News On The Hill with Andrew Stuckey (97.9 The Hill)

97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey presents the afternoon news. Included in this edition, we look back at the weekend of Winter Storm Fern, and look ahead to closures and delays caused by that storm’s ice. We hear from Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood on the aftermath of the storm and best practices going forward. In sports, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams for UNC get valuable wins over the weekend to bolster their tournament resumes, and more.

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 Evening News: Weather Response, Closures, Basketball Wins appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com Social Media Manager Henry Taylor spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Monday, January 26. He discussed the weather and road conditions in Pittsboro. He also highlighted some recent activity on 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com social, weather response updates, sharing audio on social media, a recent Instagram Reel from Aaron Keck, 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.

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97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com sports reporter Michael Koh spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Monday, January 26. He discussed the weekend in UNC sports, which featured a key road win for the men’s basketball team at Virginia on Saturday. He discussed the win, and how it fits into the larger story of UNC’s season. He also talked about the women’s team picking up a big overtime win on Sunday against Syracuse, 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.

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97.9 The Hill’s Deborah Stroman and Brighton McConnell chat on Friday, Jan. 23 about one of the top sports stories of the week: quarterback Darian Mensah being sued by Duke University for entering the transfer portal and potentially breaking his contract with the football program. As Duke tries to prevent Mensah from reportedly jumping to an ACC rival, Stroman shares her thoughts on how the case could set a precedent for both schools’ and players’ future negotiations and navigation of roster construction. Debby also shares her thoughts on the increasing trend of basketball players with professional experience using their remaining college eligibility to join college programs mid-season.

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 Mensah v. Duke Reflects Ongoing Professionalization of College Sports — Stroman On Sports (Jan. 23, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

District 54 Representative and North Carolina House Minority Leader Robert Reives spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, January 22. He discussed the ongoing budget debacle at the state level, which he expects to see little movement on until after primaries. He also reflected on 2025 for the state legislature, and looked ahead to what he expects to be some of the dominant storylines of 2026, and more.

Robert’s Rules is our regular check in with Representative Robert Reives, representing Chatham County in North Carolina’s 54th district, and leading the Democratic caucus in the state house. Every two weeks Rep. Reives shares the latest news from the General Assembly in Raleigh, and his unique perspective on state and national political news.  On Air Today features 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 Robert’s Rules: Rep. Robert Reives Discusses What Comes Next for State Budget, 2026 Likely Priorities appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey presents the afternoon news. Included in this edition of the news, we update the Ross murder trial in Hillsborough, which has concluded arguments and moved to jury deliberation. We also continue to keep an eye on the winter storm coming to North Carolina this weekend, which includes possible record levels of freezing rain. We also learn more about UNC’s plans for their Carolina North Campus, and more.

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 Afternoon News: Closing Arguments, Ice Storm Coming, Basketball Wins appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, January 22, discussing town news and events. She talked about the upcoming winter weather and the preparations being made as the town expects snow and ice over the weekend. She also discussed the most recent town council meeting which saw the passage of amendments to the town’s Land Use Management Ordinance. She talked about UNC’s announced plans for the Carolina North campus, and more.

Conversations With the Mayors is an ongoing series on “News on the Hill” where host Andrew Stuckey visits with the local government leaders who help shape our communities in Chapel Hill and the surrounding area. Each Tuesday he visits with Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell; Wednesdays feature a conversation with Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton; Thursdays feature Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson, and Fridays include a conversation with Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee. You can listen to previous “Conversations With the Mayors” here.

The post Chapel Hill: Storm Prep, LUMO, Carolina North appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

The Radio Voice of UNC Women’s Basketball Matt Krause spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, January 22. He discussed the previous week in UNC women’s basketball, that saw victories over both Miami and Florida State. He talked about the resurgence of Reynia Kelly, improved free throw shooting, 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.

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The Carrboro Film Fest, which celebrates their 20th festival this year, has made the decision to reschedule due to an extreme winter weather forecast that is expected to bring icy and hazardous conditions to Central North Carolina this coming weekend. The festival, which was originally scheduled to take place January 23-25, will now take place Friday, February 27 through Sunday, March 1, 2026. The event will continue to be held at the Drakeford Library Complex in downtown Carrboro, without any change or modification to the festival program.

“As excited as we are to share these great films at the Carrboro Film Fest, what’s most important is the safety of our community, and in looking at the forecast for this weekend’s weather, we made the difficult decision to reschedule the festival” shares Festival Director Bryan Reklis. “We want our friends and neighbors to prioritize their immediate needs in preparation for this weather. We look forward to gathering together in February to celebrate Southern film.” For more information about the new dates and ticket details, visit the Carrboro Film Fest at www.carrborofi lm.org.

Prior to the announcement of the date change for this year’s Carrboro Film Fest, Filmmaker Darryl Jones, who serves as Marketing Director for the Carrboro Film Fest joined 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey to talk about this year’s Carrboro Film Fest, back for its 20th year! In its new home at the Drakeford Library Complex, bringing the community 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.

As a filmmaker, Jones also discussed his film, TANDEM, which is showing Saturday, February 28, 3:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m., during the Mile Markers short film block.

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!)

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.

Listen:

The post Carrboro Film Fest Rescheduled for February 27 — March 1, 2026 Due to Winter Storm appeared first on 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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