Chatham County Roundup: News + Record Reporter Ben Rappaport

This Week: Steve Sandeep Rao, a native of Charleston WV, Steve serves as an At Large Council Member for the Town of Morrisville and served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2015-2017. He served as a Senior Business Development Executive at Alphanumeric Systems, a global tech company headquartered in Raleigh from January 2011 to May 2020 and now serves as Of Counsel and Adviser to State Federal Strategies, where he advises Technology Companies on State and Local Government Business Development Strategy. Council Member Rao is the longest serving Asian-American elected official in NC

Randy Voller — a realtor and former mayor of Pittsboro — joins 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Wednesday, June 11 for the "Chatham County Roundup."

Pittsboro recently adopted an interlocal agreement with Chatham County, which could help transform its downtown area.

This Week: Cal Cunningham is founder of Cunningham Law, PLLC, where he represents clients in real estate development and complex civil litigation. He is also manager of Axiom Property Development, LLC, to deliver workforce-affordable housing in the Triangle. Through Cunningham Capital, LLC, Cal engages in venture capital investment, is a board member of Archaius, Inc. (drone technology) and a member of the Charlotte Angel Fund. Cal also currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserve, most recently as deputy commander of a legal detachment. He is also a veteran of tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2020, Cunningham was the Democratic Nominee for United States Senate in North Carolina.

Co-Founders and Executive Directors of Chatham Pride, Rob Schooley and Mindy Jacobs spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, June 5. They discussed the formation of Chatham Pride as an organization, and how that led to them joining forces with the PBO Pride event at The Plant. They discussed each of their journeys to leadership positions in the Chatham County Pride Alliance. They discussed this year's PBO Pride schedule, which includes a drag show Friday night, and a parade, festival, and vendors on Saturday. They also discussed other initiatives by the organization and more.

As Chatham County continues to grow, CORA is looking to increase its food services. But threats to federal funding may hinder those goals.

Chair of the Chatham Count Commissioners Karen Howard spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, June 3, discussing county news and events. Karen was on the phone from Medellin, Columbia, for vacation. She talked about the beauty of the city and its waterfalls and restaurants. She discussed the latest on the county's proposed budget, which the commissioners expect to pass at their next meeting. She also discussed the origin of an interlocal agreement with Pittsboro which cedes some former downtown county property to the town. She talked about a recent federal sustainability grant the county received, and more.

Two businesses recently opened their doors in Chapel Hill’s Governors Village, offering experiences for a variety of ages.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation will close Suttles Road in Pittsboro to thru-traffic beginning Tuesday, June 3. The closure will allow for the final stages of the road’s realignment and connection to the new Chatham Parkway, which will service the Chatham Park development. According to the NCDOT and the Town of Pittsboro, the closure […]

This Week: Born into a blue collar and agricultural clan in rural Pennsylvania, Dr. Jim Crawford was the first in his family to graduate from college. Earning his PhD from the University of North Carolina, he taught US and World History at several universities in the piedmont North Carolina for several decades. He served as chairman of the Chatham County board of commissioners, and currently serves as trustee for Central Carolina Community College. He is a firm believer in American democracy and trusts that the constitution will hold firm now as it has in past crises despite the broken, distempered electorate.