Michelle Cassell is a seasoned reporter who has covered everything from crime to hurricanes and local politics to human interest over the course of 35 years. As Editor, she hopes to encourage writers of a wide range of backgrounds and interests in TLR’s coverage of Southern Orange County news.
- Franklin Street Corridor Remains Focal Point as Chapel Hill, Carrboro Police Logs Show Steady Activity, Few Serious Incidents
- Police Assign Dedicated Team to Investigate Vehicle Break-Ins
- Car Break-Ins Surge Along MLK Boulevard, Franklin Street as Two-Week Blotter Shows Vehicle Crime Outpacing All Other Offenses
- Three UNC Chapel Hill Students Selected to Receive Prestigious DeJoy-Woś Scholarship
- Media Preview: Ackland Art Museum Opens Two New Exhibitions Showcasing Latest Additions to Collection
- Crime Location & Recurrence Analysis
- Laurie Paolicelli to Retire as Executive Director of the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau
- Scam Texts Impersonating NC Quick Pass, Courts Target Local Residents
- Chapel Hill and Carrboro Council Meeting Summaries for April 2026
- A Letter From the Editor
- Best of TLR
- Snooze Is Back In Chapel Hill On March 1
- Chatham County Sheriff’s Office Recognizes Service, Courage, and Commitment at Annual Awards Ceremony
- Carolina Performing Arts Launches Chapter Three of “Artists Are Athletes/Athletes Are Artists™,” Spotlighting Leadership Across Music and Sport
- New Downtown Police Substation Opening on W. Franklin Street
- Neighbors Powering Hunger Relief: PORCH Communities Releases 2025 Impact Report Highlighting $2.28M in Food Support and 30 New Chapters Nationwide
- CCSO Polar Plunge Draws Big Crowd, Big Support for Special Olympics North Carolina
- Police Warn of Check Theft During Tax Season
- Extraordinary Ventures Launches Thrift Store to Create Jobs for Adults With Disabilities
- NCDHHS Shares Provider Guidance, Updates as Measles Cases Rise
- Ackland Art Museum to Open Two Major Exhibitions Exploring Identity and Color
- Carrboro Development Trends: Growth Pressures, Affordability Goals and a Community in Transition
- Chapel Hill Development at a Crossroads: Housing supply, affordability strategy, transit-oriented growth, and the shape of a changing community
- West Rosemary Street Closed Dec. 18 Due to Water Main Break
- Christmas House Project Brings More Than 70 Years of Holiday Giving to Chapel Hill
- NCDHHS Announces First Pediatric Flu Death of 2025-26 Season, Urges Vaccination for Children 6 Months and Older
- Live Performances & Events: Chapel Hill & Carrboro, December 2025
- UNC Health Unable to Reach a New and Fair Agreement with Cigna
- Orange County Reminds Citizens to Protect Pets From Cold
- The Local Reporter Honors the Season of Thanksgiving
- African Poet Finds New Purpose — and New History — in Chapel Hill
- CARE Team Now Serving Chapel Hill and Carrboro, Plans To Extend Operating Hours
- Update: Investigators Identify Suspect in Trail Incident
- Cigna–UNC Health Contract Dispute Continues, Affecting 50,000 Patients
- County Urged to Address Property Tax Inequities
- Family’s Visit is no Ordinary Vacation – A Halloween Story
- Final Two Sheep from Chicken Bridge Road Sold at Public Auction
- Update: Chapel Hill Police Investigate Shooting
- Police Seek Assistance Locating Missing Person
- Some Businesses Re-Open While Others Struggle after Chantal – UPDATED
- Suspect Sought in Attempted Rape in Carrboro
- UNC partners with Robinhood to expand financial education to new campuses and more athletes
- Community Advocate Bessie Elmore Launching New Weekly Radio Show
- Habitat for Humanity to accept applications for homeownership in Weavers Grove
- WCOM 103.5 Launches “the hearth radio hour” – A Weekly Poetry Showcase
- Singer-songwriter and Cellist Pippa Hoover releases Occoneechee mountain–inspired single
- WCOM Classic! 2025
- Silverspot Chapel Hill reopens after temporary closure
- A Letter From the Editor
- Labor Day Kickoff Party on Southern Village Green September 1
