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In today’s news: closing arguments are set to begin in the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial, after the defense rests without calling witnesses. Also: early voting continues in North Carolina; a week of sunny weather exacerbates an ongoing drought; Orange County marks the groundbreaking for a new crisis care center; a Carrboro restaurant earns a Michelin honor; a historic storefront in Hillsborough gets a new business; and a local resident earns a national award for a board game he designed with his daughters while battling cancer. And in sports: two Tar Heel football stars get big honors; Bill Belichick ad...

This week, Aaron welcomes musician Joe MacPhail, whose solo project is Sunsp.t. He’s just released a new album of live recordings called “Live in Durham,” and he’s got several shows coming up: Saturday, October 31, at Sleepy Cat Records’ “Cattyrompus” festival in Durham, and Sunday, November 1, as part of the Durham Fringe Festival. (He’s also playing with Chatham Rabbits this Saturday, October 24, at the Rialto Theater in Raleigh; and he’ll be with Kaira Ba Friday, December 4, at Motorco in Durham.)

Visit JoeMacPhailMusic.com.

Joe MacPhail stopped by 97.9 The Hill studios to discuss the new al...

Trending today: Victor revisits an earlier Trends topic, about how human beings have collected cool knickknacks for centuries. Case in point: the recent discovery that people in the Bronze Age collected and traded metals and rocks that came from meteorites. Space rocks have always been cool!

Want to know what folks are talking about on social media? Every weekday on 97.9 The Hill’s “This Morning with Aaron Keck,” Victor Lewis scours the Internet for the day’s top trending stories, from weird news to wacky crimes to odd business ventures and everything in between. Click here to l...

This Saturday, October 24, Cat’s Cradle presents “Popsicle,” a music festival with a dozen bands across multiple stages. Performances begin at 4 p.m. and run through the evening with the Connells, Superdrag, Young Fresh Fellows, Chuck Prophet, Mayflies USA, the Popes, and many more. Tickets are available at CatsCradle.com.

The festival is the brainchild of legendary Triangle band The Connells. Popsicle’s Facebook page noted that the band will perform a special mini-set of their debut album “Darker Days” exclusively at Popsicle, in honor of that album’s 40th anniversary.

It’s also...

Chapel Hill’s Dia de Muertos returns for its third year! Celebrate this joyful, heartfelt holiday with eclectic local art vendors, live music, and community as we honor loved ones through art and culture. Head to the 140 West Franklin plaza from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 25 to celebrate the day.

Aaron welcomes three guests to discuss this year’s Dia de Muertos: Xavier Vallejo and Darien Cropper from Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture, and Chapel Hill community connections coordinator Katelyn Robalino, who’s on the planning committee.

Conversation presented by Chapel...

In today’s news: early voting turnout remains high across North Carolina – and heavily Democratic-leaning, even more than usual. Also: Chapel Hill wants to hear from you on their new Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO); Carrboro signs off on an affordable-housing proposal; and Habitat for Humanity teams up with another local nonprofit to build homes for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And in sports: ranked in the preseason top 15, UNC women’s basketball gears up for a highly-anticipated 2026-27 season.

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local news in Chapel Hill-C...

Executive Director of SECU Family House Kelly Thompson spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, October 20. She discussed the upcoming Chapel Hill Biscuit Festival on October 24-25. She talked about the origin of the Chef’s Tasting Event on Sunday, which is the brainchild of acclaimed local chef Spring Council. She also outlined the role SECU Family House plays in the community, and the importance of supporting that work.

On Air Today features interviews and conversations with the latest newsmakers in our community — including local elected leaders, educators, business owners...

97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey presents the evening news. Included in this edition of the news, we get a recap of the prosecutions case in the Hedgepeth murder trial, which will resume after taking today off. We also hear more on the plans for Chatham Park’s South Village. We also get an update of our local government meeting schedule, and more. In sports, UNC Men’s Basketball Head Coach Michael Malone addresses the rebounding discrepancy in their exhibition loss to Indiana over the weekend, and more.

