Stephanie Jordan

News

Chancellor meets with accolades, scorn

By Stephanie Jordan | April 29

Being the leader of the University is a job that takes a lot of hits. If the University doesn’t meet its fund-raising goal, the chancellor is blamed for not soliciting enough donors. If the University and the town don’t see eye to eye, the chancellor is blamed for pushing the school’s agenda. And if the University doesn’t stay in the nation’s top academic rankings, the chancellor is blamed for not doing his job.

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Schools get a grip on handball

By Stephanie Jordan | April 15

USA Team Handball isn’t something a lot of people have heard about or seen. But collaborators at UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. Central University and Duke University hope it can become one of the country’s most popular sports. “We have the opportunity to build a sport from the ground up,” said Mike Huff, coordinator of sports performance for the Michael W. Krzyzewski Human Performance Laboratory at Duke University.

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Council approves soccer park plans

By Stephanie Jordan | April 13

Every area child who loves playing soccer can look forward to lots of new space in the future. The Chapel Hill Town Council passed three resolutions unanimously Monday night, bringing construction for Southern Community Park closer to reality. The 72-acre park, located adjacent to the Southern Village and Dogwood Acre developments off U.S. 15-501 South, will cost about $3.7 million to complete. Council members will use about $2.8 million from county parks bonds.

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Chapel Hill home will give family place in community

By Stephanie Jordan | February 28

Linda Parson made the walk down the driveway with her two children to what will be their new house -- and about 50 people turned out to greet them. By the end of the summer, Parson and her two children, Isiah and Imani, will have a new Habitat for Humanity home in which to live -- one that is affordable and in Chapel Hill, making the commute to work and to her kids' schools easier. Parson, a 29-year-old single mother, is an accounting technician at UNC. She also is a former student, having spent 2 1/2 years at the University as a psychology major.

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Council extends Habitat loans for extra month

By Stephanie Jordan | February 16

The Chapel Hill Town Council voted to extend its loan to Habitat for Humanity on Monday night — at least until the council’s March 7 business meeting. A $50,000 loan from the town for a Habitat project off Sunrise Road was scheduled to be paid back by Feb. 28, but the organization asked the council to extend the due date and consider converting the loan into deferred second mortgages for the homeowners who will live at the site.

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Town's move to annex passes sans struggle

By Stephanie Jordan | January 26

As Carrboro seeks resolution to its controversial annexation proposals, Chapel Hill is adding new areas with little debate. The Chapel Hill Town Council passed an annexation services plan for the areas of Larkspur and Vineyard Square on Monday night. The plans will allow for the areas, if annexed, to receive services provided by the town of Chapel Hill, including solid waste collection and street maintenance services. The areas also would receive water and sewer, parks and recreation, police, fire and public transportation services.

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Cuts mean UNC must give back

By Stephanie Jordan | November 16

UNC-Chapel Hill is scrambling to find about $2.85 million to give back to the N.C. General Assembly after it handed down a 0.75 percent budget cut last week to all state groups, including the UNC system. Officials said the cut will put a strain on the University but not push it to the breaking point. "It's all relative," Provost Robert Shelton said. "It's a significant amount of money. I'm not going to pretend that it's good news. I'm not saying it's going to be simple."

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Democrats Embrace Pro-Abortion Stance To Help Win Support

By Stephanie Jordan | January 22

Many Democrats are reaffirming their support for the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on the eve of its 30th anniversary in hopes that taking a stance will increase their popularity among undecided and moderate voters. Five potential Democratic presidential nominees expressed their endorsement of legal abortions Tuesday at the Pro-Choice America's dinner in Washington, D.C. The event was held by the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.

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Prison Populations on the Rise

By Stephanie Jordan | January 15

Officials say that despite plans to build three new prisons across the state, N.C. prisons, including those in the Triangle, still will have to juggle problems of overcrowding in the coming years. An increase in felonies such as murder, armed robbery and drug trafficking in recent years has given the state more offenders than it is equipped to handle. To help ease overcrowding, new prisons are under construction in Alexander, Anson and Scotland counties, where officials have identified the most urgent needs for prison beds.

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N.C. to Give $24M for Storm Aid

By Stephanie Jordan | January 10

Gov. Mike Easley announced Thursday that the state will provide about $24 million to municipalities for ice storm cleanup not covered by federal disaster funds. The state funds will constitute 25 percent of the $97 million needed to remove debris left in the wake of the December natural disaster -- the state's worst since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which declared the affected counties a federal disaster area last month, has pledged the additional $73 million.