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The award marks a major milestone for the independent brewery, founded by Chris and Kelly Gallagher and based in downtown Holly Springs, with a second taproom in Lillington. Led by Head Brewer Devin Singley, Local Time develops beers inspired by brewing traditions, ingredients and cultures from around the world.

“Our whole team is thrilled to see Vinland recognized on a national stage,” said Chris Gallagher, co-owner of Local Time Brewing. “We put a lot of thought and care into our beers, from the ingredients we choose to the stories that inspire them. This medal is a tremendous validation of that work, and I’m especially proud of Devin and our entire team.”

The 2026 GABF competition evaluated 7,267 entries from 1,300 breweries and cideries, with 225 professional judges evaluating beverages across 105 beer categories and five cider categories. Winners were announced October 11 at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.

“We opened Local Time to share our love of great beer, travel and community,” Gallagher added. “To bring an award like this home to Holly Springs and Lillington is incredibly special. We’re grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way.”

For competition results and additional information, visit GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com.

Our Christmas and holiday catering menu is now available, with orders accepted through December 21. Whether you’re planning a family gathering, an office celebration, or a festive evening with friends, explore the menu and let us help make your occasion delicious.

A memorable holiday table brings people together. With catering, you can focus on the welcoming touches, the conversation, and the people who make the season special—while leaving more of the cooking to us.

We invite our Holly Springs neighbors and fellow Chamber members to visit our website, browse the holiday offerings, and start planning their celebrations.

View the holiday menu and place your order: https://talkofthetownraleigh.com/christmas-holiday-catering/ 

Be sure to order by December 21, and make room for more time around the table this holiday season.

Explore the possibilities through a complimentary private preview

We offer a complimentary private preview of the Raleigh Camino Experience, arranged exclusively for representatives of your company to experience the concept firsthand and explore how it could be tailored to your team’s size, interests, and goals.

During this 60–90-minute preview, you’ll participate in sample activities and discuss how the experience could fit a team gathering, management retreat, or employee well-being initiative.

From Raleigh to Spain

For organizations interested in a multiday journey, Camino Wonders also organizes customized experiences on the Camino de Santiago—the historic pilgrimage routes leading to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. We handle the travel logistics so your team can focus on the shared experience.

What could this look like for your organization?

Connect with Efrain Mendoza, founder of Camino Wonders in Holly Springs, to discuss your interests and arrange your company’s private preview.

Email info@caminowonders.com or schedule a conversation here

Visit our website for more information here

How It Works

In cooling season, the heat pump acts like a standard high-efficiency air conditioner. In heating season, it does something different: it moves heat from the outdoor air into your home, which takes far less energy than creating heat by burning fuel.

Heat pumps lose capacity as outdoor temperatures drop. That is where the gas furnace comes in. A smart thermostat or control board monitors the outdoor temperature and switches between the two heat sources at a “balance point,” which your installer sets based on your home and your utility rates.

• Mild days: the heat pump handles heating efficiently.
• Cold snaps: the system hands off to the gas furnace, which delivers strong heat no matter how low the temperature falls.
• Summer: the heat pump cools your home like a conventional air conditioner.

You don’t have to think about any of it. The system decides, and your thermostat stays as simple as it is today.

Why It Fits Our Climate

Holly Springs sits in a sweet spot that makes dual fuel unusually practical. Our winters are mild for most of the season, with plenty of days in the 40s and 50s where a heat pump runs at its most efficient. But we also get real cold snaps, with overnight lows in the teens or 20s a few times each winter, when a heat pump works hardest and a gas furnace shines.

Our summers are long, hot, and humid, so a quality heat pump is doing serious cooling work for months. A dual fuel system gives you one high-efficiency outdoor unit for both seasons, plus a gas furnace as backup for the coldest stretches.

In a climate like ours, a heat pump alone can leave you leaning on expensive electric resistance backup heat during a cold snap. A gas furnace as the backup avoids that.

The Benefits for Homeowners

Dual fuel earns its keep in four ways.

