Pittsboro Journal

Northwood High School boys basketball team advanced to the State regional game to be played at East Carolina on Wednesday at 8:30 pm. Chatham Journal will present a live blog during the game which can be viewed on this page.

Beginning March 1, 2010, Therapeutic Alternatives will expand its contract with OPC Area Program to provide a variety of MH/DD/SA services for children, adolescents and adults including: Walk in Crisis services, Community Support, Community Support Team, Outpatient Therapy (Individual and Group), Substance Abuse Assessments and Groups, Clinical Assessments, Medication Management and Mobile Crisis Management services to people in Chatham County who qualify for and need the services.

The Northwood varsity girls basketball team advanced to the third round of the state 2A playoffs with an exciting 55-46 win over county rival Jordan Matthews Wednesday, February 24 at Northwood High School. With the win the Lady Chargers advance to face the winner of the Bunn-Reidsville game on Friday or Saturday night.

The Northwood High School varsity boys basketball team continued its success in the 2A State Playoffs with a 69-64 come from behind win in the final minute over Providence Grove Wednesday night at Providence Grove.

The Northwood varsity girls basketball team advanced to the second round of the 2A State Playoffs with a 65-46 victory over North Johnston on Monday night at Northwood High School. The Lady Chargers amassed a 30 point lead early in the fourth quarter and cruised to a huge victory.

Juan Young had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with five assists and a team high five steals as the Varsity Boys Basketball team began what it hopes is a repeat run to the 2A State Championship game with a 67-57 victory over Franklinton at Northwood High School Monday night.

Rep. Etheridge hosted a reception in January for service academy nominees from the Second Congressional District. The reception was held at the Capital Bank Building in downtown Raleigh.

NC State head football coach Tom O’Brien has announced that Jon Tenuta has joined the Wolfpack staff and will serve as linebackers coach, replacing Andy McCollum, who took another job on Tuesday. Tenuta brings 29 years of experience as a coach and 16 as a defensive coordinator, most recently at Notre Dame.

With an uncharacteristic mid-February start, the Duke football team opened spring drills on Sunday afternoon with a two-hour session in shorts and helmets at the Brooks Practice Facility. With Thaddeus Lewis lost to graduation and Sean Renfree sidelined while recovering from knee surgery, Duke is operating with two first-year quarterbacks in Sean Schroeder and January enrollee Brandon Connette. In addition to Connette, running back Josh Snead and tight end Cooper Helfet joined the Duke program for the spring semester.

On February 1, 2010, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners approved a new Transportation Advisory Board and is seeking applicants for this new volunteer board. The Transportation Advisory Board’s purpose is to identify and study issues and make recommendations to the county commissioners on transportation and related issues. The long-term goal is to have a sustainable transportation system that offers access to various modes of transportation for people and goods.

Donna Banks, senior pastor at Evergreen United Methodist Church, has joined the Chatham County Literacy Council’s Board of Directors.Banks said there is no literacy center in North Chatham County now, and she believes her church can fill that void by offering space and support to the council.

Brian Bock has launched his bid to unseat George Lucier in District 3. On Monday, February 8, Bock filed his Notice of Candidacy at the Chatham County Board of Elections. Bock decided to run for County Commissioner “because the actions and proposals of the current county leadership are raising our taxes, trampling on our property rights, and spending our tax dollars on unnecessary pet projects in a time of severe recession. The current and proposed policies create an environment that is hostile to job creation and retention. They are policies that will scare off, rather than attract new businesses to Chatham County.”

Consumer Reports’ latest tests of packaged leafy greens found bacteria that are common indicators of poor sanitation and fecal contamination, in some cases, at rather high levels. Consumers Union also issued a report urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set safety standards for greens. FDA food safety legislation pending in the Senate, and passed last summer by the House of Representatives, would require the FDA to create just such safety standards.

When your car thumps, pings, and hisses it’s hard to tell if you should take your car to the mechanic or not, so Consumer Reports has identified what noises drivers should turn down the radio for.

Chatham County has approved a five-year Capital Improvement Plan that includes a new high school, a new jail and a landfill site study. The new high school on Jack Bennett Road in northeastern Chatham would open in 2015 with a capacity of 800 students. But the core facilities - the media center, cafeteria, and gymnasium - could be expanded for up to 1,200 students to accommodate growth.

The Chatham County school board interviewed five applicants to fill Gerald Totten's open seat on Thursday evening. Each was interviewed for 15 minutes, with the same questions. They were interviewed in alphabetical order, and were not present to hear the questions before their own interview.

The opening of Pollard Middle School provides an opportunity to shift attendance zones slightly so that schools are more evenly utilized. Besides the middle school students from Perry Harrison and North Chatham moving to Pollard mid-year next school year, about 150 kids (Horton, PES, North Chatham) will be moved to a different school.

Highlighted by seven home games including dates with reigning national champion Alabama and chief rival North Carolina, Duke’s 2010 football season ticket packages are now available to the public. Duke’s 2010 home opponents include non-league foes Alabama, Army and Elon and ACC members Boston College, Miami, North Carolina and Virginia.

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, released its 2009 list of Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians."

Parents/Guardians of students requesting a transfer assignment are required to annually complete and submit a Chatham County Schools Transfer/Release form for each child in order for the transfer assignment to be considered. This annual assignment request is reviewed by the Board of Education with regards to the following criteria: the school requested has sufficient population space for the student assignment; the student has maintained an acceptable record of attendance; and, the student has maintained an acceptable record of behavior.