- Proposals Promise Billions in Impact for UNC and North Carolina
- Missing Person Sought by CHPD Found Safe
- Letter from the Editor
- Police Investigate Carjacking Saturday
- NCDHHS Releases Black Youth Suicide Action Plan to Tackle Rising Number of Suicides Among Black Youth, Young Adults
- Letter from the Editor
- AFTERMATH OF CHANTAL: Orange County Reels From Flooding, Fatalities and Recovery Efforts
- Elliott Woods Apartments to Remain Affordable, Say Town and Property Owner
- Orange County Honored with Three 2025 National Achievement Awards for Innovation and Service
- Long-Term Residents of Elliott Woods Apartments Fight Displacement Amidst Accusations of Systemic Gentrification in Chapel Hill
- Photo of the Week
- Duke Energy Provided Temporary Power to PEACH Apartments – Permanent Power Date Unknown
- No Kings Rally in Chapel Hill Draws Large Crowd
- Southern Village Restaurant Makes Sad Announcement
- Habitat for Humanity Breaks Ground at Auman Village
- Branch Held Press Conference June 11 Regarding CHCCS and Dr. Helena Thomas
- Orange County Planning Department issued Final Determination Letter denying Union Grove’s Request to Build in Maple View Rural Buffer Area
- Julie McClintock honored with the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award
- Gov. Stein proclaims “Heat Awareness Week” ahead of extreme summer heat expected
- Novant Health, UNC Health, and UNC School of Medicine award $1 million to launch two regional research methods
- Chapel Hill to host annual Memorial Day Service honoring U.S. veterans
- New digital resource to support people with disabilities
- Animal Services reminds pet owners about heat and hot car dangers
- Local business enters a new era with a new location
- National Nonprofit Petco Love Invests in Animal Services to Save and Improve the Lives of Pets in Orange County, North Carolina
- Chapel Hill landmark destroyed to make way for a gas station
- Ribbon cutting set for the PEACH Apartments April 25
- “Hands Off!” Rally in Pittsboro joined nationwide Trump policy protests on Saturday
- Gunpoint carjackings in Carrboro and Chapel Hill
- In Response to USDA Cuts, PORCH communities call on local communities and local residents to support food pantries
- Carraway Village adds new outdoor amenities to enhance community living
- Local HOA’s have a bone to pick with area turkey vultures
- Carrboro Police make arrests in vehicle break-ins
- Orange County welcomes new members to the Visitors Bureau Board
- SECU Foundation awards $2 million grant to support expansion of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
- UNC-Chapel Hill Dean Smith Center’s future may be decided soon – options being compiled
- Community Empowerment Fund honors Black Queens in the community
- UNC-Chapel Hill’s air quality permit application decision coming soon
- NCDHHS invests $3 Million to expand Child First, strengthening support for young children and families across North Carolina
- Dr. Nyah Hamlett to depart CHCCS June 30
- Police work to identify suspects following gunfire
- Habitat for Humanity to host Information Sessions for Homeownership Program ahead of upcoming application cycle
- Animal Services receives positive rabies test
- Chapel Hill Mayor and Town Council submit questions to DEQ
- Frying pan to fire? UNC-Chapel Hill cogeneration plant permit modification pros and cons discussed
- UNC Hospitals and UNC Health Rex to begin visitor restrictions
- Chapel Hill Police seek assistance in locating missing person
- Investigation continues into double fatality crash
- Animal Services receives positive rabies test result
- NCDHHS will provide free radon test kits
- Chapel Hill appoints new Interim Town Manager
- Three suspects arrested following armed robbery, shots fired
- NCDHHS invests $20 Million in transportation program for people experiencing a mental health crisis
- SECU Foundation supports North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation’s Innovation Artist Mentorship Program
