VOLUME 148 ISSUE 14 | THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2025
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
BOB WACHS FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Respects were paid with a solemn ceremony at the West Chatham Veterans Memorial in Siler City on Memorial Day.
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BRIEF this week
10 people shot at holiday weekend S.C. boat party Little River, S.C. Authorities say 10 people were shot during a fight that started on a private boat holding a holiday weekend party on the South Carolina coast. Horry County Police say no one died in the shooting in Little River around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, although some of the wounded are in critical condition. At least one person was taken to the hospital who was not hurt by gunfire. Police said the shooting happened around a dock where a private charter boat leaves for cruises. The boat was docked, and police are trying to determine where the fight and shooting began.
NPR sues Trump admin over funding cuts to public media National Public Radio and three local stations are suing President Donald Trump, arguing that an executive order aimed at cutting federal funding for the organization is illegal. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., by NPR, Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio and KUTE. It argues that Trump’s order to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR violates the First Amendment. Trump issued the order earlier this month, instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and requires they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations.
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PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
The Wolfspeed construction site outside Siler City was quiet on Tuesday.
Wolfspeed shares fall by half on bankruptcy rumors Report: A Chapter 11 filing could come within weeks By Dan Reeves Chatham News & Record DURHAM — Shares in Wolfspeed fell more than 50% last week on a report that the Durham-based semiconductor maker is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Wall Street Journal reported that Wolfspeed could file within weeks and is working on a “prepackaged” bankruptcy — a plan already negotiated with creditors to buy time for a company to con-
By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Board of Commissioners held its first public hearing for the recommended FY 2025-26 budget on May 19. The budget totals approximately $288 million, a sizable increase from the prior year’s budget which ended up ballooning to around $205 million. Some of the biggest increases in expenses include the full-year implementation of the new pay plan, a 4% salary adjustment for employees, an expansion of county positions (16), benefit increases and contractual and operational increases due to inflation and more. Two key investments in this budget
Memorial Day is about much more than barbecue By Bob Wachs For Chatham News & Record
tinue operations while reorganizing its debts and assets. Wolfspeed, formerly known as Cree, has turned down recent offers to restructure portions of its debt, the first of which is due in 2026. Instead, the company is seeking what it called a more “comprehensive solution” to its financial challenges. “Optimizing our capital structure has been a stated priority,” Wolfspeed head of investor relations Tyler Gronbach said in a statement after the story was released. “We are evaluating a number of potential alternatives and may implement
SILER CITY — Aging men with graying heads and beards, some younger ones who could still stand straight, others with canes, some in uniform or colors, even a few on motorcycles, a handful of women veterans — they all came to the West Chatham Veterans Memorial in Siler City on Monday. The occasion was a Memorial Day observance that would, as Richard Caviness of Liberty American Legion Post 81 said, “let our memory be the least we could offer for what they gave.” But they weren’t alone. Along with the veterans and their memories that showed up, there were wives and mothers and sweethearts and public officials and interested onlookers.
See WOLFSPEED, page A10
See MEMORIAL, page A7
Commissioners see preliminary budget for next fiscal year The Chatham County budget is up significantly from the prior year
Chatham gathers to honor the fallen
also involve both education and public safety. The county is appropriating approximately $3 million in additional funding for Chatham County Schools to address compensation and fixed cost benefit adjustments, supplement increase for teachers as well as capital outlay needs. For the Sheriff’s Office, the budget calls for approximately $2.3 million in increased funding to support continuation of full body-camera rollouts, contractual increases, operating costs, increased staffing and capital outlay needs. “Significant financial pressures are being recognized in the upcoming fiscal year, primarily around education and public safety,” said County Manager Bryan Thompson. “We are organized and positioned to address challenges around See BUDGET, page A2