VOLUME 148 ISSUE 13 | THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
JASON JACKSON FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
The legend lives on
A capacity crowd returned to North Wilkesboro for the third straight year to watch the NASCAR All-Star Race. Christopher Bell collected the million-dollar check for winning the race.
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Attendees at the grand opening for the new Chatham Arts Center pose behind a sign celebrating the occasion.
BRIEF this week
FDA to update COVID-19 shot recommendations Washington, D.C. The Food and Drug Administration will issue new guidelines this year on who should get updated COVID-19 boosters, bringing the U.S. more in line with European countries when it comes to who should get the booster. In an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week, advisers suggested that higher-risk groups — adults 65 and older and those with risk factors — should receive boosters, and that more research should be done on whether boosters are effective and to build stronger evidence on the risks and benefits of the shot.
SCOTUS orders Maine House to restore vote of censured lawmaker Washington, D.C. The U.S. Supreme Court is siding with a GOP state lawmaker in Maine who was blocked from voting after she identified a transgender student athlete in a critical social media post. A 7-2 court majority on Tuesday ordered the Maine House to allow Rep. Laurel Libby to cast legislative votes while her lawsuit over the censure plays out. The case comes after the Democraticcontrolled House found that Libby’s viral post had violated its code of ethics by putting the student at risk. She was blocked from speaking and voting on the floor after refusing to apologize.
COURTESY CHATHAM COUNTY ARTS CENTER
New arts center opens in Pittsboro It’s part of the county’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources department By Dan Reeves Chatham News and Record PITTSBORO — The new Chatham County Arts Center, a project that reflects the community’s creative identity, opened over the weekend with a special event in Pittsboro, giving attendees a first look at the programs and workshops the center now offers. The celebration started with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and continued with a
See ARTS, page A3
“This space is just the beginning, we want to make sure the arts are accessible to everyone, no matter where they live in Chatham County.” Leigh Babcock, Arts and Cultural program supervisor
EPA announces rollback for some Biden-era limits on ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water “We are on a path to uphold the agency’s nationwide standards to protect Americans from PFOA and PFOS in their water. Lee Zeldin, EPA administrator
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full day of activities. The first 100 visitors received free Arts Center T-shirts, while all guests enjoyed complimentary caricature drawings and refreshments. Live music by local musician Owen Phillips added to the festive atmosphere. Located at 964 East St., the county-run Arts Center shares a building with its parent, the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources department and other county offices. The space became available after fitness classes were moved to the new community center at Chatham Grove Elementary School,
Limits on the two most common types, PFOA and PFOS, will remain By Michael Phillis The Associated Press THE ENVIRONMENTAL Protection Agency said last Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on some “forever chemicals” in drinking water that were finalized last year while maintaining standards for two common ones. The Biden administration set the first federal drinking water limits for PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, finding they increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and ba-
bies being born with low birth weight. Those limits on PFAS, which are human-made and don’t easily break down in nature, were expected to reduce their levels for millions of people. Limits on three types of PFAS, including what are known as GenX substances found in North Carolina, will be scrapped and reconsidered by the agency, as will a limit on a mixture of several types of PFAS. The Biden administration’s rule also set standards for the two common types of PFAS, referred to as PFOA and PFOS, at 4 parts per trillion, effectively the lowest level at which they See EPA, page A10
Pittsboro to vote on FY 2025-26 budget next month The current tax rate of $0.44 is not expected to change By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record PITTSBORO — Despite the revaluation of property values, the Town of Pittsboro is not expected to make any changes to its current tax rate. At its May 12 meeting, the Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners held a public hearing for the 2025-26 manager’s recommended budget, the final step before its eventual adoption. The budget comes in at just under $14.1 million — an increase from last year’s approximately $12 million budget. According to staff, factors that are affecting that increase include inflationary costs, supply chain issues as well as increased personnel costs See PITTSBORO, page A2