Local Politics · Orange County
Karen Stegman and Beth Bronson were projected as winners in the Nov. 3 Orange County Board of Commissioners elections, each earning more than 85% of early vote over their Republican opponents. Stegman won the at-large seat vacated by Sally Greene; Bronson won District 2 after defeating incumbent Earl McKee in the March primary. Rani Dasi, appointed this summer to succeed the late Jamezetta Bedford, will serve an uncontested four-year term in her district. All three are expected to be sworn in at the board's December organization meeting.
Local Politics · Chapel Hill, NC
Rep. Allen Buansi (D) was projected to win a third term representing Chapel Hill and Carrboro in the N.C. House, defeating Libertarian Matthew Clements with 95% of early vote reported at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Rep. Renée Price (D), a Hillsborough resident, also won a third term for District 50 covering rural Orange County and Caswell County after running unopposed in the general election. Buansi, a Chapel Hill native and former town council member, was first elected in 2022.
Local Politics · Orange County
Democrat Jonah Garson is projected to defeat Republican Laura Pichardo for a full term representing North Carolina's Senate District 23, which covers Orange, Caswell and Person counties. With 11 of 60 precincts reporting, Garson earned 76.49% of the vote compared to Pichardo's 23.51%. Garson, a Chapel Hill native and attorney at Parry Law PLLC, was appointed earlier this year to succeed Sen. Graig Meyer, who resigned in March to lead the North Carolina Justice Center. Other candidates who sought the Democratic nomination included House Reps. Allen Buansi and Renée Price, Person County advisory board member Kenneth Perry, and Hillsborough resident Sheila Mikhail.
Local Politics · Chapel Hill, NC
The Chapel Hill Town Council approved up to 105 housing units replacing Fire Station 4 at Weaver Dairy Road Ext. and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and about 86 Habitat for Humanity townhomes along Rogers Road, with at least 55 percent reserved for households earning 80 percent of area median income or less. The council also voted to name a future park at 1714 Legion Road after former Mayor Howard Lee and educator Lillian Lee, and approved rezoning Holy Trinity Anglican Church property on Old Lystra Road for a new worship space and 10 homes. The Orange County Board of Commissioners received findings from GAR Associates showing the county's 2025 property revaluation failed to meet best practices, yielding 30 recommendations, while also discussing a $24.9 million emergency communication system upgrade adding three radio towers. Carrboro residents can sign up for CompostNow curbside composting at $19 per month when enrollment opens in January 2027.
Community brief · Hillsborough, NC
James Dixon, a lifelong Hillsborough resident, launched online gospel radio station WJCD approximately three months ago from a converted 16-by-10-foot storage shed on his Dimmocks Mill Road property. Dixon previously operated Church Time Radio on Facebook Live beginning in 2020 before transitioning to the dedicated station. WJCD plays southern gospel, contemporary gospel, traditional gospel and quartet music around the clock, with Dixon serving…
Nearby · Local Politics · Carrboro, NC
Over 100 Carrboro residents attended a public meeting Thursday at the Drakeford Library Complex to oppose a proposed merger of the Carrboro and Chapel Hill police departments. Under the proposal, all officers would operate from the current Chapel Hill Police Department headquarters, with Carrboro officers transitioning in cohorts of five beginning in December, and projected savings of about $3 million per year starting fiscal year 2029. Town Manager Patrice Toney cited former Chief Chris Atack's Oct. 1 retirement, Tropical Storm Chantal recovery costs, and budget pressures as reasons for the plan, while residents criticized the lack of transparency and questioned the financial projections. Council member Jason Merrill voiced support, calling it a potential win-win-win, but nearly all attendees raised hands against the proposal. The Carrboro Town Council is expected to vote on whether to pursue the merger on Nov. 10.
