'Dehumanizing' experiences lead disabled student to demand improved bus accessibility

By Emmy Martin | 10:14pm

After a series of accessibility-related issues with Chapel Hill Transit, UNC junior Sarah Ferguson reached out about her negative experiences with bus operators.

CHT invited her to their bus garage so they can learn to better accommodate her wheelchair's Firefly attachment — a visit she will make in the future.
“It’s not worth it for me to take a bus and risk ending up in a situation where I'm humiliated and dehumanized,” she said.

Alan Cohen, owner of Crazy Alan's Emporium, leans on the checkout counter of his store in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Crazy Alan's Emporium is an office supplies store that has been in business for over 20 years.

'It's been a wonderful run': Crazy Alan's Emporium to close in August

By Bridget Bendezu | Mar. 20

Pedestrians pass a parking meter on Franklin Street on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

Parking prices emphasize priority differences between Chapel Hill and Carrboro

By Walker Livingston | 7:47pm

Anna Alexandre, a co-founder of Humble Umbel Farm, interacts with customers on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at the Chapel Hill Farmers Market.

Chapel Hill Farmers' Market enters 15th year of celebrating local farmers, artisans

By Sophia Fanning | Mar. 20

The Chapel Hill Police Department entrance sign pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2022.

Chapel Hill Town Council considers future of police station, possible apartments

By Avery Baker | Mar. 10

The Triangle Disability Awareness Council provides training for disability awareness and is located on Homestead Road, pictured here on Friday, March 10, 2023.

Local organizations raise awareness during Developmental Disability Awareness Month, beyond

By Caroline Horne | Mar. 10

The tennis courts in Hargraves Community Park are pictured on March 4, 2023. The courts are in the process of being repaved.

Town takes first steps in care and resurfacing of Hargraves Community Park tennis courts

By Lauren Zola | Mar. 8

Residents say the Hargraves Community Park tennis courts have been neglected in recent years. The Town of Chapel Hill is working to address these concerns by taking prospective bidders to renovate the tennis courts and facilities at Hargraves Community Park.

Burgers cook on a grill at Al’s Burger Shack on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. The restaurant is currently switching beef providers.

Al's Burger Shack moves away from longtime NC beef supplier Mills Family Farms

By Phoebe Martel | Mar. 8

New Al's Burger Shack owners Charlie Farris and Jason Kesler have decided to transition away from using meat from Mooresville-based Mills Family Farms because of quality concerns. Farris did not disclose the identity of Al's Burger Shack's new beef supplier.

From left, Alexander Julian, Missy Julian-Fox and Bart Fox pose inside their formalwear store, Julian's, on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

'The first to bring preppy to the South': Honoring three generations at Julian's

By Zoe Werner | Mar. 8

Julian's College Shop has been owned and operated by the Julian family for the past 80 years — since Maurice Julian opened the original in 1942. Currently, the store is owned by his son and international award-winning designer Alexander Julian. It is managed by Bart Fox, Maurice Julian's grandson.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Administrative Office building in Chapel Hill, NC, is pictured on Monday, Nov. 28, 2022.

CHCCS Board of Education hears finance updates, concerns on starting school earlier

By Sam Kornylak | Mar. 5

Concerns from teachers over a new proposal to make the start time of elementary schools earlier in the day are shared in a work session with the Chapel Hill-Carborro City Schools Board of Education. Updates on the district's finances are shared by the board.

The 203 Project located at 203 South Greensboro St. in Carrboro continues to undergo construction on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. Completion of the project is anticipated for spring 2024.

Carrboro 203 Project construction progresses with expected completion in June 2024

By Caroline Horne | Mar. 3

The 203 Project is set to be completed and open in June 2024, according to Susan Romaine, Carrboro mayor pro tem. The project is on schedule if the weather permits construction to continue.

Water flows onto the sidewalk near UNC's Carrington Hall on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023.

