76 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(11/12/08 5:00am)
Video: Northside stories Students and community members gather in 103 Bingham Hall on Tuesday night to express outrage about the proposed Greenbridge development plans. UNC NOW featured slam poetry and discussion and viewing at the event"" ""Why Stories Matter."" Filmed by Rachel Scall" Edited by Elizabeth DeOrnellas/DTH
(09/05/08 4:00am)
Welcome to Greek Life Video by Mary Katherine Ayers" Elizabeth DeOrnellas and Nick Mendler/DTH
(09/05/08 4:00am)
Welcome to Greek LifeVideo by Mary Katherine Ayers" Elizabeth DeOrnellas and Nick Mendler/DTH
(04/25/08 4:00am)
North Carolina, the first state in the nation to craft a formal partnership with federal immigration authorities, is moving ahead in its efforts to combat illegal immigration.
The state has focused its efforts on identifying undocumented immigrants who have been arrested for other crimes.
The 287(g) program, already active in Mecklenburg, Alamance, Gaston and Cabarrus counties, allows local law enforcement officials to take on some responsibilities of immigration officers.
Officers trained in the program use federal databases to check the identity and residency status of non-U.S. citizens who have been arrested.
"We have no way of finding out if they're telling us their real name," said Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison in a March interview.
He estimated that 10 percent to 15 percent of the 35,000 people who are processed through the Wake County jail each year are foreign-born, saying 287(g) offers the only reliable way of identifying how many of those people are undocumented.
Wake, Henderson and Cumberland counties are in the process of entering into formal 287(g) arrangements.
Richard Rocha, spokesman for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said other N.C. counties will participate in the Criminal Alien Program, in which federal immigration officials are stationed in local jails.
Some nearby counties have seen positive results from participation in 287(g).
Six months after Alamance County instituted its 287(g) program, officials reported that the number of people being processed through the county jail had decreased.
Yet Orange County politicians have been reluctant to jump on the 287(g) bandwagon.
At their April 9 debate, both incumbent N.C. Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, and her Democratic challenger, Orange County Commissioner Moses Carey, expressed skepticism with the program.
"What the rest of the country is doing is not what we should be doing in Orange County," Kinnaird said.
Carey said the county commissioners have worked with Orange County Sheriff Lindy Pendergrass to ensure that undocumented residents are not unnecessarily hauled to jail and submitted to identification checks.
Carey added that undocumented immigrants are vital to the local economy, saying he has not heard many complaints from Orange County residents about undocumented immigrants taking away jobs or otherwise threatening the local community.
"We need to adjust and deal with them in a positive manner," he said.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(04/25/08 4:00am)
The race for N.C. Senate District 23, which represents Orange and Person counties, will likely hinge on how voters define experience.
Only one Republican candidate has filed for the race, leaving voters in the May 6 primary with a choice between six-term incumbent Sen. Ellie Kinnaird and six-term Orange County Commissioner Moses Carey.
Carey would be a newcomer to the N.C. General Assembly, but he has repeatedly emphasized his 24 years of public service in elected office and his 18 years of business experience as president of Piedmont Health Services.
"I think my work in the public health arena has already got me the recognition and support that I need to get things done in the (N.C.) Senate," he said.
Carey said his 30-plus years in the health care field and his time as a county commissioner have given him ties to state leaders.
"In order to get things done, and in order to get people to listen to you in the General Assembly, you have to have substantive credibility," he said.
Kinnaird acknowledged that Carey is a strong candidate with extensive public service experience, but she also said the N.C. General Assembly is a whole different ball game.
"It takes three terms to figure out what's going on," Kinnaird said, emphasizing the importance of building relationships and learning how the legislature works.
"I have built up the respect I need because I take courageous stands on difficult issues," she said.
"I've done a lot on the social justice front, as well as the environment and the campaign and election reform."
Successful legislation of which Kinnaird is particularly proud of sponsoring include the 2005 lobbying reform bill and a bill to create a central precinct for college students that was transformed into the one-stop voting initiative.
She also supported 2005 legislation that instituted paper ballot backups and machine audits for electronic voting.
Kinnaird said mental health reform is her first priority should she be re-elected.
Noting that 70 percent of juvenile justice inmates have mental illnesses, she enumerated a plan to create a therapeutic system of care that will increase the attention paid to incarcerated juveniles and their families.
Carey has his own social justice achievements to tout, having pushed for Orange County to develop the state's first county-specific human rights ordinance.
He said his top priorities in the General Assembly would include increasing access to affordable health insurance and mental health services, as well as leveling the playing field by giving all children an equal shot at a good education.
Kinnaird declined to speculate about the outcome of the race, but Carey said he is feeling optimistic because of the positive feedback he's received from across Orange and Person counties.