- Orange County Living Wage is closing on Dec. 31
- Death by distribution charge in overdose death
- The Pit at UNC gets a $200,000 boost toward renovations
- Orange County reminds citizens to protect pets from the cold
- Low-Income energy assistance program begins accepting applications Dec. 2 to help with heating costs as temperatures begin to drop
- Town Manager Chris Blue announces his retirement
- Don’t rake those leaves – leave them – Chapel Hill says
- Suspect charged in sexual offense involving a juvenile
- Pro-Palestinian art display removed from Peace and Justice Plaza
- Chatham County Sheriff’s Office update on missing Pittsboro woman
- Habitat for Humanity and HOPE NC announce new affordable housing partnership
- SECU’s annual statewide toy drive is happening now
- Carolina adds alcohol sales to Smith Center and Carmichael Arena
- $5 million investment to expand access to behavioral health care in primary care offices
- Deadline to voice your opinion on the Orange County Land Use Plan 2050
- Chatham County Sheriff’s Office seeks public’s help locating missing Pittsboro woman
- A class ring and a hurricane converge in the life of a local woman
- A message from Mayor Anderson
- Voter registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 11
- UNC Children’s named to U.S. News’ Best Children’s Hospitals list for 16th straight year
- How to help Western North Carolina today – Update
- SECU Foundation donates $3.75 Million in disaster relief to aid Western North Carolina communities
- Temporary flexibilities in place for Medicaid beneficiaries due to Hurricane Helene devastation
- How to help devastated Western North Carolina today
- Two months and going strong – PORT provides vital EMS and community opioid help
- Threat of school violence not credible, police seek juvenile petition
- UNC updates Alert Carolina Messaging
- WCOM announces its fundraiser Disc Golf Tournament 2024 this Saturday
- Animal Services offers grant program
- SECU Foundation supports disaster preparedness with $250,000 contribution to Feeding the Carolinas
- First Measles case in North Carolina since 2018
- Animal Services receives positive rabies test
- Chapel Hill Police investigate bank robbery
- Search continues for escaped inmate
- SECU Foundation marks 20 years of giving to North Carolina communities in all 100 counties
- The N.C. League of Women Voters is seeking poll workers
- Animal Service reminds pet owners about disaster preparedness
- Funding to support UNC program to strengthen local governments across the state
- Arrest follows shots fired on Franklin Street
- Man killed in shooting on Ashley Forest Road in Chapel Hill
- Three UNC-Chapel Hill students selected to receive prestigious DeJoy-Woś Scholarships
- Part of Community Center Park closed due to contamination test results
- Orange County Animal Services partners with BISSELL Pet Foundation for the Empty the Shelters event
- Carrboro Town Council special election candidates
- Disinterest in pediatric care? Two UNC doctors provide perspectives on the national issue
- Another landmark moment for the Northside neighborhood and Habitat for Humanity
- Drowning incident at Jordan Lake claims life of Carrboro man
- Jury duty failure to show — phone scam surfaces again
- For many urban residents, it’s even hotter than their weather app says
- NCDEQ to share draft Brownfields agreement, open public comment period for 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. site
- Don’t confuse “dwelling insurance” with “homeowners insurance”
- Summer water safety awareness — experts advise precautions
- Three suspects charged in vehicle break-in
- Race Amity Day Celebration brings racial unity to the forefront in Pittsboro; Presidential praise received for Partners in Racial Justice’s efforts
- Board of Education approves Block Schedule for 2025-26 school year
- Filing is open to register for Carrboro Town Council seat
- What is PFAS and why does it concern me?
