City & County -

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N.C. House Democrats introduce bill to reduce court fees and reform criminal debt

By Allie Sadoff | April 27

Court-imposed fees in North Carolina have increased by 400 percent over the past 20 years, according to the North Carolina Justice Center. These fees ...

Local educators, students with technical skills shine during STEM Education Month

By Niharika Ghoshal | April 27

April is STEM Education Month in North Carolina, as proclaimed by Gov. Roy Cooper on April 13. Students and educators in STEM are celebrating the month ...

N.C. House Democrats introduce bill to ban fracking, 11 years after it was made legal

By Avery Baker | April 27

House Bill 676, filed on April 18 by N.C. Rep. John Autry (D-Mecklenburg), proposes a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking.” ...

Most Lumbee Tribe members in North Carolina live in Robeson, Scotland, Hoke and Cumberland counties

After more than 100 years, Lumbee Tribe still seeking federal recognition

By Walker Livingston | April 27

“I want people to know that we are a tribal entity, we are a tribal government, we are a government that is self-sustaining,” John Lowery, chairperson ...

N.C. House and Senate bills could establish contaminant levels for drinking water

By Kaitlyn Church | April 27

Collectively titled the 2023 Safe Drinking Water Act, N.C. Senate Bill 350 and House Bill 610 were filed on March 22 and April 13, respectively. If passed, ...

CHHS English teacher Kimberly Jones wins state Teacher of the Year

By Zoe Werner | April 27

On April 14, Kimberly Jones became the 2023 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year. She will spend the next year traveling around ...

Bipartisan group of NC Reps introduce bill to prevent youth access to nicotine

By Annie Gibson | April 27

House Bill 543, which aims to reduce youth dependency on nicotine, was moved to the N.C. House rules committee on April 3. If passed, the bill will become ...

Land use amendment causes controversy among residents, some say ‘no rezoning’

By Annika Duneja | April 26

To combat Chapel Hill’s unstable housing climate, the Chapel Hill planning department and Town Council are considering a LUMO amendment that would allow ...

Meet 'Trumpet Monk': a street musician who seeks to give back

By Jenna Rupp | April 26

Many Chapel Hill evenings spent on Franklin Street include the sounds of local musician "Trumpet Monk," who had a career as a successful guitarist before ...

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

SolarEquity partners with two affordable housing nonprofits to install solar panels

By Tori Newby | April 26

Two local affordable housing nonprofits, EMPOWERment, Inc. and CASA, are embarking on their first solarization projects with the help of SolarEquity, ...

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Orange County Schools Board of Education approves new AP class, other contracts

By Phoebe Martel | April 26

On Monday during its meeting, the Orange County Schools Board of Education approved a contract with Engaging Schools, authorized a consulting contract ...

Local artist Janvika Shah creates bus shelter art as part of Art + Transit program

By Ella Aluise | April 26

To celebrate Women’s History Month, Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture selected Janvika Shah to create a piece of art for a bus shelter on South ...

Music stores in Chapel Hill and Carrboro celebrate national Record Store Day

By Eliza Benbow and Kaitlyn Church | April 26

Local record stores celebrated Record Store Day on Saturday with exclusive new vinyl releases and musical performances. Record Store Day is an annual ...

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National Donate Life Month combats transplant-based medical mistrust

By Olivia Gschwind | April 25

Every April, "National Donate Life" Month encourages people to sign up to become organ donors through activities and events that foster community engagement ...

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NC House Democrats introduce Hate Crimes Prevention Act

By Tori Newby | April 25

If passed, House Bill 596, otherwise known as the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, would increase punishments for those who commit hate crimes, require additional ...

'A personal attack': NC House Republicans introduce bill to criminalize drag shows

By Arwen Helms | April 25

Republican lawmakers in the North Carolina House filed House Bill 673 on April 18, which would criminalize drag shows in the presence of minors statewide. ...

NCDHHS announces discontinuation of P-EBT benefits for 2023-2024 school year

By Libby Wakefield | April 25

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program will not be available for the ...

ACLU challenges new NC law set to redefine, impose stricter punishments for riots

By Maddie Singleton | April 25

The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina filed a lawsuit challenging multiple provisions of House Bill 40, which would impose stricter penalties ...

Bill seeks to amend N.C. Constitution to codify "right to work"

By Caroline Horne | April 25

On Monday, the General Assembly passed the first reading of a bill that may permanently put a right-to-work law into the North Carolina Constitution. ...

Thousands of runners participate in 16th annual Tar Heel 10 Miler

By Audrey Kashatus | April 24

On the cloudy Saturday morning of April 22, thousands of people participated in the 16th annual Tar Heel 10 Miler. Spirits were high among the runners, ...