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BURNED BODIES Accused NC serial killer convicted of murder GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) - A Gaston County jury has convicted the man of first-degree murder in the death of the 17-year-old woman whose body was found in South Carolina. Jurors took less than four hours to return the verdict Tuesday in the trial of 49-year-old Danny Hembree. Hembree was accused of the 2009 killing of 17-year-old Heather Catterton, whose body was found near Clover, S.C. He's also accused in the death of 30-year-old Randi Dean Saldana, whose burnt remains were found near Blacksburg, S.C. Investigators also say Hembree killed Deborah Ratchford in 1992. Hembree testified last Friday that he didn't kill Catterton. He pronounced the two had smoked crack and had sex and when he woke up she was dead. He pronounced he hid her body to avoid questions about his drug record. ALCOA-WATER NC environmental organisation tells Alcoa it plans to sue RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - An environmental organisation has told Alcoa Inc. it intends to sue the company to force cleanup of the health-harming contaminant from the North Carolina lake. The Yadkin Riverkeeper pronounced Tuesday it sent the notice letter required by federal law to the company. The organisation says the study of mussels in Badin Lake and fish tested downstream show the presence of PCBs in the aquatic life. The organisation says chemical markers in the PCB molecules indicate they migrated from an aluminum plant Alcoa operated for 90 years. Alcoa pronounced it has submitted the plan for approval by state and federal regulators that proposes to cover the three-acre section of the lake bottom to keep PCBs contained in sediment from moving. The company says the sediments are no risk to humans. NEWSPAPER-STREAKER PHOTOS! ECU expresses displeasure over streaker photos GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) - An East Carolina University administrator says the student newspaper used poor taste when it published pictures of the streaker who ran onto the field during the football game. The Daily Reflector of Greenville reports (http://bit.ly/vD2y7I ) that vice chancellor for student affairs Virginia Hardy pronounced the school neither supports nor agrees with the preference to run the full-frontal photos of the man who was apprehended during last Saturday's football game between East Carolina and Southern Mississippi. The streaker ran onto the field at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in the middle of the military appreciation ceremony. The newspaper ran three front-page photos and also posted them upon the newspaper's website upon Tuesday. Editor in Chief Caitlin Hale pronounced in the statement that the photos were meant as an accurate account of Saturday's events. DISABLED GIRL KILLED Zahra's father wants change of venue for case NEWTON, N.C. (AP) - The father of the 10-year-old disabled murder victim wants his trial upon charges unrelated to the girl's death moved from Catawba County. A lawyer for Adam Baker filed the motion requesting the change of venue last week, saying his customer can't get the fair trial because of publicity surrounding the death of Zahra Baker. Adam Baker faces charges of identity theft and obtaining property by false pretenses. The girl's stepmother, Elisa Baker, pleaded guilty in September to second-degree murder in Zahra's death and was sentenced to 15 to 18 years in prison. Prosecutors have pronounced they don't believe Adam Baker was involved in his daughter's murder. But in his motion, attorney Mark Killian says his customer has been unfairly li! nked in the public mind to the murder of Zahra. MEDICAID CUTS NC Medicaid gap won't close by rate, service cuts RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A Republican budget writer has told Governor Beverly Perdue's administration to avoid broad provider rate cuts and eliminating medical services not required by the federal government to close the projected $139 million shortfall in North Carolina's Medicaid program. Representative Nelson Dollar of Cary gave Health and Human Services Secretary Lanier Cansler the advice at Tuesday's legislative oversight committee of Cansler's agency$. pronounced Cansler and lawmakers should work together to find other ways to cut spending through next summer$. pronounced cash reserves also could be used. Perdue's office has blamed the Republican spending plan for demanding unobtainable reductions within Medicaid, the government health program for 1.5 million North Carolina residents. Republicans argue the problem rests with financial errors during then-Governor Mike Easley's administration. FURMAN-GRANT Furman awarded $2M from Duke Endowment GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Furman University is receiving the $2 million grant from The Duke Endowment to expand its fine arts program and strengthen its ties to the Greenville community. The private university in Greenville voiced Tuesday that the grant is the largest single gift ever for its fine arts program, which consists of its art, music and theater departments. Part of the money will be used to collaborate with the Peace Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Greenville. Furman president Rod Smolla says the initiative will make more of the university's academic and cultural opportunities available to residents in the surrounding community. He also expects it to attract more prospective students to the school's fine arts program. ! The Duke Endowment is the private, Charlotte, North Carolina-based foundation created by Duke University's founder. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW GROUP Ex-NC Justice Orr stepping down from institute RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The founding executive director of the conservative-leaning legal organisation that's challenged taxpayer-funded incentives, the North Carolina lottery's passage and gubernatorial power is leaving his post. Former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr pronounced Tuesday he's stepping down from the North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law. He took the job in 2004 and left briefly to run for the Republican nomination for governor in 2008. The 65-year-old Orr pronounced he felt it was the good time to leave. He says state courts have rejected several incentives lawsuits and the institute's education focus should be re-evaluated. Senior staff attorney Jeannette Doran is succeeding Orr, who says he'll continue practicing law in the Raleigh area. A family foundation linked to Raleigh political activist Art Pope is the significant contributor to the group. FBN-PANTHERS-MOVES Panthers add two to 53-man roster CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Panthers practice squad linebacker Lawrence Wilson has been released from the team after being cited for speeding and marijuana possession during Carolina's bye week. The team also added rookie cornerback Brandon Hogan to the 53-man roster from the physically unable to perform list Tuesday and signed rookie defensive end Thomas Keiser. To make room upon the roster, the Panthers placed linebacker Thomas Williams upon injured reserve because of the neck injury and released veteran defensive tackle Ron Fields. Linebacker Phillip Dillard and defensive tackle Jason Shirley were added to the practice squad. ! As for Wilson's release, general manager Marty Hurney said, "It's clear how we feel about the behavior and the light it sheds upon the organization." Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.