Chapelboro.com

Chair of the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Board of Education Riza Jenkins spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, January 20. She discussed latest meeting of the board, which outlined the process for closing a school within a district, and a presentation on the enrollment and budget data that led to that discussion. She also discussed a couple of recent policy changes that have feedback coming in: the cellphone policy and the change to a block schedule at the secondary level. Andy Jenks also joined to talk about inclement weather procedures and more.

Speaking of Schools is our regular check-in with the public K-12 school districts in our community.  You can find conversations with leaders from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Orange County Schools, and Chatham County Schools by clicking here.

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Chatham County Commissioner Karen Howard spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, January 20, discussing county news and events. She previewed this evening’s meeting of the county commissioners, which includes a quarterly budget update and recognizing the Haw River Trail’s 20th anniversary. She also talked about upcoming inclement weather and more.

97.9 The Hill’s broadcast of the Chatham County Roundup is sponsored by Chatham County’s own Rocky River Hemp, your local source for regeneratively grown hemp CBD and THC products like oils, salves, gummies, seltzers, facial serums and dog treats.

Each week, News on The Hill engages in conversation with Chatham County leaders for the Chatham County Roundup. You can find previous conversations with Pittsboro Mayor Kyle Shipp, Chatham County Commissioner Karen Howard, and other county leaders by clicking here.

Listen:

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Welcome to “Paying it Forward,” a monthly interview series made possible by Piedmont Health. In this series, we hear from the folks at Piedmont about the importance of community health centers – and why they chose a career in community health.

This month, Aaron welcomes Dr. Katayoun Sadri, the lead dentist at Piedmont’s new dental location in Chapel Hill. She’s been a dentist for nearly a quarter-century with experience all over the world, including Switzerland – but she says she’s especially excited about her current job in community health.

“I’m loving it,” she says. “It’s challenging and I’m grateful….(and) we’re providing care for people who need it the most. (We) have the facility to provide the care that I would provide in my private practice – but for folks that haven’t seen dentists, or can’t afford a dentist, or don’t have insurance. And there are a lot of kids (with) dental needs and parents can’t afford it. So I’m grateful to be a medium here to provide the care for them.”

In her work, Dr. Sadri emphasizes preventative care: consistent brushing and flossing, along with regular dental cleanings.

“It’s less expensive, less work, less frightening,” she says. “(And) I’m so grateful of our philosophy in the US, because when I lived in Europe, preventative (care) was not really a big deal. People would wait till their tooth started hurting.”

Dr. Sadri says she loves working with her staff at Piedmont – but even more than that, she loves helping her patients, especially kids who need help overcoming their natural fear.

“There was this kiddo who was super scared, he was crying in the lobby,” she remembers. “(But) we managed to take care of him and do what we needed…and by the end of it, he was following me. And the mother was like, ‘where are you going?’ And he’s like, ‘I just want to stay with her.’ And I thought that was really sweet. It’s quite telling that if you show some care and some love and some attention, not only does the fear go away, but also it brings a sort of attraction that people are like, ‘okay, I can handle this. I want to be here.’”

Piedmont Health Services is offering free dental services for uninsured kids 17 and under on Friday, February 6, as part of Give Kids A Smile Day. Click here for more information on the program and how to book an appointment for your child.

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news and local voices in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday morning, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck chats with government officials, UNC scholars, business and nonprofit leaders, area musicians, and others in our community as they share their thoughts, their experience, and their expertise on the central issues of today. Click here to listen back to all of Aaron’s conversations – and tune in to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” at 7:30 a.m. on 97.9 The Hill to hear those conversations live.

You can also listen to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” on Spotify. Click here to follow Aaron and listen to all his segments, from local news to fun features to hard-hitting interviews.

Listen:

The post Giving Kids a Smile: ‘Paying It Forward’ with Piedmont Health’s Katayoun Sadri appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Trending today: Stranger Things fans who were disappointed by the finale have convinced themselves there’s a secret, real final episode out there. (Also, Aaron goes after the Straussians.) Henry Taylor fills in for Victor.

Want to know what folks are talking about on social media? Every weekday on 97.9 The Hill’s “This Morning with Aaron Keck,” Victor Lewis scours the Internet for the day’s top trending stories, from weird news to wacky crimes to odd business ventures and everything in between. Click here to listen back to all our past What’s Trending segments – and tune in to “This Morning” on 97.9 The Hill every weekday at 7:45 to hear What’s Trending live on the air.

You can also listen to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” on Spotify. Click here to follow Aaron and listen to all his segments, from local news to fun features to hard-hitting interviews.

What’s Trending is made possible by Dynamic Electric. Listen now:

The post What’s Trending: Conformity Gate appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today’s news: we’re entering the second week of the murder trial of Issiah Ross for the 2022 killing of teens Lyric Woods and Devin Clark. Also: the Buddhist “Walk for Peace” nears the Triangle; health experts discuss the impact of federal funding cuts; UNC men’s basketball falls eight spots in the AP rankings after another rough loss over the weekend; and Roy Williams joins a push to preserve the Smith Center and oppose a new basketball arena at Carolina North.

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday morning, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck recaps the day’s news, from local government to business developments to UNC sports. Click here to listen back to all of Aaron’s daily news reports, which you can hear live during “This Morning with Aaron Keck” every weekday from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m.

