Articles by Elizabeth Jensen

Phone bank beneﬁts Children’s Hospital

Aaron Shah noticed his 4-year-old son Ahmad had a fever and decided to take him to the emergency room. Ahmad had H1N1, and later that August night, doctors told Shah his son might not see the next morning.

“We are grateful to God that we live in Chapel Hill and that we live close by the hospital,” Shah said.

Kidzu aims toward expansion

Now that the town approved Kidzu Children’s Museum’s expansion, it’s up to the museum to raise money for construction.

The museum scored a $1 lease for 99 years, and now will have to raise $6 million to $7 million for construction of the new building, said Cathy Maris executive director of Kidzu.

The Chapel Hill Town Council voted 5-2 Monday to research the fiscal impacts of two potential sites for waste to be collected before it is shipped out of the county.

A waste transfer station is needed because the county landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2012.

Kleinschmidt seeks to unify town

Mayor-elect Mark Kleinschmidt will take office in December knowing that almost half the electorate voted for someone else.

But he said he is confident he can unify Chapel Hill residents.

Sammy Slade to join aldermen

First-time candidate Sammy Slade will join a familiar group on the Carrboro Board of Aldermen after Tuesday’s elections.

Slade, endorsed by former mayor pro tem John Herrera, claimed a seat with the second-highest number of votes. Carrboro residents also re-elected incumbents Jacquie Gist and Randee Haven-O’Donnell.

ECHHS grad dies during race

A former East Chapel Hill High School valedictorian died running the Baltimore Marathon on Saturday.

Peter Curtin, 23, collapsed between miles 22 and 23 of the race, said Lee Corrigan, president of Corrigan Sports Enterprises and marathon planner.

The medical team rushed him to Union Memorial Hospital, where he died a few hours later. His temperature was 107 degrees, Corrigan said.

Curtin was a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and recently earned a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.

ECHHS grad dies during race

A former East Chapel Hill High School valedictorian died running the Baltimore Marathon on Saturday.

Peter Curtin, 23, collapsed between miles 22 and 23 of the race, said Lee Corrigan, president of Corrigan Sports Enterprises and marathon planner.

The medical team rushed him to Union Memorial Hospital, where he died a few hours later. His temperature was 107 degrees, Corrigan said.

Curtin was a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and recently earned a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship.

OWASA increases water rates this month

Water conservation by the University is leading to higher water bills for residents, according to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority.

Customers will see a 9.75 percent rate increase in October bills.

An average household uses 5,000 gallons of water per month, which used to cost $68.24. After the increase, the average monthly bill will be $74.92, the authority’s spokesman Greg Feller said.

Rate increases are not uncommon when demand decreases.

Celebrating recovery

After a slow dance with his girlfriend, Brian Foard, a former speed, cocaine and alcohol addict, grabbed the microphone from the band.

“Ever since I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one,” he said, dropping to his knee.

“Will you please marry me?”

Donna Edmonds, 34, a former cocaine and heroin addict, didn’t hesitate giving her answer.

“Hell, yes!”

Foard and Edmonds were among a group of about 70 people who gathered to celebrate overcoming drug and alcohol addictions at the Freedom House Recovery Center in Chapel Hill on Thursday.

Childhood mortality rates have decreased

The rate of childhood mortality in North Carolina last year was lower than has ever been recorded.

Childhood fatality rates decreased 5 percent between 2007 and 2008 and 18 percent in the last decade in North Carolina, according to the N.C. Child Fatality Task Force.

Orange County reported 18 child deaths last year. Chatham County only had four.

No Orange County children died from bicycle accidents, fires, drowning, falls, poisoning homicide or suicide in 2008.

Articles by Elizabeth Jensen

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