The 5:00 News – Crime in Carrboro, Splash Pad, and More

James Whalen is an experienced appellate attorney in private practice at Brooks Pierce LLP. Earlier this year, he was part of the legal team that defended Justice Allison Riggs’s win and stopped a dangerous attempt to overturn a free and fair election.

The Town of Chapel Hill announced that a section of S. Columbia St. will be closed as UNC conducts maintenance on its steam tunnel system.

The Hill's Andrew Stuckey speaks with North Carolina Poet Laureate Jakie Shelton Green, Carrboro Town Council Member Fred Joiner, and Executive Director of Orange County Arts Katie Murray on Friday, December 12. They discuss the challenges facing the arts community both generally and locally. They also discuss the role of arts in times of political division. They discuss the economic, social, and personal impact of having art in non-traditional spaces. They look ahead to 2026, and more.

UPDATE: The Orange County Sheriff's Office said at 10:57 p.m. the missing child has since been located.

The Hill's Andrew Stuckey speaks with Vice President of Advocacy for the Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro Ian Scott, Policy Director for Carolina Forward and Chapel Hill Town Council Member Theodore Nollert, and President of the Orange and Chatham County Association of Realters Randy Voller. They discussed the current housing inventory in the Chapel Hill area, including how much and what type of housing is still missing, and what tools the community has to encourage more housing. They also discussed what they hope to see different in the area's housing market in 2026, and more.

The Hill's Andrew Stuckey speaks with Chapel Hill's Community Sustainability Manager John Richardson, Inside Climate News North Carolina Reporter Lisa Sorg, and Chatham County Commissioner Karen Howard. They discuss increased extreme weather in our community, and how we continue to adjust and react to that extreme weather. They discuss ways of bouncing back from flood events, preparing for extreme heat, and looking ahead to potential future resiliency and sustainability issues in our community. They also discuss some of the positive climate work happening in our community, and more.

The Hill's Andrew Stuckey speaks with CORA's Melissa Driver Beard, TABLE's Suzanne Tormollen, and PORCH's Erin Riney. They discuss the new challenges facing organizations battling food insecurity in our community, and the sense that their role is becoming more permanent. They also discussed the specific challenges faced in our community around food insecurity, and what is needed to improve their effectiveness. They also talked about the sea-change moment when SNAP benefits were withheld during the government shutdown, and more.

The Hill's Andrew Stuckey speaks with Chapel Hill Immigration Attorney Chris Barnes and University of North Carolina Law Professor Rick Su on Monday, December 8. They discuss the specific implications of federal immigration enforcement actions in the Triangle region in November. They also discuss the larger legal ramifications of recent immigration enforcement, both in national politics and as it affects people locally. They share insights on the current legal question marks surrounding immigration in the United States, talk about who is affected most by these policies, what they expect to see in 2026, and more.

North Carolina District 56 Rep. Allen Buansi is seeking a third full term in the state house, announcing he will run for re-election in 2026. 

Hill’s Andrew Stuckey fills in for Aaron Keck with the morning news. In this edition of the news, we learn the results of the first day of the filing period for 2026 elections. Highlights included Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson deciding to not run for reelection and instead pursue a seat on the Chatham County Board of Commissioners. We check the candidates in Orange County, hear from Jamezetta Bedford on her decision to run for reelection, and more. In Sports, the men's basketball team gears up for a high profile trip to Lexington to face Kentucky, several athletes earn individual accolades, and more.