FROM THE INSIDE…
Inside This Issue: We took an unplanned week off — which means this issue is packed with two weeks of Chapel Hill. Buckle up. In 2018, a young social worker named Krissy Richardson filled more than 100 backpacks with school supplies for kids at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA — this Saturday, July 18, her mother, Pat, invites you to help carry that legacy forward. Meri Lynch is back with the July Market Watch. Six Democrats — including a former Chapel Hill mayor — want to carry Jamezetta Bedford's seat forward, and it gets decided Monday. Plus: Pittsboro kids headed for ESPN, four Diamond Heels turning pro, free box fans for this heat wave, and a Sunday that is officially about ice cream.
LET'S STEP INSIDE →
Feature Story
The Legacy in Every Backpack
In 2018, a young woman walked into the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA with an idea. Kristian "Krissy" Monet Richardson had grown up with a fierce love for children and an even fiercer sense of justice, and she'd noticed something simple and unacceptable: some kids in Orange County were starting the school year without the basics. So she partnered with the Y Learning program and built a backpack drive from scratch — over 100 backpacks, filled with school supplies, delivered into the hands of students who needed them.
Krissy wasn't done. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work at East Carolina University, then her Master's at North Carolina Central. Helping people wasn't a side project for her. It was the whole plan.
In May 2021, Krissy died in a car accident. She was a daughter, a social worker, a volunteer, a community activist — and the kind of person whose absence leaves a hole shaped exactly like her.
Her mother, Pat Richardson, made a decision in her grief: the backpacks would not stop. That same year, she founded the Monet Richardson Community Foundation to carry Krissy's work forward — the backpack program at its heart, now joined by educational scholarships that send local students on to whatever comes next. Just this month, the foundation celebrated its 2026 graduates. The mission Pat describes is the one Krissy lived: education, youth engagement, and empowerment for underserved communities. By 2024, the annual backpack goal had grown to 300 backpacks across Orange, Nash, and Edgecombe counties.
And here's where you come in. On Saturday, July 18, from 3 to 6 pm, the foundation returns to the YMCA — the very place where Krissy started it all — for this year's Backpack Assembly. Volunteers gather to pack school supplies for local students heading into the new school year. It's hands-on, it's family-friendly, and it's the kind of afternoon that reminds you what this community does best. You can sign up here.
To sign up or learn more, visit monetrichardsoncommunityfoundation.com or email [email protected]. Every backpack carries her name. Every one of them carries her love.
Market Watch With Meri Lynch
July Market Watch
We want to thank Meri Lynch Realty for sponsoring this issue!
Hey everybody — it's Meri. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate came in at 6.49% in Freddie Mac's latest weekly survey — up a touch from 6.43% the week before, which had been a seven-week low. For context, a year ago we were at 6.72%. The 15-year fixed is sitting at 5.82%.
Now, let's keep it real. Rates dipped near 6.09% back in February, bounced up through the spring, and have settled into a remarkably steady band since mid-May — still below this year's peak of 6.53%. Most forecasters expect them to hang between 6.3% and 6.5% for the rest of the year — so if you're waiting for 4-anything, I might suggest we aren't seeing that anytime soon.
What I'm seeing on the ground: purchase demand is edging up as buyers respond to even modest improvements in affordability. Here in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Chatham County, well-priced homes are still moving in the summer market. If you're buying, shop at least three lenders — the spread between quotes can save you real money. If you're selling, price to the market, not to your neighbor's 2022 memory. And if you're staying put? Enjoy your house. That's a win too.
Upcoming Events
LOCAL EVENTS COMING UP
July 16 – July 30
Give Back
Sat, Jul 18 MRCF Backpack Assembly | YMCA Chapel Hill-Carrboro | 3–6 pm | Volunteers pack backpacks full of school supplies for local students — the heart of this week's feature story. Sign up so the foundation can plan. | monetrichardsoncommunityfoundation.com
Just for Fun
Sun, Jul 19 National Ice Cream Day | Anywhere cold | All day | By presidential proclamation — Ronald Reagan, 1984, we're not kidding — the third Sunday of July belongs to ice cream, and this year it lands smack in the middle of a heat wave. If ever a civic duty were delicious, it's this one. Maple View Farm's porch rocking chairs are calling.
Live Music
Thu, Jul 16 Hank Sinatra, Ramona & the Holy Smokes, Charles Latham & the Borrowed Band | Cat's Cradle Back Room, 300 E. Main St., Carrboro | Doors 7 pm, Show 8 pm | Yes, Hank Sinatra. That's the whole pitch. | catscradle.com
Fri, Jul 17 First Day Back + Ethel Meserve + gapyear | Cat's Cradle, Carrboro | Doors 7 pm, Show 8 pm | Promoted from the Back Room to the main stage — somebody's been selling tickets. | catscradle.com
Sat, Jul 18 Bird and Byron + The Ocho | Cat's Cradle Back Room, Carrboro | Doors 7 pm, Show 8 pm | catscradle.com
Sun, Jul 19 The Petty Thieves | Sundays at Sundown, Southern Village Green, Chapel Hill | 7–9 pm | A free Tom Petty tribute under the summer sky. Bring a blanket and somebody you like.
