Close ups: The fraternity president
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After racking up about $6,000 in fines, a local hookah bar’s beer display shelves lie empty. Without the alcohol for sale, Hookah Bliss will no longer be subject to the state’s indoor smoking ban. Owner Adam Bliss has been fighting the ban since it went into effect in January.
Correction (April 4 11:21 p.m.): Due to reporting and editing errors, this story incorrectly states that Thursday was the due date for returning U.S. Census forms. Although April 1 is designated Census Day, the forms will be accepted through mid-April. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
Correction (March 26 12:27 a.m.): Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story included an incorrect date in the "Attend the benefit concert" box. The box as been changed to reflect the correction.
Clarification (March 24 2:37 p.m.): An earlier version of this story said Hookah Bliss is the only hookah bar in the state that is operating as it did before the indoor smoking ban went into effect. It is the only hookah bar serving both shisha and alcohol that is operating as it did before.
STREB Extreme Action Company held an open masterclass on Thursday to teach their unique performance style.
The first violation notice is on its way, and he’s welcoming the opportunity to challenge it.Adam Bliss, the owner of Hookah Bliss, Chapel Hill’s only hookah bar, has been fighting for the right to stay open since the North Carolina indoor smoking ban went into effect Jan. 2. Bliss maintains that the ban does not apply to him because hookah is a vaporized — not lit — tobacco product.The law is enforced by a mostly complaint-driven system. Anyone who wants to report indoor smoking can file an anonymous complaint, which local health departments follow up on.Tom Konsler, Orange County’s environmental health director, said that after a complaint was filed, he went to talk to Bliss to make sure he knew the law, as is customary for first offenses.One expectation that Konsler said must be fulfilled is posting a “no smoking” sign in the business.When Konsler followed up on Jan. 21 he found that Bliss had posted the sign but was still allowing hookahs to be smoked.“We observed noncompliance with the law on that day, so our next step was to issue a violation,” Konsler said, adding that the notice is being prepared.Bliss can get three violation notices before he can be fined up to $200 a day. If he continues to break the law, Konsler said he isn’t sure how the county will respond.Issuing fines is the extent of the county’s enforcement power. Konsler said they cannot shut the bar down, and they do not have any plans to take Bliss to court.But Bliss has an opposite sentiment. He’ll meet with a lawyer Wednesday to plan his lawsuit.The missed opportunityLast December, N.C. Rep. Cullie Tarleton, D-Watauga, sought to help two of Boone’s hookah bars by crafting an exemption to the bill.“I strongly supported the no smoking ban, but I thought it was unfair to hookah bars,” he said.But hookah bar owners were not happy with the amendments added during committee hearings, including restrictions on serving alcohol while serving patrons less than 21. They asked Tarleton to withdraw the proposed exemption. Tarleton supports a hookah bar exemption, but said there’s a “slim to none” chance it will happen soon.“We missed our window of opportunity,” he said. “I don’t think a bill would be available in the short session to provide an exemption.”Other hookah bars respondOne Asheville hookah bar found a way to comply with the law, though they still want an exemption.The Hookah Bar manager J.C. Wright replaced the traditional shisha, which is made from shredded tobacco, with “teasha,” which is made from dried, shredded tea leaves.“It’s just using a different medium to achieve the same effect,” he said. Shisha has about .05 percent nicotine, he said. The buzz that shisha smokers get has more to do with the inhalation of smoke than nicotine.Bliss said he has no intention of exploring the teasha option.“That stuff tastes terrible,” Bliss said.Buncombe County Health Director Gibbie Harris said she visited Wright’s bar after receiving a complaint. When her colleagues followed up, they found the bar now only served teasha.“As long as that’s the case, we’re not in the business of policing people smoking tea leaves,” she said.She said she plans to send people to check on the bar, even if there aren’t any complaints.Denny Best, manager of Wilmington hookah bar Juggling Gypsy, said he might apply to be an exempted private nonprofit or wait to see if the issue goes to court.“If Adam’s going to go to court, we’re willing to back him up on that,” he said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
Correction (March 28 10:17 p.m.): Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this story listed an incorrect Web address for Hope for Haiti, an organization for which Paulette Bekolo is raising money. The correct site is Hope for Haiti Ministries at hfhm.org. This story has been changed to reflect the correction. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
Chapel Hill police have arrested a man who they think is responsible for many recent Chapel Hill business break-ins, according to a news release.Corey Scott Shepherd, a 40-year-old Wake Forest resident, was charged with 19 counts of felony breaking and entering, one count of felony larceny and 20 counts of misdemeanor damage to property, the release states.Shepherd was released on a $43,000 unsecured bond and will make his first court appearance Tuesday.According to the news release, Chapel Hill investigators worked with Carrboro, Durham and Hillsborough police departments and the Chatham County sheriff's office.
