Chapel Hill: Triangulator, Indy Week

Indeed, Cardinal Innovations receives federal funding

Billy Ball — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:32:57 -0400

As an addendum to today's story, Cardinal Innovations spokeswoman Rachel Porter confirmed after deadline Tuesday that her agency—known in official lingo as a managed care organization—does indeed receive federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

That information is key because it confirms the state-funded Cardinal Innovations, formerly known as Piedmont Behavioral Health, is subject to the findings of a federal investigation into whether Cardinal has broken federal law by denying mental health care reimbursements for the treatment of undocumented immigrants in its 15-county service area, which includes Orange and Chatham counties.…

Better late than never for Rogers Road community center

Billy Ball — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:22:00 -0400

It may have taken a few decades, but the landfill-blighted Rogers Road community in Chapel Hill is getting some recompense.

Orange County commissioners unanimously approved a vote Tuesday night authorizing County Manager Frank Clifton to award a construction bid for no more than $650,000 to build a long-promised community center in the historically black, low-income neighborhood.…

North Carolina: No Medicaid dollars for undocumented mental health

Billy Ball — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:12:00 -0400

Addendum: It seems that Cardinal Innovation's approach on mental health care for the undocumented community is not unique.

N.C. Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Julie Henry notified INDY Week after its print deadline Tuesday that undocumented immigrants are only eligible for emergency service coverage under Medicaid rule, echoing the comments of Cardinal leaders in today's story.…

Eve Carson killer to be sentenced again

Billy Ball — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:51:23 -0500

Expect a swift—and angry—response on this one.

The N.C. Court of Appeals released its opinion today in the case of Laurence Alvin Lovette, one of two men convicted of killing UNC-Chapel Hill Student Body President Eve Carson in 2008.…

No Surprises: Sally Greene appointed to Chapel Hill Town Council

Billy Ball — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:42:10 -0500

You might have seen this one coming.

Chapel Hill Town Council members on Wednesday tapped former (well, not anymore) Councilwoman Sally Greene to fill the panel's vacant seat.…

UNC advisory board eyes university curriculum

Billy Ball — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:00:00 -0400

A plus-sized UNC advisory board—beset with controversy before the first gavel—convened for the first time Wednesday, mulling over the state universities' curriculum and changing demographics.

The UNC Advisory Committee on Strategic Directions, which includes 31 leaders in education, business and politics, is expected to consider the future of the state's 17 public universities, but its makeup garnered more headlines than its actual charge before Wednesday's session.…

UNC-CH employees call on chancellor to stay

Billy Ball — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:20:21 -0400

Chancellor Holden Thorp—beset by academic and athletic scandal in his short tenure at UNC-Chapel Hill—seems to at least have a chunk of the university's employees in his corner.

The school's Employee Forum, a group representing university staff, is holding a "peaceful" rally supporting the troubled chancellor this morning in front of South Building, the school's administrative HQ.…

Carrboro to mull Rogers Road sewer

Billy Ball — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:47:20 -0400

After years of much-bemoaned inactivity on the touchy subject of Rogers Road, leaders in Orange County seem to be on the move these days.

Two weeks ago, Orange County commissioners passed a sweeping resolution to pledge $500,000 for a long-sought community center in the low-income neighborhood vexed by an aging landfill.…

UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp to resign

Billy Ball — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:25:30 -0400

Embattled UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp is on the way out.

WRAL reported Monday morning that Thorp will step down at the close of the 2012-13 academic year, ending a watch that has been plagued by allegations of academic improprieties, primarily associated with the school's football program.…

Lee charter school unlikely to open this year, applies for 2013

Joe Schwartz — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:59:38 -0400

The Howard and Lillian Lee Scholars Charter School is a long shot to open in August. Its founders are struggling to find a suitable temporary location for the school as they navigating the zoning approval process for a permanent site.…

Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA ends formal discussions with YMCA of the Triangle

Joe Schwartz — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:56:00 -0400

Young man (and other concerned parties), there's no need to feel down. The Chapel Hill Carrboro YMCA announced Friday that it ended its pursuit of a formal relationship with the YMCA of the Triangle.…

Fracking hearing tonight; fake DENR apology making email rounds

Lisa Sorg — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:50:00 -0400

When issuing an official press release from the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources—or pretending to—it's wise to include the agency secretary's name.

