North Carolina NC

No. 7 North Carolina beats Wake Forest 68-53

2012-02-01T07:27:00.002-05:00

By AARON BEARDAP Basketball Writer WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - C.J. Harris didn't provide much scoring for Wake Forest against No. 5 North Carolina until it was too late. Harris finished with 19 points in Tuesday night's 68-53 loss to the Tar Heels, though eight came in the final 2 minutes after the Demon Deacons had fallen behind by 22 points. The 6-foot-3 junior came in averaging 17.3 points and had been in double figures in every game. But with 6-foot-7 sophomore Reggie Bullock leading the defensive effort, Harris didn't manage his first shot until nearly 8 minutes in - Bullock blocked it - and had only four points in the first half. "That was my main goal, to come out and just play defense hard every game," Bullock said. "I was just trying to make it difficult for him in the first half." Harris came in shooting nearly 49 percent from 3-point range, but hit 1 of 6 shots from behind the arc against the Tar Heels. He didn't reach double figures in scoring until hitting two free throws with 5:56 left to cut the deficit to 60-40, then reached his 1,000 career point with a three-point play with 1:03 left. "(Bullock) does a good job of staying low, getting into you and making every look that you take tough," Harris said. For North Carolina, Tyler Zeller had 18 points and a career-best 18 rebounds. John Henson added 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Tar Heels (19-3, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), who shook off a miserable shooting performance to win their fourth straight game. North Carolina shot 31 percent, including a 1-for-13 stretch to start the second half before running off a 12-0 spurt to finally pull away. Harrison Barnes added thirteen points for the Tar Heels and played most of the second half despite rolling his left ankle midway through the first half. Afterward, coach Roy Williams pronounced Barn! es would get a few days off to rest. The Demon Deacons (11-11, 2-6) struggled just as badly as the Tar Heels with their shooting. Wake Forest shot just 30 percent, including 2 for 18 from 3-point range. The game closed a three-game week for the Tar Heels, who beat rival North Carolina State last Thursday then defeated Georgia Tech on Sunday. North Carolina doesn't play again until traveling to Maryland on Saturday, then returns home to face No. 7 Duke next week in the latest renewal of that fierce rivalry. The Tar Heels shot the ball well in the past two wins and hit 10 3-pointers against the Yellow Jackets, but they didn't bring that with them to Winston-Salem. In a sign of what was to come, North Carolina's first three field goals were all second-chance baskets off its own misses, while the Tar Heels shot just 4 for 19 from 3-point range. No North Carolina player shot even 50 percent, while perimeter threats Barnes, Bullock and P.J. Hairston combined to shoot 6 for 26 from the field and miss 11 of thirteen 3-point tries. Yet the Demon Deacons were in no position to take advantage. They had lost five of six, with the past four losses all coming by at least 11 points. And the Demon Deacons were greeted by plenty of empty immature seats and a large splattering of Carolina blue from the stands in their own building for this one. Still, Wake Forest trailed by 12 at halftime and was within 40-34 with about 14 minutes left against the cold-shooting Tar Heels. But Kendall Marshall knocked down a 3-pointer to start the clinching run, then Bullock added his only 3 before Zeller tipped in a miss from Marshall to cap the 12-0 run and give UNC a 60-38 lead with 6:11 left. North Carolina finished with a 55-40 rebounding advantage, including 22 on the offensive end that led to 20 second-chance points. Copyright 2012 The Associated Pr! ess. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

Zeller's double-double fuels Tar Heels

2012-02-01T07:27:00.001-05:00

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP)The misses kept piling up for No. 5 North Carolina as well as Wake Forest on Tuesday night. The Tar Heels managed to assistance themselves by dominating the boards as well as capitalizing on the Demon Deacons' mistakes.Tyler Zeller had 18 points as well as a career-best 18 rebounds to assistance North Carolina beat Wake Forest 68-53 despite its worst sharpened performance of the season.John Henson had 14 points as well as 12 rebounds for the Tar Heels (19-3, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). But they shot 31 percent, missed all the 3-point shots they buried two days earlier against Georgia Tech as well as found themselves in a closer-than-it-should-have-been diversion against a team near the bottom of the league.''It was an ugly game,'' coach Roy Williams said, ''and sometimes you have to win ugly if you're going to have a great year.''North Carolina did which by taking a 55-40 rebounding advantage, including 22 offensive rebounds which led to 20 second-chance points. The Tar Heels converted 11 turnovers by the Demon Deacons (11-11, 2-6) into 11 points, while committing just six turnovers themselves which Wake Forest failed to convert into a single point.The diversion closed a three-game week for the Tar Heels, who beat rival North Carolina State last Thursday then defeated Georgia Tech on Sunday. They shot the ball well in the past two wins as well as hit 10 3-pointers against the Yellow Jackets, but they didn't bring which with them to Winston-Salem.In a sign of what was to come, North Carolina's first three field goals were all second-chance baskets off its own misses, while the Tar Heels shot just 4 for 19 from 3-point range.No North Carolina player shot even 50 percent, while perimeter threats Harrison Barnes, Reggie Bullock as well as P.J. Hairston combined to shoot 6 for 26 from the field as well as miss 11 of 13 3-point tries.''That's just basketball,'' Marshall said. ''You can't expect 50, 60 percent from the floor every night. A lot of shots which we were missing were grea! t shots as well as we weren't missing terribly, so you can't frown upon that. You have to look at which as a positive which we are getting great shots as well as just keep working to get in extra shots as well as hope they go in next time.''While the Tar Heels could shake off the bad shooting, their biggest concern was probably the health of Barnes, who rolled his left ankle while running downcourt untouched midway through the first half.Barnes headed to the locker room for several minutes in the first half to have his ankle re-taped. He re-entered the diversion with 1:23 left as well as hit a 3-pointer in the final minute, giving North Carolina a 36-24 halftime lead.But as the team prepared to return to the court for the second half, Barnes winced as he tried to lightly jump around outside the locker room. Then, as the team started to jog out, Barnes stopped as well as stepped out of the line as his teammates ran by as well as returned to the locker room. He made it out for the second half as well as labored through 15 more minutes, finishing with 13 points.Williams said Barnes would get a few days off to rest before the team travels to Maryland on Saturday.''It's in a lot of pain right now so we're going to have to see where it is later,'' Barnes said.North Carolina went 1 for 13 to start the second half as well as led just 40-34 with about 14 minutes left before running off a 12-0 spurt to pull away. Kendall Marshall knocked down a 3-pointer, then Bullock added his only 3 before Zeller tipped in a miss from Marshall to give UNC a 60-38 lead with 6:11 left.The Demon Deacons never managed any sort of offensive push, sharpened 30 percent as well as going 2 for 18 from 3-point range.''We had some looks, but you've got to keep scoring,'' Wake Forest coach Jeff Bzdelik said. ''You have to score the ball. You go back as well as watch the film, we had shots around the rim as well as we had some open shots. We've got to make them. We've got to finish the play.''C.J. Harris scored 19 points to lead the Demon Deacons, w! ho were greeted by plenty of empty green seats as well as a large splattering of Carolina blue from the stands in their own building for this one.''They were tremendous with their length as well as athleticism,'' said Harris, who scored his 1,000th career point. ''But we had some open looks which we didn't make.''Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

Wake Forest vs. No. 5 North Carolina: Preview

2012-01-31T07:18:00.006-05:00

January 31, 2012 Ben DosterDeaconsIllustrated.com Associate Editor Talk about it in The Pulpit - PremiumWake Forest vs. No. 5 North CarolinaLocation: Winston-Salem, NCVenue: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial ColiseumTip-off: Tuesday at 9:00 PM ETTV/Internet: ESPNUCurrent records:Wake Forest: 11-10, 2-5 ACC (Lost to Clemson 71-60).No. 5 North Carolina: 18-3, 5-1 ACC (Defeated Georgia Tech 93-81).Series history: The Tar Heels have an all-time series lead of 153-65. Carolina has won two in a row, including last season's single meeting 78-64.Deacons Illustrated breaks down the matchups by position:Forward - Nikita Mescheriakov, WF -vs.- John Henson, UNC. Known for his smile and shot-blocking ability Henson has added to repertoire since arriving to Chapel Hill, including over 30 pounds, a much improved offensive diversion and rebounding. The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year has recorded eight double-doubles this season, and averages an ACC best 3.3 blocks per game.Mescheriakov has been up and down the last four games. He scored 13 points against Florida State and 12 points at Duke, but only six points apiece in trips to Clemson and Boston College. The shorter Mescheriakov may struggle significantly with Henson's length. Edge: UNC.Forward - Travis McKie, WF -vs.- Harrison Barnes, UNC. After his worst diversion as a Demon Deacon against Florida State (three points on 1-13 FG and 1-2 FT) McKie rebounded nicely at Clemson with 13 points and 12 boards. However, the "Black Falcon" is flying in.Barnes ranks second in the ACC in scoring with 17.5 point per game. He has scored at least 20 points in five of the last 10 games, including his 23-point performance against the Yellow Jackets Sunday. Edge: UNCCenter - Ty Walker, WF -vs.- Tyler Zeller, UNC. Walker has not been much of a threat offensively (five points per game), but is in Henson's neighborhood when it comes to blocking shots (three blocks per game).He faces a tall sequence in his 7-foot counterpart Zeller, who has recorded a doub! le-doubl e in four of Carolina's six conference games. Zeller also runs the court better than any big man in the country, as a key part to the Tar Heels fast-break attack. Walker better be ready for a full sprint marathon. Edge: UNCGuard - C.J. Harris, WF -vs.- Reggie Bullock, UNC. Harris had a slow start to ACC play, but has increased his scoring output from 11 to 17.5 a contest the last four games. He has also seen more time at point guard since the Deacs moved into the conference season.Bullock has thrived in his new starting role since he replaced Dexter Strickland, who is out the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Strickland was North Carolina's best on-the-ball defender and backup point guard, but at 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds Bullock brings added size and offense. He scored 11 points in both of his starts. His length may affect deny Harris touches, and his ability to get shots off. However, the Winston-Salem native has managed to overcome the opposition's defensive challenge night in and night out to rank third in the ACC scoring (17.3 points per game). Edge: WFGuard - Tony Chennault, WF -vs.- Kendall Marshall, UNC. Where does one start in this comparison? Well the ball is the butter and Marshall is the knife that spreads it around. Hence Marshall has been affectionately dubbed "Butter" by the Carolina Faithful. He tops the ACC and is second nationally with 9.7 assists per game. He does not have the foot-speed Tywon Lawson and Raymond Felton ran Roy Williams' fast-break offense with, but his court-vision enables him to orchestrate it with the deftest of skill.Chennault is not nearly the passer Marshall is, but has dished out 21 assists to 12 turnovers versus conference competition. Marshall will look to push the tempo, but Chennault cannot afford to let that affect his composure or decision-making. Edge: UNCBench - Carson Desrosiers could not pick a better diversion to rise to the occasion for. Wake will not face a more talented frontline than the Tar Heels this season. He has proven he can produce at a high! level, but not consistently.The Demon Deacons will also need freshman Chase Fischer to find his touch early and stay hot. He has been a streaky 33.7-percent from downtown this season. Daniel Green will certainly get to see the floor, but it will not be for long if he struggles with Carolina's bigs on the boards. The only ways Anthony Fields touches the court outside of pre-game and halftime warmups is if the Deacs suffer an onslaught of injuries, foul trouble or if the diversion is a blowout.Injuries have dwindled Carolina's main rotation down to seven players, and has left no room for error when it comes to protecting Marshall. If push comes to shove the Heels can go 10 deep. Freshmen James Michael McAdoo and P.J. Hairston both have promising upsides, but the quality of their performances have declined since ACC play began. However, McAdoo broke his bad streak Sunday against Ga. Tech when he scored nine points and pulled down six rebounds, while Hairston added a solid eight points.Look for Desmond Hubert, Justin Watts and Stilman White to also get into the mix. Edge: UNCCoach - Jeff Bzdelik, WF -vs.- Roy Williams, UNC. It does not take much brainpower to figure out the difference between these two coaches? correct, the The Hall of Fame. Williams was in a similar situation last season that Bzdelik is in now, except his pool of talent was much deeper and most of it returned this season, which should make Ol' Roy's job an easy one. However, Williams has struggled with getting his team to play up to its potential every game, especially in disappointing losses at Florida State and UNLV, while Bzdelik continues to find a way to get the Deacs to play hard despite this season's adversity. When it comes to x's and o's both coach have been around long enough to see them all, so no new tricks for these old dogs. Edge: UNCPowered By iWebRSS.co.cc

Wake Forest vs. No. 5 North Carolina: Preview

2012-01-31T07:18:00.005-05:00

January 31, 2012 Ben DosterDeaconsIllustrated.com Associate Editor Talk about it in The Pulpit - PremiumWake Forest vs. No. 5 North CarolinaLocation: Winston-Salem, NCVenue: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial ColiseumTip-off: Tuesday at 9:00 PM ETTV/Internet: ESPNUCurrent records:Wake Forest: 11-10, 2-5 ACC (Lost to Clemson 71-60).No. 5 North Carolina: 18-3, 5-1 ACC (Defeated Georgia Tech 93-81).Series history: The Tar Heels have an all-time series lead of 153-65. Carolina has won two in a row, including last season's single meeting 78-64.Deacons Illustrated breaks down the matchups by position:Forward - Nikita Mescheriakov, WF -vs.- John Henson, UNC. Known for his smile and shot-blocking ability Henson has added to repertoire since arriving to Chapel Hill, including over 30 pounds, a much improved offensive game and rebounding. The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year has recorded eight double-doubles this season, and averages an ACC best 3.3 blocks per game.Mescheriakov has been up and down the last four games. He scored 13 points against Florida State and 12 points at Duke, but only six points apiece in trips to Clemson and Boston College. The shorter Mescheriakov may struggle significantly with Henson's length. Edge: UNC.Forward - Travis McKie, WF -vs.- Harrison Barnes, UNC. After his worst game as a Demon Deacon against Florida State (three points on 1-13 FG and 1-2 FT) McKie rebounded nicely at Clemson with 13 points and 12 boards. However, the "Black Falcon" is flying in.Barnes ranks second in the ACC in scoring with 17.5 point per game. He has scored at least 20 points in five of the last 10 games, including his 23-point performance against the Yellow Jackets Sunday. Edge: UNCCenter - Ty Walker, WF -vs.- Tyler Zeller, UNC. Walker has not been much of a threat offensively (five points per game), but is in Henson's neighborhood when it comes to blocking shots (three blocks per game).He faces a tall order in his 7-foot counterpart Zeller, who has recorded a double-double in ! four of Carolina's six conference games. Zeller also runs the court better than any big man in the country, as a key part to the Tar Heels fast-break attack. Walker better be ready for a full sprint marathon. Edge: UNCGuard - C.J. Harris, WF -vs.- Reggie Bullock, UNC. Harris had a slow start to ACC play, but has increased his scoring output from 11 to 17.5 a contest the last four games. He has also seen more time at point guard since the Deacs moved into the conference season.Bullock has thrived in his new starting role since he replaced Dexter Strickland, who is out the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Strickland was North Carolina's best on-the-ball defender and backup point guard, but at 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds Bullock brings added size and offense. He scored 11 points in both of his starts. His length may affect deny Harris touches, and his ability to get shots off. However, the Winston-Salem native has managed to overcome the opposition's defensive challenge night in and night out to rank third in the ACC scoring (17.3 points per game). Edge: WFGuard - Tony Chennault, WF -vs.- Kendall Marshall, UNC. Where does one start in this comparison? Well the ball is the butter and Marshall is the knife that spreads it around. Hence Marshall has been affectionately dubbed "Butter" by the Carolina Faithful. He tops the ACC and is second nationally with 9.7 assists per game. He does not have the foot-speed Tywon Lawson and Raymond Felton ran Roy Williams' fast-break offense with, but his court-vision enables him to orchestrate it with the deftest of skill.Chennault is not nearly the passer Marshall is, but has dished out 21 assists to 12 turnovers versus conference competition. Marshall will look to push the tempo, but Chennault cannot afford to let that affect his composure or decision-making. Edge: UNCBench - Carson Desrosiers could not pick a better game to rise to the occasion for. Wake will not face a more talented frontline than the Tar Heels this season. He has proven he can produce at a high level, but not co! nsistent ly.The Demon Deacons will also need freshman Chase Fischer to find his touch early and stay hot. He has been a streaky 33.7-percent from downtown this season. Daniel Green will certainly get to see the floor, but it will not be for long if he struggles with Carolina's bigs on the boards. The only ways Anthony Fields touches the court outside of pre-game and halftime warmups is if the Deacs suffer an onslaught of injuries, foul trouble or if the game is a blowout.Injuries have dwindled Carolina's main rotation down to seven players, and has left no room for error when it comes to protecting Marshall. If push comes to shove the Heels can go 10 deep. Freshmen James Michael McAdoo and P.J. Hairston both have promising upsides, but the quality of their performances have declined since ACC play began. However, McAdoo broke his bad streak Sunday against Ga. Tech when he scored nine points and pulled down six rebounds, while Hairston added a solid eight points.Look for Desmond Hubert, Justin Watts and Stilman White to also get into the mix. Edge: UNCCoach - Jeff Bzdelik, WF -vs.- Roy Williams, UNC. It does not take much brainpower to figure out the difference between these two coaches? correct, the The Hall of Fame. Williams was in a similar situation last season that Bzdelik is in now, except his pool of talent was much deeper and most of it returned this season, which should make Ol' Roy's job an easy one. However, Williams has struggled with getting his team to play up to its potential every game, especially in disappointing losses at Florida State and UNLV, while Bzdelik continues to find a way to get the Deacs to play hard despite this season's adversity. When it comes to x's and o's both coach have been around long enough to see them all, so no new tricks for these old dogs. Edge: UNCPowered By iWebRSS.co.cc

North Carolina House military affairs panel hears education, other concerns

2012-01-31T07:18:00.003-05:00

RELATED: By Steve DeVaneStaff writer State lawmakers can help schools in the Cape Fear region in several ways, the head of an organization which identifies and addresses issues related to military growth said Monday. Greg Taylor, executive director of the Fort Bragg Regional Alliance, was one of seventeen community, military and education officials to speak to the State House Select Committee on Military Affairs. The committee met at Fayetteville State University. Education and transportation issues highlighted the discussion. Taylor said school districts around Fort Bragg have about $232 million in school construction needs. About $78 million is directly related to the military, he said. Lawmakers could appropriate funding, give school districts no-interest loans or allow areas with military growth to enact temporary sales taxes, Taylor said. He also asked state lawmakers to contact members of Congress about federal funding for local school districts with federally connected students. Taylor said which in 2010 school districts around Fort Bragg got $13.12 million less than the amount for which they are eligible. U.S. senators and representatives will likely take a call from a state legislator about the issue, he said. "It's a federal issue, but you swing a big stick," he told members of the committee. Col. Steve Sicinski, Fort Bragg's garrison commander, told committee members which Fort Bragg needs a high school. He said the post has 950 high-school age students, enough to make a small high school. Fort Bragg has agreed to provide land for the Cumberland County school system to operate a high school, Sicinski said. Some students from Linden Oaks, a military housing village in Harnett County, will attend the school. Sicinski said the agreement providing the land has to be approved by Congress. "Then, all we need is money for a high school," he said. Sicinski also asked the lawmakers to consider a full exemption from sta! te taxes for military retirement pay. Such a move would encourage retirees to live in the state, he said. "You'll get more revenue by not taxing retirement compensation," he said. "It's in your interest to have as many military retirees living here." Dale Iman, city manager in Fayetteville, talked to committee about a new bridge over Rowan Street. He said the city is hoping for a "signature bridge" which will lead to FSU and downtown Fayetteville. State officials want to build a "cookie cutter" bridge, Iman said. "It doesn't cost much more to do it right," he said. Rep. Bill Cook, a Chocowinity Republican who serves as co-chairman of the committee, said the group would look at all the information received at the meeting, but added which the state has to be fiscally responsible. Cook said he thinks too many people are used to getting money from government. "You can't do which and be responsible," he said. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

North Carolina House military affairs panel hears education, other concerns

2012-01-31T07:18:00.001-05:00

RELATED: By Steve DeVaneStaff writer State lawmakers can help schools in the Cape Fear region in several ways, the head of an organization that identifies and addresses issues related to military growth said Monday. Greg Taylor, executive director of the Fort Bragg Regional Alliance, was one of 17 community, military and education officials to speak to the State House Select Committee on Military Affairs. The committee met at Fayetteville State University. Education and transportation issues highlighted the discussion. Taylor said school districts around Fort Bragg have about $232 million in school construction needs. About $78 million is directly related to the military, he said. Lawmakers could appropriate funding, give school districts no-interest loans or allow areas with military growth to enact temporary sales taxes, Taylor said. He also asked state lawmakers to contact members of Congress about federal funding for local school districts with federally connected students. Taylor said that in 2010 school districts around Fort Bragg got $13.12 million less than the amount for which they are eligible. U.S. senators and representatives will likely take a call from a state legislator about the issue, he said. "It's a federal issue, but you swing a big stick," he told members of the committee. Col. Steve Sicinski, Fort Bragg's garrison commander, told committee members that Fort Bragg needs a high school. He said the post has 950 high-school age students, enough to make a small high school. Fort Bragg has agreed to provide land for the Cumberland County school system to operate a high school, Sicinski said. Some students from Linden Oaks, a military housing community in Harnett County, will attend the school. Sicinski said the agreement providing the land has to be approved by Congress. "Then, all we need is money for a high school," he said. Sicinski also asked the lawmakers to consider a full exemption from state taxes! for mil itary retirement pay. Such a move would encourage retirees to live in the state, he said. "You'll get more revenue by not taxing retirement compensation," he said. "It's in your interest to have as many military retirees living here." Dale Iman, city manager in Fayetteville, talked to committee about a new bridge over Rowan Street. He said the city is hoping for a "signature bridge" that will lead to FSU and downtown Fayetteville. State officials want to build a "cookie cutter" bridge, Iman said. "It doesn't cost much more to do it right," he said. Rep. Bill Cook, a Chocowinity Republican who serves as co-chairman of the committee, said the group would look at all the information received at the meeting, but added that the state has to be fiscally responsible. Cook said he thinks too many people are used to getting money from government. "You can't do that and be responsible," he said. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

North Carolina Basketball: Tar Heels Return to Normalcy in Win over Georgia Tech

2012-01-30T08:13:00.002-05:00

Normalcy.When United States presidential candidate Warren G. Harding promised "a return to normalcy" in 1920, he referred to a restoration of living conditions as they existed prior to World War I.When the North Carolina Tar Heels completed their second victory without shooting guard Dexter Strickland, UNC demonstrated a Chapel Hill version of that same "return to normalcy."Just as their 33-point loss to FSU may have been considered a fluke, their 19-point victory over rival North Carolina State might have been considered a one-time affair.After their loss to Florida State on Jan. 14, the Tar Heels fell in the AP Poll from third to eighth, climbing back to the No. 7 spot just a week later as Duke fell from No. 4 to No. 8.With their 93-81 victory over Georgia Tech on Sunday, the Tar Heels confirmed the team is indeed not falling apart and that they still plan to give a tremendous March Madness performance in the NCAA Tournament.Harrison Barnes led the scoring effort Sunday with 23 points, while Tyler Zeller scored 17, followed by John Henson with 13 points. Kendall Marshall's 12 assists also proved valuable, while the Tar Heels' 10-of-16 three-point shooting was their largest sum in a league game this season and second-highest overall.More importantly, the Tar Heels extended their school-record home winning streak to 31 games while snapping a four-game losing streak to the Yellow Jackets.Make no mistake, North Carolina was supposed to win this game.UNC is now 18-3 (5-1 ACC) while Georgia Tech dropped to 8-13 (1-6 ACC) after Sunday's contest.UNC was ranked No. 1 when this season started on an aircraft carrier in Southern California in November and clearly, the bullseye is still there.In the wake of FSU, every game from here on out will be a test, with analysts, rivals and troublemakers looking to expose every conceivable weakness and point out any flaw.All UNC has to do from here on out to avoid that trap is to play with a sense of normalcy.Speaking of that normalcy, Presidential Candidate Harding was crit! icized a s "notoriously ill-spoken," and faulted for his invention of pure gibberish with his use of the words "normalcy" and "bloviate." Nonetheless, Harding persevered and proved his nay-sayers wrong, winning the 1920 election in the largest presidential popular vote landslide in American history60.36 percent to 34.19 percent.And just like President Harding, the Tar Heels will continue to succeed despite Strickland's injury, the FSU blowout and the UNLV upset.Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

North Carolina Community Action Association Selects V.K. Fields & Co. Public Relations to Launch New "Face to Face ...

2012-01-30T08:13:00.001-05:00

RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --"Poverty is Everybody's Business," and the North Carolina Community Action Association recently selected V.K. Fields & Co. Public Relations agency to help spread the word about a new "Face to Face With Poverty" initiative. The campaign will inform and educate community leaders and elected officials about the disproportionately high impact of poverty throughout North Carolina and will identify solutions to prevent institutional and systemic poverty and create pathways to economic parity for citizens of the state.Sharon Goodson, executive director of the North Carolina Community Action Association, said, "The time has come for all citizens to join together in an open dialogue regarding the impact of America's economic crisis on our families and communities." According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, North Carolina's poverty rate spiked to 17.5 percent, surpassing the official national poverty level of 15.2 percent, ranking North Carolina as the 12th highest poverty state in the nation. "In North Carolina, more than 1.6 million children, elderly, disabled and low-income individuals are impacted by poverty. That equates to 1 in 5 women, 1 in 4 children, 1 in 4 African Americans, and 1 in 3 Latinos who don't have access to adequate housing, health care, education, employment or resources to enjoy a decent living," Goodson said.V.K. Fields & Co. is a full-service public relations and copywriting agency based in Raleigh, NC. The scope of work for this campaign includes development of a poverty whitepaper, a social media strategy, marketing communications materials, and media coaching and messaging for key NCCAA representatives.The North Carolina Community Action Association is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that gives voice to the needs, concerns and stories of the state's disadvantaged and low-income citizens. The "Face to Face With Poverty" campaign will provide a forum for those who have been silenced by economic disparit! y to add ress legislators and community agencies on how best to alleviate impoverishment in North Carolina. For more information about NCCAA and its anti-poverty campaign, visit www.nccaa.net.Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

North Carolina governor won't seek re-election

2012-01-27T08:14:00.003-05:00

RALEIGH, N.C. Facing steep odds and a nasty campaign as one of a nations most endangered Democrats, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue announced Thursday she is abandoning her re-election bid.Perdues departure shocked a North Carolina political establishment, coming as a surprise to top Democrats and even her staff just 15 weeks before a May primary election.In a statement, Perdue said she wants to focus on improving state education funding and her "re-election will only further politicize a fight." "Therefore, I am announcing today that I have decided not to seek re-election," she continued. "I hope this decision will open a door to an honest and bipartisan effort to help our schools."The opening at a top of a Democratic ticket holds inhabitant implications and creates a scramble to find a strong replacement in a political swing state that will host a Democratic National Convention and play a key role in President Barack Obamas re-election effort.Obama issued a statement praising Perdue, a states first female governor, and congratulating her on her historic tenure. "Bev Perdue has never been afraid to break barriers," Obama said.Perdue, one of three Democratic state executives in a South, will be a first North Carolina governor to serve one term since gubernatorial succession was instituted in a 1970s.For months, Perdue maintained she would seek a second term, hiring five campaign staff members and raising money, even amid sinking poll numbers and a ongoing criminal cases against three campaign associates related to fundraising from her 2008 campaign.Perdue associates insisted that her decision was not linked to any legal concerns or any pressure from a Obama administration.But a weak state economy didnt help her fortunes. North Carolinas unemployment rate was 9.9 percent in December above a inhabitant average and virtually unchanged from a year ago.A recent survey of likely voters from Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm, showed that half of those polled viewed her unfavorably, making Perdue one of ! a most u npopular governors in a nation. A hypothetical matchup with likely Republican nominee Pat McCrory, a former Charlotte mayor, put her behind by 11 points. A litany of political observers consistently have ranked Perdue as one of a most vulnerable Democrats in a 2012 election.Perdue beat McCrory in 2008 by a closest margin in a governors competition since 1972, outspending him substantially. But her re-election campaign couldnt match her previous fundraising benchmarks, and some top donors began defecting to McCrory.Both candidates reported about $2 million in money at a start of a year. Its unclear what Perdue will do with her money. In her announcement Thursday, Perdue said she enjoys fighting for her causes and doesnt "back down from tough fights." But as it became harder to raise money in recent months and her poll numbers worsened, Perdue, who turned 65 on Jan. 14, began to have second thoughts in recent weeks, according to campaign associates and friends.As a election neared, it became evident that third-party groups associated with a Republican Governors Association and other conservative organizations were poised to spend millions of dollars in personal attack ads that questioned Perdues ethics and her family. And earlier this month, Perdue and her campaign became rattled after a crowd at a University of North Carolina basketball game in Chapel Hill booed when she was introduced at halftime, friends said."I noticed a other day she looked tired on TV," said Kaye Gattis, chief of staff when Perdue was North Carolinas lieutenant governor, from 2000-2008. "Its a tough environment right now."With a odds against her, Perdue could only win with an onslaught of negative ads attacking McCrory. And even amid a mudslinging, there was still a strong chance she would lose.The governor spent a weekend re-evaluating her campaign, a friend said. She felt she could still win. Her campaign expelled a memo Thursday from her pollster that showed her only behind six points and which said that McCrorys support was "exce! ptionall y soft." "There was a path to victory a narrow path and she would have had to thread a needle and have a harmonious convergence," said Ken Eudy, a former state Democratic Party chairman and Perdue fundraiser.Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

North Carolina rolls over North Carolina State

2012-01-27T08:14:00.001-05:00

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Tyler Zeller had 21 points and a career-best 17 rebounds to help No. 7 North Carolina beat North Carolina State 74-55 on Thursday night.The Tar Heels (17-3, 4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), won their 11th straight against their longtime rivals. No. 14 Florida 64, Mississippi 60: At Oxford, Miss., Patric Young scored 15 points and Kenny Boynton added 12 for Florida, which rallied from a double-digit first-half deficit. No. 25 Wisconsin 57, No. 16 Indiana 50: At Madison, Wis., Ben Brust scored 13 points and Wisconsin continued its recent rebound in the Big Ten, beating Indiana. No. 19 Virginia 66, Boston College 49: At Charlottesville, Va., Mike Scott scored 18 points and Virginia pulled away with a 22-3 run.Top 25 Women No. 1 Baylor 89, Oklahoma 58: At Norman, Okla., Brittney Griner had 18 points and seven blocks, Odyssey Sims and Terran Condrey scored 14 points apiece and top-ranked Baylor ran away in the second half to beat Oklahoma. No. 6 Kentucky 66, Auburn 48: At Auburn, Ala., A'dia Mathies scored 20 points and Kentucky forced 30 turnovers in an easy win over Auburn. Virginia Tech 75, No. 8 Maryland 69: At College Park, Md., Monet Tellier tied a career high with 31 points and fueled a late charge that carried Virginia Tech over Maryland. No. 9 Ohio State 73, Indiana 55: At Bloomington, Ind., Samantha Prahalis had 18 points and nine assists to help Ohio State beat Indiana. No. 10 Miami 64, Wake Forest 39: At Coral Gables, Fla., Stefanie Yderstrom and Riquna Williams scored 14 points any to lead Miami past Wake Forest. No. 12 Wisconsin-Green Bay 60, Butler 36: At Indianapolis, Julie Wojta scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half to lead Wisconsin-Green Bay over Butler. No. 13 Purdue 80, Northwestern 70: At Evanston, Ill., Courtney Moses scored a career-high 29 points to help Purdue beat Northwestern for its 11th win in a row. No. 15 Delaware 84, Hofstra 66: At Newark, Del., Elena Delle Donne had 41 points to lead Delaware. No. 19 Nebraska 60, Iowa 53: At Lincoln, Neb.! , Jordan Hooper recorded her Big Ten-leading ninth double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds to help Nebraska hold off Iowa. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

North Carolina boy makes heart history at Duke

2012-01-24T06:25:00.002-05:00

DURHAM, N.C. -- A 10-year-old from Morganton survived a life threatening diagnosis and made medical history by being the first patient in NC to be implanted with a special heart pump. C.J. Moore is still recovering at the Ronald McDonald House in Durham after going through something many kids couldn't even imagine. "I hope it never happens again," said C.J. Moore. "He's been through a lot, but he's fought that battle all the way," said his mother, Reshella Moore. "We've been here supporting, but it's been his fight." Last summer, Moore was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. He was life flighted from Cape Fear Valley Hospital to Duke University Medical Center where doctors say he was close to dying. "When he came here he was really sick, his heart was very weakened and he was basically in shock," explained Dr. Andrew Lodge. Dr. Lodge showed us from his initial X-ray how his heart was almost three times its normal size. C.J. needed a new heart, but his doctors said he didn't have time to wait. "When that happens then it's possible to implant a mechanical pump that helps the heart to not have to do as much work while the patient waits for a heart transplant," said Dr. Lodge. Doctors had never implanted a heart pump like this in a child so they had to get special permission from the hospital, FDA and manufacturer of the device. The final decision was in the hands of C.J. and his family. "They gave us the pros and cons of it and me and his dad talked about it and we agreed whatever was best for our son because at that point his own heart was only functioning at 10 or 15 percent on its own," said Reshella Moore. C.J. had the heart pump for four months. Lodge said he could have left the hospital with this type of pump, but since he lived in Morganton they didn't want him to traveling that far for appointments. Over his time in the hospital, C.J. celebrated his 10th birthday and watched! as his heart got stronger. Just days before Christmas he was ready for a transplant. "Its like the heart before the transplants and the surgeries," said C.J. His doctors said he'll be ready to go home in a few weeks. "He has his days when he's tired, but that's to be expected," said ReshellaMoore. "He's just building his strength back up and that's just going to come with time." C.J. is only the fourth child in the United States to ever have this heart pump implanted. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

Gottfried embracing rivalry with North Carolina

2012-01-24T06:25:00.001-05:00

N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried's two predecessors took conflicting tacks in their approaches to the Wolfpack's hate match against North Carolina.Herb Sendek downplayed the significance of the game, stressing it was only one-sixteenth of the ACC schedule. Sidney Lowe, meanwhile, wore a red blazer to signify how important he thought it was.Gottfried said he doesn't own any red blazers, but he nonetheless embraced the implications of Thursday's meeting between the Wolfpack and the Tar Heels at the Smith Center (7 p.m., ESPN). Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

