Weekly update, January 23

Hello and Happy Friday!

The Storm is Coming

The first order of business here is, of course, storm preparations. Starting with OWASA, which has back-up generators at most facilities but cautions that extremely cold weather may cause water line breaks: have 1 gallon of drinking water per person per day (don't forget pets) and fill bathtubs with water to use for flushing toilets and watering plants. Other tips and emergency contact information are here.

From the Town of Carrboro: Ensure you have enough food, water, medication, and supplies to last several days. Plan for power outages (keep all devices fully charged) and ways to stay warm. Find more information and emergency contacts here.

Reminders About Your Safety and indoor air quality from Fire Chief and Emergency Manager, Will Potter:

With winter storms - people often do not think about their increased risk for home fires and carbon monoxide poisoning - but these are real risks that end up being more deadly than the storm itself in most cases. Please remember the following: 

1. Ensure you have a working Carbon Monoxide Detector and working smoke detectors in your home.
2. Do not attempt to heat your home or cook in "unique" ways without considering the safety implications. Gas, Charcoal, and other non-standard heat sources are best used outside. If you are in doubt if something is safe to use indoors, err on the side of caution and avoid using it inside. 
3. If you experience an emergency call 911, they will be responding to calls! 

From Orange County: Sign up for OC Emergency Alerts and refer to this winter storm preparation guide. There will be a public shelter at Smith Middle School, 9201 Seawell School Road in Chapel Hill starting tomorrow, January 24. Find more information at OC Ready Orange.

Neighborhood notes: Weatherhill Pointe, Rosewalk, and Tennis Club Estates neighborhoods' leadership are sharing contact information in advance of the storm so residents can quickly connect and help each other as needed. Perhaps your neighborhood wants to connect with others nearby or at least strengthen the communication chain within it?

For weather updates, we use North Carolina's Weather Authority, Ethan Clark.

Carrboro Film Festival

The Carrboro Film Festival was postponed to February 27 - March 1 but you can listen to fun and interesting interviews on The Carrborean Radio Hour on WCOM 103.5 (streaming live at: wcomfm.org). This past week, Michael Melton interviewed Ryan Darbonne about his films, Shut the F@#$ Up When We Speak and I'm a Gun; Elizabeth Miller-Derstine about Once Upon a Wetland, and Darryl Jones about Tandem. And last week, we spoke with filmmakers Chris Baucom and Brielle Barozzini who made Rising Above Helene, and D.L. Anderson (Director), and Sara Heilman and Jim Warren (NC Warn) about their film, The True Cost of Power and Carrboro's groundbreaking lawsuit against Duke Energy.

Next week kicks off our primary election coverage with a conversation with Karen Stegman, at-large candidate for Orange County Board of Commissioners on Monday, January 26 at 4pm, weather permitting. Orange County primary elections are coming up quickly: March 3. These primary elections are important; some offices (e.g., OC Register of Deeds and OC Sheriff) have contenders from a single party so the winner of the primary effectively wins the office.

Online this week

We summarized our interview with Will Dudenhausen (Dialogue in Support of Community) about new year resolutions and, prompted by your Editor's own experience, checked in with Orange County Health Department about circulating infections and viruses.

The Carrboro Town Council met Tuesday and Michael Melton selected highlights from that meeting for you.

Announcements from Town and County

Mayor Foushee proclaimed January 20, 2026 as the National Day of Racial Healing in Carrboro, encouraging everyone to share ideas and points of view about racial equity and recognizing that healing requires all of us working intentionally on it.

Mayor Foushee also proclaimed January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in memory of Holocaust victims and promoting Holocaust education.

Information session on reducing utility bills from Home Repair Lab and OWASA: Tuesday, Jan. 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Drakeford Library Complex, 203 S. Greensboro St. "This workshop will discuss easy ways you can save energy and water and how to get those bills under control.  Participants will leave this program with an understanding of how your home uses water and energy, low- to no-cost things you can do to save money on your utility bills, and helpful tips to get started on larger home projects." RSVP online. Free interpretation services: contact Laura Janway at ljanway@carrboronc.gov or (919) 918-7326 at least 48 hours in advance.

Other Reminders

Love is in the Air! ❤️ This Valentine’s Day, put your heart on the page and tell your sweetheart, your kids, or your favorite neighbor how much they mean to you. The Carrborean celebrates the arts, living, and civic engagement in Carrboro, and the people who make this place great. For a small fee to support local journalism ($10 for up to 20 words), you can get a dedicated space in our February print issue to share a note of appreciation for someone special. It’s a great way to spread kindness and support local news. Some examples– To your partner: "Still my favorite after 20 years." To your kids: "Happy Valentine's Day to the lights of our lives!" To the community: Shout out your favorite barista, librarian, public servant, friend, neighbor, DJ, etc. For more information, see this form or contact: info@thecarrborean.com. Deadline: January 26, 5pm.

The Community Bulletin Board has announcements and giving opportunities and is updated weekly.

There's so much going on in Carrboro! But not so much this weekend due to the weather forecast. Check out The Events Calendar to see what's going on and help us keep it up to date.

As always, please consider a paid subscription to support community journalism (local news told by the people living it) and ask your favorite businesses if they advertise in The Carrborean. Subscribers at the "Angel" tier get the first-ever Carrborean T-shirt among other benefits. Thank you! Big thanks to The Merch for printing the shirts! 

Poetry Moment

*Updated to include North Carolina's Weather Authority information (1/23) and indoor air quality warnings (1/24).