The News & Observer marked Jim Wise’s upcoming retirement with a special sweet “front page.” Wise was honored at a reception, with a cake no one could bear to cut,  6/19/15 at the Durham History Hub.

Jim Wise, the man who knows more about Durham than pretty much everybody else put together, will be retiring from his work as a local news reporter at the end of June. Previously with the Herald-Sun when it was locally-owned, he joined the newsroom at the News & Observer about ten years ago, and continued to faithfully inform us about City Council, County Commission and the host of problems, successes and people that define Durham’s reality and character. Oh, and he’s written a few books on the side–about Durham.

The newspaper business being in the sorry state it is, it is hard to imagine that there will be another reporter like him. Fortunately, he’s on the board of the Durham History Hub, so we citizens will have the advantage of his expertise a while longer. If you want to say thanks, email him at Jim.Wise@newsobserver.com before the end of the month.

Jim Wise, remembering something Durham, in conversation with Lynn Richardson, Local History Librarian, North Carolina Collection, Durham County Library.