CHAPEL HILL – Pre-registering will get you a cheaper ticket to the annual program, “Spirit of Elegant Holidays 2013:  Home and Hearth throughout the Year.”

The early registration fee is $5. After October 10, guests will have to pay an $8 fee to attend the event.

Guests can enter to win door prizes, view craft and gift ideas, and sample healthy foods for the holiday season.

The program is hosted by the Orange County Cooperative extension. It will be held Thursday, October 24 at noon, and again at 7:00 p.m.

For more information about this event, click here.

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The Chapel Hill Police Department announced Tuesday that it will host community members in its fall session of the Citizens PoliceAcademy starting November 13.

The event allows local citizens to get an inside look at the day-to-day life at the Chapel Hill Police Department. Guests will have the opportunity to sit in a squad car, talk to police officials, operate a simulator that shows what it’s like to respond to a violent 911 call, and much more.

The Academy is open to anyone ages 16 and up. It takes place November 13, 14, and 16.

To find out how to apply for this event, click here.

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The Orange County Solid Waste Management Department is allowing heavier vehicles to enter its convenience centers.

Vehicles weighing more than one ton will now be allowed on the premises. Passenger cars, vans and trucks can bring wastes to the centers as long as the volume does not exceed what would fit in the bed of a standard pick-up truck.

This means that while the weight restriction was eliminated, the restriction on the maximum volume of waste per vehicle remains the same.