VOLUME 147 ISSUE 41 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2024
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
Thanks for the Mackmories UNC coach Mack Brown — who coached his final game with the Tar Heels on Saturday, a loss to rival NC State — hoists the Carquest Bowl trophy on Dec. 30, 1995, after beating Arkansas 20-10 during his first stint in Chapel Hill. Brown left Carolina in 1998 for Texas, where he won a national championship, before returning to the Tar Heels in 2019.
HANS DERYK / AP PHOTO
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BRIEF this week
Tight race for N.C. Supreme Court headed toward (another) recount A very close election for a Supreme Court seat heads next to a hand recount. That comes after a machine recount of more than 5 million ballots resulted in no margin change between the candidates. Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs has a 734-vote lead over Republican challenger and Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin. Griffin already had asked for a partial hand recount that began in some counties on Wednesday. Riggs is one of two Democrats on the seven-member Supreme Court. This race and two General Assembly races have yet to be called by The Associated Press.
USPS touts timely delivery of 99M mail-in ballots The U.S. Postal Service says nearly 100% of completed mail ballots were returned to election offices within a week during this year’s presidential contest. That’s despite hurricanes, some misdirected election mail and delivery concerns raised by state officials. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said postal workers processed more than 99 million general election ballots. There were some notable problems even with the overall strong performance. Election offices in several places reported receiving completed ballots that should have gone to other states.
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Abigail Blue, a member of the Lumbee Tribe, walks by the stage during a Trump campaign event in Red Springs in October. DAVID YEAZELL / AP PHOTO
“No policy should be deemed official unless it comes directly from President Trump.” Trump Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt
Will Trump deliver on promised recognition for the Lumbee Tribe? The tribe has been seeking federal recognition for decades By Graham Lee Brewer The Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY — When Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaigned in North Carolina, both candidates courted a state-recognized tribe there whose 55,000 members could have helped tip the swing state.
By Darlene Superville The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s the final holiday stretch for President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, who has decked out the White House with some whimsical decorations to evoke the “peace and light” of the season. The festive display includes a towering Christmas tree surrounded by an amusement park-style carousel, brass-colored bells and sleigh bells lin-
The Chapel Hill Town Council voted 5-4 to remove a portion of its advisory boards and commissions following an internal assessment By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record
Trump in September promised that he would sign legislation to grant federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe, a distinction that would unlock access to federal funds. He ultimately won North Carolina by more than 3 percentage points, in part due to continued support from Lumbee voters. Now, as Trump prepares to return to the White House in January, the promise will be
CHAPEL HILL — Chapel Hill has moved to downsize its community boards a bit following a year of conversation and discussions. The Chapel Hill Town Council voted 5-4 to disband eight separate advisory boards and commissions at its Dec. 2 regular business meeting. The boards being disbanded include the Human Services Advisory Board, Transportation and Connectivity Advisory Board, Chapel Hill Public Library Advisory Board, Housing Advisory Board, Environmental Stewardship Advisory Board, Cultural Arts Commission, Parks, Greenways and Recreation Commission and Stormwater Management Utility Advisory Board.
See LUMBEE, page A9
See BOARD, page A3
‘A Season of Peace and Light’ signals final holiday at Biden White House The official White House Christmas tree is from western NC
Chapel Hill disbands 8 advisory boards, commissions
ing a hallway, and a ceiling design that mimics snowfall. The first lady invited National Guard families to be among the first members of the public to see the decorations, which are based on the theme of “A Season of Peace and Light.” She also spoke at a separate event held to thank the volunteers who helped with the monumental job of decorating the interior and exterior of the White House. “This would not be possible without your work,” she said. “It’s been incredible to watch all of you transform this space year after year, See DECOR, page A10
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Pounds of icing on the White House gingerbread house