JESSICA SCHONBERG

News

Castillo may face death penalty hearing

By JESSICA SCHONBERG | April 27

In the wake of last week's tragedy at Virginia Tech, past local incidents of violence seem far from the forefront of people's minds. But only eight months ago, Orange County residents were dealing with a school shooting at Orange High School in Hillsborough. Police say then-19-year-old Alvaro Rafael Castillo, an Orange High graduate, drove a van through the gated parking lot at Orange High and opened fire into the outside courtyard where students were eating lunch. Two students were injured, but not critically.

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Taheri-Azar pleads not guilty

By JESSICA SCHONBERG | January 25

HILLSBOROUGH - The UNC alumnus charged with driving a rented SUV through the Pit in March striking nine people pleaded not guilty to 18 felony charges in Superior Court in Hillsborough on Wednesday. Mohammad Taheri-Azar, 23, entered the pleas on nine counts of attempted first-degree murder and nine counts of felonious assault. He is being held in Central Prison in Raleigh in lieu of $5.5 million bail.

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Green project on the table

By JESSICA SCHONBERG | January 17

Residents can have their say in whether an environmentally savvy development should plant its roots downtown during a public hearing tonight. Greenbridge - slated for construction off Rosemary Street between Merritt Mill Road and Graham Street - would feature solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling systems, green roofs and a rainwater collection system that potentially could flush toilets. The project would comprise two high-rise towers with about 100 residences ranging in price from $225,000 to more than $1 million.

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Chapel Hill searching for new police chief

By JESSICA SCHONBERG | January 10

Chapel Hill is asking for the public's help finding the perfect new police chief, but so far, mum's the word. Only two people spoke at a focus group designed to garner resident input Tuesday night. Chief Gregg Jarvies announced in December that he will retire April 1 after 31 years of service and seven leading the force. Town Manager Roger Stancil said he'd like to have the new chief hired in time for Jarvies' farewell. "My goal is to have Chief Jarvies one day and Chief 'blank' the next day," he said.

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Town Council discusses petitions

By JESSICA SCHONBERG | November 21

In addition to receiving public comment about a proposed downtown development, the Chapel Hill Town Council received several petitions at its meeting Monday night. Widening the shoulder Blair Pollock, a Chapel Hill resident, presented a petition asking the council to work with the town of Carrboro to finish adding a shoulder or bike lane to Estes Drive. Estes Drive stretches from North Greensboro Street in Carrboro to Fordham Boulevard in Chapel Hill. "It's a key link as you know in transportation between our two towns," Pollock said.

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Downtown plan sees debate

By JESSICA SCHONBERG | November 21

Chapel Hill residents attended a public hearing en masse Monday night to show both support and opposition to a proposal to replace a downtown parking lot with an eight-story commercial and residential development. The $75 million plan calls for the development of parking lot 5, located across from University Square off of Church Street. The development, a public-private partnership with Ram Development Co., would include housing, retail space, a public plaza and an underground parking garage.

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Chapel hill celebrates arbor day with raps and awards

By JESSICA SCHONBERG | November 20

They aren't pop stars, and you probably won't see them on the Billboard Hot 100, but Linda Sheers' second-grade class was full of rappers Friday. The Glenwood Elementary School students performed a rap written by children at Derry Village School in New Hampshire at Chapel Hill's annual Arbor Day tree planting ceremony. "Trees are important and we're here to say you should plant one every day," they rhymed. Chapel Hill was presented with its seventh Tree City USA award during the ceremony. Tree City USA Awards are given annually to cities around the country.

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Early voting opens to unexpected crowd

By JESSICA SCHONBERG | October 24

Many people visiting Morehead Planetarium on Franklin Street Monday weren't there to stargaze. The planetarium is one of two early one-stop voting stations in Orange County that opened Monday. The station in Hillsborough opened Thursday. One-stop voting allows registered voters to cast their ballots before the Nov. 7 election. Anyone registered within the county can vote at any of the three voting sites, regardless of the precinct to which he or she is assigned. Seats in the U.S. House, N.C. House and Senate and Superior Court judgeships, among others, are up for grabs.

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Town readying for Halloween

By JESSICA SCHONBERG | September 27

Halloween is still more than a month away, but Chapel Hill police have been planning for its arrival since early summer. The Chapel Hill Town Council will discuss the preliminary operation plan for the downtown celebration at its business meeting tonight. The plan calls for a larger enclosed area and more police. Between 50,000 and 70,000 people are expected to attend at an estimated cost of about $220,000 to the town. Chapel Hill police Chief Gregg Jarvies said he plans to have about 380 officers from multiple jurisdictions staffing the event.

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Bar management aims to curb underage drinking violations

By JESSICA SCHONBERG | September 25

Nobody who drinks underage thinks he will be the one to get caught. But 52 people in Chapel Hill did between Aug. 18 and Sept. 18 - the first month students were back in town. Chapel Hill police issued 53 underage possession of alcohol charges during that month - up 34 from the same time in 2005 when 19 charges were filed. Drinking underage has consequences for those who do it, but it also has ramifications for the people who provide the booze.