Jeff Davis photo

By Randall Rigsbee

A second plea on Monday by Chatham County commissioner Margaret Pollard to seek permanent National Guard protection at the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant failed to find support from other commissioners, though the board will reconsider the matter when it meets again in two weeks.

Last month, Pollard proposed that the National Guard be permanently stationed at the nearby nuclear power plant to further protect it from potential terrorist attacks.

At a July 19 meeting, Pollard proposed that the Guard “be placed at the nuclear power plant to help assure security immediately.”

The Progress Energy nuclear power plant is in New Hill in Wake County, and is one of five nuclear power plants in North Carolina and one of 103 nationwide.

On Monday, representatives of Progress Energy met with the Board of Commissioners to discuss existing safety measures.

“We have one of the best security forces in the industry,” said Bob Duncan, site operations director at the Shearon Harris plant. “We take security very seriously.”

more- See Thursday, August 5 paper: Vol 84, No.36

By Melissa Ledgerwood

It took less than three days to fill a second petition aimed at saving Carbonton Dam, according to store manager Crystal Abutaha at Jim’s Cash Mart in Carbonton.

Abutaha says local residents are not happy about a recently learned about dam removal project.

“They all say it’s a done deal,” the store manager said.

In an effort to restore the river to its natural state, Restoration System, LLC will be taking down the dam in Carbonton.

The town of Siler City will be investing $1.2 million in the removal, as part of its mitigation package, which is needed to offset the town’s Lower Rocky River Reservoir Expansion Project.

“It’s a little piece of history just wiped out,” said John Humphrey, who has lived along the Deep River in Carbonton for seven years. “I’ll miss it.”

Humphrey, who has been retired since 1983, said he doesn’t like the idea and doesn’t understand why the dam is being removed.

more- See Thursday, August 5 paper: Vol 84, No.36

By Cara Rotondaro

An election protest filed regarding problems with the  Northwest water bond vote on July 20 will stand, the Board of Elections ruled late Tuesday.

 This decision was made by the Board of Elections during a preliminary hearing to discuss the protest filed by several residents in the district.

After deliberating for about an hour, including time the three-member board spent in a closed executive session, the board decided that the election law had been violated, and to uphold the protest and schedule a public hearing.

A public hearing for this protest will be held Monday, August 9 at 4 p.m. in the Dunlap Classroom, pending it’s availability, in the Dunlap Building in Pittsboro.

William Perry, a resident of the proposed Northwest water district, filed a protest against the vote last week after votes were canvassed and official results were released on Tuesday.

Perry believes that there was irregularity or misconduct committed in the election. In his protest, he suggests that voters were not properly made aware of the Northwest water bond vote on Election Day.

more- See Thursday, August 5 paper: Vol 84, No.36