Chapelboro.com

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP is hosting its annual MLK Day rally & service Monday, January 19. Everyone’s invited to gather at 9:45 a.m. at Peace & Justice Plaza on E. Franklin St; following a short program, there will be a march down Franklin to First Baptist Church for a service in honor of Dr. King’s life and legacy.

Aaron welcomes Herman Foushee and Lee Moavenzadeh of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP to discuss Dr. King’s life, legacy, and message, as well as the details about Monday’s march and service.

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.

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The post On Air Today: Chapel Hill’s 2026 MLK Day Rally & Service appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today’s news: jury selection begins in the trial of the man accused of killing teens Lyric Woods and Devin Clark in 2022. Also: UNC’s provost addresses concerns over the recent decision to eliminate six global area studies centers; local hunger-relief agencies deal with major federal funding cuts; environmental groups challenge Chatham Park in court; Pittsboro’s Goathouse Refuge cat sanctuary is in danger of being shut down; CITEL finalizes plans to move its U.S. headquarters to Hillsborough; Spectrum extends broadband to rural Orange County; and election experts say Democrats are still poised for big wins in North Carolina this year, despite losing their registration advantage to Republicans. And in sports: high rankings this week for UNC baseball and men’s basketball – but not so much for women’s basketball.

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.

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The post The Morning News: Murder Trial, UNC Area Center Cuts, Food Nonprofit Struggles appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Registered Republicans now outnumber registered Democrats in North Carolina for the first time ever – but how much does that actually matter? Not much, says Tom: voters were more likely to cross party lines in previous generations, so Democrats have actually performed better in recent elections than they did in the past with a big registration advantage. More importantly, unaffiliated voters outnumber both Democrats and Republicans, so the outcome is really in their hands – and with most unaffiliated voters feeling low on Donald Trump these days, Democrats are still poised for big wins in the 2026 midterm even without a registration advantage.

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.

Every other Monday, Aaron is joined at 8:30 a.m. by Tom Jensen, the director of Public Policy Polling, for a longstanding regular segment called “What We’re Thinking,” looking at recent survey numbers and discussing what they tell us about American public opinion – election-related and otherwise.

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 What We’re Thinking: The Republican Registration Advantage appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Trending today is Vidiots, formerly an independent video store that’s now a nonprofit dedicated to preserving rare videos for posterity. They’ve been saving video tapes for years; now they’re engaged in the (massive) process of digitizing them all. (Also, Victor waxes nostalgic about a beloved local video store – but maybe not the one you’re thinking of.)

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: The Video Booth Changed My Life appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today’s news: hundreds rally against ICE in Carrboro, and environmental advocates pan proposed new state rules for “forever” chemicals. Also: UNC students raise concerns about living conditions in Granville Towers; UNC men’s basketball gets its 500th win in the Smith Center; Tar Heel women’s basketball falls at Notre Dame; Carolina gymnastics, swimming & diving, fencing, and women’s tennis all score weekend wins; and the transfer portal remains open for UNC football, while the Tar Heels officially confirm Bobby Petrino as their next offensive coordinator.

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: Anti-ICE Protest, Forever Chemicals, 500 Smith Center Wins appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Bobbie Morel

This Week:

Service is a part of living for Bobbie Morel and food is her love language. Helping to lead the Chatham Alliance allows Bobbie to provide for her community while addressing food insecurity and do what she loves. Bobbie is married with 5 stepchildren and 8+ grandchildren. Her professional career was in the medical field and she later transitioned to electrical before retiring and moving from New England to North Carolina. Bobbie’s faith is the cornerstone of her life. She is a dedicated member of Pittsboro Presbyterian Church.

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: Bobbie Morel – Food for the People appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Deborah Stroman and News Director Brighton McConnell chat for the first “Stroman on Sports” segment of 2026 on Friday, Jan. 9. With both UNC basketball programs coming off of losses to start the new year (and the early stretch of conference play), Debby discusses the narratives around both teams and what questions are being asked about the head coaches’ strategies. Men’s basketball has had a strong start — but the team is still building chemistry and is searching for an identity. The women’s team, meanwhile, has lost critical conference games in the closing minutes while missing crunch-time free throws. The pair share their thoughts, as well as react to the news of Miami football punching its ticket to the College Football Playoff championship game.

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 Where the UNC Basketball Programs Stand as 2026 Starts — Stroman On Sports (Jan. 9, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

What’s a good New Year’s resolution-themed date night? Brad and Aaron tackle Dry January in two very different ways. (Also, Brad insists that it’s better to set New Year’s “goals” than New Year’s “resolutions,” but Aaron’s not at all convinced there’s any difference.)

Are you looking for romantic date-night ideas in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and the greater Triangle community? Memorable restaurants, cultural experiences, special events, great places to get outdoors? Every Friday morning at 8:30, Aaron Keck and his husband Brad Bednar go on 97.9 The Hill and offer their recommendations during “Date Night” on This Morning with Aaron Keck. Click here to listen back to all their past segments – and tune in to This Morning every Friday at 8:30 to hear “Date Night” 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.

Listen:

The post Date Night: New Year’s Resolutions (Or New Year’s Goals?) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Trending today: what are the 10 most commonly assigned novels in middle and high schools? About the same as they were 35 years ago, according to a new report from the National Council of Teachers of English. Victor and Aaron talk about their favorite (and least favorite) books in the K-12 canon – and Aaron wonders if the same consistency can be found in poetry.

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: Borne Back Ceaselessly Into Your High School Reading List appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Film Fest is back for its 20th year! Head to the Drakeford Library Complex January 23-25 for dozens of new Southern films from diverse filmmakers across the region (including many from North Carolina). Carrboro Film Fest has a long history of bringing filmmakers and audiences together for a heartfelt celebration of independent cinema – and this year’s lineup promises to be better than ever.

Aaron welcomes festival director Bryan Reklis to the studio to preview the festival – which kicks off January 23 with the feature film “Leads,” directed by Austin’s Bryan Poyser. Poyser joins on the phone to share details about his film.

Conversation presented by Carrboro Film Fest. Visit CarrboroFilm.org to check out the full schedule and buy tickets. (Get 15 percent off with the promo code WCHL2026!)

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 On Air Today: The 2026 Carrboro Film Fest! appeared first on Chapelboro.com.