Flowing 40 miles eastward through Orange and Durham counties, the Eno River is a life source for people and wildlife along its path. Now, a new land preservation fund will help the Eno River Association continue conserving lands within the Eno River basin.
The executive director for the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership proposed making temporary modifications to the area during the state's phased reopening, such as using the sidewalk for dining, transforming street lanes into pedestrian lanes and designating spots along streets for curbside pickup. A Chapel Hill resident also created a petition with over 500 signatures to transform Franklin Street's two outermost traffic lanes into a protected pedestrian lane.
Local advocacy group Siembra NC found Latinx immigrants' main concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic include accessing unemployment benefits, finding masks and continuing to pay rent, especially in more expensive areas. The group surveyed 309 Latinx immigrants from 11 North Carolina counties to learn how to help immigrants and inform policymakers about Latinx communities' needs. Durham City Council member Javiera Caballero said the report also shows how Latinx people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, including in infection rates.
Protests in front of UNC's cogeneration facility restarted Friday morning after concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic had halted these events. One protester said the plant's release of greenhouse gases could exacerbate medical conditions that make people prone to COVID-19.
In this episode, Evely Forte and The Daily Tar Heel City & State editor Claire Perry discuss North Carolina's three-phase plan for reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This story is the third of a series featuring the newly elected members of the Orange County Schools Board of Education. Jennifer D. Moore has 12 years of experience in North Carolina's public school system as an exceptional children's instructional assistant. One of her priorities will be providing students with the resources they need for success during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Upfront, it was pretty frustrating," he said. "Because people rely on the money and it was taking a while for the application to be submitted." As Gov. Roy Cooper extends the state's stay-at-home order until early May, some Chapel Hill restaurants are grappling with having to lay off their staff and finding new ways to run their businesses while maintaining social distancing. Meanwhile, a lot of restaurant staff are grappling with unemployment.
As Orange County's stockpile of personal protective equipment diminishes, community leaders look to alternate, safe solutions to reuse PPE while supplies are limited.
William C. McKinney, general counsel for the office of Gov. Roy Cooper, mailed a letter in response to an attorney who petitioned him representing activists in favor of reopening the state. "Outdoor protests are allowed so long as the space occupied by the protesters is not enclosed (i.e. within walls) and so long as the protesters maintain the Social Distancing Requirement," McKinney said in the letter.
Orange County Schools Superintendent Monique Felder told Board members that the program would expand New Hope Elementary’s existing dual-language program. According to a board member, a bilingual teacher would switch between Spanish and English throughout lessons, allowing for both native English and Spanish speakers to learn some of each language.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly tough on Chapel Hill businesses. Many plan to ride it out, but others are ready to call it quits.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced today that North Carolina's stay-at-home order will be extended through May 8. The announcement comes at a time when neighboring states such as Georgia are beginning to reopen businesses.
A potential treatment for COVID-19 could being development just outside the Research Triangle Park in Clayton, North Carolina. The Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols, S.A. is spearheading a project with U.S. government assistance from the Food and Drug Administration and the Biomedical Advanced Research Development Authority. As of Monday, the company is ready to begin collecting convalescent plasma from the blood of recovered individuals and will work towards manufacturing it into an immune globulin that they hope will help combat the virus following infection. Once developed, it's possible the price of this treatment could be very high and whether the federal government will help establish affordability remains unclear.
Students, parents and teachers in local school districts are trying to adjust as schools transition online due to COVID-19. Caroline Spencer, whose son is a senior at East Chapel Hill High School, said her son has been assigned grades in his classes based on his work from before school shut down, and his classes have been canceled. “He's pretty much done,” she said. “He’s been accepted to college and he probably won't have a prom or graduation, and he's right now just focused on hoping that he gets to start school in the fall.”
Policies regarding the Women, Infants and Children Program have been adjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic as recipients of the program struggle to find approved foods. If grocery stores run out of the specific foods that WIC recipients are able to purchase, then they may leave empty handed. “We’re concerned about the ability for WIC participants to meet their nutritional needs during this time given the absence of many staple food items at many grocery stores,” Suzy Khachaturyan, a policy analyst with the N.C. Justice Center, said.
This story is the second of a series featuring the newly elected members of the Orange County Schools Board of Education. Carrie Doyle, who has been both a teacher and a parent in Orange County Schools, said she hopes she can be a voice that encourages cooperation while also seeking to make sure that all voices are heard.
The cancellation of school and senior year events have nonetheless presented a challenging time for the high school graduating class of 2020.
When she started the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook group, founder Carrie Brogren said she had no idea that it would have the impact it has had on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community.
With competitive elections for nearly every office in the state on the ballot this fall, two counties on opposite sides of the state with differing population dynamics serve as examples of a greater statewide trend. Between the 2012 and 2016 elections, North Carolina counties' vote shift tracked with their median income and education level u2014 counties with higher income and education levels tended to shift towards the Democratic Party and counties experiencing more poverty shifted their vote towards the Republican Party.
More than 60 percent of the district’s students receive free or reduced-price lunches, he said. That’s why Durham Public Schools launched a daily meal support program on March 23 after closing schools a week before. For two weeks, district employees distributed meals to students at 81 sites across the county. But on April 6, the district stopped the program after an on-site employee tested positive for COVID-19 and most of its staff applied for state emergency paid leave through April 30.
