By Susan Dickson Staff Writer Orange County commissioners criticized the state’s mental health system reform on Tuesday after hearing funding requests from local mental health programs that have lost state funds through the changes. In a budget work session, the Board of County Commissioners considered funding requests from county mental health programs Club Nova and…
Category: News
Carrboro board approves budget
By Kirk Ross Staff Writer Following that — a sharp exchange over annexation With little fanfare or discussion Tuesday night, the Carrboro Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a $19.6 million budget that would raise the town’s tax rate by roughly 3 cents to 65.37 cents per $100 valuation. Last-minute touches to the plan, reviewed Tuesday…
Board names new principal
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board on Friday appointed Jacqueline Boyd Ellis as principal of Chapel Hill High School. Most recently, Ellis served as director of middle school programs for Wake County Public Schools She was principal of Culbreth Middle School from July 2003-January 2007, where she was selected as the 2005-06 Chapel Hill-Carrboro Principal of…
News briefs: 6/21/07
OWASA approves rate increase The OWASA Board of Directors last week approved water and sewer rate increases and rate structure changes. Monthly water charges will increase about 6.25 percent, while monthly sewer charges will increase about 13.75 percent. The percentage increase will depend on a customer’s pattern and volume of water use.
WSM employees call for moratorium
Just got a fax saying that a group of Weaver Street Market employees will call for a moratorium against the coop’s proposal to move its food prep operations to Hillsborough. According to the fax, more than 100 employees have signed a petition calling for the moratorium. It will be presented to the coop’s board of…
AHEC/ Horace Williams hearings
Powerful testimony today from AHEC doctors and pilots about concerns over the move to RDU. Dr. Bill Henry, chair of UNC’s pediatric cardiology division, set out the case against the move calling the university’s stance that it’s either Horace Williams or RDU “a false choice.” Henry, noting that appearing at the legislature in opposition of…
Legislature to hold hearings on AHEC, airport closing
Editor’s note: This story will be updated around 1 p.m. today with remarks from today’s hearing. By Kirk Ross Staff Writer University administrators, Area Health Education Centers officials and a host of physicians from UNC Hospitals will appear before a joint House and Senate committee today (Thursday) to review plans to close Horace Williams Airport…
Rabies case near Cedar Grove
ies on Monday. The dog had been submitted to the State Laboratory of Public Health for testing after it was shot and killed last Thursday after biting or scratching a person and fighting with another dog. The dog, which was in the area of Highway 49 and Wade Loop Road north of Cedar Grove, had…
Chapel Hill Council opts for no tax hike
The Chapel Hill Town Council on Monday voted not to increase taxes for the 2007-08 fiscal year. The municipal property tax rate will remain at 52.2 cents per $100 property valuation. This is the third year in a row that Chapel Hill has not increased the tax rate. Orange County has proposed a tax rate…
Shelter move to Homestead Road has some seniors worried
About 100 people gathered on Friday to debate proposed plans to relocate the men’s homeless shelter to the county’s Southern Human Services campus on Homestead Road. Chris Moran, executive director of the Inter-Faith Council, said the proposed plans are “at a standstill,†pending negotiations between the town of Chapel Hill and Orange County. The Orange…
Board approves new rules for downtown
By Kirk Ross Staff Writer The Carrboro Board of Aldermen gave final approval to a new set of rules for downtown, clearing the way for several mixed-use projects to move forward. The projects had been stalled because meeting the town’s requirements for open space in residential developments would have been next to impossible given the…
County approves shelter plan
The Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved plans to build a full-service animal services facility on Eubanks Road adjacent to the Orange County landfill. The facility, which is estimated to cost $6.5 million, will house the animal shelter, Orange County Animal Control and the administrative division of the Animal Services Department. The divisions…
Horace Williams hearings
A joint session of the House and Senate Appropriations Health and Humans Services subcommittee is going to hold the long-awaited hearing on the closing of Horace Williams Airport on Thursday morning. Look for, perhaps, some real surprises. From the calendar: APPROPRIATIONS 643 8:30 am H.B. 73 Improve State Construction Process. S.B. 1119 State Budget Act/Technical…
County Commissioners June 12 Agenda
The Board of County Commissioners meets Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the F. Gordon Battle Courtroom on East Margaret Lane in Hillsborough. Here’s the agenda: 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda 2. Public Comments 3. Proclamations/Resolutions/Special Presentations a.     Steinbeck Award for Tom Konsler The Board will consider recognizing the accomplishments of one of the…
Officials, residents question rush on Carolina North
By Kirk Ross Staff Writer A perceived shift in the university’s mission at Carolina North along with concerns about housing at the new campus and its impact on regional transportation has officials and residents now asking why the rush to finish a plan this fall. At a Monday night forum sponsored by several environmental and…