Trending today: the 1907 voyage of USS Albatross, a research vessel that collected 80,000 different species of sea life – and whose work is still relevant today, because they preserved the specimens in rum rather than formaldehyde and that turned out to be a far better preservative. (Though Aaron wonders about the inevitable stories about the fish that got away.)

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: Yo Ho Ho and a Kettle of Fish appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

This Saturday, December 6, head to the Sancar Turkish Cultural and Community Center for a fun-filled day of creativity, shopping and community at the Sancar Second Annual Craft Fair! The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with handmade gifts and artisan products plus “Sancar Treasures” for sale.

Visit Sancar.org to learn more about the fair.

Aaron welcomes Fevzi Yalin and Refika Yousefi from the Sancar Center to discuss Saturday’s Craft Fair – and the ongoing work of the Sancar Center in general.

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 Sancar Annual Craft Fair appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today’s news: the Triangle is under a Winter Weather Advisory, with multiple school closings and delays across the area. Also: newly elected officials take their oaths of office in Chapel Hill and Carrboro; the filing process continues for candidates in the 2026 midterm; a judge blocks Gov. Josh Stein’s effort to reduce Medicaid payouts amidst the ongoing state budget impasse; Chapel Hill and Carrboro gear up for this year’s Holiday Parade; UNC women’s basketball falls at Texas in the ACC-SEC Challenge; Carolina volleyball gets a win in the first round of the NCAA tournament; and UNC football loses a star to the transfer portal – but gains 39 highly-touted incoming freshmen.

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: Wintry Weather, Candidate Filings, and a Holiday Parade appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

This week in history: Walt Disney is born, Rosa Parks takes a seat for justice, and a chimpanzee blazes a trail to space.

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news and local voices in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every Thursday morning, local historian Scott Washington joins 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck for “History Matters,” a look back at notable events and significant figures from this week in history, ranging from pioneers to writers to inventors to civil rights champions and more, locally, nationally, and beyond.

Click here to listen back to the full History Matters archive – and tune in to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” Thursday mornings at 8:30 on 97.9 The Hill to hear those conversations live.

Listen:

The post History Matters: Always Fun To Do The Impossible appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Trending today: a big spike in “buy now, pay later” purchasing – which is sparking concerns as more and more Americans are missing payments, a sign that the industry is contributing to growing economic strain. (It’s not affecting Aaron, though: he never buys anything online in the first place, so he’s never heard of any of this.)

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: Buy Now, Pay Later appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today’s news: profiles of Tar Heel basketball legends Tyler Hansbrough (now a UNC professor) and Kayla McPherson (now a UNC coach). Also: more candidates file to run for office in 2026; the Durham City Council and Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board meet later today; big games tonight for UNC volleyball and women’s basketball; and the Carolina football team inks a highly-touted freshman class for 2026 – while Bill Belichick moves one step closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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: Candidates and Basketball Stars appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Trending today: a Penn State study on the potential effects of nuclear war on global corn production. Victor’s impressed by the model they used to reach their findings – but Aaron knows enough about academia to be more curious about the late-night conversation where the researchers came up with that idea in the first place.

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: Nuclear War, Corn, and You appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

This Friday and Saturday, December 5-6, multiple local organizations are teaming up for a pair of events to mark the 160th anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the U.S. On Friday, actor Mike Wiley will perform Howard Craft’s one-man show “The Fire of Freedom” at the Elizabeth Price Kenan Theater on UNC’s campus, starting at 6 pm. Then on Saturday, you’re invited to the Carrboro Century Center from 10 to 2:30 for a community history event called “Beyond the Thirteenth Amendment: Reclaiming the Promise of Freedom,” with guest speakers including State Supreme Court justice Anita Earls and Johns Hopkins historian Martha Jones.

Advance registration is required for both events. Get details on the events calendar page at ChapelHillPublicLibrary.org.

Aaron welcomes James Williams from the Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition to discuss the weekend’s events – and the importance and relevance of the Thirteenth Amendment today.

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: Celebrating the 13th Amendment, 160 Years Later appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today’s news: local officials and advocates help residents after a week of harsh immigration enforcement, and Carolina basketball gets a gritty win over Kentucky. Also: the filing period continues for candidates in next year’s midterm; the Pittsboro town board meets tonight for a budget discussion; Chatham County officials want your feedback on how to develop 28 acres in downtown Pittsboro; state lawmakers postpone a locally-relevant hearing; and the long recovery continues from Tropical Depression Chantal, even as crews continue finding more damage. And in sports, several Tar Heel athletes earn big individual honors – led by women’s basketball star Indya Nivar, who got named a national player of the week after achieving a rare triple-double.

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: Unpacking ICE, Chantal Recovery, UNC Over Kentucky appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 the Hill’s Andrew Stuckey fills in for Aaron Keck with the morning news. In this edition of the news, we learn the results of the first day of the filing period for 2026 elections. Highlights included Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson deciding to not run for reelection and instead pursue a seat on the Chatham County Board of Commissioners. We check the candidates in Orange County, hear from Jamezetta Bedford on her decision to run for reelection, and more. In Sports, the men’s basketball team gears up for a high profile trip to Lexington to face Kentucky, several athletes earn individual accolades, and more.

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.

The post The Morning News: Sheriff Roberson Not Running for Reelection, Basketball at Kentucky appeared first on Chapelboro.com.