ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS

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Experience at heart of N.C. senate race

By ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS | April 25

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.

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N.C. counties to further enforce immigration policies

By ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS | April 25

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.

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One year later, campus moves on

By ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS | April 16

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.

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Ouster ripples beyond WM

By ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS | February 18

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.

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Wright ethics charges upheld

By ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS | February 12

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.

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State seeking new measures to combat dropout rates

By ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS | February 11

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.

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Style drives Obama win

By ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS | January 28

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.

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Huckabee rally draws undecided South Carolinians

By ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS | January 18

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.

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States debate effects of early primaries

By ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS | January 15

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.

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Localizing efforts to process illegals

By ELIZABETH DEORNELLAS | October 31

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.