N OT E D.
WHAT WE’VE HEARD AROUND OUR TOWNS … Compiled by Emma Unger
ARTS & CULTURE
Chapel Hill indie punk band Narsick released its self-titled album on Aug. 16. Musicians Ash Graña, Shane Peterson, Sarah Landis and Kyle Parker explore themes of letting go and airing out grievances throughout the record.
PHOTO BY ANTHONY FARRELL OF BARLOWVISION
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
Bland Simpson released his
PHOTO BY TOMEARNHARDT
new book, “Clover Garden: A Carolinian’s Piedmont Memoir,” on Sept. 24. Bland is a Kenan Distinguished Professor of English and Creative Writing at UNC and a celebrated writer with accolades including induction into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. His book explores the Piedmont region with a naturalistic and poetic lens, encouraging readers to think deeply about
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Morinaga America Inc., the producer of Hi-Chew candy, announced an expansion in Orange County
that will create 204 new, full-time jobs between 2026 and 2030. The $136 million project will create an additional 100,000 square feet of production space along Wilson Road in Mebane and double the current manufacturing capacity for the candy. The announcement comes 11 years after Morinaga’s initial move to Orange County. “Orange County is excited for this additional investment by Morinaga,” says Jamezetta Bedford, chair of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. “We value their initiative and look forward to many more decades of partnership.”
the history of the area, and is accompanied by photographs from his wife, Ann Cary Simpson. “Clover Garden” marks the fifth book that Ann and Bland have worked on together. Bill Maier released
a new edition of his puzzle book series, “Celebrity Word Scramble,” in September. “Famous Names in Carolina
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November/December 2024
Basketball,” features the names of 169 UNC players and coaches, plus more than 25 pages of basketball memories. Puzzles are crafted by Bill and designed by his brother Martin Maier. Peter Fox, the founding executive producer of ESPN, published his first book this summer. “The Early Days of ESPN” tells the story of
how the popular sports network came to be and the struggles and glories of its first days. Andrew Marlin released his new
album, “Phthalo Blue,” on July 19. The folk bluegrass record features a number of artists like Stephanie Coleman on the fiddle and Clint Mullican on bass, plus Andrew on the mandolin. Ackland Art Museum became
the first North Carolina art museum to offer EnChroma glasses for guests with color blindness in August. “We are