At UNC
In Chapel Hill
In sports
In North Carolina
What you missed
Compiled by DTH staff, graphic by Kelsey Weekman
In the United States
during 2015-16 winter break
Board of Governors authorized
Chase Dining Hall renovation
At UNC
More than 2,000 graduate in
December
Home
No armed person found during
LDOC lockdown
Robberies at Ram Village during break
Nine candidates are competing for four seats on the Board of Orange County Commissioners
East Chapel Hill High student killed in plane crash
In Chapel Hill
1-year-old dies in Christmas shooting
State remains hub for migration
Protesters disrupt Dec. BOG meeting
In North Carolina
President Obama announces gun
control exective order
In the U.S.
Women's basketball
Wrestling
In sports
Volleyball
Men’s basketball
What you missed
No armed person found
during LDOC lockdown
Board of Governors
authorized Chase Dining Hall
renovation
East Chapel Hill High student killed
in plane crash
President Obama announces gun control exective order
North Carolina remained one of the top five states for migration in 2015, though the state slipped from third-most migration in 2013-14 to fifth-most in 2015.Economists think migration to North Carolina is motivated by business and an increased desire for outdoor activity and green regions, with the aging baby boomer population seeking warmer climates.North Carolina remains the ninth-most populous state in the union and breached the 10 million population marker during 2015, spurred largely by the growth of Raleigh and Charlotte.
Back
N.C. migration
An East Chapel Hill High School senior died Jan. 4 in a plane crash near the Idaho-Wyoming border.MacKenzie Ruston, 17, was one of two in the plane when it went down. Authorities identified the pilot as Reade Genzlinger, 61, a family friend from Pennsylvania. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the crash.The FAA has not released new information to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, said Jeff Nash, a spokesperson for the school district.Nash said additional counselors were on-site at East Chapel Hill High to provide a space for students to grieve. Additional help has been placed on standby as the need arises.Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger expressed her condolences on behalf of the community regarding the incident.“We are deeply saddened by the loss of another young person in our community who was just starting the next chapter of her life,” Hemminger said. “This was a huge loss to her family, her friends and our community.”Ruston was the captain of the Bouncing Bulldogs, a competitive jump rope team based in Chapel Hill. According to The (Raleigh) News & Observer, her coach, Ray Frederick Jr., called her one of the world’s best. She will be missed.
ECHHS student killed
December graduation
On Dec. 13, 2,113 baccalaureate, master's, professional and doctoral students celebrated their degree completion in the Smith Center.In what he said was his last public act as UNC-system president, Tom Ross congratulated the graduates and commended the work of Chancellor Carol Folt. In her commencement address, STEM lecturer Kelly Hogan stressed the importance of perspective and seizing opportunities. Hogan used smart phone polls to encourage audience participation.
Chase Dining Hall — often referred to as Rams Head — is undergoing renovations to expand food services for the fall 2016 semester.Existing large meeting rooms and other office spaces totaling about 5,028 square feet on the second floor of Chase Dining Hall will be converted into food service and seating areas as an extension of the dining program on the first floor. A new stairway will provide direct access to the main dining areas on the first floor, and restrooms will become more accessible.The renovations are a part of a series of capital improvement projects recently authorized by the Board of Governors at schools across the UNC system. The project is estimated to cost $3,850,000, paid for with dining receipts. It is expected to be completed by August 2016.
Dining hall renovation
BOCC candidates
Four Orange County Board of Commissioners seats are up for grabs for the 2016 election season, and nine candidates are competing for a spot.The commissioner at large seat is available after Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier announced she is leaving in December.Andy Cagle, owner of Cagle’s Corner Grading, Hauling and Septic System; Matt Hughes, current chairperson of the Orange County Democratic Party; and Mark Marcoplos, who currently serves on the Orange County Housing Authority and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority, have all declared they will be running for the at large position.Two seats are available in District 1, which covers Chapel Hill, Carrboro and southern Orange County. Jamezetta Bedford, who has 12 years of service on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education including two years as chairperson, and Gary Kahn, a previous candidate for Chapel Hill Town Council, Orange County Board of Commissioners and Chapel Hill mayor, are running against incumbents Mark Dorosin and Penny Rich.One seat is available in District 2, which covers the county's northern half.Bonnie Hauser, a volunteer in Orange County Schools who has served on the school district's Community Engagement and Visioning Steering Committee, is running against incumbent Renee Price.
