VOLUME 147 ISSUE 20 | THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2024
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CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
Aidan Allred of the Sandhill Bogeys hits a grounder up the middle against the Sanford Spinners. Allred, who just graduated from Chatham Central, is playing this summer to help prepare for college ball. He’s headed to Brunswick Community College in the fall. We check in with Allred and the Bogeys on page B1
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
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Playing cops and toddlers
BRIEF this week
Deputies with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office stopped off at Chatham Childcare in Siler City on Tuesday to meet 25 “enthusiastic” children for Community Helper Day.
TriRiver Water responds to reports of discolored water in Pittsboro Some Pittsboro residents began reporting discolored water on June 28 following work at the local water treatment plant. In response, TriRiver Water dispatched service crews to flush hydrants in affected areas, including the Millbrook Drive area of Pittsboro. Between July 1 and July 4, the company received approximately 30 calls from concerned residents, with calls decreasing to just one by July 5. TriRiver said in a statement that water filtration experts conducted sampling and testing and determined that the water remains safe to drink despite its appearance. The discoloration was attributed to naturally occurring iron and manganese, which become more concentrated during periods of low rainfall. Officials noted the issue was exacerbated after work on a high service pump in late June, but treatment adjustments have been made at the filtration facility to address the issue. TriRiver said the water is safe for drinking, cooking and bathing, but residents are cautioned that it may discolor clothing during laundry. Residents experiencing any water issues should contact TriRiver Water.
Chatham shelter offering free dog and cat adoptions The Chatham Sheriff’s Animal Resource Center is offering free adoptions for dogs and cats six months or older through July 31 in partnership with the BISSELL Pet Foundation’s Empty The Shelter event. The project, which involves 390 shelters across 44 states, provides free or reduced-fee adoptions. It’s been running since 2016 and has placed more than 250,000 pets nationwide. Stop by the Animal Resource Center at 725 Renaissance Drive in Pittsboro before the end of July to see all the kittens and doggos available for adoption.
“Fostering a sense of trust and understanding between law enforcement and the community starts at a young age,” said a Facebook post from the Sheriff’s Office. “Visits like these are invaluable in helping children see us as friendly helpers and protectors they can rely on.” COURTESY CHATHAM COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Sirens at Harris Nuclear Plant lead to false alarm alerts Chatham and Wake officials sent all-clear messages to hundreds of thousands of phones By Jordan Golson Chatham News & Record NEW HILL — Residents near the Harris Nuclear Plant were startled Monday morning when six of the 85 emergency warning sirens within the 10-mile emer-
gency planning zone around the plant were inadvertently activated. This false alarm prompted a swift response from local authorities to clarify that there was no actual emergency at the plant. According to Duke Energy, the incident occurred during routine silent testing of the siren system, which wasn’t as silent as intended. In response to the false alarm, emergency management authorities in Chatham and Wake counties issued Wire-
less Emergency Alerts (WEA) to inform the public that there was no emergency at the plant and no protective actions were needed. Chatham County sent the WEA only to sections within the 10-mile emergency planning zone, while Wake County’s alert inadvertently went to the entire county due to a technical issue. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety confirmed that emergency management directors for the state and Wake,
Petty says camp for seriously ill children is family’s true legacy ‘The King’ of NASCAR is proud of what Victory Junction Camp has achieved By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press RICHARD PETTY, with a record 200 Cup Series wins, seven championships and a first-ballot inductee into the Hall of Fame, is considered NASCAR’s greatest driver. He is spending the season celebrating 75 years of NASCAR participation by his famous family — basically since the inception of the stock car
series in 1948 — and reflecting on the legacy that will be left behind. As he approached his 87th birthday, celebrated Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s race at Chicago, Petty has realized his family should be hailed for something far bigger than anything it did in NASCAR. He pointed to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, which was opened in 2004 for chronically ill children as a way to honor his late grandson. Adam Petty was 19 when he was killed in a 2000 crash practicing for a race at New Hampshire. Not too many years before, he’d made a motorcycle
visit to Paul Newman’s Camp Boggy Creek and became interested in creating a similar camp in North Carolina. Petty said the family following through on Adam’s dream will be its lasting legacy. “This is for seriously ill kids who can’t go to camp, so it’s a very special deal,” Petty said. “The kids come from all over the country and they don’t charge them anything. We make sure they get there and get them home. So when I look at the Pettys’ 75 years of racing, I think it brought the camp into play, and I think the bigger legacy, what it will hopefully be, is more about the Victory Junction Camp than
Harnett, Lee and Chatham counties were notified of the siren activation shortly before 8 a.m. Monday. Duke Energy released a statement on the plant’s website assuring the public that the “Harris Nuclear Plant is operating safely” and they were working with local and state emergency management to determine the cause of the siren activation. By Monday afternoon, a Duke Energy spokesperson provided an explanation: “While conducting routine silent testing of sirens around Harris Nuclear Plant to ensure their proper functioning, a small number of sirens in the 10-mile emergency planning zone were inadverSee ALERT, page A7
anything about racing. “Racing put us in a position to come out and do something, and it was always one of Adam’s dreams,” he added. “When we lost Adam, the family got together and said we’d go pursue that deal.” Adam Petty was the oldest son of Kyle Petty, Richard’s only son. Petty family patriarch Lee started the racing team, and Richard’s engine-building brother, Maurice, are all considered the foundation of the team’s success. The trio are all members of NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. See PETTY, page A7
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