1. Lower operating costs. The system runs on whichever fuel is cheaper at that temperature. Heat pumps are very efficient in mild weather, so you use less energy for most of the heating season.
2. Comfortable heat in cold weather. Gas furnaces deliver hotter air than heat pumps. When it is freezing outside, you get the warm, steady heat you expect rather than lukewarm air.
3. Built-in backup. If one heat source has a problem, the other can keep the home warm while you schedule service. That is real peace of mind during a January cold snap.
4. Flexibility as energy prices change. Electricity and natural gas rates shift over time. A dual fuel system lets you adjust the switchover point to favor the cheaper fuel, so you aren’t locked into one energy source for the next 15 to 20 years.

As a bonus, one outdoor unit handles both cooling and mild-weather heating, which keeps the equipment package simple.

Is Dual Fuel Right for Your Home?

Dual fuel is a strong fit for many Triangle-area homes, but not every home. A few questions decide it:

• Do you have natural gas service? Dual fuel needs a gas line to the home. Most Triangle-area homes have it.
• What do you have now? Homes with a gas furnace and air conditioner are the most common upgrade candidates, since the gas line and venting are usually already in place.
• How long will you stay? The upfront cost is typically higher than a basic furnace and air conditioner. The payoff comes from comfort and operating costs over the life of the equipment.

When you get a quote, ask the contractor to explain how the switchover temperature will be set, what controls will be installed, and whether the equipment is sized with a proper load calculation. A contractor who can’t answer those clearly is a red flag.

The Bottom Line

For Holly Springs homeowners who have natural gas, a dual fuel system offers efficient heating in mild weather, strong heat in cold weather, and a backup if one system fails. It is one of the most practical, and least talked about, upgrades for our climate. If your system is aging or you are planning a replacement, it is worth asking about.

About ComfortLogic Heating and Cooling

ComfortLogic Heating and Cooling is a locally owned HVAC company serving the Triangle from Holly Springs, NC. For a free dual fuel evaluation for your home, call 919-307-3031 or visit comfortlogic.us.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia or CBT-I retrains your brain and body to sleep — using evidence-based practical skills and techniques to help most people fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake feeling restored. Typically 4 – 8 sessions, the benefits of CBT-I last long after treatment ends, with no medications or their side effects like morning grogginess.

We’re proud to offer CBT-I at Copper Creek Counseling, and two of our providers, Natalie Sigler, MSW, LCSWA and Justin Harris, LCMHC, are specially trained in this approach and are accepting new clients.

Tired of being tired? Reach out to:

Natalie Sigler: (919) 335-7919        Justin Harris: (919) 551-8089

Email: natalie@coppercreek-counseling.com   Email: admin@coppercreek-counseling.com

Or visit our website www.coppercreek-counseling.com to schedule your consultation today!

• House washing
• Roof cleaning
• Driveways & concrete
• Fences & decks
• Gutter cleaning
• Exterior window washing

Just mention you’re a Chamber member when you reach out for your free quote.

📞 (919) 446-3040
🌐 magnoliaexteriorco.com

Licensed and insured. We’d love to meet more of our fellow members!

Our climate is a big part of why. We get long, humid summers and well above average rainfall, and then there’s the spring pollen and the red clay. Together they make the Triangle a great place for algae and mildew to settle in, especially on the shady side of the house.

In our full guide, we cover:

• How often to clean siding, roofs, concrete, decks, and gutters
• The best times of year to schedule a wash here
• Signs your home is due, whatever the calendar says
• Why staying on a schedule means a lighter, easier clean each time

Read the full guide: How Often to Wash Your House in the Triangle

From the Magnolia Exterior Co. team

The star of the menu is black truffle sauce, made with black truffle oil hand-crafted in Umbria, Italy, available as an add-on for the first time to sides including the NEW Mac & Cheese Bites, Chicken Bites and Onion Rings.  

Check Out Shake Shack’s Full Black Truffle Menu Below:

Black Truffle Burger 

A made-to-order quarter pound* per patty of 100% Angus beef topped with fontina cheese, crispy sweet onions and black truffle sauce made with truffle oil imported from Umbria, Italy on a toasted potato bun.  

Black Truffle ‘Shroom 

Crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, shredded lettuce, and black truffle sauce made with truffle oil imported from Umbria, Italy on a toasted potato bun. 