"I'm looking forward to a positive outcome," he said.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(04/16/08 4:00am)
Video: Support beyond words
One hundred years after its founding and a year after a gunman killed 32 people on campus, Virginia Tech's Engineering Science and Mechanics Department boasts an all-time high enrollment.
"It's fitting that as we celebrate our centennial we remember the tragedy of last year but we also look toward the future," said ESM department head Ishwar Puri.
(02/18/08 5:00am)
The contentious departure of Gene Nichol as president of the College of William & Mary last week could offer a cautionary tale to those searching for UNC's next chancellor.
Supporters of Nichol, who previously served as dean of UNC's law school, are upset at allegations that ideological conflict contributed to the decision not to renew the president's contract and are calling for more transparency from the college's Board of Visitors.
"There's certainly a lot of anger right now and a lot of unresolved emotion," said William & Mary sophomore Bailey Thomson, who has led pro-Nichol efforts since June 2007.
Students have held multiple demonstrations, including a candlelit rally that drew 1,500 of the college's 5,500 undergraduates and a sit-in in the Sunken Garden.
"We're all really advocating for BOV transparency at this point," Thomson said.
She said the larger issue is ensuring better representation for students and faculty on the BOV and in the process of choosing the next president.
UNC, in the midst of its own leadership search, has taken steps to mitigate such concerns. Student Body President Eve Carson said she thinks the chancellor search committee has successfully sought student input so far.
This fall Carson formed a student committee to help solicit feedback in the search process.
The ousting of Nichol brought a genuine sense of shock, said Matt Marvin, director of communications at the UNC School of Law.
"Gene Nichol and his wife, Glenn, are very much part of the Carolina law family - have been and always will be," he said.
At William & Mary, Nichol drew fire for his decision to remove a cross from the Wren Chapel and to allow a showing of the Sex Workers' Art Show.
But even his detractors praised Nichol's efforts to expand diversity at the college, a mission current UNC law dean Jack Boger said Nichol upheld during his time at UNC.
"North Carolina has always been committed to public service and diversity," Boger said. "He did a wonderful job to maintain that."
Many acknowledged that Nichol, who was a finalist in the UNC chancellor search in 2000, has a resume strong enough to give him good employment options.
"I would love to see him stay, but I don't think that the campus can progress past this moment if he doesn't leave," Thomson said.
She said students want a concrete list of reasons as to why Nichol was removed, as well as the minutes of the closed session meeting at which the decision was made to not renew his contract.
"The more moderate and rational population on campus right now is willing to concede that the BOV is not out to get the students . we're just looking for an explanation on this point," she said.
According to a press release put out by the college, members of the BOV will visit the William & Mary campus by the end of next week to conduct public and private meetings with students, faculty and staff.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(02/12/08 5:00am)
RALEIGH - N.C. Rep. Thomas Wright, D-New Hanover, struck out on all counts at a hearing on Monday, failing to get any charges dismissed or to force a postponement of the ethics investigation against him.
Wright faces both criminal and ethical charges on counts of allegedly misusing charitable donations and failing to report a total of $185,000 in campaign contributions from 2000 to 2006.
His attorney, Douglas Harris, has filed for an extension in the criminal trial because of the large volume of evidence, but as of now both the criminal trial and the ethics hearing are scheduled for March 3.
N.C. Rep. Rick Glazier, D-Cumberland, chairman of the select committee in charge of the ethics investigation, rejected Harris' argument that the criminal trial should take precedence.
However, Glazier said he would postpone the ethics hearing until March 10 if the criminal trial goes forward on March 3.
Glazier added that he is willing to postpone the ethics investigation on a week-by-week basis while the criminal trial is in progress but that he will not hold up the ethics proceedings if the criminal trial is moved back.
Harris argued that simultaneously holding both trials in the same city would bring too much media attention to the case, making it impossible to find an impartial jury.
"It's a due process problem when somebody's already made up their mind and then they decide to hear the case," he said.
Harris also argued that the members of the select committee have already formed opinions on the case through their preliminary work, which found probable cause to support eight counts of unethical conduct against Wright.
"Unfortunately, you folks have polluted yourselves," Harris said, arguing that a new group of legislators should be chosen before the investigation proceeds.
Irving Joyner, Wright's attorney in the ethics investigation, said the select committee is acting as prosecutor, grand jury and jury.
"Now Stevie Wonder can see that there's a little problem with that," Joyner said. "The public will see that it is not fair."
But William Hart, special deputy attorney general and counsel to the select committee, said the attorney general's office has acted independently. "We are the ones who are prosecuting this case, not the committee," he said.
And Glazier said the committee is solely focused on gathering facts to present before the full N.C. House of Representatives, which will serve as the jury in determining whether Wright should be expelled from the legislature.
