City & County

Coal ash in Chapel Hill and across N.C. puts drinking water and environment at risk

In 2013, the Town of Chapel Hill discovered a coal ash site under the Chapel Hill Police Station, which some say could pose a threat to the drinking water of nearby residents.  The Town’s Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment will more completely characterize the risks and help determine the remediation plan. There are 50 coal ash disposal sites in North Carolina. Coal ash contains a toxic mix of heavy metals that can damage human and ecological health. 

OC Voice: Election Day is almost here

The OC Voice is a portion of the OC Report newsletter where local residents may have a platform to talk about local issues they care about. Gerry Cohen is a member of the Wake County Board of Elections and an adjunct professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. 

Over 4.5 million votes already cast in North Carolina as Election Day approaches

Early voting ended Saturday, and data shows that voter turnout in North Carolina surpassed the early voting turnout in the state in the 2016 general election. Over 60 percent of the state has already voted.

Weekly Quiz for the Well-Read News Whiz: Oct. 30

Hussman student project brings campus back to life, helps students reconnect

UNC seniors in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media class initiated a real-life project allowing students to reconnect while bringing campus alive once more. 

Students find a sense of normalcy in outdoor walks on and off campus

While walking to class is no longer a part of students’ daily routines, many who remain in Chapel Hill are still finding ways to get some light exercise outside. Whether you’re making your way past the Bell Tower on South Road or strolling through the Bolin Creek Trail, students find no shortage of scenic surroundings.

SONG Durham raises over $60,000 to bail Black mothers out of jail

The Black Mama's Bail Out Action is an annual event designed to bail Black mothers and caregivers out of jail. Southerners on New Ground Durham has raised over $60,000 to fund this year’s Bail Out, which takes place on Thursday.  

'A vote for our democracy': Youth poised to make big impact in 2020 election

With less than a week until Election Day, 3.8 million North Carolinians have already cast their ballots, a state in which young voters have turned out at a rate almost four times higher than at this point in 2016.   An index from CIRCLE, the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, ranked North Carolina as the second state in the nation where the youth vote can have a significant impact on the presidential election. From reports of apocalyptic wildfires on the West Coast and ongoing protests against systemic racism, to the pandemic that has gone unchecked since March, the youth of America have come face-to-face with the intersection of politics and daily life, and as a result are hyper-aware of what's going on in their country. 

Linda's to add breakfast, coffee, alcohol alternatives to its menu

After a brief closure, Chapel Hill staple Linda's has reopened, with new hours and an expanded menu. 

Approval of Research Triangle Logistics Park concerns Hillsborough residents

Groups like Save Hillsborough believes the approval of  Research Triangle Logistics Park will harm the environment and safety of Orange County. 

Here's how the UNC-Duke rivalry helped engage voters in the medical field

Voter turnout in the medical field is historically low. VotER, an organization that engages medical professionals in civic participation, aims to change that. In a two-week competition between UNC and Duke medical students by VotER, over 1,000 students were able to register to vote or vote by mail in the upcoming election.

Before You Vote Episode 7: Election security

In the seventh episode, City & State Editor Sonia Rao talks to N.C. Board of Elections Director Karen Brinson-Bell and UNC political science professor Marc Hetherington about election security during the pandemic. 

Uncertainty lingers around COVID-19 vaccine safety, development and distribution

Elizabeth Tilson, North Carolina's state health director and chief medical officer, said North Carolina likely won't have enough COVID-19 doses available for widespread distribution until later in 2021. 

Carrboro United reaches $1 million in sales seven months into operation

Local food hub program Carrboro United was created to help restaurants in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area survive during the pandemic — and it just reached $1 million in sales. 

With the closing of beloved Elmo's Diner, a community remembers what it has lost

Elmo's Diner stood as a pillar for the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro for 29 years, a place where families and college students alike devoured plates of waffles and huevos rancheros from early morning till night.  But no more.

Was N.C. State Fair’s food festival COVID-safe? Vendors weigh in

“The sense of normalcy is comforting, but a little different,” one vendor said. “Given what this year has brought us —  maybe it’s not normal, but it’s appropriate for 2020.”

'Celebration of citizenship': Inside the life of an N.C. poll worker

Rachel Raper, the director of elections for Orange County, said poll workers are critical to elections and complete a variety of roles during early voting and Election Day. “Poll workers are on the front line of democracy, and the experience voters have with poll workers shapes their opinions of elections and going to vote” she said. Because of the virus, the polling sites throughout Orange County are following safety protocols by maintaining social distancing, enforcing masks, limiting the number of people inside the polling site, disinfecting the voting sites between each use, not reusing sample ballots and putting up plastic barriers between voting stands. 

UNC professor's mutual aid fund distributes over $46,000 to LGBTQ people of color

UNC professor Sharon Holland, along with two community organizers, spearheaded a mutual aid fund designed to help queer, trans and Indigenous people of color weather the pandemic. 

Carrboro to implement second 'Truth Plaque' at site of former Freedmen's school

Carrboro will place a "truth plaque" at the site of the former Freedmen's school to acknowledge the several hundred Black children and adults who were freed from slavery and educated in the schoolhouse.

'You can't hold back the spring': The legacy of Rev. Robert Seymour

Chapel Hill pastor and local civil rights advocate Rev. Robert Seymour died Oct. 11. Seymour spent the majority of his 95 years pastoring churches, founding organizations, serving on boards, penning editorial columns and integrating Chapel Hill – always in his trademark suit and tie. He left behind a community he was fundamental in building.