Posted by | May 3, 2025 | , Story via David Menconi, Down on Copperline, Orange County Arts Commission local music impresario Billy Maupin was walking into the Cat’s Cradle and took a moment to study the field behind the Carrboro nightclub “It looked like it would make a cool place for an old-school bluegrass festival,” says Maupin “I’d been thinking about trying to do one in the area for a while It seems like there’s a need for more grassroots bluegrass in Central North Carolina We want to celebrate what’s happening currently in bluegrass and also some of the local history that’s led us here.” Thus we have the inaugural Carrboro Bluegrass Festival a multiple Grammy winner and legend of North Carolina music is the headliner along with Po’ Ramblin’ Boys General-admission tickets are $63.62 for seated While the Steep Canyon Rangers aren’t on the festival bill two acts from that group’s orbit are: Graham Sharp the band’s banjo player and principal songwriter; and singer/guitarist Woody Platt who amicably left the Rangers in 2022 to spend more time off the road at home Steep Canyon Rangers have been one of the most acclaimed bluegrass acts in the field over the past 15 years playing some of the world’s biggest stages while backing up the banjo-playing comedian Steve Martin best bluegrass album for 2012’s “Nobody Knows You.” When Cat’s Cradle held its 50-year anniversary celebration in early 2020 They formed at UNC-Chapel Hill in the late 1990s and took their first steps into bluegrass on stages around the area “First time we played Cat’s Cradle was opening for Derek Trucks,” says Sharp “We recorded that show and listening back to it now we were so amped up that everything we played was unbelievably fast places and things around Orange County during the Rangers’ early days including bluegrass elders like Red Clay Ramblers and the late Tommy Edwards The rangers were regular performers at the old Mellow Mushroom on Franklin Street “We had some incredible mentors back when Mellow Mushroom was open and had a regular bluegrass night,” remembers Sharp took a lot of time with us about how to sing harmonies Our mentors and heroes were all right around the Chapel Hill area A great large bulk of what we learned can be traced to that spot.” Sharp’s Carrboro Bluegrass Festival set will focus on songs from his just-released solo album “How Did We Do It.” He reports that the Rangers’ next album is in the can and should be released later this year “Last time we did anything like this in Carrboro was a festival under the oak trees years ago,” says Sharp It’s kind of wild that Woody will be there with his band and I’ll be there with mine Keep up with the festival happenings via the festival’s official Instagram and Facebook pages (story and photos via Orange County Arts Commission) Chapelboro.com has partnered with the Orange County Arts Commission to bring more arts-focused content to our readers through columns written by local people about some of the fantastic things happening in our local arts scene the OCAC has worked to to promote and strengthen the artistic and cultural development of Orange County Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines are dedicated to providing broad outreach regarding job vacancies at the station We seek the help of local organizations in referring qualified applicants to our station Organizations that wish to receive our vacancy information should contact WCHL by calling (919) 933-4165 FCC PUBLIC INSPECTION FILES Posted by | May 2, 2025 | , Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Friday She talked about an upcoming series of events the town is holding for Mental Health Awareness Month called Mental Health Mondays She also talked about Carrboro Police’s Diversion Social Worker Monrita Hughes and the works she does She previewed this weekend’s Carrboro Day festivities looked ahead to other Carrboro events coming up in the summer festival season Subscribe: RSS Posted by | May 1, 2025 | , , The Town of Carrboro released a traffic alert Thursday afternoon following a car crash that brought down multiple power lines The release also asked that residents avoid the downtown area overall A “major portion” of downtown Carrboro streets will be closed for an “estimated several hours,” according to the release Multiple streets are impacted by the closure Those include West Main Street and Jones Ferry Road which is the actual location of the accident Other closed areas include Jones Ferry Road at Laurel Avenue West Main Street traveling west from North Greensboro Street and from the Carrboro Town Hall to Communityworx More information is expected to be released by the Town of Carrboro and the Carrboro Police Department over the following hours Featured image via Grant Hughes on Twitter © Copyright 2025 Chapelboro.com. All rights reserved. We keep you informed. A customer walks into Friendly Barber Shop in Carrboro on Friday Bobby Powell sat in a barber chair while Russ Sturdivant who has owned Friendly Barber Shop for 30 years Powell has been getting his haircut at the shop for 41 years “It’s just a friendly barber,” he said.  after 64 years of business on East Main Street in Carrboro the shop is planning to close at the end of April the shop is still nearly full with regulars at 9 a.m “Thirty years is long enough to do anything,” Sturdivant said I was going to sell it but all that fell through.”  He had been working in TV repair when one winter he went to get a haircut at a barbershop.  ‘Go to barber school and then come work for me,’” Sturdivant said “And so he did — to get out of the elements He worked across the street for one year and then opened this place.”  After his father struggled to find extra barbers Russ Sturdivant started to work at the shop as well.  the shop’s back wall hosts Tar Heel paraphernalia yellowed newspaper clippings and framed photos of family and friends flown in Afghanistan by a friend of Sturdivant’s hand-made saddle box — to the shop after his year-long tour.  said every time he looked over at the wall he noticed something unique that he hadn't seen before.  “I’ve always kind of referred to that wall as almost like a museum of Carrboro,” Knox said.  Former UNC men’s basketball player Eric Montross who was the starting center when UNC won the 1993 NCAA championship is also featured among the countless photographs Knox said that Montross was a long time customer and helped popularize the shop whenever he would get his haircut there who had worked with Russ Sturdivant.  “I would not be anywhere I’m at without my father and his experience and connections kind of the stuff he’s built of himself,” he said.  The shop’s existence as a long-standing local business adds to Carrboro’s culture and identity He said the shop has historically been an old-school business that’s a pulse of the town and a place for people to chat and share opinions it's the only traditional barber shop in the area.  Sturdivant said he plans to take about six months off once the store closes But regulars will still have a place to go.  “I am building a shop at my house for my regulars,” he said “I would never turn my back on them because they kept me in business all these years.”   @DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com North Carolina is suing one of the country's largest electric utilities While states and cities have filed lawsuits against big oil companies Carrboro alleges Duke knew about climate change for over 50 years but continued to operate coal and gas power plants that spewed greenhouse gases The lawsuit also says Duke participated in campaigns to confuse the public about whether climate change was real to avoid stricter regulations Duke Energy is the third largest source of carbon dioxide in the country, according to an analysis from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. That puts it well ahead of ExxonMobil and Koch Industries. The utility has six coal-fired power plants in North Carolina "We need to protect our community from future harms and this is why we find ourselves here as a plaintiff in this lawsuit," Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee says Duke Energy says it is reviewing the lawsuit In a complaint filed in a North Carolina state court Carrboro is asking a jury to award the town money for current and future losses because of climate change "Our community floods fairly regularly as a result of the supercharged storms that are dumping large amounts of precipitation in short periods of time," Foushee says Hotter temperatures also create more road maintenance and electric bills are higher in city buildings because they use more air conditioning The lawsuit does not request a specific dollar amount but Foushee says Carrboro has started tallying climate-related costs "We know that the town could incur up to $60 million in damages in the coming years," she says The complaint alleges that Duke Energy learned about the effects of climate change at a utility trade group meeting in 1968 "At that meeting there was discussion about carbon dioxide emissions and how they were harming the planet and the need to potentially take action," says Howard Crystal an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity Instead of reducing its climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions Duke worked with others to cast doubt over whether climate change was real Crystal says that created confusion for the public and forestalled action "If we'd actually invested early and substantially in the transition away from fossil fuels we wouldn't be dealing with the incredible costs we're bearing constantly to address the climate disasters that are hitting us over and over again," Crystal says These days Duke Energy says it is "executing an ambitious clean energy transition" and has a goal of "net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050." That goal is in line with the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement Duke Energy serves 8.4 million customers in North Carolina The company generates most of its electricity by burning fossil fuels which is the main driver of planetary warming Attorneys filing this case for Carrboro say it is ground-breaking because it focuses on deception by a corporation and it targets utilities instead of oil companies experts who monitor climate litigation say they're not surprised to see it "We've known for a few years now that the utilities had a similar level of internal knowledge about the dangers of climate change and the connection of their activities to increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere," says Doug Kysar Another reason Kysar says he's unsurprised: states and cities are looking for ways to pay for the extra costs of climate change Earlier federal cases were not successful in the courts because they focused on emissions from coal-fired electric power plants Kysar says courts determined that "interfered with the Environmental Protection Agency's authority," and some judges thought the issue would be "better addressed by the other branches of government." "And so the more recent wave of lawsuits are really centering the deceptive and manipulative conduct of the defendants because that's a better fit with areas of traditional state law," Kysar says Kysar thinks bringing lawsuits against utilities before a jury could be more difficult than those against oil companies because the two have different reputations He says oil companies often are viewed by the public as "very powerful very wealthy and increasingly somewhat manipulative and untrustworthy actors." Utilities like Duke Energy "are heavily regulated by public utility commissions" and don't have quite as negative a reputation "We all have a bill that we pay to those electric providers every month and many of them are cooperatives," Kysar says But if cases like this one start to succeed he says that could change people's views of utilities Correcting public perception is part of Carrboro's goal Mayor Foushee says beyond a monetary settlement it's important to get acknowledgement that Duke Energy's climate pollution is harming her town "Somebody has to speak truth to power about this issue with Duke Energy Corporation and so it is us," Foushee says Become an NPR sponsor As winds reached over 20 miles an hour on Sunday and community members strolled along Weaver Street Over 30 stands had been set up for the Town of Carrboro’s annual Earth Day celebration Children could scale a 28-foot rock climbing wall while parents had the opportunity to chat with Town planners about sustainability initiatives Various booths offered information on composting wetland protection and green transportation options The celebration also featured many other educational activities for children ranging from pottery to edible plant identification and vermicomposting "A lot of different organizations are coming together which I think is really cool," Bri Hernandez a UNC graduate student and Chapel Hill resident the theme for the Earth Day celebration is "Our Power the Town encouraged residents to attend the celebration and take action to better the environment and emphasized the power of grassroots movements “You can't fix everything,” Carrboro Stormwater Specialist Heather Holley said “But you can do something in your backyard and that helps people feel a little more in control in an otherwise uncontrollable type of situation.” a program that encourages community members to participate in local scientific research She said the data collected from community members’ participation helps municipalities shape its programs and policies as well as inform residents of problems and solutions planner of Safe Routes to School at Central Pines Regional Council said events like the Earth Day celebration are a great opportunity to educate the public about safe walking and bicycling practices.  The community’s attitude and approach toward safety practices is crucial to raising awareness about them there is only so much work organizations can do since the Town infrastructure does not allow for kids to safely walk and bike to school the community transformed a parking lot on Weaver Street into a chalk-covered traffic garden and bicycle rodeo Otero said the structures were meant to demonstrate safe bicycling skills through different stations Two of the bicycle station participants were Carrboro residents Jeremy O’Connor and his daughter Finn He said they attended the celebration to support his wife’s plant stand and to see the different organizations and work being done toward sustaining the environment.  “We believe pretty strongly in the need to be smarter with our climate and ecology around here,” O’Connor said.  an organizing fellow for the North Carolina Conservation Network said the Chapel Hill and Carrboro community is very easy to advertise to A lot of community members are involved and conscious of their actions and how it affects the environment “There's just so much more information being spread and you see the initiatives coming through.” Any work worth doing is best when centered around the fact that we share resources as a community “I think the most blatant example of that is that we share one planet and it ain't getting any healthier as of right now,” he said Editor's note: Abigail Keller is a former City & State writer @DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com Carrboro Mayor Robert Drakeford raced Police Chief John Blackwood across Carrboro Blackwood in a car and Drakeford on a bicycle Drakeford won — all thanks to the bike paths he had established in the town Robert Drakeford was the first Black mayor of Carrboro — serving the Town from 1977 to 1983. As mayor, he cemented his legacy as a champion for community development through strong infrastructure. He passed away on May 16, 2022. Carrboro's new public library Drakeford was passionate about expanding access to public transportation He said that when UNC officials initially denied his father's request for funding for the creation of the Carrboro bus system, he printed and distributed thousands of yellow flyers with the chancellor’s phone number to Carrboro residents and UNC students encouraging them to call and ask for funding the money was in place,” Derrick Drakeford said Mayor Drakeford also built bike paths and sheltered bus stops throughout the town former Department of Energy employee under the Carter Administration and best man at Robert Drakeford’s wedding said that he was a born leader and leveraged his charisma to rally support and deliver his promises.  Carrboro’s first Black Town Council member Drakeford grew up in New York in a middle class family His son said  he took a lot of his leadership qualities from his mother Robert Drakeford’s mother was instrumental in opening the first fire station in Laurinburg and he followed in her footsteps by renovating and expanding Carrboro’s fire station in a $300,000 project in 1981 Derrick Drakeford said the fire station addition was one of his dad’s greatest professional accomplishments.  Robert Drakeford also worked with the federal government to bring sustainable energy to Carrboro and North Carolina as a whole.  he became a national mayor for the United States and he was a spokesperson for energy conservation and renewable energy after that,” Herman Foushee said.  Thanks to his friends in the federal government and his position as president of the North Carolina Conference of Black Mayors Robert Drakeford was able to help rural communities all across the state.  Herman and Braxton Foushee maintained that Robert Drakeford was “like you and me.” “He was one of the most wholesome people you’d ever meet,” Herman Foushee said.  Robert Drakeford and his government friends weren’t all business they threw parties and went to clubs often.  Robert Drakeford loved to sing and dance “One night [Robert Drakeford] was on the dance floor and his heel came off his shoe but it didn’t stop him from dancing,” Herman Foushee said.  Herman Foushee said that Robert Drakeford wanted to be an entrepreneur a dream which he realized in retirement when he opened up an RV park in Laurinburg.  Herman Foushee said that Drakeford’s number one priority was always his family.  “He was focused on his kids and helping them grow and develop to become the young men that they are today,” Herman Foushee said.  Black male mentorship was also important to his father Some of his proudest moments were seeing his sons graduate college and watching Derrick Drakeford defend his dissertation at UNC.  Robert Drakeford extended his mentorship to the children of Carrboro Through his Camping for Tomorrow initiative Robert Drakeford took kids from low income housing communities camping for a week on the beach “He put a lot of confidence in me as a Black male when oftentimes we are denigrated in society so it helped balance out what I face,” Derrick Drakeford said.  Posted by | Apr 18, 2025 | , A bar in Carrboro announced that they will be closing at the end of April Bowbarr, located at 705 West Rosemary Street, announced their April 30 closure date in a Facebook post. “We’ve been running into people in town asking questions “We think it probably will close April 30 “This is definitely the best month ever for Bowbarr Really magical special things are happening,” the post continued you don’t want to miss all the things.” The bar will continue hosting events until its closure date a “reggae oyster roast,” a slam poetry event A full list of these events can be found in the post from Bowbarr Bars are finding out the hard way that a good cocktail program is mandatory to survive in this climate People are willing to pay and tip for craft cocktails Not so much for the wall of (mostly) disgusting IPAs being offered at every bar in town The micro brew fad is over and has been since 2020 Attendees pose for a portrait at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of TABLE a nonprofit that provides food for over 1,100 children in Carrboro celebrated its relocation to a larger space downtown Main Street featured a ribbon cutting ceremony and guest speakers including Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro President and CEO Aaron Nelson and TABLE Executive Director Ashton Tippins.  Tippins said the old space was lacking in assets did not have a kitchen or a walk-in refrigerator and only had an undersized front and back door for pallets to be delivered through She said there was not even enough room for people to have their own desks TABLE’s new space has a 12-by-16 feet walk-in refrigerator conference rooms and newly renovated bathrooms “The new space is wonderful,” Robbie Dircks “I've been volunteering with TABLE for three different locations now and this new space is more than double the space of the previous location.” He said the new space allows TABLE to provide food to more children in the community because of the increased storage space and larger area to store and pack the food He also said the walk-in refrigerator allows TABLE to keep produce fresh for a longer period of time.  Since the old space’s doors were too small to fit pallets of food the pallets were delivered in the parking lot and volunteers had to bring items in one at a time food vendors can drop food and pallets off in the loading dock which makes the process easier.  She said the search for a new space has been ongoing since 2015 and TABLE chose this space because they knew it could be useful for a food organization and it was large enough for them to continue expanding over time.  TABLE is also doing nutrition education and community events including family pizza-making days in the new kitchen which are important to serve the community more effectively.  “We wanted it to be a community space — TABLE is a community organization are the only ones that use it and it's for our benefit it's the space itself [that’s] the community’s and the purpose of it is to serve the community.” The need for TABLE will only increase as time goes on because of changes at the federal and potentially state level to programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and SNAP’s Women I encourage people that are able to donate and support that nonprofit to do so." It is unfortunate that there are so many families with need in the Orange County area but it is TABLE’s goal to feed everyone they can Foushee said she is proud of TABLE because they provide the nutrition that children need to function and that she is glad they are expanding their work to downtown Carrboro.  “I just see us connecting with more and more families in need in Orange County,” Dircks said I would be hopeful that over time we could serve over 2,000 kids.” Posted by | Apr 16, 2025 | , Investigators identified and charged the suspect of armed carjackings in downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill A release from Carrboro Police Wednesday morning said investigators are holding a juvenile suspect in custody over charges stemming from an incident in the 200 block of Roberson Street on the evening of April 2 The driver of a gold 2008 BMW reported being approached by an unknown male suspect in a ski mask who brandished a firearm at the drive while sitting in a private parking lot After forcing the driver out under gunpoint the suspect then stole the vehicle and drove east on Roberson Street Carrboro Police said Wednesday the juvenile faces charges that include robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon At the time, police described it as an isolated incident — but another armed carjacking via a similar method took place in Chapel Hill three days later the police department added the suspect is being held for “charges related to a separate incident in another jurisdiction” and more arrests are expected as the investigation continues The Chapel Hill Police Department confirmed to Chapelboro the suspect is the same one for its April 5 carjacking on West Franklin Street Chapel Hill Police’s charges against the suspect are robbery with a dangerous weapon and attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon North Carolina law requires juvenile petitions be filed by law enforcement before arrests are made for juvenile suspects It also restricts the release of the suspects’ names unless they are tried as adults Wednesday’s release from the Carrboro Police Department did not indicate if investigators plan to raise the charges to that level This is way to serious a crime for a juvie slap on the wrist At a meeting next Tuesday, the Chapel Hill and Carrboro City Schools Board will propose the 2025-26 budget to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners after a year of restructuring to account for a $5 million deficit in last year’s budget.  said there are no big changes to the continuation budget proposal — the minimum budget required to keep school operations the same — this year versus last year. The total proposed increase in the total budget is just over 5 percent or $3.2 million which is more than the average increase from the past five years of 3.73 percent.  Jenks said the biggest item on this budget is a 3 percent increase in salaries and wages.  about 85 percent of our budget is our people," Jenks said. "So making an investment in the human resources of a school district is significant because we obviously want to recruit and then retain the best possible teachers and staff in public education." said the wage increase is essentially an inflationary adjustment to staff compensation.  Jenks said this year’s continuation budget proposal doesn’t cut anything but he said in the past year they have had to make difficult decisions about staffing that have led them to their current budget proposal we're going to advocate strongly for our students and our staff but also be reasonable in what we request,” Jenks said Griffin said the commissioners frequently do not fund the full continuation budget due to the need most years to increase property taxes which he said adds another layer of complexity to the process He said if they don’t fully fund the proposal they will have to make cuts somewhere This would be in addition to what he said was a 5 percent reduction in staff from a year ago from the restructuring Jenks said the reduction in staff didn’t necessarily always involve layoffs and many staff were moved from one school into a vacant position at another Jenks said there is a separate expansion budget request which includes significant changes from last year's budget He said it includes things like pay increases for hourly employees and employees with a masters degree adding teacher assistants to elementary schools and adding months of employment to school counselors.  Griffin said realistically the expansion budget request won’t get any traction with the county commissioners and he said an expansion budget has not been approved during his four years on the board.  “But it does indicate to them what we really need in a perfect world if we could actually expand our budget,” Griffin said.  Griffin said after their proposal on Tuesday the ball is in the commissioners court and they have until June to finalize the budget.  Posted by | Jan 28, 2025 | , The downtown Carrboro bar and restaurant 401 Main is set to permanently close — a move forecasted by the business’ call for community support earlier in the winter “As we look back over the last 5 years we are grateful for every challenge and triumph that has shaped us at 401 Main,” Baldwin wrote in his post which was also shared on the bar’s Facebook page “The connections we have forged and the memories we have created are the true essence of this little spot in the heart of Carrboro Though the journey was not what we expected at the beginning (nor at the end) and we often found it arduous; the laughter and shared experiences made it all worthwhile.” The update comes after the Baldwins shared a GoFundMe campaign on Dec. 8 saying they needed a boost from 401 Main’s patrons to help keep the doors open through the winter The post cited the financial stretch the restaurant made to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic but fell well short of its listed fundraising goal In its final “swan song,” Baldwin said 401 Main will offer food and drink specials — and offered a special thanks to the bar’s mainstays and a message looking to the future and the enduring spirit of 401 Main,” he wrote “We have been honored to have you by our side and are excited for all that lies ahead.” Editor’s Note: An initial version of this story incorrectly said Feb Hey Tim — thanks for dropping this note The Carrboro Film Festival took place Friday through Sunday in the Carrboro Century Center The festival was bookended by two feature films aiming to serve Southern filmmakers and interrogate Southern culture people that live in the South and do anything that culture that they’re creating is Southern culture” The festival opened on Friday night with "A Song For Imogene," the first feature film by Erika Arlee a UNC graduate and co-founder of the film studio woman-led film about the hardships of rural life abuse and generational female relationships “There was a sense of pride I had from being from the South and a knowledge of what the real fabric of the South looks like and really wanting to do that justice on screen," Arlee said The festival was broken into blocks which fit the films into themes the Saturday block titled "Out on a Limb" honored the risks taken by Southerners to create a better world Texas," which showcased a drag queen's fight against the state of Texas trying to take away freedom of artistic expression in drag "Luther," created by UNC alum and lifelong filmmaker Denver Dan told the story of a member of the Chapel Hill community he now lives at the UNC Farm at Penny Lane and makes beautiful wooden birds from scratch The filmmaker and subject partnered to depict the resiliency it takes to remain sober long term.  