Black Truffle Shack Stack 

A made-to-order quarter pound* of 100% Angus beef topped with fontina cheese, a crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, and black truffle sauce made with truffle oil imported from Umbria, Italy on a toasted potato bun. 

Black Truffle Parmesan Fries 

Crispy crinkle cut fries dusted with parmesan cheese, served with a side of black truffle sauce made with truffle oil imported from Umbria, Italy. 

Mac & Cheese Bites 

Crispy bites filled with ditalini pasta and creamy cheddar and American cheese sauce.

Black Truffle menu images are attached to this email. 

Plus, Spooky season just got a whole lot tastier! Starting October 1, we are kicking off a month-long Halloween celebration with a variety of scary-good deals. 

10/1–10/11: Free Chicken Shack with $10 minimum purchase 

Featuring Antibiotic-free, hand-breaded, white-meat chicken breast over lettuce, pickles, and buttermilk herb mayo on a toasted potato bun. Want to try something new, you can also get the West Coast Chicken Sandwich while supplies last! Use code SCARYGOOD to get the Chicken Shack or West Coast Chicken for FREE with a $10 minimum purchase.  

10/12–10/18: Free Single Cheeseburger with $10 minimum purchase 

A made-to-order 100% Angus beef burger with American cheese on a toasted potato bun   

10/19–10/31: Free Single ShackBurger with $10 minimum purchase 

Our signature burger with 100% Angus beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce, it’s the perfect classic to cap off spooky season and head into Halloween! 

1. Start Small with Behavioral Activation

One of the hardest parts of depression is the loss of motivation — you may find yourself waiting to “feel ready” before doing anything. But action often has to come first. Kelsey Milam, Director of Clinical Operations at Wake Counseling, calls this behavioral activation: “It’s starting at the very, very bare minimum. I’m going to wake up every morning, I’m going to brush my teeth.” Research shows this approach can be as effective as CBT or medication for easing symptoms.

• Start small — if a shower feels like too much, just wash your face
• Plan one small task each morning to create a sense of purpose
• Build gradually, adding a slightly bigger habit once the first feels automatic

2. Move Your Body and Get Some Sunlight

Depression often brings a pull toward stillness, which can deepen fatigue. Manpreet Lehal encourages carving out intentional time for movement — even just a daily walk. Pairing that with fresh air offers extra benefit: “Are you getting fresh air and Vitamin D?” Milam asks, noting these are often the first things to slip when someone is struggling. Exercise can be as effective as antidepressants for some people, and low Vitamin D has been linked to higher depression risk.

3. Check Your Thyroid and Support Your Brain with Omega-3s

Sometimes what feels like depression has a biological root. Lehal notes that thyroid dysfunction can mimic depressive symptoms — fatigue, weight changes, low mood — and roughly 40% of people with hypothyroidism develop clinically significant depression. It’s worth asking your doctor for a blood panel to rule this out. Nutrition matters too: Omega-3s (found in fatty fish or fish oil) support brain function and have anti-inflammatory effects that may ease symptoms.

4. Make Room for Mindfulness and Journaling

When your mind is crowded with negative thoughts, getting them out matters. Lehal recommends journaling and meditation as steady anchors. Journaling helps interrupt rumination by moving thoughts from your head onto paper, and studies show expressive writing can meaningfully ease depressive symptoms. For mindfulness, Lehal suggests just 15–20 minutes of being present and breathing deeply — a practice shown to lower relapse risk and reduce stress in recurrent depression.

5. Protect Your Basic Self-Care

Self-care is often the first thing to slip when depression hits. “Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating well?” Milam asks — and these foundations aren’t optional.

• Sleep: Keep a consistent wake time to help regulate your body’s clock
• Nutrition: Balanced meals keep your brain fueled to help regulate mood

A Gentle Reminder

These habits won’t “cure” clinical depression on their own, but they build the foundation that makes other treatment work better. Start small, rule out physical causes like thyroid issues, and lean into movement and mindfulness where you can. And if it feels like too much to do alone, reaching out to a mental health professional is always a strong next step.