Attorneys of the two men charged with killing former Student Body President Eve Carson will have to wait a little longer to hear whether they will receive evidence they feel is pertinent to their case.Demario James Atwater, 23, and Lawrence Alvin Lovette, 19, were indicted for the first-degree murder and kidnapping of Carson.In a Wednesday hearing in Hillsborough, Judge Allen Baddour heard arguments for and against releasing more than 200 pages of Crime Stoppers reports to the defense.The debate, which has been going on for more than a year, addresses one major constitutional question: Does the state have to turn over all material that could help the defense impeach the state’s witnesses? Or, in the context of this case, does the defense have a right to see information that it could use to discredit the prosecution’s witnesses?The defense argued for full disclosure of all evidence. The state argued to maintain the integrity of anonymous tip organizations like Crime Stoppers.Baddour needs more timeBaddour spoke deliberately during the hearing. He asked both sides questions such as how Crime Stoppers gathers and documents their tips and which exact documents the defense wanted.He ended the hearing by stating he needed more time to look over additional discovery documents he had recently acquired.Baddour said he expected to issue a ruling next week.During the trial, District Attorney Jim Woodall pointed out that Baddour had the option of turning over all the reports to the defense but disallowing the defense from publicizing the records.“The judge could craft an order, if he decided to do that, that would keep the material confidential,” Woodall said in a post-hearing interview. He said he would be comfortable with the judge’s decision to do that.State: Protect identitiesWoodall, who is in possession of the reports, said he doesn’t want the reports publicly released because it could reveal the identities of tipsters who were promised confidentiality and anonymity by Crime Stoppers.The subject of confidentiality versus anonymity was a distinction Baddour wanted to clearly identify to the attorneys.“What is the expectation of the caller?” he asked. “If a person is told their information will remain confidential, they might give their identifying information not expecting it to be exposed,” he said. “A person who is told they will remain anonymous and gives information would appear to … be waiving the right to anonymity by giving their name.”Defense: Grant fairnessOne of Lovette’s attorneys, Kevin Bradley, said anonymity is not the issue, but rather the court is dealing with the subject of fairness. He and the rest of the defense attorneys say they deserve a full disclosure of all the evidence that is relevant to their case.“The argument about anonymity and people being afraid, that’s not what we’re talking about,” he said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
It’s been nine days since the state’s indoor smoking ban went into effect, but Chapel Hill’s Hookah Bliss is still open for business.
Soon after she helped cut the ribbon, 8-year-old Virginia Nadworny was walking around the new Orange County Main Library with a stack of books ready to be checked out.
When Kathy Buck received the phone call from police saying her store had been broken into, she thought, “Oh no, not again.”Buck, who has owned Purple Puddle, a florist and gift shop, for 22 years, said this is the third time in five years she has dealt with a break-in. So far, she said she has paid almost $1,000 out of pocket for damages.Buck is one of seven owners whose business was broken into since Nov. 18. In a news release, Chapel Hill Police Department Lt. Kevin Gunter said there have been 11 break-ins since Nov. 18 and nine of those appear to be related. Two businesses were broken into twice.