ACC women: Duke, North Carolina triumph

2012-01-23T07:19:00.002-05:00

The Associated Press DURHAM - No. 5 Duke and No. 8 Maryland looked pretty similar on a stat sheet, and played just as evenly on a court.There were two key differences. The Blue Devils were rebounding with a vengeance, and down a stretch, they had Chelsea Gray.Gray scored seven of her 17 points in a final three minutes and had 11 assists in Duke's 80-72 victory over a Terrapins on Sunday, its 10th straight win.Haley Peters scored a career-high 21 points for a Blue Devils (16-2, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).Duke built a 41-30 rebounding edge and outscored Maryland 46-36 in a paint in winning its 34th straight game at Cameron Indoor Stadium and remaining a only team unbeaten in ACC play."When you look at these stats and you see how fundamentally equal they are until you get to rebounding, that's telling a lot of a story," Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie said.Alyssa Thomas matched a career-high with 26 points and Tianna Hawkins added 17 for a Terrapins (18-2, 5-2), who whittled a 12-point deficit to three on Lynetta Kizer's jumper with 3 1/2minutes left.Gray followed with a 3-pointer about 30 seconds later to make it 74-68. Her jumper with 1:04 remaining pushed a lead back to six and made it a two-possession game a rest of a way. Then, Gray and Elizabeth Williams each hit two free throws in a final minute to seal it."We just never could get that edge," Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. "I felt like we were going to get there, but a missed shot here, a bounce there (and) we weren't able to make it."Peters was 10 of 12 from a field for a Blue Devils - who shot 50 percent and never trailed in a second half in winning their 26th straight ACC game at home. No. 24 North Carolina 60, N.C. State 50 - In Raleigh, North Carolina doesn't have a same offensive punch as in recent years. It just means a Tar Heels must rely more on their defense and rebounding.Chay Shegog scored 16 points to help North Carolina beat N.C. State, giving a team a second straight road win to cap a! week th at began with a worst loss in program history.Candace Wood added 15 points for a Tar Heels (14-5, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who lost Monday by 51 points at Connecticut. But a Tar Heels followed a win at Virginia Tech by frustrating a Wolfpack offense all afternoon for their 20th win in 24 meetings with their longtime rival."We know we're going to have to play defense and rebound," coach Sylvia Hatchell said. "You make adjustments to whatever you have to do, whatever your players can do."The Tar Heels held a Wolfpack to 28 percent, including 8-for-29 from 3-point range. N.C. State (13-7, 3-4) had just three field goals in a final 10 1/2"I can't tell you a last time we've had a shot clock running down so much," Harper said. "That's not what this team does."Marissa Kastanek scored 20 points to lead N.C. State, which had won three straight league games coming in. Virginia Tech 47, No. 15 Virginia 45 - In Charlottesville, Va., Erick Green scored 15 points, including a free throws with 1:52 remaining to give Virginia Tech a lead, and Dorenzo Hudson had six points over a final 2:12 as a Hokies ended a Cavaliers' nine-game home winning streak.Hudson, who finished with 12 points, hit a baby hook with 1:11 to go to give Virginia Tech a 44-41 lead. After a jumper by Jontel Evans pulled Virginia within a point, Hudson hit a 3-pointer from a left corner with 16.5 seconds left for a Hokies (12-7, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference).Virginia (15-3, 2-2) needed several shots to score at a other end, and when Joe Harris finally banked in a putback, only one second remained.Virginia shot 32.6 percent overall and missed 13 of 14 3-point attempts.Evans, Harris and Mike Scott all scored 10 points for a Cavaliers. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

Heels' defense stymies Wolfpack

2012-01-23T07:19:00.001-05:00

RALEIGH Chay Shegog scored 16 points to help No. 24 North Carolina beat N.C. State 60-50 on Sunday. Candace Wood, a former Victory Christian star, added 15 points for the Tar Heels (14-5, 4-2 ACC). North Carolina shot 42 percent but did its best work in frustrating the Wolfpack offense, holding N.C. State to three field goals in the final 101/2 minutes to finally take control. Marissa Kastanek scored 20 for the Wolfpack (13-7, 3-4), who shot 28 percent from the floor and made 8 of 29 from 3-point range. Kody Burke had 10 and was the only other N.C. State player to reach double figures. North Carolina's offense has struggled compared to its high-scoring teams of recent years, including a 47-point effort in a loss to Clemson followed by a program-worst 35 in Monday's 51-point loss to UConn. No. 5 Duke 70, No. 8 Maryland 72: Haley Peters scored 21 and Duke beat visiting Maryland for its 10th straight win. Chelsea Gray had seven of her 17 points in the final 3 minutes to help Duke (16-2, 7-0) remain the ACC's only unbeaten team in league play. Alyssa Thomas had 26 points and Tianna Hawkins added 17 for the Terrapins (18-2, 5-2). Wake Forest 94, Clemson 65: Lakevia Boykin scored 21 and Sandra Garcia had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Deacons (12-7, 2-4 ACC) at home. Quinyotta Pettaway scored 24 and Lindsey Mason had 17 for the Tigers (5-12, 1-5). South Carolina 65, No. 25 Vanderbilt 60 (OT): La'Keisha Sutton scored 20, including four 3-pointers, to help South Carolina win at Vanderbilt in overtime. Sutton scored five points in OT for the Gamecocks (15-5, 4-3), who broke a three-game skid in the SEC. Aleighsa Welch had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Markeshia Grant scored 10. Christina Foggie scored 16 and Tiffany Clarke had 15 for the Commodores (14-5, 2-4), who lost their third straight in SEC play and first overall at home this season. Top 25 No. 6 Kentucky 57, Florida 52: Kastine Evans scored all of her 10 points in the second half to help Kentucky (! 18-2, 7- 0) hold off visiting Florida. Jordan Jones led the Gators (13-7, 3-4 SEC) with 13 points. No. 10 Ohio State 96, Illinois 84: Samantha Prahalis scored eight straight points down the stretch for Ohio State at home. She finished with 28 points, Tayler Hill added 26 and Amber Stokes 16 for the Buckeyes (19-1, 6-1 Big Ten). Karisma Penn had 23 points and Adrienne GodBold 18 for the Illini (6-14, 0-7). No. 15 Georgia 61, Mississippi 47: Anne Marie Armstrong scored 15, Khaalidah Miller added 13 and Georgia (16-4, 5-2 SEC) opened with a 30-2 run to easily win at Mississippi. Valencia McFarland and Tia Faleru each scored 13 points for Ole Miss (12-8, 2-5). No. 16 Delaware 60, Drexel 49: Elena Delle Donne scored 21 and Delaware took control in the second half to win at home. Akeema Richard added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Hens (16-1, 7-0 Colonial). Kamile Nacickaite scored 12 for Drexel (9-8, 5-2). Iowa State 66, No. 17 Texas Tech 49: Hallie Christofferson had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and host Iowa State (10-7, 1-5 Big 12) ended the longest losing streak (five games) in coach Bill Fennelly's 17 seasons. Monique Smalls' 13 points led Texas Tech (14-4, 2-4). No. 22 Penn State 68, Iowa 52: Alex Bentley scored 21 and Penn State (15-4, 5-2 Big Ten) beat visiting Iowa hours after longtime Nittany Lions football coach Joe Paterno died of cancer. There was a pregame moment of silence for Paterno. Ariel Edwards added 17 points and 11 rebounds for Penn State. Kamille Whalin led Iowa (11-9, 3-4) with 21 points. Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc

Forest, Gurley campaign for lieutenant governor; Folwell enters race

2012-01-18T06:25:00.003-05:00

Dan Forest, 44, and Tony Gurley, 55, both of Raleigh, have been campaigning across the state for months. They were the only two Republican candidates until N.C. House Speaker Pro Tem Dale Folwell from Forsyth County announced Tuesday at a news conference that he was also running for the office. Forest, an architect, spoke with the Times-News last week to begin a three-day tour through Western North Carolina. Gurley, a pharmacist, attorney and three-term commissioner in Wake County, did the same in early December.The role of the lieutenant governor revolves around what Forest called a "three-legged stool" job creation, education and law enforcement. According to Forest, the lieutenant governor sits on the N.C. Economic Development Board, the State Board of Education and State Board of Community Colleges, and is in a position to be the point person for the state with regard to immigration matters.All three are issues that currently resonate most with voters, Forest said, which makes the position an especially important one. Gurley added that it's the only elected position that has authority in both the legislative and executive branches of government, and that "half of your time is free to pursue special projects that will benefit the citizens of North Carolina.""I want to make use of that time to become the champion of small business for North Carolina and travel throughout the state identifying ways to reduce the cost of doing business," Gurley said.A business owner since 1984, Gurley said recent studies show North Carolina is dead last in the nation in regard to the speed with which it's recovering from the current recession."So something has got to be done to help improve the economy, and I believe that we recover through small-business growth," he said. "I want to travel throughout the state finding small-business owners that can tell me what government needs to do to get out of their way to reduce the bureaucratic burdens and red tape; what we need to change in order for them to grow, hire ! people a nd improve the overall economy."Forest, who is entering the political arena for the first time, said the reason behind the state's economic struggles is that it has one of the worst business-tax climates in the U.S., "so we end up playing the (economic) incentives game." He said such incentives may be fine at the local level, but is counterproductive at the state level."I think, first and foremost, we should build a solid business-tax foundation to create a good, level playing field for businesses looking to locate here or that are already here," said Forest, who served as senior partner and office president for the state's largest architectural firm. Forest added that he would also support a "Buy North Carolina" mandate for all government purchases.Gurley said he's proud of his conservative leadership on the Wake County Board of Commissioners, which, during his tenure, has become "probably the most transparent local government in the country." When Gurley was chairman of the board, he said, he began a program called Wake Watch that made Wake the first county in the nation to put its entire budget online.Meanwhile, Forest said his 23 years as an architect required him to be the kind of creative problem-solver needed in government."That's what we do in the business world every day; we take large groups of people together with differing opinions and try to solve problems for them every single day," he said, "and that's really what's going on in politics."Folwell, meanwhile, kicked off his "Dale Can Fix NC" tour at a press conference in Winston-Salem that featured numerous speakers."It's not enough to know what has to be done," Folwell said, according to a news release. "Someone has to act on it. I am applying for the job of Lt. Governor of North Carolina because we need serious solutions to the real problems facing the people of our state."Reach Glancy at 828-694-7860 or gary.glancy@blueridgenow.com.

North Carolina's Wake Electric Membership Corporation Deploys A Smarter Grid With Sensus Communication Network ...

2012-01-18T06:25:00.001-05:00

Raleigh, N.C - Wake Electric Membership Corporation (Wake Electric) of Wake Forest, North Carolina has begun implementing a Sensus FlexNet advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system for the more than 35,000 members in a seven-county area surrounding the state's capital of Raleigh. The AMI program operates over a secure, wireless network using licensed spectrum for two-way, dedicated communication to residential electric meters as well as power distribution assets. It will replace a current single-read drive-by system that has been in service for the past decade. Sensus will administer the network's regional network interface (RNI) software as a hosted service, providing Wake Electric with added system redundancy and security. According to Wake Electric manager of engineering, Don Bowman, the member-owned utility selected the licensed spectrum FlexNet solution in part because unsecured public networks are susceptible to radio frequency interference from power line carriers and wireless sources, particularly in densely populated areas. "We have large population centers in Raleigh-Durham and Chapel Hill, very close to airports, the Research Triangle Park hub, universities and government facilities," Bowman said. "We felt that going the licensed route gives us the extra measure of security from interference from alternative systems, as well as greater reliability." The Sensus FlexNet system is a secure and robust communications network based on open standards that facilitates interoperability with multiple applications. According to Bowman, the openness of the Sensus system gives Wake Electric the ability to incorporate alternative applications in the technology roadmap, such as remote monitoring and control of distribution assets, outage management and pre-paid accounts. The electric cooperative will soon introduce an efficiency program called "Monitor and Manage," which will include an online web portal that allows members to see their monthly, daily and hourly usage from meter ! data tha t will enable Wake Electric's members to take measures to reduce electric consumption. Wake Electric was assisted by the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) in specifying and implementing the FlexNet solution, beginning with a pilot project of 225 meters in July 2011. Full network and meter deployment began in October 2011, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. SOURCE: Wake Electric Membership Corporation

Florida State rips No. 3 North Carolina 90-57

2012-01-16T07:51:00.002-05:00

Obama campaign ramps up N.C.

2012-01-16T07:51:00.001-05:00

Barack Obamas North Carolina campaign didnt pack up when he was elected in 2008.Four years later, Obama for America is ramping up for another campaign in a state he carried by 14,000 votes, recruiting volunteers in all 100 counties and opening offices from the mountains to the coast. The Charlotte office, located on Elizabeth Avenue, officially opened Jan. 5.We never shut down offices, you never really left, said Cameron French, North Carolina press secretary for Obama for America. Weve had a presence in North Carolina and were imbedded in the community since the last campaign.Obamas 2008 victory in North Carolina he was the first Democrat to do so since Jimmy Carter in 1976 underscores the states importance in 2012. The incumbent would likely face a stern test from Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum, the leading Republican contenders, according to a survey published Jan. 10 by Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling. The survey of 780 N.C. voters from Jan. 5-8 showed Obama leads Romney 46 percent to 45 percent and tied with Rick Santorum at 46 percent. The margin of error is 3.5 percent.North Carolina continues to look like it will be one of the closest states in the country this year, said Dean Debnam, PPPs president. And that means every little thing, like a stronger than usual Libertarian candidate, could make the difference.Obamas re-election campaign will hinge on a coalition of African Americans, urban residents and younger adults, Davidson College political science professor Susan Roberts said. If he can duplicate 2008s success with them, he stands a good chance of beating the GOP nominee. A wild card could be the Republican-dominated General Assembly, which has tried to pass a voter identification bill that Democrats say would suppress groups that tend to vote Democratic.More than the candidate running against President Obama, it will be who he can turn out in North Carolina, Roberts said. If its a replica of 2008, I think President Obama can win North Carolina if he gets the turnout level and turn! out demo graphics he got the last time around. Some of that depends on what the state legal body does about the voter identification laws and if they decide to curb early voting.French, who is based in Raleigh, declined to detail the campaigns recruiting goals but offered that the skys the limit and that itll be active across the state. North Carolina is important, he said. We recognize that, our volunteers recognize that and theyre the ones who really have been with us since 2008 for many and so many more are coming back into the process, which is very exciting. Its nice to see that influx of energy continue to come through the campaign and through the office and campaign through the state.Comments Leave a Comment

Seminoles upend North Carolina

2012-01-15T06:47:00.003-05:00

Eric Atkins scored 20 points for Notre Dame (11-7, 3-2), who led 25-24 at halftime.OKLAHOMA 82, NO. 18 KANSAS ST. 73: Andrew Fitzgerald scored 21 points to lead four Oklahoma players in double figures and the Sooners got their first Big 12 win under coach Lon Kruger, a victory over No. 18 Kansas State in Norman, Okla.Oklahoma (11-5, 1-3) shot 55 percent from the field and forced the Wildcats (12-4, 1-3) into 19 turnovers.Rodney McGruder led Kansas State with 19 points.Romero Osby and Steven Pledger both had 18 points for Kansas State while Cameron Clark added 10.NO. 20 MISSISSIPPI STATE 56, ALABAMA 52: Arnett Moultrie had 25 points and 13 rebounds, and No. 20 Mississippi State rallied in the final minutes to beat Alabama in Starkville, Miss.Mississippi State (15-3, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) was 0 for 14 from 3-point range until late in the second half, when Dee Bost hit three 3-pointers in the final minutes to lift the Bulldogs.JaMychal Green led Alabama (13-4, 2-1) with 14 points. Tony Mitchell and Trevor Lacey any added eight points, but it wasnt enough as the Tides winning streak was snapped at five games.NO. 25 MARQUETTE 62, PITTSBURGH 57: Darius Johnson-Odom scored 18 points and Jae Crowder added 15 to help No. 25 Marquette hand Pittsburgh its sixth straight loss in Milwaukee.The Panthers (11-7, 0-5) remain the only winless team in the Big East.The Golden Eagles (14-4, 3-2) won their second straight conference game after losing consecutive games to No. 11 Georgetown and No. 1 Syracuse.Ashton Gibbs led Pittsburgh with a career-high 29 points and Nasir Robinson added 10.Womens BasketballNO. 2 NOTRE DAME 76, CINCINNATI 50: Natalie Novosel scored 21 points Saturday, and point guard Skylar Diggins steadied Notre Dames balanced offense with 11 assists, leading the Fighting Irish to a 76-50 victory over Cincinnati in Cincinnati.Notre Dame (17-1, 5-0 Big East) has won 19 straight games against teams from Ohio since 1993.Cincinnati (9-8, 0-4) fell apart against Notre Dames unrelenting defensive pressure. ! The Bear cats had 22 turnovers during their most lopsided loss.

North Carolina falls by 33 to Seminoles

2012-01-15T06:47:00.001-05:00

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Deividas Dulkys scored a career-high 32 points and Michael Snaer added 17 as Florida State stunned No. 3 North Carolina 90-57 on Saturday, snapping the Tar Heels' nine-game winning streak.The Seminoles (11-6, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) started the second half on a 30-8 run to take a 66-36 lead en route to handing North Carolina its most lopsided conference loss since a 96-56 loss to Maryland in 2003.It was the misfortune loss for North Carolina under coach Roy Williams.Dulkys, whose previous career-high was 22 points, was 12 of 14 from the field and 8 of 10 from 3-point range. He added four steals and a blocked shot. His 8 treys were a Florida State record in ACC play.Harrison Barnes scored 15 points and Tyler Zeller added 14 for North Carolina (15-3, 2-1), which finished 4 of 21 from 3-point range.Williams took his team except for five walk-ons who finished the game from the court with 14.2 seconds left in expectation of the court-storming by the Florida State fans.The Seminoles never trailed after Dulkys' first 3-pointer seconds after the opening tip.It was an unexpected turnabout for a Florida State team that suffered a 79-59 defeat at Clemson just a week ago and came into Saturday's game with the poorest 3-point shooting mark in the ACC at 30.2 percent.But behind Dulkys, the Seminoles hit 12 of 27 from long distance while the Tar Heels were simply off while playing on the road for the first time in six weeks. North Carolina made only 9 of 20 free throws and were beaten 43-35 on the boards despite Zeller's 14 rebounds. North Carolina had not been beaten on the boards in its previous seven games.Okaro White added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Seminoles.Florida State led by as many as 12 points in the first half, grabbing a 31-19 lead on Dulkys' fourth 3-pointer with 7:35 remaining and then again with 6:08 left on Bernard James' riveting dunk on a putback. The 6-foot-10 James, who had six rebounds in the early going, drew his second foul just 5 seconds later and sat the! rest of the half.Dulkys was 6 of 7 from the field in the first half, including 4 of 5 from 3-point distance.North Carolina had reeled off nine straight wins during a 35-day homestand, shoring up on defense and rebounding that contributed to early season losses to UNLV and Kentucky. But those deficiencies returned to haunt Williams' club in a big way Saturday.Florida State, which returned nine key players from last season's team that advanced to the NCAA's regional finals, notched its first win over a ranked team this season.

North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives Appoints Joseph Brannan CEO

2012-01-12T07:15:00.003-05:00

Home / Citybiznews / CEO/Board / RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation's (NCEMC) Board of Directors has named Joseph (Joe) P. Brannan, Senior Vice President of Power Supply and Chief Operating Officer of the NC Electric Membership Corporation, to the position of Chief Executive Officer of the organization and affiliated companies, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. He will succeed Richard (Rick) K. Thomas, who has led the company since 2006 and recently announced his retirement effective at the end of April 2012.NCEMC Board President Donnie Spivey said, "Rick Thomas has served the membership of the electric cooperatives with great distinction and has prepared staff for a successful transition." Spivey continued, "Joe possesses the knowledge and talent to continue to move this company forward in order to meet the energy needs of our members. We look forward to working with him in his new position as you strive to meet future challenges in today's demanding business climate."After the house president announced his appointment, Brannan said, "I am honored to be selected for the position and excited to face the challenges ahead in the electric utility industry. I appreciate and am grateful to be given the opportunity to build upon the successes achieved at NCEMC under Rick Thomas' leadership. I believe that my more than two decades of utility and industry experience have prepared me to serve the member-owned cooperatives of North Carolina."Thomas, the departing CEO said, "I very much appreciated the opportunity to lead the North Carolina statewide cooperatives for the past six years. During that time, you have, through NCEMC, d! eveloped a power supply strategy that can help to mitigate cost increases in the industry-wide rising cost environment. In addition, through NCAEC, you have improved many trade association services and other related services of value to our member cooperatives. These efforts are the keystone to providing long-term affordable and reliable power to our members throughout North Carolina."Selecting Joe Brannan as EVP & CEO provides our members with an experienced leader who is prepared to address the electric utility industry's challenges of the future," Thomas added.Over the last several years as COO, Brannan has provided leadership, guidance and assistance to the CEO concerning corporate development, planning and government effectiveness.Throughout his career in the electric utility and energy industry, Brannan has experienced various areas of utility operations and management, risk management, energy trading and marketing operations. Prior to joining NCEMC in 2006, he held several government positions at ACES Power Marketing (APM), PPL Corporation and its Energy Marketing affiliates.In addition to his years of diverse experience within the energy industry, Brannan holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration from Lehigh University.North Carolina's electric cooperatives include the 26 distribution cooperatives across the state; North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, one of the nation's largest generation and transmission cooperatives; North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives (NCAEC), the trade association that provides services to the 26 distribution cooperatives; GreenCo Solutions, a green services company; and Tarheel Electric Membership Association, Inc.(TEMA), a cooperative providing central purchasing and materials supplies for the 26 distribution cooperatives in North Carolina and Virginia. All four organizations are located in Raleigh, N.C.North Carolina's electric cooperatives provide energy to 2.5 million p! eople in 93 of the state's 100 counties, primarily in the rural areas of the state. The electric cooperatives own and maintain 97,000 miles of power lines, the most of any electric utility in North Carolina. To find out more about the company in this article and to see if you have business connections, click below: North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation's Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. blog comments powered by Disqus

Storms injure 15 in western North Carolina

2012-01-12T07:15:00.001-05:00

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) At least 15 people were injured and at least 60 buildings shop-worn when a possible tornado struck two counties in western North Carolina, the National Weather Service said Thursday.The storms struck in Rutherford and Burke counties late Wednesday afternoon as a cold front moved through the western Carolinas, meteorologist Neil Dixon with the weather service office in Greer, S.C., said.Ten people were harm in Ellenboro in Rutherford County, sheriff's Sgt. Dwayne Wright said. Two of the injuries were serious, but Wright did not know the extent of the injuries.At least 10 buildings were shop-worn in a 3-square-mile residential area, but Wright said officials expected to get a better count on the damage during surveys Thursday.Some people initially were trapped in their homes."Everybody's out that we know of," Wright said. "As far as we know, everybody has been accounted for."At least five people were harm when the storm struck a few minutes later in the Icard area of Burke County, Dixon said.County officials initially estimated 50 buildings had been damaged, he said. Burke County officials did not immediately respond to messages left by The Associated Press early Thursday.A weather service survey team planned to tour the area Thursday to confirm that the damage was caused by a tornado, as well as to determine how strong the storm was, Dixon said.The storm cell that caused the damage had dumped some hail in northwestern South Carolina before moving into North Carolina, he said.

North Carolina to Open ACC Play Against Boston College: Fan's Prediction

2012-01-06T07:41:00.003-05:00

The North Carolina Tar Heels and a Boston College Eagles are set to square off in what will be a first ACC action on Saturday, January 7, 2012. While a Eagles have struggled in recent games including a loss to Rhode Island early in a week, a Tar Heels are in a middle of record breaking winning streak at a Smith Center. They set a all time record against Monmouth, and now they are looking to extend that record against B.C. The Eagles are going to have their hands full, but every ACC game is a hotly contested one. As a huge Carolina fan, I am looking forward to playing some better competition now that we are in a ACC schedule.Will James Michael McAdoo play? From a depth standpoint, McAdoo being on a court certainly would be a great thing for a Heels. If he does miss, they have plenty of firepower to keep a game going. McAdoo turned his ankle and a x-rays came up negative, so it is anyone's guess as to whether he will play in this game. If he does, then his minutes will likely be limited.Can a Eagles be efficient with all those threes?Boston College is third in a ACC in three pointers made per game, but they also shoot a great deal of them to do so. Not only will they have to shoot a three well, they will also have to rebound well. Carolina transitions very well when three pointers are missing a mark, and they will run Boston College out of a Smith Center if they are off too often.Will a Heels start quickly?This is one of those match ups where a Heels need to strike early and keep them in a rear view mirror a entire game. Boston College is a type of team that plays much better in a lead. They seem to shoot better and they are not a particularly good come back team when they fall behind. If a Heels can attack early and get their feet on a Eagles throat, a game should be an easy victory.Another key will be a offensive focusThe Tar Heels have a huge advantage down low as they often do. Tyler Zeller John Henson and even Harrison Barnes are all going! to have very favorable match ups to exploit. The Heels should not get in a three point shooting competition here. They should simply make a right passes and get a ball down low and they will fine.Final PredictionThe Tar Heels should handle a Eagles regardless of whether they make it easy or not. While a Heels are loaded with talent, they unequivocally need to learn to attack and move in for a kill quickly. If they allow a ACC teams to hang around, they will certainly pick up several losses on a season. This won't be one of them. Carolina will win by 15 or better.Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Lewes-hatched sea turtles released off North Carolina

2012-01-06T07:41:00.001-05:00

Seven of the eight green sea turtle hatchlings from Cape Henlopen State Park were released late last week just off the coast of North Carolina.One turtle remains in the care of biologists at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll. Four other hatchlings died, as well as the remaining eggs from the 190-egg clutch were determined to be not viable.The release of the turtles marks the final leg in a nomadic adventure that started in August on the beach at Herring Point at Cape Henlopen State Park.These remarkable turtles were threatened by high tides, predators, hurricanes, tropical storms as well as unfavorable temperatures, said Collin OMara, secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources as well as Environmental Control.They survived with the support of a human team that included our Fish as well as Wildlife biologists, MERR [Marine Education, Research as well as Rehabilitation] Institute volunteers, the University of Delaware as well as our federal as well as North Carolina state partners, OMara said. To hear that they have been returned to the sea to continue their inspiring journey makes all this effort worthwhile, as well as I commend our staff as well as all who helped them along their way.The story began at 2:48 a.m. Aug. 18, when Cape Henlopen Park Ranger Curtis Reynolds was doing a routine patrol along the beach at Herring Point.He noticed the turtle, realized she was laying eggs as well as quickly contacted park ranger as well as MERR volunteer Keith Betts.For the next several hours, Betts kept people away from the turtle so she could complete her egg laying.The nest was marked with PVC pipe as well as yellow caution tape, as well as over the next several hours, officials with MERR worked with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to get permission to move the nest above the high-tide line.That afternoon, they carefully extracted 194 eggs from the nest as well as placed them higher on the beach in an area less vulnerable to high water.The sea turtle nest was the first documented in ! the stat e. In addition, they were green turtle eggs, a species more common in the Caribbean as well as off the coast of Florida.

PDGA: Brian McRee Wins Disc Golf's Year End Roast at the CC in Louisburg, North Carolina

2011-12-31T20:29:00.005-05:00

On the last day of 2011, the Year End Roast at the CC was held in Louisburg, North Carolina at the Country Course. This PDGA C-Tier event had 102 front golf players in the competition, and the win in the open division went to Brian McRee of Louisburg, with a final score of 11-under par. McRee was the winner in the masters' division at the Tar River Round Up II in June, and he had a second place finish in the same division at the Azalea Disc Golf Tournament in April.Following McRee in second place on New Year's Eve, was Brian Schweberger of Tarboro, North Carolina, with a final score of 9-under par. If it seems that Schweberger has been everywhere this year, that may be because he's played in a tournament nearly every weekend during 2011. He was the winner of the recent Camp Durant Classic in North Carolina and had a second place finish at the Tupelo Bay Open the following weekend. He won every event he competed in during the month of November.In third place, was Jason Land with a score of 5-under par, followed by a tie at fourth place between Nate Brewer of Raleigh, North Carolina and Walter Winnington of Newport News, Virginia, both scoring just a stroke behind at 4-under par. Brewer had several wins in the advanced division this year, including the Yadkin Open and the Raleigh Winter Jam, and had a sixth place finish at the Zebulon Cha-Ching & Zing in the open division back in July. Winnington had a second place finish at the Pratt Open and the Cottonmouth Classic, both in the open division this year.Terry Gallops of Raleigh, North Carolina finished in sixth place, scoring 3-under par. Gallops has had many victories this year, including the Forest Hills Open, the 82nd Memorial Airbourne, and the North Carolina Flying Disc Championships.In the women's open division, Elaine King of Durham, North Carolina captured the win with a score of 8-over par. King was the winner in the same division at the Toronto Island Maple Leaf in Septem! ber and the Forest Hills Open last month. Beth Tanner of Carrboro, North Carolina followed in second place, scoring 13-over par.In the masters' division, the win went to Gary Goomis, with a final score of 6-under par. Rich Burnette of Holly Springs, North Carolina captured the victory in the advanced division, also scoring 6-under par, while Jennifer DeVries of Newport News, Virginia won for the women in the advanced division with a score of 17-under par.The advanced masters' division winner was Ronnie Hill, while Kenny Lambert won the advanced grandmasters' division, Jimmy Stine won the intermediate division, Trent Dorough captured the recreational division, and Erin Prescott won for the women in the recreational division. Finally, Cane Ditenhafter won for the under 10 boys division.Congratulations to all the winners and competitors on a great game of front golf on this New Year's Eve 2011, and a happy 2012 to all.The first time K.C. Dermody played front golf was in the spectacular Black Hills of South Dakota. She has since become addicted to promoting the sport, and enjoys playing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She welcomes comments and suggestions, with the goal of promoting the sport of front golf throughout the world. Find her on www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter and www.kcdermodywriter.com.More from this contributor:Plan Now for Disc Golf's Stockholm Open This Summer in Beautiful SwedenJanuary 2012 Disc Golf Events: The Big Island Open in Pahoa, HawaiiDisc Golf in New Zealand: Players, Courses & the New Zealand Disc Golf ChampionshipsWorkout Routines to Improve Your Disc Golf GameNote: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

PDGA: Brian McRee Wins Disc Golf's Year End Roast at the CC in Louisburg, North Carolina

2011-12-31T20:29:00.004-05:00

On the last day of 2011, the Year End Roast at the CC was held in Louisburg, North Carolina at the Country Course. This PDGA C-Tier event had 102 disc golf players in the competition, and the win in the open division went to Brian McRee of Louisburg, with a final score of 11-under par. McRee was the winner in the masters' division at the Tar River Round Up II in June, and he had a second place finish in the same division at the Azalea Disc Golf Tournament in April.Following McRee in second place on New Year's Eve, was Brian Schweberger of Tarboro, North Carolina, with a final score of 9-under par. If it seems that Schweberger has been everywhere this year, that may be because he's played in a tournament nearly every weekend during 2011. He was the winner of the recent Camp Durant Classic in North Carolina and had a second place finish at the Tupelo Bay Open the following weekend. He won every event he competed in during the month of November.In third place, was Jason Land with a score of 5-under par, followed by a tie at fourth place between Nate Brewer of Raleigh, North Carolina and Walter Winnington of Newport News, Virginia, both scoring just a stroke behind at 4-under par. Brewer had several wins in the advanced division this year, including the Yadkin Open and the Raleigh Winter Jam, and had a sixth place finish at the Zebulon Cha-Ching & Zing in the open division back in July. Winnington had a second place finish at the Pratt Open and the Cottonmouth Classic, both in the open division this year.Terry Gallops of Raleigh, North Carolina finished in sixth place, scoring 3-under par. Gallops has had many victories this year, including the Forest Hills Open, the 82nd Memorial Airbourne, and the North Carolina Flying Disc Championships.In the women's open division, Elaine King of Durham, North Carolina captured the win with a score of 8-over par. King was the winner in the same division at the Toronto Island Maple Leaf in Septemb! er and t he Forest Hills Open last month. Beth Tanner of Carrboro, North Carolina followed in second place, scoring 13-over par.In the masters' division, the win went to Gary Goomis, with a final score of 6-under par. Rich Burnette of Holly Springs, North Carolina captured the victory in the advanced division, also scoring 6-under par, while Jennifer DeVries of Newport News, Virginia won for the women in the advanced division with a score of 17-under par.The advanced masters' division winner was Ronnie Hill, while Kenny Lambert won the advanced grandmasters' division, Jimmy Stine won the intermediate division, Trent Dorough captured the recreational division, and Erin Prescott won for the women in the recreational division. Finally, Cane Ditenhafter won for the under 10 boys division.Congratulations to all the winners and competitors on a great game of disc golf on this New Year's Eve 2011, and a happy 2012 to all.The first time K.C. Dermody played disc golf was in the spectacular Black Hills of South Dakota. She has since become addicted to promoting the sport, and enjoys playing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She welcomes comments and suggestions, with the goal of promoting the sport of disc golf throughout the world. Find her on www.facebook.com/KCDermodyWriter and www.kcdermodywriter.com.More from this contributor:Plan Now for Disc Golf's Stockholm Open This Summer in Beautiful SwedenJanuary 2012 Disc Golf Events: The Big Island Open in Pahoa, HawaiiDisc Golf in New Zealand: Players, Courses & the New Zealand Disc Golf ChampionshipsWorkout Routines to Improve Your Disc Golf GameNote: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

A year of memorable moments in N.C. comes to an end

2011-12-31T20:29:00.003-05:00

RALEIGH Like the opening act at the concert, 2011 in North Carolina may be remembered more for what came later.Next year will see plenty of major developments in the state, from the gubernatorial election to the springtime referendum on whether to ban same-sex marriage in the state constitution. The Democratic National Convention is coming to Charlotte in September, and North Carolinians can look forward if thats the right term to the year of campaign ads and political visits as the state in play during the presidential election.But 2011 deserves to be remembered as more than an opening act. The last 12 months saw plenty of important stories unfold, even if people would like to forget many of them, like deadly weather and the persistently sluggish economy.Hurricane Irene struck us the hard blow and reinforced the fact that development on the Outer Banks will always be precarious at best, said Harry Watson, director of the University of North Carolinas Center for the Study of the American South. Across the state as the whole, we have been still in the really deep recession which is even worse here than in the country at large.So in my view, 2011 was the tough year in North Carolina, he said.Amid the gloom, there were bright spots.On the positive side, North Carolina is the 10th largest state and had the fifth largest population growth in the United States this year, he said. While having more people creates problems of its own, the growth does indicate that North Carolina is still the really attractive to live, raise the family, move the business, and so forth.Here have been some of the most memorable moments of 2011 in North Carolina the good and the bad.Wicked Weather: On April 16, the record of 28 tornadoes touched down across the state, according to the National Weather Service. Twenty four people were killed, including 12 in Bertie County alone. Some parts of North Carolina were still recovering when Hurricane Irene made landfall at Cape Lookout on Aug. 27. Six people in the state died, m! ore than 1,100 homes were destroyed, farmers were wiped out in some areas and damage estimates ran into the billions. And the week before Thanksgiving, the 3-year-old girl and her grandmother were killed when the twister struck their Lexington home.GOP on Top: After sweeping to victory in 2010, Republicans spent 2011 in charge of both chambers of the legislature for the first time since the 1870s. They trimmed the budget, drew up new political district maps and clashed with Gov. Bev Perdue on everything from voter identification requirements to the Racial Justice Act. They also voted to approve the referendum for May asking voters if same-sex marriage should be prohibited in the state constitution.Edwards in Court: The former U.S. Senator from Chapel Hill and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee was indicted June 3 on charges of violating federal campaign finance law. Prosecutors say Edwards used illegal donations to cover up an affair. Edwards has pleaded not guilty and the trial is scheduled to begin next year. And nonetheless hes not directly the party to it, the lawsuit in Orange County court also made news by hinging on the dispute over property his former mistress says belongs to her, including the purported sex tape featuring Edwards.Wars End: On Dec. 18, the last American military personnel in Iraq crossed the border into Kuwait, ending almost nine years of war. The milestone had the somber resonance for North Carolina, as David Hickman, the 23-year-old soldier and Greensboro native, was the last American military service member to die in the conflict, falling in Baghdad on Nov. 14. Even with the end of the war, though, North Carolina with major military installations like Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune retains the critical position in American defense strategy.Crime and Punishment: State Bureau of Investigation agent Duane Deaver was fired in January after the review of the agencys crime lab found serious flaws in blood analysis work. Deaver maintained he did nothing wrong, but in December the judge! said pr oblems with the former agents work were the key reason to grant the new trial to Michael Peterson, the Durham novelist convicted of murdering his wife. In September, Elisa Baker was sentenced to up to 18 years in prison for the murder of her disabled, 10-year-old stepdaughter Zahra, whose disappearance and death shocked people in the U.S. and the girls native Australia. That same month, Robert Stewart was convicted of murdering eight people at the Carthage nursing home in 2009, one of the worst massacres in state history.School Days: Wake County voters returned Democratic-backed candidates to power on the states largest school board, nonetheless it took one runoff race to complete the five-seat sweep. The contest was watched nationally and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars because Republican-backed candidates had earlier scrapped the districts student assignment policy which aimed at achieving the socioeconomic and, therefore, racial balance in student populations through busing..Economic Challenges: The state unemployment rate remained above the national jobless rate all year, sticking at 10 percent or more since July. Charlotte-based Bank of America lost its title as the countrys largest bank, selling off businesses and cutting costs. Duke Energy and Progress Energy said they would merge to form the countrys largest electric utility. But fears over potential anti-competitive impact in their North Carolina and South Carolina home markets pushed the chances of completing the deal into 2012.Big and Bigger: During the year when overall American population growth was at its lowest since World War II, North Carolina added roughly 121,000 new residents, according to U.S. Census estimates. Thats the fifth-highest rate in the country, as the state continued to act as the magnet both for people relocating and young families having children. But the growth wasnt enough to win North Carolina another seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.Teen Idol: Garners Scotty McCreery was just 17 years old when he b! ecame pa rt of whats turning into the tradition North Carolina natives making the splash on American Idol. The former Lowes Foods baggers mature-beyond-his-years singing style won him fans of all ages, and touched off the bout of Scottymania in his home town in the weeks leading up to his victory.Its too early to say which of these events will be remembered five or 10 years from now, if any of them will. The only thing that truly cements the years reputation as good or awful or epochal think 1968, or 1989 is hindsight, said Diana Bell-Kite, associate curator of the N.C. Museum of History and one of the organizers of The Story of North Carolina, the permanent exhibit unveiled this year.It takes some historical perspective, even the generations worth of perspective, to look back and see whats of key significance to the story youre telling, she said. Its hard to single out particular events at this early stage to claim they have historical significance.

