City & County - The Daily Tar Heel

Chapel Hill Town Hall stands on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022.

Chapel Hill Town Council to vote on resolution regarding Operation Readi-Rock

By Carly Breland | Nov. 16

During the Nov. 16 town council meeting, the Chapel Hill Town Council is set to approve a resolution that will acknowledge harm caused by the Graham Street raid of 1990, also known as Operation Readi-Rock, and issue a formal apology to those impacted. The meeting will be on the 32nd anniversary of the raid, which was an execution of a search warrant on a full block of Graham Street that disproportionately affected Chapel Hill’s Black community.

Assessment data shows declining scores, achievement gap for NC students

By Lucy Marques | Nov. 16

The National Assessment for Educational Progress results for 2022 show that the average reading and mathematics scores for fourth- and eighth-grade students in North Carolina have declined since 2019. Average scores for both categories also declined on a national level.

Gov. Roy Cooper speaks on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2021, at Pizzeria Mercato in Carrboro.

Gov. Cooper appoints members of equity task force to implement pandemic recovery

By Maddie Van Meter | Nov. 15

Gov. Roy Cooper announced the appointment of several members to the Andrea Harris Equity Task Force. The mission of the task force is to advise state government offices on ways to promote economic development, equitable practices, health and wellness in disadvantaged communities impacted by COVID-19.

A bus drives down Colombia Street on Oct. 3, 2022.

'God bless the bus': Moovit app provides transit users with bus schedules

By Bailey White | Nov. 15

Chapel Hill Transit Director Brian Litchfield said Moovit has been on his phone for several years. Moovit includes other transit options, including Uber and Lyft, in the app so users have multiple transportation options, he added. Walking directions are also integrated into the app.

Golden Fig Books, a locally-owned and independent bookstore that is coming to Carrboro, is pictured on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022.

New bookstore to open in Carrboro, focuses on used and affordable books for everyone

By Bridget Bendezu | Nov. 15

Golden Fig Books, an independent Durham bookstore, is opening a new store in Carrboro at Carr Mill Mall on Friday, Nov. 18.

UNC senior Sydney Clark stands outside Carolina Apartments off NC 54 on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.

'It's really dangerous': Residents along NC-54 struggle with lack of crosswalks

By Olivia Gschwind | Nov. 15

Some areas of NC-54 lack crosswalks near bus stops, which poses a problem to pedestrians trying to reach those across the road. The highway is one of those listed in the Town's crash report for 2021 as one with high occurrences of crashes involving cyclists and pedestrians.

An organizer of the Azerbaijan Victory Day presents Turkish-American Nobel Peace Prize Winner, UNC graduate, and Sancar Center founder Aziz Sandra with a painting.

Sancar Center hosts event for Azerbaijan Victory and Flag Day, celebrates culture

By Phoebe Martel | Nov. 15

Last Saturday evening, members of the Azerbaijani diaspora, Triangle-area officials and Washington, D.C.-based foreign policy analysts gathered to celebrate the second annual Azerbaijan Victory and Flag Day.

Jason Evans, a member of the Haliwa Saponi Tribe, performs music as Occaneechi tribal members listen at the Occaneechi Replica Village rededication event on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

State honors tribes during American Indian Heritage Month, some question sincerity

By Caroline Dickey | Nov. 14

On Nov. 2, Gov. Roy Cooper proclaimed November as American Indian Heritage Month to celebrate the eight state-recognized indigenous tribes. Since 1990, the month has continued to serve as an opportunity to honor the cultures and histories of American Indian tribes within North Carolina and across the country.

The UNC Hospitals emergency entrance sign is pictured on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.

Hospitals face strains amid rise of flu and respiratory illnesses in NC

By Audrey Kashatus | Nov. 14

North Carolina is facing very high levels of influenza-like illness much earlier this year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of positive flu tests are already peaking higher than they have been in the previous five years.

The Carrboro Arts Center is pictured on Aug.14, 2022.

'Celebrating and interrogating Southern culture': Carrboro Film Fest returns for 17th year

By Jenna Rupp | Nov. 14

The film festival will showcase nearly 50 independent films, all focusing on the South and Southern culture. The two feature-length films were both written by UNC alumni.

A home for sale sign stands on East Patterson Place in Chapel Hill on Nov. 10, 2022. Chapel Hill needs more housing as interest rates and housing prices are increasing.