If you want to learn more, visit our resource hub: https://wakecounseling.com/blogs-depression/

As the school year begins, sports teams are ramping up, and athletes are getting ready for practices, games, and competitions. While most athletes understand the importance of physical preparation—such as attending practice, maintaining a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep—the mental side of sports is often overlooked until problems emerge. Athletes can struggle for many reasons: fear of making mistakes, returning after an injury, performance pressure, or conflicts with coaches or teammates. Sometimes, the cause of a drop in performance is unclear, leaving athletes feeling stuck. Prioritizing the mental game is just as essential as preparing physically.

Take baseball, for example: a player might start the season hitting well, only to suddenly enter a slump. At first, this seems normal—just part of the game—but sometimes the slump lasts longer than expected. The player may start to worry whether they’ll ever break out of it, practicing harder but seeing no improvement. At this point, it’s helpful to examine the mental side. What does the player’s self-talk sound like? Has a coach or teammate made an offhand comment, or is the player replaying a bad game in their mind?

Just as sleep, nutrition, and hydration are essential, athletes also need to practice positive self-talk and visualize success. Younger athletes, in particular, often underestimate the power of their inner dialogue. One simple way to build confidence is to repeat a personal mantra before a game, such as: “I’m a good baseball player. I practice well. I can hit the ball hard.”

Sometimes, the reason a player is in a slump goes deeper than mindset or visualization. In these cases, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can make a significant difference in sports performance by helping athletes process and move past negative or stressful experiences more efficiently. EMDR can also reduce performance anxiety, build confidence, and help manage pressure.

(EMDR is a therapeutic technique that helps athletes process stressful thoughts or experiences by focusing on them while engaging in guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation.)

One last thing, dear athletes: remember that one performance doesn’t define you. Believe in yourself, trust the work you’ve put in, and most importantly – have FUN!

Sue Tafalla, LCMHCA

If your business works with foreign nationals who need U.S. tax IDs, we would love to connect and serve as a reliable local resource for your clients. Learn more about our new CAA services here: www.raleightaxpartners.com/certifying-acceptance-agent-nc

We’re inviting community members to nominate someone who deserves a little extra support and comfort. Nominees may include veterans, first responders, educators, individuals or families facing medical or financial hardships, or someone who consistently goes above and beyond to make a positive impact in their community.

When submitting a nomination at www.feelthelove.com, be sure to mention Dawson’s Electric & Air as the participating dealer. Nominations are open through August 31, and we encourage everyone to help us recognize a deserving neighbor and give them the gift of a safer, more comfortable home.

Together, we can help someone in our community feel the comfort, safety, and peace of mind they deserve.

Between now and the Hops for Hope festival on Saturday, September 19, we’re raising funds while also seeking raffle prizes, gift cards, themed baskets, and local businesses willing to host fundraising events.

We invite fellow Chamber members to join us in making a difference. Every donation, raffle item, event partnership, and shared post helps bring hope to families when they need it most.

Learn more and share your thoughts to help shape this project.

• Stakeholder/Property Owner Meetings
• • Project Kickoff – June
  • Project Check-ins – September, October, and January 2027
• Community Meetings
• • July 15 – Community Open House
  • August 21 – Festival Street Design Lab 
  • October 14 – Community Open House

Check out project information boards, interactive stations, and opportunities to engage directly with the project team. 
Attendees are encouraged to share ideas for the future streetscape, complete the community survey, and learn about upcoming engagement opportunities, including a hands-on prototyping event planned for August. Drop by anytime between 6-8 p.m. to explore, ask questions, and add feedback for this exciting initiative.

The festival street was one of five key community priorities identified during the development of the Downtown Area Plan, which describes the community’s vision for downtown. The plan aspires to create a downtown where people can live, work, and be entertained.

Location

Avent Ferry Road between W Ballentine Street and East Center Street

Status

However, simply displaying a list of principles on your website or office walls isn’t enough to move the needle. The most successful businesses in southwest Wake County actively integrate their core beliefs into every single layer of their operations. Aligning your daily practices with your organizational philosophy is one of the most effective ways to strengthen your team culture and support sustainable, long-term business success.

