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Articles by Kristin Kharrat
What does it take to open a restaurant on Franklin Street?
Local entrepreneurs bring their ideas to Franklin Street in hopes of becoming restauranteurs. Restaurants in Chapel Hill are constantly opening and closing their doors, as setting up shop takes a specific set of structural processes. Owner of The Purple Bowl, Taylor Gilland, said he was warned against opening a restaurant on Franklin Street, but he did it anyway.
Local leaders cannot restrict public comment based on content, but other barriers remain
City & State Senior Writer Jan 26, 2026, 1:41 AM In the United States, residents wishing to express their opinions to local government leaders can often do so through public comment sessions. This simple democratic process is frequently on display here in Chapel Hill; in 2025, more than 150 residents spoke at town council meetings, according to the Town’s records. But public comment sessions aren't a free-for-all.
'There is no next step North': Carolina's budget stalemate persists into the new year
City & State Dec 2, 2025, 1:44 AM North Carolina is the only state in the country expected to enter the new year without a state budget. Instead of passing a full state budget, which was due to be agreed upon and passed by July 1, the N.C. General Assembly has passed two mini-budgets. The state is otherwise continuing to operate on the legislation from the previous biennium, called a continuation budget.
Guest essay: Vote - even when it’s ‘boring’
Opinion Early on Nov. 4, I slipped into the First Baptist Church. The volunteer at the check-in table told me I was the 11th voter that morning. Filling out my ballot took about 30 seconds — two of three races were uncontested. My quiet morning in Chapel Hill felt worlds away from the escalating anxiety across the country. In Virginia, the gubernatorial race was treated as a litmus test for President Donald Trump’s second term.
Judge halts Medicaid reimbursement cuts for autism services in North Carolina
City & State Assistant City & State Editor Nov 18, 2025, 1:54 AM On Nov. 10, a Wake County judge granted a preliminary injunction halting the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services' Medicaid reimbursement cuts for autism care service providers. The NCDHHS imposed cuts between 3 and 10 percent on all Medicaid providers in early October amid a funding standoff over the state’s lack of a biennial budget that has resulted in no deal to fully fund the Medicaid rebase.
'We are definitely not backing down': Local farmers markets work to fill the gap amid SNAP cuts
City & State Senior Writer Nov 11, 2025, 12:56 AM When a beneficiary’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were cut from $70 per month to $16 for the month of November, she was shocked . She showed up to the farmers market for her weekly visit with 25 cents in her EBT card, expecting it to be doubled to 50 cents through the Double Bucks program.
Two incumbents, two challengers elected to Chapel Hill Town Council
City & State City & State Editor Nov 5, 2025, 2:34 AM Chapel Hill has elected its next set of town council members. Louie Rivers III, Wes McMahon, Camille Berry and Paris Miller-Foushee were elected to the four town council seats, while challenger candidate Erik Valera was not elected. The race between the four elected candidates was close, with less than 2 percent of the vote separating the four elected candidates.
Live 2025 Election Results from Chapel Hill and Carrboro
It's Election Day, and we're reporting live. Throughout the evening, this page will report results of the mayoral, town council and school board races in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Polls close at 7:30 p.m. Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson 0 votes Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee 0 votes Joe Lloyd Jr. 0 votes Chapel Hill Town Council Paris Miller-Foushee 0 votes Carrboro Town Council Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education @DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com
Judge rules federal government must distribute food stamps amid shutdown
City & State Nov 3, 2025, 1:39 AM A federal judgeruled on Saturday that the federal government must distribute November's food stamps in full by Monday or issue partial payments from contingency funds by Wednesday. The ruling comes four days after North Carolina Attorney GeneralJeff Jacksonjoined a lawsuit challenging the government’s decision to suspend benefits despite available emergency funding.