You can also listen to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” on Spotify. Click here to follow Aaron and listen to all his segments, from local news to fun features to hard-hitting interviews.

Listen:

The post The Morning News: Clark-Woods Murder Trial Continues, Roy Williams Supports the Smith Center appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Lisa M. Fedele

This Week:

Lisa M. Fedele is a creative strategist, community advocate, and entrepreneur dedicated to building vibrant, people-centered places. With a passion for arts-driven development and innovative food concepts, she leads projects that blend culture, commerce, and community impact. Her work spans downtown revitalization, small-business incubation, and storytelling that elevates local voices. In addition to her community work, Lisa serves as Global Creative Operations Lead at Cisco Systems, where she oversees large-scale brand programs, cross-functional creative workflows, and operational strategy. She is known for bringing clarity to complex initiatives, building high-performing teams, and delivering cohesive global experiences that strengthen Cisco’s brand and customer engagement.

Randy Voller

Come on up to the porch to have a chat with Randy Voller — former mayor, real estate developer, musician, man-about-town and more — in a recurring conversation and slice-of-life program presented by VRC Limited. If you love great conversations and amazing anecdotes, then come on up and join us…On the Porch!

The post On the Porch: Lisa Fedele – New Orleans to Siler City appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

This week, Dr. Deborah Stroman discusses holiday hiccups and hallelujahs.

The post January 17, 2026 appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill’s Deborah Stroman and Brighton McConnell chat on Friday, Jan. 16 ahead of the 2026 College Football Playoff national championship game coming up on Monday. As Miami takes on Indiana in the Hurricanes’ home stadium, what storylines are we following on and off the field? What would a Miami win mean not just for the program, but for the ACC? And is Indiana football’s turnaround in these past two seasons among the best stories in sports history? Debby says why she thinks it deserves an asterisk.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a consulting professor for UNC and Virginia, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about headlines from the world of sports. Covering both local and national stories, Stroman specializes in connecting the on-field product to the impact of sports on business, culture and society. Listen to their past conversations on Chapelboro, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

The post Storylines We’re Following in the College Football Championship Game — Stroman On Sports (Jan. 16, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Island Moons (Brandon Harwood) stopped by Live & Local this week, ahead of the release of his debut EP “Dream” – the first of two he’s planning to release this year.

Follow Island Moons on Instagram.

With a sound that’s inspired by a wide range of artists, from Bon Iver to the late-period Beatles, Island Moons made a splash in 2023 with four stellar singles, but “Dream” will be Harwood’s first longform release – and his first release of any kind since arriving in the Triangle two years ago. And it’s a long time coming: Harwood’s been working to reach this point since he started recording his music in New York City during the pandemic.

“This is a milestone for me,” he says. “I really am excited: I sometimes as an artist get stuck in analysis paralysis, you know, and self-sabotage, procrastination…(so) I truly know the meaning of the word ‘release.’ It’s out, it’s out of my hands, it’s in the universe, (and) it’s a weight off at the same time.”

The lead single, “In This Town,” is out already. It’s an uncanny, haunting dreamscape of a song, with characters and images drawn from old history and Westerns that still feels inexplicably immediate and timely – a fitting vibe for an artist who draws his stage name from the poetry of William Blake.

“It’s kind of a cool story,” Harwood says about the name Island Moons, which came about during a recording session in upstate New York. “I (had) some reservations about releasing it (under) my name, and Tim Barr at Lower Oceans Recording was just like, ‘Look, you got three days, and if you don’t have a name within three days, we’re just going to release it under your name.’ So I was in his guest room, just thumbing through a bunch of books – and I found a collection of poems by William Blake, and there was this one page that was just completely blank, except for an island in the moon. And I was like, ‘these words are speaking to me.’

The release date for “Dream” is Friday, January 30, and Harwood is celebrating with an EP release show at Local 506 in Chapel Hill the day before, Thursday, January 29. And that’s just the beginning: Island Moons is also set to release a second EP, “Bell,” later this year – along with a “Dream Bell” vinyl release that combines the two.

Click here to learn more about Island Moons’ show at Local 506 and buy tickets.

Island Moons stopped by Live & Local this week to discuss “Dream” and play three songs: “In This Town,” “Slumber Sail,” and “Can You See The Future?” Listen:

The post A New ‘Dream’: Live and Local with Island Moons! appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell substitutes for Andrew Stuckey on Friday, Jan. 16 and shares local news headlines to close out the work week. The trial over Lyric Woods and Devin Clark’s violent deaths sees no action on Friday, as the court goes into recess over a family emergency. A water main break along East Franklin Street causes brief lane closures and a boil water advisory for some OWASA customers. UNC’s School of Civic Life and Leadership, as well as the North Carolina Children’s Hospital, each land substantial financial boosts. The state Department of Transportation announces details of pedestrian safety infrastructure coming to NC Highway 54 in Carrboro. Plus: UNC women’s basketball snaps a losing skid thanks to one of its stars and local leaders share their thoughts on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy leading up to the national holiday.

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday afternoon, 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey recaps the day’s news, from local government to business developments to UNC sports, and everything in-between. Hear compelling stories, breaking news, and more. Find all of Andrew’s 5:00 News Reports by clicking here.

The post The 5:00 News: Court Recess, Water Main Repairs, MLK Day and Reniya Kelly’s Career High appeared first on Chapelboro.com.