Former county commissioner Bunkey Morgan will have legal representation paid for by Chatham County in a lawsuit against the county over a shopping center commissioners approved last year.

Last week, Morgan, who lost his bid for re-election in 2006, asked the Board of Commissioners to provide his legal representation in the matter and commissioners unanimously agreed.

"I sent a request to be represented and they voted to represent me and any former commissioner who has something like this happen," Morgan said in an interview on Monday.

Morgan said he asked that he be represented by Pittsboro-based attorney Paul Messick because of his familiarity with the case.

The lawsuit involves the county’s rezoning last year of 20 acres near the Chatham/Orange county line from a residential/agricultural zone to business.

The rezoning was to allow a shopping center on the site.

At the time, county planning director Keith Megginson said research on the property revealed an additional 10 acres existed on the property, which placed the newly-approved retail center closer to residential property.

Officers are investigating a suspected arson incident at a Siler City business which resulted in an estimated $2 million in damage.

According to a Siler City Police Department, an unknown suspect started several fires in the building occupied by Carolina Advanced Digital (CAD), 311-D North Chatham Avenue, on the morning of Saturday, April 7.

The fire occurred after normal business hours. No one was injured.

CAD is located in the office area of the former Boling Chair building, which is owned by Jeff Schwarz. The brick building is across the street from the Siler City fire and police departments.

CAD occupies a portion of the building which once housed Boling Chair’s office space. A church occupies another end of the building.

Siler City Fire Department chief Mitch Vann said firefighters had returned from another call Saturday when they noticed water coming from the building, a result of a sprinkler system being activated.

Although the building is equipped with fire alarms, they did not sound, Vann said.

The fire occurred on the floor above CAD’s ground-floor office on the side of the building facing North Chatham Avenue.

The fire caused sprinkler systems to flood both floors. Vann said the fire had multiple points of origin and was of "suspicious origin."

The building sustained extensive water damage and damage to computer and electrical equipment inside, Vann said. There was no fire or smoke damages.

Authorities said the church did not suffer any damage from the incident.

more- See Thursday, April 12 paper: Vol 87, No.19

By Angela Delp

The Town of Siler City’s annual Spring Cleanup Campaign, in conjunction with the State of North Carolina’s "Litter Sweep" Roadside Cleanup, begins next week.

The clean-up begins Monday, April 16 on the west side of the railroad tracks and will continue to the east side of the tracks Monday, April 23.

Town maintenance crews will collect items placed next to the street.

This is an opportunity for residents to clean up around their property and to remove exterior, visible debris such as loose papers, cans, bottles, broken toys, discarded furniture, overflowing trash containers and other rubbish, including tires.

Mayor Charles Turner said at the town board’s April 2 meeting that he and the commissioners will participate in the cleanup by helping p