Did someone forward you this email?

Good morning neighbors,

My name is Keith T. Barber, and I’m a Saxapahaw-based print journalist and professor of journalism at Elon University, filling in for Laura this week.

I spent part of my childhood in Burlington, where I attended Grove Park Elementary School from second through fifth grades. I moved to Saxapahaw back in 2018, and have enjoyed the country living in southeast Alamance County.

Drought conditions persist in Alamance County, with rainfall totals from the beginning of the year falling 9.32 inches below normal. The City of Burlington is under stage one voluntary water conservation as of July 8, due to prolonged drought conditions, according to the city’s website. While the city has an ample water supply for the immediate future, residents are urged to voluntarily reduce consumption. Meanwhile, the town of Elon has also implemented water conservation restrictions. We’ll continue to monitor the water situation as summer continues.

I wanted to bring you an update this week on the Alamance-Burlington School System and an aspect of the new state budget, which was signed into law last week by Gov. Josh Stein, that could have a big impact on our schools. The news? The legislature allocated $3.2 million additional funding for ABSS, but the funds won’t be used to address the operating budget shortfall the school board and county commissioners wrestled over. Learn more about how it might be used in my feature story below.

Thanks for reading!

Keith T. Barber

Journalist and Educator

LATEST FROM NC LOCAL

State budget gives Alamance-Burlington Schools $3.2M for AI school safety pilot

The funds were redirected after New Hanover’s school district rejected the money.

LATEST FROM NC LOCAL

After two high-profile killings, NC changes involuntary commitment laws

A new law shifts how courts handle involuntary commitment and defendants with mental illness.

New program provides financial aid for workforce training, but few NC community college courses qualify

Officials estimate less than 1% of course sections will be eligible for Workforce Pell.

Who is on the NC Utilities Commission? How do they decide on Duke Energy’s rate hikes?

The five-member commission regulates the state’s monopolies. Now they are considering a rate request by Duke Energy with expert testimony.

Encampment bill vetoed as federal funding for homelessness changes

A federal shift to ‘recovery first’ funding for Continuums of Care could impact NC’s homelessness services.

Elections liaison position in state auditor’s office discontinued, Dallas Woodhouse reassigned

The position was eliminated after text messages from Woodhouse to local boards of elections were revealed. NC Local spoke with Jackson County Board of Elections Chair Bill Thompson about his messages with Woodhouse.

SUPPORT THE ALAMANCE FABRIC

Your gift ensures that Alamance Fabric and NC Local can make complex policies understandable for Alamance residents. Every contribution helps readers stay informed, engaged and connected.

NC Local is an IRS-approved tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.

Support our work

WHAT'S SHAPING ALAMANCE

A round up of key local headlines (from our partners and other news organizations) that are defining life in Alamance right now.

One year since Chantal: How emergency teams are adjusting their response plans (WRAL)
Residents still hoping Graham city council will restore Sesquicentennial Park, abandon plans to sell property (Alamance News)
Burlington Housing Authority breaks ground on Hope Village development (Fox 8)
This North Carolina county has no official mountain bike trails. That could change in a big way. (SingleTracks)
NC JobWorks Fair Wednesday at ACC (The Times News)

SUPPORTED BY

The Alamance Community Foundation

We're grateful to The Alamance Community Foundation for financial support for The Alamance Fabric's community spotlight section.

Interested in becoming a sponsor for our newsletter? Contact us. Check out our current sponsors and view our funding policy, which states that NC Local retains full editorial responsibility.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

In this segment, we spotlight one of the neighbors shaping our community's future. This summer, we are highlighting recipients of the Alamance Community Foundation's 2026 Spring Community Grant.

Habitat for Humanity of Alamance County Volunteer & Family Services Coordinator Catherine Whitesell pictured at a groundbreaking event for the future Sharpe Road community in Burlington, N.C. on Thursday, June 25, 2026.

Habitat for Humanity of Alamance County

In a few words, describe your organization and its mission.

Habitat for Humanity of Alamance County envisions a world where everyone in our community has a decent place to live. We bring people together to build houses, communities, and hope.

What do you wish more people knew about your organization?

Habitat doesn't give houses away. We partner with local families to provide mortgages that are less than 30% of the household income - which is the definition of Affordable Housing. Families must meet income guidelines, and every family helps build their own house and the houses of others. In fact, 25% of the labor in building Habitat homes is through volunteers!

How can the community stay in touch and get involved?

Everyone is welcome at Habitat. You can join us as a volunteer on a build site, make a donation, or shop at our ReStore. There are endless ways you can give of your time and talents at Habitat Alamance, and we welcome the opportunity to talk with you about how you'd like to give. Our donors are invaluable to the work we do. Some donors give monthly or annually, and some give when they participate in our fundraising events like Women Build that's happening in September. ReStore sales directly fund the homes we build too, so shopping at the ReStore diverts good quality items from the landfill and helps make homeownership possible for more families in Alamance County. You can visit our website to learn more and decide the best way for you to get involved, and from there you can also subscribe to our newsletter. We're also on Facebook and Insta. Just search Habitat for Humanity of Alamance County.

Any big accomplishments or goals this year?

As we near the closings on the last 3 homes in our 7-home community on Glenn Street, our attention shifts to our next project: the long-awaited Sharpe Road project. This project will provide homes for 24 families in Alamance County. It includes a side road, two wetland ponds for erosion control, and a walking trail. We just celebrated the groundbreaking for this project, and it was so delightful to talk with neighbors who joined us and shared their excitement to see this vision finally become a reality. Participants in our annual fundraising event, Women Build, will be working on houses in this community!