A year of memorable moments in N.C. comes to an end

2011-12-31T20:29:00.001-05:00

RALEIGH Like the opening act at a concert, 2011 in North Carolina may be remembered more for what came later.Next year will see plenty of major developments in the state, from a gubernatorial election to a springtime referendum on whether to ban same-sex marriage in the state constitution. The Democratic National Convention is coming to Charlotte in September, and North Carolinians can look forward if thats the right term to a year of campaign ads and political visits as a state in play during the presidential election.But 2011 deserves to be remembered as more than an opening act. The last 12 months saw plenty of important stories unfold, even if people would like to forget many of them, like deadly weather and the persistently sluggish economy.Hurricane Irene struck us a hard blow and reinforced the fact that development on the Outer Banks will always be precarious at best, said Harry Watson, director of the University of North Carolinas Center for the Study of the American South. Across the state as a whole, we are still in a very deep recession which is even worse here than in the country at large.So in my view, 2011 was a tough year in North Carolina, he said.Amid the gloom, there were bright spots.On the positive side, North Carolina is the 10th largest state and had the fifth largest population growth in the United States this year, he said. While having more people creates problems of its own, the growth does indicate that North Carolina is still a very tasteful to live, raise a family, move a business, and so forth.Here are some of the most memorable moments of 2011 in North Carolina the good and the bad.Wicked Weather: On April 16, a record of 28 tornadoes touched down across the state, according to the National Weather Service. Twenty four people were killed, including 12 in Bertie County alone. Some parts of North Carolina were still recovering when Hurricane Irene made landfall at Cape Lookout on Aug. 27. Six people in the state died, more than 1,100 homes were destroyed, farmers! were wi ped out in some areas and damage estimates ran into the billions. And a week before Thanksgiving, a 3-year-old girl and her grandmother were killed when a twister struck their Lexington home.GOP on Top: After sweeping to victory in 2010, Republicans spent 2011 in charge of both chambers of the legislature for the first time since the 1870s. They trimmed the budget, drew up new political district maps and clashed with Gov. Bev Perdue on everything from voter identification requirements to the Racial Justice Act. They also voted to approve a referendum for May asking voters if same-sex marriage should be prohibited in the state constitution.Edwards in Court: The former U.S. Senator from Chapel Hill and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee was indicted June 3 on charges of violating federal campaign finance law. Prosecutors say Edwards used illegal donations to cover up an affair. Edwards has pleaded not guilty and a trial is scheduled to begin next year. And although hes not directly a party to it, a lawsuit in Orange County court also made news by hinging on a dispute over property his former mistress says belongs to her, including a purported sex tape featuring Edwards.Wars End: On Dec. 18, the last American military personnel in Iraq crossed the border into Kuwait, ending almost nine years of war. The milestone had a somber resonance for North Carolina, as David Hickman, a 23-year-old soldier and Greensboro native, was the last American military service member to die in the conflict, falling in Baghdad on Nov. 14. Even with the end of the war, though, North Carolina with major military installations like Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune retains a critical position in American defense strategy.Crime and Punishment: State Bureau of Investigation agent Duane Deaver was fired in Jan after a review of the agencys crime lab found serious flaws in blood analysis work. Deaver maintained he did nothing wrong, but in December a judge said problems with the former agents work were a key reason to grant a new tri! al to Mi chael Peterson, the Durham novelist convicted of murdering his wife. In September, Elisa Baker was sentenced to up to 18 years in prison for the murder of her disabled, 10-year-old stepdaughter Zahra, whose disappearance and death shocked people in the U.S. and the girls native Australia. That same month, Robert Stewart was convicted of murdering eight people at a Carthage nursing home in 2009, one of the worst massacres in state history.School Days: Wake County voters returned Democratic-backed candidates to power on the states largest school board, although it took one runoff race to complete the five-seat sweep. The contest was watched nationally and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars because Republican-backed candidates had earlier scrapped the districts student assignment policy which aimed at achieving a socioeconomic and, therefore, secular balance in student populations through busing..Economic Challenges: The state unemployment rate remained above the national jobless rate all year, sticking at 10 percent or more since July. Charlotte-based Bank of America lost its title as the countrys largest bank, selling off businesses and cutting costs. Duke Energy and Progress Energy said they would merge to form the countrys largest electric utility. But fears over potential anti-competitive impact in their North Carolina and South Carolina home markets pushed the chances of completing the deal into 2012.Big and Bigger: During a year when overall American population growth was at its lowest since World War II, North Carolina added roughly 121,000 new residents, according to U.S. Census estimates. Thats the fifth-highest rate in the country, as the state continued to act as a magnet both for people relocating and young families having children. But the growth wasnt enough to win North Carolina another seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.Teen Idol: Garners Scotty McCreery was just 17 years old when he became part of whats turning into a tradition North Carolina natives making a splash on Ameri! can Idol . The former Lowes Foods baggers mature-beyond-his-years singing character won him fans of all ages, and touched off a bout of Scottymania in his home town in the weeks leading up to his victory.Its too early to say which of these events will be remembered five or 10 years from now, if any of them will. The only thing that truly cements a years reputation as good or awful or epochal think 1968, or 1989 is hindsight, said Diana Bell-Kite, associate curator of the N.C. Museum of History and one of the organizers of The Story of North Carolina, a permanent exhibit unveiled this year.It takes some historical perspective, even a generations worth of perspective, to look back and see whats of key significance to the story youre telling, she said. Its hard to single out particular events at this early stage to claim they have historical significance.

Year of memorable moments in North Carolina

2011-12-31T07:02:00.003-05:00

Saturday, December 31, 2011 12:00 AM | Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend| RALEIGH (AP) Like a opening act at a concert, 2011 in North Carolina may be remembered some-more for what came later. Next year will see plenty of major developments in a state, from a gubernatorial election to a springtime referendum on either to ban same-sex marriage in a state constitution. The Democratic National Convention is coming to Charlotte in September, and North Carolinians can demeanour forward if thats a right term to a year of campaign ads and political visits as a state in play during a presidential election. But 2011 deserves to be remembered as some-more than an opening act. The last 12 months saw plenty of important stories unfold, even if people would like to forget many of them, like deadly weather and a persistently sluggish economy. Hurricane Irene struck us a hard blow and reinforced a fact that development on a Outer Banks will always be precarious at best, said Harry Watson, director of a University of North Carolinas Center for a Study of a American South. Across a state as a whole, we are still in a very deep recession which is even worse here than in a country at large. So in my view, 2011 was a tough year in North Carolina, he said. Amid a gloom, there were bright spots. On a positive side, North Carolina is a 10th largest state and had a fifth largest population growth in a United States this year, he said. While having some-more people creates problems of its own, a growth does indicate that North Carolina is still a very attractive to live, raise a family, move a business, and so forth. Here are some of a most memorable moments of 2011 in North Carolina a good and a bad. Wicked Weather: On April 16, a record of 28 tornadoes touched down across a state, according to a National Weather Service. Twenty four people were killed, including 12 in Bertie County alone. Some parts of North Carolina were still recovering when Hurricane Irene made landfall at Cap! e Lookou t on Aug. 27. Six people in a state died, some-more than 1,100 homes were destroyed, farmers were wiped out in some areas and damage estimates ran into a billions. And a week before Thanksgiving, a 3-year-old girl and her grandmother were killed when a twister struck their Lexington home. GOP on Top: After sweeping to victory in 2010, Republicans spent 2011 in charge of both chambers of a legislature for a first time since a 1870s. They trimmed a budget, drew up new political district maps and clashed with Gov. Beverly Perdue on everything from voter identification requirements to a Racial Justice Act. They also voted to approve a referendum for May asking voters if same-sex marriage should be prohibited in a state constitution. Edwards in Court: The former U.S. Senator from Chapel Hill and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee was indicted June 3 on charges of violating federal campaign finance law. Prosecutors say Edwards used illegal donations to cover up an affair. Edwards has pleaded not guilty and a trial is scheduled to begin next year. And although hes not directly a party to it, a lawsuit in Orange County court also made news by hinging on a dispute over property his former mistress says belongs to her, including a purported sex tape featuring Edwards. Wars End: On Dec. 18, a last American military personnel in Iraq crossed a border into Kuwait, ending almost nine years of war. The milestone had a somber resonance for North Carolina, as David Hickman, a 23-year-old soldier and Greensboro native, was a last American military service member to die in a conflict, falling in Baghdad on Nov. 14. Even with a end of a war, though, North Carolina with major military installations like Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune retains a critical position in American defense strategy. Crime and Punishment: State Bureau of Investigation agent Duane Deaver was fired in January after a review of a agencys crime lab found serious flaws in blood analysis work. Deaver maintained he did nothing wrong, bu! t in Dec ember a judge said problems with a former agents work were a key reason to grant a new trial to Michael Peterson, a Durham novelist convicted of murdering his wife. In September, Elisa Baker was sentenced to up to 18 years in prison for a murder of her disabled, 10-year-old stepdaughter Zahra, whose disappearance and death shocked people in a U.S. and a girls native Australia. That same month, Robert Stewart was convicted of murdering eight people at a Carthage nursing home in 2009, one of a worst massacres in state history. School Days: Wake County voters returned Democratic-backed candidates to power on a states largest school board, although it took one runoff race to complete a five-seat sweep. The contest was watched nationally and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars because Republican-backed candidates had earlier scrapped a districts student assignment policy which aimed at achieving a socioeconomic and, therefore, racial balance in student populations through busing. Economic Challenges: The state unemployment rate remained above a national jobless rate all year, sticking at 10 percent or some-more since July. Charlotte-based Bank of America lost its title as a countrys largest bank, selling off businesses and cutting costs. Duke Energy and Progress Energy said they would merge to form a countrys largest electric utility. But fears over potential anti-competitive impact in their North Carolina and South Carolina home markets pushed a chances of completing a deal into 2012. Big and Bigger: During a year when overall American population growth was at its lowest since World War II, North Carolina added roughly 121,000 new residents, according to U.S. Census estimates. Thats a fifth-highest rate in a country, as a state continued to act as a magnet both for people relocating and young families having children. But a growth wasnt enough to win North Carolina another seat in a U.S. House of Representatives. Teen Idol: Garners Scotty McCreery was just 17 years old when he became p! art of w hats turning into a tradition North Carolina natives making a splash on American Idol. The former Lowes Foods baggers mature-beyond-his-years singing style won him fans of all ages, and touched off a bout of Scottymania in his home town in a weeks leading up to his victory. Its too early to say which of these events will be remembered five or 10 years from now, if any of them will. The only thing that truly cements a years reputation as good or awful or epochal think 1968, or 1989 is hindsight, said Diana Bell-Kite, associate curator of a N.C. Museum of History and one of a organizers of The Story of North Carolina, a permanent exhibit unveiled this year. It takes some historical perspective, even a generations worth of perspective, to demeanour back and see whats of key significance to a story youre telling, she said. Its hard to single out particular events at this early stage to claim they have historical significance. Associated Press writers Martha Waggoner and Emery P. Dalesio contributed to this report. The Associated Press 12/30/11 11:03

Top N.C. companies trailed market in '11

2011-12-31T07:02:00.001-05:00

Stocks had a rough ride in 2011. Stocks at North Carolina's biggest companies had it even rougher. Of the state's 50 largest publicly traded companies by revenue, just 17 posted gains for the year, an Observer analysis shows. That compares with gains from about 45 percent of the S&P 1500, a broad measure of the overall market. The biggest winner this year was Greensboro-based VF Corp., an apparel manufacturer that owns brands like Wrangler jeans and The North Face. Its shares jumped more than 47 percent. Charlotte's Goodrich Corp. came in second at 40 percent, boosted by news that it would be sold. Matthews-based Family Dollar Stores Inc. again ranked near the top with a 16 percent gain. But a pair of Charlotte-based companies, Bank of America Corp. and shipping company Horizon Lines, saw much of their value erode in the volatile markets. Bank of America was the worst performer among the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, losing 58 percent of its value. "It's a real whipsaw this year, and it's been very tough," said Judson Gee, principal of JHG Financial Advisors in Greensboro. The North Carolina 50 ranges from Bank of America, with annual revenue north of $100 billion, to Charlotte's Medcath Corp., which brings in about $320 million. As with the market as a whole, the N.C. companies that fared well generally had strong financial performance and large dividends. It was a year when investors sought better return for their money amid historically low interest rates on municipal and U.S. Treasury bonds. "The balance sheet, the credit quality, of corporate America is substantially better than the credit quality of the sovereign government," said Lawrence Fuller, managing director of Fuller Asset Management LLC in Charlotte. "There's a gravitation toward dividend payers." If you had put $100 into each of the N.C. companies at the start of the year, you'd have lost 10.5 percent of your money. By comparison, the S&P Composite 1500 index finished alm! ost exac tly even, down only three-tenths of a percent. Winners and losers VF Corp., the apparel maker, consistently exceeded analysts' earnings estimates, doing so by nearly 30 cents per share in the third quarter. Its revenues are up year over year, and its dividend reached 72 cents per share in the fourth quarter. Goodrich, the Charlotte-based aerospace company, had the second-strongest return, at just above 40 percent. Its stock saw most of its gains in the week before Connecticut-based United Technologies Corp. announced it was buying the company, as rumors swirled about the impending acquisition. Also in the top five were two of the state's big tobacco companies: Camel maker Reynolds American, based in Winston-Salem, and Greensboro-based Lorillard, maker of Newports. Both companies increased their wholesale prices twice this year and offered sizable dividends. "I've been advising my clients to be in the dividend payers," Gee said, noting that's an especially prudent course in an uncertain economy. "Just for owning the stock, you get an instant 5, 6 percent return." The economy boosted some companies, like Family Dollar - which ranked in the top 10. But companies near the bottom posted steep declines. Fourteen shed more than 20 percent. Bank of America, beleaguered by worries about its capital position, mortgage liability and financial uncertainty in Europe, lost nearly 60 percent of its value. Charlotte shipping company Horizon Lines lost about 96 percent of its value, falling to an adjusted $4.35 a share. Earlier this month, Horizon Lines executed a 1-for-25 reverse stock split to try to raise the price. The company paid $45 million in January to settle sovereign price-fixing allegations. The New York Stock Exchange delisted the stock in October. 'Unprecedented' volatility Despite ending up in roughly the same place, the stock market this year was anything but even. Through August, nearly 20 percent of trading days saw swings of 1 percent or more, Gee said. Between Au! gust and November, there were 16 days of swings of 5 percent or more. And the North Carolina 50 were even more volatile than the market. While the industrial stocks and the energy and materials sectors started out the year strong, Fuller said, the earthquake and nuclear disaster in Japan, the European financial crisis and a slowing U.S. economy turned the market on its head. "As the market tailed off, leadership swung," Fuller said. "Where we're finishing the year is a lot different from where we started." Across the market, what survived were the old stand-bys: Utilities (like Raleigh's Progress Energy, up 29 percent, and Charlotte's Duke Energy, 24 percent), consumer staples and health care companies. "I don't think you're seeing money going into these companies for the upside growth potential, it's the income," Fuller said. Stock market analysts are not overly bullish on the year ahead. European worries persist. Estimates of GDP growth are muted. And in an election year, experts don't predict much movement on the sovereign deficit. "It's just not a good environment," Fuller said. "I can't see any way the markets are going up in that type of environment." The S&P 1500 peaked in late April at 316.45 before falling to a yearly low of 252.30 in early October. Fuller said he expects the market to again flirt with those October lows before eventually rebounding. "Things have to get worse before they get better," Fuller said. "And that's kind of where we are right now."

North Carolina uses 23-0 run to hammer Elon

2011-12-30T07:09:00.003-05:00

CBSSports.com wire reportsDec. 29, 2011 CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina headed into Christmas with one of its best performances of the season. The fifth-ranked Tar Heels didn't want to squander that progress by coming out of the holiday looking flat and unfocused. Instead, they put together a dominating first-half run to blow out Elon early and extend their home winning streak. Tyler Zeller had 19 points and 13 rebounds to help the Tar Heels beat the Phoenix 100-62, tying a Smith Center record with their 25th straight win in the arena. It was North Carolina's first game after an eight-day layoff following a 19-point win against Texas. "It's been a long break," point guard Kendall Marshall said. "We didn't want to take a step back. Coach (Roy Williams) always tells us that you're either going to progress or regress. You're not going to stay in the same place." The Tar Heels (12-2) had coasted through several matchups in the current nine-game homestand, frequently looking disinterested in stretches against overmatched opponents in lopsided games. But the Tar Heels looked focused against the Longhorns in their last significant test before opening Atlantic Coast Conference play against Boston College next week, then blew Thursday's game open with a dominating 23-0 run midway through the first half in their return to the court. Williams gave his players five days off for Christmas. The team returned to practice Tuesday night, starting a stretch of eight practices and three games before classes resume. "So that means we're a basketball team right now," Williams said of the team's mentality during the semester break. "Let's focus on basketball." His players heeded the message. Leading 18-14, the Tar Heels ran off 23 straight points -- their ! biggest run since scoring 25 in a row against North Carolina State here almost four years ago. John Henson had two of his six first-half dunks in that run, while Marshall knocked down two 3-pointers during the spurt that gave North Carolina a 41-14 lead with 3:26 left in the half. Elon (7-5) missed 14 straight shots during that eight-minute drought, sending North Carolina to its largest halftime lead (53-19) of the season. The Phoenix missed 31 of 39 shots in the opening half (21 percent), including 13 of 15 3-point tries that might have helped them hang around a bit longer. "We wish that we would have answered the bell a little bit better," Elon coach Matt Matheny said. "We wish that when they were playing well that we would have been able to bounce back, fight back, not get knocked so far back on our heels in the first half. The game got away from us in the first half because of the way they played." The rest of the game allowed the Tar Heels to siphon up their stats and throw down a few dunks to thrill the crowd. Zeller had a career high with nine offensive boards and matched his career best for total boards. Barnes had battled a stomach bug in recent days, but had 18 points and finished with a career-high five assists. Henson had 16 points and 11 rebounds -- all but two points came in the first half -- as the Tar Heels shot 47 percent and finished with a 64-35 rebounding advantage. Marshall finished with eight points and eight assists with one turnover. North Carolina led by 50 points in the second half and scored 100 points for the third time this season. Twelve players scored for UNC while only four Tar Heels played even 20 minutes. "We just executed what Coach wanted," said Dexter Strickland, who had 10 points. "Everybody knew their role and did their jobs." While the 25 straight wins t! ies the record for the nearly 26-year-old campus arena, UNC's home winning streak is tied for third-longest in program history. Sebastian Koch scored 17 points to lead for the Phoenix, who remained winless against ranked opponents since entering Division I competition a dozen years ago. Elon shot just 33 percent, including 7 for 28 from 3-point range. Officials had to stop the game with 3:01 left when a Tar Heels cheerleader fell to the justice while being held in the air by her partner during a timeout. She was helped to her feet and off the justice with an apparent left-leg injury.

Audit: North Carolina agency rarely fined propane gas rules violators

2011-12-30T07:09:00.001-05:00

By Emery P. DalesioThe Associated Press RALEIGH - A state agency responsible for checking the reserve of propane and other liquefied petroleum gas facilities rarely fined operators, even when they repeatedly violated regulations, according to an audit released Thursday.Inspectors for the standards division of the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services found 7,466 violations representing potential threats to public health and reserve in the year after October 2009, when the agency was authorized to hand out stiffer civil penalties, the audit by State Auditor Beth Wood's office found. LP gas, primarily propane, can burn or explode if it comes in contact with the spark.The violations included nearly 200 cases in which emergency shutoff valves didn't work, the report said. Other violations included gas storage plants that were not locked when unattended, leaks around tanks and pipes, and documentation deficiencies, the report said. Nearly 10 percent of the violations were repeat discoveries of problems that hadn't been fixed, with some operators having as many as seven repeat violations, the report said.While the Agriculture Department could have assessed the total of up to $2.5 million in fines for some 7,000 violations, it instead only hit two facilities with fines totaling $7,100, the report said. Those fines were negotiated down to $4,000, state auditors said. About 80 percent of fines collected go to public education.The Agriculture Department said in the response that it assessed few penalties because its database was incapable of tracking violations, and without the database it risked inconsistent treatment of companies being fined different amounts for similar violations. The database and the schedule aligning violations with penalties became effective for inspections of bulk storage plants in September, and since then seven civil penalties have been issued, the agency said. Other types of facilities will be added to the database in the fu! ture, th e agency said.Standards Division Director Stephen Benjamin also told auditors that besides being the regulator, the Agriculture Department sees its job as educating those it inspects and suggesting solutions to their problems. The department is more concerned with getting companies in compliance with regulations than punishing them for violations, Benjamin told The Associated Press.The report by Wood's office rejected that view."Based on the volume of repeat violations at LP-gas facilities, the department's expectation of voluntary compliance with respect to repairs or corrective action has been ineffective," the audit report said. "Thus, the threat to public health and reserve continues and directly conflicts with the department's goal to protect consumers."A complaint from the public triggered the review of the state agriculture agency's LP gas program, the audit report said.In the response accompanying the audit report, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said the $2.5 million figure for potential fines totaled the maximum penalty on all violations, though state law allows the commissioner to consider the extent of potential harm."The wording of the statute would seem to preclude the imposition of the maximum penalty for all violations," said Troxler, who is the Republican. Wood is the Democrat.The majority of propane gas companies want fines assessed against violators because responsible companies are spending thousands of dollars to comply, North Carolina Propane Gas Association executive director John Jessup said.

College football roundup: North Carolina State holds on to win Belk Bowl

2011-12-29T07:19:00.002-05:00

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mike Glennon threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns and David Amerson returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown as North Carolina State defeated Louisville, 31-24, in the Belk Bowl.T.J. Graham made the most of his final game at N.C. State with seven catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns, including a 65-yard score on a nifty catch-and-run, as the Wolfpack (8-5) overcame a series of special teams blunders to hold off a late charge from the Cardinals (7-6).Amerson had two more interceptions to give him 13 for the season, the most in the country, while setting a new Atlantic Coast Conference record.Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater, who threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, nearly brought the Cardinals back from a 21-point deficit, but his final heave on fourth-and-23 was picked off by Amerson with 41 seconds left.Louisville used a fake punt and recovered an onside kick to get back in the game after falling behind 31-10.Bridgewater threw a pair of 2-yard touchdown passes to close the gap to 31-24 with 3:55 left in the game.The Cardinals had one last chance to send the game into overtime after stopping N.C. State on fourth-and-2. However, on a third-and-12 Dontae Johnson sacked Bridgewater for an 11-yard loss setting up Amerson's clinching interception.The Wolfpack came into the game heading the nation in interceptions and picked off Bridgewater three times.NOTEBOOK: Florida arrived at the Gator Bowl without running back Jeff Demps and still searching for two key positions on Will Muschamp's coaching staff. Demps missed the team's first practice Tuesday at Jacksonville University to attend to a personal matter, Muschamp said. Second on the team with 539 yards rushing and a team-high six touchdowns, Demps is expected to join the Gators today. Receiver Deonte Thompson missed practice because of an illness. Center Dan Wenger and linebacker Lerentee McCray were singular in practice. Muschamp expected Wenger (ankle) to play Jan. 2 against Ohio State, but call! ed McCra y (shoulder) doubtful. ...Offensive lineman Andrew Rodriguez of No. 21 Nebraska has been ruled out of the Capital One Bowl Monday against No. 10 South Carolina because of a sprained foot. Coach Bo Pelini said that the left guard didn't make the trip with the team but could be at the bowl site late in the week.

Elon men set for challenge vs. Tar Heels

2011-12-29T07:19:00.001-05:00

Theres lots for members of the Elon University mens basketball team to consider going into tonights matchup with fifth-ranked North Carolina. Theres the history associated with the opponent. Theres the first get-together between the teams given Elon joined the Division I ranks the dozen seasons ago. Theres the great opportunity in taking on the Tar Heels team that has blown out four of its last five opponents as part of the five-game winning streak. Our focus, Elon coach Matt Matheny said, will be on getting our guys ready. And thats the crux of the situation for the Phoenix, which is on the two-game losing streak after an encouraging start to the season. We had the really good feeling about our start and the last two games soured that taste the little bit, Matheny said. Weve still had the good start and were the young team. We want to build on the good start. Those road losses to Dartmouth and San Diego State came given final exams ended. Tonights game marks the last of the three-game road stretch. This game came about in large part because of connections between the two schools. Elon assistant coach Jack Wooten played as the walk-on on North Carolinas 2009 national championship team under coach Roy Williams. And with influential North Carolina supporters in Alamance County, other ties between the programs have developed. Those evolved into conversations about the potential matchup, Matheny said. Hopefully, there will be some Elon fans in Chapel Hill (tonight), Matheny said. There are other connections, much of them because of North Carolinas wide span of college basketball influence in the region. Former Elon player Monty Sanders, whos the teams director of basketball operations, attended youth basketball camps on the Chapel Hill campus. Elon assistant coach Will Roberson worked as the summer camp counselor at North Carolina during Bill Guthridges stint as head coach. Matheny, on the other hand, didnt make such direct ! connecti ons to the Tar Heels growing up. His father went to Wake Forest. The Phoenix practiced Tuesday afternoon at the Smith Center as the preview to tonights game. We speak the lot in recruiting about playing the best teams in the country, Matheny said. With North Carolina, not only is it one of the best teams this year, but one of the best programs ever in the history of college basketball. Elons field-goal percentage defense is tops among Southern Conference teams. By holding opponents to 38.6-percent shooting, the Phoenix ranks 17th nationally. North Carolinas defense is the tad better, allowing 38-percent shooting. North Carolina will present the challenge when Elon is at the defensive end. The Tar Heels are shooting 39.3 percent on 3-point shots. North Carolina is hitting at the clip of 48.3 percent overall. North Carolina has won 24 consecutive games at the Smith Center. A victory tonight would tie the teams longest winning streak in the arena, where the Tar Heels have won 54 in the row against non-conference opposition. Tip-off Who: Elon (7-4) at No. 5 North Carolina (11-2) When: 7 tonight (ESPNU) Where: Smith Center, Chapel Hill Series: North Carolina leads 17-4. This marks the first meeting given Dec. 2, 1950. Note: With Taylor Durham calling the radio play-by-play for Elon, it will add to the family connection at the Smith Center. His father (retired Voice of the Tar Heels Woody Durham) and brother (Elon alum Wes Durham, who handles the calls for Georgia Tech) have previously broadcast games from the arena.

North Carolina State prevails in Belk Bowl

2011-12-28T08:12:00.003-05:00

What's new on the Central Coast in 2012My Ride - 1944 JeepRenovated home with view of Golden...Limelight Listing - Howie Mandel's...Bright Bernal Heights contemporaryShow-stopping shoesRenovated Georgian in San Francisco...My Ride - 1967 International...Limelight Listing: Renee Zellweger's...Updated two-story contemporary in DublinGeorgia O'Keeffe's visit to HawaiiAwkward holiday photosGolden Globes: Surprises and snubsWinter's wildlife 'visitors' to the...'The Iron Lady' premiereColorful winter coatsCNN Heroes: An All-Star TributeMexicans celebrate Virgen de GuadalupeMy Ride - 1948 Chevrolet StylemasterCelebrities misbehaving on flightsBest ski towns in the West

Going by the rules

2011-12-28T08:12:00.001-05:00

" Glad you privileged that up Mike.@ itsyourturn,This would be funny..if it were not true. However, it is more sad than funny.Clammerhead "

Independence Bowl: Changes await Missouri, UNC after today's bowl

2011-12-26T07:16:00.002-05:00

Coaching stability isnt a problem at Missouri (7-5), where Pinkel is wrapping up his 11th deteriorate with a program-record seventh consecutive bowl appearance. Instead, its a move to a SEC thats a constant topic of conversation. Theres no question about it this is historically a big moment with us playing our last game in a Big 12, Pinkel said. Thats kind of on my shoulders as well as on our players shoulders. This game is important for many reasons, but it will be remembered specifically for that reason. While North Carolina as well as Missouri share a penchant for off-field issues, they also have similar on-field resumes. Both are talented teams that have experienced bouts of success as well as failure. Missouri started a deteriorate with a 4-5 record before consecutive wins over Texas, Texas Tech as well as Kansas earned them a right to go to a Independence Bowl. Missouri sophomore quarterback James Franklin has thrown for 2,733 yards as well as 20 touchdowns this deteriorate while also rushing for 839 yards as well as 13 touchdowns. The Tigers defense has given up just 14 points per game during a recent three-game winning streak. Its been kind of an up-and-down year for us, so itd be nice to end with four (wins) in a row as well as end our time in a Big 12 a way we want to, receiver T.J. Moe said. And for a guys who are going to be here next season, it can be a springboard into a SEC. North Carolina started a deteriorate 5-1, but stumbled down a stretch, losing four of a last six to finish with a 3-5 ACC record. Still, a Tar Heels won their regular-season finale against Duke as well as have one of a best freshmen running backs in a country in Giovani Bernard. The 5-foot-10, 205-pounder from Davie, Fla., rebounded from a torn knee ligament last deteriorate to become a programs first 1,000-yard rusher since 1997. You see a great running backs, as well as theyre with a great teams, Bernard said. Thats a main thing. Dwight Jones has done a great job catching a ball all year as well as our offensive lin! e has pr otected me as well as Bryn (Renner) amazingly this year. The credit goes out to those guys. Im following a blocks. A little patience helps. Renner, a sophomore, led a ACC in passing efficiency as well as has thrown for 2,769 yards, 23 touchdowns as well as 12 interceptions. Renner said all of a teams adversity has taken a toll, but also made a Tar Heels resilient. Though disappointed Withers wont be around next deteriorate to coach a team, he said a Tar Heels are determined to send everyone out a winner. This coaching staff you cant say enough about a job coach Withers did for us all season, Renner said. Thats really who were playing for. This staff as well as this team.