More than 100 days after the deadline, North Carolina still has not passed a budget
City & State Oct 28, 2025, 1:23 AM Nearly four months after the start of the fiscal year, the North Carolina General Assembly has yet to pass a budget for the ongoing 2025-27 biennium. The NCGA is now 119 days past its budget deadline, opting to approve two mini budgets instead. Both the N.C. House and Senate have passed their own versions of the state budget, but each chamber voted down the other chamber’s proposal.
Q&A: Chapel Hill Town Council candidate Paris Miller-Foushee discusses smart growth, development
City & State Oct 22, 2025, 2:18 AM The Daily Tar Heel’s Rosemary Ruan spoke with Chapel Hill Town Council candidate Paris Miller-Foushee about her experience and aspirations for the role. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. The Daily Tar Heel:What do you want voters to know about you? Paris Miller-Foushee:I want them to know that my policies are really steeped in a simple belief — that my policies are acts of love and care for our community.
Q&A: Chapel Hill Town Council candidate Louie Rivers says he will emphasize severe weather preparedness
City & State Oct 22, 2025, 12:17 AM The Daily Tar Heel’s Kimberly Garcia spoke with Chapel Hill Town Council candidate Louie Rivers III about his experience and aspirations for the role. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. The Daily Tar Heel: What do you want voters to know about you? Louie Rivers III: That I care deeply for Chapel Hill. It’s a place that has given a lot to my family and to me.
Q&A: Chapel Hill Town Council candidate Wes McMahon talks stormwater management, tax rates
City & State Senior Writer Oct 21, 2025, 11:37 PM The Daily Tar Heel’s Kristin Kharrat spoke with Chapel Hill Town Council candidate Wes McMahon about his experience and aspirations for the role. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. The Daily Tar Heel:What do you want voters to know about you? Wes McMahon:I want voters to know that I have over 10 years of experience working on Town issues, from the parks and recreation commission to the planning commission.
Chapel Hill's elections are less contentious this year - why?
City & State Senior Writer Oct 21, 2025, 11:10 PM This year, there are five seats on the ballot for Chapel Hill’s municipal elections: one mayoral seat and four town council seats. Only six people are running for election. Jess Anderson, the incumbent mayor, is running for the mayoral seat unopposed. Five candidates are running for council: Camille Berry, Paris Miller-Foushee, Wes McMahon, Erik Valera and Louie Rivers III. Both Berry and Miller-Foushee are incumbents running for re-election.
Column: Behind our 2025 local elections coverage
Local elections might not have the media attention, rallies and showiness of national elections, but they decide how local communities will grow and change over the coming years. This year, several municipal races are taking place across Orange County, with early voting having already begun and Election Day set for Nov. 4. The Daily Tar Heel’s coverage of local elections will focus on the races in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.
North Carolina Schools join national effort to improve AI literacy
City & State Oct 9, 2025, 1:26 AM The N.C. Department of Public Instructionannounced on Sept. 25 that it will be partnering with the AI Innovation Index on a program to increase artificial intelligence literacy among students and staff. The purpose of the program is to gather qualitative data on AI use in schools, said Vera Cubero, a consultant at Emerging Technologies for NCDPI’s Office of Digital Teaching and Learning.
Three UNC professors join Gov. Stein's newly established AI leadership council
City & State Oct 8, 2025, 10:17 PM Gov. Josh Stein signed Executive Order No. 24, “Advancing Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence That Benefits All North Carolinians,” last month. The order makes notable statements and revisions to state-level artificial intelligence governance.
'Part of our nature as humans': Local bakers build community through food
Last fall, KC Hysmith, Oona O’Toole and Emily Cheves displayed their decadent cakes at a Cake Pickin’. A yuzu and olive oil cake, chocolate cherry and pistachio cake and pumpkin polenta zucchini apple butter cake, amongst others, decorated a picnic table in Southern Community Park.
