VOLUME 146 ISSUE 41 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
C HATHAM NEWS & R ECORD THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL
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BRIEF this week
FirstHealth celebrates Paramedic Academy graduates Sixteen new paramedics were celebrated at a graduation ceremony held by the FirstHealth Paramedic Academy on November 20 at Moore Regional Hospital. The event featured special remarks from key figures, including Donna Strong, the academy coordinator, and Matt Prestwood, the vice president of operations at Moore Regional. Natalie Vaughan, a graduate of the academy, delivered the keynote address, with certificates granted by Mark Sheeder, a paramedic instructor. The class included graduates from various FirstHealth EMS departments. Dakota Avery of FirstHealth Chatham EMS, who lost her life earlier this year, was posthumously honored with a certificate of graduation. The 44-week program, a collaboration with Fayetteville Technical Community College, involves over 1200 hours of classes, labs, and clinical work, accommodating full-time work schedules of the emergency medical technicians. Graduates work at a number of agencies including FirstHealth Chatham EMS, FirstHealth Lee EMS, and FirstHealth Medical Transport.
Haw River Trail study completed After gathering input from various community groups, Chatham County has completed the Haw River Trail Study, viewable at chathamcountync.gov/ HawRiverTrailStudy. The report covers the current conditions of the land and paddle trail system around Haw River, and identifies partnerships and strategies to carry out recommendations towards improving and developing the trails. Next, the county Parks and Rec department will work with landowners along the river who may be interested about locating the trail on their property. Interested parties should reach out to Chatham County Trails and Open Space Planner Ben Rippe at ben.rippe@ chathamcountync.gov or 919-545-8553.
PJ WARD-BROWN | CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
The spirit of the season Kaamil, 2, and Kamrion, 3, sitting with Santa and Mrs Claus at the Siler City Park and Rec Cookies with Santa event on December 1.
Donald Matthews installed as Mayor of Siler City Chatham News & Record SILER CITY — After winning election in November, Donald Matthews was sworn in as the new mayor of Siler City in a ceremony officiated by District Court Judge Cheri Siler Mack on Monday. Alongside Matthews, several other elected officials took the oath of office, marking the beginning of their terms in the municipal government. The newly inducted members include Norma Boone as District 2 Commissioner, Curtis Brown for District 3, Alec Hauser representing District 4, and Travis Patterson as the At-Large Com-
missioner. Boone and Brown won re-election in November while Hauser and Patterson defeated incumbents to earn their seats on the board. Following the swearing in ceremony, the newly constituted Board of Commissioners elected Commissioner Lewis Fadely as the mayor pro tempore. This role, as outlined in Section 160A-70 of the North Carolina General Statutes, serves at the pleasure of the council, with the ability to assume mayoral duties during the mayor’s absence or incapacitation. Following the swearing-in ceremony and Fadely’s appoint-
ment, the board made other organizational decisions related to the work they will undertake next year. They adopted a holiday calendar for the upcoming year and established a regular business meeting schedule for 2024. According to the schedule, the Board of Commissioners is set to meet twice a month throughout most of the year, with the exception of July and December, during which they will convene only once. In addition to these administrative tasks, the board announced appointments to several key organizations for 2024. These include the Cha-
The Board of Commissioners is set to meet twice a month throughout most of the year, with the exception of July and December, when they will convene only once. tham Chamber of Commerce, the Chatham County Affordable Housing Committee, the Chatham County Climate Change Committee, the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division 8 Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization’s Transportation Advisory Committee, the Siler City Development Organization, the Central Pines Regional Council, and the Chatham Transportation Advisory Committee, where Siler City holds a non-voting membership.
Chatham Sheriff’s Office arrests assault suspect Chatham News & Record
COURTESY PHOTO
Mountaire Farms top grower Josh Macon of Sunrise Farms in Randolph County.
Local farmers honored for poultry success Chatham News & Record SILER CITY – Several local farmers and their farms were honored by a national poultry producer for their productivity and performance. Mountaire Farms, the fourth largest poultry producer in the nation, announced the winners of its annual top growers at a banquet in Pinehurst recently. The event celebrated “those who have significantly contributed to the company’s operations across North Car-
olina and South Carolina,” according to a press release from the company. The Mountaire Ambassador Award was awarded to Terry Valk of Valk Poultry (Montgomery County). According to Mountaire, Valk went above and beyond to help a neighbor who also raised Mountaire chickens but was struggling with health issues. “Terry looked after the farm as if it were his See FARMERS, page A7
PITTSBORO — A man was arrested following an investigation by the Chatham County Sheriff’s office on felony assault charges this week. On November 16, 2023, the Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a domestic assault incident at 97533 Franklin Ridge in Chapel Hill. The victim, a female, reported being assaulted by her son with a knife. Deputies responding to the scene discovered the victim with stab wounds to her head, neck and hands. She was transported to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill for medical treatment. The suspect, identified as Christian Arnold Ramsland, 29, of Chapel Hill, was taken into custody under Emergency Involuntary Commitment after exhibiting signs of a mental health crisis that warranted immediate evaluation. After his release from the hospital, Ramsland was charged with one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon inf licting serious injury, one felony count of first-degree kidnapping, and one misdemeanor count of assault on a female.
CHATHAM COUNTY JAIL
Christian Arnold Ramsland
He was issued a $50,000.00 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in Chatham County District Court in Pittsboro on January 29, 2024.
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