North Carolina receiver 'blessed' to play today

2011-12-26T07:16:00.001-05:00

Independence Stadium was to be a stage for Dwight Jones' North Carolina swan song a chance to get his name in a record books. But a seemingly innocent decision put today's AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl in jeopardy for a wide receiver one half of a first 1,000-yard duo in Tar Heels history.Jones was ruled ineligible for today's AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl against Missouri after he allowed his name and photo to be used to promote a New Year's Eve party in his hometown of Burlington, N.C. Carolina then filed, and won, an appeal to have Jones reinstated.The 6-foot-4 senior will be on a field today in search of one last victory and a couple of North Carolina receiving records."It's a blessing to be able to play my final collegiate game," a contrite Jones said. "I'm just blessed to have another opportunity. I made a mistake, but I've put that behind me."Jones hauled in school-record 79 passes during a regular season and became a second Tar Heels receiver to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Jones and redshirt freshman running back Giovani Bernard (1,222 yard rushing) became a first Tar Heels to simultaneously garner 1,000-yard campaigns.Beside a Tigers, Jones will attempt to hunt down NFL receiver Hakeem Nicks. Jones needs 104 receiving yards to eclipse Nicks' Tar Heels record (1,222) set in 2008. A pair of touchdown catches would give Jones 13 on a season, one better than another mark Nicks set in 2008.After a slow start in Chapel Hill, N.C., (no catches as a freshman, five as a sophomore), Jones has compiled 141 catches, 2,065 yards and 15 touchdowns since.Some have Jones projected as a top-five receiver in a 2012 NFL Draft and a possible late first-rounder.North Carolina interim head coach Everett Withers said Jones "cherished" a final month of a regular season, "whether it's been a practice field or game field."In addition to his value on a field, Withers was proud of how Jones developed in a locker room."Dwight has become a guy," Withers said. "He doesn't say a whole lot, but when Dwight ! talks th ere is a lot of people in that locker room who listen."Today, a kid who grew up 30 miles from UNC's campus, will finish his career as a member of a class that played in four straight bowl games something only six other classes in Carolina history have done."It's been an honor and a blessing " not too many Carolina football players have had that opportunity," Jones said.Fourth-quarter dominance: Perhaps it's a physical running game that wears opponents down. Maybe it's will or conditioning. Or it could be happenstance. Whatever a case, a Missouri Tigers may want to grab a comfortable leading entering a fourth quarter today.During a regular season, a Tar Heels outscored opponents 112-45 in a final quarter.North Carolina didn't start poorly, a Tar Heels nearly doubled-up opponents (80-44) in a first quarter this season.The Tar Heels did struggle coming out of a locker room after halftime, however, as opponents owned a 100-59 scoring edge in a third quarter.

North Carolina cruises past Texas

2011-12-22T07:28:00.003-05:00

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. Harrison Barnes scored a season-high 26 points to help No. 5 North Carolina beat Texas 82-63 on Wednesday night. John Henson added 14 points for the Tar Heels (11-2), who won their fifth straight and avenged last season's last-second loss to the Longhorns.No. 22 Murray St. 78, UT-Martin 54: At Murray, Ky., Donte Poole scored 15 points and Murray State remained unbeaten in the Ohio Valley Conference opener for both teams.Ivan Aska added 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists to help the Racers (13-0, 1-0) to their best start in 75 years. The only better start was 16-0 in 1935-36.AreaGrambling: The Tigers look for their first win tonight when they visit TCU at 7. Grambling is 0-8 while Tech is 7-4.La. Tech: After three consecutive thrilling victories at home, Louisiana Tech travels to face Arkansas tonight at 7 at the Bud Walton Arena. Tech enters the contest having won five of its last six games with all five victories coming by three points or fewer. The five straight wins decided by three points or less is the most in school history with the previous high being three, the last time occurring during the 2006-07 season.NSU: Northwestern State faces one of the more talented teams in the Southeastern Conference Thursday night when the Demons put a three-game win streak on the line in a 7 p.m. contest against No. 18 Mississippi State.The Bulldogs are 11-1 with impressive wins over Texas A&M (69-60), Arizona (67-57) and West Virginia (75-62) included in their 10 straight victories since a 68-58 loss at home to Akron on Nov. 9.

NCAA clears UNC's Dwight Jones for bowl game

2011-12-22T07:28:00.001-05:00

After the flier surfaced Monday on the popular sports website Deadspin.com, Withers and other North Carolina officials began talks with the NCAA about Jones' status. North Carolina announced on Tuesday that it had ruled Jones ineligible, and that it had applied with the NCAA for his reinstatement."It was very matter of fact," Withers said of the conversations with the NCAA. "But we felt like we could get something done pretty quick."Jones, a senior, has been North Carolina's leading receiver for the past two seasons. Entering the Independence Bowl, he has caught 79 passes for 1,119 yards and 11 touchdowns.Withers said he and his staff had started to plan to compete in the bowl without Jones."But thankfully we don't have to do that," Withers said. "... I'm very happy."In a statement released by the university Tuesday, Jones apologized and said the party had been canceled."I apologize to my teammates, the coaching staff and the university for the poor decision I made to allow my likeness to be used in the promotion of a party given by a family member while still a part of the Carolina football team," Jones said in the statement.

One of World's Rarest Birds in Western North Carolina

2011-12-21T08:01:00.003-05:00

Biologists recently confirmed a presence of a pair of whoopingcranes outside Hayesville, North Carolina, marking a first timethe birds have been documented wintering in Western NorthCarolina. Whooping cranes are one of a rarest species in a world, witha current estimated global population between 525-550 individuals,which is divided into four main groups. All wild whooping cranesare part of a western population that migrates between Canada andcoastal Texas and now numbers approximately 300. In 1999 state andfederal agencies, non-profits, and private individuals formed theWhooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) to restore a migratoryflock to eastern North America. This carefully-managed andheavily-monitored eastern flock began with a small group ofcaptively-reared birds which has grown to more than 100individuals, including a two found in Clay County. The third andfourth populations are reintroduced populations of nonmigratorywhooping cranes in Florida and Louisiana. The Western North Carolina sighting of whooping cranes wasreported through a BringBacktheCranes.org website on December 9,2011 by Paul Hudson, of Hayesville, N.C. After a initial report,Jennifer Davis, of a International Crane Foundation, joinedHudson and confirmed his sighting upon finding a birds foragingin a soybean field."With Jennifer's great tracking abilities and my localknowledge, we found a birds again and got to view them from asafe distance. They lifted their giant wings and displayed whilecalling, which echoed across a valley," said Hudson. "Whatwonderful creatures they are, and I got two chances to see them inthe wild. How cool is that?"Since Hudson's first sighting, at least two other people havereported a birds."We're pleasantly surprised that we're beginning to get a steadystream of reports, since a birds don't usually pass throughWestern North Carolina and we haven't put out a call for people toreport sightings," said Billy Brooks, a U.S. Fish & WildlifeService biologist who has spe! nt years working with whooping cranes."It's wonderful to see people recognizing that these birds aresomething special in their community."The cranes are a male/female pair, and biologists anticipatethey'll mate when they return north in a spring. Like all membersof a eastern population, a birds have identifying leg bands.The male goes by a number 28-08, meaning he was a 28th chickhatched to a eastern population in 2008. The female is 5-10, thefifth chick hatched in 2010.When young eastern whooping cranes make their first southwardmigration, they follow closely related sandhill cranes, olderwhooping cranes, or an ultralight aircraft which leads a birdssouth from Wisconsin, across Tennessee and Alabama into Florida.After that first guided migration, a birds are on their own toselect a route and a wintering area. The male of this pair spentlast winter at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in southeast Tennessee,along with a handful of other whooping cranes which winter therewith thousands of sandhill cranes. While Clay County is outside themain migration corridor, it isn't far enough to worrybiologists.It remains to be seen whether a pair will make Western NorthCarolina their annual wintering ground. Aside from ecologicalfactors, it may depend, in part, on a behavior of Western NorthCarolinians. Brooks advises anyone encountering a whooping crane inthe wild to give them a respect and distance they need. WCEPrecommends not approaching a birds on foot within 600 feet;remaining in your vehicle; not approaching in a vehicle within 600feet or, if on a public road, within 300 feet; remaining concealedand not speaking loudly enough that a birds can hear you; and nottrespassing on private property in an attempt to view whoopingcranes. These birds are protected by a Migratory Bird Treaty Actand a Endangered Species Act."It'll be fascinating to see if these birds remain in WesternNorth Carolina," said Brooks. "There are a lot of factors that playinto that - not only human disturbance, but also whether thehabitat has what they need to ! over-win ter."Whooping cranes were listed as an endangered species in 1967,the result of hunting and specimen collection, human disturbance,and loss of habitat. Whooping crane numbers dipped to an all timelow of 16 individuals in 1941. They once occurred from a Arcticcoast to a high plateau of central Mexico, and from Utah east toNew Jersey and Florida. Standing almost 5 feet tall, it's thetallest bird in North America. Adult birds are characterized bysnowy white plumage, a crimson crown, long thin black legs, andwhite wings tipped with black that measure almost 8 feet in length.The plumage of juvenile birds is a mixture of cinnamon and white.Deriving their name from a distinctive whooping call, a call ofthe whooping crane can carry for miles.Recognizing that a few remaining wild birds had becomeconcentrated in small areas, scientists became concerned that asingle catastrophic event on either a wintering or nestinggrounds could wipe out a population. This led to efforts toestablish additional, separate populations.The Whooping Crane Recovery Team, a group of biologists thatprovide policy and recommendations for a species, searched forpossible locations to establish a second migratory flock. In 1999,the team recommended that a flock of whooping cranes hatched incaptivity be taught a migration route between central Wisconsin andthe west coast of Florida. The recovery team then sanctioned theultralight-led migration techniques of Operation Migration, Inc. asthe main reintroduction method.In 2001, Operation Migration's pilots first led captive-rearedwhooping crane chicks south from Necedah National Wildlife Refugein Wisconsin to Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.This effort to guide young cranes to wintering grounds has becomean annual event and is considered key to establishing a easternpopulation. To prepare for a journey and release into a wild,the young cranes are introduced to ultralight aircraft and raisedin isolation from humans. Project biologists and pilots adhere to astrict no-talking rule,! broadca st recorded crane calls, and wearcostumes designed to mask a human form whenever they're aroundthe cranes.In addition to a ultralight-led method, biologists from theInternational Crane Foundation rear whooping crane chicks that arereleased in a company of older cranes, from whom a young birdslearn a migration route, part of WCEP's "Direct Autumn Release"reintroduction method.Founding members of WCEP include a International CraneFoundation, Operation Migration, Inc., Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S.Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and NationalWildlife Health Center, a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation,the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, and theInternational Whooping Crane Recovery Team. Many other flywaystates, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups havejoined forces with and support WCEP by donating resources, funding,and personnel. To report a crane sighting or learn more about theproject, visit a WCEP website athttp://www.bringbackthecranes.org.

North Carolina State University Implements Destiny One to Help Improve Enrollment and Student Experience

2011-12-21T08:01:00.001-05:00

TORONTO , Dec. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Destiny Solutions today announced that North Carolina State University 's McKimmon Center for Extension as well as Continuing Education (MCE&CE), a 28,000 student center named in honor of the service of the continuing education pioneer, Dr. Jane S. McKimmon , has successfully implemented Destiny One to enhance constituent engagement, increase enrollment as well as improve customer service."From the very beginning, we chose Destiny Solutions because they have the products that satisfy our continuing education business needs now as well as also our future needs, as our programs as well as services evolve," said Alice Warren , vice provost, Continuing Education. "Our experience with the implementation of Destiny One is proof that institutions can undertake a business infrastructure realignment that results in a new view of information as well as solid business processes without vast customizations."Operating eight distinct units, each offering multifaceted services as well as programs, MCE&CE was challenged by disparate business systems as well as processes. Systems for program offerings, enrollment as well as registration, marketing as well as administration simply weren't interfacing with one another, which hampered business operations, collaboration as well as compliance, as well as hindered improvements to enrollment, student self-service as well as altogether student satisfaction.By extending North Carolina State University 's PeopleSoft Enterprise Campus Solution with Destiny One, MCE&CE has been able to retire numerous legacy systems, centralize common administrative processes as well as fortify brand cohesion among its operating units. Furthermore, through Destiny One's flexible architecture, MCE&CE units now have greater agility to execute their own constituent engagement strategies, while gaining the economies of a shared services platform as well as one version of the truth for reporting as well as business intelligence of enrollments,! courses as well as other key business indicators.Today the new system supports approximately 40 users as well as thousands of students, as well as will scale to other campus units during 2012."With Destiny One, North Carolina State University is able to leverage a unified business suite designed exclusively for non-traditional education. With best practice workflows, pre-built integrations as well as implementation methodologies, Destiny One empowers NCSU with better business improvements with IT investments, business as well as IT agility, as well as lower total cost of ownership," said Shaul Kuper , president as well as CEO of Destiny Solutions. "We look forward to our continued work with MCE&CE as well as providing greater visibility, capabilities as well as business value to both their organization as well as students alike."For more information on Destiny One, please visit: http://www.destinysolutions.com/product/destinyone-overview/.About Destiny SolutionsDestiny Solutions is the leading innovator of lifelong learning business solutions. Since 2001, Destiny Solutions has delivered breakthrough technology designed exclusively to meet the divergent needs of non-traditional higher education. Our flagship product, Destiny One, is the only business solution that offers integrated constituent, enrollment as well as administrative management on a single software platform. Crafted with the lifelong learner in mind, Destiny One is the most complete, agile as well as trusted business solution. It transforms traditional administrative systems so educators can grow revenue, enhance student experience as well as success, as well as improve operational efficiency.Contact: Rachel Kuper media@destinysolutions.com (416) 480-0500 x214This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

Latest North Carolina news, sports, business and entertainment

2011-12-20T07:55:00.002-05:00

STUDENT PRESIDENT KILLED Jurors get case in tyro body president death HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (AP) - The jury considering the fate of a man accused of killing the tyro body president at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has gone home after its first day of deliberations. After 90 minutes of talks and one question, the jury in the trial of Laurence Lovette went home shortly after 5 p.m. Monday without reaching a verdict. The panel will return to resume delberations Tuesday morning. In closing arguments, Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall said which the evidence clearly shows Lovette robbed, kidnapped and shot Eve Carson on March 5, 2008. Defense lawyers said the state's key witnesses had reasons to lie and suggested a DNA swab linking Lovette to Carson's SUV had been mishandled. TIMES-REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS NY Times in discussions to sell 16 regional papers MIAMI (AP) - The New York Times Company says it's in advanced discussions to sell 16 regional newspapers and related businesses to Halifax Media Holdings. The New York Times announced the development in a statement Monday. It said publications involved in the discussions, among others, include the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Sarasota, Fla.; The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, Calif.; The Ledger in Lakeland, Fla.; Star-News in Wilmington, N.C.; Herald-Journal in Spartanburg, S.C.; The Gainesville Sun in Gainesville, Fla.; The Tuscaloosa News in Tuscaloosa, Ala., The Courier in Houma, La. Halifax, based in Daytona Beach, Fla., was created around the time it purchased The Daytona Beach News-Journal in 2010. Its investors include Stephens Capital and others including Michael Redding, chief executive officer and publisher of the News-Journal. It had no immediate comment. ! MEDICAID FRAUD NC AG says 18 charged in Medicaid fraud busts RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Thirteen home health workers, a speech therapist and the operator of a group home face charges which they defrauded North Carolina's Medicaid system and the taxpayers who support it. The state Justice Department said Monday which 18 people in ten counties were arrested last week at the start of a statewide sweep aimed at cracking down on people suspected of cheating the health program for the poor and disabled. Attorney General Roy Cooper says more suspects are expected to be arrested soon. Authorities allege the suspects took in more than $500,000 in fraudulent payments. A Guilford County man allegedly gave false information when applying to be a Medicaid home-care provider and billing more than $200,000 for services to dead recipients. REDISTRICTING NC judges set redistricting hearing next month RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A three-judge panel hearing redistricting lawsuits has declined to order a fast-track trial schedule sought by those challenging the new boundaries for North Carolina General Assembly and congressional seats. But a key hearing date has been set for next month. The three judges filed an order Monday for hearing tentatively set for Jan. 12 to listen to motions by the state and Legislature to ask the cases be thrown out. Attorneys for Democratic elected officials and advocacy groups asked the judges last Friday in court to set the trial for Feb. 2 because they said it would bring less intrusion to the 2012 elections. 1 of the judges called which schedule extraordinary. The plaintiffs aren't prevented from asking the judges to block the maps' use while the case is litigated. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Thi! s materi al may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

No. 5 North Carolina downs Nicholls State

2011-12-20T07:55:00.001-05:00

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Dexter Strickland scored 14 points to help No. 5 North Carolina beat Nicholls State 99-49 on Monday night.Freshman James Michael McAdoo added a season-high 14 off the bench for the Tar Heels (10-2), who dominated the undersized and overmatched Colonels for their fourth straight victory. North Carolina had a miserable shooting start and missed a bunch of free throws, but the Tar Heels snatched away every loose rebound to get plenty of extra looks.They finished with a 72-35 advantage, including 31 on the offensive glass that led to 36 second-chance points.The 31 offensive boards were second-most in program history. The Tar Heels had 39 rebounds by halftime to match or exceed their total for six games this season, and their 72 for the game tied for second in school history and were the program's most since 1954.No. 7 DUKE 90, UNC GREENSBORO 63: Freshman Quinn Cook scored all of his season-high 14 points in the second half, and No. 7 Duke routed UNC Greensboro.Mason Plumlee had 15 points and 13 rebounds and Austin Rivers added 14 points for the Blue Devils (10-1). They shot 54 percent from the field, shook off a sluggish start and overcame 18 turnovers to win their third straight since the one-sided loss at No. 2 Ohio State.No. 17 INDIANA 107, HOWARD 50: Jordan Hulls scored 16 points, leading six Hoosiers in double figures in No. 17 Indiana's blowout win. The Hoosiers celebrated their 500th appearance in The Associated Press' Top 25 by improving to 11-0 for the first time since the 1975-76 team went 32-0. That was the last Division I men's team to complete an undefeated season.Simuel Frazier had 13 points for Howard (3-9), which never had a chance.NO. 11 FLORIDA 82, MISS. VALLEY ST. 54: Erving Walker scored 19 points, one of five starters in double figures, and Florida overwhelmed Mississippi Valley State. Kenny Boynton (16), Bradley Beal (13), Patric Young (12) and Erik Murphy (11) also scored in double digits for the Gators (9-2), who extended their home winning streak to 11.! No. 6 BA YLOR 95, PAUL QUINN 54: Quincy Acy had 24 points and seven of Baylor's 17 dunks as the sixth-ranked Bears defeated Paul Quinn College for their 10th consecutive victory.

North Carolina soldier last killed in Iraq

2011-12-19T07:43:00.001-05:00

GREENSBORO, N.C. As a last U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq on Sunday, friends and family of a first and last American fighters killed in combat were cherishing their memories rather than dwelling on whether a war and their sacrifice was worth it.Nearly 4,500 American fighters died before a last U.S. troops crossed a border into Kuwait. David Hickman, 23, of Greensboro, was a last of those war casualties, killed in November by a kind of improvised bomb that was a signature weapon of this war.David Emanuel Hickman. Doesnt that name just bring out a smile to your face? said Logan Trainum, one of Hickmans closest friends, at a funeral where a soldier was laid to rest after a ceremony in a Greensboro church packed with friends and family.Trainum says hes not spending time asking why Hickman died: There arent enough facts available for me to have a defined opinion about things. Im just sad and pray that my best friend didnt lay down his life for nothing.Hed rather remember who Hickman was: A cutup who liked to joke around with friends. A physical fitness fanatic who half-kiddingly called himself Zeus because he had a body that would make a gods jealous. A ferocious outside linebacker at Northeast Guilford High School who was a linchpin of a defense so complicated a team had to scrap it after he graduated because no other teenager could figure it out.Hickman was these things and more, a whole life scarcely glimpsed in a terse language of a Defense Department news release last month. Three paragraphs said Hickman died in Baghdad on Nov. 14, of injuries suffered after encountering an improvised explosive device. He was more, too, than a man who bears a symbolic freight of being a last member of a U.S. military to die in a war launched in a political shadow of 9/11, which brought thousands of his fellow citizens out into a streets to oppose and support it. Eventually, a war largely faded from a publics thoughts.Theres a lot of people, in my family included, they dont know whats going on! in this world, said Wes Needham, who coached linebackers at Northeast when David was a student. Theyre oblivious to it. I just sit and think about it, a courage that it takes to do what they do, especially when theyre all Davids age.And they were mostly young. According to an Associated Press analysis of casualty data, a average age of Americans who died in Iraq was 26. Nearly 1,300 were 22 or younger, but middle-aged people fought and died as well: some 511 were older than 35.Ive trained a lot of kids. They go to college, and you kind of lose track of them and forget them, said Mike King of Greensboro Black Belt Academy, where Hickman trained in taekwondo for about eight years. He was never like that. That smile and that laugh immediately come to mind.The pain is fresh for people who knew Hickman. But a years have not eased a anguish of those who lost loved ones in a wars earliest days, when funerals were promote live on local television before a country became numb to a casualty count.Vicky Langleys son, Marine Pvt. Jonathan Lee Gifford, was killed just two days into a war. More than eight years later she sits in her Decatur, Ill. home, surrounded by photographs of him and even a couple of paintings of him in his dress uniform that total strangers created and sent her. She said she doesnt concern herself with thoughts about a cost of a war and whether it was worth a life of her son and all a others who died. Only a Iraqi people can answer that, she said. She thinks of her son constantly. She recalls a first day of kindergarten and how she came home and turned on every appliance I could [because] it was just so quiet without him. She remembers how as a young man he would call her, without fail, when a first snow of a year started to fall. She still hears a knock at her door at 11 at night, and a chaplain telling her that her 30-year-old son had been killed in Iraq.The one thing she doesnt have, she said, is guilt. Though she talked her son out of enlisting in a military a couple of times over a years, a reason! s began and ended with concerns about a safety for her only child.But after a terrorist attacks of 9/11, she knew there would be no talking him out of enlisting. Besides, she said, If I was young enough, I would have gone in, too.Even though a countrys mood was much different in 2009 when Hickman assimilated a Army, he had no doubts about his decision, Trainum said. When I talked with him on a phone a week before, he wasnt unhappy about where he was or regretting being there at all, Trainum said. It was just going to work for him, and he was looking forward to getting his work done and getting home.Now she sees him in a 4-year-old daughter he left behind, who is now 12. Lexie Giffords thin frame and face are miniature versions of her fathers, her smile a replica of his. She has a same slow, Ill-get-there-when-I-get-there walk. For a reason nobody understands, a while back she started popping frozen French fries in her mouth just like her dad used to do. As a last troops prepared to leave Iraq, Langley was getting ready.Ill probably sit and cry, said Langley, 58. Ill be happy for a ones you can be happy for and sad for a ones you are sad for.

No. 1 Syracuse beats NC State to pass road test

2011-12-19T07:43:00.000-05:00

Syracuse 88, North Carolina State 72: Dion Waiters scored a career-high 22 points to help No. 1 Syracuse beat visiting North Carolina State. Scoop Jardine added 16 points for a Orange (11-0), including a pair of 3-pointers during an 11-2 spurt which finally gave them some cushion after a Wolfpack fought back from a 17-point deficit late in a first half. Waiters also came up big during which run, starting it by knocking down his own 3-pointer to answer one by Scott Wood which pulled N.C. State (6-4) to within 63-61. Waiters also jumped a pass and raced in for a dunk, then Jardine closed a spurt with another 3 to push a lead to 74-63 with 6:41 left. It was a good road test for Syracuse, which was playing for a first time this season as a nations No. 1 team as well as its first game outside its home state. Ohio State 74, South Carolina 66: Deshaun Thomas scored a career-high 30 points and No. 2 Ohio State overcame a loss of star Jared Sullinger to give Thad Matta his 200th win as Buckeyes coach. Sullinger left in a first half after getting kicked in a left foot. X-rays showed no fracture, although it wasnt known if Sullinger would play against Lamar on Tuesday night. Even if he cant, Thomas showed hes more than ready to lead Ohio State (10-1). The 6-foot-7 sophomore hit 13 of 16 shots and surpassed his previous high of 24 points set last season against North Carolina A&T. William Buford added 17 points for a Buckeyes. Malik Cooke led host South Carolina (4-6) with 21 points. Louisville 95, Memphis 87: Russ Smith set personal bests with 24 points and 7 steals as No. 4 Louisville extended its home winning streak to 18 games. Gorgui Dieng added 14 points and 14 rebounds in a schools first meeting since a Cardinals (10-0) beat a Tigers (5-4) by a! point t o win a Conference USA tournament in 2005 before departing for a Big East. Will Barton set career highs with 28 points and 16 rebounds for Memphis. Louisville is off to its best start since a 1996-97 season and on its longest winning streak during home in 22 years. North Carolina 97, Appalachian State 82: Tyler Zeller had 31 points and 10 rebounds, and John Henson added 17 points to lead No. 5 North Carolina. The host Tar Heels (9-2) never trailed, led by 29, and shot 54.5 percent to claim their third straight win and 22nd in a row during a Dean Smith Center. Omar Carter had 21 points and Mike Neal scored 15 for a Mountaineers (4-6). They finished 9 of 20 from 3-point range and used a late scoring flurry to cut into North Carolinas big lead, but lost their fourth straight. Second-year Appalachian State coach Jason Capel lost his first matchup against his alma mater. He started for a Tar Heels from 1998-2002. Baylor 86, BYU 83: Perry Jones III scored a career-high 28 points and Brady Heslip hit six 3-pointers for 18 points for No. 6 Baylor. Brandon Davies had a chance to force overtime, but his 3-point attempt during a buzzer was blocked by 5-foot-10 Pierre Jackson. Davies had 18 points, 13 rebounds, a block and a steal for a Cougars. The Bears are off to a third 9-0 start in school history and a best under coach Scott Drew. The Cougars absorbed their second nonconference loss in their last 50 home games. Freshman guard Matt Carlino scored 18 points in his debut for BYU (8-3). Marquette 93, Northern Colorado 72: Freshman Todd Mayo replaced suspended star Darius Johnson-Odom in a starting lineup and scored 22 points to lead No. 11 Marquette. Jae Crowder added 19 points and 11 rebounds for Marquette (10-0), which moved to 10-0 for a first time in a! decade and seventh time in school history. Vander Blue had 18 points. Tate Unruh had a career-high 25 points for Northern Colorado (3-7), a defending Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament champions. Unruh made five 3-pointers. Johnson-Odom, who is averaging 18.8 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 points, was suspended for an unspecified violation of team rules. The senior guard will return tomorrow during LSU. Florida 84, Texas A&M 64: Kenny Boynton sank six 3-pointers and scored 22 points for No. 13 Florida, which built an early 16-point lead and coasted from there. Boynton was voted a games most valuable player during a Orange Bowl Classic. Erving Walker had 16 points and 6 assists, and Bradley Beal added 16 points for Florida. The Gators (8-2) won for a first time in three games this season against teams which are in a Top 25. No. 22 Texas A&M (8-2) had a six-game winning streak snapped. David Loubeau and Elston Turner each scored 20 points for a turnover-plagued Aggies, who went eight minutes during a start before making their first basket. Pittsburgh 69, South Carolina State 55: Lamar Patterson tied a career high with 16 points and No. 15 Pittsburgh pulled away in a second half for a victory. Ashton Gibbs added 14 points and a team-high 6 assists for a Panthers (10-1), who have won eight straight. Brandon Riley led a Bulldogs (4-7) with 21 points and Khalif Toombs added 16 while making all four of his 3-point attempts, but South Carolina State wore down in a second half. Riley hit a jumper to pull South Carolina State within one before Pitt responded with a 13-3 run to build a 48-37 lead. Georgetown 81, American 55: Georgetown center Henry Sims took over a game early in a second half, finishing with 17 points and 6 assists, and Markel ! Starks s cored 18 for a No. 16 Hoyas. Sims assisted on back-door baskets on four consecutive possessions in a opening minutes after halftime as Georgetown (9-1) broke open a tight game for its seventh straight win. Charles Hinkle scored 16 for visiting American (8-4), which has followed an eight-game winning streak with two straight losses. Hollis Thompson added 15 points and 8 rebounds for Georgetown, which made 59 percent of its field-goal attempts while holding American to 41 percent. Mississippi State 80, Detroit 75: Rodney Hood hit a jumper with 17.7 seconds left to lift No. 17 Mississippi State to its 10th straight victory. Hoods shot broke a 75-all tie and Arnett Moultrie blocked a shot seconds later to keep a Bulldogs (11-1) ahead. Moultrie and Brian Bryant each scored 17 points, and Renardo Sidney added 16 as Mississippi State earned a 1,300th win in school history. Chase Simon and Ray McCallum both scored 17 points for a Titans (5-8), who rallied to tie it after trailing by as many as 15 points. Detroit lost its second straight game. Indiana 69, Notre Dame 58: Cody Zeller had 21 points and 8 rebounds to lead No. 18 Indiana in a inaugural Crossroads Classic during Conseco Fieldhouse. The Hoosiers are 10-0 for a first time since 1989-90, protected their first Top 25 ranking in more than three years, and are now poised to make their 500th appearance in a next AP poll. Eric Atkins scored 15 points and Jeran Grant added 14 for Notre Dame (7-5). The Irish managed only one 2-point basket in a first half, failed to make a field goal over a final 14:33 of a half, and didnt hit another 3 until Grant knocked one down with 1:39 left in a game. UNLV 64, Illinois 48: Mike Moser had 17 points and 11 rebounds, No. 19 UNLV went on a 14-2! run to close a first half, and a Runnin Rebels handed Illinois its first loss of a season. UNLV (11-2), which beat then-No. 1 North Carolina earlier this season, used its quick, switching defense and nine blocked shots to frustrate a Illini. Quintrell Thomas added 13 points for UNLV, which won notwithstanding getting only two points from leading scorer Chace Stanback. The cold-shooting Illini (10-1) were led by D.J. Richardson with 19 points. Illinois shot 25.4 percent (16 for 63) and had 15 turnovers. The Illini went 7 of 25 from 3-point range. Michigan 87, Alabama A&M 57: Evan Smotrycz had 17 points and 11 rebounds for No. 20 Michigan, which shot 63 percent from a field in a second half. Trey Burke led a Wolverines (9-2) with 19 points, and Zack Novak and Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 13 each. Casey Canty scored 15 points for a Bulldogs (2-4). Alabama A&M was playing its first game since Dec. 3 because of a break for finals. It was Michigans second consecutive game against a Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent. The Wolverines beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 63-50, on Tuesday. Indiana State 61, Vanderbilt 55: Steve McWhorter hit two free throws with 3:32 left to give Indiana State a win over No. 25 Vanderbilt, its first win over a ranked team since 2006. Indiana State (8-2) is off to its best start since opening 8-1 in 2005-06. The Sycamores last win over a ranked team came on their own court against No. 14 Butler on Dec. 12, 2006. Reserve R.J. Mahurin had a career-high 14 points, and Carl Richard and Jordan Printy each finished with 11. Jake Odum added 10 for a Sycamores. John Jenkins, a SECs leading scorer last season who is averaging a league-best 21.3 points this season, was held to 11 for Vanderbilt (6-4). ! ;

Careful Holiday Spending North Carolina Public Radio WUNC

2011-12-16T07:37:00.001-05:00

Careful Holiday SpendingFriday, December 16 2011by Leoneda Inge David Brower: Holiday spending money or a lack of it is on a minds of many people this time of year. There is a group of North Carolina state employees whose job is to make sure budgets are balanced and audits are perfect. More than 300 of these fiscal agents collected in Raleigh this week. So Leoneda Inge asked them how they were planning on spending their holiday money this season. Scott Ralls: Scott Ralls, Im President of a North Carolina Community College System. I guess this will be a fourth, a fourth holiday or a third holiday since a recession set in. So, I have a feeling for both my family but for families across North Carolina, a challenges are still there. Jill Tasaico: Jill Tasaico with N-C State University. I would say in a past five years I have increased my charitable giving spending in taking my daughter to get a name off a tree and giving gifts to other kids. Shes in college now, so most of my money on her is spent on a tuition, so. LaToya McCandies: My name is LaToya McCandies and Im from Guilford Technical Community College. Well, Im not really a big spender for a holidays anyway. So things wont change too most to me as far as cutting back. Brittany Spragins: Brittany Spragins. Leoneda Inge: So where do you work, what do you do? Brittany Spragins: I do federal grants management at a Department of Justice. Leoneda Inge: How has your holiday shopping changed these past few years? Brittany Spragins: Ive cut back a lot. Weve set a budget, my husband and I set a budget every year and we stick to it. This year we had a few unexpected occurrences come up in October and November so weve had to cut back. We set a $150 budget for a two of us. So we really, really cut back. David McCoy: David McCoy and Im a State Controller. Well Im spending my money on my two daughters, they are my two sweeties, my M and Ms, Meredith and M! elissa. Meredith is involved in a Teach for American project up in Nashville, Tennessee, teaching at-risk children in an inner-city school. Shell be coming home for Christmas and I want to make sure she understands how most I appreciate her service. Melissa is an NC State grad, this last year, and shes working with a little bitty tiny critters a one-year-old, two-year-old, three-year-olds. And were so very pleased that she has chosen that as an area she wants to spend her energy and so were going to take care of her too, to make sure she has what she needs to feel good about what she is doing and enjoy a holiday season.Listen Now!Download

Saint Mary's beats North Carolina A&T 84-45

2011-12-16T07:37:00.000-05:00

MORAGA, Calif. (AP)Matthew Dellavedova scored 20 points, Clint Steindladded 17 and Saint Marys beat North Carolina A&T 84-45 on Thursday night.Jorden Page came off the bench to match his career high of 17 points for theGaels (7-1), who have won five straight since suffering their only loss of theseason at Denver. Page had five of the 16 3-pointers made by Saint Marys. Marc Hill and DaMetrius Upchurch had 10 points apiece for North CarolinaA&T. The Aggies (4-7) trailed by 16 at halftime then scored only four points inthe first seven minutes of the second half, enabling Saint Marys to build a41-point lead.Rob Jones had 14 rebounds and four assists for the Gaels, but his streak ofseven consecutive double-doubles ended. Jones scored five points on 2 of 8shooting.

