River Critters The Haw River Watch Project will host a “Finding River Critters†event on the Haw River in Bynum on September 8. River Watch Project coordinator Cynthia Crossen will teach participants how to measure a stream’s water quality by identifying the number and type of water bugs and doing simple chemical tests. The event…
Category: News
County looks at planning update
Watchdogs emphasize sustainability, economic development in long-term plan By Susan Dickson Staff Writer The Board of County Commissioners on Monday took their first official look at a draft of the county comprehensive plan update, which will guide Orange County through 2030. The commissioners heard public input on the plan update – which includes goals and…
News briefs: 8/30/07
Ballentine subdivision approved The Carrboro Board of Aldermen unanimously approved the Ballentine subdivision — a 96-unit project off Old N.C. 86 near the new Twin Creeks Park. The plan for the subdivision, which is being built by M/I Homes, includes 62 single-family homes and 34 townhomes. Seventeen of the townhomes would be set aside as…
County mulls transfer tax referendum
By Susan Dickson Staff Writer The Board of County Commissioners said on Tuesday that they need more time before deciding to put a land transfer tax or a sales tax increase on the ballot for this fall’s election. In this year’s state budget, the Legislature gave counties the option of a 0.4 percent land transfer…
Farmers’ Market rift gets intense
By Susan Dickson Staff Writer HILLSBOROUGH — Two opposing groups appealed to the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday for control of the Hillsborough Farmers’ Market. Led by co-managers, the farmers, bakers and artisans who sell at the Hillsborough Farmers’ Market jointly manage it. At Tuesday’s meeting, a group of 13 vendors asked commissioners to…
Holding the banner high
Cliff Collins lost his first Cackalacky banner to theives. This one flies slightly higher over his Main Street grocery store. Cackalacky is the brand name of a local hot sauce and condiment company as well as slang for the Old North State. Photo by H. Page Skelton, Sr.
Citizens sought for rights program
The Orange County Office of Human Rights and Relations is looking for ten county residents to engage in a comprehensive civil rights and human relations training program. Through the Community Civil Rights Educator Program, residents will learn about fair housing, landlord-tenant information, predatory lending, employment discrimination, Title VI, wage and hour information, hate crimes, violence…
The memories you want to forget are the hardest ones to lose
UNC News Services Painful, emotional memories that people would most like to forget may be the toughest to leave behind, especially when memories are created through visual cues, according to a new study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “When you’re watching the news on television and see footage of wounded soldiers…
News briefs: 8/23/07
Back-to-school donations encouraged News Talk 1360 WCHL and University Mall will sponsor the Communities in Schools of Orange County School Supply Drive on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the mall’s annual “Back to School Day.†The drive is collecting book bags, calculators, crayons, folders, glue, markers, notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, rulers and…
Land & Table Briefs: 8/23/07
When chefs shop The Carrboro Farmers’ Market will hold its sixth annual “Chefs Who Shop the Carrboro Farmers’ Market†event on September 8. Six chefs who regularly shop at the market will create Southern fare-inspired dishes using ingredients available at the market.
Outdoor Burning Banned
The State Division of Forest Resources has issued a ban on open burning for all 100 counties of North Carolina. All previously issued burning permits are immediately canceled, and the ban will continue until further notice. The Orange County Fire Marshal will work closely with the Orange County Office of the North Carolina Forest Service…
Chatham, Orange talk water and transportation
Cooperation between local governments could mean initiatives from a bus to Pittsboro to an OWASA ‘straw’ in Jordan Lake By Kirk Ross Staff Writer Intergovernmental cooperation — along with baked chicken and a garden salad — was on the table Tuesday evening as representatives of Pittsboro and Chatham County joined counterparts from Carrboro, Chapel Hill,…
Kleinschmidt mounts challenge to death penalty
By Taylor Sisk Staff Writer When the state of Florida executed Angel Diaz on December 13, 2006, it took somewhat longer than anticipated. According to witnesses, 26 minutes into the lethal injection procedure, Diaz’s body jolted. He winced, then shuddered. It was another eight minutes before he died. Horrific, yes, and, says Mark Kleinschmidt, the…
Oak Avenue speed table under study
Carrboro transportation planners are studying traffic on Oak Avenue after the town’s Transportation Advisory Board approved a plan to put a speed table on the well-traveled street. Adena Messigner of the town’s planning staff said the advisory board heard from petitioners in the Oak Avenue area who asked for some relief from a growing number…
Piedmont Biofuels to pay town after spill
By Jack Carley Staff Writer Piedmont Biofuels will pay the town of Pittsboro an estimated $10,000 after a spill of about 150 gallons of glycerine into water discharged by the plant damaged treatment facilities and incurred state penalties. Leif Forer, chief engineer at Piedmont Biofuels, said the company was working with the town to fix…