OWASA releases 2022 wastewater report card, meets regulatory standards

By Libby Wakefield | Mar. 2

The Orange Water and Sewer Authority, which delivers water services to the Chapel Hill and Carrboro communities, recently released its' wastewater report card for 2022. The report shows that OWASA met all of the EPA's regulatory requirements for the year.

Photos by DTH/Samantha Lewis, DTH/Helen McGinnis, and photo courtesy of Paris Miller-Foushee.

'In the fight ever since': A look at the Foushee family's longstanding civic leadership

By Avery Baker | Feb. 28

While Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C. 4th), Carrboro Town Council member Barbara Foushee and Chapel Hill Town Council member Paris Miller-Foushee might be the most recognized Foushees, they aren't the only ones who have had significant impact.

A piano and photos on display at The Jackson Center on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023.

Marian Cheek Jackson Center preserves Chapel Hill's Black history, provides resources

By Gowri Abhinanda | Feb. 28

Rev. Troy Harrison of St. Joseph CME Church and UNC Professor Della Pollock founded the Marian Cheek Jackson Center in 2007 to preserve the oral history of the Northside neighborhood. The center's goals have since evolved to include fostering housing justice for the Northside community, preserving civil rights and local history through education and cultivating a sense of community between neighbors. “Something that any of us can do to support retention is just to get to know our neighbors,” Christine Abernathy, director of housing justice at MCJC, said.

DTH Photo Illustration. Governor Roy Cooper announced $7.7 million in new funding for mental health services for students at N.C. postsecondary institutions.

NC universities receive funding for mental health resources, trainings

By Sophia Fanning | Feb. 27

Gov. Roy Cooper announced $7.7 million in new funding for North Carolina's public universities, allocated for funding mental health support resources. The UNC System will use the funding for new programs and training for both faculty and students.

Jaimie Lee, owner and lead instructor at The Coalition NC, poses for a portrait in the Old Quad on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023.

Black-owned businesses give back to Chapel Hill community in different ways

By Sierra President | Feb. 26

Chapel Hill is home to a number of Black-owned businesses, many of which are community-oriented. During Black History Month, they continue to give back.

The Chapel Hill Historical Society’s exhibit located in the Orange County Historical Museum in Hillsborough, NC, is pictured on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2022.

Orange County Historical Museum hosts second part of Chapel Hill 'History of Hope' exhibit

By Zoe Werner | Feb. 23

"Hope of History Part 1" was exhibited last year and covered the beginning of Chapel Hill until 1928. According to the Chapel Hill Historical Society website, the second installment that is currently on display expands on the original exhibit using words, photos, videos and music.

A bus stop in Chapel Hill displays a photo of civil rights activist Harold Foster on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. On the display is a quote from Foster, reading, "We were troublemakers. We questioned authority and challenged it head on."

Chapel Hill bus shelter art honors activists and events from the Civil Rights Movement

By Vina Senthil | Feb. 21

The Chapel Hill Public Library recently highlighted three bus shelters in Chapel Hill with art that depicts important moments in the Civil Rights Movement that took place in Chapel Hill to commemorate Black History Month.

A Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. sign is pictured on Feb. 19, 2023, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Renaming of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard impacts community 18 years after change

By Emerson Gonzalez-Roblero | Feb. 21

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was renamed from Airport Road nearly 18 years ago — a decision by the Chapel Hill Town Council that community members still appreciate to this day. The renaming, which was supported by the local NAACP, was approved in December 2004 by the Chapel Hill Town Council, and dedicated in May 2005.

Howard Lee, the first Black mayor of Chapel Hill, is pictured in the mayor's office in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023.

'It wasn’t easy': 50 years later, legacy of Chapel Hill's first and only Black mayor prevails

By Walker Livingston | Feb. 21

In 1969, Howard Lee won Chapel Hill’s mayoral election by about 400 votes, becoming not only the Town’s first and only Black mayor — but also the first Black mayor in a white-majority town South since the Reconstruction. Lee, who turns 89 years old in July, has left a large impact on the Chapel Hill community.