salem, with the facility designed by Action Sports Design, a national leader in action sports facility planning. It's built for more than traditional BMX racing, with room for a range of wheeled recreational activities and skill levels, from first-time riders to competitive racers.

"This project aligns with Kernersville's broader vision for thoughtful growth and creating new opportunities," said Ernie Pages, the town's Parks and Recreation director.

Town officials see the park as more than a new place to ride. It's part of a push to diversify how residents experience cycling locally, while also drawing tourism and economic development, and building a pipeline for young riders to develop their skills close to home.

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Forsyth County runs three programs that can meaningfully lower the property tax bill for seniors, disabled residents and disabled veterans, and many eligible homeowners simply don't know they exist.

The Senior Citizens/Disabled Persons Exclusion is open to homeowners 65 or older, or those who are totally and permanently disabled, with an annual income under $38,800. It excludes the greater of $25,000 or half the home's appraised value from taxation. Disabled veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability, or eligibility for specially adapted housing benefits, qualify for a $45,000 exclusion, and unmarried surviving spouses of eligible veterans can also apply. There's also a "circuit breaker" option for seniors that caps property taxes at 4 to 5 percent of income depending on earnings, with the excess deferred rather than owed outright.

Applications go through the Forsyth County Tax Assessor's Office, and the annual deadline is June 1, so it's worth marking the calendar now for next spring. Homeowners already receiving the exclusion don't need to reapply each year, but must notify the office if their income or disability status changes. Reach the Tax Assessor's Office at 336-703-2300.

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High Point University students and staff took on the "110 Flights" stair climb this month, honoring the victims and first responders of Sept. 11 by climbing the equivalent height of the World Trade Center, one flight for each of its 110 stories.

The climb was one of several Triad-area tributes marking the anniversary this year, a reminder that the day is still honored well beyond the New York area, more than two decades later.

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With fall routines in full swing, and homecoming season adding a little extra chaos to family calendars, licensed counselor Rachel Glik has a simple framework for parents feeling stretched thin: five R's.

Regulate yourself first, since kids tend to borrow a parent's nervous system before they borrow anything else. Reframe rough days as growth instead of failure. Let kids work through small problems on their own before stepping in. Remind them their worth isn't tied to grades or performance. And keep investing in connection through routine, listening and just being present, calling in a counselor or other support when it's needed.

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