Chapelboro.com

97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey speaks with Chapel Hill Immigration Attorney Chris Barnes and University of North Carolina Law Professor Rick Su on Monday, December 8. They discuss the specific implications of federal immigration enforcement actions in the Triangle region in November. They also discuss the larger legal ramifications of recent immigration enforcement, both in national politics and as it affects people locally. They share insights on the current legal question marks surrounding immigration in the United States, talk about who is affected most by these policies, what they expect to see in 2026, and more.

The 2025 “Forum On The Hill” is presented by the Town of Chapel Hill, UNC Health, Wegmans, Coleman Merritt Murphy & Rainsford P.C., and The Law Office of Chris Barnes. Listen to the panels live on 97.9 The Hill WCHL the week of Dec. 8-12 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., or revisit them the day after on-demand at Chapelboro.com, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

The post Interpreting the Legality of Federal Immigration Operations — Dec. 8, 2025 appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck speaks with community advocate Erik Valera, Carrboro Town Council member Eliazar Posada-Orozco, Orange County School Board member Wendy Padilla, and Holly Fraccaro of the Home Builders Association of Orange, Durham, and Chatham Counties.

Last month brought an intense round of federal immigration enforcement to the Triangle, resulting in some arrests and detentions but also causing widespread disruptions – and local officials and advocates say the disruptions go far beyond that one operation, affecting all of us (yes, even you) in significant and long-term ways. What have those effects been – and how should we be reacting as a community? Fraccaro, Padilla, Posada-Orozco, and Valera discuss the impacts on children and families, public safety, schools, and the local economy.

The 2025 “Forum On The Hill” is presented by the Town of Chapel Hill, UNC Health, Wegmans, Coleman Merritt Murphy & Rainsford P.C., and The Law Office of Chris Barnes. Listen to the panels live on 97.9 The Hill WCHL the week of Dec. 8-12 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., or revisit them the day after on-demand at Chapelboro.com, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

The post Supporting Our Immigrant Communities – December 8, 2025 appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell speaks with Elie Abou-Rjeileh of Olmaz Jewelers, Sarah Potter of the Town of Chapel Hill and Ian Scott of the Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro on Monday, Dec. 8. The night of July 6 brought an unprecedented amount of rainfall and flooding to the region, as Tropical Depression Chantal stalled over central North Carolina. Lots of attention in the immediate aftermath was focused on the impacted businesses — but where do response and recovery efforts stand five months later? What needs still exist for the business community and what level of economic impact are we seeing from the flood’s damages? The trio share their perspectives, as well as further details on how a network of local entities formed to help respond and aid impacted businesses in the wake of Chantal.

The 2025 “Forum On The Hill” is presented by the Town of Chapel Hill, UNC Health, Wegmans, Coleman Merritt Murphy & Rainsford P.C., and The Law Office of Chris Barnes. Listen to the panels live on 97.9 The Hill WCHL the week of Dec. 8-12 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., or revisit them the day after on-demand at Chapelboro.com, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

The post The Ongoing Economic Recovery From Chantal’s Floods — Dec. 8, 2025 appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Thursday through Sunday, December 11-14, head to Chapel Hill High School for their fall musical, “Annie!” A cast and crew of 70 students is staging one of the most beloved shows of all time, with some of Broadway’s most famous songs.

“Annie” is on stage at Chapel Hill High at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, followed by a 3 p.m. matinee Sunday afternoon. Click here to buy tickets in advance.

Aaron chats with CHHS theater director Thomas Drago, who’s producing this year’s musical.

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: ‘Annie’ at Chapel Hill High School appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Trending today: a massive study of neophobia (fear of new things) in birds, with some highly interesting findings. You can come up with easy explanations if you think about it: migratory birds tend to be more neophobic, for instance, perhaps as a way to keep them on track when they’re traveling long distances.