97.9 The Hill WCHL and Chapelboro.com are your headquarters for local...

Chatham County Commissioner Karen Howard spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, October 20, discussing county news and events. She spoke about a recent conference of state county commissioners to set legislative priorities and how that process works. She also talked about recent meetings of the County Commissioners, which included budget discussions, and more.

Chatham County Commissioner Karen Howard

Each week, News on The Hill engages in conversation with Chatham County leaders for the Chatham County Roundup. You can find previous conversations with Pittsboro Mayor Kyle Shipp, Chatham County Commissioner Ka...

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, October 20, discussing town news and events. He revisited the ongoing detention of Isaac Gallegos by ICE, and his decision to release an official statement calling for Gallegos release. He also recapped a recent Police Summit held by the Hillsborough Police Department in order to communicate with the community and more. He also discussed the early voting period, which continues in Hillsborough and the rest of the community, and more.

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? According to UNC's Melanie Feinberg, the technically correct answer is: both.

The post Tell Me Something: How to Classify a Tomato, with UNC’s Melanie Feinberg appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Trending today: the Baby Boom generation's unsung support of the art community. (Also, Aaron wonders where all that art goes.)

The post What’s Trending: The Art-Collectin’ Generation appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today's news: the prosecution rests in the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial, and early voting turnout remains high for the 2026 midterm.

The post The Morning News: Prosecution Rests in Hedgepeth Trial, Early Voting Continues in NC appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today's news: Chapel Hill apartment residents find themselves displaced, and early voting turnout is high in Orange County.

The post Chapel Hill Residents Displaced, Early Voting Continues, and UNC Football Beats Duke – The Evening News (October 19, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

CHCCS' Ally Scercy, Ashanti Keitt and Allison Crosetto speak with 97.9 The Hill's Brighton McConnell on Monday, October 19 about absenteeism.

The post Discussing Absenteeism During Attendance Awareness Month at CHCCS — Speaking of Schools (October 19, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill's Michael Koh discusses a busy weekend in sports, from UNC football's win over Duke to the latest basketball exhibition.

The post On Air Today: 97.9 The Hill’s Michael Koh on UNC Football and Men’s Basketball, October 19, 2026 appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Four days into early voting, the turnout has been fantastic for Democrats - so much that Tom thinks the State House could be in reach.

The post What We’re Thinking: Early Voting Turnout Great for Dems – Is The General Assembly In Play? appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In the NCAA tournament, which are the 'high' and 'low' seeds? Aaron and Michael discuss that - and the merits of new play-in site Wichita.

The post What’s Trending: The Dayton of Non-Daytons appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

UNC recently announced a $25 million "moonshot effort" to fight Alzheimer's, through a seven-university consortium called IMPEDE.

The post On Air Today: At UNC, A $25 Million ‘Moonshot’ to IMPEDE Alzheimer’s appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today's news: local residents are displaced from two apartment complexes, and early voting turnout is extremely high in Orange County.

The post The Morning News: Elliott Woods, Early Voting, Carrboro Police, and the Victory Bell appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

This Week:

Bryan Kennedy is the four-term mayor of Glendale, Wisconsin, a former university professor and labor leader, and an advocate for strengthening democracy through local organizing. He is the author of It’s All Local: Saving Democracy From the Ground Up, which explores how communities can rebuild trust, bridge political divides, and renew civic engagement through personal connections and local organizing. Kennedy serves on the Democratic National Committee and is President of Democratic Municipal Officials, a national DNC affiliate organization working to elect and support Democratic local elected leaders. He founded the It’s All Local Founda...

Following UNC's road win vs. Pitt, 97.9 The Hill's Michael Koh and Brighton McConnell preview the Tar Heels' matchup with the Duke Blue Devils.

The post UNC Carries Momentum Into Battle of Victory Bell vs. Duke — The Carolina Football Hour (Oct. 17, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill's Deborah Stroman and Brighton McConnell chat on Friday, October 16, ahead of the WNBA Finals tipping off.

The post Previewing the On-Court and Off-Court Stories of the WNBA Finals – Stroman On Sports (October 16, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell guest hosts the show on Friday, October 16 and shares the latest local stories.