'It’s the time of highest need': Residents face housing shortage, rising prices

By Lily Richardson | Nov. 13

Chapel Hill-Carrboro residents face difficulties as interest rates and home prices rise and housing becomes more challenging to find. Since 2017, the average rent in Chapel Hill has increased by 37 percent, according to the Town of Chapel Hill's 2022 Affordable Housing Annual Report.

Elizabeth Cotten was born in Carrboro, NC, and wrote her most famous song at age 11. She is now being honored by being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Elizabeth Cotten mural is pictured on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022.

Carrboro legend Elizabeth Cotten inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

By Vina Senthil | Nov. 13

On Nov. 5, Carrboro musician Elizabeth Cotten posthumously received the Early Influence Award from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. She joined other inductees into the Hall of Fame, including Eminem, Dolly Parton and Lionel Richie during the foundation’s 37th annual ceremony, hosted in Los Angeles.

The Orange County Board of Education building, as pictured on Monday, March 28, 2022, is located on East King Street in Hillsborough.

OC Schools Board of Education hears equity plan update, unanimously accepts

By Hannah Ma | Nov. 13

At the Orange County Schools Board of Education meeting on Monday, the OCS Equity Task Force presented their equity plan update and outline for equity training for the Board. After the presentation, the Board unanimously accepted the proposal. The plan focused on three areas: professional development, curriculum adoption and creation and student and community engagement.

Hillsborough commissioner appointed by Gov. Cooper to juvenile justice committee

By Sophia Fanning | Nov. 13

Hillsborough Mayor Pro Tem Matt Hughes was appointed to North Carolina’s Juvenile Justice Planning Committee, a part of Gov. Roy Cooper's Crime Commission. The commission advises the state lawmakers on crime and justice issues, and the Juvenile Justice Planning Committee focuses on juveniles involved in the justice system and at-risk youth.

Weldon W. Bullock III, Mental Health Specialist, poses for a portrait at Chapel Hill High School, on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

Twelve CHCCS psychologists commended during School Psychology Awareness Week

By Tori Newby | Nov. 10

School psychologists across the state work with students, parents and other staff members to implement interventions to address behavioral and academic struggles. They also conduct evaluations of students who are suspected of having a disability and might require specially-designed instruction.

Residents of Chapel Hill and Carrboro shop at the Carrboro Record and CD Show in Carrboro, N.C. on Nov. 6, 2022.

Longtime record-seller Gerry Williams hosts biannual record show in Carrboro

By Sam Kornylak | Nov. 9

Gerry Williams has been selling records for 45 years and hosting record shows in Carrboro for the last 18. His most recent record show on Sunday was at the Carrboro Century Center. Since 2004, the November event has been one of Williams' two annual shows sponsored by the Town of Carrboro.

The Supreme Court of North Carolina, located in Raleigh, is pictured on Aug. 26, 2022.

Two Republicans win seats on the NC Supreme Court, flipping majority

By Ethan E. Horton and Eliza Benbow | Nov. 9

Republicans have reclaimed a majority of the N.C. Supreme Court with the election of Judge Richard Dietz to Seat 3 and Trey Allen to Seat 5. Both seats were previously held by Democrats, allowing Republicans to take a 5-2 majority.

Chapel Hill and Carrboro policing data shows racial disparities in traffic stops

By Gabriel Morrison and Joseph Adams | Nov. 9

Police reports issued over the past few years by the Carrboro Police Department and Chapel Hill Police Department show that traffic stops disproportionately impact Black and Hispanic drivers. In response to these data trends, local police and governments have cooperated to reduce differences in enforcement.

The Chapel Hill Police Department is pictured on Oct. 7, 2022.

Chapel Hill awaits results of soil testing for coal ash

By Samuel Long | Nov. 9

Chapel Hill Mayor Pan Hemminger said the Town has been transparent about what it has learned about coal ash at 828 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. But, one group believes that the organization hired to test the site failed to provide the Town with a complete assessment of health risks caused by coal ash.

Katina Welch poses for a portrait in the Inter-Faith Council building in Carrboro, NC on Nov. 7, 2022. Welch faced homelessness and now works to confront poverty in the Chapel-Hill/Carrboro community at IFC.

Link between lack of affordable housing and home insecurity evident in Orange County, activists say

By Walker Livingston | Nov. 9

A lack of affordable housing and other factors are seen as driving homelessness in Orange County, and local organizations seek to provide resources and personal help to the community.