City & County

OC Voice: Pressing through the pandemic

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. Barbara Foushee is a Carrboro Town Council member. 

Weekly Quiz for the Well-Read News Whiz: Oct. 23

Chapel Hill's Regal Timberlyne Theater closes, to be turned into medical office space

Chapel Hill's Regal Timberlyne Theater is closing down, and a new medical office building is set to take its place.

Eviction numbers have fallen in Orange County, but many are still vulnerable

Orange County Housing Assistance programs have been helping tenants stave off eviction, but some tenants still face the threat. 

Carrboro Town Council passes resolution calling for reparations

At Tuesday's Carrboro Town Council meeting, members approved a resolution that calls attention to the Town's history with slavery and discrimination. 

New mural on Chapel Hill-Carrboro line set to honor musician Elizabeth Cotten

The mural of Elizabeth Cotten, a Chapel Hill native and influential musician, is part of a larger statewide effort to honor North Carolina musicians in their hometowns. 

N.C. voters show their support for Biden, Harris at Raleigh drive-in rally

North Carolina officials came out to a Biden rally Monday to discuss COVID-19, health care and the economy. 

'I'm Smart, Too': Local documentary highlights racial achievement gap in CHCCS

The documentary, called "I'm Smart, Too," premiered Sept. 23 and includes the voices of parents and students of color in the district. 

Supreme Court ruling, pandemic may have limited local effect in 2020 Census

COVID-19 and an early end to the census could affect the accuracy of the count for certain communities, but Orange County's census response rate remains high. 

Before You Vote Episode 6: How student leaders are engaging voters

In the sixth episode, City & State Editor Sonia Rao talks to Greear Webb and America Juarez-Maldonado, two student leaders at UNC about what they're doing to engage student and minority voters before the election. 

Local political groups adjust strategies to endorse candidates despite pandemic

Local political organizations, like CHALT and the Sierra Club, have had to adapt they way they support candidates in response to the pandemic. 

New street outreach program reimagines public safety, homelessness in Orange County

A collaboration between the Orange County Criminal Justice Resource Department and the Partnership to End Homelessness will focus on building relationships with locals who experience homelessness.

Poll shows N.C. voters want climate change response. Here's where the candidates stand

Going into the November election, climate change will be one of the biggest issues on the ballot. Here's where candidates across the state stand on the issue. 

Chapel Hill artist Kaze4letters releases album celebrating the diversity of Blackness

UNC alumnus and North Carolina artist Kevin “Kaze” Thomas, who goes by Kaze4letters in the music community, hopes his seventh and most recent project, “A Thousand Shades of Black,” will reintroduce people to his music while also celebrating diversity.  

NAACP taking voter ID constitutional amendment to the N.C. Supreme Court

In North Carolina, the need for a photo ID to vote is part of a controversial debate spanning multiple years. Last month, the N.C. NAACP announced it would take a lawsuit against the issue of voter ID to the N.C. Supreme Court.

Save the Music initiative encourages supporting artists and businesses in downtown

If the Save the Music series is successful, the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership hopes for it to continue into November and potentially into the holiday months. The series encourages people to check out local musicians spread across downtown while they eat, shop or stroll. 

Here's how to cast your vote early in Orange County

Early voting is underway in North Carolina through Oct. 31. Gerry Cohen, a member of the Wake County Board of Elections, and Rachel Raper, director of elections for Orange County, answered some frequently asked questions about the process.

We asked about your remote learning experiences. Here's what you said

Students and parents have expressed that remote schooling has been difficult in terms of socialization and equitable opportunities.  In a CHCCS survey, over 50 percent of respondents said they would return to in-person learning Ruth Williams, the parent of a kindergartner at Glenwood Magnet Elementary School, said her son's transition to online learning has been extremely difficult  The district has not yet made a final decision about when students will return to in-person learning

Orange County Arts Commission distributing CARES funding to local art organizations

The N.C. General Assembly designated $9.4 million to provide direct aid to arts councils and organizations as part of its federal CARES Act spending plan. The grants aim to reimburse the expenses occurred by arts organization during the pandemic. 

OC Voice: Why you should vote in the U.S. Senate race

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. Taylor Heeden is a senior writer for The Daily Tar Heel and a senior at UNC majoring in journalism and communication studies.