Community Rising" was a group of documentaries including "The Mutual Aid Garage," a portrait of an Alabama car repair shop that operates on a pay what you can system to counterbalance the costs of car ownership "Cashing Out" is a story of the life insurance policy market that developed during the AIDS crisis which allowed many gay men to receive quick cash to pay medical bills or enjoy the last moments of life Saturday night brought "Southern Oddities," a hodgepodge of films depicted a starving zombie woman who develops an unlikely bond with a human baby showed a woman’s search for solace at a Black baptist church in Mississippi Group feelings characterized the film festival–  the murmurs after a really good film and the conversations that started once a film block ended The silence when the film brings such a new perspective that the audience doesn’t yet know how to react like during "How to Carry Water," a film about a fat queer and disabled photographer that liberates marginalized bodies on screen.  Debbie and Mike Stoll attended the "Southern Body Fantastic" block of the festival, to support their daughter Neither had ever been to a film festival before but they said it is important to watch movies that offer perspectives outside their everyday lives.  “The films we are showing now are all films that are exposing people and you’re gonna leave here with an expanded world view,” Bradley Bethel The festival closed with "Our Movement Starts Here," a documentary that tells the story of Warren County NC: a predominantly Black community’s fight against the siting of a toxic landfill in 1982 The film explores how this movement gave rise to the concepts of environmental racism and environmental justice.  “I’m very much about documentary film as a historian and I feel like that's how much of the stories we understand are going to be saved and told” Maybe the most important takeaway from the festival is this: democracy relies on getting out and meeting people being exposed to others who may not think the same as you and being exposed to new perspectives and new truths Doing so is nothing short of saving democracy.  Film festivals like this bring stories from a broad array of southern niches These films exemplify and interrogate southern culture @dthlifestyle | lifestyle@dailytarheel.com Posted by | Jan 14, 2025 | , , For years, Carrboro’s downtown has seen the Drakeford Library Complex coming out of the ground but no clear idea of when it would open. That changed in the fall when both the town government and Orange County approved the building’s name and teased the opening date as February the library’s opening day is officially set The Town of Carrboro shared Tuesday the grand opening date for the facility at 203 South Greensboro Street will feature a ribbon cutting and speakers from the town to celebrate the opening followed by public tours around the building running from 12 p.m the complex will also provide a permanent home for the Carrboro Recreation the Orange County Skills Development Center It will also feature performance/multipurpose spaces and a modern parking deck that will boast 171 vehicle parking spaces and 70 bike parking spots — an upgrade to the previous surface lot’s capacity The full announcement can be found on the Town of Carrboro’s website, alongside the local government’s page about the project I like the new building myself ,most people I know do not.However the effect is ruined by the power lines and cables in front.Considering the cost I’m amazed they were not buried .Also the lighting on the top floor of the parking deck is offensive after dark.When is the sidewalk on S I have lived on s Greensboro st since 1986 The flags and sign near Carrboro Town Hall are pictured on Friday Duke Energy filed a motion on Monday asking the Orange County Superior Court to dismiss the Town of Carrboro's climate deception lawsuit filed against the corporation.  The motion alleges that although climate change is caused by worldwide action Carrboro intends to use state law to hold Duke Energy liable for the local effects of global climate change "Carrboro cannot trace its alleged harms back through a web of innumerable individual and government choices about how and what types of fuels to use to purported conduct by Duke Energy," the motion states Carrboro is also exceeding its authority as a municipality The motion claims that the Town is second guessing policy decisions set by the General Assembly and the State Utilities Commission regarding energy policy including statewide commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Carrboro is the first town in the country to challenge an electric utility for deceiving the public about the damages of fossil fuels and is seeking reparations for past and future damages caused by Duke Energy's impact on the Town.  The Town's attorney disagrees with Duke Energy's motion and plans to file a response by May 1 a 501(c)(3) nonprofit climate justice organization paying for Carrboro's lawsuit.  @lucymarques_ Lucy Marques is the 2024-25 city & state editor She previously served as an assistant editor and senior writer for city & state By Randy B. Young Correspondent At “parent school,” would-be moms and dads learn basic language skills your face will stay that way,” is always a handy chestnut Or when kids ask why there’s a Mother’s Day and Father’s Day but no Children’s Day the correct response is always (all together)… “Every day is Children’s Day.” the 2025 International Earth Day is scheduled for Tuesday But this past Sunday afternoon along Weaver Street the Town of Carrboro celebrated Earth Day early According to the Town of Carrboro’s website the event was geared toward bringing people together for an afternoon of eco-friendly activities Car-free Weaver Street transformed Carrboro into a vibrant space for cycling Carrboro’s celebration is all about encouraging everyone to take action on Earth Day (and every day) under the banner “Our Power Hundreds of “kids” of all ages took to Weaver Street on Sunday to show solidarity with Carrboro’s efforts to reduce carbon pollution and fight climate change, as detailed in the Town’s Climate Action Plan (www.carrboronc.gov/262/Climate-Action) Town of Carrboro Director of Communication and Engagement Catherine Lazorko noted that smart stewardship and appreciation for the environment was integral to the character of the famously environmentally progressive community “Climate action and sustainability are so important in this community,” Lazorko said “I love that we’re continuing to offer this The idea of Open Streets has been of longtime interest within the community This unique festival combines Open Streets and Earth Day and this is the first year we’ve combined these.” Bear Roots performed at the Century Center parking lot stage on Earth Day Those accessing the event from the east near the Weaver Street Market lawn were also serenaded by the “Find Your Own Voice Singers.” “Find Your Own Voice Singers.” perform a sing-along on the Weaver Street lawn at Sunday’s Open Streets / Earth Day celebration in Carrboro “We’ve been around for 11 years,” Ken Kastleman said of the music group “We appear at the Carrboro Music Festival every year but we’re also part of what the Town of Carrboro asks for when they have a sing-along We’re going to get 10 chairs for people who want to stop and sing with us.” Kastleman added that the musicians also appear at many local and Carrboro events “We usually sing at the Carrboro Town Commons near the Farmer’s Market on Saturday afternoons According to the Climate Action link on the Town’s website “Carrboro is a national leader in climate action prioritizing strategies that increase the resilience of Black and other residents disproportionately impacted by climate change.” “The Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan is built on this foundation of race Carrboro created a Climate Action Team within the Town Manager’s office to speed progress on the Town’s goal of an 80% reduction in community-wide and municipal greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 The plan includes increasing energy efficiency in Town buildings increasing access to renewable energy and energy efficiency programs for residents and businesses particularly focusing on historically marginalized populations Noah Lindley holds a stuffed snapping turtle at a display of local wildlife at Sunday’s Open Streets / Earth Day celebration in Carrboro and even dogs made their way along Weaver Street engaging with like-minded environmentalists Suzy Lawrence created a “buzz” when she donned her yellow-striped bee outfit to make a statement on the importance of pollinators to local plants and the environment “I’m volunteering with the New Hope Bird Alliance at their table,” Lawrence said and of course we need the bees for pollination of these plants.” Lawrence said that bees were only a part of the equation of a healthy eco-system “I saw my first hummingbird (of the year) last week,” she said “but I’m waiting for the monarchs (butterflies).” “This has been awesome,” said Jad Khouri who works for the Carrboro Town Manager’s Office’s Climate Action (division) “I’m generally the ‘compost guy’ at the Farmer’s Market and it’s a nice respite for kids,” Khouri added “We’re turning kids’ drawings into stickers they can pick up at the Farmer’s Market.” North Carolina Conservation Network Organizing Fellow Abigail Keller said those attending the event showed wonder and curiosity “The main questions I get are from people who just want to know more,” Keller said “This Chapel Hill / Carrboro community is very open and very conscious of what they do environmentally but we also have folks in the field who work with (invasive species) and things like that,” Keller explained working with communities and college campuses.” Volunteer Heather Holley said the events and those like it can provide a wealth of valuable information with which community members can use to further inform friends and neighbors “There are things people simply don’t understand,” Holley said “Like with the storm drain parking program not only will volunteers be helping to mark those and that’s part of stewardship of our watershed and the health of our town in general maybe I shouldn’t drop my cigarette butt or throw my dog-waste bag in there.” you learn to care about it,” Holley stressed “Making sure that there’s awareness of what’s out there gives people a little more ownership and (encourages people) to take on a little more stewardship.” Attendance at Sunday’s event should bode well for future Earth Day celebrations in Carrboro in 2026 and beyond remember (all together)…“Every day is Earth Day.” Michelle, Schools Adam, Community News Adam, Government, Growth & Development Arts & Culture, Community News, Diana and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Please donate to the community's ONLY local nonprofit news source! 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You can use this Venmo link for TheLocal-Reporter If you wish to receive an acknowledgement of your donation The Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted on Nov 7 to name Carrboro's new public library after Robert Drakeford will serve as a cultural center and open in February 2025.  Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee said Drakeford was Carrboro’s first Black mayor and is remembered for his progressive policies as well as his contributions to Carrboro’s bus systems and bikeways.  “Drakeford perceived another vision of how Carrboro could be mightier and punch above her weight in terms of being engaged with Chapel Hill and engaged with the kind of vitality a more vibrant town would have,” Carrboro Town Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell said Foushee said that it's important for Carrboro to move away from the racist history of its namesake Julian Carr by honoring the Black figures central to the town’s history “I know I stand on Mayor Drakeford’s shoulders to be able to serve on the Carrboro Town Council and ultimately to serve as the first Black woman mayor,” she said Commissioner Sally Greene said the new name of the complex was suggested by members of the town via an online survey requesting suggestions of people influential to Orange County.  she said a committee selected a name from the suggestions. The naming committee was comprised of Council Members Catherine Fray and Eliazar Posada; Commissioner Sally Greene and Commissioner Anna Richards; and Friends of the Southern Branch Library Board Members Alexandra Brown and Nerys Levy the Town Council approved the committee's selection.  “All of our colleagues on both boards were enthusiastic about supporting the name,” Greene said.  the naming committee decided to pick someone who had been in public office because the library is a public building “[Drakeford] was distinctive because he really was a great mayor in a kind of transitional or pivotal time for Carrboro’s history,” Greene said the Drakeford Library Complex will also be a home for Carrboro's recreation Orange County's Skills Development/JobLink Center performance spaces and other multipurpose uses Foushee said the library will be a civic building open to everybody and there will be opportunities for education and connection.  Carrboro will officially have a free-standing public library “It didn’t make any sense to me that — with all of the folks who could access downtown Carrboro and who lived in Carrboro — we didn't have a public library available to us,” she said.  Various task forces and members of the Town have been working very hard to complete the library has been advocating for the southern branch of the Orange County Library for over 30 years “It's momentous that Carrboro and Orange County have built a library,” Haven-O’Donnell said “It signifies commitment to freedom of thought history and diversity of perspectives that we need to stand firm and stand with and fortify.”  @sdanbarry Signs protesting against the Chapel Hill Town Council’s amendment to the Town's Land Use Management Ordinance efforts like this one in front of a home on Hillsborough Street on Tuesday have become a recent staple on many lawns in Chapel Hill The Town of Carrboro is in the process of rewriting its Land Use Ordinance into a new Unified Development Ordinance to better align with the Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan the Town's 20-year policy strategy adopted in 2022 for the future of Carrboro.  It is the first time the Town will be rewriting its LUO since 1980 Carrboro's zoning regulations have remained largely unchanged through many minor revisions Carrboro Town Council member Jason Merrill said. He said the regulations have accumulated amendments and restrictions that have made development increasingly complex.  Merrill said the original LUO was designed to control development but an unintended consequence was that it restricted housing growth.  