Gov. Josh Stein signs mini-budget, provides continued funding for government programs
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Monday, Aug. 18, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue On Aug. 6, Gov. Josh Stein signed House Bill 125, which provides targeted funding for specific programs amid the state budget impasse, into law. The budget bill, or “mini-budget”, will allow operations to continue in the fiscal year in the absence of a full state budget. The North Carolina General Assembly failed to agree on a budget for 2025-27 before the start of the fiscal biennium. N.C. Rep.
'Pulse of the economy': How economic changes affect local second-hand shopping
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Friday, April 11, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue Local musician Joyce Preslar has been thrifting in Orange County since 1978 and began working at Chatham PTA Thrift Shop in 1982. She said she always goes to thrift stores before visiting retail stores because they are more affordable and are more likely to have what she is looking for.
Threat of immigration crackdowns spark fear for N.C. farmers, threaten food chains
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Monday, March 17, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue Lee Wicker, grew up on a farm on the Lee County-Moore County line and has farmed since he was seven years old. Wicker, the deputy director of the NC Growers Association, said the agricultural sector in North Carolina, and the U.S., is in trouble. Younger farmers are turning away from the profession, and farmland loss threatens farmers across the state, he said.
'Conditions on the ground': Local business owners discuss upcoming Trump tariffs
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue On Feb. 1, President Donald Trump signed an executive order implementing a 25 percent additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10 percent additional tariff on imports from China. The tariffs on China went into effect on Feb. 4 and the tariffs on Canada and Mexico will go into effect on March 4.
Chapel Hill Town Council meets, discusses USAID, hears local petition
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue On Wednesday, the Chapel Hill Town Council met to discuss two proposed developments. What’s new? Council member Karen Stegman introduced a joint resolution between the Town and the City of Durham calling for an immediate lift of the Stop Work Order on foreign assistance programs and the re-opening of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
How Chapel Hill fits into a national decrease of engagement at work
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue A recent study from Gallup showed that employee engagement in the U.S. reached a 10-year low in 2024, with only 31 percent of employees reporting being engaged at work. The biggest employment sectors in 2022 in Durham-Chapel Hill were the health care sector and the educational services sector, according to Data USA. The professional service sector and food service sector are also large employers in the area.
'Damage beyond a dollar cost': CHCCS PowerSchool data breach
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue On Jan. 7, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction sent out an email notifying school districts of a cybersecurity breach of student and teacher data in PowerSchool, a national software used to store administrative information for K-12 schools. The breach occurred on Dec. 19, but PowerSchool did not discover the incident until Dec. 28 and reported it to the NCDPI over a week later on Jan. 7.
Gov. Stein and Roy Cooper challenge GOP leaders over election board appointment power
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 Newsletters Latest print issue Former Gov. Roy Cooper and Gov. Josh Stein sued Republican legislative leaders, N.C. Rep. Tim Moore (D-14) andSen. Phil Berger (D-26), in December for recent changes to the State Board of Elections and County Boards of Elections made through N.C. Senate Bill 382. Cooper vetoed Senate Bill 382, but the legislature overrode the veto.
Chapel Hill passed five bonds in November, what happens now?
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Monday, Dec. 2, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue In the November election, Chapel Hill voters approved five bond referendums allowing the Town of Chapel Hill to borrow up to $44 million. The Town plans to invest the money into local infrastructure projects. Peter Norman, UNC economics professor, said general obligation bonds are essentially loans that are borrowed by a municipal government that are typically paid back through tax revenue.
N.C. Farm Bureau files lawsuit, challenges unionization rights for temporary workers
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue The North Carolina Farm Bureau and two North Carolina farmers recently filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor over regulation allowing temporary farm workers, H-2A workers, to unionize. In April, the DOL issued a rule strengthening labor protections for temporary farm workers by allowing them to unionize. The ruling took effect in late June.
What to know about Chapel Hill's streetscape project
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Monday, Oct. 28, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue The Chapel Hill’s Downtown Streetscape project is currently in its second phase which will be finalized by the end of 2024. The project intends to reimagine streets, sidewalks and gathering places in the downtown area.