- NCDHHS celebrates 50th anniversary of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for women, infants and children
- Animal services remind pet owners about hot car dangers
- Chapel Hil Police investigate murder-suicide on Homestead Road
- 4 cars a day on average towed from Carr Mill despite signs warning that parking is for customers only
- Two teens reported missing for the second time in days
- Local NAACP denounces UNC’s Board of Governors’ decision to repeal its DEI policy
- Chapel Hill veteran dedicates life’s work documenting North Carolina veteran’s stories for families and friends
- NCDHHS shares safety practices for a healthy summer ahead of Memorial Day weekend
- House Us Now! March held in spite of rain – declares success
- Hauser wins seat on Orange County Schools Board of Education after runoff
- CHCCS high school scheduling for 2025-2026 school year causes some parent and student objections
- Teacher of the year CHCCS Roxana Rojas of Seawell Elementary
- People statewide will soon have access to contraceptive services at pharmacies
- UNC is on track to comply with Governor’s Executive Order to reduce emissions. But…
- UNC-Chapel Hill faculty threatens to withhold grades – Interim Chancellor and Provost Clemens respond
- EPA denies petition for coal ash cleanup
- House Us Now March! will be this Saturday in Chapel Hill – organizers ask for community support
- UNC pro-Palestinian protestors detained and 6 reported arrested — UNC leaders speak out
- Orange County Living Wage hosts first chili cook-off fundraiser this Sunday
- Moore withdraws from School Board runoff election — apologizes for claiming to have Ph.D
- July 1 launch of behavioral health and intellectual/developmental disabilities tailored plans
- For cicadas – it’s lining up to be a perfect storm
- Tax increase on the horizon for Chapel Hill property owners?
- Professor Emerita Jane Delano Brown receives the Jonathan B. Howes Lifetime Achievement Award
- Smile you are on UNC-Chapel Hill surveillance cameras
- NCDHHS encourages North Carolinians to “Fight the Bite” with insect repellant and other prevention tools to avoid tick- and mosquito-borne disease
- Shop Save Support Fundraiser
- UNC Health and UnitedHealthcare reach an agreement
- Chapel Hill police charge man following investigation
- The Town of Carrboro announces its selection for Town Manager – Patrice Toney
- It’s spring – temperatures and gas prices are going up
- UNC Health and UnitedHealthcare agreement came down to the wire
- Pee Wee Homes to receive a $40,000 grant from SECU
- Connecting eligible veterans to nutrition benefits
- Temporary age-based visitor restrictions lifted at UNC Hospitals, UNC Health Rex and UNC Health Chatham
- Police increase patrols following reports of inappropriate touching
- UNC Health, Blue Cross NC long-term agreement provides stability for patients and providers
- Orange County Primary Election Results
- Communities in Schools Program makes a difference in local students’ lives
- New SUN Bucks Food Program to feed children over the summer
- Orange County Primary election results
- Don’t forget to Spring forward!
- McDougal Middle School experiences staff absences in response to threats of mass violence
- Get ready to vote in the North Carolina Primary Election next Tuesday
- Are you ready to Leap?
- UNC/Chapel Hill’s Dean Dome renovation or relocation being explored by UNC working group
- Rabid raccoon found in vicinity of Southern Village
- NC launches additional phone support for people experiencing mental illness or substance use disorder
- Forbidden love impacted Chapel Hill’s history
- Property owners in North Carolina can breathe a sigh of relief…for now
- Habitat for Humanity to accept applications for homeownership in Weavers Grove
- John Wesley Campbell a name to remember in local Black History
- Fly me to the moon – UNC alum is going into space
- Upcoming North Carolina Election dates
- After 75 years, Freedom Riders vindicated in Orange County
- UNC-Chapel Hill’s SafeWalk program improves equipment and expands coverage area
- Dunkin’ Donuts shooting suspect is charged in shooting co-worker by CHPD
- Berkshire 54 apartment complex fire contained on Friday
- Card skimmer found at local ATM
- Property owners in North Carolina facing huge insurance increases
- Updates on Coal Ash at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. from Town of Chapel Hill’s perspective
- EPA begins Superfund evaluation of coal ash site in Chapel Hill
- Town planners moving ahead with LUMO discussions in January
- NCDHHS committed to improving children’s behavioral health, announces details of new Children and Families Specialty Health Plan
- Craftboro Brewing Company closing – third South Green business to close since October
- Coal Ash exposure more hazardous than reported earlier by EPA – a potential headache for Chapel Hill Town’s coal ash cleanup efforts
- NCDHHS livestream Spanish-language Cafecito and Tele-Town hall: North Carolina Medicaid for more people
- HOPE NC is moving ahead in 2024 – new models and hope for land
- High volumes of respiratory illness sparks warning from NCDHHS
- Carrboro announces new finance director
- Age-based restrictions imposed at UNC Hospitals
- The Best of The Local Reporter – Year 2023
- Carrboro and Chapel Hill name Police and Fire departments officers of the year
- Shooting in Carrboro no injuries reported
- UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor sends letter of resignation to community
- Carrboro breaks ground for new Pee Wee Homes development
- Carrboro High School student made Wedneday’s bomb threat
- Mystery Canine Respiratory Disease has spread to North Carolina – Cary Vet is concerned
- Don’t rake those leaves – leave them – Chapel Hill says
- Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Chapel Hill Overflows With Gratitude
- Elizabeth Sharp defeated Renuka Soll for Chapel Hill Town Council by 6 votes
- EPA petitioned to consider Superfund for Chapel Hill coal ash clean-up
- Chapel Hill and Carrboro Election Results
- CHCCS Announces New Principal for Chapel Hill High School
- Local school director receives Blue Cross NC Leadership Spotlight recognition
- Don’t forget to fall back!
