VOLUME 147 ISSUE 29 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2024
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
TREY SNOW FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
The final frontier Polaris Dawn, a private SpaceX mission that will see humans travel farther from Earth than any since the Apollo program a half-century ago, lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, late Monday. The rocket’s plume was visible across the Eastern seaboard, including from Asheboro, where this picture was taken. The Polaris Dawn crew is scheduled to attempt the world’s first private spacewalk on Thursday.
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Pittsboro, NCDOT reach agreement to reroute trucks around downtown
BRIEF this week
Child care affordability program launches in Chatham After a pilot period, the NC Tri-Share child care program has launched in Chatham County. Designed to help families deal with the high cost of child care, the Tri-Share program was funded by the General Assembly last year. It’s a public and private partnership that splits the cost of child care equally between employers, employees and the state. To qualify, a family member must be employed by a participating business, have a household income between 185% and 300% of the federal poverty level, and be ineligible for other child care subsidies. To apply or learn more, visit pfcfmc.org
Siler City gets $500K grant for park project Siler City has been awarded a $500,000 matching grant from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund for its Future Boiling Lane Park Extension, New Town Park and Greenway project. The grant, announced by Gov. Roy Cooper on Aug. 29, will support the acquisition of 22 parcels totaling 37.5 acres for future greenway and park development. This reimbursementbased grant program begins on Nov. 1, requiring the town to match funds dollar-for‑dollar. Rep. Robert Reives expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating, “These funds will help ensure that Siler City is a place where families can live, work and play for decades to come.” The grant is part of a larger $17.9 million statewide initiative to fund 46 local parks and recreation projects across North Carolina.
JEFFREY COLLINS / AP PHOTO
An 1787 copy of the U.S. Constitution is being sold by Brunk Auctions in Asheville.
Original copy of US Constitution to be auctioned in Asheville The recently discovered version was found in a filing cabinet, dating back to 1787 By Jeffrey Collins The Associated Press ASHEVILLE — Historical document appraiser and collector Seth Kaller spreads a broad
sheet of paper across a desk. It’s in good enough condition that he can handle it, carefully, with clean, bare hands. There are just a few creases and tiny discolorations, even though it’s just a few weeks shy of 237 years old and has spent who knows how long inside a filing cabinet in North Carolina. See AUCTION, page A10
The change will detour traffic by utilizing Highway 87 By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners has taken a major step in the reduction and potential elimination of truck traffic going through the heart of Pittsboro. At its Sept. 9 meeting, the board approved a municipal agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to reroute the U.S. 15-501 truck route around the Town of Pittsboro’s downtown. “The truck route assignment will be reassigned to Highway 87 beginning at the intersection of Sanford Road
Incoming UNC class hints at impact of diversity ruling UNC Chapel Hill reported enrollment drops in black, Hispanic and Native American students By Annie Ma and Makiya Seminera The Associated Press SOME SELECTIVE colleges are reporting drops in the number of black students in their incoming classes, the first admitted since a Supreme Court ruling struck down affirmative action in higher education. At other colleges, including Princeton University and Yale University, the share of black students changed little. Several schools also have seen swings in their numbers of Asian, Hispanic and Native American students, but trends are still murky. Experts and colleges say it will take years to measure the full impact of last year’s ruling that barred consideration of race in admissions.
The end of affirmative action isn’t the only factor affecting the makeup of freshman classes. Some colleges are changing standardized test requirements, heightening their importance. And the federal government’s botched rollout of a new financial aid form complicated decisions of students nationwide on where and whether to attend college. “It’s really hard to pull out what one policy shift is affecting all of these enrollment shifts,” said Katharine Meyer, a fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank. “The unsatisfying answer is that it’s See DIVERSITY, page A10
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and Highway 87,” said Assistant Town Manager Kent Jackson. “Trucks would then continue on Highway 87 until the interchange with U.S. 64 Bypass and then they would proceed east on U.S. 64 Bypass before reentering Highway 15-501 just north of the power place location to continue on the route as it exists today.” In addition to the agreement, the board approved a payment of $125,000 in order to replace prior route signage as the NCDOT requires a 50% municipality match on rerouting projects. According to town staff, reasons for the change included improving public safety, enhancing the experience and quality of downtown, increasing pedestrian oriented deSee REROUTE, page A2