Wright's lawyers sparred with the committee for an hour and a half at the top of Monday's meeting regarding whether or not the General Assembly even has the right to discipline or expel its members.
No legislator has been expelled from the General Assembly since 1880.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(02/11/08 5:00am)
In response to increasing dropout rates, the state of North Carolina is seeking to restructure high school so that it flows more directly into higher education.
"We are changing this product that we call high school, and we are merging it with college," Gov. Mike Easley said, addressing a group of university, community college and PreK-12 administrators Wednesday.
A report presented Thursday to the state Board of Education found that 23,550 students - 5.24 percent of N.C. high school students - dropped out during the 2006-07 school year.
Those numbers reveal a 4 percent increase in the dropout rate and a 6.2 percent increase in the number of lost students as compared to the 2005-06 school year.
The state's education officials came together Wednesday to discuss solutions including using lottery funds as monetary rewards for high school graduates and getting rid of local school boards.
But the most seriously discussed solution was the creation of a seamless education system in which PreK-12 education would feed directly into higher education, eliminating many of the barriers between high school and college.
The state created Learn and Earn and its online counterpart to give students the opportunity to gain college credits while in high school and even to graduate from high school with an associate's degree.
But Easley said the online programs haven't expanded far enough. "The product we have out there right not is not selling."
Easley, who is taking two online courses himself, praised online courses for engaging students.
"That's the way these kids think," he said. "If they could get a haircut online, they'd do it."
Another innovation Easley has proposed is the creation of four separate tiers of college degrees, one for each year completed.
"We're talking about people who can't think four years in advance," Easley said.
Terri Mozingo, chief academic officer for Durham Public Schools, said the idea has potential.
"There's something tangible, concrete at the end of each year . that may motivate some students along the way."
But Stephanie Knott, assistant superintendent for community relations in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, said the concept needs to be thought out more before it could be effectively implemented.
"Right now those labels are kind of meaningless to me," she said, adding that the system must make clear what each degree might prepare students for in the work force.
"There would have to be something employable attached to them."
Easley also focused on needing specificity at Wednesday's meeting.
"We have to demand focus and discipline of ourselves and stay focused on things we know we can accomplish," he told the group.
But what came out of the meeting was less concrete action than a proposal to create a plan of action.
The group resolved to create two task forces, one to assess the effectiveness of state-funded educational programs in the next three months and one to examine the systems' schools of education in the next six months.
The group also promised to generate two additional reports, one assessing the Learn and Earn program and one evaluating the feasibility of creating a joint data system to share information across all levels.
Sharing data among university, community college and PreK-12 systems is a primary goal for UNC-system President Erskine Bowles.
Bowles, who has sought to re-examine the system's schools of education for the past two years, wants such a system in part to track the success of these schools in training teachers in light of how the teachers' eventual students perform on state tests.
Both reports should be done by May, in advance of the next N.C. General Assembly session. Jim Phillips, chairman of the UNC-system Board of Governors, said the goal is to target the legislature - to create reports that have the potential of generating action.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(01/31/08 5:00am)
Hundreds of emotional supporters flooded the phone lines at John Edwards' Southern Village headquarters Wednesday afternoon, voicing disappointment at his decision to end his presidential bid.
One man sobbed on the phone, distressed to hear about the conclusion of Edwards' poverty-championing campaign.
Edwards broadcast his official announcement from New Orleans, speaking before a backdrop of newly built homes in an area demolished by Hurricane Katrina.
(01/28/08 5:00am)
Visit the elections page for a S.C. audio slideshow and more news.
COLUMBIA, S.C. - There's nothing like a tuba to emphasize a victory.
Barack Obama's brassy celebration Saturday night featured a full marching band, as well as the throngs of cheering supporters who have become his campaign's signature.
The South Carolina Democratic primary, in which Obama captured 55 percent of the vote, came down to a question of style.
(01/22/08 5:00am)
View the slideshow
COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina's "First in the South" primary has almost mythic importance for the Republican Party. Every Republican nominee for president since 1980 has won in the state.
Yet even the night before the big show some South Carolina residents remained blissfully unaware of the political battle being waged.
(01/18/08 5:00am)
COLUMBIA, S.C., SATURDAY - Although Mike Huckabee's pre-primary rally at the University of South Carolina had all the pomp and pageantry of a victory celebration, South Carolina and its 24 delegates are still uncommitted as residents travel to the polls today.
The latest polls indicate that 41 percent of the state's voters have yet to firmly commit to a candidate.
At Friday night's rally, several voters said they wanted to see what Huckabee had to say before making a decision.
Chip and Kendra Mosteller, Lexington residents, attended the rally to watch their nephew play guitar with the presidential candidate.
