News Briefs: Week of Jan. 14

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News briefs: Week of Jan. 14

Chatham Conservation Partnership winter meeting set for Jan. 21

The Chatham Conservation Partnership (CCP) winter meeting will again be virtual, set for 9 to 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 21.

The meeting focus is water resource planning.

An update of the Cape Fear basinwide plan is coming out in 2021. Nora Deamer of the NCDEQ Basin Planning Branch will share updates in the plan for the Haw, Rocky, and Deep Rivers, addressing questions that include: How are basinwide plans used to protect our rivers? Can we provide input into the basinwide plans?

The Jordan Lake Rules impact water users, drinkers, and community members throughout the watershed. How are they developed? Who follows them? And could we be managing Jordan Lake better? Find out when Patrick Beggs from NCDEQ Division of Water Resources presents an update from the Jordan Lake One Water Partnership and the re-adoption process of the Jordan Lake Rules.

Friends of the Lower Haw will share their efforts to bring the Haw River Trail to Chatham County in hopes that recreation can be the key to watershed conservation.

The meeting will take place via Zoom, and pre-registration is required. CCP meetings are free and open to the public.

To register, or for more information, go to: chathamconservation.org.

Registration deadline is 10 p.m. on Jan. 19. Registrants will receive an email two days prior to the event with the Zoom link.

Governor Cooper Announces Judicial Appointments

RALEIGH — Governor Roy Cooper has announced two judicial appointments, one to the North Carolina Superior Court and one to the North Carolina District Court.

“The knowledge and legal experience of these North Carolinians make them strong additions to our courts,” Cooper said. “I’m thankful for their commitment to serving the people of our state.”

In Judicial District 15B (serving Orange and Chatham counties), Cooper appointed Alyson Adams Grine as Superior Court Judge. Grine will fill the vacant seat of recently retired Judge Carl Fox. Since 2018, Grine has served as a prosecutor for the Durham Office of the District Attorney. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at the North Carolina Central School of Law, Defender Educator at the UNC School of Government, an Assistant Public Defender in District 15B, and a judicial clerk for Chief Justice Henry Frye and Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson. Grine earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her Masters of Arts in Spanish from the University of Virginia, and her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law.

In Judicial District 10A (serving Wake County), Cooper appointed Rashad Hauter as District Court Judge. Hauter will fill the vacant seat of Judge Michael Denning who resigned. Since 2017, Hauter has worked as a criminal defense and immigration attorney in private practice. He previously served as the Regional Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor for the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys and as an Assistant District Attorney in the Wake County District Attorney’s Office. Hauter earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Juris Doctor from the Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law.

NCDOT: New projects, art contest, bike helmet initiative

RALEIGH — The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation:

New Projects in the New Year: It is a new year and some new roads have recently opened. Just before Christmas, North Carolina of Department of Transportation, city and county officials cut a ribbon to welcome traffic onto a new U.S. Hwy. 64 route and the Zoo Connector along the south side of Asheboro.

The department, ahead of schedule, also opened new sections of the Winston-Salem Northern Beltway and Greensboro Urban Loop.

NCDOT also announced new technology will be used to improve safety on a section of Interstate 95 that is currently being widened.

For more details, go to ncdot.gov and find the drop down for projects.

Aviation Art Contest: Each year, NCDOT’s Division of Aviation sponsors the North Carolina Aviation Art Contest to engage young people in aviation and aeronautics. The contest offers children ages 6 to 17 and who live or attend school in North Carolina the chance to explore different aspects of aviation.

The contest theme for 2021 is “A Friendlier World with Air Sports.” The entry deadline is Jan. 19.

Bicycle Helmet Initiative: To reduce bicycle injuries and deaths, NCDOT is encouraging people to apply to receive free bicycle helmets.

The Bicycle Helmet Initiative uses funds from the sale of “Share the Road” specialty license plates and has given out more than 40,000 helmets since its inception in 2007.

Applications are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 15 and can be filled out online.

For more information about NCDOT Now, contact the NCDOT Communications Office at (919) 707-2660. Additional news stories from throughout the week can be found on NCDOT.gov.

— CN + R staff reports

Yoga Garden offers MLK Day community class

PITTSBORO — To commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Pittsboro’s Yoga Garden is sharing a multi-offering livestream class from 9 to 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 18, which includes a Loving Kindness meditation led by Lexie Wolf, a Dharma talk led by Cierra McEachern and a gentle flow yoga practice led by Chelsea Gardner.

In an effort to center the great legacy of Dr. King, we’ll be holding space for community during this class and offering donations to the new Chatham County School of Arts for Boys Academy, which endeavors to empower and build underrepresented minorities boys to be strong, creative academic scholars, critical thinkers and community leaders through a culturally responsive arts-based education. More information can be found at sabacademy.org.

“We encourage you to register on our website and meet us on the mat for a great opportunity to practice gratitude, mindfulness, unity and community-building,” Yoga Garden owner Lexie Wolf said.

Register for the Zoom session at yogagardenpbo.com/schedule-and-info.

Lee County Sheriff to retire

SANFORD — After 14 years in office, Lee County Sheriff Tracy L. Carter announced at a press conference last week that he will not run for reelection when his term expires in two years.

“I made a decision after a lot of thought for quite some time now that I will not seek a fifth term as sheriff of Lee County,” Carter said.

Carter cited a personal belief that individuals should not hold power for extended periods of time as the primary contributor to his decision.

“In 2006, when I won my first sheriff’s race, I thought how great it would be to serve one term and do a great job if that’s all that I get,” he said. “Well one term turned into four terms, and me personally, I don’t think that anyone should be in this position for more than four terms. I mean, that’s enough for anyone.”

Carter thanked his staff and the local government for supporting him as sheriff, but expressed special gratitude for the people of Lee County.

“It’s been a high honor,” Carter said. “I can’t stress that enough, how much I appreciate the citizens of Lee County supporting me and our county government.”

During his tenure, Carter expanded the Sheriff’s Office and broadened its scope.

“Over the past 14 years we’ve made a lot of improvements here at the Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “We have 12 different divisions within my office and we’ve created some of those divisions and we’ve drastically improved each one of those, and I think that the work we’ve done here has contributed to Lee County being a better safer place for people to live.”

Despite a hard year contending with the coronavirus pandemic, Carter said he is leaving a healthy and well-functioning office.

“My budget’s in good shape; my employees are in good shape,” he said. “The only concern that I have for my office is that my hard working employees get a good healthy raise this year ... They’ve done an outstanding job with COVID and all that’s happened in the past year.”

The next sheriff’s race will begin in less than a year, but Carter declined to offer endorse a replacement.

“I do have someone I’m going to support from my office that I think is very capable of moving things in the right direction,” he said, “but I’m not ready to talk about that right now.”

Carter’s retirement will mark the end of a 33-year-long career in law enforcement. When asked about his political aspirations, though, Carter suggested he might pursue alternative avenues of public service.

“My health is good, thank God, and I plan on retiring from law enforcement,” he said, “but I do want to continue working. I think that keeps you healthy.”

— CN + R staff reports