Tue, Jul 21 Cat Power – The Greatest Tour | Haw River Ballroom, Saxapahaw | Doors 7 pm, Show 8 pm | Sold out — but that's what friends with extra tickets are for. | catscradle.com
Fri, Jul 24 Renee Christine + Emma Bishop | Cat's Cradle Back Room, Carrboro | Doors 7 pm, Show 8 pm | catscradle.com
Sat, Jul 25 School of Rock Chapel Hill House Band Senior Sendoff | Cat's Cradle Back Room, Carrboro | Doors 7 pm, Show 7:30 pm | $10 suggested donation | The next generation of local rockers gives its seniors a proper goodbye. | catscradle.com
Sun, Jul 26 Grrrlbands Showcase | Cat's Cradle, Carrboro | Doors 6:30 pm, Show 7 pm | Local musicians take on Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cyndi Lauper, Rage Against the Machine, My Chemical Romance, and more. | catscradle.com
Wed, Jul 29 Eleni Mandell and Dawn Landes | Cat's Cradle Back Room, Carrboro | Doors 7 pm, Show 8 pm | catscradle.com
Film
Thu, Jul 16 & 23 Free Public Domain Movie Night | bmc brewing at The Plant, 213 Lorax Ln., Pittsboro | 7–10 pm | Grab a local pint, catch a retro movie. Weekly through July.
Heads Up
Country Club Road Closed Through August 10. UNC crews are repairing a stormwater pipe, closing Country Club Road from July 6 until August 10. Plan your campus-area routes accordingly.
Local News
FROM AROUND TOWN
Six Neighbors, One Empty Seat — And It Gets Decided Monday
Orange County lost a giant when Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford passed away in June, and now six Democrats have stepped forward to carry her District 1 seat: Leah Bergman, Rani Dasi, Pam Hemminger, María Palmer, Renuka Soll, and Erik Valera. Yes, that Pam Hemminger — Chapel Hill's former mayor. Because Bedford had already won her primary and faced no November challenger, District 1 Democratic leaders will meet Monday, July 20, to choose an interim commissioner and nominate the party's candidate for November. We'll introduce you to the new commissioner in next week's issue.
The Heat Isn't Letting Up — And Neither Is the Drought (Free Fans Inside)
If it feels like July has teeth this year, you're not imagining it. Heat advisories keep rolling across central North Carolina, forecasters say we could brush triple digits Friday, and overnight lows in the mid-70s aren't giving anyone a break. Meanwhile, Orange County has officially hit exceptional drought status — the most severe category there is. Two things worth knowing: the Orange County Department of Social Services is providing free box fans for residents who need them, and this is the week to check on older neighbors. Hydrate like it's your job.
So… How Was the Drone Show?
Chapel Hill made history on the Fourth with its first-ever Independence Day drone show — 300 synchronized drones painting light across the sky above Chapel Hill High School for the nation's 250th birthday, replacing the traditional fireworks with something quieter and more sustainable. And this town showed up: the Eubanks park-and-ride was full by 8 pm, and shuttles ran right up to showtime. The official reviews aren't written yet — so let's write them ourselves. Were you there? Did the drones deliver, or do you miss the boom? Hit reply with your verdict, and I'll share the best takes next week.
How Did You Like the Drone Show?
Pittsboro Kids Are Headed to the National Championships — On ESPN
Here's one to make the whole county proud: NFL FLAG Flag Football Elite, the nonprofit youth league that plays its games at Northwood High in Pittsboro, is the only league from North Carolina invited to the 2026 NFL FLAG Championships, July 23–26 in Westfield, Indiana. The league — co-founded by former NFL player and current UNC Football team chaplain Cedric Peerman — serves roughly 2,000 young athletes across Chatham and the Triangle. They'll share the stage with top teams from across the country and 12 nations, with select games airing on ESPN and Disney platforms. Next week, our kids play on national TV.
From Omaha to the Show: Four Diamond Heels Go Pro
The team that took us one win from a national championship just sent four of its own to professional baseball. Shortstop Jake Schaffner went to the Boston Red Sox at No. 20 overall — the third straight year UNC has produced a first-round pick — and Boston doubled down by grabbing outfielder Owen Hull at No. 67. Ace Jason DeCaro heads to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Ryan Lynch joins the San Diego Padres. What a season. What a sendoff.
One Year After Chantal, the Eno Arts Mill Comes All the Way Back
A year ago this month, Tropical Storm Chantal's floodwaters tore through the Eno Arts Mill in Hillsborough, destroying artwork and displacing its studio artists. What happened next is the story: 261 donors and a mutual-aid art auction fully reimbursed all 15 studio artists and put nearly $100,000 in emergency grants into local artists' hands, while more than 100 volunteers shoveled mud and scrubbed studios. Today, camps and classes are back — and the Mill will celebrate its grand reopening on Friday, August 7, from 6 to 9 pm with open studios, food trucks, and live music from Liquid Pleasure. Mark your calendar. This one's worth showing up for.
North Carolina Finally Has a Budget — And All Three of Our Legislators Voted No
The state's long budget standoff ended this month, but don't expect celebration from Orange County's delegation: all three of our state legislators voted against the final deal, citing corporate tax cuts, expanded leeway for prediction markets, and underfunding of public education. Whatever your take, the money is now moving — and we'll be watching what it means locally.
INsight from the INSIDER
"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."
— Thomas Campbell
Krissy Richardson filled her first backpack eight years ago, and this month her foundation celebrated another class of graduates she never got to meet. That's what legacy actually looks like — not monuments, but momentum.
On July 18, a room full of neighbors will pack school supplies at the same YMCA where she started, and every single backpack will say what this community believes: no child here starts the year empty-handed.
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Until next time,
Be in the know!