Chip Mosteller said that the Republican candidates tend to say the same thing about the issues, but that Huckabee could be worth supporting.
"He seems like a qualified guy, you know."
Their nephew, Adam Whitehead of the band Lucas War Hero, got the chance to play two songs on-stage with Huckabee.
"It's kinda cool how he just falls into playing," Whitehead said.
During his speech, Huckabee told the crowd of his rise from humble beginnings. The first male in his family to attend college, Huckabee went on to reform the educational system of Arkansas during his time as governor.
Bill Cobey, N.C. chairman of Huckabee's campaign and former chairman of the N.C. Republican Party, said he's never seen a candidate that connects so well with the voters.
"He's just a natural," Cobey said.
Cobey said Huckabee's inspiring message is reaching the youth voters, and there was evidence Friday night to back him up.
University of South Carolina freshman Ryan Rike said Huckabee seems to be the most authentic candidate.
"I agree with him a lot-not on everything, but I still trust him."
Fellow USC student Brad Turner said Huckabee's speech had convinced him to support the former Arkansas governor instead of Mitt Romney, his previous favorite.
"He seems like somebody who can get some change," Turner said, adding that he was impressed with Huckabee's plans to strengthen enforcement of immigration law and to reform the educational system.
Huckabee's conservative values have won him supporters in the state, home to a high concentration of evangelical Christians.
Brock Adams, a Columbia resident, said he was attracted to Huckabee because many of his fellow home-schooling parents had been drawn to the former pastor's conservative platform.
"(He's) got a lot of the issues that we fall in line with," Adams said.
Adams brought his three sons, ages 12, 10 and 8, to see the rally. "If I can get them up with me tomorrow morning, I'll take 'em to the polls," he said.
But not all voters are convinced that Huckabee's conservative values are enough to make him the best candidate.
Bobbie Brock, an undecided voter from Columbia, said she's still waiting to see if Huckabee is the most-qualified.
"I agree with his values, but I'm not going to vote for someone just because he's a Christian," she said. "I want to see he's a leader too."
Huckabee's support among conservative Republicans could be enough to give him the edge over John McCain who suffered a crushing defeat in the state's 2000 primary.
Cobey said McCain's campaign is relying heavily on the independent vote, a sector that might not turn out to the polls in the inclement weather.
"If the weather's bad, I'd bet on the Republicans, the registered Republicans, to go to the polls," he said.
Assistant State & National Editor Ariel Zirulnick contributed reporting.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(01/18/08 5:00am)
CHARLESTON, S.C., Sunday - A little straight talk can take you down a long, convoluted road.
"What's eight years among friends?" Ariz. Sen. John McCain asked during his Saturday night victory celebration, relishing a win in the state that doomed his chances of gaining the Republican nomination for president eight years ago.
Although McCain touted the fact that every Republican nominee since 1980 has won South Carolina, Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee's concession speech reminded supporters that the race is far from over.
"We've got a lot of miles ahead of us. It's a long journey and a long process," Huckabee said.
Though McCain held a slim lead all night, he and Huckabee remained within several percentage points of each other, beginning at 33 percent and 27 percent, respectively, and ending at 33 and 30.
The South Carolina campaign hinged on conservative values and military experience - the latter giving McCain an edge in a state with a strong military presence.
Bobby Harrell, speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives, said South Carolina voters had chosen to back the candidate they feel can best handle the war in Iraq.
"In these dangerous times, you need a commander-in-chief who can lead our troops."
First Lt. Matt Pinkerton of the U.S. Air Force, a Texas resident stationed in Charleston, said McCain's veteran status and conservative values are appealing.
"I think he can win a general election."
John Henderson, a student at Charleston School of Law, said McCain attracts demographics that matter in South Carolina.
"When it comes down to it, the religious right is going to go with him, the military is going to go with him," he said.
McCain has at times been painted as a maverick by the Republican establishment, who supported George W. Bush in 2000.
But eight years later, supporters said they think McCain has won over the base of the party.
"I think he appeals just enough," Henderson said. "He's going to get a lot of people not necessarily because they love him but because they hate the idea of what's on the other side."
He added that McCain's record of brokering compromises in the legislature make him the candidate who can do the most good for the country.
Some supporters said that, in contrast to Huckabee, McCain manages to uphold Christian values without alienating voters.
"He's not as in your face about it. I think that's a plus," said Jason Bull, a freshman at Georgia College & State University. "Even the people who aren't Christian are okay with McCain being a Christian."
Neil Capano, a volunteer who came down from New Hampshire, said McCain has finally gotten his campaign back on track.
"New Hampshire kind of resurrected this campaign," Capano said, expressing his belief that McCain will continue to win.