The post DNA Evidence in Hedgepeth Trial, Early Voting Trends and Xavier Lewis’ Origins – The Evening News (October 16, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee speaks with 97.9 The Hill on Friday, October 16 about a proposal to consolidate the town's police department.

The post Carrboro: Unpacking The Proposal, Discussion of Merging Police Departments (October 16, 2026) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

No One Mind (Ellis Anderson) stopped by Live & Local this week, following the release of his third album, "Soft Work/Hard Dreams."

The post ‘Soft Work/Hard Dreams’: Live and Local with No One Mind! appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Voice of the Tar Heels Jones Angell joins Aaron to preview Saturday's battle for the Victory Bell, with UNC football taking on Duke.

The post On Air Today: Jones Angell, Previewing UNC-Duke Football (and UNC-Indiana Basketball) appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

This week, Brad and Aaron offer counter-programming date-night ideas for folks looking for something other than Carolina-Duke football.

The post Date Night: Romance – or Not Romance? appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Trending today: a faux football depth chart comprised entirely of Gen 1 Pokémon characters. Michael Koh and Henry Taylor nerd out.

The post What’s Trending: Why is Charizard Only the Long Snapper? appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today's news: more DNA evidence in the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial, and extremely high turnout on the first day of early voting.

The post The Morning News: Faith Hedgepeth Trial, Early Voting, UNC Football appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Jesse James DeConto of The Pinkerton Raid stopped by Live & Local, following the release of his new album “If You Love Somebody, Tell Them.”

The post ‘If You Love Somebody, Tell Them’: Live and Local with the Pinkerton Raid! appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Inside Climate News Reporter Lisa Sorg spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, October 15. She updated a story of corporate espionage she has been following concerning asphalt companies in Forsyth County. She discussed an EPA lawsuit that 20 states including Nort Carolina have signed onto, and more.

The post Climate Thursday: Inside Climate News Reporter Lisa Sorg appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, October, 15. She recapped her time with the Metro Mayor's Coalition in Asheville last week. She also recounted the most recent Chapel Hill Town Council Meeting which included an update on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and more. She also recognized Karen Michael, this year's recipient of the W. Cal Horton Service Award, and more.

The post Chapel Hill: Metro Mayors Recap, Parks and Rec Master Plan, Community Recognition appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

For this week's History Matters, Scott and Aaron remember MLK, JFK, heroic birds and cats, and the invention of disposable diapers.

The post History Matters: Nobody Wants to Touch the Diapers appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Trending today: a report about the prevalence of 'nepo babies' in music begs a question: what constitutes 'fame,' in the first place?

The post What’s Trending: How Do You Measure Fame? appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Clayton Sabine performs his song "I'm Not High, I'm Just Lonesome" ahead of his performance at this weekend's Carrboro Songwriters Festival.

The post On Air Today: ‘Not High, Just Lonesome’ with Clayton Sabine! appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

In today's news: early voting begins, the Faith Hedgepeth murder trial continues, and Chapel Hill and Carrboro weigh merging their police.

The post The Morning News: Early Voting, Hedgepeth Trial, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Police Merger? appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

It’s time for another round of Studio Sessions with the School of Rock Chapel Hill, featuring three songs performed by the House Band!

The post Studio Sessions with School of Rock Chapel Hill: Four Newcomers Make a Full House! appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Carrboro Poet Laureate Dr. Amanda Bennett spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, October 15. She discussed the upcoming West End Poetry Festival, which runs this weekend from October 15-17. She recounted the planning of this year's festival, which included establishing a theme that most of the performances fall under. She also explained the various events, previewed some highlights she's looking forward to, and more.

The post On Air Today: Carrboro Poet Laureate Dr. Amanda Bennett on West End Poetry Festival appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

UNC Women's Basketball Head Coach Courtney Banghart spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, October 14. She previewed the upcoming season for the women's team, highlighting some roster additions, including one of the top freshman in the country in Kate Harpring. She discussed the storylines going into to the season, including the environment at Carmichael Arena being a contributing factor to elite players wanting to come to UNC. She talked about the program's ability to retain players, some recent big wins on the recruiting trail, and more.

The post On Air Today: UNC Women’s Head Basketball Co...