A grassroots effort in Chatham County to bring voices for controlled growth back to the table succeeded in putting two new members on the Board of Commissioners and apparently rejecting an ambitious plan to run water lines to a largely undeveloped area in the northcentral part of the county. Citizen activist Mike Cross won the […]
Jennifer Strom
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Are Chatham’s pipe dreams all wet?
As Chatham County plans a major expansion of water service, the state has serious concerns about current operations. And former employees say they’ve been told to keep quiet about the problems. by jennifer strom Chatham County wants taxpayers to support a massive, $36-million expansion of its water system. The problem is, state regulators say the […]
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Chatham Water, Past and Future
Chatham County is undertaking an ambitious project to expand its public water service. To fund it, the government asked voters who live in the three proposed new service areas to approve $20 million in bonds at the July 20 primary. Details of the project include: Southeast Water District (Oakland, Haw River, Cape Fear Townships) Cost: […]
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State shuts down Durham real estate firm
State investigators have put a Durham real estate management office out of business, closing the latest chapter in the seven-decade history of a firm that helped the city become known as America’s “Black Wall Street.” Citing property owners’ complaints of missing rent money, auditors’ findings of sloppy and nonexistent bookkeeping and license-related paperwork problems at […]
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Estate of Mrs. Nannie B. Johnson (DECEASED)
Nannie Johnson’s dead. I didn’t know her, but nosing around in a West Jefferson cafe, a compelling description of her personal effects drew my eye to an estate sale ad. The list filled most of a page. An excerpt: “Approx. 200 dolls … 3 nice head vases … 50 handmade afghans all different colors .. […]
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The companies he keeps
Andy Evans has raised tobacco in eastern North Carolina since he’s “been grown.” That’s about 30 years now, and he has labored hard tracing the tractor treads of his dad and his granddad before him. Like most tobacco farmers, Evans has watched his life savings–in the form of government-issued tobacco quotas and related farming investments […]
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Bowles collects from lawyers, financiers and famous people
Democrat Erskine Bowles has raised $4.2 million for his second U.S. Senate campaign, compared to Republican Richard Burr’s $5.4 million, as of June 23. Geographically, Bowles’ largest support comes from Charlotte, Greensboro and the Triangle. His top contributors work in law, finance and banking, real estate, and manufacturing, with about 6 percent of his money […]
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Tobacco dollars in N.C. congressional coffers
Tobacco farmers have worked for nearly a decade to convince Congress to buy out their quota–a federal deal that would allow them to cash in their allotments to recoup some costs and recover from deep debts accumulated over many years of farming at a deficit. The buyout has faced well-funded and well-organized opposition from one […]
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Two candidates get early start raising money
Roadside campaign signs are popping up across Chatham County, and while they vary in contents and colors, they convey one clear message: Mike Cross and Mary Wallace are spending the most money, the earliest, in advance of the July 20 primary. The first two candidates to jump into the commissioners’ race this spring, both Democrats […]
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No news is no news
It’s pretty remarkable what you can find on the island of Ocracoke, particularly at the end of April, when the village is quiet and the few springtime visitors spread out at wide intervals along 14 miles of pristine seashore. You can spot dolphins right close to the beach, dancing into the air above the foamy […]
