Chapelboro.com

Trending today: a study of movies finds a recent drop in lighting contrast, particularly in science fiction – primarily because lower-contrast shots are easier to touch up with CGI in post-production. (Also, Victor champions one of his favorite cultural investigative journalists.)

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.

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

The post What’s Trending: Murking Up Your Movie appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today’s news: Chapel Hill police search for a missing teen, and UNC football is (reportedly) set to hire Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator. Also: Orange County Transit goes fare-free for a year, and we continue looking back at some of the top local stories of 2025 – including the ongoing impacts of federal funding cuts. And in sports, UNC men’s basketball wraps up its non-conference slate with a big win over ECU – including a late three-pointer from Elijah Davis, coach Hubert Davis’ son, for his first points as a Tar Heel.

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.

Listen:

The post The Morning News: Missing Teen, Fare-Free Transit, Elijah Davis, and Bobby Petrino appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Tonya Council of Tonya’s Cookies and Cafe spoke with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Monday, December 22. They discussed Tonya’s Holiday Meal’s available for pickup, which can be pre-ordered this week, and they discussed Tonya bringing back a Mama Dip’s tradition with a New Years Day Feast, which will be available January 1, New Year’s Day, at the Cafe on S. Elliot Road in Chapel Hill.

Presented by Tonya’s Cookies and Bakeshop.

On Air Today features interviews and conversations with the latest newsmakers in our community — including local elected leaders, educators, business owners, and anyone else with their finger on the pulse of the greater Chapel Hill community.

The post On Air Today: Tonya Council of Tonya’s Cookies and Cafe appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapelboro.com and 97.9 The Hill Sports Reporter Michal Koh spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Monday, December 22. He discussed UNC Men’s Basketball’s 70-71 win against Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday. He talked about takeaways from that game, the non-conference portion of the season so far, and what to look for in tonight’s matchup against ECU. He also discussed the latest on UNC football including the hiring of polarizing offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, and more.

On Air Today features interviews and conversations with the latest newsmakers in our community — including local elected leaders, educators, business owners, and anyone else with their finger on the pulse of the greater Chapel Hill community.

The post On Air Today: 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com Sports Reporter Michael Koh appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Trending today is a massive tax break that Meta just got from the state of Louisiana to build a giant data center – but while Victor is upset about that, he and Aaron also take the time to discuss the increasingly dystopian names that tech companies are creating for themselves. (“Palantir,” seriously? Like, you all know what a palantir is, right?) Also, Aaron yet again calls for a revolution.

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.

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

The post What’s Trending: Corporate Tax Breaks and Evil Corporate Names appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today’s news: our “Top Stories of 2025” series begins with a look back at the damage caused by Tropical Depression Chantal. Also: the filing period ends for candidates running for office in 2026, with some high-profile Democratic primary races in store for Orange County; and Chapel Hill reopens the Homestead Skate Park after months of renovations. And in sports: Seth Trimble returns to the court to help UNC men’s basketball beat Ohio State; Tar Heel women’s basketball wraps up its non-conference slate with an easy win; Carolina wrestling suffers its first loss but also gets a road win over a higher-ranked opponent; and two more Tar Heel football players announce plans to transfer.

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.

Listen:

The post The Morning News: Chantal, Elections, and UNC Basketball appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Nida Allam

This Week:

Nida Allam is a Canadian-American politician, political activist, and data analyst. She grew up in NC’s 4th congressional district, the daughter of Indian and Pakistani immigrants. She attended North Carolina public schools and then NC State University, where she led a campaign to partner with local healthcare workers to provide free healthcare to low-income community members. Allam is currently the vice-chair of the Durham County Board of Commissioners, to which she was elected in 2020, making her the first Muslim woman to serve in public office in North Carolina.

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: Nida Allam – Running for NC Congress appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Deborah Stroman and 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell chat on Friday, Dec. 19 for the final “Stroman on Sports” segment of 2025. With the end of the year here, the pair look back over some of the biggest recurring themes in sports stories in the past calendar year and share what they’ll remember about sports in 2025. Stroman discussing collective bargaining, the influence of gambling and the rise of media figures who don’t have clear backgrounds in journalism and real connections in the world of sports. McConnell, meanwhile, talks about the dramatic postseasons fans saw in the major sports leagues and how streaming platforms either materialized or struck bigger deals to invest in broadcasting live sporting events.

Dr. Deborah Stroman — who is a UNC professor, sports businesswoman, former basketball player, and columnist — chats with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell each week about the world of sports. Click here to listen to their past conversations on the latest sports headlines and impact in the game, on culture, and for business.

The post Discussing the Top Sports Stories and Themes of 2025 — Stroman On Sports (Dec. 19, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

David Grier “D.G.” Martin, Jr. held many titles across his 85 years on Earth: author, lawyer, university administrator, veteran, book reviewer, show host, political candidate, lifelong learner, father and husband. No matter his role, his gregarious personality, kindness and passion for North Carolina impacted thousands of people he met across his life.

Martin died on Dec. 9, 2025 in his Chapel Hill home. The news sprung an outpouring of support and memories about him — including here at the Chapel Hill Media Group. As the longtime host of “Who’s Talking with D.G. Martin,” Martin hosted dozens of guests at the radio station for the program and became a valuable member of the 97.9 The Hill WCHL family.

This hour-long special is in Martin’s honor, featuring some of his best interviews and moments across more than two decades of “Who’s Talking” — like chats with Bill Friday, Lefty Driesell, Mildred “Mama Dip” Council, William Leuchtenburg, James Moeser and more. Additionally, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck spoke with longtime WCHL morning show host Ron Stutts, former station general manager Jim Heavner, and UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts in the wake of Martin’s passing to hear their reflections of working alongside Martin and his impact on the community.

The post Celebrating D.G. Martin: Stories, Highlights and Reflections appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Ultra-processed foods are becoming more and more prevalent, in our grocery stores and around the world – and as we learn more about their long-term health effects, experts are growing increasingly concerned. (What are “ultra-processed foods”? In a nutshell: anything that contains an ingredient you’re not going to find at any grocery store.) The medical journal The Lancet recently published a series of three papers about the health impacts of ultra-processed foods – and what ought to be done about it from a policy angle.

Click here to read summaries of all three papers.

One of those papers was authored by Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Popkin joined Aaron in 97.9 The Hill studios to discuss ultra-processed foods and their health implications – and what policymakers should be doing about it, on the national and local levels.

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.

Listen:

The post On Air Today: The Danger of Ultra-Processed Foods – and How to Combat It appeared first on Chapelboro.com.