Two pit bulls that attacked a Chapel Hill woman and her dog in March were stolen earlier this week from the Orange County Animal Shelter, police reports state. The dogs, Cisco and Roscoe, were impounded after they escaped from their owner's residence April 15 and attacked a dog, the second in a month, police reports state. Ralph Logner II of 111 Huse St. in Durham is the owner of the dogs.
Although a local survey shows that a majority of Triangle residents support the idea of a lottery that aids education, many local officials and representatives are wary of Gov. Mike Easley's repeat proposal for the lottery. The Carolina Poll, an annual telephone survey sponsored by the University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, recently asked the opinion of 567 adults in the Triangle. The results indicate that 70 percent of respondents are supportive of a lottery if revenue is used for education.
Recent assault charges against a Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools bus driver came as a surprise to parents and administrators in the system, who say the system is safe. Natasha Garnetta Snipes of 6108 Green Hollow Lane in Durham was charged Monday with two misdemeanor counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and vandalism to personal property, police reports state. Snipes held a gun to a 22-year-old female's head during an altercation Sunday night, police reports state.
The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house on Cameron Avenue has been the focus of a quietly waged legal battle for more than two years. A $13,700 lawsuit -- and the construction problems that led to it -- were finally resolved over Spring Break, when the house passed a fire code inspection Friday. Since the fall of 1999, Sigma Phi Epsilon has refused to pay for the installation of a fire protection system, claiming the system was not properly installed, according to court records.
The Chapel Hill Town Council continued work on the new draft of the town budget Wednesday, burdened by an increasingly bleak fiscal outlook. The meeting was held after Gov. Mike Easley's Feb. 5 announcement that he will withhold more than $1 million in tax revenue from the town because of North Carolina's $900 million budget shortfall this fiscal year. The town meeting was an opportunity for the boards and committees involved in transportation, libraries, sidewalks and housing to comment on the new budget constraints.
Residents were given a chance to discuss the idea of requiring landlords to apply for licenses at a public forum before the Chapel Hill Town Council on Wednesday night. The proposed system of rental licensing is designed to make landlords' contact information and complaint records easily accessible from the town's Web site. The Town Council most likely will decide in late February if the policy should be implemented.
The Chapel Hill Town Council heard the town manager's request Friday for a 4.7 cent property tax increase as officials began drafting next year's budget. The council met with Town Manager Cal Horton early Friday morning for a planning session in the Chapel Hill Public Library. The annual planning session is a chance for Horton to present his findings about the town's fiscal outlook and propose solutions for any projected budget shortfalls.
The potential sale of a 62-acre piece of UNC land north of Carrboro for use as UNC and town employee housing has spurred discussion between UNC officials and developers. Interest in the sale of the land has been promoted by developers who are creating a mixed-use housing property known as Winmore on a site neighboring the Horace Williams tract. Such a purchase would double the acreage of the Winmore development and make use of an otherwise inaccessible piece of UNC property, said developer Phil Szostak.
Local officials braved a chilly Tuesday afternoon on campus to publicly celebrate the beginning of the new fare-free bus system. "It is a great day in Chapel Hill," said Chancellor James Moeser. "Students and faculty can now board without having to use change, tickets or passes." The ceremony, which took place near the Bell Tower, was to congratulate the members of the community who helped achieve the new system, which began Jan.
Four local officials are stepping down from their elected positions this week and looking toward future goals. Chapel Hill will inaugurate its newly elected mayor and Town Council members at 7 p.m. today at the Chapel Hill Town Hall. Carrboro's inauguration is set for Tuesday. Mayor Rosemary Waldorf and council members Lee Pavao and Joyce Brown will leave office. Pavao will be ending a 15-year career in local politics after losing a recent bid for mayor.
