Chapelboro.com podcast

24:29

Chase Davenport of Red October stopped by Live & Local this week, ahead of the release of his forthcoming new album “Stratosphere.” Follow Red October on Facebook. “Stratosphere” will be Red October’s third album in three years – but this is an especially personal one for Davenport, with a sequence of songs about grief after the recent death of his mother. “I was working on another project called ‘Apocalypse,’ which was going to be a response to Donald Trump,” Davenport says. “(But on) April 5, we lost her to prolonged disease.” The experience sent Davenport into a new round of songwriting, as a way to deal with the grief process – which he says is still very much ongoing. “Zero out of ten stars,” he says with a small laugh. “I’ve had a great support system, (but) you’re never the same again…(and) it’s like there’s no road, no one roadmap through the grief.” Davenport is releasing “Stratosphere” in three parts: a pair of EPs called “Songbook I and II,” followed by the full album later this year. His next live show is Thursday, June 26, a mini-set as part of an open mic at the Cave in downtown Chapel Hill. Chase Davenport stopped by Live & Local this week (accompanied by David Ward) to discuss the album and perform three songs: “The Road,” “Burn,” and “Life Goes On.” Listen: The post Into the ‘Stratosphere’: Live and Local with Red October appeared first on Chapelboro.com .…

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The 5:00 News – 828 MLK, Orange County Budget, Juneteenth 12:39

1 day ago12:39

12:39

97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey presents the afternoon news. Included in this edition of the news, we learn the latest on the Town’s efforts to remediate coal ash at 828 MLK Jr. Blvd. We also hear details on the recently passed Orange County Budget, the latest on an affordable housing project coming to Hillsborough, and details on Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s Juneteenth celebration on Thursday. In sports, the UNC Women’s Basketball team adds another player to next year’s roster, several athletes get individual honors, and more. 97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday afternoon, 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey recaps the day’s news, from local government to business developments to UNC sports, and everything in-between. Hear compelling stories, breaking news, and more. Find all of Andrew’s 5:00 News Reports by clicking here. The post The 5:00 News – 828 MLK, Orange County Budget, Juneteenth appeared first on Chapelboro.com .…

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Orange County: Budget Passes, New EMS Station, Job Fair 13:15

1 day ago13:15

13:15

Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, June 18. She discussed details of the county budget, which passed with unanimous support this week. She also talked about the opening of a new EMS station in Orange County, a new affordable housing development from Orange Habitat, an upcoming Job Fair, and a new mini-park opening this weekend. She also talked about upcoming community events and more. Conversations With the Mayors is an ongoing series on “News on the Hill” where host Andrew Stuckey visits with the local government leaders who help shape our communities in Chapel Hill and the surrounding area. Each Tuesday he visits with Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell; Wednesdays feature a conversation with Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford; Thursdays feature Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson, and Fridays include a conversation with Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee. You can listen to previous “Conversations With the Mayors” here . The post Orange County: Budget Passes, New EMS Station, Job Fair appeared first on Chapelboro.com .…

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Wonderful Water: 2024 Water Quality Report Card 11:25

1 day ago11:25

11:25

(Featured image via OWASA) This month on “ Wonderful Water, ” join 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey for a conversation with Allison Spinelli, OWASA Director of Water Resources; Chris Gibbons, OWASA Laboratory Supervisor, about the 2024 Water Quality Report Card ! OWASA has released its 2024 Water Quality Report Card , marking another year in providing water services to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community. The report card includes information about OWASA’s technology upgrades that improve efficiency in operations, important testing results that show OWASA ahs successfully met state and federal drinking water regulations, updates on pilot testing of PFAS treatment technologies and the completion of a Service Line Inventory, which found no lead water lines in OWASA’s service area. You can listen to the full conversation below, and visit the Wonderful Water page here for more interviews and stories about the work OWASA does in our community. Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents use roughly 7 million gallons of water a day, and “Wonderful Water” is a monthly conversation sponsored by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority highlighting its work to keep our community growing and water flowing. Presented by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority. The post Wonderful Water: 2024 Water Quality Report Card appeared first on Chapelboro.com .…

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Creating New ‘Rituals’: Live and Local with Watchhouse! 27:23

