The Chatham County Public Health Department reports that a pet cat tested positive for rabies after biting its owner, a veterinarian and the veterinarian’s assistant last week. The State Public Health Laboratory reported the positive test to Animal Control staff on Saturday, October 31.

Chatham County K-12 school teachers will have the opportunity on November 4th and 5th to meet environmental education resources and learn what those organizations have to offer students and teachers.

The Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is pleased to announce the addition of four new board members. All of the newly appointed women are highly active in the professional and philanthropic community, bringing a diversity of experience and expertise to the Chapter board. These members include: Jessica Grimes of Pittsboro has been a regional consultant with Fidelity Investments for ten years.

Multiple students from high schools in Chatham County Schools have earned commendations from the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement of Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP) provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams.

Twelve schools across the Carolinas have been selected as finalists in the Progress Energy SunSense schools program. Five of the finalists will receive solar photovoltaic installations in the coming months, as part of a partnership between Progress Energy Carolinas and the Carolina Hurricanes Kids ’N Community Foundation.

Chatham Central High School held a college day the morning of Thursday, October 15, for juniors, seniors, and their parents. Fifty-eight institutions of higher education set up displays in the cafeteria where representatives spoke with the students and their parents. The recruiters fielded questions about degree programs offered by their institutions, admission requirements, and financial aid.

The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office conducted several narcotics detection operations during the recent Shakori Hills music festival and made 67 criminal charges and 16 separate arrests at or near the facility. Deputies seized more than three ounces of psychedelic mushrooms, eight ounces of marijuana, eight units of LSD, 54 units of ecstasy, four units of Oxycontin, one unit of Klozapam, and 1.4 grams of powder ecstasy.

You have to link your Harris Teeter VIC card and Food Lion MVP card every year in order to get donations to the schools (or other charities). Even if you don't have a child in school, you can help our local schools out everytime you go grocery shopping.

Have you ever been to Napoli, the very heart of Southern Italy, and tasted the original “World’s Best” pizza Margherita? It’s a delectable treat of warm, crispy crust, sweet tomato sauce, basil and creamy mozzarella that can only be found in one of those tiny pizzerias with windows that open to the vibrant street life and a view to Mount Vesuvio. Until you embark on that Italian adventure, the closest thing locally to authentic Neapolitan pizza is baked in the wood-fired oven on the grounds of The Goathouse Refuge.

The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension has organized a "show and tell" at Okfuskee Farm from 5:00-7:00 pm for Monday, October 12. This farm visit is for farmers of all levels and also eaters interested in learning more about our local farms.

Green is the color of Central Carolina Community College’s Chatham County Campus Oct. 16-17 during the Celebrate Green Central Trade Show Home Tour. Visitors are invited to learn more about and see demonstrations of green building, renewable energy, sustainable farming, biofuels, and green services.

Beginning Monday, October 5, 2009, Chapel Hill Transit (CHT) will implement some minor changes to the Pittsboro Express (PX) schedule in response to ridership demands.

Chatham Animal Rescue and Education, Inc. (CARE) held its 8th Annual Woof-A-Palooza dog walk fundraiser on Saturday, September 19 in Pittsboro at Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro. This one-mile dog walk fundraiser raises money to support the expenses of cats and dogs in volunteer foster homes.

The Grand Trees of Chatham, a newly approved advisory board of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, invites county residents to nominate extraordinary trees (individual trees or groups of trees) to be recognized through a new awards program.

The Siler City Elementary Garden Project has been awarded a Chocolate for Good kit from Dagoba Organic Chocolate. Dagoba had an overwhelming response to its call for submissions and found the Siler City Elementary project to be an especially innovative approach to creating a greener and more sustainable future.

The Chatham County Board of Education will meet in the Central Office Board Room for it's school board meeting on Monday, September 14 at 6:30 pm.

Student enrollment in Chatham County schools on day 10 was 7,672. This is 59 fewer students than last year day 10. State projected enrollment was 7,691. Chatham County schools are 19 students lower. There is no loss of teacher allotments from the state unless the school system is at least 100 under projection.

As part of an ongoing erosion control project a number of new features have been installed at Town Lake Park.

Related:
Pittsboro Parks Blog

The Town of Pittsboro Kiwanis Park is now host to a unique play-sculpture by Clyde Jones of Bynum, NC.

Related:
Pittsboro Parks Blog

The Friends of the Pittsboro Memorial Library is holding its fall book sale Thursday, Friday and Saturday, September 10, 11, 12 from 10 am to 7 pm each
day.