Chatham County: Triangulator, Indy Week

Indeed, Cardinal Innovations receives federal funding

Billy Ball — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:32:57 -0400

As an addendum to today's story, Cardinal Innovations spokeswoman Rachel Porter confirmed after deadline Tuesday that her agency—known in official lingo as a managed care organization—does indeed receive federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

That information is key because it confirms the state-funded Cardinal Innovations, formerly known as Piedmont Behavioral Health, is subject to the findings of a federal investigation into whether Cardinal has broken federal law by denying mental health care reimbursements for the treatment of undocumented immigrants in its 15-county service area, which includes Orange and Chatham counties.…

North Carolina: No Medicaid dollars for undocumented mental health

Billy Ball — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:12:00 -0400

Addendum: It seems that Cardinal Innovation's approach on mental health care for the undocumented community is not unique.

N.C. Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Julie Henry notified INDY Week after its print deadline Tuesday that undocumented immigrants are only eligible for emergency service coverage under Medicaid rule, echoing the comments of Cardinal leaders in today's story.…

Is Aqua North Carolina in bed with 751 developers?

Lisa Sorg — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 19:07:00 -0500

The private water company Aqua North Carolina has asked to buy water from Chatham County that could be used for the 751 South project.

Chatham County Commissioners voted 4-1 to direct staff to draft a contract that would allow Aqua North Carolina to buy 850,000 gallons per day from the county.…

Groups to hold several public forums on fracking this month

Samiha Khanna — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:30:00 -0400

The N.C. League of Conservation Voters just sent out an announcement about three upcoming meetings and public forums on the topic of hydraulic fracturing or "fracking," the process of mining for natural gas.

- March 14, 6 p.m., Cary (no address provided) — 'citizen activists' training by Environment NC and Public Interest Network; for info, contact jmiller@publicinterestnetwork.org

- March 15, 7 p.m., Raleigh — talk on 'Facts About Fracking'; hosted by Capitol Group Sierra Club at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, 3313 Wade Avenue; click here for more info.…

Hackney won't seek re-election; clears path for Insko

Joe Schwartz — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:45:00 -0500

N.C. House Minority Leader Joe Hackney announced his retirement this morning, opting not to wage a re-election campaign against long-time colleague Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange.

The two veteran legislators were drawn into the same district, the 56th, by the Republican-produced new maps last year.…

Striped bass dying in record numbers at Jordan Lake

Lisa Sorg — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:59:27 -0400

Visitors to Jordan Lake are finding the beaches littered with dead fish after the largest die-off of striped bass in the history of the reservoir.

More than 5,000 striped bass have died in Jordan Lake since Aug. 1; state wildlife officials counted 1,800 on Aug. 9 alone.…

The end of the Chatham County Bookmobile

Jason Y. Lee — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 04:00:00 -0400

After 53 years, the Chatham County Bookmobile is dead.

As part of departmental budget cuts, Chatham County commissioners have eliminated funding for the traveling library.…

Kinnaird says Republican-proposed districts “re-segregating North Carolina,” hopes courts will overturn double-bunking with Atwater

Joe Schwartz — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:16:15 -0400

Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, Person, one of 10 state senators drawn into the same district as another sitting senator under the redistricting proposal Republicans released Tuesday, says she would seek to hold onto her seat, but running against a colleague would be “a very difficult situation.”

The 23rd district, which she now represents, was redrawn to include Chatham instead of Person County. That means Kinnaird, serving her eighth two-year term, and Sen. Bob Atwater, D-Chatham, Durham, Lee, in his fourth term, would be forced to square off.…

Chatham Commissioners to put resolution about undocumented immigrants on ice

Rebekah L. Cowell — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:16:00 -0400

Chatham County Commissioners on Monday plan to rescind a two-year-old resolution that critics say will hurt relations between undocumented immigrants and police.