La comunidad latina ha perdido uno de sus mejores defensores.
The local Latino community has lost one of its greatest advocates.El Centro Latino, the Carrboro-based Latino advocacy group and resource center, announced its closure Wednesday due to a decrease in donations and grants, leadership turnover and the economic recession, according to a press release.
Three days after a fire broke out in a three-story SunStone Apartments building, the smell of burned wood continues to permeate the air. Personal belongings like beaded necklaces and a toy truck are scattered near 207 Conner Drive.About 34 apartment residents, all the residents occupying the building at the time, were evacuated from the 24-unit complex around 4:30 a.m. Thursday.Firefighters used a ladder to rescue two people from a third-story balcony, and two firefighters suffered minor injuries, according to a news release.Scott Madry, disaster action team captain for Orange County Red Cross, said it was the largest incident the Red Cross has responded to in several years.“Most of our events are individual family home fires or sometimes floods,” he said. “A 24-unit apartment complex with all of them occupied is really quite large.”The Chapel Hill Fire Department is still investigating the cause of the fire, according to the news release.UNC graduate student Rita McFadden, who lives across from the burned building, said all the units’ fire alarms did go off. Madry said the apartment complex did not have sprinklers.McFadden woke up to the sound of sirens and flashing lights as 10 firefighter units from Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham and New Hope arrived at the scene.“I was just in shock,” she said. “You don’t expect to see a fire at 4 a.m.”Madry, the first Red Cross volunteer on the scene, said the organization first focuses on people’s immediate needs by providing blankets, toiletry kits and toys for children.“Firefighters are focused on the fire and police provide security for firefighters, but they don’t really deal with those who are burned out,” he said. “That’s our job.”McFadden said she didn’t have renters insurance before the fire, but since has researched and purchased the insurance to protect her in case of fire, weather or theft.Madry said sometimes people buy renters insurance too late.“It’s a huge difference in the impact both financially and psychologically between people who have insurance and people who don’t,” he said. “You just lose everything, and there’s no one to turn to. It can become a horrible burden.”The day before the fire, SunStone sent out lease renewal notices, McFadden said. She said she is going to wait and see the cause of the fire before making a decision about renewing.SunStone has been able to provide some, but not all, of the displaced residents with unleased SunStone and Shadowood apartments, which they also own, McFadden said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
A graduate student has found himself in the middle of an argument between the Town of Carrboro and his landlord.
A college-aged woman was assaulted on Pritchard Avenue as she was walking home Friday morning at about 2:40 a.m., according to Chapel Hill police.
Carrboro mayoral and Board of Aldermen candidates answered questions about cross-town partnerships, town safety and economic development at a candidate forum Thursday night.The forum was hosted by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, Empowerment Inc., The Daily Tar Heel and WCHL 1360.Four candidates are running for three spots on the Board of Aldermen, and three candidates are campaigning for mayor.Waste transfer stationMany candidates expressed disappointment with what is now a three-year process to find a location for a waste transfer site to transport garbage outside Orange County after the landfill reaches capacity, which is expected in 2012.Local government officials have considered putting the transfer station near the current landfill at Eubanks Road by Rogers Road, which the historically black and poor surrounding neighborhood has protested.“One of my concerns is that there doesn’t seem to be serious consideration of creating a landfill elsewhere in the community,” incumbent Alderman Randee Haven-O’Donnell said. “Transporting waste is irresponsible and an open-ended cost that will increase over time.” Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton said he opposes the Rogers Road solution as well.“I don’t believe that a transfer station is as bad of a land use as it’s been made out by some folks, but it does carry a very negative stigma with it. … I don’t think it would be fair to do that again to the Rogers Road area.”Town’s youth engagementMost candidates said they would be willing to create a task force to study providing space for the town’s youth, while others said they would support simply adding on to resources that other schools and community organizations offer.Alderman candidate Sharon Cook, who also ran in 2007, said she thinks there are opportunities to work with schools and places of worship to build opportunities for the community’s youth.