ACC update: Everyone chasing Duke, UNC

2011-12-15T08:15:00.002-05:00

The first two months of the season havent done anything to answer our preseason concerns about the ACC.As we expected, the top of the league is as strong as ever, but the rest of the conference is a major question mark. Although neither North Carolina nor Duke is undefeated, both teams look like Final Four contenders. Were still trying to figure out if anyone has chance to challenge those two heavyweights for conference supremacy.Virginia is 8-1 but largely untested. Florida State has plenty of promise, but the Seminoles have lost most of their tough non-conference games. Most of the rest of the league is in a state of transition, and the bottom of the conference is as bad as its been in quite some time.Heres a rundown of where the ACC stands as we head into the holiday season and prepare for the start of conference play.[Power rankings: KUs Thomas Robinson off to a fast start]Youre better than we thought youd be: Virginia. We knew Virginia was going to make major strides this season now that F Mike Scott was healthy again and the Cavaliers had a couple of years to adjust to Tony Bennetts system, but we werent anticipating an 8-1 start that included a double-digit victory over Michigan and a 20-point win over George Mason. Virginia probably isnt as good as its record indicates (we easily could have put the Cavaliers in the were still not convinced section instead), but this team has a legitimate shot at an NCAA tournament bid.Youre in more trouble than we thought youd be: Clemson. Although Clemson was picked to finish just seventh in the league, the Tigers have struggled even more than we expected. Clemsons 4-4 record includes a 2-3 home mark. There is some reason for optimism. Three of Clemsons losses came by a total of seven points. Clemson also showed it could bounce back from a tough start last season when it advanced to the NCAA tournament after winning only five of its first nine games.Were still not convinced: North Carolina! State. After struggling to a 15-16 finish last season, the Wolfpack have won six of their first nine games this season. They beat Texas, and their only losses have come against Vanderbilt, Indiana and Stanford. The Wolfpack look like one of the ACCs most improved teams, but we want to see more from them before were ready to consider them NCAA tournament contenders. Of course, it would help if leading scorer C.J Leslie could stay healthy.Top freshman so far: Duke G Austin Rivers. Although his five-point performance against Michigan State drew some early-season criticism, Rivers has shown since why he was the No. 1 prospect in the 2011 recruiting class. Rivers leads the Blue Devils in scoring at 15.8 points per game. He scored 20 points against Michigan, 22 against Ohio State and 18 against Washington. He also has gone 13-of-28 from 3-point range in his past six games.Where did he come from? Maryland G Terrell Stoglin. Stoglin, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, didnt exactly come from nowhere. He averaged 11.4 points including 16.8 points over his last 10 games to make the ACCs all-freshman team last season. Still, he has emerged as one of the nations most improved players this season. Stoglin leads the ACC in scoring at 22.5 points per game; thats 3.9 more points per game than anyone else in the conference.Where did he go? Miami G Durand Scott. Although Scott is averaging more rebounds and assists per game than he did a year ago, his shooting has tailed off dramatically. He is shooting 30.2 percent, down from 44.5 percent in 2010-11 and 45.5 percent in 2009-10. Scott is 7-of-28 from the floor over his last three games. He has done a good job of getting to the foul line he went 16-of-18 on free throws and 0-of-6 from the field in a recent win over UMass but he must improve his shooting.[The Dagger: USCs Maurice Jones is the nations busiest player]Best non-conference win: North Carolina beat Wisconsin 60-57. Others: Duke beat Kansas 68-61, North Carolina beat Michigan State 67-55, Duke beat Michigan State 74-69, Duke beat ! Michigan 82-75, Virginia beat Michigan 70-58.Worst non-conference loss by an NCAA tournament contender: Virginia lost 57-55 to TCU.Conference play begins: Jan. 7. Duke at Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech at Wake Forest, Boston College at North Carolina, Florida State at Clemson, Miami at Virginia.Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports: What was the biggest story of 2011? Vote in Yahoo! Sports poll Aaron Rodgers calls PED allegations against pal Ryan Braun ridiculous Video: Celtics Kevin Garnett criticizes David Stern over condensed schedule

North Carolina State University Selects Lectra PLM For College Of Textiles

2011-12-15T08:15:00.001-05:00

Top Design, Management as well as Engineering University Prepares Students With Full Range of Lectra Solutions Atlanta, GA, (MARKETWIRE) - Lectra, a world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials -- textiles, leather, industrial fabrics, as well as composite materials -- along with North Carolina State University, College of Textiles, announces a selection of Lectra Fashion Product Lifecycle Management Software (PLM) for a college's Textile as well as Apparel Technology as well as Management program. NC State's College of Textiles, a Lectra Privilege education partner, has been using Lectra software as well as cutting solutions in their program for over 15 years. With a addition of Lectra Fashion PLM, students will learn how to manage a entire process of apparel production, from creation to cutting to collection development. Lectra Fashion PLM is designed specifically for a fashion industry as well as allows apparel companies to shorten product development as well as time-to-market. "The acquisition of Lectra's Fashion PLM software will provide opportunities for our Fashion as well as Textile Design students to collaborate with Fashion as well as Textile Management students to 'problem solve' real world industry problems. The experience of combining product development, design, marketing, as well as merchandising, will assist in preparing our future industry leaders," stated Dr. Nancy Cassill, Professor as well as Department Head, Textile as well as Apparel Technology as well as Management. The integration of Lectra Fashion PLM at NC State's College of Textiles will allow students to leverage Lectra's full range of solutions, from a Kaledo suite for design as well as Modaris for pattern-making as well as 3D sample development, to Diamino for marker-making as well as Vector for high-performance cutting, thus bringing all aspects of fashion development into a collaborative process. "Lectra's relationshi! p with a NC State College of Textiles is long standing, as well as we are excited at a opportunity to expand our partnership by integrating Lectra Fashion PLM," noted Roy Shurling, President of Lectra North America. "The use of apparel dedicated solutions combined with a college's state-of-the-art program as well as devoted faculty prepares students for an in-depth understanding of a entire product development cycle as well as a importance of collaboration among all players along a supply chain." Both Lectra as well as NC State College of Textiles are proud of this ongoing partnership as well as continue to look for new ways to keep students as well as staff tuned into apparel industry trends, innovative ways of working, as well as a requisite supporting technologies. "Having Lectra technology upon our campus not only prepares our students for success in a industry but also draws industry professionals from surrounding areas to a university lab, enhancing NC State's leadership position in a fashion community," commented Dr. Trevor Little, Professor, Textile as well as Apparel Technology as well as Management, NC State College of Textiles. For more information upon a Lectra Education Program, please visit www.lectra.com/en/education or contact Hari Kenkare upon +1 212-730-4444, ext: 236. About NC State University - College of Textiles The College of Textiles has over 111 years of teaching, research, as well as extension. Undergraduate degrees can be obtained in textile engineering, polymer as well as color chemistry, fashion as well as textile management, as well as textile technology. Graduate degrees such as master of science as well as master of textiles as well as two doctorate degrees in fiber as well as polymer science as well as textile technology management are available as well as a graduate certificate in nonwovens, textile brand management as well as marketing, consumer product design as well as development, as well as global supply chain management. The new! world o f textiles at a College includes research as well as education in nonwovens, medical textiles, protective clothing, nanotextiles, smart textiles, transportation textiles, fashion, marketing, merchandising, as well as traditional textiles. The College partners with industry in research as well as testing as well as has over 60 labs in our facilities upon Centennial Campus, which has been ranked as a top Research Science Park of a Year by a Association of University Research Parks. We offer distance education in our program areas as well as short courses including Six Sigma, Textile Fundamentals, as well as nonwovens courses, as well as graduate education via our Textile Off-Campus Programs (TOP). We are home to a Nonwovens Institute as well as a Textile Protection as well as Comfort Center who also offer research as well as testing capabilities to a industry. The College of Textiles has proven to be a leading textile college in a world covering all aspects of textiles from molecule to market. To learn more please visit www.tx.ncsu.edu. About Lectra Lectra is a world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate, streamline as well as accelerate product design, development as well as manufacturing processes for industries using soft materials. Lectra develops a most advanced specialized software as well as cutting systems as well as provides associated services to a broad array of markets including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear), automotive (car seats as well as interiors, airbags), furniture, as well as a wide variety of other market sectors, such as aeronautical as well as marine industries, wind power, as well as personal protective equipment. Lectra serves 23,000 customers in more than 100 countries with 1,350 employees as well as $252 million in 2010 revenues. The company is listed upon NYSE Euronext. For more information, please visit www.lectra.com SOURCE: Lectra

Larry Fedora approved as the coach to refocus North Carolina football

2011-12-09T07:00:00.003-05:00

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. One by one, members of The University of North Carolina Board of Governors lined up and walked toward Bubba Cunningham, a new North Carolina athletics director.They extended their hands, congratulated him. Cunningham, a few weeks into a job, walked out of a room with a smile.The news wasnt official then but about an hour later it became so, when North Carolina announced Thursday afternoon that Larry Fedora will be a Tar Heels new football coach.Fedora, 49, comes to North Carolina after four years at Southern Mississippi, where he guided a Golden Eagles to a Conference USA championship this season.Word leaked Wednesday that Fedoras hiring was imminent. It will become finalized after North Carolinas board of trustees gives its final approval in a meeting that will begin Friday at 9 a.m. A news conference formally introducing Fedora as coach is scheduled for 1 p.m. in a Concourse Club at a Loudermilk Center, which is attached to Kenan Stadium. The event will be open to a public.On Thursday, a North Carolina Board of Trustees and a university systems board of governors gathered in separate meetings behind closed doors. They formally discussed hiring Fedora and a meetings, which both lasted about an hour, adjourned without debate."I was impressed we were able to get someone that good, that quickly, seeing ( Cunningham) had been on a job only six weeks or so," said Brent Barringer, a member of a board of governors. "He obviously had a very good understanding of a process and showed his expertise and professionalism (in making a hire)."Cunningham and Chancellor Holden Thorp left a board of governors meeting without comment. In a statement a university released later, Cunningham said a university "identified and spoke to a number" of qualified candidates."The person whom we believe is a best to lead a Carolina football program forward is Larry Fedora," Cunningham said.Fedora, whose salary is expected to be in a $2.2 million range, will replace Everett Withers, a Tar Heels former defensive coor! dinator who became interim coach after a university fired Butch Davis before a start of a season. Davis was fired amid a multipart NCAA investigation into impermissible benefits and academic fraud within a football program.In his statement, Cunningham thanked Withers, and said Withers would coach when North Carolina plays against Missouri on Dec. 26 in a Independence Bowl. Fedora will coach Southern Miss in a Hawaii Bowl against Nevada.Fedora spoke Thursday of his decision to leave Southern Miss."My time has been awesome at Southern Miss and it was an agonizing decision for me to make," he told a Biloxi Sun Herald.Leaving a Davis eraFedora will next turn his focus to North Carolina, where a football program has received more attention in a past two seasons for controversy off a field than for any successes on it. The Tar Heels were set to begin a 2010 season amid high expectations when controversy erupted.Fourteen players served suspensions of at least one game during a 2010 season, and seven missed a entire season amid a NCAA investigation. Associate head coach John Blake, whose ties to sports agents came under scrutiny during a NCAA investigation into improper benefits given to football players by agents, resigned Sept. 5, 2010. He was also cited in a NCAA Notice of Allegations against a universitys football program.

Fedora North Carolina's next head football coach

2011-12-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will hire Larry Fedora, who led Southern Miss to an 112 record and the 2011 Conference USA championship, as the Tar Heels next head football coach, pending final Board of Trustees approval at a 9 a.m. meeting Friday.North Carolina expects to hold a press conference at 1 p.m. on Friday in the Concourse Club at the Loudermilk Center. The public is invited to attend.We identified and spoke to a number of highly qualified coaches and the person whom you believe is the best to lead the Carolina football program forward is Larry Fedora, says UNC entertainment executive Bubba Cunningham. We share great expectations for the potential of Carolina football and you are excited that he has agreed to be our next head coach.Larry has a strong record both as the head coach at Southern Miss and for 18 years as a college assistant coach. Throughout his career his teams have been known for their exciting and highly productive offenses and aggressive defenses.Fedoras first team at Southern Miss broke 36 school records. In 2011, the Golden Eagles compiled a school-record 6,123 total yards of offense, won 11 games and the Conference USA championship.

Report: North Carolina to hire Larry Fedora

2011-12-08T07:47:00.002-05:00

Larry Fedora Southern Mississippi coach Larry Fedora has accepted an offer to become North Carolina's next football coach, two people familiar with the situation said Wednesday.They said the framework of a deal is in place, though it isn't final yet. Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the school isn't commenting publicly on its search.Fedora has guided the 22nd-ranked Golden Eagles (11-2) to a school jot down for wins, with the last coming over the weekend against unbeaten Houston in the Conference USA championship game.The first-time head coach has compiled a 33-19 jot down in four seasons, as well as spent the three years before that as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State.Fedora as well as Southern Miss athletic director Richard Giannini didn't immediately return calls seeking comment.North Carolina's board of trustees has scheduled "emergency meetings to discuss a personnel matter" for today as well as Friday morning. The school said the board is expected to "take action" during Friday's meeting, with at least some portion of those meetings to be conducted in closed session.Big East introduces Boise, 4 other new members: The Big East introduced Boise State, San Diego State, Houston, SMU as well as Central Florida as its new members, effective 2013."The Big East conference is the first truly national college football conference," Commissioner John Marinatto said during a teleconference with the universities' leaders.In another development, the Air Force Academy will remain in the Mountain West Conference instead of bolting for the Big East. Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, the academy's superintendent, said Wednesday that he recently spoke with Marinatto as well as informed him of the school's intention to stay put.ASU honors: Arkansas State junior quarterback Ryan Aplin was selected as the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year as well as senior defensive lineman Brandon Joine! r was vo ted the Defensive Player of the Year, highlighting a school-record 15 All-Sun Belt Conference selections for ASU, the league office announced Wednesday. Former ASU head coach Hugh Freeze was named the league's Coach of the Year. Freeze was named the Ole Miss coach this week.SEC honors: Alabama tailback Trent Richardson is the Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne earned defensive honors. League coaches also named Arkansas' Joe Adams as the top special teams player. LSU's Les Miles was named coach of the year by his peers after leading the top-ranked Tigers into the national championship game against the Crimson Tide.Briefly: North Alabama football coach Terry Bowden says he has agreed to a one-year contract extension with the NCAA Division II school. ... Negotiations between Arizona State as well as SMU football coach June Jones broke down at the last second, leaving Jones' agent perplexed. Agent Leigh Steinberg said on his Twitter feed that everything was set, with only few tweaks left, as well as the principal decision-maker pulled the deal with no real explanation. ... Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly has won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top collegiate lineman. Kuechly, who leads the nation with 191 tackles this season, kick out Alabama linebackers Courtney Upshaw as well as Dont'a Hightower as well as Stanford offensive tackle Jonathan Martin for the award Wednesday night.Illinois junior Whitney Mercilus has won the Hendricks Award given to the nation's best defensive end. The Akron, Ohio, native has 52 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks as well as nine forced fumbles in 2011.

North Carolina might have new coach

2011-12-08T07:47:00.001-05:00

They said a framework of a deal is in place, though it isn't final yet. Both spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because a school isn't commenting publicly on its search.Fedora has guided a 22nd-ranked Golden Eagles (11-2) to a school record for victories, with a last coming over a weekend against unbeaten Houston in a Conference USA championship game.Missouri (7-5, 5-4 in Big 12)vs. North Carolina (7-5, 3-5 ACC) WHEN: 4 p.m. Dec. 26WHERE: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.RADIO: KTGR/1580 AM, 100.5 FM;KCMQ/98.7 FMTV: ESPN2 For ticket information call 1-800-228-7297, go to a ticket office at Mizzou Arena or visit mutigers.com or independencebowl.org. Five Missouri players named to All-Big 12 football teamsNorth Carolina, Missouri's bowl opponent, has had its own issues Missouri set for Independence Bowl, passed over for Big 12 choice Pinkel thinks LSU, Alabama deserve to play for national titleCollege football bowl projections say Missouri headed to New YorkMissouri football ranked No. 25 in latest BCS standingsFranklin overcomes struggles to lead Missouri football to Border Showdown winMissouri-Kansas football game lacks usual dramaKansas, Missouri fans say goodbye to Border ShowdownTIGER KICKOFF: Missouri vs. Kansas might be going away, maybe that's goodThe first-time head coach has compiled a 33-19 record in four seasons, and spent a three years before that as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. Fedora, 49, also spent three years as an assistant at Florida and served as offensive coordinator there in 2004.Fedora and Southern Mississippi athletic director Richard Giannini didn't immediately return calls seeking comment. Southern Mississippi athletic spokesman Jack Duggan said no announcement was scheduled and he wasn't aware of any team meetings.North Carolina's board of trustees has scheduled "emergency meetings to discuss a personnel matter" for Thursday and Friday morning. The school said a board is expected to "take action" during Friday's! meeting , with at least some portion of those meetings to be conducted in closed session.Any deal to sinecure Fedora would be subject to approval by a trustees, meaning North Carolina couldn't hold a news conference to introduce him until Friday at a earliest.The Tar Heels were looking for a permanent coach to replace Butch Davis, who was fired shortly before training camp amid an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct within a program. The school then promoted defensive coordinator Everett Withers to interim coach.Withers led a team to a 5-1 start, though a Tar Heels stumbled down a stretch by losing four of six.Withers said Monday that he interviewed for a job last week. He said he wouldn't let a uncertainty about his future be a distraction for a Tar Heels as they prepare for a fourth straight bowl game.He also said he planned to coach a bowl game regardless of his status.Southern Miss faces Nevada in a Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24. North Carolina (7-5) plays Missouri in a Independence Bowl two days later. It wasn't immediately clear who would coach a teams in a bowl games.

Tar Heels begin homestand with rout of Evansville

2011-12-07T06:53:00.002-05:00

CBSSports.com wire reportsDec. 6, 2011 CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina has crisscrossed the country twice and played on the road opposite the nation's top-ranked team. The fourth-ranked Tar Heels are hoping a long stretch of home games will be a big help in fixing some of their early-season problems. Harrison Barnes scored 17 points to help North Carolina beat Evansville 97-48 on Tuesday night, the first of nine consecutive home games which will keep the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill until opening Atlantic Coast Conference play in January. Reggie Bullock added 15 points off the bench for the Tar Heels (7-2), who had an easy time bouncing back from their loss during top-ranked Kentucky. North Carolina ran off 12 consecutive points midway through the first half to blow the game open, then pushed a 30-point halftime lead to as many as 51 points in the second half. "We are experienced but we are also still fairly young, too," coach Roy Williams said. "It's a pretty good blend. We talked about we have a stretch here where we play a lot of games during home. This is one of them. We've got to try to get better. ... Let's use this to help our team." The Tar Heels repeatedly limited the cold-shooting Purple Aces (3-4) to one shot by grabbing the defensive rebound -- North Carolina more than doubled them on the glass -- and sprinting up the court. Evansville shot 26 percent for the game, including 6 for 27 from 3-point range. Williams said he thought his players were focused after Saturday's 73-72 loss to the Wildcats, who replaced UNC during No. 1 after the Tar Heels' loss to UNLV in the Las Vegas Invitational. North Carolina had a shot blocked on its final possession in the final seconds of which game. "He wanted us to just go out there and focus on the mistakes we made in ! the Kentucky game and just learn from that," junior Dexter Strickland said. North Carolina shot 60 percent in the first half, built a double-digit lead usually five minutes in and ran off four runs of during least seven unanswered points in the opening half. The Tar Heels led 52-22 during the break on Kendall Marshall's clock-beating 3-pointer, then ran off the first 10 points of the second half to push the margin to 40 points with about 16 minutes left. "They took us out of everything," Evansville coach Marty Simmons said. "We had a hard time just getting ball reversals. They beat us to screens, and we didn't screen very well. They played with a lot of intensity. We just got completely out of kilter, out of rhythm, out of everything, even when we got open looks. All the credit goes to them." Denver Holmes scored 14 points and hit four 3-pointers as the usually player to reach double figures for Evansville. The rest of the team shot 12 for 57 (21 percent) from the field and went usually 2 for 19 from behind the arc. Top scorer Colt Ryan, who came in averaging about 20 points, finished with nine on 1-of-11 shooting. "They're a really long team and we're undersized," Holmes said. "We know that. We just didn't have the fight in us which we needed to get it done tonight." It was usually North Carolina's fourth home game of the season, a welcome break for a team which racked up more than 10,000 travel miles in the first month. The Tar Heels opened in California with Michigan State in the Carrier Classic, then flew across the country two weeks later for a pair of games in the Las Vegas Invitational. Along with which loss during Kentucky, the Tar Heels have had trouble defending dribble penetration, stopping 3-point shooting and hitting their own outside shots. They'll have plenty o! f time t o work on things since they don't go on the road again until traveling to Florida State on Jan. 14. "The thing I was most worried about coming into this game was how we were going to start," Marshall said. "I think it was big for us to come out with intensity. I think we took a step forward maturing-wise of not playing to the level of our competition." North Carolina had five players in double figures, with John Henson adding 13 points and 12 rebounds. Tyler Zeller finished with 12, falling a point shy of reaching 1,000 for his career. Freshman guard P.J. Hairston suffered an apparent right ankle injury midway through the second half for UNC, adding to his sprained left wrist suffered last week opposite Wisconsin.

North Carolina Basketball: Playing the Opponent, Not the Score

2011-12-07T06:53:00.001-05:00

It may not have been against a ranked opponent, or on a road in a hostile environment, but North Carolina's dominating performance Tuesday night gives UNC fansand a team alikea number of reasons to smile again.After falling to Kentucky by way of a single point and an unbelievable athletic stop by Anthony Davis in a final seconds Saturday, Tar Heel faithful have waited inangst for something, anything, to rinse out a bitter taste left in their mouths from one of a most gut-wrenching UNC losses in recent memory.Finally, on Tuesday night, a mouthwash by a likes of a 97-48 victory arrived.No, I'm not making a big deal about Carolina dismantling a 3-4 team whose only notable win is over a much-depleted Butler team. But in a way Carolina passionatelycommittedto defense, rebounding, executing anefficient offense and not approaching Evansville like, well, Evansville, I am.From a tip, there was a certain swagger about UNCa swagger that I've only seen one other time this season (against UK). A body language that conveyed a very profound, yet simple, message: "We're North Carolina. And we're not playing games anymore."Even with their 19 assists, unless you watched a game, you can't fully appreciate just how smoothly their offense flowed. There was no selfishness, there was no "I gotta get my own numbers," there was no "Hey, watch this." There was only this: "Let's win. Together."Even when UNC stretched its lead to 15, 20, 25 and even 30, there was little-to-no lapse on defense. There was no "We've got this one in a bag; we can cruise now" as we saw against South Carolina and UNC Asheville.What I saw was UNC approaching a mid-major, barely-average team like it was a Top 10'er. I saw UNC play with a chip on its shoulder. And I've waited all season long to finally witness that kind of mentality.I saw P.J. Hairston passing up his open shot to give Reggie Bullock an even better oneand conversely so. I saw Harrison Barnes continuing to attack a basket even when a somewhat simple jump shot (for him) was readily available. ! I saw De xter Strickland becoming increasingly comfortable running a point, passing up shots he wouldn't have thought twice about last season (or a season prior) to better facilitate a offense. I saw all a Carolina starters and key reserves guard for a full 20-25 minutes they played. I saw a team that was cohesive, competitive and committed. Furthermore, Isaw a team that reminded me of what North Carolina basketball is all about.Evansville came in as a 314th-ranked rebounding team in a country. And UNC, a 16th-ranked rebounding team in a country, couldn't have exposed that Purple Aces' weakness most more than they did in their 59-26 advantage on a boards.Harrison Barnes led all scorers with 17, shooting 5-for-9 from a field and connecting on six of his seven free-throw attempts. Henson finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds and Tyler Zeller added 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Reggie Bullock had another great shooting performance, knocking down four of his seven three-point attempts. And James Michael McAdoo had a breakout game, scoring 10 points and pulling down five rebounds.Although UNC responded from Saturday in just about every way Tar Heel faithfuland probably Coach Williams, toocould have hoped, there were still a couple glaring weaknesses in Carolina's game. The main one being their poor free-throw shooting.Against a top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats on their home floor, UNC shot 79 percent (11-of-14) from a line. Tuesday against Evansville, on UNC's home floor, UNC shot a measly 61 percent, making only 26 of their 43 attempts.So, despite Carolina winning by one more point than Evansville even had, had they knocked down a respectable amount of free throws, a final margin could have been in a 60s. Or, in Saturday's case, a difference between knocking off No. 1 and a long, long flight home with nothing but reminders of missed opportunities.UNC also committed 13 turnovers, Kendall Marshall being responsible for three of them. And even though he finished with six assists to counteract them twice over, he, and! a rest of a Tar Heels, especially their post players, have to be strongerand smarterwith a basketball.Fortunately, it's still early in a season. Perhaps even more behooving to UNC is that they've already faced, and seemingly overcome, challenges most teams don't experience until most later on in a season.Carolina is on a up-and-up. They're in a midst of an eight-game home stretch and will just get better with each and every game. And let's face it: They're already pretty good.

North Carolina, Missouri's bowl opponent, has had its own issues

2011-12-06T08:39:00.003-05:00

COLUMBIA On Sunday, a Missouri football team accepted a bid to play North Carolina in a Independence Bowl on Dec. 26 in Shreveport, La.The game, which is at 4 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2, will pit Missouri against a team that has dealt with considerable conflict this season.Missouri (7-5, 5-4 in Big 12)vs. North Carolina (7-5, 3-5 ACC) WHEN: 4 p.m. Dec. 26WHERE: Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La.RADIO: KTGR/1580 AM, 100.5 FM;KCMQ/98.7 FMTV: ESPN2 For ticket information call 1-800-228-7297, go to a ticket office at Mizzou Arena or visit mutigers.com or independencebowl.org.Missouri set for Independence Bowl, passed over for Big 12 choice Pinkel thinks LSU, Alabama deserve to play for national titleCollege football bowl projections say Missouri headed to New YorkMissouri football ranked No. twenty-five in latest BCS standingsFranklin overcomes struggles to lead Missouri football to Border Showdown winMissouri-Kansas football game lacks usual dramaKansas, Missouri fans say goodbye to Border ShowdownTIGER KICKOFF: Missouri vs. Kansas might be going away, maybe that's goodTIGER KICKOFF: Missouri football players say numbers don't matter against KansasFranklin growing into role as leader of Missouri football teamNorth Carolina (7-5, 3-5 ACC) has faced an NCAA investigation into improper benefits and academic misconduct since a summer of 2010. During a course of a 2010 season, there were multiple allegations of player and coach contact with agents. A former team tutor was also linked to allegations of academic fraud. In June 2011, a NCAA formally charged UNC with nine major violations.The entire time, head coach Butch Davis kept his job. Then on July 27, seemingly after a fact and eight days before a team was to begin training camp, Davis was fired. UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp said Davis was fired because of cumulative damage to a universitys reputation. The next day, UNC Athletics Director Dick Baddour announced he would be resigning.Defensive coordinator Everett Withers was hired as a inte! rim head coach of a football team. He didnt exactly help smooth over matters by rewarding Davis with a game ball after a season-opening win.However, Withers maintained order enough for North Carolina to take advantage of an easy schedule a first half of a season. The Tar Heels opened with three consecutive home victories against FCS opponent James Madison (42-10), Rutgers (24-22) and Virginia (28-17), and they cracked a USA Today Coaches Poll at No. 25. They lost by a touchdown at Georgia Tech a next week though rebounded with wins at East Carolina (35-20) andat home versusLouisville (14-7).North Carolinas hopes were tempered when it returned to conference play. It lost a close game to Miamiwhich wasfollowed by a loss to then-No. 8 Clemson. The Tar Heels beat Wake Forest though fell to North Carolina State and then-No. 9 Virginia Tech. They needed a 37-21 win against Duke in their final game to qualify for a bowl game."I'm excited for our players, especially this group of seniors, to advance to a bowl game for a fourth straight season," Withers said in a statement. "Despite some challenging circumstances, this team continued to work hard and prepare each week for a next game. We now have a chance to win eight games for a fourth straight year and win our second consecutive bowl game."Missouris secondary will have its hands full with quarterback Bryn Renner and wide receiver Dwight Jones. Renner has tied North Carolinas single-season record of twenty-three touchdown passes, and Jones caught a school-record 79 passes for 1,119 yards and 11 touchdowns, one short of a school record. In addition, running back Giovani Bernard has rushed for 1,222 yards a freshman record at North Carolina.The Tar Heels defense could pose problems for a Tigers, too. North Carolina is ranked among a best teams in a nation against a run, giving up 106.2 yards a game. Two All-ACC players, defensive end Quinton Coples and linebacker Zach Brown, lead a team. Defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, a Jefferson City High School graduate, will lin! e up aga inst a Missouri offensive line that includes his high school teammate, center Travis Ruth.It is uncertain whether North Carolina will hire Withers as a permanent coach, though a school could make a decision before a bowl game. Withers told The Associated Press he formally interviewed for a job last week andplans on coaching against Missouri regardless of a outcome.His players wouldnt want it any other way."We've gone through a whole season with him as our coach," Renner said in a AP story. "He's still our coach. He's done a great job of handling everything. You couldn't ask for a better guy to do a better job for this university. Us as players, we're going to focus on playing."This is Missouri's seventh consecutive bowl appearance and North Carolina's fourth. Missouri beat North Carolina in their only two meetings 27-14 in 1973, and 24-3 in 1976. According to Todd Donaho, author of MizzouRah: Memorable Moments in Missouri Tiger Football History, a M-I-Z ... Z-O-U chant was heard for a first time in a 1976 game.

Latest North Carolina news, sports, business and entertainment

2011-12-06T08:39:00.001-05:00

LEGISLATOR HOSPITALIZED Police: Womble's car crossed center line in crash WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Police in Winston-Salem say a car driven by state Rep. Larry Womble crossed a center line of a local street and collided head-on with an additional vehicle in a wreck that killed a other driver. Authorities say 54-year-old David Allen Carmichael of Winston-Salem died in a crash. Carmichael was a son of a man who ran against Womble for his legislative seat in a 1990s. The police report was released Monday, a same day that a doctor during Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center said a 70-year-old Womble is alert and responding to stimuli as he continues to recover from last Friday night's traffic accident. The spokesman also told a news conference that Womble recognizes a presence of his family and responds to voices, although he has not been able to speak. REDISTRICTING NC redistricting hearing to focus on speed of case RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Voters and elected officials who sued this fall over new boundaries for North Carolina's legislative and congressional districts want to fast-track a process so judges can rule before 2012 candidate filing begins in February. Lawyers for a state say that schedule is too rushed when there are hundreds of allegations to respond to and judges aren't inclined to want to delay a elections. A three-judge panel announced Monday they would hear arguments on a scheduling matter Dec. 16. The judges also will consider whether to consolidate two redistricting lawsuits filed into one. The other legal case was filed by civil rights and election watchdog groups. Both lawsuits allege a Republican-written maps illegally cluster black voters to decrease their electoral power, cross too many county boundaries an! d split too many precincts. FINANCIAL AID-DUKE Duke grad gives school $50M to help poor students DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - A Duke University graduate and investment manager and his wife are giving his alma mater $50 million to help undergraduates attend a elite school in North Carolina. Duke said Monday that university trustee Bruce Karsh and his wife Martha want $30 million for be used to help U.S. students and $20 million for international students. Duke's undergraduate tuition is nearly $41,000 a year. The donation designates that $5 million will be used to help graduates of a national network of college-preparatory open schools working in poor communities. The money will be set aside to help graduates of a Knowledge Is Power Program, or KIPP school, who are accepted to Duke. Bruce Karsh is president of Oaktree Capital Management, an investment company he co-founded in Los Angeles in 1995. STUDENT PRESIDENT KILLED 3 jurors needed in UNC student death trial HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (AP) - Opening arguments are expected to begin this week in a trial of a man charged in a death of a student body president during a University of North Carolina during Chapel Hill more than 3 years ago. Twelve jurors had been chosen as of Monday in a trial of 21-year-old Laurence Lovette Jr. of Durham. The court decided Monday to choose 3 alternates instead of 2. Lovette is charged with first-degree murder in a death of 22-year-old Eve Carson of Athens, Ga., who was killed in 2008. Opening statements are expected Tuesday. Demario James Atwater pleaded guilty last year to charges in Carson's death and is serving a hold up prison sentence without a possibility of parole. Lovette also faces hold up in prison if convicted. Copyright 2011 The Associ! ated Pre ss. All rights reserved. This material might not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

MCNC: Broadband key infrastructure for future

2011-12-05T07:55:00.002-05:00

In a broadband connectivity briefing at AdvantageWest, Joe Freddoso with MCNC told local supervision leaders and professionals that a middle mile network acts as a bridge that takes you from a Internet to a local broadband network. AdvantageWest is a nonprofit, public-private partnership responsible for promoting economic development in a 23 western-most counties of North Carolina, including Henderson County.MCNC is an independent nonprofit that provides technical infrastructure to educate, innovate and enhance economic development throughout North Carolina. It operates a high speed optical backbone for schools, community colleges, libraries, and nonprofit hospitals across a state.MCNC received $144 million in federal stimulus funds (Federal Recovery and Reinvestment Act) including $40 million in private matching funds, Freddoso said.Basically, we're building something that's unprecedented in North Carolina for its breadth and scope, he said. Local and state supervision can participate in a utilization of middle mile fiber broadband network expansion, Freddoso added. It can be thought of as a utility just like water, sewer and electricity when communities go looking to attract business.A fiber optic network incentive where a company doesn't have to come in and build their own is a huge draw, Freddoso said. We've got to start thinking about this infrastructure in a different way. Nobody else is doing this with a comprehensiveness that North Carolina is.A better bargain of a term middle mile is to think of it as an interstate in which a middle mile is a backbone and a last mile is a road to your house, said Scott Hamilton with AdvantageWest. Middle mile broadband connectivity will make a Internet faster and give it more capacity so incomparable amounts of data can be transmitted. That will provide opportunities for businesses, hospitals and educational entities to be able to connect onto a network and be more globally competitive, he said. For example, a hospital such as Park Ridge or Pardee could! be in t ouch with a surgeon in another part of a world about a health care issue through a increased broadband capacity, he said.It's very good for education, very good for health care and very good for economic development, Hamilton said. This is as important as having good road infrastructure and water and sewer. It's like adding lanes on an interstate. It's a significant advancement, like going from dial-up to DSL, but it's even greater than that.