1 day ago27:23

27:23

Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Watchhouse stopped by Live & Local this week, following the release of their latest album “Rituals.” Visit WatchhouseBand.com. “Rituals” is the duo’s eighth album, but their first in almost four years. That’s their longest gap between albums, but Frantz and Marlin say they wouldn’t have had it any other way. “The songs were written a little more slowly, (with) a lot more intention behind each lyric – because all of a sudden it wasn’t me trying to just write an album for the sake of putting an album out,” says Marlin. “Not that we ever did that, but there’s always little elements of that here and there – (but this time) it felt like I could write when I felt like it…(and) I was able to do it on a much slower pace, and in a way that felt true to what I wanted to say.” The resulting album, with 11 warm, introspective, and inspired tracks, is yet another triumph for a duo that have long established themselves as one of the most beloved and popular bands in Chapel Hill’s storied music history. But it wasn’t an easy journey to get there. “The music scene and a music career, they’re not just endeavors,” Marlin says. “It becomes like a relationship. And I think (during) the pandemic, when everything stopped…all of a sudden I felt like this relationship that I’d had for so long was gone. And I didn’t know how to turn to it, and I didn’t know how to trust in it…so it became harder and harder to want to jump back in.” And for Marlin and Frantz, the pandemic was an especially transformative time: it also coincided with their decision to change the band’s name from Mandolin Orange to Watchhouse – and even more importantly, it also came shortly after they welcomed their first child. “I remember the first time I saw our daughter: all of a sudden, the person that I was before that moment no longer existed,” Marlin says. “I think that was one of the things that ended up making us slow down, and not feeling like we needed to write (or) be creative: with that perspective shift, with having kids, it was like, what’s more important than that?” But eventually, Marlin and Frantz say, the songs did come – not in spite of all those changes, but inspired by them. “I think a lot of (that) is really folded up in this album,” says Frantz. “A lot of these songs were born out of tumultuous years of soul searching and different personal transitions.” And crucially, Frantz and Marlin weren’t alone: they were guided by an old friend, co-producer Ryan Gustafson of the Dead Tongues. “He’s one of the first music scene friends that we made back in 2009, around the same time that we met each other,” says Frantz. “We’ve talked a lot about this, but he really did, I think, save this album and save our sanity and our ability to get it out. Because this was a really challenging one for us…we took our time with it, we knew we didn’t need to be in a hurry to put it out, and I think that made it harder to decide when we were finished… “And (Ryan) was the perfect gentle leader that we needed: (he) has a lot of great musical ideas, but also has a really deep understanding of who we are as musicians and who we are as a band, because he’s known us from the beginning. So that comfort was really crucial for us.” “Ryan was great,” Marlin adds. “He just kept offering the perspective of: ‘you’re doing this because you love it, and don’t forget that.’ And I think that was a huge help.” Listen to the album and purchase it on Bandcamp. Now, Watchhouse is celebrating the album with a nationwide tour, including an already-sold-out stop at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and their first west-coast swing in a couple years. And with two young kids along for the ride, a Watchhouse tour is now a family affair. “Certainly (that makes) the schedule a little more demanding,” Frantz says, “but it’s really special – and it feels like a cool opportunity for our kids to understand what we do, and the multiple things that give our life meaning.” And as for that relationship with music? “It’s a different relationship now,” Marlin says. “But I think it’s a healthier one.” Emily Frantz and Andrew Marlin stopped by Live & Local to discuss the album and their upcoming tour. They also played three tracks from the new album: “Rituals,” “In the Sun,” and “Shape.” Listen: The post Creating New ‘Rituals’: Live and Local with Watchhouse! appeared first on Chapelboro.com .…

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Talking Culture: Elizabeth Woodman Asks, ‘Who Killed Rachel Crook?’ 11:15

1 day ago11:15

11:15

Welcome to Talking Culture! In this weekly interview series from 97.9 The Hill WCHL, you’ll hear from writers, performers, musicians and individuals involved in advancing and promoting cultural arts in our community. Talking Culture is proudly sponsored by Duke Arts Presents. The 2025–26 Duke Arts Presents season is here! With 40 performances from September through April, the Duke Arts Presents season is packed with wide-ranging, joyful, and thought-provoking art for all audiences. Pick–4 packages are on sale now, build your perfect season at dukearts.org ! This week, Aaron welcomes Elizabeth Woodman, the creator of a podcast called “27 Views” that’s inspired by a series of books about North Carolina towns. Their latest installment is a four-part episode called “Who Killed Rachel Crook?” that takes a deep dive into the still-unsolved 1951 murder of the original owner of Chapel Hill’s Crook’s Corner – with fascinating insights into what life and society were like in our community, three quarters of a century ago. Click here for more on the podcast and the Rachel Crook episode, at EnoPublishers.org. 97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news and local voices in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday morning, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck chats with government officials, UNC scholars, business and nonprofit leaders, area musicians, and others in our community as they share their thoughts, their experience, and their expertise on the central issues of today. Click here to listen back to all of Aaron’s conversations – and tune in to “This Morning with Aaron Keck” at 7:30 a.m. on 97.9 The Hill to hear those conversations live. Listen: The post Talking Culture: Elizabeth Woodman Asks, ‘Who Killed Rachel Crook?’ appeared first on Chapelboro.com .…

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What’s Trending: Subway Saved My Life Tonight, Sugar Bear 4:55

