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Thursday March 23rd

The OC Report

Welcome to the OC Report from The Daily Tar Heel. The OC Report is aimed at full-time residents of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough. We invite you to be part of this news coverage by sending in community columns and emailing us story ideas.

You can also help us expand. We've got big plans, but we need the help of our readers to pay for their news. Go to startthepresses.org today to help us build the OC Report into what Our Communities deserve.

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

By Emmy Martin | Mar. 21

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.

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Former employees of IZA Whiskey & Eats allege owner allowed workplace misconduct, harassment

By Samuel Long | Feb. 17

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

By Bridget Bendezu | Mar. 20

North Carolina Senate Bill 196 to ensure fair treatment for those with student loans

By Ella Aluise | Mar. 19

DTH Photo Illustration. The Town of Chapel Hill recently released "TOWNtalk the podcast," which focuses on various Town staff, what they do, how they do it and why their roles are important for the community.

"TOWNtalk" podcast shines a light on Chapel Hill Town services

By Rushi Kulkarni | 12:23am

The Town of Chapel Hill recently released "TOWNtalk the podcast." Ran Northam, communications manager for the Town of Chapel Hill, said he, Alex Carrasquillo, the community safety public information officer for the Town and Public Information Officer Christina Strauch created "TOWNtalk" in an effort to educate the public and shine a light on staff members.

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Bul-Box Asian Grill sign is hung on Franklin Street on Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Bul Box, new Asian grill restaurant, opens on West Franklin Street

By Jenna Rupp | 9:15pm

Bul Box, a fast, casual Asian cuisine restaurant, opened its newest location on West Franklin Street on Monday, March 20. Jaeyeon Kim, Bul Box's director of operations, described the restaurant as an “Asian Chipotle,” where you can order signature boxes named after cities like “Tokyo Box” or “Shanghai Box." You can also create your own with chosen ingredients.

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Northside Elementary School is located off of Caldwell Street in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.

Survey shows increased violence at NC public schools, development affected by pandemic

By Libby Wakefield | 9:14pm

New data shows that North Carolina public schools reported an increase in student discipline issues during the 2021-22 school year. There were 11,170 total instances of crime and violence, an increase of 16.9 percent as compared to the 2018-19 school year.

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DTH Photo Illustration. The Freedom to Vote bill attempts to cover voting access from multiple angles, such as the expansion of early voting hours and the redrawing of congressional district maps.

NC House Democrats introduce legislation to improve election integrity, access

By Olivia Gschwind | Mar. 22

House Bill 293, the Freedom to Vote Act, proposes changes to election administration in the state and provisions to increase voter turnout. N.C. Rep. Allen Buansi (D-Orange) is the face and primary sponsor of the bill, which was supported by every Democrat in the N.C. House of Representatives.

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DTH Photo Illustration. Gov. Roy Cooper's new behavioral health plan highlights what a pressing issue declining mental health has become in North Carolina.

Cooper releases $1 billion behavioral health plan, requires legislature approval

By Arwen Helms | Mar. 21

Gov. Roy Cooper’s new behavioral health plan, released on March 8, aims to invest $1 billion to address North Carolina’s mental health and substance use crisis, according to a press release. The plan focuses on increasing the availability of behavioral health services, implementing systems to support people in crisis and using technology to enable better health access and outcomes.

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

Orange County Schools Board of Education discusses cost saving for budget projected deficit

By Caroline Dickey | Mar. 21

The Orange County Schools Board of Education met on Monday, March 20 to discuss cost savings strategies for the remainder of the fiscal year 2023 and highlight World Down Syndrome Day.

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Solar panels sit at the solar farm on White Cross Road in Chapel Hill on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022.

Duke Energy developing its second carbon plan to implement energy transition

By Kaitlyn Church | Mar. 21

Duke Energy is developing a second carbon plan only two months after the release of the first, according to Duke Energy spokesperson Bill Norton. The company's original plan — the Carolinas Carbon Plan — detailed Duke Energy's planned methods for implementing North Carolina’s energy transition, which is mandated by House Bill 951.

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Peyton Battle, a junior at Chapel Hill High School, practices calculus at her desk on Sunday, March 19, 2023.

New class could help increase representation of students of color in higher level courses

By Maddie Policastro | Mar. 21

As of the 2022 to 2023 school year, AP African American Studies has started piloting in 60 schools across the country and will soon expand to approximately 200 schools, including Chapel Hill High School, in the coming school year.

Read More »

The 5K for Education took place on Saturday, March 18, 2023. Photo Courtesy of Madeline Blobe and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation.

Public School Foundation raises money for CHCCS grants, scholarships through 5k race

By Lauren Zola | Mar. 21

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation (PSF) hosted a 5k race on Saturday, March 18 to raise money for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools grants and scholarships. Runners and walkers took a route through UNC's campus that started at the Morehead Planetarium and ended at the Old Well.

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Art decorates the hallways of Mel and Zora Rashkis Elementary School on Monday, March 20, 2023. This month, students in CHCCS are participating in Youth Art Month.

CHCCS teachers and staff highlight creativity in Youth Art Month and beyond

By Irene Denniston | Mar. 21

Though Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is celebrating Youth Arts Month this March, teachers across the district emphasize the importance of arts all year. Educators Terra Hodge, Johnathan Hamiel and Deb Cox detail the benefits their students receive from engagement with different art mediums.

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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 | Mar. 21

For this fiscal year, Chapel Hill Parking Services expects to make roughly $6 million in revenue — coming from a combination of meter fees, ticket fines and $3.8 million from debt services to fund building a new parking deck. Less than a mile down the road in Carrboro, parking is completely free.

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Planned Parenthood in Chapel Hill provides reproductive health services to the Triangle. The Women's Public Health and Safety Act, which is co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) — could impact the organization's funding.

Women’s Public Health and Safety Act could further restrict abortion access

By Audrey Kashatus | Mar. 21

Introduced to the U.S. Senate in mid-February, the bill could give states the ability to exclude abortion providers from receiving state Medicaid funds unless an abortion is necessary due to rape, incest or a life-threatening situation.

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DTH Photo Illustration. Lithium batteries are in increasingly high demand and have led to the development of lithium mines and processing plants like the one being proposed in Gaston County. The region is part of the largest lithium belt in the U.S.

Lithium mining company pushes for permit approval in NC despite local opposition

By Gowri Abhinanda | Mar. 21

Piedmont Lithium plans to develop a 1500-acre mine containing four 500-foot deep pits for lithium extraction with a processing plant on-site in Gaston County, according to Erin Sanders, senior vice president of corporate communications and investor relations at Piedmont Lithium.

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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

Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon for the past 15 years, the Chapel Hill Farmers' Market has featured locally made products including pottery, kombucha, fresh pasta, seafood and mushroom jewelry. Local residents who frequent the market shop for a myriad of products at tents in the parking lot outside Stoney River and Silverspot Cinema at University Place Mall.

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