VOLUME 149 ISSUE 12 | THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2026
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Registered
The plaque for Bynum Historic District, added to the National Register of Historic Places last year, was unveiled Saturday in Bynum.
the
BRIEF this week
Iran war hitting home as gas prices fuel inflation surge of 3.8% in U.S. U.S. consumer prices climbed sharply again last month as the 10-week war with Iran pushed energy prices higher. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that its consumer price index rose 3.8% from April 2025. On a month-to-month basis, April prices were up 0.6% from March as gasoline prices rose 5.4%. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called consumer core prices were up 0.4% last month from March and 2.8% from April 2025, relatively modest readings that suggest the energy price burst isn’t yet spilling over much into other prices.
Trump FDA chief leaving after angering pharma CEOs, vaping lobbyists and anti-abortion groups Marty Makary is resigning as President Donald Trump’s Food and Drug Administration head, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak before an official announcement and insisted on anonymity Tuesday. The surgeon and health researcher’s tenure had drawn complaints from health industry executives, anti-abortion activists and other Trump allies. Makary was an outspoken critic of COVID-19 health measures during the pandemic, but at the FDA, Makary failed to win the staff’s confidence after mass layoffs, leadership changes and a series of controversies.
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Pittsboro holds public hearing for recommended budget Town staff has proposed maintaining the current property tax rate of 44 cents per $100 valuation By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners held a public hearing on the manager’s recommended
FY 2026-27 operating budget. The recommended general fund budget is balanced at approximately $13.8 million, which is less than last year’s budget, which came in around $14.1 million.
“This isn’t actually a decrease to what our current fiscal year budget is because we are not appropriating any fund balance,” said Finance Director Heather Meacham. Last year, the town appropriated about $1.2 million from its fund balance to help balance the operating budget. Some of the biggest budgetary
increases for this year include an estimated 18% increase in major medical expenses, a 3% COLA adjustment and a 5% increase in retirement contributions. “Costs do continue to increase both for personnel expenses and other operating expenses,” Meacham said. See BUDGET, page A7
Chapel Hill not likely to implement tax increase in upcoming fiscal year The town’s recommended budget is based on the tax rate remaining the same By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record CHAPEL HILL — The Chapel Hill Town Council was presented with the town’s FY
2026-27 recommended budget at its May 6 meeting. “I’m incredibly proud of the work the town team has done with this budget to align our financial plans with the council’s
strategic priorities while sustaining high-quality services and reinforcing long-term fiscal stability,” said Town Manager Ted Voorhees. The recommended budget is balanced at about $169.7 million, which is approximately a 3.4% increase from the previous year, and of that total bud-
Pediatrics group issues new guidance on recess for first time in 13 years “Recess is great. We all kind of need recess.” Dr. Lauren Fiechtner, Mass General Brigham childhood obesity expert
Pediatricians renewed a commitment to protecting recess as schools continue cutting break time By Laura Ungar The Associated Press RECESS ISN’T JUST a fun break for grade schoolers. It’s crucial to good health and good grades for kids of all ages. That’s the message from a leading pediatricians group, which just released the first new guidance in 13 years
about this unstructured time at school and how it needs to be protected. The updated policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics comes after years of shrinking recesses and worsening children’s health. The group “has always supported play — free play for kids — but it’s been increasingly threatened over time,” partly by the drive for higher test scores, said Dr. Robert Murray, a lead author. “It has a very powerful benefit if it’s used to the fullest.” See RECESS, page A3
get, the general fund comprises around $100 million of it. According to Voorhees, the budget is focused on strategic investments across four areas: advancing council strategic priorities, competitive compensation for town workforce, funding, See TAX, page A2