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Good morning neighbors,
It is a big day in Raleigh as the General Assembly convenes for the short session. Here are a few legislature-related updates from our area:
Some of you may have come across Whitney Olive’s since-deleted announcement on her campaign’s Instagram account that she would no longer be running for N.C. House District 63. This weekend, and again Monday, Olive republished a reel by Southey Blanton (who is running for N.C. Senate District 25). A check of her profile showed that the post had been taken down. The Alamance County Board of Elections confirmed Olive has not officially withdrawn and is still on the candidate detail list. I’ve reached out to Olive and the Alamance County Democratic Party to ask where her campaign stands, and I'll keep you posted.
I recently sat down with one of our representatives in the General Assembly: Senator Amy Galey. In addition to talking about her legislative priorities, policies and issues, she opened up about why she personally asked Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page to not run against longtime Sen. Phil Berger, whom Page defeated in the Republican primary in March. Read more below.
We also share a quick look at the Alamance County farms opening their doors to the public this weekend for the 29th annual Piedmont Farm Tour.
I’m planning to visit a couple on Saturday. It is the first time I’ve taken planting a garden seriously since we bought our house in 2020. I started out with some sunflowers that are doing well so far. Last weekend, I had the chance to check out the free Seed Library inside the Graham Public Library and picked up some Black-Eyed Susan seeds to plant in my front yard. |
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There was a pretty wide variety of fruit, vegetable and flower seed packets with instructions for each. The library also had a jar of free marigold seed heads and some tiny card envelopes to put them in. I got some of those, too. |
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A quick housekeeping note: I'll be off a few days next week. I appreciate your patience and understanding!
Talk to y’all soon, |
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N.C. Sen. Amy Scott Galey sits for a portrait in her office in the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh, N.C.,
on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Laura Brache /NC Local |
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The North Carolina General Assembly is a “very dynamic and chaotic place,” especially leading up to the start of a new session, says N.C. Sen. Amy Scott Galey.
“Once you get inside this building it is very unpredictable what kind of expectations are going to be put on your time, where you're going to go and what meetings you're going to sit in,” Galey told The Alamance Fabric last week in an interview.
Galey grew up in northern Alamance County. After graduating from Western Alamance High School, she attended UNC-Chapel Hill, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 1989 and a law degree in 1994. That same year she married Fred Galey, an Air Force pilot, and initially lived in South Carolina. In 2009, they moved to Alamance County to raise their three children on a property that once belonged to her grandparents.
“It was wonderful to be home,” Galey said. “It's just very reassuring and comforting to come back into a close-knit farming community where everybody had known each other for generations.”
Knowing the area so well also made her acutely aware of how much things had changed since she’d left.
Concerned about the rapid growth and other changes in the area, Galey ran for county commissioner in 2016 and won. She served as chair of the board for three years before successfully running for the state senate in 2020.
Now, in her third term, Galey serves as Senate Majority Whip and chairs the Senate Committee on Health Care alongside fellow GOP members Sens. Jim Burgin and Benton Sawrey.
In an interview with The Alamance Fabric, Galey talked about her leadership roles, legislative priorities, and views on key policy issues including public safety, education and health care.
Read the full story... |
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Fresh red amaranth seedlings emerge from the soil in the garden at the Piedmont Agrarian Collaborative headquarters
located on the grounds of TS Designs in Burlington, N.C. Laura Brache / NC Local |
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Across the region, 30 farms will take part in this year’s Piedmont Farm Tour, and nine are located right here in Alamance County. Here’s when they’ll open to the public and how you can visit them.
Read the full story... |
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Invest in North Carolina's local news.
The Alamance Fabric and NC Local are powered by readers like you. |
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What's shaping Alamance |
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A round up of key local headlines (from our partners and other news organizations) that are defining life in Alamance right now. |
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Here is the latest statewide reporting from the NC Local team on the big-picture issues that impact us all. |
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In this segment, we spotlight one of the neighbors shaping our community's future —brought to you in partnership with The Power + Place Collaborative from Elon University's Center for Design Thinking. Below is an excerpt from the profile. Click the video for more. |
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Omega & Brenda Wilson
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“We have a right to basic public health amenities.”
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"Omega and Brenda Wilson are environmental justice activists who currently live in Mebane, NC, Omega’s hometown. The couple met at Shaw University in Raleigh in the mid ‘70s, and shared a passion for activism and faith in their lives.
Along with neighbors, they founded the West End Revitalization Association (WERA) to advocate for safe drinking water, sewer, and paved street infrastructure for Black and Indigenous communities in Alamance and Orange County.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice invited the Wilsons to provide input in the creation of the new Office of Environmental Justice. Their work has improved countless lives in Alamance County and beyond."
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Whether you’re searching for family-friendly fun, a way to support local creators, or to get civically involved, here are a few ideas: |
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Burlington Oral History Series, Part 1: Burlington's Music Memories
Tuesday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m.
Sursy
341 S. Main St., Suite 100, Burlington, NC 27215
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Burlington City Council Meeting
Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m.
Municipal Building
425 S. Lexington Ave., Burlington, NC 27215
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Swepsonville Town Council Meeting
Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m.
Swepsonville United Methodist Church
1307 E. Main St., Graham, NC 27253
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28th Herb Festival
Thursday, April 23 through Saturday, April 25
First Presbyterian Church
508 W. Davis St., Burlington, NC 27215
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Movies After Dark at the Dogwood Festival: A Minecraft Movie
Friday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m.
209 N. 3rd St., Mebane, NC 27302
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Glencoe Mills Founder's Day
Saturday, April 25 at 10 a.m.
Textile Heritage Museum
2406 Glencoe St., Burlington, NC 27217
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African-American Cultural Arts & History Center Guided Tour
Saturday, April 25 at 10 a.m.
2381 Corporation Pkwy., Burlington, NC 27215
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Mayfest at Thistledown Farm
Saturday, April 25 at 3 p.m.
6879 S. N.C. Highway 87, Graham, NC 27253
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Elon Town Council Meeting
Monday, April 27 at 6 p.m.
Town Hall
104 S. Williamson Ave., Elon, NC 27244
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Village of Alamance Town Meeting
Monday, April 27 at 7 p.m.
Town Hall
2874 Rob Shepard Dr, Burlington, NC 27215
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