But in the wide-open Republican field, nothing is certain. The same night that McCain celebrated victory in South Carolina, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney captured 51 percent of the vote in the Nevada caucuses, demolishing the rest of the field.
"Gov. Romney is the only candidate competing in all 50 states," said Will Holley, Romney's South Carolina press coordinator.
Rudy Giuliani's campaign has also staked its future on the nationwide fight for delegates, focusing on the Florida race next Tuesday.
The Florida race has the potential to change the dynamic of the nomination fight, meaning that McCain might not be able to enjoy the spotlight for long.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(01/15/08 5:00am)
Michigan will hold its presidential primaries today in defiance of national sanctions that have denied delegates from both parties seats at the nominating conventions this summer.
Although national committees stripped Michigan of half its Republican representation and all its Democratic delegates, the state's parties have expressed confidence that the eventual nominees will allow all delegates to vote.
North Carolina denied to take such a risk, rejecting a bill to move its primary from May to February.
Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie, sponsor of the failed bill, said moving the primary to an earlier date would have increased N.C. voter participation.
"We can either have national prominence right now . or be a part of just a procedure later on," Brock said, adding that convention delegates merely confirm the party's nominee.
Neither the N.C. GOP nor the N.C. Democratic Party took an official stance on Brock's bill, which died in committee last February.
One objection legislators raised was the increased cost of holding an early primary, estimated at several million dollars.
Kerra Bolton, communications director for the N.C. Democratic Party, stated via e-mail that an early primary wouldn't have made North Carolina a large-impact state because there are already 20 primaries scheduled on Feb. 5, the earliest date that could have been chosen.
Bill Nowling, spokesman for the Michigan GOP, said the election could be decided after those 20 primaries.
He said the benefit of having presidential candidates in the state - firing up base voters early - has far outweighed the negative of losing delegates.
"It's paid off - over the last six months we've had a steady stream of the presidential candidates on the Republican side."
And the fact that all major Republican candidates are still on the ballot shows that the state is important to long-term GOP election strategy, Nowling added.
Hillary Clinton is the only Democratic frontrunner still on the ballot in Michigan.
The four states that were granted early contests by the Democratic National Committee - Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada - wrote a pledge asking candidates not to compete in states that set early primaries in defiance of the national party rules. The DNC was not involved in the pledge.
Dominick Quinney, assistant communications director for the Michigan Democratic Party, said that the lack of Democratic frontrunners on the ballot is disappointing but that the party set an early primary in order to improve the system.
"That was a way of reforming Iowa and New Hampshire's monopoly over the primary election date."
Michigan is the first large industrial state to hold a primary in the 2008 election cycle, a fact that could force candidates to narrow their focus on the issues.
"They're going to have to focus on economics and jobs - that is the only issue in Michigan right now," Nowling said.
The N.C. primary, set for May 6, will focus more on choosing nominees for the U.S. Senate and the N.C. gubernatorial race.
But Brent Woodcox, communications director for the N.C. GOP, said even the presidential race could be important come May.
"North Carolina does have a fair amount of delegates to award," he said. "It could be a big race still."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(01/14/08 5:00am)
The writing is on the wall at many N.C. factories, and it's no secret that the message scrawled amid the rust signals an end to the traditional manufacturing that is all many plant workers have ever known.
With the closure of many traditional manufacturing plants in once-strong N.C. industries such as textiles, some workers are facing a difficult transition.
But N.C. workers aren't left alone to face the whims of the global economy. The N.C. Commerce Department coordinates efforts to help employees even before the factory doors actually close.
The GoldToeMoretz textile plant in Burlington, which will lay off 425 workers starting in March, will be visited by a rapid response team from the N.C. Commerce Department on Tuesday.
The department's rapid response teams are designed to coordinate the efforts of the various state and local agencies that aid workers.
Rapid response efforts all end in a job fair. Local employers interested in hiring experienced workers come to advertise their open positions.
The GoldToeMoretz factory in Burlington, the company's last domestic knitting operation, will be outsourcing its operations to Mexico to lower costs.
"Our competitors are sharpening their pencils, and we need to do the same thing to be competitive in this global marketplace," said Ken Barnwell, senior vice president of human resources.
N.C. companies undergoing large-scale layoffs are required to send out official notices before plant closures. Those warning notices trigger a rapid response team to visit the site to assess the needs of the workers.
Roxie Russell, manager of the Roxboro JobLink ESC office in Person County, said that in the past many workers had no warning of upcoming layoffs.
"We've had plants that closed that just closed the door and didn't let the workers in."
Russell said her region has seen several major plant closings in the past 10 years, including Collins & Aikman, which used to manufacture specialized fabrics for automobile interiors before succumbing to bankruptcy.
Coy Jones worked at an N.C. Collins & Aikman plant for 37 years before it closed in 2006.