- UNC gives updates on response to gun violence incidents – local expert gives advice
- A groundbreaking for PEACH Apartments marks the beginning of new low-income housing development
- Historical Society Announces 2023 Community Treasures
- Canine Flu outbreak precautions recommended by Orange County Animal Services
- Two Carrboro businesses snuffed out by cigar smoke – one closing, the other relocating
- Historic Neville home showcases famous masonry work of John Wesley Campbell
- Arrest made in connection with UNC-Chapel Hill armed and dangerous suspect alert
- TABLE reaches goal to raise $3.25M and will open a permanent site
- Response from UNC regarding a petition to Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz
- Orange County Living Wage set new goals and hosted a fundraiser
- Truth Plaque unveiled at the Strayhorn House in Carrboro on September 1.
- UNC-Chapel Hill active shooter response protocol criticized by students and citizens
- UNC mourns the loss of Dr. Zijie Yan, faculty member – graduate student charged with first-degree murder
- Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School year will begin with bus drivers for every route
- Carrboro is buzzing with a pollinator census invitation
- Chapel Hill Fire Department determines Mediterranean Deli fire accidental
- Carrboro Police make an arrest in homicide and investigate a sexual assault case
- Carrboro Police continue investigating homicide and seek victims in sexual assault case
- Pain at the Pump
- Top state honors go to Chapel Hill High School teacher
- Carrboro High School hires new principal
- Beautiful Together is coming together on 83 acres in Chapel Hill
- Political candidate filings completed for upcoming Local Elections
- Fire devastates Mediterranean Deli
- An invasive insect has conquered Orange County’s ash trees
- Tomato fans turned out to enjoy Carrboro’s Annual Tomato Festival
- Solarize The Triangle heats up Orange County group energy savings for its second summer
- Rabid fox attacks dog and owner in Orange County
- Ackland Art Museum to feature French drawings from 1770 – 1830 in a new Exhibition
- Orange County Animal Shelter sees rise in adoptions after hitting capacity, lowering fees
- Several local neighborhoods want to rid themselves of gas leaf blowers
- Town Council Adopts Carrboro Town Budget for 2023-2024
- North Carolina Symphony performs its annual free concert in Southern Village
- South Creek development gets final approval CH Town Council
- Disparity study on the table as Carrboro looks to revise business loan program
- Booker Creek Working Group issues final report
- Snooze’s first Triangle location to open in Chapel Hill
- New initiative helps local minority businesses find funding
- Chapel Hill officer dies in Chatham County after traffic accident
- How is Chapel Hill trying to tackle economic development?
