VOLUME 148 ISSUE 37 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2025
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO
America runs on dunkin’ UNC forward Caleb Wilson dunks against Central Arkansas on Monday in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels handily won their season opener over the Bears 94-54.
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BRIEF this week
USDA says SNAP will be partially funded in November President Donald Trump’s administration says it will partially fund the SNAP food aid program in November after two federal judges required the payments to continue. That means grocery aid will resume for 1 in 8 Americans, though it has been delayed for millions already and the amount beneficiaries receive will be reduced. The U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier said it would not continue the funding in November due to the government shutdown. Two federal judges ruled last week that the government was required to keep the program running, with leeway to pay for it entirely or partially.
Two men accused of plotting terror attacks at LGBTQ+ bars near Detroit Two men have been charged with terrorism-related crimes in the Detroit area after federal authorities made arrests and seized a cache of weapons last week in a storage unit and elsewhere. According to a 72-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court, the men had scouted LGBTQ+ bars in Ferndale, a Detroit suburb. Mohmed Ali, Majed Mahmoud and co-conspirators were inspired by the Islamic State group’s extremism, according to a court filing.
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Chapel Hill approves rezoning for multifamily developments The two developments are proposing up to 245 residential units By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record CHAPEL HILL — The Chapel Hill Town Council met Oct. 22 for its regular business meeting,
with two rezoning cases the primary items on the agenda. The council first approved a rezoning request for a 19-acre parcel on 115 Chapel Point Road, a part of the Carraway Residential Phase III plan and north of the existing Carraway Village between I-40 and Eubanks Road, for the purpose of constructing a 169-unit multi-
family development consisting of townhomes and apartments. According to the applicant, the buildings will be three stories with 10% of the multifamily units being affordable, half at 60% area median income (AMI) and the other half at 80% AMI. “I’m very excited about getting density here,” said councilmember Melissa McCullough.
The developers did offer an alternate plan that included two townhouse units, but it would require all affordable units being at 80% AMI. “In the original proposal, we could not include townhomes as they are the larger and most expensive units we’d be See REZONING, page A3
Veteran honored for 25 years helping disabled vets Mike Jackson was named Outstanding Veteran of the Year by the state DAV By Bob Wachs For Chatham News & Record IT’S A LONG WAY from Chatham County to the Middle Eastern country of Kuwait — almost 7,000 miles to be exact — but for a local resident,
that was his home for more than eight months in the early 1990s. Mike Jackson, now 70, grew up a couple of miles east of the courthouse in Pittsboro. After a four-year stint in the Navy, most spent as a cook and supply officer based in San Diego, he joined the Naval Reserves unit in Raleigh in 1975. When the United States joined a coalition of nations in 1990 to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation
over regional oil production, he was recalled to active duty in September of that year and soon found himself, along with two comrades from the reserve unit, at the Jacksonville Marine base on his way overseas. Looking back from today at that time, he remembered, “I didn’t know what to think when they called me up, but I went and would do it all over again.” He noted it was his active
Bluegrass duo breathes new life into Siler City landmark, revitalize downtown “Our hearts are here, and we’re excited to see how the store can evolve to meet the needs of the community while maintaining its legacy.” Carolyn Routh
Daniel and Carolyn Routh purchased Sawyer’s Hardware with plans to preserve its legacy By Dan Reeves Chatham News & Record SILER CITY — For many independent artists, side jobs help fund creative pursuits. For Daniel and Carolyn Routh — the husband-and-wife team behind the nationally acclaimed bluegrass band Nu-Blu — it’s their music that’s made it possible to invest back into the town they love.
The Rouths recently purchased Sawyer’s Hardware and Supply, formerly known as Siler City Hardware, a cornerstone business downtown. Their earnest goal was to preserve the store’s heritage while giving it a fresh identity that reflects the town’s evolving energy. Both Daniel and Carolyn come from families whose entrepreneurial spirit has shaped Siler City for generations. Daniel’s family opened Blue Mist BBQ in 1948, while Carolyn’s grandparents founded Johnson’s Drive-In See SAWYER’S, page A2
duty service area that led to his call-up. “They knew I’d done supply before, so I was assigned to EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) to some divers who were responsible for keeping our ships safe.” As part of his service then, Jackson procured everything from food and water to fuses and See HONOR, page A3