He said he learned of his current job at AW North Carolina when the company attended a job fair at Collins & Aikman that was set up by the rapid response team. The team also helped Jones get on-the-job training for his new position.
"It went fairly well for me; I didn't have no problems," he said.
Jones, who has been at his new post for more than a year, said that his commute is now shorter and that he works with former colleagues.
"There's quite a few of us there."
He said that he didn't want a new job but that he can't complain about his current employment.
"It's working out pretty good."
Russell said some Collins & Aikman workers had held jobs at the plant since age 16. "Those are the people, the die-hard fans, that really have a transition problem, because they grew up with the company."
The state's rapid response teams aim to ease the shock of sudden job loss.
"It's only when you're unemployed that you realize what unemployed really is," Russell said.
She said the teams must remember that many workers, especially longtime employees, are unfamiliar with the language of layoffs.
"The first thing that you have to understand is that you're speaking a foreign language to them."
One advantage to coordinating job search opportunities before a plant actually closes is the ability to talk to workers in a familiar setting, Russell said.
"The first couple of times you'd like to talk to them on their turf," she said.
The goal of the rapid response team is to give workers all the tools they need to realistically assess their options and find new employment.
"The bottom line is that it has to end in work," Russell said. "We're updating your skills so that you can become employable again."
Further education is a good option for some, she said, but she added that education is effective only for those with a concrete plan.
"You have to be committed because it's going to be different from what you've been doing, and you have to want to do it, and you have to do it for yourself."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/31/07 4:00am)
As states across the nation scramble to provide local law enforcement with the tools to combat illegal immigration, all eyes are on North Carolina, the first in the nation to craft a formal partnership with federal immigration authorities.
The state has become a test case for controversial programs like 287g, in which local officers are trained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help process undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes.
It's still too early to determine the ultimate impact of the program, although the broad scope of powers granted to local officers could dramatically change the dynamic between law enforcement and the state's Hispanic population, among the fastest-growing in the nation.
North Carolina generated more interest in 287g than any other state, with 16 sheriff's offices and two police agencies requesting to join the program.
Four N.C. counties already have active 287g programs: Mecklenburg, Alamance, Gaston and Cabarrus.
Because N.C. sheriffs expressed high interest in 287g, ICE is now showing them the full range of programs available, said ICE spokesman Richard Rocha. "We want to use all of the powers of ICE locally."
A steering committee made up of sheriffs from around the state is now working with ICE to address specific regional problems.
Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., met with N.C. sheriffs this summer and will be working with the steering committee to help craft the statewide partnership with ICE.
"Some aspects of the plan can be implemented immediately, and some begin in a few months and continue throughout next year," Dole's communications director, Katie Hallaway, stated via e-mail.
Fighting misconceptions
Randy Jones, public information officer for the Alamance County Sheriff's Office, said the biggest misconception about the 287g program is that its officers conduct roadblocks, check licenses and actively screen people stopped for routine traffic violations.
"That doesn't happen, has never happened," he said.
The 287g program in Alamance County became active in April 2007. All of the 14 trained officers work inside the county jail, screening those arrested who are not U.S.-born citizens by tapping into the federal ICE Database.
"It doesn't just screen the Hispanics or Latinos," Jones said.
The equipment they use is based in the jail and can't be taken out into the field to screen anyone. "We could do that if you want to bring us 40 miles of drop cord," Jones said.
Although an ICE official works in the Alamance County jail as an oversight officer, neither he nor anyone else has authority to start removal procedures. Only authorities in Washington, D.C., do.
"That's out of our hands - we're not immigration authorities," Jones said. "We do more paperwork than anything."
Another misconception is that people are being stopped for speeding and summarily deported for immigration violations, said Julia Rush, communications director for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.
She said what usually happens is that an undocumented immigrant will be issued a ticket for speeding and fail to come to court, triggering an arrest order that ultimately leads to detention and deportation.
But Rush said there is no reason not to appear in court when issued a citation, as court officials do not check immigration documents.
Marisol Jiménez-McGee, advocacy coordinator for El Pueblo, said many Hispanics don't understand what powers officers have been granted or what their own rights are within the 287g program.
Many immigrants are unfamiliar with the intricacies of U.S. law, she said, and uncertainty, coupled with language obstacles, makes it difficult for many Hispanics to protect their legal rights.
The blurring of the line between local law enforcement and immigration authorities has made victims and witnesses of crime more hesitant to report to the police, Jiménez-McGee said.
"This is a public safety issue - it's extremely dangerous for all of us to have a community that is isolated from their local law enforcement."
Jones said it is a myth that officers check the immigration status of victims who report crimes. "I would challenge anyone to show us one victim we've ever screened."
Strengthening enforcement
Jones said the 287g program has helped catch many serious felons who were arrested on minor charges and later found to be living under false identities in defiance of previous deportation orders.