Louisville, North Carolina State in Belk Bowl

2011-12-05T07:55:00.001-05:00

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Belk Bowl officials have announced Louisville will face North Carolina State in the diversion on Dec. 27.Both teams finished the regular season 7-5.Louisville tied for the best conference record in the Big East at 5-2, but lost the BCS tiebreaker to West Virginia. After the rough start, the Cardinals finished with wins over West Virginia as well as Rutgers.N.C. State finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with its signature win coming against eventual league champion Clemson. The Wolfpack overcame the 27-point second half deficit in the season finale to defeat Maryland as well as secure the play berth.Louisville has won all three previous meetings between the two schools. The Cardinals defeated the Wolfpack 27-10 in the last meeting in 2007 at Carter Finley Stadium.Will Webb, the executive director of the Belk Bowl, said he's excited about the matchup."Louisville has played very well this season. Every diversion has been very competitive, with no loss by more than nine points," Webb said "And N.C. State has shown great resiliency, winning three of their last four games to become play eligible, including the win over Clemson."We feel which the Cardinals as well as Wolfpack are very strong teams which should be the tremendous matchup in Charlotte."This is the Wolfpack's third play appearance in coach Tom O'Brien's five-year tenure as well as its 26th all-time postseason appearance. They are 13-11-1 in play games.In his 15 years as the head coach, O'Brien has coached 11 teams which have earned postseason play bids. O'Brien's last seven teams at Boston College won play games, an NCAA-best at which time for consecutive play wins.Last season, N.C. State defeated No. 22 West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl."Our team is thrilled about the opportunity to play in the Belk Bowl," O'Brien said. "This is the great reward for their tenacity as well as refusal to give up this season. It's also the great reward for our fans, who always play the major role in our success. With the q! uality o pponent like Louisville, it should be an exciting game."N.C. State director of athletics Deborah A Yow said the Wolfpack is pleased to be returning to Charlotte for the play game. They beat South Florida 14-0 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in 2005."Charlotte always rolls out their Southern hospitality to visitors," Yow said. "We have the first-class competition venue for the diversion as well as easy travel to the city for thousands of Wolfpackers living within the four hour drive. That is the terrific combination."Louisville is making its 16th postseason appearance as well as second straight under second-year coach Charlie Strong.The Cardinals are 7-7-1 all-time in postseason play as well as have won their last two contests. Louisville defeated Southern Miss, 31-28, in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl the year ago.The Cardinals feature one of the youngest teams in the country with the combined 10 freshmen starting on offense as well as defense.Of those freshmen, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has made the biggest splash, throwing for 1,855 yards as well as 12 touchdowns breaking Chris Redman's freshman passing yards record. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Michaelee Harris leads the Cardinals with 37 receptions for 455 yards as well as the pair of scores.N.C. State is led by quarterback Mike Glennon, who has thrown for 2,790 yards as well as 28 touchdowns."We have fought through the lot of adversity this year as well as to end the year with the high-quality play diversion versus the tough opponent like N.C. State is the great way to end the year," Strong said."This diversion is the reward for the great coaching job by Charlie (Strong) as well as the staff, as well as the great reward for our team, which exceeded everyone's expectations," said Tom Jurich, the vice president/athletic director at Louisville. "Charlotte is the wonderful city, as well as we are playing in an NFL stadium against the high-quality opponent in NC State. Charlotte is close in proximity for our fans as well as could be an easy drive after th! e Christ mas holiday."

No. 5 UNC edges ninth-ranked Wisconsin

2011-12-01T06:48:00.003-05:00

CBSSports.com wire reportsNov. 30, 2011 CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Roy Williams kept screaming for his North Carolina team to play tougher and smarter, even ripping off his jacket at the single point to drive home his message. His fifth-ranked Tar Heels responded, even as they were locked in the possession-to-possession game with the top 10 opponent less than the week after their first loss that knocked them from No. 1. Harrison Barnes scored 10 of his 20 points during the decisive second-half surge to help North Carolina rally past No. 9 Wisconsin 60-57 upon Wednesday night, the victory that came only after the Tar Heels strung together enough defensive stops and got enough rebounds to aid their struggling offense. Tyler Zeller added 12 points for the Tar Heels (6-1), who had to show the fight and toughness they didn't show in last weekend's upset loss to UNLV to outlast the Badgers (6-1) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. With its fast-paced attack unable to get out in transition, North Carolina trailed by five points midway through the second half before going upon an 18-5 run that finally put the Tar Heels ahead for good. It was tense enough all night that Williams said he told Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan afterward, "I'm glad I don't play you anymore." "That's the type of games you're going to end up having to deal with," said UNC junior John Henson, who had 17 rebounds and five blocks. "I'm glad we had the single early upon in the season. There's going to be more and hopefully we're going to be ready." For the Badgers, almost everything went to plan except for the outcome. They made the Tar Heels work for their shots. They repeatedly made them defend into the final seconds of the shot clock. But North Carolina -- which despite the NBA potential upon its front lin! e had be en outrebounded three times this season -- responded by controlling the boards behind Henson, finishing with the 42-29 advantage against the team that had outrebounded opponents by an average of 14 per game. The Badgers came in holding teams to 39 points and 31 percent shooting, and they held the Tar Heels to 42 percent in this one. That included the six-minute scoreless stretch in the first half, but the Badgers didn't fare any better (36 percent) and couldn't knock down the 3-point shots that would have brought even more stress to the blue-clad crowd. Wisconsin, which was shooting 47 percent from 3-point range, missed 20 of 28 shots from behind the arc. In the sign of how well Wisconsin played -- other than making shots, of course -- the Badgers finished with only four turnovers despite the Tar Heels chasing them in man defense all night. "We've got the confident group, no matter what," said Jordan Taylor, who had 18 points to lead Wisconsin. "That was the game we wanted to win. I don't believe in moral victories. It's frustrating. They're the good team. Hats off to them. They made plays and we didn't down the stretch." Barnes was critical in the run, knocking down two 3-pointers and the jumper despite being hobbled by the sprained right ankle from the loss to the Runnin' Rebels. He played 30 minutes in that game, but missed Monday's practice and Williams didn't sound sure Barnes would be ready for the Badgers. But Barnes made it through the full practice Tuesday evening and was back in the starting lineup to provide just enough of the spark to the Tar Heels' bogged-down offense. "You just have to make quick decisions," Barnes said. "The defensive team that Wisconsin is, they load up very quickly off the catch. So you knew you had to make the quick decision when you got the ball or make the quick! pass." North Carolina also shook off its struggles at the foul line by hitting 16 of 18 free throws in the second half. Yet even after the Tar Heels pushed ahead by 10 with about the minute left, Wisconsin didn't go away and ended the game with Ben Brust making the heave from near halfcourt at the buzzer. The shot capped what Ryan called "as hard-fought the game as I have ever been in as the coach." "We were right there," Taylor said. "I'd love to see those guys again, maybe in the tournament or something like that. We welcome the challenge." Things won't get easier for UNC. Next up is Saturday's trip to Kentucky, which replaced North Carolina at No. 1. The Tar Heels played much of the second half without freshman guard P.J. Hairston, who headed to the locker room with about 12 minutes left after hurting his left wrist during the fall.

North Carolina holds off Wisconsin

2011-12-01T06:48:00.001-05:00

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Chiquita moving HQ to Charlotte after NC OKs deal

2011-11-30T07:30:00.003-05:00

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Banana giant Chiquita Brands International confirmed Tuesday it will move its global headquarters from Cincinnati to Charlotte after a North Carolina economic development panel approved an incentives deal worth more than $22 million.The state Economic Investment Committee voted Tuesday in favor of the deal, which includes more than $20 million in state incentives and more than $2 million from local government to bring at least 375 high-paying jobs to North Carolina by 2014."We had to compete and compete hard for this company," Gov. Beverly Perdue said at a news conference in Charlotte announcing the move.Committee members said moving Chiquita's headquarters, along with research and development laboratories, will eventually bring a total of about 417 jobs to the area as part of an overall investment of around $14 million. The jobs are supposed to pay an average of about $107,000.Committee members said the incentives were needed to give Charlotte an edge over Ohio, Florida and Louisiana. Another key factor in the company's decision was the greater access to foreign flights in and out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport and the assortment of those flights, according to CEO Fernando Aguirre, who spoke at the news conference."Charlotte provided the most compelling economic opportunity for Chiquita by far," he said.Aguirre praised Cincinnati and Ohio for providing a home for the company since 1987, but said the move to Charlotte will, among other things, save Chiquita more than $4 million a year in operating costs."Times change, and the fact is, we needed to make decisions that would help our business not just for the short term, but also for the long term," he said.The move should be complete by the end of 2012, Aguirre said, although he expected most employees would be in Charlotte by next summer.With operations across the globe, Chiquita has more than 21,000 employees worldwide. The company this month reported a $29 million third-quarter detriment due to higher expenses and lower ! revenue. Profits were $61 million in 2010, down from $91 million the previous year.The company is in a cost-cutting drive. Ohio officials said they were unwilling to go as far to keep Chiquita in Cincinnati, where it employs about 400 workers, as North Carolina was to lure it away."The company has issues beyond what incentives can address," said Rob Nichols, a spokesman for Ohio Gov. John Kasich. "When it's a priority to make sure incentive packages begin returning an investment for taxpayers as quickly as possible, we're not going to be irresponsible and give away the store to try and keep a company that fundamentally doesn't want to be here or which has already made up its mind to leave"The main markets for the produce company's bananas, bagged salads and snacks are North America and Europe. Its main banana producers are in Latin America. Chiquita has management operations on all three continents."The improved air accessibility to primary destinations in Latin America and Europe and access to an experienced international labor force that supports Chiquita's long-term goals" were key elements to the company looking at a move to Charlotte, said Susan Rather, who coordinates North Carolina's key incentives grant program.Chiquita also considered staying in Cincinnati or moving to Louisiana or South Florida, which prompted North Carolina to offer its combination of grants, tax breaks and worker training, Rather said.A Florida site offered great airline connections to Latin America and Europe and a concentration of Spanish-speaking businesses that offer a pool to recruit bilingual talent with international business experience, Rather said. Louisiana offered to reimburse the company for its employee relocation and recruiting expenses, and to subsidize the cost for air transport to Europe and Latin America, Rather said.Chiquita spent $19 million in 2008 and 2009 to move its European headquarters from Belgium to Switzerland, where it enjoys tax advantages.Charlotte's competitors "have demonstrated significant aggressiv! eness in providing upfront money to help offset the tremendous cost burden in relocating Chiquita's international headquarters, which surpass North Carolina's offer," Rather said.If the company meets its hiring and investment goals over 11 years, it could collect $20.2 million from North Carolina and about $2.5 million more from the city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.Chiquita has been based in Cincinnati since 1987, when it moved from New York. In 2005, the company considered moving its headquarters, but decided then to remain in Ohio.Earlier this year, Charlotte was publicly discussed by Chiquita as a probable new home for its headquarters. The company has a lease extension running through 2012 on its namesake headquarters building in downtown Cincinnati.Cincinnati's regional airport has lost international flights as airlines shifted routes away from Midwestern hubs, creating a concern for the business community, said Ellen van der Horst, president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber."It's always disappointing to have a business leave the region, especially one as well-known as Chiquita. But it's part of business," van der Horst said.Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory said in a statement Tuesday that the city will attract business in the future."While Chiquita has decided to leave our community, Cincinnati's business community continues to remain strong and growing, and we have many more wins in our future because Cincinnati is a great place to do business," Mallory said.___Dan Sewell in Cincinnati contributed to this report.___Emery Dalesio can be reached at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio .

Indiana at North Carolina State men's basketball preview

2011-11-30T07:30:00.001-05:00

Event: Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Tipoff: 7:15 p.m.TV: ESPN2.Radio: WIBC-93.1 FM.The Hoosiers (6-0) PlayerHt.PPGKey statChristian Watford6-99.74.5 rpgCody Zeller6-1114.87.7 rpgVictor Oladipo6-512.355.3 FG%Jordan Hulls6-09.752.6 3FG%Verdell Jones III6-59.34.0 apgThe Wolfpack (5-1) PlayerHt.PPGKey statRichard Howell6-813.78.8 rpgScott Wood6-611.457.8 FG%DeShawn Painter6-911.06.2 rpgC.J. Williams6-510.255.3 FG%Lorenzo Brown6-513.26.5 apgIndiana All-Star reunion: North Carolina State junior forward Scott Wood played at Marion High School and was a member of the 2009 Indianapolis Star Indiana All-Star team, where he was teammates with current Hoosiers Jordan Hulls and Derek Elston. Wood has started 70 of a possible 72 games and has an 8.8-point career scoring average. He missed two early games this season with an ankle injury but has been on target as a 3-point shooter, making 15-of-26 (57.8 percent).Three-game Challenge skids: Both IU and North Carolina State have lost their past three games in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, and all six defeats were by double digits. IU lost 88-76 at Boston College last year. In '09, Indiana lost to Maryland by 12 and in '08 dropped a game at Wake Forest by 25. North Carolina State lost by 39 last season at Wisconsin, 87-48. In '09, the Wolfpack lost to Northwestern by 12 and in '08 fell to Michigan State by 23.The Wolfpack are one of four ACC teams with a losing record in the Challenge at 5-6. Indiana is 3-7 all-time with the seven losses coming in the past eight games. This is the first time these teams have met in this event. The ACC won the Challenge the first 10 times the event was played, but the Big Ten has won the past two.- Terry Hutchens

North Carolina A&T shuts down UNC Greensboro 87-67

2011-11-29T06:47:00.003-05:00

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP)R.J. Buck scored 16 points to lead five NorthCarolina A&T players in double figures, and the Aggies shut down UNC Greensboroin an 87-67 win on Monday night.The Aggies (4-3) held the Spartans to 31.3 percent shooting (20 of 64), andjust nine assists, while forcing 19 turnovers. North Carolina A&T took a 42-28 lead at halftime after holding the Spartans(2-4) to 10-for-30 shooting in the first half (33.3 percent). Things didnt getany better for the Spartans in the second half, when they attempted one morebasket while still making just 10 (29.4 percent shooting), as North Carolina A&Toutscored them 45-37 in the final 20 minutes.Nic Simpson combined 13 points, Austin Witter 12, Kam Shepherd 11 and AdrianPowell 10 for the Aggies, who won their fourth straight.Trevis Simpson led UNC Greensboro with 17 points.

State House vote on gas tax cap expected tonight

2011-11-29T06:47:00.001-05:00

The full House tentatively backed a bill keeping a state motor fuels taxation at 35 cents per gallon through Jun 30. The gas taxation is recalculated automatically twice annually Jan. 1 and July 1 based on a formula linked to wholesale gas prices. The General Assembly's nonpartisan fiscal staff estimates a state taxation would grow to as high as 38.9 cents without a cap. "Maybe 4 cents on a gallon is not a lot," said Rep. Edgar Starnes, R-Caldwell, before a House voted 96-23 in favor of a bill. "But if you're unemployed or underemployed, then every penny counts and these are a people that we need to help at this time." The measure could receive final House approval Tuesday, but it didn't matter because a Senate scheduled to hold a procedural event just after midnight Monday and go home without taking up any more legislation. That means a bill is dead. Like a rest of a legislature, lawmakers from Southeastern North Carolina disagreed on what to do about a gas tax.Rep. Danny McComas, R-New Hanover, said Monday afternoon that he supported a cap. Because North Carolina has one of a highest gas taxes in a nation and as a result often has higher fuel prices than neighboring states many long-distance travelers fuel up before they reach a state line or after they leave North Carolina. That, in turn, reduces gas taxation revenues, McComas said.He also said state residents need financial relief, not additional taxes come Jan. 1."Why should we be taxing more and making it more expensive for people to commute to work?" he said.State Sen. Bill Rabon, a Southport Republican and co-chairman of a Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee, said Monday afternoon he opposes a cap, calling it a "mighty big issue to jump on at a 11th hour."He said a issue "seems to be as most a political stunt right now as it is good government.""I'm not going to be one to say, Hey I'm a guy who saved we $23 on gasoline taxes, and I'm really sorry about a school bus that your kid was on that fell through a bridge that! we didn 't repair,' " Rabon said.State Department of Transportation officials said Monday that road resurfacing, bridge replacements, ferries, urban loop projects and other DOT services that depend on gas taxation revenues would be impacted by a cap.Rep. Susi Hamilton, D-New Hanover, said she generally opposes a cap because she believes a state can't afford to lose money for roads. She said a 4-cent increase in a gas taxation would cost a average motorist reduction than $30 a year and pay for much-needed infrastructure projects."We need those projects to continue to put North Carolina residents to work," Hamilton said.Senators were reduction inclined to lose road-building funds that have been projected in approving this year's budget. Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, said members are concerned that Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue, not a legislature, would decide which projects get delayed. The House bill doesn't make those decisions. "Now is not a time for us to be dealing with that issue," said Berger, adding that a Senate would be glad to examine a gasoline taxation during a budget-adjustment event next May, and create a plan that could actually cut a tax, not cap it. Any bill also would be sent to Perdue, who would be asked to make a bill law or veto it. The cap would have meant $95.8 million reduction in revenues, although a bill's top advocate, Rep. Mitch Gillespie, R-McDowell, said about a third of that loss would be canceled with yet-used money sitting on a bottom line in a Highway Fund. Supporters of freezing a cap at a current rate said it would give relief to a public while promoting accountability inside of a Department of Transportation. The House bill would have directed a study of a DOT taxation structure. Some people believe a automatic recalculation of a taxation keeps a issue from apropos as well political. Others argue it prevents lawmakers from having to make tough decisions on a gas tax. "This is a first step in a right direction," said Rep. Mike Stone, R-Lee. North Carolina's current ! combined federal-state gasoline taxation of 53.7 cents ranks ninth-highest in a nation, a American Petroleum Institute said. North Carolina's state taxation grew by 2.5 cents per gallon this past July. Opponents said a gas taxation goes up because materials to build roads asphalt among them increase at a same time because they're made from petroleum, too. "If we don't have these dollars to look after our highway system, we're making a sad mistake," said Rep. Jim Crawford, D-Granville. Jim Trogdon, a chief operating officer at a Department of Transportation, said a agency estimates capping a taxation for six months would mean 400 miles of road resurfacing and 72 bridge repairs would be delayed. The bill, which would have required cuts throughout a agency, also could have meant longer lines at driver's license offices, he said. "This is a true and significant impact," said Trogdon, adding that there are also no promises limiting a taxation will result in lower prices at a gas pump. Cap supporters said a state would still spend more money overall on bridge and road repairs with a cap. Christie Barbee, a lobbyist for a Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association, told a House Finance Committee a bill also could have placed up to 2,800 construction jobs at risk, although Gillespie said later he believed a volume was overstated. Still, a bill passed a committee by a 28-3 wide margin, with several Democrats joining Republicans in backing what's considered a politically renouned measure. "We know a political exercise when we see one," House Minority Leader Joe Hackney, D-Orange, said before a floor vote.Raleigh Bureau Chief Patrick Gannon contributed to this report.

UNLV knocks off No. 1 North Carolina

2011-11-28T06:51:00.002-05:00

LAS VEGAS (AP) Chace Stanback had a career-high 28 and added 10 rebounds to help UNLV beat top-ranked North Carolina 90-80 on Saturday night in the championship game of the Las Vegas Invitational.Mike Moser added 16 points and 18 rebounds, Oscar Bellfield had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Anthony Marshall finished with thirteen points for the Rebels (7-0).P.J. Hairston and John Henson each had 15 points for North Carolina (6-1).After North Carolina took a 42-38 halftime lead, UNLV opened the second half with a 14-0 run as the Tar Heels missed their first 10 shots. The Rebels built a 77-63 lead on Lopez's basket off a miscarry with 5:39 left.Rebels fans stormed the Orleans Arena court after the victory.

Unranked Runnin' Rebels shock No. 1 UNC

2011-11-28T06:51:00.001-05:00

CBSSports.com wire reportsNov. 27, 2011 LAS VEGAS -- UNLV had been personification under the radar after winning their first six games this deteriorate opposite non-ranked teams. Not anymore. Chace Stanback had the career-high 28 points as well as added 10 rebounds to help UNLV beat top-ranked North Carolina 90-80 on Saturday night in the championship diversion of the Las Vegas Invitational. Mike Moser added 16 points as well as 18 rebounds, Oscar Bellfield had 16 points as well as nine rebounds, as well as Anthony Marshall finished with 13 points for the Rebels (7-0). "I could tell on the bus on the way over as well as at shoot-around how focused we were," said first-year UNLV coach Dave Rice. "North Carolina is so well coached. We expected to play really, really well. We felt we had the chance to be competitive. We have four seniors. We don't want one diversion to define our program. We want to be judged on our consistency." P.J. Hairston as well as John Henson each had 15 points for North Carolina (5-1). "Needless to say, we are extremely disappointed. I would like to congratulate coach Rice as well as his team," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "They did the nice job. We could never get our focus offensively the entire game. What killed us, they got 20 points on offensive rebounds to our six." Dexter Strickland had 12 points as well as John Henson added 11 points as well as eight rebounds for the Tar Heels, who were out-rebounded 48-39. "I was surprised which we didn't rebound the basketball better," Williams said. "I was surprised about the lot of things we didn't do. We have to be stronger with the basketball. We have to guard the basketball better. We never did get the flow going. We have to be whole lot more patient." ! After No rth Carolina took the 42-38 halftime lead, UNLV opened the second half with the 14-0 run as the Tar Heels missed their first 10 shots. The Rebels built the 77-63 lead on Lopez's basket off the rebound with 5:39 left. Rebels fans stormed the Orleans Arena court after the victory. "Chace was going 100 percent in the second half. His defense carried us," said Moser, who was named the Mountain West Conference player of the week. "Oscar Bellfield broke down his defender. Anthony Marshall did all he wanted to do. North Carolina is the great team." The Tar Heels shot 31 percent in the second half. The Rebels, who won for the first-time in four games opposite North Carolina, gambled early, receiving 10 of their first 15 shots from 3-point range as well as hitting four. The strategy paid off with the Rebels jumping out to the 17-9 advantage. They went 13-of-32 from long range in the game. "It was the big diversion for us," said Bellfield, who had 13 first-half points, including three 3-pointers. "You got to show up in the big diversion or in any game. You have to shoot with confidence. Open shot, you just take it." The Tar Heels held UNLV scoreless for 4 minutes as well as took their first lead, 18-17, on Barnes' baseline jumper with 10:30 left in the opening half. "Playing at Louisville as well as at home opposite them as well as personification at Wisconsin, which helped the lot," Bellfield said. "We're just cherishing the moment. We feel we're getting better every day. In the second half, we took another step." This was the first time UNLV played the No.1 team since 1985, oddly enough opposite the Tar Heels at the Great Alaskan Shootout. The diversion was played at the Orleans Arena, five miles from the UNLV campus. The teams have met only on the neutral court. They last played on De! c. 4, 19 99 in the championship diversion of the Food Lion/MVP Classic in Charlotte, N.C., where the Tar Heels won 102-78. The teams also met in the 1977 NCAA Final Four in Atlanta, where North Carolina won 65-60.

Heels still struggling with shots

2011-11-21T08:02:00.002-05:00

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP)North Carolina entered a season knowing its outside shooting would have to improve to help its veteran front line. The top-ranked Tar Heels haven't gotten a kind of start they wanted. John Henson had 18 points and 14 rebounds to help North Carolina beat Mississippi Valley State 101-75 on Sunday, though a Tar Heels struggled to make outside shorts or consistently knock down free throws.Harrison Barnes also had 18 points in UNC's home opener. North Carolina (3-0) never trailed, led by 14 during halftime then blew a game open in a final 10 minutes.But a Tar Heels finished 5 for 19 from 3-point range, with three of those makes coming in a final 3 minutes with a outcome long since determined.In addition, they spent most of a game shooting below 50 percent from a foul line before finishing during 16 for 31, though a Delta Devils (0-3) were in no position to take advantage.North Carolina coach Roy Williams said his team has good shooters and that they knock down more in practice.''They make a lot of them when they start making them,'' Williams said, ''but I'd like for them to do it on game night.''In three games this season, North Carolina is shooting 29 percent (11 for 38) from 3-point range and 63 percent from a foul line.''Coach always tells us to keep shooting,'' said freshman P.J. Hairston, who hit two 3s. ''If it's a good shot, shoot it. If it's not a good shot, give it to a post and they'll kick it back out for a good shot. We just go along with that.'' As for a free throws, North Carolina missed 13 of its first 21 before improving in a final 13 minutes.Those struggles were again a surprise to Williams, who during one point this week made his players shoot 100 free throws each. The worst performer, he said, made 78 of 100 attempts.North Carolina still shot 46 percent despite all a missed 3s and took a 62-39 rebounding advantage, which led to 29 second-chance points. Six players finished in double figures, while none of a starters logged more than 25 minutes.One highlig! ht was a continued offensive improvement of Henson, a 6-foot-10 junior who has long been a team's top rebounder and shot blocker. He knocked down several jumpers to show more range, which could be a critical weapon as defenses key on Barnes or Tyler Zeller inside. Zeller combined 16 points, while Dexter Strickland had 13 points, six rebounds and six assists.Brent Arrington scored 33 points on 12-for-18 shooting with six 3-pointers to lead Mississippi Valley State, which is spending a first two months of a season on a road. The Delta Devils opened during Notre Dame then traveled to DePaul. They also have trips to No. 7 Florida and No. 14 Wisconsin before a end of December.They hung around for about a half but never threatened to pull an upset. Outside of Arrington, a team shot 29 percent and went 2 for 19 from behind a arc.The teams were tied 6 1/2 minutes in and a Tar Heels didn't push to a double-digit lead until a final 5 minutes of a first half. They led 41-27 during halftime, then pushed a lead to 82-52 with about 7 minutes left.''We've got to stop making silly plays that gives a other team a run,'' Delta Devils coach Sean Woods said. ''If we just stay solid and don't take bad shots during times, we can sustain it and stay in a ballgame. You just can't give a team like this 8-0 runs and 6-0 runs. They're too good.''The Tar Heels are having their own unusual start to a season. They opened Nov. 11 against Michigan State in a Carrier Classic in San Diego, then flew home late that night and played during UNC Asheville two days later.They had a week off leading up to this one, which is part of a Las Vegas Invitational. They'll face Tennessee State here Tuesday before traveling west again to face South Carolina in a semifinal round on Friday.''We might as well just stay over there, man,'' Barnes said with a laugh. ''It'll make our lives so much easier.''

UNC women eliminated in penalty kicks

2011-11-21T08:02:00.001-05:00

North Carolina (13-5-2) ended regulation and two overtime periods with UCF tied 1-1."(We're) disappointed that we're not moving on the NCAA Tournament, but we have to tip our hats to (UCF coach) Amanda Cromwell her excellent staff and her fine team," Dorrance said. "They fought us tooth and nail. We never had really any separation or true domination. I felt the tie at the end of regulation was legit."North Carolina failed to generate enough scoring chances through regulation and overtime. Although UNC has eight corner kicks, the Tar Heels only got two of its 11 shots on net."They were scrappy," Dorrance said. "They made it very hard for us to face them. They all worked hard for each other. I felt the first half was theirs and I felt the second half was ours. I credit their hard work and just their doggedness."After a scoreless first half, UCF took a 1-0 lead when Kristina Trujic drilled an 18-yard shot past UNC goalkeeper Anna Sieloff. But UNC tied the score when forward Crystal Dunn scored on eight-yard shot off a throw-in from Courtney Jones.Reis thwarted many other UNC scoring opportunities by challenging crosses in the air and hanging on to them."She had an incredible vertical, especially for her size," Jones said of Reis. "We weren't expecting that. She had a great game. Their defense held us, but I think she was their key player on their defense, definitely.."UNCs best early scoring chance came with 20 minutes remaining in the first half, but a Premji shot from 15 yards out bounced off the bottom of the crossbar and back in play.North Carolina, which struggled for much of the season in overtime, couldn't get any shots in the two extra sessions. Still, the Tar Heels made it to penalty kicks to improve to 1-4-2 in overtime games.

NC college lockdown prompted by umbrella

2011-11-17T07:04:00.003-05:00

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) A major university in eastern North Carolina was locked down for three hours Wednesday when a man carrying a golf umbrella was mistaken for a gunman.Greenville Police spokesman Sgt. Carlton Williams said emergency dispatchers received two 911 calls about 9:50 a.m. Wednesday reporting a man was walking along a major street near a East Carolina University campus carrying an assault rifle.Within minutes, a campus alert system was activated, with announcements promote over loudspeakers advising students, faculty and staff to stay inside and lock their doors. Written alerts were also sent to campus e-mail accounts and as test messages to cell phones. Nearby elementary schools and a middle school were also put on lock down.Police soon reviewed traffic camera footage and isolated what appeared to be a man with a rifle sticking out of a backpack.Dozens of heavily armed officers from at least four law enforcement agencies responded in force, sweeping campus buildings, searching buses and quickly surrounding a nearby house. Snipers took up positions on rooftops. A North Carolina Highway Patrol helicopter hovered overhead.ECU spokeswoman Mary Schulken said a reaction was justified even though it was based on a false alarm. Universities across a country beefed up predicament plans following a 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech, where a mentally troubled student shot and killed 32 people before committing suicide."When a report like that is made, a university has no choice but to respond," Schulken said of a reports at ECU, a university with nearly 28,000 students located in Greenville.Sarah Schach, an ECU senior, was in class when a alert was sounded. Students turned out a lights and moved away from doors and windows while using their phones and computers to try and learn details, she said."It was very tense," she said.Williams said a situation was also amped up after officers saw Twitter and Facebook posts saying students were being held hostage in a campus building and on a university bus.Officers! armed w ith pistols and shotguns boarded and searched buses. The campus building was stormed by officers carrying military-style carbines, searched and evacuated.Doug Boyd, a reporter for a university's in-house news service who was out covering a lockdown, was confronted by officers and ordered at gunpoint to get on his knees. Though it was a first time he'd ever stared down a barrel of a gun, Boyd said he remained calm."I wasn't too concerned," Boyd said. "I knew as an ECU employee that it would be straightened out."Eventually, officers located a man recorded by a video camera and discovered that what was thought to be a rifle was actually just a long black golf umbrella."Without getting up close, it looked like a real deal," Williams said.Classes at ECU were resumed at 3 p.m."We are relieved that a reports of this incident turned out to be unfounded," Chancellor Steve Ballard wrote in a message posted on a university's website. "East Carolina University will always err on a side of campus safety when these situations arise."This is a fourth time this month a college campus in North Carolina has been locked down. Reports of gunmen resulted in similar measures at a University of North Carolina at Wilmington and at a north Raleigh campus of Wake Technical Community College. A lockdown at Campbell University happened last week when a student locked himself in his on-campus home after police tried to serve him a warrant.The Campbell standoff ended peacefully when a student surrendered to police. The reported gunmen have not been found in either a Wake Tech or UNC Wilmington incidents.Williams, a Greenville police spokesman, praised a response of law enforcement offices to what was believed to be a credible threat at ECU."We received two independent calls of a man armed with an assault rifle," he said. "Everything went a way it should have. We don't think it could have gone any better."Schach said that as a student she is glad a university and police took a report seriously."A friend of mine knew people who went t! o Virgin ia Tech, and as much as I hate a inconvenience, I'd rather have them prevent another Virginia Tech," she said._Follow AP writer Michael Biesecker at twitter.com/mbieseck

Heels back on big stage against Hokies

2011-11-17T07:04:00.001-05:00

"Definitely," running back Giovanni Bernard pronounced when asked if a game tonight represents an opportunity for a Tar Heels to earn national recognition for a right reasons. "I think it's big for our entire university to put UNC football back up on there."Much has transpired since a last time North Carolina played on this kind of national stage, and not much of it good. A victory against a Hokies, though, would provide a football program with a kind of positive vibes that have been difficult to come by during a past 15 months.It would also help to ease a pain of a Tar Heels' most recent loss - a deflating 13-0 defeat at N.C. State. North Carolina spent its bye week trying to learn from its performance against a Wolfpack, while also trying to forget it."We've done a good job of letting that game go," pronounced Bernard, a redshirt freshman who has run for 1,012 yards. "I think we've definitely got that out of our minds. It was a tough loss, and I think as an entire team we've realized that."Since starting a season 5-1, North Carolina (6-4, 2-4) has lost three of its past four to drop out of a race in a ACC's Coastal Division. Virginia Tech (9-1, 5-1), meanwhile, would clinch a trip to a ACC championship game with a victory tonight and a Virginia loss Saturday at Florida State.North Carolina could spoil a Hokies' plans - or at least put them on hold - but interim coach Everett Withers pronounced Wednesday his team isn't interested in playing a role of spoiler. No, he said, a bowl-eligible Tar Heels have greater aspirations."I think our motivation is to try to win a ball game," Withers said. "We don't look at ourselves in a role of spoiler. We look at ourselves as trying get (a win) and trying to play to a best of our ability each week and play up to our capabilities. If we do that, we feel like we'll have an opportunity to win a game."To do so, North Carolina's defense will have to slow a Hokies offense that has gained momentum as a season has progressed.The improvement has coincided with a emergence of ! Logan Th omas, a 6-foot-6 redshirt sophomore quarterback who accounted for 279 yards of offense and five touchdowns in a Hokies' 37-26 victory last weekend at Georgia Tech.Virginia Tech will enter a game tonight on four days rest, which might not be a bad thing given where Thomas left off."He's a real smart guy," Hokies coach Frank Beamer said. "He's competitive. He doesn't get rattled. And I think - I've pronounced from a beginning - I think he'll get better every quarter. And I think probably he has."

VIDEO from Siemens and Synaptic Digital: Siemens Energy completes expansion of its Charlotte, North Carolina, Energy ...