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: Neophobic Birds appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today’s news: schools are closed across the Triangle as a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect with anticipated snow. Also: local officials respond to last month’s immigration crackdown; Hillsborough gets federal funding to update their water treatment plant; multiple elected boards have meetings scheduled tonight (weather permitting); a Chapel Hill restaurant announces its closing date; and UNC’s mental health services teams turn up their efforts for finals week. And in sports: big wins for UNC men’s and women’s basketball; a season-ending loss for Tar Heel volleyball; another transfer announcement in Carolina football; and big honors for Tar Heel athletes in track and soccer.

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: Winter Weather, Immigration, Campus Mental Health, and UNC Basketball appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Azul Zapata stopped by Live & Local last week, to celebrate the release of her new EP “Death, Love & Disco.”

Visit AzulZapata.com.

“Death Love and Disco” is Azul’s second EP, her first since her 2021 debut, “The View From Here.” Pound for pound, it’s one of the Triangle’s best releases of the year, with five powerhouse tracks – led by “Disco Never Died,” which serves both as the lead single and a sort of thesis statement.

“Those are things that are unavoidable in life,” Azul says of the EP’s title. “Death, love, and – you can try to avoid disco, but you can’t. In every piece of popular music today, there is a little bit of disco. So these are unavoidable things…

“But they’re also transformative things. Death transforms you. Love transforms you. (And) disco transformed me. During the pandemic, I was very sad and very disconnected, and disco kept me alive. So it’s (also) about the unavoidable transformation of life: being lied to, falling in love, falling out of love, choosing to move on.”

Azul is a rising star in the Triangle music scene, and “Death, Love and Disco” marks a major step in her journey on several levels. Not only are the songs themselves earning widespread acclaim, the EP also gave her the opportunity to do something she’d never done before: produce physical copies of her music, in addition to digital releases.

“I pressed my first (vinyl), and that was as emotional as you think it was,” she says. “I cried. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can hold my music in my hands’ – which is not something we get to do very often.”

Follow Azul Zapata on Instagram.

But while Azul is having a terrific year musically, she’s also painfully aware of how difficult 2025 has been for many of us overall. And while “Death, Love and Disco” has a fun vibe, Azul is also using her platform to be a spokesperson for social justice, standing up for women, immigrants, BIPOC individuals and the queer community – all groups to which she personally belongs.

“We come from a country (Argentina) that had a military dictatorship,” she says, “and I’ve had family members in Argentina going, ‘Is this really happening?’ To them, America is the place of possibilities. but then they see everything that’s going on and it’s very dream-shattering…

“(So) I try to do my part. I’m part of Siembra NC, I’ve been trained to be able to go and watch areas (for ICE’s presence). I try to be vocal for my trans sisters and brothers, making sure that they are safe. And I show up, because not showing up is what kills me. If I’m at home feeling like I’m doing nothing, that makes me want to crumble.”

Azul’s next show is a big one: she’s performing on the main stage at Raleigh’s First Night celebration on New Year’s Eve, from 9:45-10:30 p.m. Click here to buy tickets and get more information.

Azul Zapata stopped by Live & Local, accompanied by Emily Musolino, to discuss “Death, Love and Disco” and play three songs live in the 97.9 The Hill studio: “Stress Dreams,” “Lies,” and “I Did It.” Listen:

The post ‘Death, Love and Disco’: Live and Local with Azul! appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chatham Co. Sheriff Mike Roberson

This Week:

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: Sheriff Mike Roberson – Community Policing appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

This week, Dr. Deborah Stroman is joined by UNC Sport Administration student and CSBA Intern Copeland Grantham.

The post December 6, 2025 appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Deborah Stroman chats with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Friday, Dec. 5 before heading to Charlotte to take in No. 17 Virginia vs. Duke football for the Atlantic Coast Conference title. The pair discuss the incredible season for Stroman’s Cavaliers, including the difficult circumstances head coach Tony Elliott has worked through, and what contributed to the Wahoos’ success. They also preview the matchup on Saturday and discuss how damaging to the ACC’s reputation it could be if Duke wins and is left out of the College Football Playoff by the selection committee because of their five losses. Debby also discusses the importance of representation in this matchup and the business elements the CFP leadership might be weighing when it comes to other conference champions.

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 Previewing The ACC Title Game and Discusses its Disaster Scenario — Stroman On Sports (Dec. 5, 2025) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.