VOLUME 147 ISSUE 39 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2024
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Passing grade Northwood junior quarterback Grayson Cox (2) throws a pass during the Chargers’ first-round playoff game. Eastern Wayne ended Northwood’s season with a 44-14 win.
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BRIEF this week
Suttles Road closed for improvements NCDOT has temporarily closed Suttles Road near Chatham Parkway in both directions. The road is scheduled to be closed until Dec. 15, with crews working on drainage and waterline improvements. Motorists are encouraged to detour from Chatham Parkway to U.S. 64, to U.S. 15-501, to Russet Run.
N.C. Supreme Court seat will see recount The narrowly trailing Republican candidate in the race for a Supreme Court seat has formally requested a statewide recount. Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin sent the request before a midday Tuesday deadline. Associate Justice Allison Riggs led Tuesday by 625 votes over Griffin from more than 5.5 million ballots cast in the race. Recounts in five General Assembly races also have been requested. Republicans would need to flip a state House seat the GOP candidate is currently trailing in if it wants to retain the veto‑proof majority that they have held for the past two years.
FEMA administrator supports looking into alleged Trump bias in relief efforts The head of FEMA said she has encouraged the agency’s inspector general to review whether an employee was acting alone when directing workers helping hurricane victims to avoid homes with yard signs supporting Presidentelect Donald Trump.
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Developer and hotelier Malcolm Bryant greets guest and city leaders at the Hampton Inn and Suites grand opening in Pittsboro.
PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton gets grand opening in Pittsboro “We wanted to be part of a community where we could engage with locals, not just a business venture.” Malcolm Bryant
It’s the county’s first national hotel chain By Dan Reeves Chatham New & Record PITTSBORO — A large crowd gathered for the grand opening of the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton, the latest addition to the $200 million Mosaic mixed use development off U.S. 15-501 in Pittsboro. Complete with a jazz trio, catering and ceremonial rib-
By Dan Reeves Chatham News & Record
Due to EPA regulations, all community water systems must conduct inventory of service lines to identify any potential presences of lead By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record
bon cutting hosted by Kentucky based real estate firm The Malcolm Bryant Corporation, local officials including Pittsboro mayor Kyle Shipp were in attendance along with business leaders, the press and guests to celebrate. The newly opened 120room 78,500 square-foot project will serve as a cornerstone to this community hub. Mosaic is a bellwether to the rapid growth of Pitts-
PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners had a few different TriRiver Water items presented at its Nov. 12 meeting. For one, the board was given a presentation on the work TriRiver Water is doing toward the submission of water system service line connection inventories to the North Carolina Public Water Supply Section. “In accordance with the NC Departments of Environmental Quality and Environmental Protection, all community and non-transient, non-community water systems must conduct an inventory of service line materials in their distribution system,” Project Engineer Becky Smith
See OPENING, page A10
See PITTSBORO, page A2
Wolfspeed ousts CEO Gregg Lowe Thomas Werner, chairman of the board, will serve as executive chairman
TriRiver close to completing analysis of water system service lines
In the interim, Thomas Werner, chairman of the board, will serve as executive chairman, the company said in a press release. In 2022, Wolfspeed picked Chatham County for a new $4.8 billion materials plant with the goal of hiring 1,800 jobs with an average yearly salary of $77,753. The huge win for central North Carolina came thanks in part to significant tax incentives from state and local governments, which promised nearly $775 million in subsidies if Wolfspeed met hiring and investment goals. But the company’s board has been displeased as Lowe oversaw a decilne in the compa-
DURHAM — Tech firm Wolfspeed has fired its president and CEO, Gregg Lowe, ending his seven-year tenure at the top of the company. Lowe oversaw the transformation of the company from Cree, an LED lighting company, to Wolfspeed, with a focus on the development of silicone carbide chips. But more recently, the firm saw projects canceled and its stock price fall precipitously, from a high See WOLFSPEED, page A2 of $140 to around $7.
“While there is work still to be done, I have every confidence that Wolfspeed will execute on its strategic priorities and extend its silicon carbide leadership in the years to come.” Gregg Lowe, outgoing Wolfspeed CEO