“I’d like to see us plug into what we already have rather than come up with a new program,” she said.Economic developmentIn a Chamber of Commerce survey, all of the candidates indicated that economic development was a top priority.First-time Alderman candidate Sammy Slade and Cook agreed that the town was missing an opportunity by looking at Eubanks Road as just an area that manages trash.“We need more commercial areas up there,” Slade said. “We need to create a more commercial base to diversify our tax base.” Five-term Alderman Jacquelyn Gist said there were many good ideas presented and that there is a property on Homestead Road that would make for an ideal location to build a small community grocery store.First-time alderman candidate Tim Peck said he would be interested in seeing more people who live in Carrboro work in Carrboro, though Gist said she doesn’t believe the town will ever reach a point when this will happen. “I think our role is to provide a supportive environment,” she said “We can work regionally with neighbors in Chapel Hill and Burlington and surrounding areas to make sure transportation is accessible for people to get to their jobs.”Mayoral candidate Amanda Ashley emphasized the importance of nurturing the town’s citizens.“To keep dollars in the community, we have to make people happy with their interaction and support of small business,” she said.Town partnershipsWhen asked where candidates would like to see increased cooperation and partnership between Carrboro and surrounding communities, many voiced ideas about improvements in transportation.“Transportation with a big T,” said Haven-O’Donnell, who discussed implementing light rails as a way to regionalize transportation.Mayoral candidate Brian Voyce said he would bring the focus closer and look at municipal cost-sharing opportunities. “I don’t think we need two separate libraries,” he said, and went on to question the need for a public works facility on Eubanks Road when Chapel Hill already has an expensive facility close by.After Voyce discussed ways to implement municipal cost sharing, Peck emphasized how Carrboro has to maintain its own individuality.“Carrboro has its own flavor. … I think it’s important to keep Carrboro Carrboro,” he said.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
A confidential informant told police about cocaine sales at Chancellor Square and led them to arrest five current or former UNC students last week, according to a search warrant.Police also purchased cocaine from former student Jonathan Ray Plymale, 22, at the apartment of junior Eliza McQuail Vaughan, 21, one week before police said the two were found with almost 200 grams of cocaine, the warrant states.The two were arrested for drug trafficking and maintaining a dwelling to keep drugs, according to Chapel Hill police reports.The warrant, written by Chapel Hill Police Department Vice and Narcotics Investigator Paul Bell and issued by Chief District Court Judge Joe Buckner, reveals details about the events leading up to the arrest.The warrant states that during the week of Sept. 6, somebody told Chapel Hill narcotics investigators that two people were selling cocaine out of 211 Church Street, apartment C-4.The source identified the sellers as a white man in his early 20s who goes by the nickname “J-Ply” and a white woman in her early 20s named Eliza Vaughan, according to the warrant.After investigating the nickname “J-Ply” further, investigators showed Plymale’s photograph to the informant, who identified him. Later the next week, the informant identified Vaughan from a photograph, the warrant states.In the same week, investigators sent the informant to purchase cocaine from the apartment, the warrant states.The purchase was controlled — meaning the informant was searched before entering apartment C-4 and then given money to purchase drugs. Police observed the person entering and exiting the apartment, the warrant states.The informant came back with cocaine, which the informant said was purchased from “J-Ply.” Vaughan was present and witnessed the purchase, the warrant states.Police found out the apartment belonged to Vaughan by checking who paid the power bill, the search warrant states.The informant made another controlled purchase 72 hours before the warrant was served, it states.The warrant states that 76.8 grams of cocaine were seized, along with a marijuana grinder, two digital scales, a razor blade, two marijuana pipes and $2,180 in cash. The cocaine was found in various places in the apartment, including in a plastic bin by the desk in a bedroom and in a brown jacket.Later that night, police seized 121 grams of cocaine from Plymale’s apartment in Fraternity Court, said Lt. Kevin Gunter, Chapel Hill police spokesman.Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.