News, Indy Week

A good death: Like Sue Otterbourg, more people are taking control of the end

Barry Yeoman — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Terminally ill, Sue Otterbourg declined treatment so she could spend her last months living fully. by Barry Yeoman The first time I met Sue Otterbourg, she greeted me at her front door in Durham's Forest Hills neighborhood dressed as anyone would for a business meeting: earrings, wristwatch, lipstick, stylish glasses. She led me into her living room, where two armchairs flanked a fireplace, and handed me a résumé that chronicled her impressive career as an educator.…

Better than the Senate version, the House budget is still bad

Billy Ball — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Dread-soaked optimism: That's the pervasive feeling this week after the N.C. House unveiled a $20.57 billion budget late Sunday night. by Billy Ball Dread-soaked optimism: That's the pervasive feeling from state Democrats and left-leaning advocacy groups this week after Republicans in the N.C. House unveiled a $20.57 billion budget late Sunday night. In dollars, the House spending plan hews closely to the $20.58 billion proposed by the Senate.…

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could allow GM crops on national wildlife refuge lands

Will Huntsberry — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

GMCs have been temporarily banned on national wildlife refuges in the Southeast. But at six meetings across the region, including one in Columbia, N.C., FWS is revisiting the issue. by Will Huntsberry Driving east out of Raleigh, early stands of green corn fronds and flaxen wheat stretch for miles. Tropical Storm Andrea has spread gunpowder clouds across the sky and lifts a breeze that sends random patterns rippling through the fields.…

Latest advances in reading dogs' minds, combating tobacco and viewing art

Elizabeth Van Brocklin — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Three noteworthy enterprises are gaining ground in our own backyard: Dognition, Daylight Digital and Counter Tobacco. by Elizabeth Van Brocklin The Next, a gathering of entrepreneurial minds from around the Triangle and the country, was held last weekend at the Carolina Theatre in Durham as part of a two-day festival called Paradoxos, billed as "maximum collisions of people and ideas." Here are three noteworthy enterprises gaining ground in our own backyard:…

This week in disappointment: greenways, guns and landfills

Lisa Sorg — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

A rundown of what the General Assembly is up to by Lisa Sorg "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." —Mahatma Gandhi…

Some facts about student loans

Raia Mihaylova — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

It's no wonder today's youth have been labeled as a "Generation Screwed." by Raia Mihaylova It's no wonder today's youth have been labeled as a "Generation Screwed." Not only do they graduate into a weak economy with scarce job opportunities, they do so while being in debt thousands of dollars from student loans.…

This week in disappointment: taxes, schools and executions

Billy Ball — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

A rundown of what the General Assembly is up to by Billy Ball Between the Opportunity Scholarship Act and the Fair Tax Act, Republican lawmakers are catching major guff this week for their giddily titled bills. Up next: The GOP's N.C. Happy We Love Ice Cream Sandwiches Act.…

Durham City Council votes against 751 South annexation, expects state retaliation

Lisa Sorg — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The vote will likely incur the wrath of Republican lawmakers, who are expected to introduce a bill forcing Durham to annex and provide utilities to the development. by Lisa Sorg In the chess game of 751 South, Durham will not be a pawn. Durham City Council voted 4-3 late Monday night against the annexation of 751 South, the controversial project planned for the Jordan Lake watershed.…

At UNC, Silent Sam romanticizes the Civil War and the old South

Will Huntsberry — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

"When we ask the university about this, they say, 'Why are you being loud about this? Why are you making a big deal about this?' They want us to quiet down about Silent Sam." by Will Huntsberry Sam, a Confederate soldier, stands tall and stoic, rifle across his chest, in the middle of the upper quad at UNC-Chapel Hill. Made of stone, he is in full uniform, is wearing shoes, does not appear to have diarrhea and is not at all bedraggled, which makes him unlike an actual Confederate soldier during the Civil War.…

Revamp of key Main Street building could close Roxboro Street divide

Elizabeth Van Brocklin — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The refurbishment of 300 East Main, spearheaded by Kimberly Davis of The Image Collections, could bring vibrancy and cohesion to a stretch of Main Street that is spatially and socially isolated. by Elizabeth Van Brocklin When Kimberly Davis entered the time-battered doors of 300 E. Main St. two years ago, she knew instantly this was the place. Paint peeled from the walls; broken glass littered the floor; pigeons roosted in the eaves.…

Some facts about your home's bacterial neighborhoods

Lisa Sorg — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The Wild Life of Our Home project is sampling 1,400 U.S. homes, including 40 in the Triangle, to study their microbal ecosystems. by Lisa Sorg Your home is a collection of bacterial neighborhoods: vibrant downtowns (the kitchen), sleepy suburbs (bedrooms) and rural outposts of microbes (that shelf you never can reach). So who's living there?…

Gov. McCrory disses the Senate budget and the Dix Park do-over. Is it a new day in Raleigh?