In 2009, the previous board of commissioners, then dominated by Democrats, adopted a resolution acknowledging that undocumented immigrants live in and contribute to their communities:

"Chatham County is home to a diverse population — including people of color, documented and undocumented immigrants, citizens and noncitizens — whose contributions to the community are vital to its character and function; and whereas the Board of Commissioners is committed to upholding the civil rights of all persons in Chatham County and to protecting the enjoyment of any and all rights and privileges secured by the constitutions and laws of the United States.”

Commission Chairman Brian Bock, a Republican, said that the current board feels the language in the resolution discouraged local police and sheriff’s departments from entering into any future agreements with state or federal law enforcement.…

House committee OKs Cary, Apex deal with Chatham to nix involuntary annexation

Joe Schwartz — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:30:00 -0400

The deal to prevent Cary and Apex from annexing parts of Chatham County without approval from the Chatham County Board of County Commissioners is sailing through the General Assembly.

Commission Chairman Brian Bock announced the agreement Feb. 21 when the commissioners approved the Western Wake Partners’ plan to run 8.1-miles of wastewater treatment pipe underground through the county from the unincorporated Wake County town of New Hill to the Cape Fear River.…

Chatham residents, Wake mayors, business leaders debate pipeline

Joe Schwartz — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:54:37 -0500

(This story was updated Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m.)

MONCURE—More than two dozen people spoke before the Chatham Board of County Commissioners Monday night at a public hearing a plan to run an 8.1-mile underground pipeline from Western Wake County through Southeastern Chatham County.

Western Wake Partners—the towns of Apex, Cary, Morrisville and Research Triangle Park-South—are constructing a $327 million wastewater treatment plant in unincorporated New Hill, but they need to build the pipeline to funnel treated wastewater to the Cape Fear River.…

New Hill Community Association settles with Western Wake Partners

Rebekah L. Cowell — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 10:41:00 -0500

The New Hill Community Association announced this morning it has dropped its lawsuit against Western Wake Partners in exchange for amenities including a $500,000 New Hill community center.

For the past five years the association has fought the Western Wake Partners' plan to build a $327 million wastewater treatment plant in New Hill’s historical and predominantly African-American neighborhood.…

Questions arise about Chatham landfill vote

Rebekah L. Cowell — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:55:00 -0500

At least one Chatham County official is questioning whether a vote taken earlier this week on a new landfill was premature and curtailed public input.

Earlier this week, Chatham County Commissioners Brian Bock, Walter Petty and Pamela Stewart voted to postpone indefinitely the search for a new landfill.…

Chatham County: No landfill here

Rebekah L. Cowell — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 09:35:00 -0500

Chatham County will continue to export its trash after Chatham County officials on Tuesday halted an 18-month search for a new landfill.

The Board of Commissioners voted 3-0 to stop looking for a site in Chatham County; Brian Bock, Pamela Stewart and Walter Petty cast votes; Commissioners Sally Kost and Mike Cross were absent due to health reasons.…

Chatham County Commissioners start cutting—and two people lose jobs

Rebekah L. Cowell — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:28:24 -0500

In their first meeting of the year, the Republican-dominated Chatham County Commissioners today cut two positions and eliminated the Pittsboro-to-Chapel Hill bus service that began Aug. 17, 2009.
During a tense and packed meeting, at which Chatham County Fire Marshal Thomas Bender turned citizens away due to fire codes, Human Relations Executive Director Esther Coleman and Sustainable Communities Director Cynthia Van Der Wiele lost their jobs.
By a 3-2 vote along party lines, Chatham County Commissioners eliminated the positions.…

Chatham Commissioners opt out of permit extension, Western Wake Partners easement request

Rebekah L. Cowell — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:28:00 -0500

Outgoing Chatham County commissioners voted 5-0 to opt out of the state's one-year extension for all development permits. By doing so, the commission is requiring commercial and residential developers to reapply and submit to newer environmental regulations.…

Chatham County landfill in limbo

Rebekah L. Cowell — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:53:26 -0500

Chatham County citizens concerned about the placement of the proposed 400-acre landfill will have to wait until the beginning of the year for more definitive answers. The Solid Waste Advisory Committee's Dec. 1 meeting has been canceled to give the three newly elected county commissioners Brian Bock, Pamela Stewart and Walter Petty a thorough briefing on the landfill site evaluation.…

Children's University owner sentenced over failure to pay state

Lisa Sorg — Thu, 06 May 2010 12:48:03 -0400

Lisa McEntyre finally showed up.