"We have taken into custody some very dangerous, very bad people, just to be blunt, that we've caught with this program."
Before the 287g program began, undocumented immigrants made up 5 percent to 6 percent of the total county population but constituted more than 30 percent of the county jail population, Jones said.
He said that it's too early to make any concrete conclusions but that the new system appears to have decreased the number of repeat offenders. "We know that we are processing less people through."
Mecklenburg County started processing inmates under the program in May 2006 and has since processed about 5,100 foreign-born arrestees, of which 2,900 have been placed in removal proceedings.
The charges that most often lead to removal proceedings are DWI, assault, traffic violations and court-issued orders for arrest for failure to appear, Rush said.
She said the program's emphasis is on law enforcement, not anti-immigration. "If (Sheriff Jim Pendergraph) could deport everybody who commits a drunk driving offense, he would do that."
Rush said officers don't actively seek to enforce immigration law. "Don't commit a crime, and then you won't have to worry about being placed in removal proceedings."
She said more new initiatives could be coming to the state after Pendergraph retires in December and moves to Washington, D.C., to take a position as the state and local coordinator for ICE.
While 287g remains the most publicized ICE program, the agency offers other tools to help local officers tackle illegal immigration, including the Law Enforcement Support Center.
The center allows local law enforcement officials - trained by ICE or not - to call in and check the criminal and immigration history of someone they have detained.
If the center's database reveals prior history immigration violations, the officer can detain the person until ICE arrives.
"It's not a silver bullet," Rocha said, explaining that the queries catch people only who are already in the system.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/30/07 4:00am)
Watch the video or view the slideshow.
MT. OLIVE - At noon the church is full, and it's easy to see from the mud-stained work boots and worn cowboy hats among the crowd why Father Edgar Sepúlveda says his congregation is full of humble workers.
Just a few months ago the usually packed church suffered a drop in attendance, a phenomenon reflected in public gatherings across the state as escalating N.C. law enforcement efforts to combat illegal immigration have cast a shadow of fear across the N.C. Hispanic community.
Sepúlveda, pastor of the María, Reina de las Américas parish in Mt. Olive, said the majority of his Hispanic congregation consists of undocumented immigrants.
The church is less than two miles from the Butterball slaughterhouse operation, where many of his Hispanic parishioners work.
Several months ago, law enforcement officials set up roadblocks three weekends in a row on the two roads that provide access to the church.
Parishioners were stopped and asked to show their driver's licenses on the way to and from services. Attendance at Mass eventually began to drop as the roadblocks increased in frequency.
Sepúlveda said no one was arrested, although those without driver's licenses were ticketed, fined and ordered to appear in court.
The perceived threat of being caught and deported, legitimate or not, has affected parishioners, said Father James Garneau, who ministers at a nearby parish. "People are more concerned now about church attendance than they were."
And churches aren't the only places dealing with sudden vacancies - Marisol Jiménez-McGee, advocacy coordinator for El Pueblo, said the situation has worsened to the point that some N.C. Hispanics are afraid to be out in the community.
"A lot of people are talking about whether it's safe to go to those events, to send their children to school - whether it's safe to continue living in this state."
In Mt. Olive, the situation has stabilized within the past month. The police presence has disappeared, and church attendance has recovered, but some parishioners remain angry at what they called an attempt by political authorities to use traffic citations to extort money from the Hispanic population.
"We are bait for the politicians," said parishioner Raul Fuentes, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico 10 years ago.
The ambiguities of the law
Sepúlveda said the police told him they had orders to check driver's licenses, offering no explanation for why roadblocks had been set up so close to a church in an isolated, rural area.
Garneau said he received a courteous reception when he sought to discuss the issue with local officials, including Duplin County Sheriff Blake Wallace, who has pushed for local authorities to have the power to enforce immigration regulations. Wallace could not be reached for comment.
"There wasn't a direct acknowledgment, 'Yeah, we were targeting that church,'" Garneau said. "I don't think anyone really wants to acknowledge that they're doing that."
Garneau said there is ample confusion about who is responsible for roadblocks in his and Sepúlveda's parishes, which span areas of both Wayne and Duplin counties.
He said parishioners thought that county officers were operating the roadblocks, while the Wayne County Sheriff's Office told him it thought the state police were involved.
Wayne County Sheriff Carey Winders confirmed that his office was not involved. "We only have 11 Hispanics in our jail," he said. The jail is designed to hold 200 inmates.
Winders added that the county is waiting to see what the federal government will do before taking local action against illegal immigration.
What is clear, Garneau said, is that the roadblocks are being conducted by local law enforcement, not federal immigration officials.