Protesters disrupt BOG
Students, faculty and community members confronted the UNC-system Board of Governors during the last board meeting of 2015, demanding the dismissal of President-elect Margaret Spellings.The Dec. 11 meeting at the UNC Center for School Leadership Development in Chapel Hill included the full board, and former President Tom Ross gave his final briefing before stepping Jan. 3.“Whatever lies ahead, I urge you to never permit this magnificent state asset — this treasure that truly belongs to the people of North Carolina — to be diminished,” he told board members.Members of Faculty Forward North Carolina and the UNC-Chapel Hill BOG Democracy Coalition were among the protesters, who eventually moved inside the building shortly before the meeting began at 9 a.m.Several board members were disgruntled at the interruption. Chairperson Lou Bissette threatened to kick the protesters out.“UNC deserves better," said UNC-Chapel Hill senior Alli Clayton, who came to the protest with a group of friends. “I hope that not only Margaret Spellings, but the Board of Governors realize that we’re actually paying attention to things that are going on, that we actually care and that we actually have power.”
1-year-old dies in shooting
A 1-year-old girl died after being struck in the head by a stray bullet in a shooting on Christmas Day, Chapel Hill police said.Police responded to a report of a shooting in the 700 block of Trinity Court at 5:43 p.m. on Christmas Day.Shots had been fired from a vehicle leaving the complex.On Dec. 28, Maleah Williams died at UNC Hospitals as a result of the wounds she sustained in the incident.Shaquille Oneill Davis, 22, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon in connection to the shooting, authorities say. He remains in Orange County Jail under a $650,000 bond. The charges are likely to change following the 1-year-old's death.Ramone Jamarr Alston, 22, and Pierre Je Bron Moore, 23, have also been charged with first-degree murder in connection to the shooting, authorities say. Both are in Orange County Jail being held without bail.
Gun control excutive order
President Barack Obama announced Jan. 5 a series of executive orders targeted at gun control in response to growing concerns for gun violence.The executive orders aim to strengthen the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — responsible for regulating the gun trade — and enhance mental health reporting.The action has been denounced by Republicans. House Speaker Paul Ryan predicted the measure would be held unconstitutional by the courts and several GOP presidential hopefuls have promised to overturn the measures.
Two burglaries over break
Police reported two burglaries at Ram Village Apartments over winter break.The first robbery took place on Dec. 17 in Ram Village Five near Hinton James Residence Hall, and the second robbery occurred on Dec. 21 in Ram Village Two near Craige Residence Hall.The doors in both cases were forced into, and pry marks were found around the doors. Police increased patrols in residence halls over break in response.
Men’s basketball
After falling to Texas on a buzzer-beater on Dec. 12, the North Carolina men's basketball team enters Saturday's game against N.C. State on an eight-game winning streak.Before he returned for UNC's 84-73 win at Syracuse this past Saturday, junior forward Kennedy Meeks missed seven games because of a bone bruise on his left knee.In Meeks' absence, senior forward Brice Johnson carried the load for the Tar Heels (15-2, 4-0 ACC), averaging 21 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. His 39-point, 23-rebound performance against Florida State on Jan. 4 made him the second player in school history to accomplish the feat.
After dropping three of its first seven games by one possession, the North Carolina women's basketball team (12-6, 2-1 ACC) ripped off six straight victories — including three by five or fewer points — before losing to Notre Dame to close out the holiday season.The season-long winning streak culminated in a come-from-behind win over Syracuse, which led UNC 10-0 before the Tar Heels mounted their comeback.First-year guard Stephanie Watts and sophomore guard Jamie Cherry shared the scoring load throughout the break, as one of the two perimeter threats led UNC in points in eight of the past nine games.
Women’s basketball
Wrestling
The North Carolina wrestling team capped an impressive start to its season with wins over Edinboro, Columbia and Brown on Saturday in the Pitt Duals held at Pittsburgh.
The Tar Heels now sit at 9-1 and have won eight straight matches since falling to Rutgers on Nov. 15 in the Northeast Duals at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y.
UNC's winning streak has been highlighted by a fifth-place finish in the 2016 Defense Soap & Flips Wrestling Southern Scuffle, marking North Carolina's best finish in the event since 2008.
Volleyball
The North Carolina volleyball team capped its 2015 season with a 3-1 loss (32-30, 18-25, 18-25, 14-25) to Creighton in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.The Tar Heels (21-10, 17-3 ACC) won 12 consecutive matches to end the regular season, which helped the team secure its sixth straight 20-win campaign and a chance to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.UNC swept UNC-Wilmington 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-21) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to the 16th-seeded Bluejays.
LDOC lockdown
On Dec. 2, the last day of classes for the fall semester, UNC went into lockdown after someone called 911 and said they saw a man with a rifle entering the ROTC Armory building on campus. No armed person was found after a number of police agencies searched South Columbia Street for suspicious activity, and the lockdown ended after less than half an hour.
The armory is kept locked and does contain active and inactive weapons, including parade rifles, UNC officials said. Police investigated a separate incident the same morning across campus, which turned out to be a homeowner shooting an air rifle on private property.