The owner of Children’s University, a five-star preschool in Chapel Hill, arrived breathless and an hour late to her criminal trial this morning in Orange County Superior Court—and a lot of people were waiting for her: Representatives from the state Employment Security Commission, the plaintiff in today’s case, whom she owes $9,400 in back payroll taxes; and ~~eight~~ seven teachers at the now defunct school whom she owes tens of thousands of dollars in back pay.…

Chatham County lackluster turnout for conservative change

Rebekah L. Cowell — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:47:09 -0400

Chatham County Commissioner Sally Kost calls Chatham County's turnout for the primary elections “dismal.”

According to Chatham County Board of Elections, only 7,057 of 41,832 registered voters cast ballots— 16.8 percent of Chatham County's citizens. However, that's still higher than the statewide average of 14.3 percent,

Just a few days ago, Karl Kachergis, Chatham County Democratic Party Chairman noted, “The turnout at early voting is very low, so unlike Chatham.”
Whether a general malaise over the candidates or lack of interest until the turf war's begin in the fall,

Chatham County conservatives say they are clamoring for change, even if they didn't flock to the polls.…

Bock, Petty head to general election in Chatham commission contest

Rebekah L. Cowell — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:57:36 -0400

Voting results in the Republican primary for Chatham County Board of Commissioners have trickled in.
In District 3, Brian Bock won 55 percent of the vote over former Democrat-turned-Republican Cadle Cooper. Bock will face incumbent Democrat George Lucier in the fall.
In District 5, Walter Petty won over Kim Beal by a 2-1 margin.…

Northeast Chatham County begins installation of sidewalks along US 15-501

Rebekah L. Cowell — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:30:59 -0500

Sidewalks may not seem like something to get excited about, but for residents along northeast U.S. 15-501, the installation of a 5-foot sidewalk from north of Manns Chapel Road to just south of the Orange County line is a very positive event.

Last spring, the County received $245,255 in federal stimulus funds from the Durham-Chapel-Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization, and has been working on the engineer/design phase of the project since.…

Chatham County Commissioners approve Transportation Advisory Board

Rebekah L. Cowell — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:19:26 -0500

More than 60 percent of Chatham County residents work outside of the county; transportation is a crucial aspect to a quality of life in the rural county.

In that spirit, on Feb. 1, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners approved a new Transportation Advisory Board and is seeking applicants to serve on the volunteer board.…

McKissick, Atwater file for state senate

Lisa Sorg — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:31:02 -0500

Incumbent state Sen. Floyd McKissick Jr. and Bob Atwater have filed for re-election.

McKissick represents part of Durham County in District 20.…

Chatham school board to appoint new member after Gerald Totten's death

Rebekah L. Cowell — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:47:14 -0500

The Chatham County as the Board of Education could appoint a replacement as early as Monday for former District 4 school board member Col. Gerald Totten, who died unexpectedly Dec. 2, 2009.

A hearing will be held Monday, Jan. 25 from 7 to 9 p.m. at which the school board will consider the five applications they have received thus far.…

2010 U.S. Census prompts Chatham County to consider a fifth school district

Rebekah L. Cowell — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:05:51 -0500

Chatham County Commissioners are considering adding a fifth school district representative to the Chatham County Board of Education. Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposal Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. in the Superior Courtroom in the Historic Courthouse, 12 East St., Pittsboro.

Currently, the Board of Education has five members in four districts. Two school board members are elected from District Four.

The district map shows the population disparity:

[pdf 492kb] boe_districts_with_2000_census_population

As announced in a press release:

"The Chatham Board of Commissioners is considering a unanimous request by the Chatham Board of Education to redraw the current four Board of Education Districts to be identical to the five Board of Commissioner election districts.

“After the 2010 U.S. Census, all the districts will need to be redrawn.…