Will Huntsberry — Wed, 29 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

To say he grew a pair might be putting it a bit strong. But last week, McCrory rebelled for the first time against some of the more extremist measures being advanced in the General Assembly. by Will Huntsberry To say he grew a pair might be putting it a bit strong. But last week, Gov. Pat McCrory rebelled for the first time against some of the more extremist measures being advanced in the General Assembly: a Senate budget that raises taxes on poor people and a bill that would renege on a contract regarding Dorothea Dix Park with the City of Raleigh.…

Durham man challenges law on sex offenders and social networking sites

John H. Tucker — Wed, 29 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The court must weigh several questions, including: What constitutes a social networking site? And: Is entering a virtual world on a computer screen the same thing as walking into a schoolyard or playground? by John H. Tucker On April 27, 2010, Lester Gerard Packingham Jr., a 29-year-old Durham resident and registered sex offender who had sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl when he was 21, logged onto his Facebook account with his username, "J.r. Gerrard." "Man God is Good!" he wrote on his profile page near his photo.…

After a decline, coal emissions rise

Lisa Sorg — Wed, 29 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The good news is that nationwide, from 2005 to 2012, carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants decreased by 13 percent. The bad news is CO2 emissions from coal are up 7.1 percent over this time last year. by Lisa Sorg Carbon dioxide is a major contributor to greenhouse gases, which are largely responsible for global warming. Last year, nearly 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas pollution came from fossil fuels.…

Legislation would prohibit cities and counties from regulating fracking

Billy Ball — Wed, 29 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Senate Bill 612, which passed the Senate in early May, specifies that local regulations may not be more stringent than those proffered by North Carolina's Mining and Energy Commission. by Billy Ball "We're not playing down here. Our job is to stand up for our community, as best as we can."…

This week in disappointment: payday lending, animal abuse and electric car sales

Lisa Sorg — Wed, 29 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

THE SCENE: Rep. Tim Moffitt, several fellow conservative lawmakers and lobbyists lounge at a Memorial Day cookout at Moffitt's Asheville pied-à-terre... by Lisa Sorg THE SCENE: Rep. Tim Moffitt, several fellow conservative lawmakers and lobbyists lounge at a Memorial Day cookout at Moffitt's Asheville pied-à-terre. Two App State nymphettes, Hyapatia Cherrytower and Bunny Tightsizzle, wear duct tape on their nipples.…

Crowd size and arrest totals increase at latest Moral Monday protest

Will Huntsberry — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Roughly 600 people gathered outside the Legislative Building in Raleigh on Monday. The Moral Monday protests have now led to 153 arrests over four weeks. by Will Huntsberry Roughly 600 people gathered outside the Legislative Building in Raleigh on Monday as part of a growing wave of protests called Moral Mondays, which have now led to 153 arrests over four weeks. The protests are a backlash against a wave of policies by the Republican-controlled North Carolina Legislature that have been among the most staunchly conservative in the country.…

Liberty Warehouse's historic landmark designation removed; building to be sold and redeveloped

Raia Mihaylova — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Durham's last standing tobacco auction warehouse is to be sold and redeveloped into a mixed-use site with commercial and residential space. by Raia Mihaylova Much like The Scrap Exchange that used to be there, the Liberty Warehouse will also be recycled, reused and remade. On Monday night, Durham City Council voted unanimously to remove the building's historic landmark designation, allowing local company Greenfire Development to avoid penalties for failing to rehab the ailing building.…

Parents and environmental activists concerned about sewage sludge fields near schools

Billy Ball — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Sewage sludge, a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process, is used as agricultural fertilizer across North Carolina. Activists say exposure causes headaches, nausea, respiratory problems, lesions and more. by Billy Ball The first thing you notice is the stench. "It's not going to smell like your husband's farts," says Myra Dotson.…

A healthy dose of transparency in the price of health care

Elizabeth Van Brocklin — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The Obama administration has taken a step in making hospital costs publicly available by creating a database of previously undisclosed charges and Medicare payments. by Elizabeth Van Brocklin Sometimes the price of health care seems to lack all rhyme or reason. This month, the Obama administration took a step to remedy the confusion by making hospital costs publicly available.…

This week in disappointment: the budget, fracking again

Lisa Sorg — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The Senate's proposed budget cuts would close the 24-bed Wright School, cut funding for tobacco prevention programs, close three alcohol and drug abuse inpatient treatment centers, and defund the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center. Plus, Senate Bill 76 would fuel our sprint toward fracking. by Lisa Sorg While public schools advocates are rightfully gnashing their teeth over the Senate's proposed budget cuts—we're awaiting the House's version of financial wisdom—there is an urgent educational issue that few people are discussing. The Senate plan would close the 24-bed Wright School, a last resort for children ages 6–12 with severe emotional, mental, neurological and developmental disabilities who can't attend regular school.…

Some facts about worker safety in North Carolina

Elizabeth Van Brocklin — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Nearly 150 people died on the job in North Carolina in 2011. A recent AFL-CIO report says lax health and safety standards contribute to workplace deaths. by Elizabeth Van Brocklin The safety and health of American workers is the subject of "Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect," an extensive report released last week by the AFL-CIO. In 2011, there were 148 workplace fatalities in North Carolina.…

In clash over mental health care, anti-immigrant policy draws feds' scrutiny

Billy Ball — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

The Office for Civil Rights is investigating whether Cardinal Innovations violated the law by denying undocumented immigrants mental health care. by Billy Ball Martha Olaya-Crowley said this was coming. The chairwoman of the board of directors for El Futuro, a nonprofit mental health care provider, warned in March that a policy that imperils affordable mental health care for Orange County's poorest undocumented immigrants would attract federal scrutiny.…

This week in disappointment: rolling back the environment, reproductive rights and more

Billy Ball — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

But there is one good bill, which would allow consumers to compare hospital prices for medical procedures. by Billy Ball, Will Huntsberry and Elizabeth Van Brocklin HB 693: BIRTH CONTROL The same Republicans who want to ban abortion also want to make it harder for teens to get birth control.…

Raleigh City Manager Russell Allen is out. What's next?

Will Huntsberry — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Without providing a clear reason, City Councilors fired the man who ushered Raleigh through a downtown renaissance and period of relative prosperity over the last 12 years. What is the future of Raleigh development? by Will Huntsberry On April 17, Raleigh city councilors fired city manager Russell Allen without providing a clear reason. The decision was unexpected, given that Allen had led the city through a downtown renaissance with the reopening of Fayetteville Street and, despite the great recession, a period of relative prosperity over the last 12 years.…