Orange County Emergency Medical Services' response time has been getting progressively worse since 2000.
The University's political action committee has given thousands of dollars to a state representative who investigators say might have misspent thousands more in campaign cash. Citizens for Higher Education, which counts several UNC Board of Trustees members as major contributors, has given $7,000 since 2002 - and $4,000 in 2006 alone - to Rep. Thomas Wright, D-New Hanover, according to state Board of Elections records.
A Supreme Court decision Wednesday banning partial-birth abortions will spark controversy for months to come, but organized campus reaction largely has been quashed by exams and the end-of-semester mood. The 5-4 ruling declared constitutional a 2003 law - passed in the U.S. Congress and signed by President Bush - that bans third trimester, partial-birth abortions, without an exception for women who need them for medical reasons.
For most of her life, Charlene Lee has been unable to hold a steady job because of her drastic mood swings. "I can go from being perfectly normal, to cussing at you, to feeling so guilty about it a minute later that I'm crying," she said. "When I face my day, I don't know if I'm going to be adult Charlene or child Charlene." Lee, 39, has been troubled since childhood by her genetic bipolar disorder. She has attempted suicide several times by overdosing on her prescribed medication, she said.
FRANKLINTON - A small town in rural North Carolina perhaps is an unlikely place for President Bush to promote his energy independence goals for the next decade. Yet rising from the farmlands of Franklinton is a facility at the forefront of developing technology to turn organic waste into fuel for consumption - a key element of the president's effort to reduce U.S. oil use by 20 percent in 10 years.
GREENSBORO - The alleged assault of three Palestinian students at Guilford College on Saturday has left painful rifts between students and the administration in the school's Quaker community. The alleged victims - two were hospitalized for concussions - filed criminal charges Sunday that led to the arrest of three Guilford football players in connection with the event. Osama Sabbah, Faris Khader and Omar Awartani reportedly were attacked first by racial slurs, then by at least three brass-knuckled, brick-wielding students, though as many as 20 were present.
Noon today marks the opening of the 2007 N.C. General Assembly, during which legislators will face a budgetary balancing act with the amount of funding for the UNC system uncertain. Priorities in education could be jostled by proposals for a state takeover of Medicaid funding and spark debate about where authority on university spending lies. Education is a stated priority for legislative leaders and Gov. Mike Easley, and though lawmakers generally are reluctant to agree to tuition increases, many recognize the rising costs of education and the need for predictable tuition.
With the state legislature booked to reconvene in three days, Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, D-Dare, expressed opposition to the UNC system's tuition cap during a press conference Friday. The cap, passed by the system Board of Governors in October, is designed to coax funding from the legislature. It places a limit on tuition increases at 6.5 percent. While the senator acknowledged complaints from university leaders about the funding needs of campus growth, he said the cap should not be forced upon the General Assembly - which has the final say on tuition increases.
RALEIGH - Applause accompanied Orange County Rep. Joe Hackney as he was voted the Democratic Caucus' candidate for House Speaker. Hackney gathered more than 60 percent of the final vote as Rep. William Wainwright, D-Craven, became the Speaker Pro Tem candidate and Rep. Hugh Holliman, D-Davidson, succeeded Hackney as likely majority leader. The entire House will vote on the choices when it convenes Jan. 24, but the positions are all but ensured. "We stand here united and ready to go to work," Hackney said.
The race to succeed troubled N.C. House Speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, narrowed Tuesday, if only slightly, as Democrats get ready to pick their front-runner. Rep. Joe Tolson, D-Edgecombe, withdrew his candidacy before tonight's election, citing insufficient support and pledging his vote for Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange. "The fewer people, the easier it is for one of the leaders to win," said Thad Beyle, a political science professor at UNC-Chapel Hill.