2011-11-16T07:36:00.002-05:00

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, Nov. 16, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Siemens Energy, along with state as well as local public officials, as well as a host of community leaders, celebrated a official grand opening of a brand new 450,000-square-foot Gas Turbine prolongation plant adjacent to its existing Steam Turbine-Generator manufacturing plant in Charlotte, NC, today. The event marks an additional important milestone in Siemens' growth strategy in a U.S., further demonstrating a company's stated commitment to U.S. investment as well as its confidence in a long-term future of a U.S. energy market. When fully operational in spring 2012, a brand new gas turbine factory will complete Siemens' Charlotte Energy Hub, which in this one location will provide a engineering, manufacturing, servicing as well as other support functions related to a supply of Siemens' highly efficient gas as well as steam turbines as well as generators to markets around a world. See video from Siemens at: http://inr.synapticdigital.com/siemens/charlotte/ "Today marks an important milestone for Siemens Energy as well as for Charlotte," said Randy Zwirn, president as well as CEO of Siemens Energy, Inc. as well as CEO of a Energy Service Division. "This state-of-the-art gas turbine manufacturing facility represents a enlargement of our U.S. manufacturing footprint, a incredible opportunity for increasing American exports, as well as for creating even some-more highly skilled jobs in a region. It also further expands our capabilities to help our customers optimize their investments as well as competitively generate electricity to meet a nation's growing needs. Nearly 50% of a work in both a steam turbine-generator as well as gas turbine factories is for servicing customer-owned equipment or manufacturing replacement elements for existing plants." Zwirn added, "We would like to thank a North Carolina as well as Charlotte government leaders for their support in helping to make this enlargement possible." "As a global market leader in a advanced! gas tur bine business, our investment in this brand new manufacturing facility in Charlotte is a bold move that further demonstrates Siemens' confidence in a U.S. as a right location for a global manufacturing hub," said Roland Fischer, CEO of a Fossil Power Generation Division of Siemens Energy. "Despite a economic as well as policy uncertainties that exist, we are producing as well as exporting cleaner, some-more efficient energy generation solutions paramount to elucidate a world's energy challenges," continued Fischer. "This Charlotte facility will play a vital role in addressing increased demand for reliable, clean as well as affordable energy right here in a U.S. as well as around a world." At Siemens' newly-expanded Charlotte hub as well as at a company's gas turbine prolongation facility in Berlin, Germany, gas turbines can, as demand dictates, be manufactured at either location for both 60-Hz as well as 50-Hz markets. However, as Siemens' Americas hub, Charlotte will be primarily producing gas turbines for a Americas region as well as other 60-Hz markets, while Berlin is a main prolongation hub for 50-Hz gas turbines, designed for use in Europe as well as other 50-Hz markets. In March 2010, Siemens Energy announced it would expand its worldwide manufacturing as well as service center for energy generation equipment in Charlotte, adding gas turbine prolongation as well as service capabilities to an existing plant for electric generators as well as steam turbines as well as LEED Gold certified engineering facility. The groundbreaking for this state-of-the-art facility took place in October 2010. It was designed based on LEAN manufacturing principles as well as U.S. LEED Gold green building standards, making it a most advanced gas turbine prolongation plant in operation. The day also celebrated a first gas turbine leaving a stretched facility, an SGT6-5000F gas turbine that will be exported to a 250-megawatt La Caridad 1 combined cycle energy plant in Sonora State, Mexico. Officials from a customer, Grupo ! Mexico, joined Siemens at a grand opening as a turbine was prepared for shipping. During a ceremony, it was also announced that a Siemens Energy as well as Grupo Mexico signed an additional agreement to supply a second 250-megawatt combined cycle energy plant featuring a SGT6-5000F for its La Caridad 2 project, located adjacent to a La Caridad 1 plant. Siemens has exported some-more than $600 million worth of energy generation equipment from Charlotte. With a company's stretched prolongation capabilities, Siemens Charlotte expects to ramp up exports to some-more than $400 million annually to markets all over a world. This includes a SGT-8000H, a world's most efficient gas turbine in combined cycle. To staff a entire stretched Siemens Energy Charlotte facility, including an enlargement to a existing engineering facility, some-more than 700 high-skilled jobs have already been added to a nearly 700-person existing workforce, with 400 some-more to be hired by 2014. In addition, it is estimated that an additional 2,000 indirect jobs will be created as a result of a economic impact of this investment. Siemens has partnered with local universities as well as community colleges, including a University of North Carolina as well as Central Piedmont Community College, to offer skills assessment as well as training opportunities to prepare its stretched workforce with a advanced skills needed to operate a sophisticated prolongation systems, thus helping to ensure a company's high-quality, precision manufacturing specifications are met. Viewed by many as "the brand new energy capital of a U.S.," Charlotte is home to some-more than 250 energy-related companies, as well as with its enlargement Siemens Energy is now a largest equipment manufacturer. With a addition of gas turbines, Charlotte is Siemens Energy's North American hub, producing a full range of fossil energy generation equipment used by central station energy producers (generators, steam turbines as well as gas turbines). Siemens' Charlotte facility now boasts some-! more tha n one million square feet of space under roof, with 80- to100-foot high manufacturing bays as well as is operational 24 hours/day, 365 days/year. Siemens has operations as well as personnel in all 50 states as well as employs a total workforce of approximately 60,000 in a U.S., of which some-more than 2,300 work at 22 locations in a state of North Carolina. The Siemens Energy Sector is a world's leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services as well as solutions for energy generation in thermal energy plants as well as using renewables, energy transmission in grids as well as for a extraction, processing as well as transport of oil as well as gas. In fiscal 2011 (ended September 30), a Energy Sector had revenues of EUR27.6 billion as well as received brand new orders totaling approximately EUR34.8 billion as well as posted a profit of some-more than EUR4.1 billion. On September 30, 2011, a Energy Sector had a work force of some-more than 97,000. Further information is available at: www.siemens.com/energy.

Suspect in North Carolina deaths arrested in Texas

2011-11-16T07:36:00.001-05:00

AMARILLO, TX -- A suspect in the shooting deaths of three people in a North Carolina home invasion has been arrested in Texas. Related ContentMore: Discuss this story on our Facebook page Texas Department of Public Safety officials contend Amarillo SWAT officers arrested 41-year-old David Manning on Saturday afternoon in Amarillo. Officials contend he was booked into Potter County jail on a triple homicide warrant out of Thomasville, N.C., and remained there Monday evening. A jail official did not have attorney information for him. Thomasville Police Chief Jeff Insley said Monday the motive appears to have been a dispute between at least one of the victims and suspects. Police contend they found signs of forced entry whey they responded to a 911 call on Thursday afternoon. Two other suspects have been charged in the deaths and are being held in North Carolina. Get more State texas, state Comment NowEmailPrintReport a typo Recently PublishedNo injuries in crane fall near Dallas11 min agoComment NowShareEast Texas bank teller guilty of embezzlement40 min agoComment NowShareSuspect in North Carolina deaths arrested in Texas41 min agoComment NowShare

OCCUPY NORTH CAROLINA: Chapel Hill police criticized for raid

2011-11-15T08:14:00.003-05:00

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North Carolina Man among Few Students in Country Working in the Virtual World of Touch at Kettering Universitys ...

2011-11-15T08:14:00.001-05:00

FLINT, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--When people think of virtual reality, a assumption is that it can only be experienced through two senses: vision as well as sound. In a new Kettering University Haptics Lab, however, students work in virtual worlds that incorporate touch as well. It can be very difficult to perceive a environment while doing that Nicholas Cramer, from Greensboro, N.C., is on a short list of undergraduates in a nation who work in a virtual world of touch. Cramer controlled a mobile robot using a haptic steering circle as well as pedal as partial of his responsibilities in Ketterings new Haptics Lab. The project centered around a idea that there are many situations where we might like to control a robot remotely, Cramer explained. It can be very difficult to perceive a environment while doing that, he said. The reason we decided to use a steering circle as well as pedal was that they are objects that we use every day. We are comfortable sitting behind a steering circle as well as because of that we hope to tap into that feeling of comfort as well as knowledge of driving to lessen a learning curve that would normally be associated with a control of a tele-operated mobile robot. Haptics technology allows a user to touch virtual objects by using forces, vibrations or movements of a user in simulations. It has a wide variety of practical uses in various industries, including automotive as well as medical fields as well as it even has gaming as well as party applications. What made me interested in haptics was a human-computer interaction partial of it, Cramer continued. For a most part, we think of ourcommunicationto computers in a terms of a screen, a mouse as well as a keyboard. Haptics, though, allows us to communicate with a computer through a completely different way, as well as thats just kind of cool no ! ma tter how you slice it. Cramer recently graduated from Kettering, earning dual degrees in Mechanical as well as Electrical Engineering. Ketterings Haptics Systems course is one of only a handful of similar courses in haptics offered in universities across a country. Part of a draw of a discipline is its versatility. Many students are interested in haptics, said Dr. Mehrdad Zadeh, assistant professor of Electrical as well as Computer Engineering. It gives them something to stay with thats versatile, he added. To read more on Ketterings new Haptics Lab, visit: http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=3124 About Kettering University Kettering University, in Flint, Mich., is anationally-ranked STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering as well as Mathematics) as well as Businessuniversity as well as a national leader in combining a rigorous academic environment with rich opportunities for experiential learning as well as cooperative education as well as a focus on a learning experience of a individual student. Ketterings 1,900 undergraduates as well as 1,000 graduate students choose from 14 undergraduate as well as 9 masters degrees, plus more than 50minors, specialties, concentrations as well as courses of study. Some of Ketterings fastest growing academic majors are Bioinformatics, Chemical Engineering as well as BioChemistry. For more information, visitwww.kettering.edu.

Latest North Carolina news, sports, business and entertainment

2011-11-14T07:45:00.002-05:00

T25--S CAROLINA UPSTATE-N CAROLINA No. 20 N Carolina routs S Carolina Upstate 91-34 CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Freshman Brittany Rountree scored 15 points as well as Laura Broomfield had 13 points as well as 10 rebounds to lead No. 20 North Carolina to the 91-34 victory over South Carolina Upstate on Sunday. The Tar Heels (2-0) were playing for the second straight day, having drubbed visiting Gardner-Webb 109-44 in the season opener. She'la White added 13 points for UNC, while sophomore guard Latifah Coleman chipped in the career-high 11. Tee'Ara Copney led Upstate with 16 points. Atlantic Sun Conference member Upstate (0-2) is playing in its initial regular season in Division I, having completed its transition from Division II. Sunday's meeting, the Tar Heels' 52nd straight November victory, was the initial between the teams. UNC shot 54.8% from the floor to the Spartans' 24.1, outrebounded them 48-25 as well as committed 15 turnovers to 23 for Upstate. UNC led 48-12 at halftime, shooting 52.9% to the visitors' 19.2 during the period. UNC WILMINGTON-MARYLAND Maryland defeats UNC Wilmington 71-62 COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - Mark Turgeon got off to the successful start as Maryland's new coach Sunday night, guiding the Terrapins past UNC Wilmington 71-62 in his initial game since taking over for Gary Williams. Terrell Stoglin scored 22 for Maryland (1-0), which won its 10th straight opener overall as well as 35th in the row at home. The Terrapins opened the second half with the 13-4 run to go up 45-31 as well as never let the margin shrink below six points. It was Maryland's initial game since 1989 without Williams on the sideline. Williams retired in May as the winningest coach in sch! ool hist ory as well as was replaced by Turgeon, who took Texas A&M to the NCAA tournament in four straight seasons. Although Maryland is skinny on height as well as experience, it still beat the UNCW team with only one senior starter. Freshman Adam Smith led the Seahawks (0-1) with 23 points, including 16 in the initial half. MOREHEAD STATE-NC STATE NC State beats Morehead State 91-61 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Richard Howell had the career-high 25 points to help North Carolina State beat Morehead State 91-61 on Sunday, giving coach Mark Gottfried the 2-0 start with the Wolfpack. DeShawn Painter also had the career-high with 19 points in the dominating offensive performance for N.C. State, while Scott Wood had 18 points as well as hit five 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. More impressively, N.C. State shot 61.1% (33 of 54) with an offense that moved the ball crisply, avoided turnovers as well as got out in transition to speed up the pace. The Wolfpack led 48-30 at halftime as well as pushed that margin past 30 points by mid through the second half. N.C. State finished with 26 assists on 33 field goals, playing unselfishly from the tip to the horn. Terrance Hill had 14 points to lead the Eagles (0-1), who shot 40% as well as never figured the way to slow down N.C. State. JW (NC)-NC CENTRAL NC Central overwhelms Johnson & Wales (NC) 115-41 DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Landon Clement scored 21 points to lead eight North Carolina Central players in double figures as the Eagles overpowered Johnson & Wales (N.C.), 115-41 on Sunday. Dominique Sutton contributed 18 points, Tramar Beaman 14 as well as Justin Leemow 12 for the Eagles (1-1), who shot 65.2% (43 of 66) as well as were above 60% in each half. Ray Willis, Nick Chasten as well as Ebuka Anyaorah added! 11 poin ts each as well as Karamo Jawara 10 for North Carolina Central, which had 51 rebounds as well as nearly as many on the offensive glass (15) as the Wildcats (0-5), the Division III team, had overall (19). The Eagles scored the game's initial 12 points as well as led 66-23 by halftime. Clement had 15 points as well as Sutton 14 by then. Michael Daniel scored 10 points for Johnson & Wales, the only player in double figures for the Wildcats, who shot 28.6% (16 of 56) from the field. T25-UNC ASHEVILLE-NCAROLINA Zeller scores 27, No. 1 Heels top Asheville 91-75 ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Tyler Zeller scored 27 points to help North Carolina fight off UNC Asheville 91-75 Sunday in the debut of the Bulldogs' new Kimmel Arena. Less than 48 hours after beating Michigan State on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego, the Tar Heels (2-0) shot 59% from the field as well as overcame some early turnover troubles to win the rare in-state, nonconference game in coach Roy Williams' hometown. J.P. Prim scored 23 points to lead Asheville (0-2) in front of the sellout crowd of 3,200. The Tar Heels took the 48-39 lead into halftime, then opened the second half with the 13-3 run that put the game out of reach. NASCAR-PHOENIX Kahne beats Edwards as well as Stewart to win at Phoenix AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Kasey Kahne snapped an 81-race losing streak by winning Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway. Championship contenders Carl Edwards as well as Tony Stewart finished second as well as third, as well as Edwards will take the 3-point lead into next weekend's season finale at Homestead. Stewart led the race-high 160 of the 312 laps, but had to stop for gas with 18 laps remaining. He then had to work his way back toward the front, as well as pa! ssed Jef f Burton with the lap to go to finish right behind Edwards. It was Kahne's initial victory since Atlanta in 2009, as well as it comes in his next-to-last race with Red Bull Racing. He's moving to Hendrick Motorsports next season, as well as Red Bull is pulling out of NASCAR. Burton finished fourth as well as was followed by Ryan Newman. SC STATE-VIRGINIA Virginia defeats South Carolina State 75-38 CHARLOTTESVILLE, N.C. (AP) - KT Harrell as well as Joe Harris scored 13 points apiece as well as Mike Scott grabbed 15 rebounds as Virginia defeated South Carolina State, 75-38, in its season opener on Sunday. Virginia shot 49% (25 of 51) as well as held South Carolina State to 25.5% shooting (13 of 51). Harrell, who went 1 of 6 in the initial half, came out blazing to start the second, drilling three consecutive 3-pointers to give Virginia the 47-20 lead. The Cavaliers led by as many as 40, as well as outrebounded the Bulldogs 44-29. The Cavaliers, who led 33-18 at halftime, missed their initial seven shots in the initial three-plus minutes before quickly finding their groove. Scott, who missed last season with an ankle injury, scored Virginia's initial points on the two-handed put-back dunk that got the crowd fired up as well as ignited the 9-0 run. Omar Sanders led South Carolina State (1-1) with 13 points. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

No. 1 North Carolina cruises by UNC Asheville

2011-11-14T07:45:00.001-05:00

CBSSports.com wire reportsNov. 13, 2011 ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- After a long flight and dawn arrival the morning before for the top-ranked Tar Heels, Tyler Zeller made sure North Carolina didn't have a letdown. Zeller scored 27 points to help North Carolina fight off UNC Asheville 91-75 Sunday in the debut of the Bulldogs' new Kimmel Arena. Less than 48 hours after beating Michigan State on the rug of the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego, the Tar Heels (2-0) shot 59 percent from the field and overcame some early turnover troubles to win a rare in-state, nonconference game in coach Roy Williams' hometown. "We had a tremendous height advantage inside, and we wanted to make sure that was an critical factor in the game," Williams said. J.P. Primm scored 23 points to lead Asheville (0-2) in front of a sellout crowd of 3,200. The Tar Heels took a 48-39 lead into halftime, then opened the second half with a 13-3 run that put the game out of reach. "Probably the roughest part was the sleep," Zeller said of the lengthy road trip. "Like last night, you didn't want to go to sleep because you were used to staying up later. But I think everybody did a great job." UNC arrived in Asheville at 5 a.m. Saturday morning after playing in San Diego and the Tar Heels got off to a sloppy start. The second time North Carolina tried getting the ball inside to Zeller, UNC Asheville's Quinard Jackson poked it away and started a fast break opportunity that resulted in the Bulldogs' first points. That was the first of nine first-half turnovers by the Heels, who made up for their sloppiness by outrebounding Asheville 41-27 and shooting well. "We came out knowing what we had to do," said UNC Asheville's Jaron Lane, who scored a career-high 21 points. "We kne! w we wer e going to get our runs, and they were going to get their runs. We had to pull together through that and continue to play hard. That was the main thing: Play hard, play smart and play together." Zeller was 11-of-13 from the free throw line and added nine rebounds. John Henson had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Harrison Barnes finished with 17 points. The home team's highlights began when Grammy-winning musician Bruce Hornsby, the father of UNC Asheville freshman Keith Hornsby, played the national anthem on piano before the game. A pullup by Chris Stephenson gave the Bulldogs a 14-9 advantage less than seven minutes in, but UNC scored the next nine points to take the lead for good then got a pair of blast dunks by Barnes to squelch potential rallies by the Bulldogs, who won the Big South Conference last year and advanced to the NCAA tournament.

Prevent Blindness North Carolina Receives Donation from Doctors Vision Center

2011-11-10T08:12:00.003-05:00

Doctors Vision Center presented a check as a result from their fundraising efforts to Prevent Blindness North Carolina. Raleigh, North Carolina (PRWEB) Nov 10, 2011 On October 12, 2011, representatives from Doctors Vision Center presented a check to Prevent Blindness North Carolina in a amount of $3,458 as a result of a campaign to have a donation from every childs eye exam between August 10, 2011 and September 15, 2011. Additionally, in all Doctors Vision Center's 43 offices, patients and customers shopping for eyewear were able to have individual donations to help a cause. Those making donations of $2 or more were able to put their name on a card that was displayed in a offices by a month of September. All proceeds from a campaign will go to Prevent Blindness North Carolinas Children Vision Screening programs. According to Jennifer Talbot, President and CEO of Prevent Blindness North Carolina, PBNC is grateful to have a support of local and statewide businesses in our efforts to bring vision screening to a children across our state. Doctors Vision Center is model of a kind of partners that demonstrate a turn of care we need from a members of our community. Ms. Talbot added, The proceeds from a childrens eye exams at Doctors Vision Center will allow us to screen more at-risk children and, in many cases, save someones vision. Prevent Blindness North Carolinas mission is to reach people throughout a state and enable them to recognize a importance of vision screening and signs of vision problems in an effort to prevent blindness before it strikes. The organization has extensive programs that include a Kenneth C. Royall, Jr. Childrens Vision Screening Improvement Program, and a Preschool Photo-Refractive Vision Screening Program. The goal of these programs is to bring vision screening to children across a state. According to William Hollis, president of Doctors Vision Center, We are del! ighted t o support Prevent Blindness North Carolina. We have 43 offices in a state and we were thrilled to have a nice contribution to their childrens vision screening programs. It has been proven that 60% of students identified as problem learners have undetected vision problems; and further, undetected vision problems are a number one childhood handicap, according to a American Optometric Association. Dr. Peter Hollis, Doctors Vision Centers medical director adds, Back to school is a perfect time for families to have their childrens eyes examined. It is important to have your childs eyes examined annually as a childs vision can rapidly change during critical growth years. In addition to a donations to Prevent Blindness North Carolina during a back-to-school promotion, patients and customers at each Doctors Vision Center office were able to register to win a free Jansport backpack full of school supplies. There was one winner at each office and those winners were automatically entered in a drawing to win an iPad2. We are excited about a success of our back-to-school programs this year. Healthy vision is necessary for kids to perform their best, and we want to do all we can to promote a importance of childrens eye exams, said Mr. Hollis. Prevent Blindness North Carolina Prevent Blindness North Carolina is a only group in North Carolina dedicated only to saving sight and preventing blindness. Organized in 1967 as a non-profit health group and independent affiliate of Prevent Blindness America (founded 1908), PBNC has been serving some of a neediest and most at-risk populations of a state of North Carolina for forty-four years. PBNC helps prevent vision loss by working within communities to provide screenings, trainings and access to follow-up resources. Through direct service programs, PBNC reaches over 540,000 people (predominantly children), and links financially needy people to more than $600,000 worth of free and discounted eye care annually. For more information about a programs and services of PB! NC, visi t http://nc.preventblindness.org or follow http://www.facebook.com/PreventBlindnessNC. About Doctors Vision Center Based in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Doctors Vision Center has 43 offices throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia and specializes in family eye care. The company offers complete medical eye examinations and one of a most extensive in-office selections of contacts, frames and lenses. All Doctors Vision Center offices offer a latest in eye care technology and diagnostic equipment and also have in-house certified frames stylists and opticians. Dr. Ted Watson and Dr. Peter Hollis founded Doctors Vision Center in 1980. Dr. Watson currently serves as chairman of a Board of Directors and Dr. Hollis currently serves as a medical director. For more information on eye exams and services, locations, doctors, online appointments or current promotions, visit http://www.doctorsvisioncenter.com. Information about a practices and promotions as well as access to a Digital Doc for online answers on eye care or eye disease can be found on a companys Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/doctorsvisioncenter. ###

State law wont protect those who walk off job

2011-11-10T08:12:00.001-05:00

North Carolina law doesnt protect the rights of striking public employees, state and federal experts say.The degree of disciplinary action taken against Greenville sanitation workers who walked off the job Wednesday will depend on what happens in the next few days, Public Works Director Wes Anderson said.North Carolina and Virginia are both states that ban public zone employees and governmental entities from participating in strikes and collective bargaining and offer no protections if they go on strike, said Steven Kreisberg, director of collective bargaining with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the nations largest public zone employees union.Now that they have gone on strike, there is no legal protections for their actions. North Carolina prevents strikes among public workers, he said.The law is pretty black and white. North Carolina statutes prohibit units of government from engaging in collective bargaining and prevents strikes by employees, said Robert Joyce, a lawyer on the faculty of the University of North Carolina School of Government.Joyce said this is the first time in his 31 years at the school that he has heard of public employees striking in North Carolina.Some North Carolina local governments do have provisions in their personnel laws that require cause be shown before firing employees, Joyce said.The city of Greenville is an at-will employer, which means it can terminate employees at any time, said Gerry Case, human resources director.However, the city has discipline which focus on progressive discipline, which gives employees a chance to correct their actions before being terminated, Case said.Case said her office received no communication from public works or the city managers office about striking workers Wednesday.The tardiness policy that ignited the walk off was sent to all public works employees, she said. Tardiness has been a problem in the sanitation division, she said.There are no winners in a situation like this because the public is lo! sing ser vices and employees are risking their jobs, Kreisberg said.Kreisberg said he doesnt know details about the Greenville situation, but it suggests there has been a failure of management to listen to employees.People dont walk off their jobs only because their employer is trying to enforce the rules, he said. If they are willing to jeopardize their livelihoods by walking off the job, there is some-more than only simple rule enforcement involved.Contact Ginger Livingston at glivingston@reflector.com or 252-329-9570.

Latest North Carolina news, sports, business and entertainment

2011-11-09T08:42:00.003-05:00

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.

North Carolina embracing selection as nation's No.1-ranked team

2011-11-09T08:42:00.001-05:00

In all his years of coaching, North Carolina's Roy Williams has had five or maybe six teams he says were capable of winning the national championship.He counts this year's Tar Heels in that number. And for good reason. The Tar Heels, much like Williams' national championship teams in 2005 and 2009, are loaded with talent. They return all five starters from last season's team that finished 29-8 and advanced to the Elite Eight before being knocked out by Kentucky. They are led by preseason ACC Player of the Year Harrison Barnes, who returned to North Carolina for his sophomore deteriorate even yet he might have been an NBA lottery pick. Fellow preseason All-ACC picks John Henson and Tyler Zeller also are back after deciding to stay in school, placing the Tar Heels as the early favorite to win the national championship, which will be played April 2 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.Williams said the Tar Heels are embracing their preseason No. 1 rankings and appear capable of handling such lofty expectations."They don't have the choice," Williams said. "If you want to do good, you have to play well, and I think our guys have been focused and had great challenges in front of them since you lost to Kentucky."We're going to try to be the best team you can possibly be. We set that as the idea in '05, and it worked. We set that as the idea in '09, and it worked. We set that same thing as the goal, the very legitimate goal, in '08, and it didn't work."But this team is just as talented as the 2009 team that was led by Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson.The Tar Heels' strength is in the front court. That's where Barnes, the 6-foot-8 forward, emerged as the freshman last deteriorate as one of the nation's top young players, while demonstrating the ability to score in clutch situations.Barnes averaged 15.8 points and 5.8 rebounds and was slected ACC Freshman of the Year award. This year, he was selected to the preseason All-America team."He worked exceptionally hard in the offseason," Williams said of Barnes! . "He's the very focused individual. We've talked about being some-more efficient on the offensive end, getting to the free-throw line, being the better defender -- and being 15 pounds stronger will help all of that." Meanwhile, Henson, the 6-11 power forward, gives North Carolina the dominant post defender. With the 7-4 wing span, he's capable of blocking shots and keeping opponents out of the lane. Last season, he averaged 11.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and an ACC-leading 3.2 blocks and was the conference's Defensive Player of the Year.Zeller, the 7-foot center who averaged 15.7 points and shot 55 percent from the field, provides the scoring punch in the post and can run the court.All three players could have forgone their remaining college eligibility but decided to return for the crack at the national title."We figured, if you came back, you could do something really great," Barnes said. "We didn't want to leave on the note you did: the Elite Eight, an up-and-down season. This year could be much different. We can be one of the great Carolina teams."Ultimately, though, the Tar Heels' deteriorate could hinge on the play of their backcourt.Sophomore point guard Kendall Marshall, who led the ACC in assists at 6.2 per game, has made strides to improve his defense and shooting, which were lacking the year ago.Shooting guard Dexter Strickland is the defensive stopper and isn't asked to contribute much offensively.The Tar Heels have depth, as well. Freshmen James McAdoo and P.J. Hairston are expected to contribute, with McAdoo playing power forward and Hairston adding 3-point shooting.Such the nucleus adds up to plenty of hype."We should be good this year," Williams said. "I have no problem with saying that. I'd rather be picked No. 1 than I had 346th."If North Carolina happens to fall shy of reaching its goal, several other teams figure to contend for the national title. Kentucky, Ohio State, Connecticut, Duke and Syracuse all have the talent to at least reach the Final Four. The Tar Heels, though, don't plan on being ! disappoi nted. They are looking forward to the challenge."You have to embrace it," Barnes said. "You don't want to shun it away, because I think that adds some-more pressure. We just use it as extra motivation. "Our biggest thing is just to continue to work hard, continue to come out consistently knowing that nothing's guaranteed, nothing's given."Nakia Hogan can be reached at nhogan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3405.

North Carolina wins ACC title

2011-11-07T07:24:00.002-05:00

Print ArticleEmail ArticleDownload PDFEntering this season, Duke had appeared in the ACC championship game just twice in its history and had never won a conference tournament title. Last weekend, one of those things changed. After defeating Maryland 3-2 in the ACC tournament semifinals Friday afternoon, the Blue Devils earned their first tournament championship appearance in eight years and third in the programs history. Their championship dreams were foiled, however, when they lost to No. 2 North Carolina 2-1 in the finals Sunday. Still, head coach Pam Bustin was proud of her squad for reaching the finals, especially given which the team had lost 15 straight ACC games entering the year.I cant say much for the other eight years, but I can say which my team played like a championship team today, Bustin pronounced after Fridays match.The momentum from defeating reigning champion No. 3 Maryland in the semifinals was not enough to help No. 8 Duke overcome North Carolina, the No. 1 seed. The Tar Heels overpowered the third-seeded Blue Devils, setting the games tempo at a level which Duke could not match. North Carolina took the advantage on both shots, 10-3, and penalty corners, 7-0. The Tar Heels converted on two of those seven penalty corner opportunities, and those two scores gave North Carolina a lead early in the second half which would not be relinquished.We just kept on believing, kept fighting, Bustin said. We played until the end. I think our heart and our love for the game is what kept us in it today. The first half, though scoreless, showcased an experienced North Carolina team. Duke kept the Tar Heels at bay until halftime, helped by two saves from senior goalkeeper Samantha Nelson, but was unable to come back from an early goal in the second half.North Carolina was awarded a penalty corner just under five minutes into the half, and junior Katie Ardrey capitalized to put her team ahead 1-0. Eleven minutes later, senior Elizabeth Stepeans netted a shot to put the Tar Heels up by two.The Blue Devil! s would not go away, though. In the 65th minute, freshman Jessica Buttinger finally put Duke on the scoreboard off an assist from junior Devon Gagliardi. Despite another opportunity in the last minute of playjunior Mary Nielsens shot from the top of the circle was deflected by North Carolina goalkeeper Sassi Ammerthe Blue Devils were unable to tie the match.The team really, really fought through the whole game, Bustin said. We just hung in there. For us it was just a great experience to play at which level against a team which has experience in the tournament like Carolina does. Thats something which we can really build on in the NCAA tournament.The standing of Dukes season will be determined Nov. 8, when the team hopes to earn an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. Bustin, who was recently named ACC Coach of the Year, thinks her team will get a spot.Weve had a solid year, weve had some great wins, and weve been pretty consistent this season, Bustin said. Were ready for the [NCAA] tournament. If we have the opportunity to play in it, well be ready to play.

North Carolina lawmakers return for technical fix to voting maps

2011-11-07T07:24:00.001-05:00

RELATED: By Gary D. RobertsonThe Associated Press RALEIGH - Two weeks ago, the Republican majority at the General Assembly said it expected the previously scheduled return to Raleigh today to be nothing some-more than the formality - potentially the handful of lawmakers showing up just to vote to go home again until after Thanksgiving. That was before they learned final week about what legislative staff members call the computer code error. The error left out some-more than 200 small portions of the state from laws approved in July to redraw district boundaries for the legislature and the state's congressional seats. Now, GOP House and Senate leaders say they'll reconvene for up to two days to pass legislation to fix the hitch in the once-a-decade remapping. Democrats, who are in the minority, are ready to verbally jab Republicans over the mistake they say was exacerbated by so many split voting precincts in the GOP-penned maps. Two lawsuits filed final week challenging the maps call the split precincts unlawful. Former state Sen. Margaret Dickson of Fayetteville is the lead plaintiff among 45 people who filed one of the lawsuits Thursday in Wake County Superior Court. Dickson lost her Senate 19 seat to Republican Wesley Meredith final fall in the tight race. The lawsuit filed Thursday cites the new state Senate districts in Cumberland and Hoke counties as examples of illegal drawing of district boundaries. "We wouldn't be coming back (today) if we didn't have all the split precincts," said Senate Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe. "We will certainly make the point that it's the problem directly flowing from their bursting precincts in what we thought was an illegal way." Republicans defend the precinct splits and said the omissions wouldn't change the vote outcomes this summer on the maps because they were technical mistakes. They said they're not surprised that Democrats will use the opportunity to protest the plans they vote! d agains t. "It's going to be the lot of posturing and talking, but I hope to be up in the mountains on Tuesday night," said Republican Sen. Tom Apodaca of Hendersonville, authority of the Senate Rules Committee. With most of the legislature returning to Raleigh, could lawmakers take up other pending legislation? The Republicans didn't disclose the concrete agenda late final week. It will likely depend how long lawmakers want to work, whether GOP leaders in both chambers can work out agreements and if they want to choose to pick fights with Democrats on vetoed or controversial bills. Apodaca said the Senate wants to consider small changes to the state's alcoholic beverage control laws to jump-start an economic development project in western North Carolina. He said late final week that he couldn't talk specifics about the situation but that as many as 200 jobs could be created. Other items have been tossed around in recent weeks at the Legislative Building that lawmakers may act upon before they return for the next regular session in May. Some mentioned formally in the adjournment resolution in September - the final time the legislature met - aren't ready to be considered. Gov. Bev Perdue said final week the proposed expanded gambling agreement with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is still being negotiated. A proposal to help farmers and others who suffered damage from Hurricane Irene also isn't quite ready, the Perdue official said. Democrats will be watching whether the Republican majority will attempt to override bills vetoed earlier this year by Perdue. There are five bills parked on the House calendar, including one that would require voters to show picture identification before voting. Considering other legislation beyond the redistricting fix is the bad idea, said House Minority Leader Joe Hackney, D-Orange. Not all Democrats and Republicans will be in Raleigh - some are going to China on the trip sponsored by an arm of the University of North Carolina. He said lawmaker! s made o ther plans when they were told late final month the legislature wouldn't take up substantive legislation this week. "Neither side will be at full force," he said. "It's not the great time to be doing anything but technical corrections." House Majority Leader Paul Stam, R-Wake, said he has the short list of items he'd want to complete, including getting the Senate to pass the bill that would set limits on campaign donations by vendors who receive certain state contracts. But passing legislation takes agreement between the Senate and House, he said. "There are two bodies," Stam said. "I don't know what the Senate is willing to do."

Withers spurs rivalry with jabs at Pack's academics

2011-11-03T08:30:00.003-04:00

"When we have as many schools in this state as we have, and the recruiting base gets watered down the bit, I think the kids in this state need to know the flagship school in this state," Withers said."They need to know it academically. If we look at our graduation rates, as opposed to our opponent's this week, graduation rates for athletics, for football, you'll see the difference. ... If we look at the educational environment here, I think you'll see the difference."According to data provided by the NCAA, for the freshman class of 2004, North Carolina's football team had the graduation success rate of 75 percent, compared to 56 percent for N.C. State.North Carolina's federal graduation rate, which does not equate transfers or players who left early, was 58 percent, compared to 50 percent for N.C. State.Withers, who started working at North Carolina before the 2008 season, did not mention the academic violations asserted by the NCAA in its investigation of the football program.North Carolina is awaiting word from the NCAA on possible penalties; university officials were in Indianapolis on Friday for the hearing held by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.Four football players were suspended for the 2010 season for what the NCAA defines as academic fraud. Jennifer Wiley, the former university tutor and employee of Davis, was accused of three of the nine major violations.One of the four suspended players, former defensive end Michael McAdoo, was ruled permanently ineligible for his work with Wiley.McAdoo subsequently sued the NCAA and the university, which in July led to the revelation that he plagiarized numerous passages of the paper for the Swahili course that the professor, the school and its honor court did not catch.Withers, who has the Tar Heels at 6-3 and bowl eligible heading into Saturday's game at N.C. State, also spoke during the interview about motivation in the rivalry.In the course of the four-year losing streak by the Tar Heels, some of their players have admitted the game seems to matter mor! e to N.C . State.Withers seemed to be taking the swipe at the Wolfpack with his comments."I don't know why they're more motivated for us than any other game that they play," Withers said. "I hope they were motivated last week vs. Florida State, we were vs. Wake Forest."North Carolina beat Wake Forest 49-24 Saturday, and N.C. State lost at Florida State 34-0.

