VOLUME 146 ISSUE 40 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2023
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
C HATHAM NEWS & R ECORD THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL
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BRIEF this week
CCSO marks 20 years of Thanksgiving meal deliveries The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office celebrated the 20th year of its Annual Thanksgiving Meal Drive, continuing a two-decade tradition of delivering holiday meals to seniors and families in need throughout the county. On Thursday morning, over a dozen staff members and their families distributed 75 freshly prepared meals to 60 different locations, embodying the spirit of giving. According to a department press release, the preparation for this year’s event began with deputies engaging local businesses for donations of essential items and traditional Thanksgiving staples. The efforts culminated at the Chatham County Detention Center’s kitchen, where staff, led by Kitchen Manager Veronica Henry, undertook a 10-12hour cooking marathon. They prepared 14 turkeys along with all the traditional sides, balancing the demands of holiday meal prep with their regular duties. Local businesses, including Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, Harris Teeter, and Lowes Foods, were instrumental in this year’s success through their food donations. The meal recipients, identified by the Chatham County Aging Services and the Department of Social Services, were selected based on need.
NC’s captive insurance industry achieves industry award North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey congratulated the state’s captive insurance industry for achieving a top industry award this week. Captive International, a leading captive insurance trade publication, recognized the state’s program as one of the top domiciles in the country and awarding it a Highly Commended designation. “I want to congratulate the captive insurance industry in North Carolina for achieving this high honor,” Causey said. “I want to especially commend our captive insurance team at the Department of Insurance for providing effective regulation with excellent customer service that allows the industry to flourish.” North Carolina enacted its modern captive insurance law, known as the Captive Insurance Act, in 2013.
The Wells-Fargo branch on 2nd Avenue in Siler City remains closed after a fire last month.
PJ WARD-BROWN | CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Chatham contractors thrive despite national housing slowdown Local demand remains strong amid rising interest rates and national trends By Cooper Metts For Chatham News & Record Chatham County contractors say they have steady demand for their services despite national construction of new homes decreasing amid rising interest rates. The Federal Reserve last week announced it’s keeping the federal funds interest rate at a 22-year high and indicated it could be raised if inflation doesn’t continue to descend. As the Federal Reserve raised interest rates from 0.33% in early 2022 to 5.33% this month, national construction of new homes dropped by 24%, according to Federal Reserve Economic Data. While national construction of new homes is decreasing as
interest rates rise, there’s not enough supply of houses in Chatham County for increasing interest rates to impact the demand for houses and local contractors, according to Chris Faughnan of Chatham Park. Houses in The Vineyards, a growing housing development in Chatham Park, are selling at approximately 25 sales every 90 to 120 days, according to Faughnan, despite rising interest rates. In Encore, a 55-plus living community in Chatham Park, Faughnan said houses are selling at an even faster rate of 27 sales every 90 to 120 days. These sales rates indicate that housing is in demand in Chatham County, so much so that one local contractor said they “may have even noticed an increase, if anything,” in demand while interest rates increased. Suits Homes, a modular home building company in Siler
City, is seeing an increase in demand, according to sales consultant John Babb. Customers being pushed out of the custom home market by increasing interest rates and an influx of people from the Raleigh-Durham area taking up the existing supply in search of more affordable price points are driving Suits Homes’ increase in demand. “It’s pushing people that are coming out of Raleigh that can’t get into the Chatham Park area because of the price points [...] [to us],” Babb said. “They’re looking for land and trying to figure out if they can build a [modular] house on it and be under what some of these mega subdivisions are charging.” Chatham County’s housing supply issue could be compounded by economic development projects in the surrounding area such as Wolfspeed, VinFast and Toyota.
The three projects are expected to create a combined 11,050 jobs, according to press releases from Gov. Roy Cooper. And between the two megasites that Wolfspeed and VinFast sit on, there are approximately 1,800 acres still available for use, according to Chatham County Economic Development Corporation President Michael Smith. If these projects bring their estimated number of jobs, they’ll bring employees to Chatham County that need places to live. For contractor in the area, that means demand will likely persist, if not increase, in spite of rising interest rates. “We have the Toyota and Wolfspeed [and VinFast] megasites, [...] and those people need places to live,” said Sherry Allen of Realty World Carolina Properties . “I don’t think it’s going to be a huge impact unless interest rates bottom out.”
Chatham deputy makes unusual rescue Quick thinking leads to safe escape for stranded deer
Chatham News & Record
PJ WARD-BROWN | CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
Dignitaries from Randolph County, Teach for America, and Toyota Tsusho gathered in Liberty for a press conference announcing the donation and partnership.
Toyota Tsusho donates $100,000 to local high schools Partnership with Teach For America aims to expand Future Forward program in Randolph County schools By Jordan Golson North State Journal LIBERTY – Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. has announced a donation of $100,000 to Teach For America North Carolina to expand the Fu-
ture Forward program in Randolph County. This initiative focuses on enhancing career and college readiness among marginalized high school students. Initially committing $25,000 to Eastern Randolph High School in Ramseur, Toyota Tsusho boosted its support by an additional $75,000, allowing the program to reach more area schools. Mike Lavender, SeSee TOYOTA, page A7
IN A SCENARIO more akin to a wildlife adventure than a routine call, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office Deputy John Lacy faced an unusual challenge on the evening of November 17, according to a release from the CCSO. Responding to a call around 8:30 p.m. at a Bear Creek residence, Lacy encountered a predicament rarely seen in his line of work: two deer trapped in an above-ground swimming pool. Describing the event as a novel experience, Deputy Lacy, who has been with the Sheriff’s Office’s Animal Resource Center since January, displayed remarkable ingenuity and determination in addressing the situation. The pool, with a depth of about six feet, presented a significant hurdle for the deer and for the deputy tasked with their rescue. Upon assessing the scene, Deputy Lacy promptly devised a strategy. He positioned an aluminum ladder in the pool, with one end resting on the pool’s edge, creating an improvised staircase. Demonstrating an astute understanding of his unusual surroundings, the buck
was the first to seize the opportunity, using the ladder to extricate himself from the pool and swiftly disappearing into the woods. The doe’s rescue, however, required additional effort. Lacy, undaunted, fetched a lasso from his vehicle. With a blend of skill and patience, he safely lassoed the doe, guiding her to the pool’s edge and eventually out of the water. After spending a few moments recovering from the ordeal, the doe, too, found her way back to the forest. This incident not only highlights the diverse and unpredictable nature of law enforcement and animal control duties but also underscores the adaptability and commitment of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office in handling unique and unexpected situations. Reflecting on the experience, Deputy Lacy humorously noted the varied and often surprising aspects of his job, marking this incident as one of his more extraordinary calls.
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