Shatarra Gibson

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Leaner turkeys mean leaner dinners, higher prices for many states

By Shatarra Gibson | November 27

North Carolinians can gobble up their turkey this holiday season without a care while the rest of the country waits in line for slim pickings in the poultry section. Hotter-than-usual summers in some parts of the country have made turkeys a little slimmer than what is typically desired of the entree. The lack of the more favorable, plumper turkeys has driven up the price of the holiday favorite. "It affects the market of supply and demand," said Steve Troxler, commissioner of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

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Campus Fire Forum focuses on safety

By Shatarra Gibson | November 10

Stop, drop and roll isn't efficient fire safety when it comes to college students, firefighters who attended the national Campus Fire Forum 8 conference this week said. The three-step plan might not be enough to save lives in a residence-hall fire. Ten years ago Bonnie Woodruff lost her son, Ben Woodruff, to a fire in Phi Gamma Delta's fraternity house at UNC. During her keynote address at the conference Thursday, Woodruff, a fire-safety advocate, said the death of her son and four other students could have been prevented by sprinklers.

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Efland rodeo a family affair

By Shatarra Gibson | October 13

Bucking broncos and bulls will be drawing a crowd in Efland this weekend at the annual Efland Ruritan Rodeo show. The Alltel Wireless East Coast World Champion All Classic show, produced by the Mid-Atlantic Professional Rodeo Association, will begin at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday. The gates of the Efland Ruritan Club will open at 6 p.m. for early arrivals. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 6 to 12, and $5 for children ages 3 to 5. Children under 3 get in free. "It's a family-oriented event," said Gloria Kiker, a retired cowgirl.

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Hillsborough celebrates 'last friday'

By Shatarra Gibson | September 29

Scarecrows might not have the brains to always scare those crows away from the garden, but they do symbolize the coming of the fall harvest in Hillsborough. Tonight the Orange County Historical Museum and the Hillsborough Arts Council will sponsor the second annual Scarecrow Contest. The contest is being held as part of the Hillsborough Last Friday celebration. The celebration is held on the last Friday of every month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Hillsborough's historic downtown.

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Long-lasting inspiration

By Shatarra Gibson | September 19

A Yale University freshman says it was a Chapel Hill High School teacher who gave her the confidence she needs to succeed. Yale University's admissions office sponsors the annual Yale Teaching Awards, honoring instructors from around the country who do just that. Cynthia Ammons, an Advanced Placement statistics and technical math teacher, was nominated by Catherine Kastleman, one of her former students and a freshman at Yale, for the award. "I think a lot of teachers go unrecognized for the amount of work they put in with their students," Kastleman said.

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Giving kiosk gets the ax

By Shatarra Gibson | September 15

An idea blossomed in the mind of an anonymous donor about a year ago. Rather than Franklin Street's visitors giving a dollar or spare change to panhandlers, the funds should go into a giving kiosk that donates money to charity, he thought. He even had selected an artist to design it and drew a concept plan. But in a Thursday meeting of the Giving Kiosk Task Force, assembled by the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership , members decided a kiosk might not be the most effective solution to the problem.

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Donation stations on campus for unwanted items

By Shatarra Gibson | April 28

As the end of the semester approaches, students pack up either for the trip home or to wherever summer fun, or summer school, is found. Move out days tend to generate a lot of waste, but everyone can clean up their act a little by donating unwanted items to charity and by recycling, officials say. The University's Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling is setting up donation stations around campus this week. Clothes, shoes, unused personal items, school supplies and textbooks all are welcome donations.

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Cameron Park celebrates, fundraises, renovates

By Shatarra Gibson | April 21

Alumni of the past 50 years will be celebrating and making Hillsborough history this weekend at Cameron Park Elementary School. In the honor of diversity, culture and community, Cameron Park will hold its 50th anniversary celebration to bring the community together and to help raise money to renovate the school's aging facilities. All are invited to participate. "Our past is part of our future, and we want to celebrate that," said Susan Hallman, member of the Cameron Park unique assets committee.

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County sets farm celebrations

By Shatarra Gibson | April 19

Activities featuring steers, pigs and billy goats will be cropping up on farms in Orange and nearby counties this weekend. Earth Day, which falls on Saturday, will be acknowledged this weekend with the 11th annual Piedmont Farm Tour. The tour was organized as a fundraiser for the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. Families can visit a variety of farms in Chatham, Orange, Alamance and Person counties.

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Mary Scroggs employee adds award to the books

By Shatarra Gibson | April 17

Not everyone has the luxury of waking up every day and getting paid to do what they love. Linda Fyle does. The secretary and bookkeeper at Mary Scroggs Elementary School says she takes pride in what she does for a living, and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools has recognized her work, giving her the honor of district employee of the month for April. Fyle has been in her post at Scroggs Elementary for eight years. She also tutors after school and fills in for the school nurse from time to time. Fyle said she was also teaching a sewing class at one point.