Police officers and sheriffs often work together to provide the manpower necessary to operate a roadblock, said Randy Jones, public information officer for the Alamance County Sheriff's Office.
Jones said license checks are a standard tool of law enforcement, one he's seen used frequently in his 34 years in the business.
Roadblocks haven't increased a lot in the last 10 years, he said, adding that some federal grants for highway safety programs require such checks.
Kaci Bishop, an immigration attorney with the N.C. Justice Center, said that officers must have a reasonable suspicion to stop a driver but that regulatory roadblocks can be set up as long as there is a set system in place to objectively designate which cars will be stopped.
Although those stopped by the police are legally required to give only their name and address, foreign-born U.S. residents are also legally obligated to carry documentation at all times, she said.
Anytime there's probable cause to stop a driver, it's up to the officer's discretion as to what documents to check, said Julia Rush, communications director for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.
Father Patrick Keane, Raleigh diocese vicar for the Hispanics, said the state's selective targeting of the Hispanic community amounts to racial profiling. "You don't target blacks in cities; you shouldn't target Hispanics in rural areas."
He said roadblocks are ultimately ineffective. "It'll scare people, but the Hispanics are resilient."
The state requires that applicants present a valid Social Security number (or a U.S. government-issued document proving legal presence) to get a license, he said, adding that the policy has caused some Hispanics to contemplate returning to their home countries.
"It's just not worth it to live in fear, in the shadows," he said. "I do know several people who've said they're going back once their license expires."
A statewide concern
Jiménez-McGee has also seen fears of law enforcement affect her work. La Fiesta del Pueblo, held in Raleigh in early September, attracted 18,000 fewer people than last year's crowd of 30,000 because of rumors of immigration raids.
Jiménez-McGee said that it's hard to determine the concrete effect of increased anti-immigration measures but that many people in the Hispanic community have reported seeing a drop-off in attendance at meetings, festivals and businesses.
"There's no proof of that," she said, adding that rumors are rampant. "There are rumors of immigration being at schools and churches and Wal-Mart."
Garneau said he tries to calm people down as best he can. "There's a lot of rumor," he said. "There's a shadow of fear."
The church offers Hispanics a refuge and a connection to their heavily Catholic home countries, Keane said.
But he added that the church can only offer so much. "Our hands are tied, there's nothing we can do: We can't get them Social Security numbers; we can't get them jobs."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/24/07 4:00am)
The mere announcement Tuesday that six-term Sen. Ellie Kinnaird, D-Orange, is running for re-election cut the field in half in the race for the N.C. Senate district 23 seat.
Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson and Carrboro Alderman John Herrera, who had declared their candidacies under the impression that Kinnaird would not be running, said they plan to drop out of the race to support the incumbent.
But Moses Carey, chairman of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, said he will continue his campaign.
"My plans are the same," he said. "I plan to stay in the race and run hard."
Carey said he has a longer history of public service than Kinnaird.
"I think I'm better prepared to make a difference in the Senate."
But Kinnaird said her experience and ability to push through important public policy goals sets her apart from Carey.
Diversity has been an issue in the race so far, with Kinnaird expressing a desire to maintain female representation in the 50-member N.C. Senate. She has previously stated that four of the seven female senators might step down.
But on Tuesday she said that consideration was not a major factor in her decision to run again, declaring that her main motivation is to continue the good work accomplished during the last session.
"As the decision went on, I became more encouraged at what we were able to get done," she said.
Kinnaird said she was especially encouraged by the legislature's progress on environmental work.
As one of the co-chairmen of the appropriations committee on justice and public safety, Kinnaird helped monitor the third-largest part of the state budget, funds she said were put to good use last session.
She added that her goals for the future include extending health care and child care coverage.
Carey also said he plans to focus on the issues of health care and protection of the environment.
He said he would draw on his background in the health care field to expand access, especially among the growing senior population.
Nelson said that Kinnaird has been a persistent progressive voice in the legislature and that he feels his best action now is to step out of the race and let Kinnaird continue her work in the legislature.
"I chose to run because Ellie had said she wasn't, and I thought it was important to have a progressive state senator represent this county," Nelson said.
Herrera said Kinnaird is an able representative of the disenfranchised groups he had hoped to support with his campaign.
"She's my champion," he said, citing her support for immigrants, those with mental disabilities, children and women.
But Herrera said he is not permanently shelving his political ambitions.
"I hope to run someday," he said. "My day will come someday."
Kinnaird said that Nelson and Herrera are fine politicians who represent their constituents well and that she is glad to have their support.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
(10/15/07 4:00am)
Visit the State & National blog for comical quotes overheard at the fair. Also check out a slideshow of fair photos.
The N.C. State Fair is an eclectic mix of the traditional and the innovative, with antique tractors set beside the latest developments in speciality crops.