VOLUME 149 ISSUE 3 | THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
SHAWN KREST / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Hot tip UNC’s Jarin Stevenson (15) jumps against Duke’s Maliq Brown to start the rivalry game that ended the ACC regular season. Stevenson, a Seaforth grad, scored 10 points with nine rebounds as UNC lost 76-61.
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Pittsboro’s Tilley honored with BRIEF this week court naming at Georgia university Americans unite in aggravation over sticker shock at gas pump It seems that a country divided on many fronts is finding common ground at the gas pumps. The cost of the Iran war is hitting Americans squarely in the wallet and aggravating people across the political spectrum. That was the message from Associated Press interviews Monday with people at gas stations and beyond in five states. The national average gas price was $3.48 a gallon on Monday, up from $2.90 a month ago, before the war, according to tracking by AAA. But in interviews, some owners of electric vehicles expressed renewed gratitude for their vehicle choice as they sit out the sticker shock.
Anthropic sues Trump administration seeking to undo “supply chain risk” designation Anthropic is suing the Trump administration, asking federal courts to reverse the Pentagon’s decision designating the artificial intelligence company a “supply chain risk” over its refusal to allow unrestricted military use of its technology. It filed two lawsuits Monday, each challenging different aspects of the Pentagon’s actions against the company. The Pentagon formally designated the company a supply chain risk after an unusually public dispute over how its AI chatbot Claude could be used in warfare. The lawsuits aim to undo the designation and block its enforcement.
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The longtime women’s basketball coach guided Truett McConnell to a national championship in 1980 By Bob Wachs For Chatham News & Record THE UNC Tar Heels play their home basketball games on Roy Williams Court. Over in Durham, Duke does the same on Coach K Court.
Now you can add another North Carolina name to the list of university basketball courts honoring retired coaches — and this time, it belongs to a Chatham County native. Truett McConnell University in Cleveland, Geoirgia., named
its basketball court after Colby Tilley on Feb. 14, honoring the man who led the school’s women’s program to its only national championship in 1980. Tilley, a member of Pittsboro High School’s Class of 1967, guided what was then Truett-McConnell Junior College to the NJCAA title that year, finishing the season 36-2. Over nine years at the school, he com-
piled a 234-46 record — an .836 winning percentage — and won five consecutive Georgia state championships. The weekend celebration began with a dinner on Feb. 13 attended by former players, colleagues and members of the university community. The court dedication took place the next See HONOR, page A2
Pittsboro approves new major subdivision The development will contain all single-family, detached houses By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro continues to see steady growth. At the Town of Pittsboro
Board of Commissioners’ March 9 meeting, the board approved the preliminary plat for the Corbinton development, a 32-acre, 98-lot major subdivision located on Old Graham Road. The development is projected to be all single-family detached houses, each with a garage and driveway that will provide two parking spaces per unit.
The project also includes 14 acres of open space, a 10-foot multiuse path on the periphery of Robeson Creek and 5-foot sidewalks on both sides of all internal subdivision streets. The property is currently undeveloped. The board also held a public hearing for an economic incentive agreement discussed back in 2018 and pertaining to the
Chapel Hill considering affordable housing improvements As bond issuer, the town would carry no legal or financial risk By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record CHAPEL HILL — The Town of Chapel Hill could soon be seeing the rehabilitation of some of its affordable housing. At the Chapel Hill Town Council’s March 4 meeting, the council held a public hearing to consider the issuance of multifamily housing revenue bonds for the acquisition and redevelopment of Chase Park
and Elliott Woods Apartments. “The town is being asked to consider taking on the role of bond issuer to support the preservation of the Chase Park and Elliott Woods apartments, two affordable housing rental communities in Chapel Hill,” said Interim Housing and Community Development Director Loryn Clark. The projects will be developed by Vitus, a company that has specialized in the preservation of affordable properties since 1993. The two projects, which account for around 80 units on See CHAPEL HILL, page A3
“The tax credits that they have been awarded will apply to the whole project and add an additional level of affordability to all units.” Affordable Housing Manager Emily Holt
Mosaic commercial development. “No contract was ever entered into between the town and the hotel developer before the hotel was actually constructed, but now, Mosaic Hospitality LLC has asked that the town honor its commitments from 2018,” said Town Attorney Paul Messick Jr. See PITTSBORO, page A7