VOLUME 149 ISSUE 11 | THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2026
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Chickening out North Chatham Street in downtown Siler City was taken over by the bustling and busy Spring Chicken Festival on Saturday.
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BRIEF this week
Presidential Physical Fitness Award returns as Trump revives annual fitness test President Donald Trump is reviving the Presidential Physical Fitness Award as he reintroduces a competitive physical fitness test in America’s schools. The award is part of Trump’s revamped Presidential Fitness Test, which had been a public-school fixture for decades but was phased out under President Barack Obama. The earlier exam tested children on exercises including a 1-mile run and sit-ups. Those scoring above the 85th percentile received the presidential award. Details of the revived test have yet to be released. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the test is now mandatory in 161 schools on U.S. military installations.
U.S. job openings unchanged at 6.9M in March; hiring improved U.S. job openings were essentially unchanged at 6.9 million in March, another sign the American labor market remained sluggish even before the full impact of the Iran war hit the economy. The job market has been up and down so far this year after a dismal 2025. And the Iran war has clouded the outlook. On Tuesday, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that layoffs rose in March. But hiring improved and more people quit their jobs — a sign of confidence in the economy.
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Siler City commissioners presented with proposed 2026-27 budget The town will hold a public hearing on the budget on May 18 By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record SILER CITY — The Town of Siler City Board of Commissioners was presented with the man-
ager’s recommended 2026-27 budget at its May 4 regular business meeting. “Siler City is committed to strengthening infrastructure, promoting responsible economic growth and delivering dependable services to support a safe and thriving community,” said Town Manager Jack Meadows. The budget was focused on
five strategic goals: organizational excellence, economic development, infrastructure and public facilities, public safety and quality of life. In total, the budget is balanced at around $33.25 million, with the general fund (not counting water and sewer) being balanced at approximately $15.6 million.
That is about an 11% increase from last year’s general fund, which was balanced at approximately $13.9 million. According to Meadows, three of the biggest areas of the budget are public safety, which makes up 26% of it, fire (11%) and public works (13%). See BUDGET, page A2
Southern Republicans look to capitalize on SCOTUS ruling weakening Voting Rights Act Lawmakers in several states are meeting this week By Kim Chandler, Travis Loller and David A. Lieb The Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Lawmakers in several Southern states are meeting this week
to consider plans that could upend their congressional primaries and redraw U.S. House districts ahead of the November elections, as Republicans move quickly to capitalize on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. A special legislative session responding to the court ruling began Monday in Alabama
and Tuesday in Tennessee. Louisiana lawmakers, who already are in session, also are looking at how to redraw their congressional districts. The Supreme Court on Monday essentially gave them a green light to proceed by approving a request to expedite the court’s formal judgment. Civil rights activists have countered with rallies, protests
After NASCAR’s Greg Biffle and family died, police now think ‘friends’ stole from them $30K Cash stolen from the Biffles’ home, among other items, during a breakin following their death.
Police allege the suspects accessed the family’s bank, Venmo and PayPal accounts in multiple states By Steve Reed The Associated Press LESS THAN a month after former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family died in a plane crash last year, investigators say two of their “friends” conspired to break into the empty home and took cash, guns and financial informa-
tion in an attempt to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. More than 40 search warrants have been issued, authorities in North Carolina say, focusing on a married couple who allegedly knew Biffle and his wife Cristina. The suspects did “a lot of planning in an attempt to make a financial gain” off their deaths, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said. The Associated Press is not naming the pair because no arrests have been made. Biffle, his wife and his two See BIFFLE, page A7
and lawsuits challenging the new redistricting efforts. Several hundred protesters gathered outside the Alabama Statehouse on Monday, carrying signs declaring “No new map” and “We fight back! Black Voters Matter.” Last week’s Supreme Court decision striking down a majority-black congressional district See VOTING, page A10