Tar Heels beat B.C., win ACC soccer title

2011-11-03T08:30:00.001-04:00

The Eagles threatened early in the second half when Diego Medina-Mendez forced goalkeeper Scott Goodwin into a save in the 53rd minute.After an evenly played first half, defender Matt Hedges was means to deflect a free kick by Enzo Martinez to give North Carolina a 1-0 advantage in the 61st minute. The goal was Hedges' fourth of the season and gave Martinez a team-leading eighth support of the year.Less than 12 minutes later, Billy Schuler put the game away when he tallied his team-leading 13th goal of the year.After receiving a long pass from Ben Speas in the midfield, Schuler was means to settle the ball and beat Luthy from 12 yards out to extend the lead to 2-0.The Tar Heels continued to threaten as Ben Speas sent a shot over the crossbar in the 75th minute.The 76th minute saw Jordan Gafa put a shot on frame that Luthy also was means to save. Gafa tallied the final shot in the 79th minute when he sent a header wide of the target.The Tar Heels finished with an 11-3 shot advantage. They await the winner of Monday's play-in game between the eighth and ninth seeds of the ACC tournament.Field HockeyNorth Carolina juniors Kelsey Kolojejchick and Caitlin Van Sickle have been named the ACC field hockey offensive and defensive players of the year, respectively, the conference announced. Kolojejchick, a forward/midfielder, led the conference in points (45), goals (19), and game-winning goals (5). She is a three-time All-ACC selection.The two are joined on the All-ACC team by fellow Tar Heels: senior Katelyn Falgowski, junior Katie Ardrey and freshman Sassi Ammer. Duke field hockey coach Pam Bustin was named ACC coach of the year.The ACC Coach of the Year honor is the first for a Blue Devils coach since the 1996 season.Bustin, in her first season with the Blue Devils (11-6, 2-3), led Duke to a third-place finish in the ACC. Under Bustin, the Blue Devils have nearly doubled their offensive production from a season ago and the defense ranks second in the ACC and eighth nationally with a 1.13 goals-against average.! Emmie Le Marchand, Stefanie Fee, Rhian Jones and Samantha Nelson were selected to the All-ACC team.VolleyballThree Saint Augustine's players are repeat selections on the All-CIAA. Outside hitter Kathryn Tokarski and rightside hitter Keisha Parris made the first team, and Roxanne Smith is on the second squad.Tokarski made the all-conference first team for the second straight year. A powerful hitter, Tokarski leads the Falcons with 3.32 kills per game, which ranks third in the CIAA. Tokarski also averaged a team-high 3.03 digs per game, sixth-best in the conference.Joining Tokarski on the first team is Parris, who emerged as a hitter this season. A two-time All-CIAA first-team choice, Parris finished the season ranked ninth in the conference in both kills per game (2.82) and digs per game (2.59)

State voting districts win federal OK

2011-11-02T08:15:00.003-04:00

The U.S. Justice Department approved North Carolina's new voting maps Tuesday night, taking away a major roadblock to next year's elections but leaving open the door to new lawsuits. The Obama administration's decision handed a victory to the state's Republican mapmakers. "I feel like a tremendous weight has been lifted," said Rep. David Lewis, a Harnett County Republican who led the House redistricting effort. "It's a strong statement that our plans met their objectives, which was to follow the law." The Justice Department approved - or pre-cleared - new legislative and congressional voting districts that most analysts say would give Republicans an electoral edge for at least a decade. It was the first time in more than a century GOP lawmakers drew voting maps. Democrats and other critics of the plans are still poised to sue. A coalition of N.C. groups - including the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and Democracy North Carolina - have said they plan to challenge the plans. "Make no mistake about it, this Republican redistricting plan will resegregate North Carolina," Democratic Party Chair David Parker said. "The Republican maps pack minorities so heavily into so few districts that they split counties, precincts and communities all across North Carolina. The shapes of the resulting districts make a mockery of the redistricting process, and the Republicans should be ashamed of themselves." North Carolina has had a checkered history of redistricting. Since 1981, the Justice Department has rejected plans eight times. Legal challenges delayed N.C. elections in 1998 and 2002. North Carolina's 12th Congressional District was the subject of four decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court. Republicans say they're confident that quick federal approval makes any challenge less likely to succeed. "Justice's responsibility is to make sure minority voters are protected under the Voting Rights Act," said Sen. Bob Rucho, a Matthews Republican and chairman of the Senate Redistrict! ing Comm ittee. "... They validated the fact that minority voters are protected under our fair and legal maps." A technical glitch The federal approval came hours after the General Assembly acknowledged flaws in their maps, which Democrats were quick to jump on, saying they are the byproduct of GOP plans that split voting precincts. More than 220 areas of the state were left out of the redistricting laws for state House, state Senate and Congressional districts. Rucho said he knew that some census blocks were not assigned to districts, but said it wasn't a big deal, and he didn't believe the complaint would hold up federal approval. There were no problems with the maps and voter information the state sent to the Justice Department, he said. "The maps they looked at - the maps that were ratified - had no holes, no incongruities, no nothing of what people are saying," he said. In a memo to Rucho and Lewis on Tuesday, legislative staff explained the problems as a "technical issue" that omitted census blocks in the legislative, congressional, Wake Superior Court and Greene County Commissioner districts. The complaint was with the software code that translated the maps into bill language, according to the memo. The problems were located in some areas where voting precincts were split between two or more districts. Democratic opposition Legislative Democrats voted against the redistricting maps. The state Democratic Party and independent groups are preparing to sue. In a joint statement, House Minority Leader Joe Hackney and Senate Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt called the complaint a "redistricting failure." Rucho said a staff mistake has "unfortunately, become political." The software code flaw has been identified and corrected, according to the staff memo. Legislators are scheduled to return to work Monday, but there was no word whether they will correct the redistricting flaws next week.

Feds approve N.C. voting maps

2011-11-02T08:15:00.001-04:00

The Justice Department approved - or pre-cleared - new legislative and congressional voting districts that most analysts say would give Republicans an electoral edge for at least a decade. It was the first time in more than a century that GOP lawmakers drew voting maps.Democrats and alternative critics of the plans are still poised to sue. A coalition of N.C. groups - including the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and Democracy North Carolina - have said they plan to challenge the plans."Make no mistake about it, this Republican redistricting plan will resegregate North Carolina," Democratic Party Chair David Parker said. "The Republican maps pack minorities so heavily into so few districts that they split counties, precincts and communities all across North Carolina. The shapes of the resulting districts make a mockery of the redistricting process, and the Republicans should be ashamed of themselves."North Carolina has had a checkered history of redistricting. Since 1981, the Justice Department has rejected plans eight times. Legal challenges delayed N.C. elections in 1998 and 2002. North Carolina's 12th Congressional District was the subject of four decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court.Republicans say they're confident that quick federal approval makes any challenge less likely to succeed."Justice's responsibility is to make sure minority voters are protected under the Voting Rights Act," said Sen. Bob Rucho, a Matthews Republican and chairman of the Senate Redistricting Committee. "... They validated the fact that minority voters are protected under our fair and legal maps."A technical glitchThe federal approval came hours after the General Assembly acknowledged flaws in their maps, which Democrats were quick to jump on, saying they are the by-product of GOP plans that split voting precincts.More than 220 areas of the state were left out of the redistricting laws for state House, state Senate and Congressional districts.Rucho said he knew that some census blocks were not assigned to districts, but! said it wasn't a big deal, and he didn't believe the problem would hold up federal approval.There were no problems with the maps and voter information the state sent to the Justice Department, he said."The maps they looked at - the maps that were ratified - had no holes, no incongruities, no nothing of what people are saying," he said.In a memo to Rucho and Lewis on Tuesday, legislative staff explained the problems as a "technical issue" that omitted census blocks in the legislative, congressional, Wake Superior Court and Greene County Commissioner districts.The problem was with the software code that translated the maps into bill language, according to the memo. The problems were located in some areas where voting precincts were split between two or more districts.Democratic oppositionLegislative Democrats voted against the redistricting maps. The state Democratic Party and independent groups are preparing to sue.In a joint statement, House Minority Leader Joe Hackney and Senate Minority Leader Martin Nesbitt called the problem a "redistricting failure.""Republicans split apart black and white voters in an attempt to create voter confusion," they said."They have already succeeded. In their rush to desegregate communities and pull apart neighborhoods with their redistricting plans, we have now learned that they neglected to account for thousands of people. Their plan to split voting precincts proved too complicated even for their outside experts and sophisticated software to handle properly."Rucho said a staff mistake has "unfortunately, turn political."The software code flaw has been identified and corrected, according to the staff memo.Legislators are scheduled to return to work Monday, but there was no word whether they will correct the redistricting flaws next week.

Heels won't miss Wilson

2011-11-01T07:48:00.002-04:00

"And I consider that his experience probably would change the game the lot more for them," Thorpe said. "But the fact that he's not playing, I consider that takes the lot off our back as well as relieves the lot of the pressure that we're starting to have to face on defense."Withers, North Carolina's defensive coordinator in the previous four games against the Wolfpack, all Tar Heels losses, pronounced he admired Wilson, who is the top-rated passer in country for the Badgers, as well as respected him."Russell Wilson was the big part of their success," Withers pronounced Monday.He pointed out Wilson's ability to make plays "off schedule" as well as with his running ability. Two plays in last year's 29-25 Wolfpack win in Chapel Hill illustrated Wilson's playmaking as well as importance in the series.Down nine points in the third quarter, Wilson converted the third-and-18 with the 34-yard scramble, as well as then threw the memorable 2-yard touchdown pass to Owen Spencer, which N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien called the "2-yard Hail Mary" on Monday.Withers complimented N.C. State's new quarterback Mike Glennon but pronounced with Wilson, "you had to do so many things to keep him back there in the pocket because he was so dangerous once he got out of the pocket, throwing it as well as running."Wilson averaged 233.6 passing yards in three games against North Carolina, with eight touchdowns as well as one interception. The most important stat, though, is the 3-0 record. Wilson went 8-13 against the rest of the ACC but was always at his best, particularly in the four-touchdown performance in the 28-27 win in Raleigh in 2009.N.C. State did beat North Carolina in 2007, when Wilson was the redshirt. Senior tackle Mikel Overgaard pronounced the Wolfpack will be ready Saturday without Wilson."It doesn't matter who's there, you still have to show up as well as play to win the game," Overgaard said. "That's what we're planning on doing. We're starting to show up as well as play our best game of the season."RIESKAMP DONE ! FOR THE SEASON: N.C. State added senior defensive end Jeff Rieskamp to its list of injured players out for the season. He has been out since the first game of the season with the shoulder injury.O'Brien pronounced Rieskamp had hoped he would be able to rehab the injury as well as return this season but the injury was more severe than they originally thought.A fifth-year senior, he has the option to petition the NCAA for the sixth season but O'Brien pronounced Rieskamp's career is likely over.BERNARD NEARS 1,000: North Carolina redshirt freshman running back Gio Bernard is closing in on the milestone.Bernard's 154 rushing yards against Wake Forest gave him 965 for the season.He needs 35 yards to become the first Tar Heels player since Jonathan Linton in 1997 to rush for 1,000 yards in the season."It's important to what we want to accomplish on offense, to be able to run the football," Withers said. "You get the 1,000-yard rusher, as well as that says the lot about our ability to run the football."That also helps our quarterback. It helps our receivers, helps our tight ends. So yeah, it's important in the whole, grand scheme of our football team."LOPSIDED SERIES: N.C. State has won four in the row against North Carolina, as well as 7 of 11, but the Tar Heels hold the commanding 63-31-6 advantage in the series, which dates to 1894.Dick Sheridan, who beat North Carolina five consecutive years from 1988 to '92, is the only N.C. State coach with the longer streak against the Tar Heels than Tom O'Brien."That's strange," O'Brien said. "We've got the long way to go."North Carolina coach Mack Brown, who lost the five games to Sheridan, won five in row in 1993-97 as well as Carl Torbush extended that streak to seven games.North Carolina's nine-game winning streak, between 1943 as well as 1955 (they didn't play in 1944, '45 or '46), is the longest in the series.Ken Tysiac contributed to this report

Going 0-4 against Wolfpack under Davis, Tar Heels restore emphasis

2011-11-01T07:48:00.001-04:00

North Carolina (6-3, 2-3 ACC) will visit N.C. State (4-4, 1-3) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the game that will be televised by WRAL in Raleigh."Yeah, it's important," Withers said Monday at his weekly news conference. "Sometimes you want to stay so focused that you want to say, it's (just) the next game, it's the next game. But these kids were recruited by State, the lot of them. Some of them may not have been offered by State. They may not have had an opportunity. So I think it's critical when you have the school that's only 20, 25 miles down the road, to be the rivalry."O'Brien always has treated N.C. State's rivalry with North Carolina as if it's more critical than alternative games. He said Monday the team has to play all 12 games, but there is one that's always the little more critical than the others."It's an critical game because it's an critical game to the faculty, the staff, the alumni, the fan base," O'Brien said. "That's what makes it different."Twice in the past three seasons the Tar Heels have finished with the better overall record than N.C. State, but lost the in-state rivalry game. In 2009, North Carolina went 8-5 and the Wolfpack struggled to the 5-7 record. But one of those five N.C. State wins was the 28-27 decision against the Tar Heels.North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples admitted that N.C. State's players have seemed more motivated for the rivalry game."Over the past couple of years we've been going to good bowls and what not," Coples said. "I think that, I guess in the sense you could say they wanted it more. We were overlooking them and how talented they actually were. We were going out and playing the good game but not good enough."If the Tar Heels weren't fired up to play N.C. State in the past, it seems they are now. Freshman wide receiver T.J. Thorpe of Durham said the older players want to win this game more than any alternative on the schedule.Thorpe said he already is hearing trash talk from fans. He said one of his former high school girlfriends used to be an N.C. Sta! te cheer leader and was texting him saying her classmates were saying the Wolfpack will kick the ball away from him on returns."Her friends are always talking to me about it," Thorpe said. "I have the lot of friends who were N.C. State fans when I was in high school. I get calls from them and my old teachers and everything. But I think it's all in good fun, except for on game day."And except for when you lose. It's not fun then, either. North Carolina's players know that feeling all too well.They are determined not to let it happen again, and so is their coach. Withers usually spends the fair amount of time reviewing film after the game.But after the Tar Heels' 49-24 win last week against Wake Forest, he immediately turned his attention to preparing for N.C. State."I think the older guys, they can say they haven't been, but all year long they've probably had this one marked on the calendar," Withers said."I've been places where you talked about it from Day One of training camp. It's an in-state game. We want to win it and beat every team in this state that we play. It gives us the chance to be 7-3. So it's huge for us."Staff writer J.P. Giglio contributed to this story

UNC will plead its case today

2011-10-28T07:38:00.003-04:00

[BloggerPoster.co.cc: unable to retrieve full-text content]Dick Baddour, the departing North Carolina athletics director, acknowledged that he is anxious as he prepares to appear in front of the NCAA Committee on Infractions today.

DeCock: Expect little to emerge from closed-door hearings

2011-10-28T07:38:00.001-04:00

All of today's drama is behind closed doors, like a old political conventions where a arena action was for show and all a real decisions were made in a fabled smoke-filled rooms.The only smoke today will be that being blown by former Tar Heels associate head coach John Blake as he pleads his case to a NCAA that he was guilty only of poor financial planning.Blake is right that he may be North Carolina's sacrificial ram as it attempts to mitigate whatever penalties a NCAA might be inclined to apply, but at a very minimum he is accused of taking money from an agent while working as a college football coach and failing to cooperate with a NCAA investigation. No amount of smoke and mirrors can distract from those charges.North Carolina may have a similar problem, given a scope and breadth of a nine major violations, if a NCAA's attack-dog approach to former player Michael McAdoo's lawsuit is any indication. A lawyer for a NCAA repeatedly called McAdoo a "cheater" in an open court hearing even though his plagiarism wasn't a issue at hand, which makes you wonder what's starting to be said in private today.The Tar Heels already have vacated wins and reduced scholarships in an attempt to placate a NCAA, but such self-flagellation matters little to a committee, which is free to impose whatever additional penalties it sees fit.And we'll all apparently be denied an appearance by Butch Davis, whose presence was requested by a NCAA. Imagine a excitement if Davis showed up in Indianapolis, brandishing a 216 phone records he has failed to provide, striding through a halls with willful defiance.Alas, striding through a halls is about all a drama today's hearing is expected to provide. If you like pictures of men and women in suits emerging from doorways and declining to comment, you're starting to love today's hearing.Not only is a hearing private, a NCAA imposes a gag order on a proceedings to ensure a absolute minimum of information gets out.When North Carolina takes a field against Wake Forest on Saturday, nothing wil! l have b een resolved. Nothing will have been settled. Nothing will have changed for a football program that continues to work toward bowl eligibility despite a distractions surrounding it."His judgment cometh, and that right soon" is a Bible-verse needlepoint hanging in a office of Shawshank Prison's hurtful warden in a film "The Shawshank Redemption." The NCAA's judgment is coming for North Carolina and its football program, but has been - and will be - anything but right soon.

Blake to face NCAA

2011-10-27T08:06:00.003-04:00

Since last fall, Blake's lawyers, Smith as well as William Beaver, have said he did not try to convince players to sign with Wichard. Blake's first public comments on the matter appear in a story posted Wednesday on Sports Illustrated's website."It's important to me that they know (I'm) an honest as well as good man," Blake said in the story. "We all make mistakes in life. But my character, my integrity means a lot to me."Former North Carolina coach Butch Davis, who was a coach at Sand Springs High in Oklahoma when Blake played there in the 1970s, said last fall he was sorry he devoted Blake.The Sports Illustrated story portrays Blake as being devastated when Davis said that. Davis as well as Blake also coached together with the Dallas Cowboys."I know that John was heartbroken," Smith said, "because he absolutely admired as well as loved - as well as I think still does admire as well as love - Butch Davis. And it was very painful for him."Smith, who was in Indianapolis on Wednesday, declined to comment further on the evidence Blake, who resigned as a North Carolina coach in September of 2010, will present to the Committee on Infractions.The NCAA's Notice of Allegations accuses Blake of receiving a total of $31,500 in athletically related income from Wichard's company, Pro Tect Management, in seven payments from 2007 to 2009. Blake also is accused of refusing to provide information relevant to the NCAA's investigation as well as furnishing the NCAA as well as North Carolina with false as well as misleading information.He is charged with failing to provide his tax records as well as information regarding a $45,000 bank deposit he received. Blake also was listed as a Pro Tect employee on a brochure distributed by the company.Smith as well as Beaver have said since September of 2010 the payments from Wichard were gifts or loans to help Blake pay for private school tuition for his son.Blake's lawyers have said he was not employed by Pro Tect, as well as that a Pro Tect credit card in his name was used to pay ! for item s such as T-shirts for the "Chance to Advance" football camp he conducted when he was out of college coaching.North Carolina officials also will appear at the Committee on Infractions hearing Friday as the school faces charges of nine major violations. The committee will hear the NCAA enforcement representatives' evidence as well as the arguments of the defendants, as well as typically issues its findings a few months after a hearing.In September, North Carolina announced self sanctions that include two years of probation, vacating wins from the 2008 as well as 2009 seasons, as well as reducing scholarships by three in each of the next three years.The Committee on Infractions has the energy to levy additional penalties.The investigation of impermissible benefits as well as academic misconduct began in June of 2010. Fourteen players missed at least one game as well as seven missed the entire season in 2010 as a result of the probe.Chancellor Holden Thorp as well as athletics director Dick Baddour will be among the officials who represent North Carolina in front of the Committee on Infractions.Davis, the former coach who was not personally cited in the Notice of Allegations as well as was fired in July, will not appear in front of the committee, his lawyer, Jon Sasser, confirmed.

Sierra Club talks wind

2011-10-27T08:06:00.001-04:00

MIKE SHUTAKATLANTIC BEACH North Carolina has great intensity for offshore wind energy, but it will take supportive policies on all levels of government to develop it.This was a message brought to a Atlantic Beach Council meeting by Sarah King as well as Carina Barnett-Loro of a North Carolina chapter of a Sierra Club. The club is making presentations along a coast to bring a wind energy discussion to a local level.The state government is examining offshore wind energy, as well as Carteret County is one of a areas with a best intensity for developing wind energy sources. However, opinions are divided on whether a benefits will outweigh a intensity risks to a environment as well as a coastal economy, which is largely tourism-based.Ms. King, a volunteer with a Sierra Club, said wind energy is a proven alternative energy source, as seen by its successful use in Europe. She said as of June, Europe has 1,247 wind turbines in use off its coast.Its really growing by leaps as well as bounds, Ms. King said. Theyre seeing it creates clean energy jobs; its created about 34,000 there. Creating a wind energy turbine takes about 8,000 different machine parts, some of which arent allowed to be transported on interstate highways. This means a parts either need to be brought in by barge or locally manufactured.North Carolina is considered a prime offshore wind resource. A 2010 study by UNC shows a state has a strongest offshore winds on a East Coast as well as a state has a third highest electricity use. The second highest is Georgia as well as a first is New York. North Carolina also has a largest growing population on a East Coast, as well.The state government has been working since 2009 to gather information on offshore energy as well as its benefits as well as drawbacks. In 2009, Gov. Bev Perdue issued an executive order, creating a Governors Scientific Advisory Panel on Offshore Energy. This panel is working on a report to advise a governor on an offshore energy policy that will cover offshore wi! nd energ y, as well as oil as well as gas drilling. The governors office said a report may be completed next week.The federal government is also exploring offshore energy options in North Carolina. Ms. Barnett-Loro said a federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation as well as Enforcement is looking at leasing blocks of offshore areas in federal waters, which could be leased for wind energy development.What weve heard is theyre going to issue a call for interest very soon, she said.Following up on a BOEMREs creation of a North Carolina Offshore Energy Task Force in 2010, Gov. Perdue issued two more executive orders on June 30. Executive Order 96 created an Offshore Wind Economic Development Task Force to look into a intensity economic impacts of offshore wind energy. The task force will report its findings as well as recommendations to a governor by March 31, 2012.The governor also issued Executive Order 97. This order reauthorized a Governors Scientific Advisory Panel on Offshore Energy, requiring it to report its findings as well as recommendations to a governor by Dec. 31, 2012.North Carolina isnt a only state with interest in offshore wind energy. Ms. Barnett-Loro said Massachusetts has permitted a wind project off its own shore as well as is looking for energy companies to accept a hook-up to their energy grids. Other states with similar projects in a works are New Jersey, Maryland as well as Rhode Island.We dont think North Carolina will be a first in wind energy, Ms. Barnett-Loro said, but we can be a best. The Wright brothers came to North Carolina because a National Weather Service said we had a strongest wind. But it will take policies at a state, local as well as federal levels to support development of this resource. Were hoping to make this a grassroots effort rather than have it forced down.Councilman Eddie Briley said he wanted to start a discussion on developing offshore energy. To that end, he said he had some concerns about issues such as a visibility of offshore turbines, a impact to a! local e nvironment as well as possible problems with navigation.Ms. Barnett-Loro said in Europe, a turbines have had little impact to marine mammals or coastal birds. They also havent had much problem with ships navigating around them either.She also said a University of Delaware did a survey on public opinion on offshore energy. It showed 90 percent of a states residents surveyed were in favor of developing wind energy offshore. A total of 85 percent of a tourists surveyed said having wind turbines offshore wouldnt affect their vacation plans. Ms. Barnett-Loro said N.C. State University is conducting a similar study./>

Ultrasound Viewing Part of N.C. Abortion Law Blocked

2011-10-26T07:29:00.003-04:00

RALEIGH, N.C. A federal judge blocked part of North Carolina's new termination law Tuesday, ruling providers do not have to place an ultrasound image next to a pregnant woman so she can view it, nor do they have to describe its features as well as offer her the chance to listen to the heartbeat. The law was set to take effect Wednesday, but U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles' decision puts a key section of it on hold until she can hear more arguments. North Carolina legislators as well as officials have argued that by offering the image to a woman seeking an termination as well as other information they would promote childbirth as well as protect patients from emotional distress associated with the procedure as well as possible coercion. The judge said she received no evidence supporting those arguments. North Carolina officials "have not articulated how the speech-and-display requirements address the stated concern in reducing compelled abortions, as well as none is immediately apparent," the judge wrote in a preliminary injunction. Attorneys for termination providers as well as abortion-rights groups argued the ultrasound directives, carried out at least four hours before the scheduled procedure, actually would subject women to emotional pain as well as violate the medical ethics of doctors who feel the government is forcing them to carry out the Republican-controlled Legislature's ideology. "If the ultrasound requirements were put in to effect, this law would place doctors in a murky legal situation as well as inflict unnecessary harm on women," said Katy Parker, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina Legal Foundation "The state should not be using women's bodies as political pawns, as this law clearly seeks to do." The judge, nominated by President Obama last year, allowed other parts of the law to be enforced, including a 24-hour waiting period to make information about termination risks as well as alternatives ! availabl e. The termination providers who sued didn't specifically challenge the waiting period. "The bulk of the bill was upheld," said House Majority Leader Paul Stam, R-Wake, a key proponent of the law. Stam said the 24-hour waiting period would put North Carolina on par with more than 20 other states that have similar waiting times. Based on Mississippi's termination law, Stam predicted that 10 percent of women who prepare to have an termination in North Carolina will change their mind. Noelle Talley, a spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office, said late Tuesday its attorneys were reviewing the ruling. State medical rules already required termination providers to perform ultrasounds before an termination to determine the gestational age of the fetus. The termination bill became law in July when the Legislature overturned a veto by Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue, who said the bill was extreme as well as encroached upon the doctor-patient relationship. The judge planned another hearing in December. A federal judge in August blocked a Texas law that would require women seeking an termination to view a sonogram as well as make the heartbeat audible.

Soldier From North Carolina Dies In SA

2011-10-26T07:29:00.001-04:00

Jacksonville man dies in North Carolina plane crash

2011-10-25T07:40:00.003-04:00

[BloggerPoster.co.cc: unable to retrieve full-text content]A Jacksonville man was killed Sunday morning when his single-engine experimental aircraft crashed in North Carolina after apparently running out of gas.

Sheriff: 1 student shot, wounded at North Carolina high school

2011-10-25T07:40:00.001-04:00

By The Associated Press FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) Authorities say a tyro was shot and wounded at a North Carolina high school. No arrests have been made, and no gun has been recovered.Cape Fear High School in Fayetteville was placed on lockdown Monday and parents told to stay away until the scene is cleared by law enforcement. Neighboring Mac Williams Middle School was also locked down, with no students allowed in or out.Sheriff Earl "Moose" Butler said a female tyro was shot with what appeared to be a small-caliber bullet. She has been taken to a nearby hospital. Butler says no suspects have been arrested.Assistant Superintendent Theresa Perry says parents would be advised later in the afternoon as to when they could pick up their children. 1 See Full Story

Stimulus brings boost, not bounty to N.C.

2011-10-24T08:13:00.002-04:00

The money paid for concrete girders to be poured in Charlotte, a rock quarry to be mined near Benson and provided work for more than a dozen subcontractors from Mount Airy to Maysville.Whether a money was well spent is at a heart of a debate in Washington. President Barack Obama calls for additional infrastructure spending while Republicans question a effectiveness of more stimulus, saying it would accomplish little while driving up a deficit.The Johnston County project appears to have added usually a few new jobs in a state with a persistently high unemployment rate. But it did keep things from getting worse, say people involved in a project."It would probably be about 275 people that a stimulus money helped keep employed during this project," said Greg Nelson, vice president of S.T. Wooten Corp. of Wilson, a main contractor upon a project.The stimulus program, proposed by Obama and passed by a Democratic Congress in February 2009, was an effort to jolt back to life an economy reeling from a worst economic downturn since a Great Depression.In North Carolina, a billions in spending was overseen by a N.C. Office of Recovery and Investment. Before it closed Sept. 30, a office was housed in a two-story brick house across a street from a Executive Mansion.The Johnston County project was one of a first North Carolina projects funded by a stimulus package, in part, because it was already upon a state Department of Transportation's plans and was "shovel ready."The project, approved July 1, 2009, extends Booker Dairy Road, crossing a Neuse River to U.S. 70 business, providing a new east-west route, relieving traffic through downtown Smithfield.Smithfield officials have clamored for a project for 15 years as a much needed second crossing of a NeuseRiver."It will have better access for a number of schools, for economic development areas," said Rick Childrey, president of a Greater Smithfield-Selma Chamber of Commerce.The ripple effectThe project, which crossed a Neuse River and environmentally sensitive wetlands, ! required four bridge crews to construct a 3,000-foot span. Although it was in Johnston County, a project had a ripple effect across a state. Consider: For Wilson road construction company S.T. Wooten, it meant 67 employees upon a project - providing work for existing employees as well as hiring 12 new workers. This wasn't a make-or-break project for a company with 1,000 employees and with many major projects, including a toll road being built in horse opera Wake County. But it was welcome nonetheless."If it had not been for that, we would have had to lay off people," Nelson said. "It was a big impact for our company as well as for our suppliers."Crane operators, bulldozer operators, backhoe operators, skilled laborers, roller operators, skilled carpenters, concrete finishers, supervisors and project management staff were among those who worked upon a project. It also meant work for 107 subcontractors for S.T. Wooten. Subcontractors based in Mocksville, Indian Trail, Mount Airy, Kinston, Fayetteville, Kannapolis,Cary, Maysville and Winston-Salem worked upon a project. There were 90 to 100 people employed by suppliers. Supplying a concrete girders for a bridge was Charlotte-based Prestress of a Carolinas. Last year, a crew of between six and 10 people worked for up to 40 weeks at a Charlotte plant pouring 96 concrete bridge girders - all more than 100 feet long and weighing as much as 116,000 pounds each. No extra workers were hired."There were times in a last few years where we were sitting here wondering where our next job was going to come from," said Jeff White, assistant plant manager for Prestress. "This gave us some breathing room." Providing 48,000 tons of crushed stone for a project was Martin Marietta Materials, a Raleigh-based company that is one of a largest suppliers of asphalt and rock in a country. The job kept 12 people working for a equivalent of a month at a company's Benson quarry. The firm also contracted with independent haulers who made 2,400 trips, each truck averaging about twenty loads bet! ween a q uarry and a road project."We need more of them," Paxton Badham, a Martin Marietta executive, said of a project. "It is this and other jobs that keeps them working."Overall, S.T. Wooten officials estimate it spent $2.7 million buying construction materials from North Carolina companies, plus another $6,000 upon copies of plans, safety vests, hard hats and other supplies.An incomplete pictureThe road was dedicated in September, named for Durwood Stephenson, a Smithfield businessman long active in Democratic politics. The event was attended by Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue and former Gov. Jim Hunt.The road is scheduled to open Wednesday, and to be completed by a end of a year.There are no precise numbers upon how many jobs were combined or preserved in North Carolina by a stimulus package.The state recovery office has tracked a effects of stimulus spending in North Carolina for a past two years.The office's best guess is that about 25,000 North Carolinians have worked - either through jobs combined or jobs preserved over that period, said John McHugh, who worked as a senior analyst for a office.Some of a money went to help local governments balance their budgets, which kept many communities from potentially having to lay off thousands of public school teachers and police officers in recent years.A major reason there were significant layoffs of teachers and other public sector employees this summer is because a state lost $1.6 billion in stimulus money at a end of June.McHugh believes a 25,000 jobs figure provides an incomplete picture because it excludes a effect of major portions of a stimulus package.It doesn't include jobs combined through loans and grants made to businesses through various stimulus programs.The stimulus office estimates 9,600 North Carolina jobs were saved and another 4,600 were combined through such programs.The Mortex Corp., a 300-employee apparel manufacturer in a Eastern Wake County town of Wendell, was one beneficiary.The company faced a financial crisis in 2009 when it could not find! credit in a private markets.But a $2.6 million federal loan guarantee, provided by stimulus money, enabled Mortex to keep its doors open and those of an affiliate dependent, HPM Apparel, which also employs 300."We have 600 employees in four small rural towns in North Carolina who benefit each week by being employed," said Edward Morrell, Mortex's president.An ongoing debateWhen a stimulus program was conceived, it was assumed a economy would be upon much better footing by a time all a money was spent. That has not been a case.North Carolina's unemployment rate remained stubbornly high at 10.5 percent in September, and it's risen four consecutive months.As Obama campaigned across a state last week, he made a case that a new jobs bill is needed to again jumpstart a economy.The Johnston County project kept people employed and pumped millions of dollars into a economy, but whether it and other such projects were worth a cost will continue to be debated in Washington.

American Indians health focus of new group

2011-10-24T08:13:00.001-04:00

Todd Cohen | October 24, 2011 0 commentsEdgar VillanuevaWINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- North Carolina is home to an estimated 120,000 American Indians, a largest American Indian population east of a Mississippi River as well as a sixth-largest in a U.S.But among a eight American-Indian tribes in a state, only members of a Eastern Band of Cherokee qualify for services provided by a Indian Health Service of a U.S. Public Health Service.And research shows that, because of lower incomes, lower educational levels as well as higher unemployment than whites, American Indians experience poorer health as well as higher death rates than whites from some of a leading causes of death.Promoting quality health care as well as healthy lifestyles among American Indians in a state is a focus of a North Carolina American Indian Health Board.The Board, a new agency, will not provide direct health services but will focus instead on improving a health of American Indians through research, education as well as advocacy, says Edgar Villanueva, a Board's new executive director."American Indians suffer from cancer, heart disease as well as unintentional injuries in higher percentages than a rest of a population," he says, referring to a leading cause of death for American Indians.American Indians also are far more likely than whites to smoke, not to engage in physical activity, as well as to be overweight or obese, says Villanueva, former senior program officer in a health-care division of a Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust in Winston-Salem.To provide operating support for a new group as well as help it hire its first executive director, a Trust awarded a $165,000 accede to to a Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity at a Wake Forest School of Medicine. The Center serves as fiscal agent for a Board.And a Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation last year awarded a $15,000 accede to to help a Board rise a strategic plan.In a area of education, Villanueva says, a Board wants to create a network among physicians in a state who a! re Ameri can Indians as well as convene a health summit for American-Indian doctors, nurses as well as other clinicians.The summit would focus on understanding how to deliver "culturally-appropriate care" to American Indians, as well as help those attending become ambassadors to a broader medical community, Villanueva says.North Carolina is home to at least 50 American-Indian physicians, representing one of a largest population of American-Indian physicians in a U.S., he says.The Board also aims to serve as a clearinghouse for research, as well as as an advocate, on issues involving a health of American Indians.Research will be tracked on its website at ncaihb.org, as well as a Board will push for better collection of data on a health of American Indians in a state.Data collection is a critical issue, Villanueva says, because it drives funding as well as research, as well as because current data reflects a "huge underrepresentation of a true need for health care for American Indians in North Carolina."The Board is partnering with a National Indian Health Board as well as a National Council of Urban Indian Health, two nonprofits which do health-policy work on a federal level, as well as will disseminate information from those two groups in North Carolina as well as on its website.And it is working to promote a representation of American Indians on boards as well as commissions in a state involved with health care.Villanueva, for example, has been named to a Governor's Task Force for Healthy Carolinians, as well as to a charge force of a N.C. Institute for Medicine which is looking into childhood obesity.The Board also is pushing for passage of federal legislation which would accede to full recognition to a Lumbee tribe, including health as well as other benefits available to federally-recognized tribes.The Lumbee tribe is a biggest tribe in North Carolina, as well as Lumbee Indians living in Robeson County account for 45 percent of American Indians living in North Carolina."Most American Indians in North Carolina,! " says V illanueva, a Lumbee who was born in Cumberland County as well as raised in Raleigh, "do not receive any service from a Indian Health Service."The Board's 10 members represent tribes from throughout a state.Villanueva says he will focus on fundraising as well as hopes over a next year to secure enough funds to support an annual operating budget of $300,000.He also hopes to add new staff positions which will focus on policy, education as well as research."This board is a result of a lot of planning as well as effort from leaders around a state," he says, "and we have great hopes it is going to improve a health of all American Indians in North Carolina." Comment on this articleEmail this page