- Coyotes are here to stay, but experts say we can learn to live with them
- Grant allows entrepreneurs to showcase wares at Lantern
- Mama Dip’s pledges to stay in Chapel Hill as it looks to sell its Rosemary St. location
- Area churches come together to fund Weavers Grove community center
- Carrboro recognizes Strayhorn homeplace as town landmark
- Historic district homeowners hire lawyer to push back on housing choices text amendments
- CHHS Student is State Leader for Voting Organization, Calls for Volunteers
- Chapel Hill Says ‘Goodbye’ to Iconic Southern Season
- Black Women Receive ‘Royal’ Recognition at CEF Awards Event
- Blood, Sweat and Money: UNC-CH Reckons With Names Tied to Enslavement
- African Poet Seeks to Make New History in Chapel Hill
- Chapel Hill’s Community Empowerment Fund Receives $50,000 National Grant
- Two Homicides, One Shooting Mark Violent Start to 2023 in Chapel Hill; Arrests Now Made for Homicides
- Triangle, Eastern NC Youth Kick It Out at Futsal Regional Tournament
- Carrboro’s Light Agenda Heralds Heavier Issues to Address
- Elizabeth ‘Libba’ Cotten Day: More Than Just a 130th Birthday Anniversary
- Lehew Sworn in as Chapel Hill’s First Female Police Chief
- Shake Shack Thrills Fans With Chapel Hill Opening
- Southern Village Luminaries Raise Money and Hope
- The Resurrection of an Angel: Artwork Takes Wing to Chapel Hill
- Chapel Hill’s Town Manager Resigns
- Plans to Sue EPA About UNC Emissions Go Up in Smoke; Petition Denied by EPA
- Reported Rapes on UNC-CH Campus Yield No Arrests
- Fall Foliage Ignites the Landscape With Color
- ‘Age of Rembrandt’ Is First Ackland-Owned Exhibit to Travel Abroad
- Local High School Seniors Earn National Musical Recognition
- Feeling the Burn: Carrboro, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club Threaten EPA Suit Over UNC Coal Burning
- Chapel Hill Moves Affordable Housing Forward With $10 Million Tax Credit
- ‘House Us Now’ March and Rally Pursues Housing Justice
- University Gardens Shooting Suspect Arrested
- A Living Legend’s Legacy to Affordable Housing
- Chapel Hill Police Investigate Fifth Homicide of 2022
- House Us Now Rally/March Set for September 25
- For Quinton Harper, Affordable Housing in Carrboro is Personal
- Carrboro Closes in on Affordable Housing Goals
- Chapel Hill Reports 4th Murder in 2022
- ALE Sting Operation in Chapel Hill Sparks Outrage
- Microchip Shortage Now Felt in Your Wallet
- Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood Becomes President of North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association
- Orange County Living Wage (OCLW) Recertifies Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill
- Governor’s School Supply Drive Supports Students. Teachers, Retailers, and Charities Offer Additional Local Assistance
- ‘Come and Play’: Ackland Art Museum Invites Visitors to Interact with Public Art Exhibit
- ‘Pop-up’ Thunderstorms Down Trees and Power Lines in Southern Orange County
- CHPD Crisis Unit a Pioneer and National Model
- Carrboro Town Council Approves Mixed-Use Project at Corner of Greensboro and Weaver Streets
- Local Nonprofit Addresses Income Inequality by Supporting Workers’ Rights
- Food for Students Program Adapts to the Needs of Orange County Parents, Children
- Juneteenth Celebrations on Tap in Chapel Hill and Carrboro
- First Annual Pride Promenade Celebrates Local LGBTQIA+ Community
- Habitat and Hope Celebrate Funding Windfall
- Season Finale
- Mary Frances Vermilyea Brown 1927-2022
- Booker Creek Working Group Considers Recommendations to Protect Local Bottomland Forest
- UNC Feels the Heat over Continued Coal Combustion
- The War in Ukraine: How to Help
- Trick or treat THIS year?
- Rest in Peace? Southern Village Residents Angry, Saddened by Cemetery Vandalism
- Former Blue Cross Building Now Available for Lease
- Southern Village’s Arlen Park Cemetery Vandalized
- Another Taste of India
- Al’s Burger Shack Files for Bankruptcy
- At the Inn, 12 Days of Joy
- UNC Sued Over Coal-Burning Plant
- Health Tech Firm Bringing Jobs to Franklin Street
- UNC Receives Top Grade for Patient Safety
- New Court Date for Mother, Son Charged with Animal Cruelty
- Where Have All the Flowers Gone? Niche Gardens Closes
- Halloween 2019 – Maybe Not So Spooky this Year?
- Carolina Donor Services Moving to Chapel Hill
- HOPE is Hopeful About Helping Adults with Disabilities
- A Chapel Hill Election Primer for Newcomers