Community

An Emily Dickinson or Jane Austen-styled book purse. A book nerd quilt. Personal book selections from the library director. These are some of the selections in the inaugural Beautifully Bookish Online Auction sponsored by the Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library.

If a bike is on your child’s Christmas list this year, you may want to write a letter to Santa. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, the demand for bikes has surged, locally and nationally, while the manufacture of bikes and bike parts — largely done overseas — has slowed.

They came to remember the man and to recall the appalling circumstances of his death. And they came to ask that justice finally be done. Dozens gathered Saturday in honor of James Cates, a Black resident of the Northside neighborhood, who was murdered exactly 50 years earlier.

Fifty years after his death, local residents, the Town of Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina are honoring the life of James Cates — and trying to uncover how and why he died.

Olivia Rupkalvis always had dogs growing up. She describes herself as a “huge animal person” who volunteered frequently with animal shelters during high school. Although she wanted a dog while attending UNC, as a college student she did not have enough money.

Melody Kramer was filled with energy as she got out of her car that early October morning. The Chapel Hill resident was nervous, just as she was before giving birth years earlier.

Mrs. Herta could not have or attend an August birthday party in the middle of COVID-19.

The Chapel Hill Housing Advisory Board will now look to promote racial equity when it evaluates and determines funding for affordable housing projects.

The scariest monster of Halloween 2020 is the one no one can see. The risk of spreading the invisible COVID-19 virus with typical door-to-door “trick or treating” (not to mention indoor parties or even hayrides and tractor rides with people you don’t know), could pose a serious threat.

It’s a spooky time. Oh, and it’s also almost Halloween. Franklin Street won’t be closed off to traffic, and crowds of thousands won’t be gathering…

People interested in donating to Orange County Rape Crisis Center last year could attend two in-person events: an auction gala and Punk Cuts to End Rape.

A hospital offers a glimpse into the best and worst parts of the human experience. DooR to DooR is a program at UNC Hospitals that infuses the arts with medicine to provide holistic healthcare to patients, and to brighten the days of staff and family members.

Little victories help Matt Gladdek get through the day. Take the afternoon of Oct. 1, for example.

If you ate at Elmo’s Diner in Carrboro over its 29-year run, thank kitchen manager Charles “Chuck” Mills: he made your day better.

There was a four-foot-wide gap in Marvin Cruz’s mobile home. Splintered plywood, insulation and the beige panels that were once siding covered the ground. Even the tarps meant to cover the damage lay in the dirt.

Visitors to downtown Chapel Hill will now see art in windows as they walk or roll along Franklin Street.

With reduced revenue, a shuttered storefront and supportive hugs limited to LCD screens, Club Nova has endured a slew of obstacles since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

As controversy grows over the role of the U.S. Postal Service and the use of absentee ballots in November’s presidential election, officials in Orange County believe that voting by mail remains a safe option, but encourage voters to request and fill out their absentee ballots as early as possible.