VOLUME 146 ISSUE 51 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
C HATHAM NEWS & R ECORD THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL
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BRIEF this week
Mayor Shipp, AG Stein to talk water quality AG Josh Stein, House minority leader Reives, and Pittsboro Mayor Kyle Shipp will hold a press conference Thursday afternoon to discuss ongoing water quality issues in Pittsboro. Pittsboro has been struggling with water issues for several years, and is in the midst of major upgrades to the town’s water treatment plant and an ongoing merger of water systems with the City of Sanford.
NC Voter ID trial rescheduled for May A federal lawsuit filed years ago challenging North Carolina’s new photo voter identification mandate is set to go to trial in the spring. The U.S. District Court in Winston-Salem announced on Monday that Judge Loretta Biggs will convene the nonjury trial starting May 6. The 2018 law was implemented for the first time last fall and remains in place for the March 5 primary elections. But a ruling from Biggs is possible in the spring or summer that could threaten its use this coming November in the general election. The voter ID law has been wrapped up in state and federal litigation for years.
Cooper sets 2040 goals for wetlands, forests and new trees NC Gov. Roy Cooper says a series of environmental directives and goals he initiated to protect and restore forests and wetlands in the state will help counter climate change and aid the economy. Cooper signed an executive order on Monday that sets statewide acreage targets for governments and private land-protection groups by 2040. The governor also wants 1 million new trees planted in urban areas by then. The order also tells state agencies to use plants and seeds in landscaping projects that are native to the Southeast, with a preference for North Carolina plants.
PHOTO COURTESY FWS
The Pine Barrens tree frog is the state frog of North Carolina.
COURTESY PHOTO
200th Anniversary guests enjoy a presentation by the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department. The late Wayne and Warren Strowd, Tom Hudson, and other Mt. Gilead Baptist Church members helped found the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department.
Church celebrates past and looks to the future By Bob Wachs for Chatham News & Record PITTSBORO — The year was 1824. America as a nation was not yet 50 years old. John Quincy Adams was elected president in one of only two Presidential races decided by the House of Representatives since neither he nor Andrew Jackson received a majority of popular or electoral votes. Meanwhile, miles from Washington, D.C., near the banks of the Haw River in eastern Chatham County, a group of 19 people from four nearby churches — Mt. Carmel, Rock Spring, Gum Springs and Shady Grove, which no longer exists — came together as charter members to organize a new local place of worship by the name of Mt. Gilead.
Last weekend, some 200 years later, members, former members and friends gathered on the grounds of the white church, in use since 1883 with major improvements and additions through the years, to celebrate two centuries of service and worship. There was a full weekend of activities revolving around faith, food and fellowship as attendees celebrated the past and looked forward to the future. Friday’s evens featured a chuck wagon, provided by Chad Mann who offers that service “anytime I can,” he says. “The pintos and cornbread were really good,” added Danny Thomas, who also provided hay rides Saturday afternoon, “and the cowboy coffee was, too.” Later that night was a concert of traditional music by Bobby Gales and New Direction Bluegrass.
Rep. Hudson meets with farmers, discusses issues in Siler City By Matt Mercer Chatham News & Record SILER CITY — Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-08) joined farmers and agricultural interests from Chatham County and the surrounding area on Thursday, Feb. 8 at Bestfood Cafeteria in Siler City. In between bites of fried chicken and refills of sweet tea, Hudson talked about the importance of the agriculture industry in North Carolina. “Our farmers are backbone of our communities and in addition to providing us with the most abundant, cheapest food in the world, the food and fiber we need to survive as a country comes from our farmers,” Hudson told North State Journal. “I’ve always been committed to helping them fight off federal regulation, survive and be successful. The main part of that is building relationships with the farmers.” Hudson, a Republican, told the group he has represented at least 23 different counties in various iterations across his six terms in Congress, and wants to know who he represents on a
personal level and understanding the issues they care about. His newly-redrawn North Carolina 9th Congressional district includes parts of Chatham, Guilford and Cumberland counties, plus the entirety of Alamance, Randolph, Moore and Hoke counties. Some of those issues are long-running, such as regulations that can change from one presidential administration to the next. Hudson has been in Congress across three: the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations. He has endorsed 45th President Donald Trump to return to the White House this year. Speaking about one of the issues, the controversial waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulations would again change the definition of “navigable waters” and require farmers to for nearly any activity that occurs within a WOTUS requires a permit, which can take years to obtain and cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the American Farm BuSee HUDSON, page A3
Saturday afternoon included a barbecue lunch, games and the opening of a 1999 time capsule. On Sunday, pastor Dan Robinson led the congregation in worship by looking at the past but also calling on the faithful to move into the future. Special music was provided by the Gospel group Potter’s Will. “Part of the point of doing all this,” says Dan Robinson, church pastor since 2008, “other than the celebration is to reconnect with the community and have fun doing it.” Mt. Gilead, like many churches, struggled with maintaining its effectiveness during the COVID pandemic shutdowns. In March 2020, Mt. Gilead began live streaming worship services on Facebook before resuming in-person meetings later that year. During that period, individuals from Wash-
ington state and Tennessee who were watching services asked to become members so the church made changes to its by-laws to allow for that. Folks gathered at the church Saturday for a barbecue and chicken lunch and more visiting and games. At 2:00 p.m., they gathered on the grounds outside the front door to watch church members Rusty Nipper and Danny Thomas dig up a 1999 time capsule. “Originally the location was deep in the ground and was marked by a bush but we removed that awhile back and put the capsule closer to the surface,” Nipper says. Once out of the ground, the two cleaned off the dirt and mud and opened it with a saw, then poured out the contents on a nearby table. In it were pictures, a copy of the church articles of incorporation, bulletins, a church directory, Sunday School lessons and other memorabilia. “Later on, we’ll make one to open in 25 years,” pastor Robinson says. “We’ll put in things about changes in the church and See CHURCH, page A10
Former Chatham housing director gets 30 month prison term By Robert Owens for Chatham News & Record GREENSBORO — The former director of the Chatham County Housing Authority (CCHA) was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to fraud charges last week in federal court. Joann Johnson Davis, 65, plead guilty to a lesser charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud from her time as director of the Chatham Housing Authority. In addition to the prison sentence, she will have two years of supervised release and has been ordered to pay restitution of $194,136. Evidence presented during sentencing by the FBI and the Housing and Urban Development Inspector General showed that Davis had engaged in a fraudulent bid-rigging conspiracy between 2016 and 2020 while she served as the Executive Director for the CCHA. Among other things, the housing authority oversees federal funds from the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development including the Housing Choice Voucher Program, better known as “Section 8.” As executive director, Davis used her position to direct contracts to friends and relatives by generating false bid proposals to justify the costs associated with her preferred vendors. She also used stolen identities and fraudulent letterhead of existing businesses to lend legitimacy to the fake bids. These contracts, handed out with no assessment of qualification or costs, often See DIRECTOR, page A2
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