Community members reflect on Double Up Food Bucks Program, decreased funding
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue Orange County farmers markets participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program, which doubles the dollar of purchases made by SNAP/EBT recipients. The program is available in more than 25 states and is offered at over 900 participating locations across the country.
North Carolina's Child Passenger Safety Week seeks to raise awareness
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue Last week, North Carolina launched the annual Child Passenger Safety Week, an initiative aiming to raise awareness about correctly installing child safety seats in vehicles, according to a press release by the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal. The week began with a free car seat safety event in Apex hosted by Safe Kids North Carolina, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program and State Farm.
Measles case identified in North Carolina, NCDHHS urges vaccination
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced one confirmed case of measles in North Carolina on Sept. 9. The child residing in Mecklenburg County who tested positive for the virus likely contracted it through international travel. This is the first measles case identified in North Carolina since 2018. North Carolina Rep.
North Carolina welcomes second wind farm, increases local investment
North Carolina's second wind energy project opened in Chowan County this July. The new wind energy farm, created under the Timbermill Wind project, is a $300 to $400 million investment to the Chowan County area, North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association Executive Director Matt Abele said.
North Carolina welcomes second wind farm, increases local investment
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue North Carolina's second wind energy project opened in Chowan County this July. The new wind energy farm, created under the Timbermill Wind project, is a $300 to $400 million investment to the Chowan County area, North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association Executive Director Matt Abele said.
'A little magic and a lot of flavor': VooDoo Wings opens on Franklin Street
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Monday, Aug. 19, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue “VooDoo Wing Company is a place where you can find a little magic, and A LOT of flavor," reads its website. The company, which had its Chapel Hill grand opening at 147 E. Franklin St. on Aug. 17, hosts a menu of flavored chicken wings, sauces, sides, sliders, desserts and more.
From the Ackland to the Botanical Gardens: Five free things to do in Chapel Hill
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Tuesday, May 21, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue There are only so many times a student can grab a bite with friends on Franklin Street before either becoming broke or bored with the routine. Despite not feeling like it sometimes, Chapel Hill and Carrboro are home to a plethora of activities you can enjoy without worrying about finances.
NEXT Chapel Hill-Carrboro hosts first-ever Policy Slam Competition
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Thursday, April 18, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue On April 11, around 40 Chapel Hill and Carrboro community members gathered at Speakeasy Carrboro to witness and partake in the first Policy Slam "Lightning Talk" Competition, hosted by NEXT Chapel Hill-Carrboro and UNC’s Community, Equity and Sustainability workgroup.
Chapel Hill Town Council to increase stormwater control requirements
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Sunday, April 7, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue The Chapel Hill Town Council will vote on May 1 to increase stormwater requirements from 25-year storms to 100-year storms as part of the Town's effort to support its climate action and sustainability goals. There is a four percent chance that a 25-year storm will occur over a 24-hour period in any given year, according toTodd BenDor, a UNC professor of city and regional planning.
UNC naval armory added to national historic register, making demolition less likely
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Monday, April 1, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue The Naval ROTC Armory at UNC, which has been a hub for cadets since 1942 , was added to the National Register of Historic Places this month. Stephenson Distinguished Professor of History Joseph Glatthaar said the addition of UNC’s naval armory to the National Register of Historic Places introduces new regulations for the building and its administration.
Orange County approves four-year strategic plan, contingent on subcommittee
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue Last Tuesday, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved its newest strategic plan, which will clarify and outline the County’s goals, values and priorities for the next four years.
New pilot program in North Carolina seeks to cut share costs of child care
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893. Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue In its 2023-25 budget, the N.C. General Assembly established Tri-Share, a two-year pilot program that aims to split the cost of child care between employers, employees and the state. The legislature’s goal in implementing Tri-Share is to increase access to high-quality, affordable childcare while helping employers retain their employees.
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