VOLUME 149 ISSUE 18 | THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2026
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
LAUREN ROSE / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Where the road used to go A photographer stands at one end of the historic Bynum Bridge, located over the Haw River in Pittsboro. The bridge was built in 1922, and at over 800 feet long, it is one of the longest and most historically intact tee-beam bridges in North Carolina. For safety concerns, the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 1999. In April 2020, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Bynum Bridge now serves as a local landmark covered in graffiti art where community events take place throughout the year.
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Roberson to transition from sheriff BRIEF this week to Board of Commissioners 8 convicted of terrorism charges in Texas immigration center shooting sentenced to decades in prison Fort Worth, Texas A demonstrator who shot and wounded a police officer during a protest outside a Texas immigration center July 4, 2025, has been sentenced to 100 years in federal prison. Other protesters also accused of having links to antifa were sentenced Tuesday to multiple decades in federal prison. A federal jury in March found the eight defendants guilty of providing material support to terrorists and other charges. Prosecutors say the eight took part in a demonstration at the Prairieland Detention Center last July 4 in which a police officer was shot and wounded. The defendants deny any affiliation with the far-left anti-fascist organization.
Trump administration announces $17.5 billion in loans for 10 new large nuclear reactors The Trump administration is providing $17.5 billion to speed the development of 10 new large nuclear reactors to meet the skyrocketing power demand from massive data centers. The Energy Department announced the loans Tuesday. Energy Secretary Chris Wright cited “tremendous interest” among developers of data centers, called hyperscalers, who would buy the power, as well as utilities and energy companies.
Roberson was the Democratic Party’s recommended successor for the District 3 seat By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Board of Commissioners has approved the
Delaney’s term starting July 16. In order to serve on the commission, Roberson will be stepping down as sheriff, a position he’s held since 2016. Roberson was already set to take over the District 3 seat as he had won the Democratic See BOARD, page A7
Watch Duty, fire tracking app used by millions, expands to help monitor dangerous floods The nonprofit’s volunteer reporters consolidate emergency information from multiple sources faster than official channels By Gabriela Aoun Angueira The Associated Press WHEN A FIRE broke out a few miles from his Altadena, California, home the evening of
Jan. 7, 2025, Matt Blea and his family needed to make a crucial decision: Should they stay home or evacuate? A friend who did mountain rescue told Blea to download a
free app called Watch Duty. On the app, he could see the fire’s perimeter, track evacuation orders and read updates about the emergency response. “It influenced me to leave the home sooner than later,” said Blea, who left with his wife and son that evening before the Eaton Fire destroyed their home. Blea was one of more than
Patrols, nanobubbles on display at Reflecting Pool as Trump looks for renovation do-over “I’m a curious citizen. I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.” David Hearn, former Olympic canoe racer
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appointment of current Sheriff Mike Roberson to fill the vacant seat on the board. The District 3 seat was left vacant after former commissioner David Delaney stepped
down at the end of May due to him moving to Wake County. Roberson was the Chatham County Democratic Party’s recommended appointment to fill the vacancy, and at the board’s June 15 meeting, it opted to accept the recommendation, electing Roberson to serve out the remainder of
The president claimed vandals have damaged the pool’s new coating as authorities make multiple arrests By Nathan Ellgren and Bill Barrow The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — National Guard members and U.S. Park Police patrolled the deck around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday as President Donald Trump’s administration faces a self-imposed deadline to fix a botched renovation before the nation’s
250th anniversary celebration. The patrols came two days after Trump said authorities had made “multiple arrests” of people he insisted were responsible for damage to the peeling coating after an algae bloom occurred. The liner was installed as part of his $14 million-plus project. The president has confirmed the problems most likely require draining the pool again for liner repairs, and he promised a quick fix. Without offering substantiation, he also said vandals dumped fertilizer in the pool and slashed the coating with a box cutter. See POOL, page A10
2.5 million people who used Watch Duty to track fires burning across Los Angeles County that week. The information was collected, vetted and disseminated by about two dozen Watch Duty staff and more than 100 volunteers who monitored emergency radio traffic, See FLOODS, page A10