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

97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell substitutes for “News On The Hill” on Wednesday, July 30 and shares the latest local news. UNC administrators share their proposed budget cuts amid a call from trustees to streamline operations and the financial crunch caused by less federal funding. The trustees also hear a presentation on tenure and a pitch from one of the board’s members on building a cricket arena at Carolina North. A conservative group targets UNC with a bevvy of public records requests to scrutinize the topics of certain courses at the university. Former Gov. Roy Cooper’s entry into the 2026 U.S. Senate race puts him in a unique position, according to a local pollster. Eastgate Crossing merchants share why flood insurance isn’t a quick fix option for them after Chantal. And in sports: UNC is in the middle of the pack for the ACC Preseason rankings, Courtney Banghart details how women’s basketball’s scrimmage with South Carolina came about, and a popular figure at Carolina Baseball games “retires.”

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: UNC’s Budget Cuts, Roy Cooper’s Candidacy and Carolina Football’s Preseason Ranking appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

This this edition of “Wonderful Water,” join 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey for a conversation with OWASA Water Resources Director Allison Spinelli, Distribution and Collections Director Jesse DuClau, and Director of Wastewater Management Wil Lawson.

Tropical Depression Chantal’s impact on our community was severe — and as Orange County’s water utility, OWASA’s operation during a crisis is crucial. Through planning, effort, mitigation and preparation, Chapel Hill and Carrboro weathered the storm with little-to-no interruption in OWASA service.

Listen below to hear how OWASA serves our community, what it does to prepare for the worst, and what you can do to help!

This post is sponsored by OWASA.

Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents use roughly 7 million gallons of water a day, and “Wonderful Water” is a monthly conversation sponsored by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority highlighting its work to keep our community growing and water flowing.

Presented by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority.

The post Wonderful Water: Tropical Depression Chantal and OWASA Operations appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell guest hosts the show on Tuesday, July 29, and shares the latest local news updates. A missing Pittsboro man is reported safe in Chapel Hill, while police still look for information on two teenagers reported missing over the weekend. The U.S. Small Business Administration opens a Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Carrboro to help flood victims. Local leaders continue to discuss what steps are needed to mitigate future flood damage, with the future around Camelot Village in Chapel Hill murky on ways forward that best serve residents within the floodplain. The North Carolina General Assembly overrides several vetoes from Gov. Josh Stein to enact Republican-led policies. Carolina Performing Arts’ director shares why they developed the theme of “Love Live The Arts” for its 2025-26 schedule. And in sports: UNC women’s basketball will play a high-profile preseason game in Atlanta while David Glenn details some of the non-UNC storylines around ACC Kickoff in Charlotte.

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: Missing Person Updates, Camelot Village’s Future and UNC vs. South Carolina appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chatham County Public Health Department Director Mike Zelek and Population Health Data Scientist Alec Higgins join 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Tuesday, July 29. After sharing details on the county’s cooling centers and steps to protect residents from the dangerous summer heat, the pair dive into Chatham’s 2024 Community Assessment, which surveys residents to get a sense of broad public health needs. Higgins shares some of the starkest stats from residents’ responses, including how prevalent the lack of health insurance is among the county’s Latinx population, while Zelek details how the health department is taking steps to address some of the health inequities still present from the 2021 assessment.

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.

The post Chatham County Roundup: Mike Zelek and Alec Higgins of the Public Health Department appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell speaks with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Tuesday, July 29. Following North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s visit last week to the town’s wastewater treatment facility, Bell shares some of the themes of Jackson’s comments and the reaction since from peer governments to his efforts to restore BRIC grant funding for Hillsborough. The mayor also shares how the town is continuing recovery from the floodwaters and urges people to stay away from the closed parks. And Bell brings updates on the upcoming Uproar Festival of Public Art downtown as well as a power outage in a high-profile neighborhood earlier on Tuesday.

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 Jamezetta Bedford; 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 Hillsborough: AG Jackson’s Visit, Ongoing Flood Recovery and Preparation for Uproar appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Friday, July 25, discussing town news and events. She told about accompanying Gov. Josh Stein as he toured some of the areas flood damage last week, gave an update on recovery around town including the Public Works facility. She also reflected on Town Manager Patrice Toney’s first year on the job, 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 Jamezetta Bedford; 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 Carrboro: Gov. Stein and Storm Damage, Patrice Toney’s First Year appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Eastgate Business Owners Elie Abou-Rjeileh of Olmaz Jewelers, Meri Clark of Retore Wellness, Chuck Millsaps and Chad Pickens from Great Outdoor Provision Company, and Amal Zonca from Wax in the City joined 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey in studio on Friday, July 25. They discussed the process of mitigation and clean up for businesses at Eastgate, what the road to reopening looks like, and what the long-term considerations must be made for the future of their businesses.

The post Special Forum on The Hill: Eastgate Business Owners and the Way Forward appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Hillsborough Commissioner Matt Hughes joins 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell in studio on Thursday, July 24. Just hours after North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson visited the town and its wastewater treatment plant to survey flood damage, Hughes recaps Jackson’s prevailing message for helping the town recover. It involves restoring the funding approved by FEMA’s BRIC program before it was unceremoniously — and, as Jackson argues, unconstitutionally — rescinded earlier this year. Hughes describes how that funding would be helpful to Hillsborough down the road, even if it could not have prevented damage from Chantal, and what kind of risks are poised by the town’s wastewater treatment going offline.

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: Hillsborough Commissioner Matt Hughes on AG Jackson’s Visit, BRIC Funding appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell substitutes to host “News On The Hill” for Thursday, July 24 and share the latest local news. Hillsborough hosts North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson to survey the damage to its river pump station from Chantal’s flooding and advocate for the restoration of federal funding. Chapel Hill leaders, meanwhile, discuss the challenges around some of the popular ideas around stopping flooding at Eastgate Crossing and Camelot Village — and why they’re not as simple as they seem. UNC changes its in-state early admissions notices, Chatham County extends the filing period for two Goldston races and NCDOT continues overnight closures of I-40 lanes near Hillsborough. And in sports: UNC Football and head coach Bill Belichick hold their media availabilities at the ACC Kickoff event in Charlotte, and ESPN announces a big broadcast ahead of Carolina’s first game.

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: NC AG Visits Hillsborough, Leaders Discuss Mitigating Floods, Belichick Debuts at ACC Kickoff appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson speaks with 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Thursday, July 24. She shares her reactions and gratitude to running unopposed in this fall’s election cycle for mayor, and discusses why she plans to still hit the campaign trail. Anderson also shares some of the latest damage assessments and recovery moves by the town in the wake of Chantal’s flooding, including Chapel Hill’s affected public housing and trails.

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 Jamezetta Bedford; 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: Running Unopposed, Repairing Flood Damage and Preparing for August Events appeared first on Chapelboro.com.