1 day ago4:55

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Trending today: the declining fortunes of Subway, which is rapidly shedding locations nationwide after peaking in the mid-2010s. Victor and Aaron get nostalgic about their Subway memories – which, come to think of it, are all from way back in the day. Why is it that fewer people are going to Subway these days? Aaron’s got theories, but nothing’s entirely certain. (Also, Aaron fondly remembers Cracker Barrel – which sparks gratuitous commentary from Victor.) Want to know what folks are talking about on social media? Every weekday on 97.9 The Hill’s “This Morning with Aaron Keck,” Victor Lewis scours the Internet for the day’s top trending stories, from weird news to wacky crimes to odd business ventures and everything in between. Click here to listen back to all our past What’s Trending segments – and tune in to “This Morning” on 97.9 The Hill every weekday at 7:45 to hear What’s Trending live on the air. What’s Trending is made possible by Dynamic Electric. Listen now: The post What’s Trending: Subway Saved My Life Tonight, Sugar Bear appeared first on Chapelboro.com .…

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The Morning News: Budget Votes, 828 MLK, Affordable Housing, Juneteenth 11:38

1 day ago11:38

11:38

In today’s news: Orange County Commissioners approve next year’s budget, with the Chapel Hill Town Council set to vote on theirs tonight. Also: Chapel Hill considers the future of the property (and the coal ash) at 828 MLK Boulevard; Rodney Trice gets set to be sworn in as Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools superintendent; Orange Habitat for Humanity breaks ground on a new affordable-housing community in Hillsborough; employees at a Chapel Hill Starbucks vote to unionize; Carrboro gets named as a finalist for the national All-America City Award; Chapel Hill and Carrboro come together to celebrate Juneteenth; and the Tar Heel women’s basketball team lands a transfer from Russia. 97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Every weekday morning, 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck recaps the day’s news, from local government to business developments to UNC sports. Click here to listen back to all of Aaron’s daily news reports, which you can hear live during “This Morning with Aaron Keck” every weekday from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m. Listen: The post The Morning News: Budget Votes, 828 MLK, Affordable Housing, Juneteenth appeared first on Chapelboro.com .…

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Chatham County Roundup: Chair of the County Commissioners Karen Howard 14:34

2 days ago14:34

14:34

Chair of the Chatham County Commissioners Karen Howard spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, June 18. She discussed the passage of the budget for Chatham County, including what she is most proud of in the budget. She discussed the latest on Wolfspeed as that company cuts positions as part of a Chapter 11 restructuring. She also talked about new “Welcome to Chatham County” signs that will be put on 15-501, and more. Each week, News on The Hill engages in conversation with Chatham County leaders for the Chatham County Roundup. You can find previous conversations with Pittsboro Mayor Kyle Shipp, Chatham County Commissioner Karen Howard, and other county leaders by clicking here . The post Chatham County Roundup: Chair of the County Commissioners Karen Howard appeared first on Chapelboro.com .…

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Hillsborough: Mayor Mark Bell Helps First Responders Save Overdose Victim 11:57

2 days ago11:57

11:57

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, June 17, discussing town news and events. He told the story of seeing an incapacitated individual and calling first responders, who ultimately administered a life-saving dose of Naloxone. He talked about the need for more awareness around what to do in a situation like that, and the value of having overdose treatments available. He also discussed a recent assault in a a homeless encampment on the south side of Hillsborough. He also discussed upcoming community events and more. Conversations With the Mayors is an ongoing series on “News on the Hill” where host Andrew Stuckey visits with the local government leaders who help shape our communities in Chapel Hill and the surrounding area. Each Tuesday he visits with Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell; Wednesdays feature a conversation with Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford; Thursdays feature Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson, and Fridays include a conversation with Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee. You can listen to previous “Conversations With the Mayors” here . The post Hillsborough: Mayor Mark Bell Helps First Responders Save Overdose Victim appeared first on Chapelboro.com .…

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‘Anything Is Possible’: Live and Local with Chris Stamey! 26:06

2 days ago26:06

26:06

Local music legend Chris Stamey stopped by Live & Local last week, ahead of the July 11 release of his new album "Anything Is Possible." The post ‘Anything Is Possible’: Live and Local with Chris Stamey! appeared first on Chapelboro.com .

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What’s Trending: Is It Game? 5:32

2 days ago5:32

5:32

Trending today: a debate about whether table-top role-playing games are really 'games,' or whether they're actually 'books.' The post What’s Trending: Is It Game? appeared first on Chapelboro.com .

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On Air Today: Juneteenth 2025 in Chapel Hill-Carrboro! 8:55

2 days ago8:55

8:55

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Festival is taking place Thursday, June 19, from 4-8 p.m. at Carrboro Town Commons. The post On Air Today: Juneteenth 2025 in Chapel Hill-Carrboro! appeared first on Chapelboro.com .

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The Morning News: Hope Renovations Battles Trump 9:12

3 days ago9:12

9:12

In today's news: local workforce-training nonprofit Hope Renovations contends with federal 'diversity' grant cuts. The post The Morning News: Hope Renovations Battles Trump appeared first on Chapelboro.com .

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Speaking of Schools: North Carolina Principal of the Year and Orange High Principal Jason Johnson 9:37

3 days ago9:37