The community is invited to a special session of Orange County Superior Court scheduled for June 17, 2022 at 2 p.m. in the Historic Courthouse in Hillsborough (106 E. King Street). Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood will open the court session and Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour will preside. The sole matter before the Court will be a Motion for Appropriate Relief seeking to vacate posthumously the 1947 convictions of four original Freedom Riders in the Civil Rights movement.

On April 9, 1947, an interracial group of 16 men began the Journey of Reconciliation, the first “freedom ride,” to challenge continued Jim Crow segregation on buses despite the 1946 U.S. Supreme Court Morgan v. Virginia ruling declaring segregation on interstate travel unconstitutional. After an overnight stay in Chapel Hill, the buses prepared to leave. The riders, Black and white, sat in front, while an angry mob of cab drivers gathered outside the bus.

Police were called to the scene. Four riders—Bayard Rustin, Igal Roodenko, Andrew Johnson and Joseph Felmet—were arrested for Disorderly Conduct for refusing to move from the front of the bus. The four men subsequently were convicted in the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough and sentenced to serve 30 days on a chain gang. Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin later wrote about his experiences of incarceration and hard labor in North Carolina, and this work is credited with reforming the practice of prison chain gangs.

“While this judicial action is taking place 75 years after the injustice occurred, never should we falter in examining past wrongs, seeking reparation, and lifting those heavy burdens from our hearts and minds so that future generations may know justice,” said Renée Price, Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners. “We also must recognize the brave individuals who stood up in the face of Jim Crow to demand our humanity and our liberation. Seeking legal redress for Roodenko, Rustin, Felmet and Johnson as we prepare for the Juneteenth holiday is timely and relevant.”

A short program will be part of the court session and will include Price, District Attorney James R. Woodall, Public Defender Woodrena Baker-Harrell, Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger, Dr. Freddie Parker, Professor Emeritus of History at NCCU, LaTarndra Strong, President of the Northern Orange Branch of the NAACP, and Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue. Family members and friends of Mr. Rustin, Mr. Roodenko, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Felmet will attend this event and will also participate. For those unable to attend in person, the court session and program will be live-streamed.

Orange County has recently installed 12 new electric car charging stations for use by the public.  These chargers were made possible by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center at NC State University with federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funding provided from the NC Department of Transportation.

The new “Level 2” Clipper Creek charging stations are available to the public 24/7.  Six stations are located at the Eno River Parking deck accessed from 131 W. Margaret Street or Nash and Kollack Street. Six more stations are available at the Durham Technical Community College Park and Ride lot located at 525 College Park Road in Hillsborough.

These 12 stations are part of the same funding program that enabled Orange County to install two chargers last year at the Robert and Pearl Seymour Center at 2551 Homestead Rd and three chargers powered by solar energy at Orange County Public Transportation, 600 NC Highway 86.

Orange County is pleased to offer these chargers to support electric vehicle adoption and to further the county’s climate action goals. The county looks forward to offering more electric vehicle charging opportunities in the future to expand the growing network and to provide greater access to this service in our community. 

The charging stations are free of charge, however users are asked to limit their use to a maximum of four hours a day as a courtesy to other users.

Questions about the chargers can be directed to Amy Eckberg, Sustainability Program Manager, Orange County Asset Management Services, at 919-245-2626.

“Without music, life would be a mistake.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

The legendary kings and queens of music have delighted us for decades, baring their souls on stages and in recordings. Thanks to them, we have built our culture around music, and it has become one of the main pillars of arts itself.

A musician’s performance is the total communion between artist and audience, and it only happens in the present moment. Musicons is an ongoing series of surreal portraits of the musicians we admire; it is our way of honoring and immortalizing them in the Ikorma Universe.

Ikorma is a four-hand collaboration between father and son. Mango Martinez, apprentice to his father, works alongside his mentor, and together they create fresh work with surrealist and modern influences.

Welcome to our Ikorma Universe.

The exhibit will be on view through June 26 at the Eno Mill Gallery in Hillsborough.

The public is invited to a free Opening Party on Friday, June 3, from 6-9 p.m. featuring:

Orange County Animal Services asks residents to be mindful of pets during hot weather. Temperatures in our area often climb above 90 degrees Fahrenheit during this time of year. Knowing the dangers for pets is a critical part of responsible pet ownership.

One of the biggest areas for concern is people leaving pets inside cars during summer months. Temperatures inside parked vehicles can reach deadly levels in only a matter of minutes, even if parked in the shade and even with all the windows cracked. In Orange County, it is against the law to leave animals inside a parked car if the outside temperature exceeds seventy (70) degrees Fahrenheit. Because pets cannot sweat, their bodies cannot regulate temperature like humans, and they can go into irreversible organ failure that is often fatal in only a matter of minutes inside a car or other overly heated environment.

Other dangers are also present during extreme heat, including pets who do not have access to fresh water and shade. Pets may become dehydrated quickly and it is critical that they have shade to protect them from the sun. Walking pets in extreme temperatures is not advised, as the heat can cause heatstroke and the pavement can cause quick damage to the feet of walked pets. Temperatures of these kinds are even harder on senior pets and pets with medical conditions.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) also offers more information about hot weather dangers for pets at https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/hot-weather-safety-tips.