Chatham County

Despite closures at other rural hospitals across North Carolina, the labor and delivery unit at UNC Health Chatham is a recent addition.

Just 81,000 people live in rural Chatham County in North Carolina, where there are more than 1,000 farms. But life is changing. The new Wolfspeed factory that overlooks I-64 will soon produce advanced wafers for computer chips. Automaker Vinfast is scheduled to open a factory next year. Both projects stem in large part from incentives that President Joe Biden signed into law.

Chatham County Line bandmates Dave Wilson and John Teer share the inspiration behind the songs on their 10th album, HIYO, out Jan. 26.

As the job grows more complex — and schools become more central to the culture wars — superintendent turnover is becoming more problematic in North Carolina. Tracy Grit in McDowell County Schools is one of 30 new superintendents learning the ropes this year.

The recently approved state budget includes about $2 billion to improve water and sewer systems. The money will help about 200 mostly rural counties and towns across North Carolina.

The state and Chatham County offered VinFast up to $1.25 billion in incentives that can be reached if it meets hiring and investment thresholds.

The Strong Fathers Parenting Program serves fathers in Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties.

Chatham County created a farmland preservation plan in 2010. Since then, the county's population has grown by more than 20 percent.

The $5 billion Siler City plant, announced last year, will make silicon carbide wafers, which are the building blocks of semiconductors.

Chatham Community Library partnered with a local group to put together the moving memorial for the victims.