VOLUME 147 ISSUE 14 | THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2024
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
inside PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan walks away from the microphone after talking about the death of PGA player Grayson Murray during the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament in Fort Worth, Texas. Murray, a Raleigh native and former Wake Forest and ECU golfer, withdrew from the tournament and took his life over the weekend. For more, turn to NSJ B3. LM OTERO / AP PHOTO
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BRIEF this week
VinFast considering further delays: report VinFast is considering further pushbacks on the timeline for its Chatham County factory, claimed a report from Reuters put out Wednesday morning. The facility, originally planned for a July 2024 completion, was later pushed to 2025. The company has not made any public pronouncements about altering the timeline for its Chatham operations, but the report says changes to the size of the general assembly building were filed with the county planning department last month.
Rocky River Bridge closed indefinitely NCDOT has closed the Rocky River Bridge on Chatham Church Road indefinitely following a safety inspection. The bridge’s weight limit has been progressively reduced over the past few years to reduce wear and tear on the bridge. The department is examining potential solutions for the bridge, but concerns over the deterioration of steel components will keep it closed until further notice.
ELI WARD-BROWN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Honoring sacrifice Amid barbecues and basking in the sun, volunteers placed American flags on the graves of countless veterans around the country — including here, at Oaklawn Cemetery in Asheboro — in honor of Memorial Day.
DMV unveils new, more secure license designs The old design will be phased out by the end of June
Teen drowns at Jordan Lake over weekend A 16-year old from Winston-Salem drowned at Jordan Lake over Memorial Day weekend. Bryan Guzman was visiting the lake with his 18-year-old brother and a friend on Sunday. Around 3:30 p.m., his brother called 911 to report that Bryan was in distress while swimming in a cove near the Ebenezer Picnic Area. The cove is not a designated swimming area. First responders with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, North Chatham Fire, Jordan Lake State Parks and FirstHealth EMS responded, but they were unable to rescue the teen. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Guzman family during this very difficult time,” said Sheriff Mike Roberson in a statement. “Our hearts go out to them as they mourn the loss of their son and brother.”
By Jordan Golson Chatham News & Record
COURTESY NC DMV
The new North Carolina driver’s license design was unveiled on Tuesday.
THE NORTH CAROLINA DMV revealed new designs for driver’s licenses, permits, and identification cards this week, with advanced security features designed to prevent fraud. According to a DMV press release, the new credentials are the most secure in the state’s history and are claimed to be among the most secure identi-
For Chatham County, it’s ‘growth, growth, growth.’ Which party will benefit? It’s not clear if voters will attribute the booming local economy to either Biden or Trump By Josh Boak The Associated Press SILER CITY — At the epicenter of President Joe Biden’s promised economic boom, a
slow tractor can still halt traffic. About 81,000 people live in Chatham County. There are 1,076 farms. The old mill now houses a dance studio, a grocer and a steakhouse. For work, many people have no choice but to commute to nearby Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh. But after years of careful planning, the county has started to change.
The new Wolfspeed factory — six football fields long — overlooks I-64 and will soon produce advanced wafers for computer chips. Automaker Vinfast is scheduled to open a factory as well. Both projects stem in large part from incentives that Biden signed into law. Developers, including the See CHATHAM, page A10
fying documents worldwide. The new cards are made of polycarbonate and are personalized using laser engraving technology, resulting in a distinctive look, feel and sound. The cards are stiffer than their predecessors and feature embossed and debossed patterns, and lettering on the surface. When dropped on a table, the cards produce a unique metallic sound. The somewhat busy design of the new cards showcases iconic North Carolina imagery, with shades of blue and green representing the state’s rolling hills and natural beauty. The front of the card features the state flower (dogwood), the state flag, the state border outline, a marbled salamander and a lighthouse, all set against the backdrop of the western rolling hills. The back of the card depicts a ColoSee LICENSE, page A2
“When the right opportunity came along, we were there and we were ready.” Greg Lewis
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