In contrast he said the new ordinance aims to encourage a broader range of housing types and create more affordable options for residents “There is currently a pattern where what gets built is what is easy to build and what is easy to build is taking older housing stock that tends to be smaller square footage — like 1,500 square feet or so — and raising that to the ground and building a much larger house on that same plot of land so the 3,000 or 5,000 square foot house,” Carrboro Town Council member Cristóbal Palmer said “Which just exacerbates the affordability problem of the housing in Carrboro without providing significantly more housing.” Merrill said current regulations enable developers to build large expensive homes because it is easier and more profitable further worsening affordability challenges.  “A lot of [workers] are coming from 30 or 40 miles away now because they can't afford to live here,” Merrill said “We just see that trend continuing unless we course correct.”  One priority of the Town's comprehensive plan is to address racial and economic disparities in Carrboro's zoning history Council member Catherine Fray said many of the Town's past land-use policies have contributed to racial and class-based exclusion.  “Carrboro has a long and significantly unhappy relationship with race equity in a lot of its policies and the land use ordinance is no exception,” they said.  Fray said the UDO aims to reverse these impacts by allowing for a wider variety of housing types that accommodate people at different income levels and life stages they said the shift has raised concerns about displacement and neighborhood change Fray said the Carrboro Town Council asked consultants working on the UDO to prioritize displacement prevention strategies by looking at approaches used in other communities.  Fray said keeping zoning laws as they are does not prevent displacement — it can actually make it worse They said community members are being displaced from Carrboro because they are unable to afford property values or find an affordable place to live as the limited supply of rental units gives landlords little incentive to keep prices down The ordinance rewrite also considers transportation and environmental impact Merrill said by bringing people closer to each other and downtown bike or take the bus instead of driving everywhere Fray said housing density plays a role in environmental efficiency as multi-unit housing types are generally more energy efficient in terms of land use compared to single-family developments Through its economic sustainability and race and equity offices Fray said the Town has been working to identify and reduce obstacles for small business owners — particularly BIPOC and women-owned businesses — so if they have an idea want to develop a new establishment or modify their existing building As the UDO rewriting process moves forward Fray said Town officials encourage public input public input sessions will be held beginning in the spring with an initial draft to be ready within fall 2025 to winter 2026 The Daily Tar Heel's Joseph Cole spoke with Carrboro Town Council special election candidate Isaac Woolsey about his experience and aspirations for the role His opponent in the race is Cristóbal Palmer.  This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity Isaac Woolsey: It's one of the few towns in the country that has reliable public transit and resources to help out disabled people like me who can't get around because they can't drive.  DTH: Is there a specific issue or moment that inspired you to run for the town council and I could actually enjoy the nightlife around Carrboro and Chapel Hill — I can't do that anymore So that's one of the reasons why I'm running and because nobody would listen to me when I was picketing with my signs made out of old pizza boxes I would write letters to various press organizations — even The Daily Tar Heel — and no one would really pick up because I was a nobody So I decided to run as a way to be a bully pulpit for disability rights and I think I'm the only candidate locally that's talking about disability rights and transit issues that isn't just saying we need to put more bicycles and and electric vehicles on the road DTH: How do your personal experiences shape your vision for this community they're building more and more parking lots and parking garages but they're trying to cater more to people with a privately-owned vehicle than they are to people who just take public transit I'm all for people riding bikes and sharing the road but you don't do that at the expense of buses And there's also problems with affordable housing DTH: How have your professional experiences shaped your vision IW: Most places in Carrboro wouldn't hire me because I was disabled I've actually been turned down at a lot of jobs because they think I wouldn’t have reliable transportation I've gotten a few raises at some jobs and some jobs they just put me at at basic level you'll see someone in a wheelchair being a store greeter but you never see them in a management position.  DTH: What are the top priorities you plan to address if elected IW: My first thing is to solve the public transit issue with Chapel Hill Transit Carrboro and to a small extent GoTriangle to try to make Chapel Hill Transit more accessible The second one is affordable housing. My grant program idea which I'm going to call the Accessible Town Affordability Project or Program Let's say there's a $600,000 property for new homebuyers we're going to pay $350,000 while they pay $250,000 and they sign a contract that says they can't for five years make it an Airbnb ... I think this will be the best way to get the the marginalized people in our community a chance of getting a home and also deal with inequities about minority-owned homes The third thing is for job security and job opportunities for disabled people which I'm going to do by giving some more incentives for job creation and job development I want to see more big franchise brand names in Carrboro upscale eating establishments or stores that don't really hire the people in the community.  DTH: What is your long-term vision for the town and what specific policies or initiatives will you push to achieve that vision I want Carrboro to be more accessible to people who are low-income people who are minority homeowners or business owners writes her name down to receive more information regarding the Carrboro Community Climate Action Plan on Saturday The Town of Carrboro recently opened the application for its Green Neighborhoods Grant Program which provides funding for local environmental projects within neighborhoods to combat climate change Projects can receive up to $2,500 in funding for efforts to reduce emissions enhance ecosystem resiliency and increase climate awareness Carrboro's Chief Sustainability Officer Amy Armbruster said the Town hopes to award 10 grants this year.  the Green Neighborhoods Grant was established in response to the Community Climate Action Plan which committed Carrboro to reducing 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions per capita by 2030 The grant funded multiple projects last year including the Forest and Streambank Restoration in Bolin Forest and Forest Court Stormwater Rain Garden The Town assesses applications for the grant based on seven scoring criteria which are racial equity and climate justice and whether the applicant is applying for the first time Projects must be ran by community members and completed within six months of receiving the grant.  “Part of the idea for this project is to help inspire people and have projects that are a model that other communities can follow,” Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Laura Janway said I think the more ways that you can think to connect people and bring people together this is actually a framework that other communities can use.’” Racial equity and climate justice is the main tenant of the grant program with the highest available points being 30 compared to other categories which have 20 points or less which was funded by the grant program in 2023 achieved both of these goals by working on restoring native plants to the area and sharing local Black history through the Strayhorn family one of the first Black families that lived in Carrboro.   “We know that low-income households and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by climate change,” Armbruster said “They are often the ones who are hurt first and worst [by] things like heat waves and flooding so I would love to see creative applications from the community that directly serve low-income historically Black and Brown communities of color.”  Community member Carrie Donley won one of the 2023 grants for her Fairoaks HOA Composting program which she said she proposed after noticing a disconnect between her environmentally conscious neighbors and a lack of accessible local compost points Donley said she composted her neighbors' pumpkins after Halloween for five years and became known as the “pumpkin lady.” Donley's program has diverted 26,806 pounds of food waste from landfills The Fairoaks HOA Composting leadership team released a survey to community members regarding their food choices which resulted in 53 percent of survey respondents saying they had considered alternatives to reduce their food waste Donley said four other neighborhoods — Barred Owl Creek Wexford and The Cedars — joined the Fairoaks HOA Composting framework “There's all these people who compost in their backyard but there's not a whole lot of outlets for them to do more and to have a bigger impact,” Donley said that's one of the things that I think is really important about this project is that it's given normal people the ability to do something on a slightly larger scale.” Donley said she thinks the Town may not have considered the long-term impact of funding projects she said recipients are often nervous because they do not know if they will receive the same funding the following year She also said expansion of the grant is difficult as Chapel Hill does not have an equivalent program for neighborhoods “That's the other reason I really want Orange County to take this on county-wide because then I'm not burdening Carrboro on an annual basis,” Donley said I guess what I'm trying to do is put some positive peer pressure on the Town of Carrboro to help us push Orange County to implement this on a wider scale.” Carrboro has redefined itself as a vibrant hub of culture and arts: a train station once full of commuters now seats diners and former boxcars welcome people into what are now bars Colloquially dubbed the Paris of the Piedmont it's only natural that Carrboro locals have lots to say about the cuisine that surrounds them.  For The Daily Tar Heel's 2025 Food Edition City & State Staff Writer Isaac Carter asked Carrboro residents: “What types of food or cuisine do you think the area is missing?”  “There's an Ethiopian restaurant in Durham that's really good and there's not really any other food like that around here that I know of [that's] closer than Durham like anything that's less [fusion] I feel like we have like 50 million [fusion] places here and they're all the same," Kennedy said."So yeah that and more Mediterranean places."  “I'd like to see a lot more Turkish influence maybe like trucks or pop up stands," Doan said. "I think that'd be dope especially with the student community out here So having those late night food options would be great." “I've kind of been looking for more Korean food," Zhu said."I really like going with my friends out to a lot of Korean places “I feel like there's been a hollowing out of the sort of casual comfort food — like Mama Dips Elmo’s Diner — [those] were all places that were sort of a diner and [served] mashed potatoes because I'm from Philly and there’s not a lot of options down here.” and so that's why the question was always hard But places that know what's in their food [and] are able to deal with allergies and there's a couple places around here that I can go.” because it's been many years since I've had the food but I remember liking it.” We used to have a lot when we lived in Philadelphia and just love it After nearly 30 years serving the Town of Carrboro Planning Director Trish McGuire retired on Dec McGuire has served as Carrboro’s Planning Director since 2011 and has worked in various roles in the planning department since 1995 where she contributed to sustainability initiatives obtained funding for projects and designed plans for infrastructure and development.  McGuire first came to Carrboro to live while she studied at UNC for her master’s degree in city and regional planning She was interested in planning due to it serving as a combination of many of her interests “I love land use and landscapes and history and I love environmental science and science generally,” McGuire said “Planning is a wonderful field because it really combines many things about humans and their interactions with the natural world.”  she became a zoning specialist for the Town of Carrboro where she reviewed development plans and permits in accordance with the Land Use Ordinance and then a planning administrator before becoming the Town’s planning director.  McGuire said she is proud to have been a part of many projects during her time in Carrboro’s planning department and emphasized the communal effort of these projects.  “It’s a combination of the efforts of people – designers applying for permits developers with concepts and developing the funding for a project,” McGuire said McGuire led the development of the Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan which outlines a vision of the future of Carrboro and policy strategies that work towards that vision The plan was the culmination of efforts and feedback from thousands of Carrboro community members McGuire said she was committed to making a difference against historical inequities in planning through her work She served as a member of the Town’s Racial Equity CORE team where she identified inequities in policies and practices trained staff of local governments in understanding issues of inequity and contributed to a plan of action to address inequities.  McGuire also worked to engage community members with the Town and its initiatives to create more equitable representation is committed to making sure that it is participatory and it’s represented in a participatory way,” McGuire said “We understand that there are inequities that have occurred because of our history.”  Mayor Barbara Foushee said McGuire engaged with and listened to historically underrepresented communities in Carrboro.  McGuire’s engagement with the Town was not just seen in her work “She wasn’t just engaged from 9 to 5 at Town Hall,” Foushee said McGuire attended nearly every Town Council meeting Town Manager Patrice Toney said McGuire’s legacy is far reaching.  “Her legacy would be the community engagement her commitment to sustainability efforts and her contributions to these long term comprehensive plans that will have long term impacts on our community,” Toney said.  balance between the built and natural environment and receptive Town Council make it a special place for McGuire McGuire uses many of the developments and infrastructure she worked on “I hope that the community will be able to work together @DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com Posted by | Mar 24, 2025 | , Local officials cut the ribbon to the Drakeford Library Complex including Orange County Commissioners Chair Jamezetta Bedford Carrboro’s Drakeford Library Complex held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday The library, located at 203 S. Greensboro St., first opened to the public in February, when the ribbon-cutting ceremony was originally scheduled to take place. However, the ceremony was postponed due to inclement weather. On Friday town officials and members of the public finally got the chance to celebrate the substantial addition to Carrboro’s downtown One of the speakers at the event was Valerie Foushee representative of North Carolina’s 4th District “The first time I voted for this complex — or this idea of a complex — was 20 years ago,” she said to the crowd in attendance. The $42 million development took more than two years to construct and had been in the works dating back to 2016 that it takes all of us to make a dream come true,” she said The building’s namesake is former Carrboro Mayor Robert Drakeford “I’m grateful for the vision of Dr “I’m grateful for the vision of all of the people in this community that recognized the need and did not stop working to fulfill that need until the day of accomplishment.” representative Valerie Foushee delivered remarks in the Drakeford Library Complex’s lobby Another speaker at the event was Derrick Drakeford He spoke about what it was like growing up with such a successful father “I remember when he was a professor at Auburn University and I would go into the den of his office I saw this old black and white picture of President [Ronald] Reagan sitting down at the center of the table in the Oval Office,” he told the attendees “And my father was standing at the end of the table giving a presentation on behalf of the National Conference of Black Mayors He served as their vice president and they felt he was the best orator to give the presentation There was the most powerful man on the planet sitting down Drakeford says that his dad was more concerned with what he could pass on to the next generation “My dad was passionate about mentoring,” Derrick said “He wrote his dissertation on mentoring And you can read it here at the Drakeford Library Complex.” Drakeford also advocated for mentoring in his speech on Friday and suggested the new library could be a good place to do so “There’s a young person out there today that needs you,” he said “Take them to lunch to split a burger take ’em to the library to read a book with them We have to be parents to more than just our own kids.” One of the organizations located at the complex is WCOM radio as well as providing office space for a number of local governmental departments and organizations Those include Carrboro’s Parks and Recreation Department the Orange County Skills Development and NCWorks Career Center It also features a multi-level parking deck All photos included in this piece were taken by Chapel Hill Media Group’s Andrew Stuckey I would think providing the address would have been helpful On Saturday, community leaders and members gathered at the Drakeford Library Complex for a Carrboro Town Hall meeting to discuss the potential impacts of state legislation on the Town’s initiatives climate resilience and local responses to federal immigration policies Carrboro’s Chief Race and Equity Officer Anita Jones-McNair opened the meeting with an overview of the Town’s race equity work outlining initiatives over the past six years related to accessibility more time engaging and more time educating our community about services and resources,” Jones-McNair said.   Jones-McNair also spoke about recent Town initiatives like the Criminal Justice Debt Program to help cover court fees expanded sidewalk accessibility and the launch of Boost Carrboro to support small businesses.  allowing them to share concerns and ask questions.  which limits the flags that can be displayed on property owned or leased by the state or a political subdivision of the state. They also brainstormed ways to resist legislation that could undermine equity initiatives Some attendees suggested creating petitions and other ways to increase community engagement another community member and vice-chair of Carrboro’s affordable housing advisory commission, said she is concerned about the lack of reparations for Black residents. Curry who is also a representative on the Town's Racial Equity Commission, said that the history of Black residents in the Town is at risk of being disregarded “The Blacks in this community have always been victims of a struggle and now it's possible that their history is disregarded because my ancestors built this community that everybody's prospering off,” Curry said.   Curry said that while the Black population in Carrboro is small those who have lived in the community for generations should be acknowledged.  Community member Isaac Woolsey, a disability rights and public transit activist, said that he noticed that most disabled or mentally ill residents are either experiencing homelessness or renting an apartment with poor conditions “They don't own their own housing," he said. "I think that is wrong and inexcusable we need to work on having everyone have their own house and property.”  Community members also called for proactive measures to protect the Town’s immigrant community from potential deportations Kodi Maier spoke about the Town’s response to federal immigration enforcement They said they would like more clarity on how local officials would act in specific situations.  "[The sheriff] said he’s disgusted," Maier said Can I call him if ICE has come for my partner Amy Armbruster, Carrboro’s chief sustainability officer, responded to questions about climate action plans particularly surrounding protections against extreme and unexpected weather She said that extreme heat and stormwater are key vulnerabilities the temperatures on hot summer days can be almost 11 degrees warmer than in other neighborhoods,” Armbruster said "That's one big issue that I've been thinking a whole lot about as we start to get into spring and summer."  Maier said that social media often shows what's happening in Washington and that it can be easy to forget about local action.  “I think being able to actually see proof of that — of the physical material community — rather than just having it online or kind of in the ether  "Knowing that there are other people out there that care about you and that they are trying to do something.” 2025Police said the victim was sitting in their car when a man wearing a ski mask approached with a gun.CARRBORO (WTVD) -- Carrboro police are looking for a stolen car and a man behind a carjacking Authorities said the victim was in a private parking lot in the 200 block of Roberson Street just after 5 p.m threatened the victim with a gun and stole their 2008 gold BMW Authorities are still looking for the suspect and the stolen car Anyone with information on this case is asked to please contact Investigator Trombley at (919) 918-7415 or by email or Crime Stoppers at (919) 942-7515 Posted by | Feb 12, 2025 | , , A residential component for the South Green development in Carrboro passed its final procedural hurdle with the town council earlier in February setting up the future addition of dozens of condo units The proposal for South Green Flats met all the necessary conditions — with several more added to the special use permit the Town of Carrboro has for the South Green mixed-use development at Two Hills Drive — leading council members to unanimously pass the project in their consent agenda on Feb 4 after holding a public hearing to hear more from project managers and community members two weeks prior Inspired by both the COVID-19 pandemic and opportunity to add modest density with modest pricing, Legacy Real Property Group brought the idea to the council in 2023 as a new partner in the South Green project after buying Lot 2 of the site the land serves as overflow parking for patrons of businesses in the buildings on Lot 1 and 3 before rising into a hill that crests near Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ Lincoln Center property The for-sale housing elements will be constructed to the east from the current buildings and further from South Greensboro Street and will bring at least 57 residential units to a trio of two- and three-story buildings with sizes ranging from roughly 650 to 1,100 square feet According to Legacy and the project managers up to 5,300 square feet of commercial space could be on the ground floor of the biggest building to add to the existing businesses in the development also allows that space to be replaced by seven ground-floor dwelling units if the developers choose to pivot during construction An aerial site plan of the South Green Flats development showing the layout of the three buildings compared to the existing South Green development (Site plans via Legacy Real Property Group/Ballentine Associates.) A rendering of the dog park and outdoor play space by one of the two condo buildings and the clubhouse of South Green Flats (Photo via Tise-Kiester Architects/Legacy Real Property Group.) Carrboro conducted the public hearing in a quasi-judicial manner and the council’s vote was contingent on whether the project aligned with the town’s land use plans for the area Town staff and the developers collaborated to add seven additional conditions to the special use permit for the project — building upon the initial 47 for the South Green’s original developers — including requiring 15% of the units to either be affordable housing or have their value matched by a payment in lieu to the town and allowing less open space on the site in exchange for meeting the “downtown livability area” standard The developers’ presentation to town council member confirmed the addition of some outdoor amenities which aim to meet some open space qualities Filling the corner between the clubhouse building and one of the main residential buildings will be a fenced dog park The site plans also call for racks to hold dozens of bicycles among its maximum of 181 parking spots across the lot — some of which will be contained in an underground parking structure Some concerned residents along Purple Leaf Place asked for additional screening to be provided from the three-story building looking toward their properties The developers said they are adding trees along the roadway in front of the lot but are limited by an Orange Water and Sewer Authority easement there town staff testified that the current screening measures qualify under Carrboro’s current land use ordinance According to South Green Flats’ website, the future neighborhood is already taking reservations on units. The full Jan. 21 Carrboro Town Council meeting featuring the public hearing on the project’s special use permit can be watched on the town’s YouTube channel. Featured photo via Tise-Kiester Architects/Legacy Real Property Group By Fraser Sherman Correspondent CARRBORO–Orange County has appraised the total value of Carrboro’s real estate at $3.78 billion a 47% increase since the last revaluation in 2021 In a presentation at the Town Council’s March 18 meeting Orange County Tax Administrator Nancy Freeman said the county-wide increase was 52% with Hillsborough having the steepest municipal increase: 49% The revaluation found that the median assessed value in Carrboro is $604,950 while the median sale price is $700,000–half of all home values or sale prices  being above the median Freeman told the council that regular reappraisals are a legal requirement and help keep the property tax burden fair as home values change The state requires reappraisals at least every eight years and Orange County does itss every four years Freeman said the increase in value doesn’t have to translate into a property tax hike Orange County and its municipal governments are legally required to calculate and publish the revenue-neutral tax rate at which the total property tax generated by the increased property values would stay the same If a property owner disagrees with their new valuation, they can contact the tax office informally to ask about changing it Freeman said the window for informal appeals ends April 20 while formal appeals can be filed May 1 through July 31 Orange County anticipated 2,500 informal requests and 750 formal appeals including an exclusion for seniors and a disabled veteran exemption Property owners can also break down the total amount into five monthly payments Council member Randee Haven-O’Donnell asked what would happen if local residents suddenly found their Social Security not coming in or if homeowners whose jobs depended on federal grants or other funding found themselves without income Freeman said people who hadn’t qualified for various forms of aid in the past might qualify if their income changed “We do try to work with folks and help them figure out a way to get the bill paid.” The council also heard a presentation by Carrboro Chief Financial Officer Chaz Offenburg on budget planning for fiscal year 2026 Haven-O’Donnell raised more questions about how current politics could affect the town’s finances–for example boycotts of online companies: “A good percentage of the sales tax that comes back to Carrboro has to do with the online sales.” Offenburg said he didn’t know the answer but he could look into it Carrboro has been conservative in budgeting sales-tax revenue making it easier to ride out a drop in sales taxes than some municipalities Offenburg’s presentation showed property tax is Carrboro’s main revenue generator projected to bring in a little over $16 million for fiscal year 2025 projected at more than $6 million for the same period Sales tax provides 22% of the town’s revenue Though sales tax revenue this fiscal year is down Town Manager Patrice Toney said Carrboro’s conservative budgeting practices would help with that “Even if we see a reduction in our sales-tax revenue We’re not feeling any anxiety.” Council member Eliazar Posada said one way to boycott online retailers without affecting the city’s sales-tax revenue is to shop local You can watch the entire meeting on Carrboro’s YouTube channel Fraser Sherman has worked for newspapers, including the Destin Log, the Pensacola News-Journal and the Raleigh Public Record. Born in England, he’d still live in Florida if he hadn’t met the perfect woman and moved to Durham to marry her. He’s the author of several film reference books and has published one novel and several short story collections. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocal Reporter.press Guest Columns Environment Crime, Michelle Community News, Michelle I’m reaching out regarding your recent article titled “Orange County Has Appraised the Total Value of Carrboro’s Real Estate at $3.78 Billion a 47% Increase Since the Last Revaluation in 2021.” Thank you for helping share this important information with the community I did want to flag one small error we noticed in the article: the end of the Orange County Tax Administration’s informal appeal period is listed as April 20th A community member and reader actually contacted our office to bring the discrepancy to our attention and we’d appreciate it if you could update the article to reflect the correct deadline The Carrboro Town Council met on Tuesday night to discuss proposed bills in the N.C General Assembly and the current state of OWASA bill affordability programs The Carrboro Town Council will hold its next regular meeting on May 6 at the Carrboro Town Hall at 6 p.m  @DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com The LGBTQ Center hosts Trans Talk Tuesday at Caribou Coffee every second Tuesday of the month.  The Carrboro Town Council met on Tuesday to discuss challenges in the transgender community and the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.  Posted by | Mar 26, 2025 | , An apartment fire in Carrboro displaced two residents and damaged a unit early Wednesday morning but no injuries were reported by the fire department A release by the Town of Carrboro said members of its fire and rescue team responded overnight to a call at Berkshire 54 Apartments the firefighters found one of the apartment buildings with flames and smoke visible from one residence Wednesday’s release said crews immediately began firefighting methods and successfully extinguished the fire in roughly 20 minutes containing the fire damage to the lone apartment The damage left the residence uninhabitable with the two residents receiving assistance from property management and friends to find temporary housing Initial estimates of the fire damage to the apartment and smoke damage to the breezeway are estimated to be $75,000 The Carrboro Fire Department is continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze A total of 23 firefighters were used in the response at Berkshire 54 including crews from the Chapel Hill Fire Department White Cross Fire Department and Orange Grove Fire Department Additional first responders from Orange County Emergency Medical Services and the Carrboro Police Department also assisted on-site The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ Board of Education met Thursday night to discuss budget cuts to language programs EDITOR'S NOTE: Arwen Helms is a former City & State writer.  @lauren_zola the Town of Carrboro announced plans to renovate playground equipment at Baldwin Park in Northside Town Facilities Administrator Emily Boykin said in an email that the renovations will include a new main play structure for children aged two to five and six to 12 and are expected to be completed by June 2025.  Changes to the playground will focus on making the layout of the park to be more user-friendly for people of all abilities if a community member that uses a wheelchair wanted to play in the sand the Town wants to ensure they are able to use the equipment to do so.  “A lot of the playground equipment that is being introduced now in 2025 is geared toward being more inclusive,” Boykin said “A lot of the things that we’re finding when we’re replacing playgrounds [is that] the designers are kind of thinking ‘How can this be more accessible for everyone?'” the Town director of community and engagement & Cultural Resources Department made efforts to involve the Northside community in the development of the project including distributing informational door hangers a survey written in both English and Spanish and hosting a drop-in community gathering in the neighborhood to engage residents.  “It was a nice nod to the neighborhood,” Steph Bryant a resident of Northside who often takes her two-year-old son to Baldwin Park you deserve to have some of the resources the rest of the Town gets.’” Lazorko said community engagement is a process of meeting everyone where they are and offering multiple different avenues for providing input on new developments in the town “Many staff met people and were able to talk to them when they had time — maybe they were coming in with groceries or whenever they had five minutes to spare,” she said One of the reasons the renovation was made possible was because the park and surrounding area qualified for funding from the American Rescue Plan Act which provides cities and counties with funds to offset revenue losses from the pandemic and address other community needs.  The Town is continuing to identify and survey potential parks in the area for a similar makeover and that residents are optimistic about the impact the updates will have on the larger community Bryant said she would love to see the addition of splash pads She said they are a great and accessible way for children to cool off in the summer.  “I do hope that the playground can become maybe more of a central focus — a central place that people can go and meet up at,” Bryant said At any given cafe in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro area there are always students drinking severe amounts of caffeine and staring intently at their laptops I consider myself a bit of a coffee connoisseur and though I’ve lived in Chapel Hill for over a year I have barely scratched the surface of the local cafe scene.  In order to better educate myself and others cafe atmosphere and other details vital to what constitutes a truly great coffee shop.  The first stop on my journey was Caffe Driade This cafe had beautiful scenery and good coffee but the earthy atmosphere of the cafe took my full attention.  Caffe Driade is located off of East Franklin Street settled under the shade of surrounding oak trees This peaceful setting is the perfect place for a chill study session.  the cool shade a perfect match for my warm drink The excellence of my espresso and the serenity of Caffe Driade gave me the focus I needed to finish up some assignments before moving on to another cafe.   It was a bit further away from my other stops but my Chapel Hill-native roommate swore by it so I ordered an iced cold brew with lavender.  I noticed the cold brew was a very light color The shop itself had a nice vibe and cute decor I would personally not venture out to Joe Van Gogh again I knew I needed to head somewhere familiar next an extension of Carolina Coffee Shop.  There I ordered a pumpkin spice latte and a chocolate croissant to celebrate the small burst of fall weather I felt that morning Their coffee and pastries are a bit pricier than I would like but the cafe’s proximity to campus makes up for it.  The only downside of 1922 is that it is almost always packed and you almost always see someone you know It is nearly impossible to go incognito there.  I was severely caffeinated and called on my roommate Sofia Nyiri to help me out we took on Gray Squirrel Coffee in Carrboro.  I tried a maple latte and a molasses cookie but the cookie was the best part of my purchase Molasses cookies were a staple in my house growing up so I can say this was one of the best I’ve ever had.  Their cafe had a variety of indoor and outdoor seating options with great music playing in the background I think this coffee shop is a great place to chat and hang out with friends.  As the end of my coffee exploration drew to a close I had to visit my favorite cafe in the area: Lanza’s Lanza’s Cafe serves the best lavender latte I have ever tasted.  I ordered my usual iced lavender latte with oat milk David Bowie’s "Moonage Daydream" played in the background as I ordered and my roommate and I chatted with some classmates we saw inside Compared to my lavender coffee at Joe Van Gogh the lavender was sweet and it was much more enjoyable to drink.  I have spent many hours in Lanza’s over the past year Its coffee has seen my struggles with music theory and my frustration with Homer’s "Iliad." I can always count on this cafe to provide me with comfort and caffeine.  Even though Lanza’s is my favorite cafe in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro area I believe all of these coffee shops provide something special Each has their own unique menu and ambiance and I think anyone can find something enjoyable about any cafe I visited.  if you ever find yourself tired of the same old coffee routine don't be afraid to go in a new direction.  @mollierayy @dthlifestyle | lifestyle@dailytarheel.com Carrboro's lawsuit filed in early December against Duke Energy Corporation is the first case challenging an electric utility about climate deception practices.  One part of the complaint alleges that Duke Energy Corporation participated in “greenwashing,” a deception strategy in which corporations claim they are doing more to curb climate change and increase sustainable practices than they actually are The Town claims Duke Energy Corporation’s participation in greenwashing has misled the public into conducting business with the corporation under the impression they were actively trying to help the environment “At the heart of the lawsuit is deception,” Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee said it’s damages — seeking damages specifically — and also preventing future harm.” Carrboro claims high-ranking members of Duke Energy Corporation were leaders within groups — including trade organizations and public relations firms — created and operated to undermine scientific evidence about the dangers of fossil fuel emissions and climate change The Town's complaint alleges that the groups including the Edison Electric Institute and Global Climate Coalition funded and cited "fringe" scientists who claimed that there is not enough scientific evidence to determine the long-term effects of climate change despite Duke Energy Corporation being aware of the dangers for decades.  The Town’s legal claims for relief from Duke Energy include public nuisance The lawsuit has been in the works for several years The Town is seeking reparations rather than asking for Duke Energy Corporation to change their practices lawsuits exposing maligned corporate behavior inadvertently lead corporations to change their conduct NC WARN is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit climate justice organization paying for the lawsuit NC WARN and the Union of Concerned Scientists exposed lenient procedures at some North Carolina nuclear power plants The complaint led to a federal investigation from the Nuclear Regulatory Committee and later the United States Government Accountability Office The investigations resulted in significant fines and later While organizations have sued energy corporations in the past — including lawsuits against NW Natural in Oregon and Exxon Mobil in Washington — Carrboro's lawsuit is the first against an electric power provider the lawsuits in Oregon and Washington are actively ongoing and have not yet been brought to trial Because Native American tribal land and reservations were at the heart of the case in Washington it was moved to the federal court in early 2024 The Oregon lawsuit seeks over $1.55 billion in damages Though Carrboro's lawsuit is the first of its kind utilities and fossil fuel companies are all pulling from the same playbook an energy justice campaigner with the Center for Biological Diversity “They’re all engaging in greenwashing in an attempt to clean up their dirty image and deceive the public about the harms of fossil fuels,” she said what fossil fuels are doing to aggravate the climate crisis and how they’re contributing to these devastating climate disasters whether it’s a heat dome or extreme hurricanes like Hurricane Helene.”  Town Council Member Randee Haven-O'Donnell said Carrboro has historically been committed to curbing the effects of climate change but their efforts are offset by the amount of methane Duke Energy Corporation produces in a matter of hours Duke Energy Corporation is the fourth-largest electric utility in the world and owns 10 of the 100 power plants with the highest CO2 emissions in the United States. According to reporting from NBC News, in 2020 Duke Energy Corporation released around 11 metric tons of pollutant SF6 into the atmosphere from its facilities in the Carolinas alone One pound of SF6 warms the planet as much as over 25,000 pounds of CO2 and stays in the atmosphere for several thousand years.  The Daily Tar Heel reached out to Duke Energy Corporation's media line and could not reach a representative via phone Some of the climate-related damages Carrboro suffers due to climate change include road damage from hotter temperatures and excessive rainfall stormwater flooding and air conditioning costs Carrboro could incur up to $6 million in damages due to climate change she said the Town had an $81 million budget meaning climate change damages would have taken up over 7 percent of the annual budget.  It will likely be several years before there is an outcome to the lawsuit Duke Energy Corporation is required to make an official filing in the case “We might get a little glimpse of what their argument is going to be “What do you say against this array of very serious charges?” @LolaOliverio @DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com Amy Armbruster poses for a picture in front of the Carrboro Town Hall on Tuesday the Town of Carrboro created a new office focused on environmental sustainability The new office will oversee the Town’s climate action goals.  a Carrboro resident and former sustainability manager for the City of Durham will head the new office as the chief sustainability officer.  Armbruster said she is incredibly grateful to serve her home community.  innovative town that cares deeply about sustainability but in this community that cares so much about these issues — I couldn't pass it up.”  Armbruster previously worked at the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) where she was involved in renewable energy work.  She said her passion for sustainability came long before she started her career Growing up in the Mid-Hudson Valley region of New York next to her uncle’s apple orchards she cultivated a deep care for the environment “I spent a lot of my time as a child and a young adult outside exploring the forest and the streams," Armbruster said “So that's really where my interest in this field was born.” The new office will evaluate how different Town's departments are engaging in sustainability efforts, Town Manager Patrice Toney said.  Armbruster said the Town intends to reduce its carbon footprint Carrboro is aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent from their 2010 baseline by 2030 Armbruster said she and her team have multiple strategies in mind like introducing more solar and renewable energy sources making Town buildings more energy efficient and transitioning away from using natural gases.  Toney said she wanted to find ways to elevate the Town’s approach to sustainability.  “Two pillars of the town of Carrboro are race equity and climate action," Toney said “While climate action is a huge priority for our Town Council I thought it'd be important that we create an Office of Sustainability.” Toney said the office’s founding is unrelated to Carrboro's lawsuit against Duke Energy.  “It does coincide with the effort around climate action and our council's desire to be really progressive and make a dent in the climate action initiatives,” Toney said.  The new office will report directly to the Town Manager but will also work closely with the Race and Equity Department Chief Race and Equity Officer Anita Jones-McNair said that it makes sense for the two offices to work together.  fair and equitable town for our community residents,” Jones-McNair said Toney also said that having these two groups work together was an important way for their efforts to stay true to Carrboro’s values.  Toney said because of the departments’ partnership Armbruster’s experience working with minority communities in Durham proved valuable Armbruster said being able to equitably assess sustainability and climate related issues is something that draws her to this career she said she hopes that her department can address climate burdens by prioritizing certain members of the community who are often more impacted by climate change Posted by | Jan 17, 2025 | , , , The Carrboro Town Council had the first formal conversations this week about a potentially huge change for its downtown: changing East Weaver Street from being a two-way road to a pedestrian and bicycle only block The council members heard different ideas and elements to consider from town staff at Tuesday’s work session and shared their thoughts on what seems the most feasible and desirable for Carrboro Most council members said they favor options that would create a pedestrian plaza with a dedicated bicycle lane meant to improve ease of access for bicyclists while an area that sees ample foot traffic from visitors to the popular Weaver Street Market and nearby businesses While the work session was exploratory for the council and town staff on how to best approach this project it highlighted how many elements of the community would be touched by this; pedestrian safety and the possibility of a social district were all mentioned within the hour-long discussion But many of the council members shared interests of how altering East Weaver Street could benefit those aspects and further Carrboro’s long-term planning goals “This has the opportunity to be a lab for us in thinking about how we’re reimaging our streets in a larger scale longer term,” said Council Member Catherine Fray “If we’re thinking about what we want transportation to look like in Carrboro 70 years from now it’s not going to be as much pavement as it is [now.] We’re probably going to need an awful lot of stormwater features built in what’s currently right of way safe bike infrastructure in what’s currently right of way “[We can be] thinking about taking that 30-foot curb-to-curb and saying ‘How do we make this something that is a stormwater utility and a transportation utility and also a nicer space to be than a street full of cars?’ If we’re able to do that I think this could actually be a great pilot for a largely re-thinking of how we do transportation in Carrboro.” delivered by Planning & Transportation Administrator Tina Moon said the latest mobility report in 2023 highlighted how far fewer drivers use East Weaver Street on a daily basis compared to surrounding roads while far more bicyclists and pedestrians use it – in part due to the popularity of Weaver Street Market and other businesses lining the road which serves as an alternative connector to East Main Street and Greensboro Street an average of 6,800 daily trips would be rerouted down either Main and Greensboro or Roberson Street just to the south A slide from the Carrboro town staff highlighting how shutting down East Weaver Street to vehicle traffic would extend the space currently used by pedestrians at Weaver Street Market blending the private mall property with the public right of way The rough design of a closed East Weaver Street that garnered the most initial support from council members was this option direct bicycle lane through a pedestrian plaza Citing state Department of Transportation data from 2003 Council Member Jason Merrill pointed to how those downtown roads consistently had higher vehicle traffic than they currently do He interpreted that data as a sign the surrounding roads could handle more traffic – and added that eliminating East Weaver Street’s vehicle traffic flow could make the area more efficient for drivers One exception to preventing vehicle traffic that council members agreed on would be allowing access to delivery vehicles for the businesses along East Weaver Street Fray floated the idea of using the town’s Century Center parking lot as a staging area while town staff and others mentioned having the street be accessible to those vehicles only during the morning that he has already scheduled several meetings with business owners in the coming weeks to better discuss their needs Another wrinkle council members requested town staff investigate further is what closing East Weaver Street would do for the Chapel Hill Transit service downtown sending between 21 and 35 buses a day down it Moon and Council Member Danny Nowell expressed concern about the buses turning right off East Main Street and onto Greensboro Street citing a sharper angle and tighter space compared to East Weaver Street “That could be the thing to me is just an overwhelming problem for equity and sustainability considerations: if we’re not able to accommodate the bus traffic,” Nowell said [this concept] is full steam ahead for me.” cited the need for further engagement from the community on this idea – not just from business owners and Chapel Hill Transit but also from residents who could see their neighborhoods impacted by diverted traffic In her comments during the work session on the concept Foushee said she believes its imperative to keep in mind other community members beyond those with closer proximity to downtown “When I think about the type of space we may want to create I think about an inclusive space where everyone who comes into that space would feel welcome,” the mayor added “Those are the types of things that are on my mind as we consider moving forward with this project.” Moon said the rough cost estimates for an initial construction proposal are $300,000 with funding needing to be identified and costs likely to change depending on the extent of the road work desired in a design of the pedestrian space She added that the next potential step would be getting updated counts of traffic downtown in the spring before turning that data over NCDOT to run studies on the traffic signals and begin discussions on what changes to the roads would look like Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell was absent from Tuesday’s work session. To watch the full meeting of the Carrboro Town Council, visit the local government’s website or YouTube channel. This is an interesting proposal with lots of considerations and potential challenges for a lot of different folks… I look forward to hearing/discussing more A cyclist heads toward the UNC-CH campus at the intersection of Cameron Ave The Carrboro Town Council met on Tuesday night to discuss the Safe Streets For All/Vision Zero action plan and police equity efforts.  Posted by | Mar 12, 2025 | , The Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced charges against a Carrboro resident for the sexual exploitation of a minor Wednesday afternoon An alert from the office said investigators charged 45-year-old Joseph Mejer with ten counts of second-degree sexual exploitation and stems from the sharing of materials that contain visuals of a minor engaged in sexual activity the investigation began after receiving an Internet Crimes Against Children tip in January Sheriff’s office investigators and Special Agent Ray Oliver of the Computer Crimes Unit at the state Bureau of Investigation served a search warrant at Mejer’s residence Wednesday morning based on the case built out by ICAC task force members and law enforcement The magistrate placed Mejer under a $5,000 secured bond at the Orange County Detention Center His first court appearance on the charges is set for 2 p.m Wednesday’s release said more charges against Mejer are possible and anyone who may have information on his activity is encouraged to get in touch with the sheriff’s office Featured photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office For The Daily Tar Heel’s 2025 Food Edition the City & State desk asked Town Council members about their favorite recipes Chapel Hill Town Council member Melissa McCullough said she’s not a great cook but her buttermilk pancakes are a fan favorite.  Her mother cooked breakfast every morning when she was growing up and although her mother cooked a lot of different dishes her buttermilk pancakes — often accompanied by bacon and fried apples — were McCullough’s favorite “I just love waking up to the smell of bacon and so that's one of the things that I did for my kids,” she said “And pancakes were always one of their favorite breakfasts as well.” Even McCullough’s in-laws ask her to make her pancakes when she visits For Carrboro Town Council member Randee Haven-O’Donnell Haven-O’Donnell has been vegetarian since college and she strives to eat low on the food chain to preserve her health and the environment O’Donnell and her husband traveled across the country together with two books: "The Lord of the Rings" and a macrobiotic cookbook they would try to find Chinese restaurants to buy rice from and her husband would challenge her to pick up a singular grain with her chopsticks Carrboro Town Council member Danny Nowell said Chef Justin Wilson’s okra a la Creole is his go-to recipe when he wants to impress guests He was first introduced to the recipe as a high school student when he worked with his teacher at a Fat Tuesday film festival for Sustaining Roots Music Project Chapel Hill Town Council member Karen Stegman’s recipe for a sausage-cheese appetizer comes from her mother’s 1974 Southern Living Party Snacks cookbook.  uses vegetarian sausage to make the dish for her get-togethers from book clubs to elaborate Oscar parties so it's just a favorite that I've become kind of known for by my friends and social circles,” she said Carrboro Town Council member Jason Merrill shared a crispy rice and egg bowl recipe from "Smitten Kitchen" by Deb Perelman Merrill said his partner introduced him to the Smitten Kitchen website and cookbooks.  “I really appreciate dishes that are simple and it's still just like magic when it hits your tongue,” Merrill said Carrboro Town Council member Cristóbal Palmer and his spouse Jocelyn Tsai said making soy sauce braised fish is an opportunity to engage their children and support local businesses Tsai said her mother taught her the recipe when she was a kid and she has started teaching her own children Palmer said a typical Saturday afternoon for their family includes picking up fish from Tom Robinson’s Seafood on the way home after a day out Tom Robinson’s selection of fish reminds Tsai of the seafood she eats on her visits to Taipei Chapel Hill Town Council member Theodore Nollert shared a recipe for chalupas with homemade tortillas that his mom would cook for him when he was growing up “I remember happily scarfing it down after soccer practice in high school,” he said in an email to The DTH “I've made it for many friends since and always enjoy sharing it!” Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee said she does not have a set recipe because she likes to experiment quiches and breads are some of her favorites.  “He's able to just kind of look through some recipe books and he might even combine recipes and just create something totally new,” she said led the Carrboro Meditation Club at 705 W Rosemary Street on Sunday a faint herbal smell wafted through the Recess Yoga studio in which attendees of the weekly Carrboro Meditation Club sat soft ambient noise filled the space.  movement-based yoga classes usually occur within the quaint it is used to practice mindfulness and slow personal reflection among the chaos daily life often brings.  Tom Sowders opened Recess Yoga in October 2023 and the club began meeting shortly thereafter The club was co-founded by Sowders and Juliet Magoon a friend of his who is equally passionate about meditation the sessions encourage attendees to lead their own meditation doing what is best for them mentally and physically A singing bowl is chimed at five-minute increments to keep everyone grounded and let them know how much time is remaining so that they can continue meditating or stop if they see fit.  which was something Sowders thought was extremely important to implement.  “This journey that I'm on is about providing a service to the community," he said "My meditation has really helped me live my life It's made me a happier person; it's helped me in so many different ways.  I wanted to share that but without any kind of money being involved." There is a plethora of proven benefits that come from routine meditation interpersonal and physical health benefits These include enhanced emotional regulation better sleep quality and improved self awareness the club’s community-building aspect is the highlight of her experience She first took a class with Sowders on Election Day this past year which prompted her to become a regular participant “It has really helped me a lot [to] regulate my thoughts," she said because I get to see the same faces."  While many people have heard of meditation they might not know what it entails as a practice.  “It can be kind of a mysterious thing," Sowders said there are some common misconceptions around what meditation actually is and individuals might feel too scared or uncomfortable to even give it a chance.  sit down and leave," Sowders said. "That's funny to me."  The point is not to be doing something in particular but rather to create a meaningful mind-body experience through internal awareness meditation often involves implementing breathing practices trying to clear the mind of harmful thoughts and relieve physical tension.  Sowders's hope is that the Carrboro Meditation Club can help to reduce stigma around getting into meditation by making it inviting for all.  said that the meditation sessions being in-person and involving multiple participants might give people more motivation to get started.  “Sometimes you don't do it when it's just you "Because there's no other structure around doing it." The club is constantly growing in membership Sowders ultimately wants people to come as they are and to know that meditation is a practice for everyone regardless of background or prior experience He welcomes any and all community members in the Carrboro area to try it out for themselves as meditation is something that is unique to the individual There is no registration necessary to join “If you've ever been told or thought maybe meditation might be good for you just to find some more inner peace in life and get a little more control over the racing mind then I highly recommend coming and joining us and checking it out," Sowders said Posted by | Dec 4, 2024 | , , The Town of Carrboro is suing Duke Energy over its contributions to climate change and the resulting economic pressures put onto the local government and its residents Carrboro’s town council unanimously passed a resolution authorizing the litigation during its business meeting on Tuesday night and filed the civil lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court on Wednesday morning The challenge is the first of its kind from a local government against an energy provider over its knowledge of the risks of burning fossil fuels for power and its efforts to “mislead the public about its climate harms.” The measure claims Duke Energy’s “extensive unreasonable and unnecessary reliance upon fossil fuels in the conduct of its businesses” is causing climate change to be “materially exacerbated.” Additionally Carrboro says Duke Energy not only knows its actions fuel global warming but the utility giant continues to deceive the public on the effects of its operations and “greenwashes” its attempts to incorporate more renewable energy options “We have to speak truth to power as we continue to fight the existential threat that is climate change,” said Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee in a release from the town “The climate crisis continues to burden our community and cost residents their hard-earned tax dollars Duke Energy’s knowledge of the environmental injustice being caused by the use of fossil fuels has unfairly plagued our community for decades Historically underserved and marginalized communities are facing disproportionate impacts and health risks that are associated with climate change This was not an easy decision to make but I believe that we must be courageous as we call out these injustices and seek change and accountability.” “The motivation for Carrboro is pretty simple,” Foushee added at a press conference held Wednesday afternoon at Carrboro Town Hall “When I think about righting wrongs and seeking justice The town is being represented by Matt Quinn of Lewis & Roberts The energy and climate justice nonprofit NC WARN is bearing the financial costs of the lawsuit while the Center for Biological Diversity is assisting the case “We’ll soon have a climate denier-in-chief in the White House but Carrboro is a shining light in this darkness taking on one of the country’s largest polluters and climate deceivers,” said Jean Su energy justice director at the Center for Biological Diversity “Climate action doesn’t stop at a national level and Carrboro is holding Duke Energy and all fossil utilities’ feet to the fire This town is paving a way for local governments to drive climate justice despite who’s in Washington.” groups like NC WARN say Duke Energy is intentionally promoting slower transitions to renewable energy methods The utility company says it aims to retire all coal plants in the state by 2035 but environmental advocates have said Duke Energy could transition faster if additional alternative energy methods are adopted Photo via Catherine Lazorko/The Town of Carrboro said during Wednesday’s press conference that Duke Energy’s leaders did not just go along with a plan to deceive customers about the effects of fossil fuels but have been “ringleaders” in doing that and perpetuating their use in the energy industry “This lawsuit exposes Duke Energy executives as using the tobacco scandal playbook,” said Warren in the release “They’re making the global climate crisis worse despite widespread and accelerating misery,”  “And they’re still expanding fossil fuels and suppressing renewables – in flat defiance of scientists demanding that we do the exact opposite We need the judicial system to hold Duke Energy leadership accountable and finally break their corporate control over our political system and public decisions.” The town pays millions of dollars to repair roads damaged by extreme weather establish a stormwater infrastructure fund and cover rising energy bills — which officials say can all be traced back to the warming climate “This lawsuit represents an incredible opportunity to put an end to corporate deception and enter a new era for Carrboro,” Mayor Pro Tem Danny Nowell said in Wednesday’s release “It’s time for us to hold Duke Energy accountable for decades of deception padding executives’ pockets while towns like ours worked to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change This suit will allow the Town of Carrboro to invest new resources into building a stronger using the damages justly due to our residents to reimagine the ways we prepare for our climate reality.” “Every level of Carrboro governance is centered on the climate crisis and climate justice,” added Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell at the press conference but mighty — and in the face of climate emergency and the need for urgent action We want to model the way for other towns bearing these same burdens and damages from fossil fuel-driven climate change and decades of corporate climate deception We are ‘The Little Engine That Could,’ and hope other towns can be too and hold their deceptive and polluting utilities accountable.” When asked about whether other towns or cities have similar complaints or could join the litigation as co-plaintiffs during the press conference town officials and Quinn said they are focused on arguing and representing Carrboro’s specific damages in the case town officials said they wanted the EPA to step in and enforce the facility to follow the Clean Air Act despite a permit from the state Department of Environmental Quality allowing the operations A spokesperson for Duke Energy shared a statement with Chapelboro on Wednesday about the litigation which said the company is reviewing the complaint filed by Carrboro “Duke Energy is committed to its customers and communities and will continue working with policymakers and regulators to deliver reliable and increasingly clean energy while keeping rates as low as possible,” added the spokesperson Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said NC WARN was part of the lawsuit alongside the Town of Carrboro The piece has since been updated to remove this and clarify NC WARN is participating in an advisory capacity Featured photo via Catherine Lazorko/The Town of Carrboro 19 to discuss new property developments and hear a quarterly budget update.  Posted by | Dec 16, 2024 | , , The Town of Carrboro recently opened a public hearing to review a proposed subdivision at 904 Homestead Road In an effort to advance the town’s goals for increased density along a transportation corridor the proposed Newbury Subdivision from Parker Louis LLC features 24 single-family units and 12 duplexes and the option for accessory dwelling units the property also features a naturalized playfield with a recreational trail around the perimeter 19 allowed the council to review conditions for the consideration of a special use permit-A request (SUP-A) The permit allows development to use land in a way that the typical zoning for that area does not allow and it can be passed if specific conditions are met Any proposed conditions must comply with the town’s Land Use Ordinance (LUO) Concept design for the proposed 904 Homestead Road subdivision The council reviewed 15 total staff recommendations unanimously passing a motion to leave the hearing open until January 7 allowing for additional expert testimony on the remaining condition: what type of curb for the neighborhood’s sidewalks The staff recommendation is currently a roll-type curb most council members agreed in wanting to hear more information regarding the safety implications of each curb type “Personally I’m unconvinced that the roll type curb would be safer for people,” said Council Member Jason Merrill “I would actually say that because of the expected speeds a standard curb would do a better job of deflecting a car at say 20 or 30 m.p.h could easily just drift up onto the sidewalk.” The council concluded the standard curb will be used in construction plans until the future meeting date where they can either choose to approve the recommendation or to modify it Another repeated question for the council centered around the plan’s location for electric vehicle charging stations The current design places the stations at a northern common area and Merrill said they would be more useful closer to the homes “I think people make a really good point that people want to charge their cars in their garage,”  added Mayor Pro Tem Danny Nowell I’m not sure we can move that forward.” He explained how due to the nature of the hearing the council cannot deny a condition unless it conflicts with the town’s land-use requirements the location of the charging stations complies with the ordinance Zinn suggested the potential for residents to install a charger in their individual garage if they choose The play area at the northern corner of the property proved to be one of the biggest points of debate for the council The project aims to provide an open field for sports and play preserving existing mature trees for added shade and vegetation said Carrboro Development Review Administrator Marty Roupe Council Member Catherine Fray said the town’s LUO requires the amenity and they said this has historically meant favoring naturalized play areas But they also stated how doing so might be difficult at this location “I’ve walked the area where the play space is and you cannot get through it because it is all bamboo,” they said “This is not actually a condition that the developer can do anything about It’s also not a condition that the [Homeowners Association] is going to be able to make a meaningful difference in.” The ordinance currently does not require the invasive plant’s removal but the council member stated the project cannot move forward without the play area because of the town’s land-use requirements Fray added they do not want to burden the HOA with an undefined and indefinite obligation to remove bamboo from a larger area than the LUO requires them to do it’s about what our ordinance is asking us to do in terms of racking up amenity points when there isn’t a place on the property that you can put this that’s not going to be eaten by bamboo in a couple of years,” Fray said Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell suggested having staff prepare draft language for both the removal and maintenance of invasives but Fray said this topic might be better clarified by ongoing the LUO rewrite the rewrite might only alter this specific project if there is a significant change to the ordinance’s play area requirement To view the full meeting, click here. The town’s webpage dedicated to the Newbury subdivision proposal can be found here A hit-and-run crash led to a police chase – and ended in a deadly crash – in Carrboro Monday afternoon a witness called 911 to report a hit-and-run crash in Chapel Hill The witness followed the car that left the scene and provided updates on its location A Chapel Hill police officer attempted to stop the car just inside Carrboro’s jurisdiction the car crashed near the intersection of Oak Avenue and E police identified Lawrence Edwards and Jonathan Blancett as the two victims Carrboro police said speed was a factor in the crash and that Edwards and Blancett weren't wearing seatbelts A WRAL News report from May 2024 revealed a significant increase in police chases in North Carolina from 2019 to 2022. Police chases in North Carolina have more than doubled in recent years 24 people were killed in pursuits in North Carolina – half of whom were bystanders The flags near Carrboro Town Hall are pictured on Friday The Town of Carrboro filed a lawsuit against Duke Energy over the company’s role in advancing climate change and delayed transition away from fossil fuels WARN and the Center for Biological Diversity are advising the Town on the case the Town Council approved the lawsuit’s filing The Town filed a complaint on Wednesday morning in the Orange County Superior Court Mayor Barbara Foushee said at a Town press conference on Wednesday.  Duke Energy is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses in the country but the company has created a “greenwashing” strategy to mislead the public that it is committed to clean energy Duke Energy emitted about 80 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2021 according to a press release from the Town.  Greenhouse gas emissions have continued steadily because of Duke Energy’s practices because they’ve deceived the public to think that climate change does not present an urgent risk and that humans are not the cause of the climate crisis Mayor Pro Tem Danny Nowell said the incentives of corporate profits continue have continued to drive the climate crisis.  "Because of the monopoly Duke Energy enjoys in our region North Carolinians have had no choice but to trust and depend on Duke as they led a nationwide climate deception denial and greenwashing campaign using industry trade groups and phony scientists," he said said in the press release from the Town that the judicial system needs to hold Duke Energy accountable and break their control over political and public decisions.  “They’re making the global climate crisis worse despite widespread and accelerating misery,” he said “And they’re still expanding fossil fuels and suppressing renewables – in flat defiance of scientists demanding that we do the exact opposite.  The lawsuit states that extreme temperatures precipitation and storms caused by climate change will require the Town to invest millions of dollars in road maintenance The Town is seeking compensation for past and future damages incurring as a result of Duke Energy’s “campaign of deception.”  Foushee also said the climate crisis and Duke Energy’s knowledge of the injustice caused by fossil fuels has burdened the Carrboro community for decades.  She also said conversations about Duke Energy's practices began in the Town Council last year when they received input and analysis from various nonprofits on the company's actions the Council never lost focus on the matter “Historically underserved and marginalized communities are facing disproportionate impacts and health risks that are associated with climate change,” she said “This was not an easy decision to make but I believe that we must be courageous as we call out these injustices and seek change and accountability.” an attorney representing the Town in the case said neither the Town nor its taxpayers will incur any costs from the lawsuit WARN will pay the Town's legal fees and expenses Quinn also said the lawsuit does not seek to change Duke Energy policy.  the damages to the town and the citizens," he said Now it's possible that if Duke Energy sees damage that it's done but we are going to concentrate on Carrboro and what's happened to its citizens and what's happened to the Town." @lucymarques_