It All Starts with a Clear and Collaborative Definition

Before an organization can rally around its core principles, those guiding beliefs must be clearly and authentically defined. It requires asking foundational questions: What does our business truly stand for? What specific principles should guide our toughest decisions? How do we want local customers and our team members to experience our brand? Your final values should directly reflect your mission, your ethics, and your long-term vision for the future. Keeping them concise and meaningful ensures they are easy for everyone to understand, remember, and put into practice.

Crucially, these defining elements shouldn’t be handed down solely from a closed-door executive session. Employees bring invaluable, ground-level perspectives because they live and breathe your workplace culture every single day. Gathering direct feedback through informal team meetings, workshops, or internal surveys does more than just generate great ideas—including your workforce in refining these principles naturally drives engagement and inspires a deeper, personal commitment to living those values across the entire company.

Embedding Principles into Onboarding and Daily Operations

For values to truly take root, consistency is everything. Your core beliefs should be highly visible and felt across every operational touchpoint, from initial candidate recruiting and customer service standards to internal communications, strategic planning, and vendor relationships. When a team sees these principles actively guiding high-level business strategies, the words shift from being simple text in an employee handbook to becoming the actual heartbeat of the organization.

This alignment is particularly vital during the hiring and onboarding phases. Bringing on team members whose personal ethics naturally complement your corporate culture is the most effective way to build strong, deeply engaged teams. By explicitly weaving your organizational philosophy into local job descriptions, interview questions, candidate evaluations, and new hire orientation, you set clear expectations from day one. This proactive approach helps new employees integrate smoothly and become productive, connected team members much faster.

Leading by Example and Championing Your Team

Leadership has the single greatest impact on whether company values become a living reality or remain just talk. Executives, managers, and supervisors must consistently model the exact behaviors they expect to see from their staff. Employees are far more likely to embrace a corporate mission when they watch their leaders making ethical choices, treating others with respect, communicating transparently, and taking ownership of mistakes. Authentic leadership builds the psychological safety and trust that underpins organizational credibility.

Beyond modeling the right behavior, leadership must also actively champion it. Consistent recognition reinforces positive actions and keeps your company’s mission top of mind. Celebrating employees who exemplify your core beliefs can happen seamlessly through peer-nominated awards, public appreciation during team meetings, or formal recognition programs. This praise doesn’t always have to be monetary; frequently highlighting real success stories and customer testimonials demonstrates to the entire team that their formatting of these values truly matters, fostering a deep-seated culture of appreciation.

Connecting Culture to Measurable Growth

Ultimately, a strong workplace culture must support measurable business objectives. Whether your current organizational goals involve boosting local customer satisfaction, driving service innovation, breaking down communication silos, or significantly enhancing employee retention, your core values should serve as the roadmap to get you there. When your workforce clearly understands how their individual, daily efforts support both the company’s internal principles and its overarching commercial success, they become inherently more motivated and committed to achieving those milestones.

Because businesses naturally grow and the southwest Wake County economic landscape continues to evolve, your organizational framework should be revisited over time. Regularly evaluating your cultural alignment through annual engagement surveys, performance reviews, and client feedback ensures your guiding principles remain modern, relevant, and fully aligned with customer expectations without ever compromising your core identity.

Aligning corporate action with organizational belief is an ongoing journey rather than a one-time HR initiative. Businesses that successfully bridge this gap build resilient workplace cultures, cultivate deeper customer trust, and position themselves for lasting, sustainable growth in our community.

At this time the only donations being accepted are unwanted crutches. Here is how you can donate a pair (or many pairs) of crutches that you no longer wish to have in your home or business.

Items wanted: Crutches (Wooden, metal, doesn’t matter)

How and when to donate: Donations will be accepted Monday – Friday after 4:00pm; any time on Saturday and Sunday.  Simply place crutches that you wish to donate next to the shipping container, which can be found in the field behind the PSPA Middle School located at 1729 N. Main St.  They will be put inside the container later that day. 

Our goal is to fill the remaining space with crutches and then have the container shipped to a location in Africa later this Spring.

Thank you for your consideration.

Bruce Friend
Superintendent
Pine Springs Preparatory Academy