LINDSEY NAYLOR

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Organic farmers struggle to compete with hog giants

By LINDSEY NAYLOR | March 17

After opening the world's largest hog-processing plant 110 miles down the road in Tar Heel, Smithfield Foods now slaughters 32,000 hogs there daily, processing their remains and shipping them around the globe. Since opening her sustainable hog farm 25 miles down the road in Snow Camp, Eliza MacLean has pasture-raised her small herd of hogs. She gets orders from far-away locales but usually declines, instead encouraging would-be customers to buy locally.

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Drought's hay losses prompt aid to farmers

By LINDSEY NAYLOR | September 13

The state will help foot the bill for farmers to transport hay this year, in a move that could salvage the livelihoods of those who depend upon the drought-stricken N.C. livestock industry. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services began looking into avenues for helping farmers as the drought worsened in July. After traveling the state and taking stock of farmers' holdings, officials determined that the magnitude of this year's hay shortage would surpass those faced in earlier years.

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AG exit sparks mixed reaction

By LINDSEY NAYLOR | August 28

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced his resignation Monday, joining the swelling ranks of high-profile Bush administration officials who have left their posts since Democrats won control of Congress less than a year ago. Gonzales' decision came amid concerns - voiced most strongly by Democrats - that political motives had steered his decision to fire U.S. attorneys and that he had committed perjury in Senate hearings.

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Drought continues to plague N.C. farms

By LINDSEY NAYLOR | August 27

Trudy Matheny of Genesis Farm in Chapel Hill can always tell how bad any year's drought has become by checking a certain pond on her property. This year, Matheny said, she didn't need the pond's 5-foot shortage and thick algae slime to know that the drought was severe. "The creeks are drying up; everything's drying up," she said. "I use rain barrels, but even my rain barrels are low because there's been no rain." Gov. Mike Easley has taken steps during the past week to help farmers like Matheny, whose crops and livestock are suffering as N.C. drought conditions worsen.

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Senator pushes for ICE training

By LINDSEY NAYLOR | August 27

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., will continue her tour of the state and meetings with county sheriffs this week to tout a federal program aimed at identifying and deporting illegal immigrants. Four N.C. counties already have adopted the 287(g) program, which gives local law enforcement the authority to run the fingerprints of any foreign-born person they arrest through a national database to see if they're eligible for deportation. The response from N.C. sheriffs has been mixed, with some sweating the details and others waiting eagerly in line for federal acceptance into the program.

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N.C. assumes Medicaid costs

By LINDSEY NAYLOR | August 20

Faced with an embattled Medicaid funding system and a general outcry from the poor N.C. regions it left behind, state legislators took steps this summer aimed to even financial footing in counties across the state. The budget measure, which has received mixed reviews, establishes a plan to phase out the county burden of Medicaid costs in two years. Until then, North Carolina remains the only state to require its counties to pick up a portion of the nonfederal costs of the program, which provides health care for the poor.

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N.C. steps up conservation

By LINDSEY NAYLOR | August 20

When the founders of Piedmont Biofuels expanded their backyard biodiesel operation, they knew the large-scale plant in bucolic Pittsboro would test the industry waters as the first of its kind in North Carolina. Six months after the plant opened at full capacity, the overwhelming local demand for biodiesel already is more than the plant can handle without further upgrades. "They're using a lot more than we can make right now, and we're kind of running at full throttle," said Piedmont's chief engineer, Leif Forer.

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N.C. budget debate continues

By LINDSEY NAYLOR | April 27

Funding for the UNC system hangs in the balance as members of the N.C. General Assembly continue to forge the state budget. The House appropriations subcommittee on education planned to release a report Thursday to its parent committee, and the full House was scheduled to roll out a spending plan next week. But Democratic leaders said Wednesday that the process would be delayed to allow representatives more time and a chance to consider the latest state tax figures after the April filing deadline.

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Edwards takes to the airwaves

By LINDSEY NAYLOR | April 24

John and Elizabeth Edwards, along with an audience packed into the Student Union Auditorium, made national airwaves Monday as they talked politics, jogging, cancer and haircuts. The couple appeared as guests on the Ed Schultz Show, which is based in Fargo, N.D., but aired from UNC's campus through the local radio station WCHL-AM 1360. Edwards fielded questions from his host and audience, chatting and politicking for about an hour as he swung through town on his way to another campaign stop in Washington, D.C.

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Bills seek to ease Medicaid's chokehold

By LINDSEY NAYLOR | April 16

WINDSOR - In counties such as Bertie, where more than a third of residents are eligible for Medicaid, the drive to expel poverty often is stalled by state demands for contributions. But last week, four legislators introduced a bill in the N.C. House that would cap county Medicaid spending and provide millions of dollars in additional relief to the state's poorest counties. North Carolina is the only state to require its counties to pay a fixed portion - 15 percent - of the cost of Medicaid, a federal program providing health insurance for low-income individuals and families.