That was among the tells when the Indy received a "press release" alleging that DENR has apologized for its controversial draft report on fracking, in which the agency said it could be done safely in North Carolina if the right protections were in place.…

Hackney won't seek re-election; clears path for Insko

Joe Schwartz — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:45:00 -0500

N.C. House Minority Leader Joe Hackney announced his retirement this morning, opting not to wage a re-election campaign against long-time colleague Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange.

The two veteran legislators were drawn into the same district, the 56th, by the Republican-produced new maps last year.…

Orange County talks trash, next steps when landfill closes in 2013

Joe Schwartz — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:43:33 -0500

The Orange County Board of Commissioners are committed to closing the local landfill, a burden that the Rogers Road-Eubanks community has been saddled with for 40 years now, in June 2013.

But, at last night’s Assembly of Governments meeting, leaders from the three Orange municipalities who dump garbage there as part of an interlocal agreement said they want to work together but differ on how to move forward.…

Chapel Hill still wrangling with Yates review decision

Tiara Hodges — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:52:00 -0500

The Chapel Hill Town Council voted Monday night to continue discussing the next steps to take in the investigation of the recent police raid on squatters in the vacant Yates Motor Company building, but there was little enthusiasm for an advisory group’s proposal to hire an independent investigator.

The Community Policing Advisory Council (CPAC) had recommended that an independent investigator could provide more factual evidence about the Nov. 13 incident.…

Occupy Chapel Hill-Carrboro, 2.0

Jason Y. Lee — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:29:00 -0500

The band of people that descended upon and dismantled Occupy Chapel Hill was friendly, and also a bit sentimental. About a dozen Occupiers showed up Tuesday afternoon to remove the tents, tarps and random detritus that had sat with them in Peace and Justice Plaza since Oct. 15.…

Protest, march to Chapel Hill Town Hall on tap tonight in wake of Yates report

Joe Schwartz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:58:40 -0500

A group angered by Chapel Hill Town Manager Roger Stancil's endorsement of the Nov. 13 police action at the Yates Motor Co. building on Franklin Street will gather at 6 p.m. tonight at Peace and Justice Plaza and march to Town Hall where Stancil's report will be considered by the town council.

On that crisp Sunday afternoon in November, a Special Emergency Response Team charged and arrested eight people who broke into and occupied the Yates building, also known as the Chrysler Building, in attempt to turn the long-vacant property into a community center.…

Stancil's report supports police in Yates raid

Joe Schwartz — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:24:00 -0500

In Town Manager Roger Stancil's eyes, Chapel Hill Police made "the best decisions that could be made given the information available at the time," when a Special Emergency Response Team armed with assault rifles arrested "anti-capitalist occupiers" who claimed the long-vacant Yates Motor Co. Building downtown in mid-November.

Stancil released his much-anticipated, yet-unsurprising internal review of the incident late Friday.…

Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro going tentless

Joe Schwartz — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:31:00 -0500

Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro will enter its second phase next week when the group removes its tents from Peace and Justice Plaza on Franklin Street, according to press release issued this morning.

Occupiers have been holding camp in front of the Post Office there since Oct. 15, but amid the coming cold, and safety and morale concerns drawn from sleeping on the street in close quarters each night, the group is shifting strategy.…

New faces on Triangle boards & councils starting tonight

Samiha Khanna — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:07:55 -0500

This blog entry and headline have been updated since they were originally posted.

The Durham City Council will swear in Mayor Bill Bell and three recently elected members tonight, beginning with a 6 p.m. reception outside the council chambers. Incumbents Bell, Eugene Brown and Diane Catotti were re-elected on Nov. 8 and will each begin new terms today.…

Dr. Steve Auerbach of Physicians for a National Health Program to speak in Triangle

Lisa Sorg — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:04:02 -0500

Steve Auerbach, the pediatrician with Occupy Wall Street and leader of Physicians for a National Health Program has scheduled two appearances in the Triangle:

Today at 4 p.m., Dr. Auerbach will speak at 207 Alumni Hall on the UNC campus, followed by a teach-in at 5 p.m. at Peace and Justice Plaza.

On Saturday at 10 a.m. he will speak in Durham at the Snow Building, 331 W. Main St., in the basement conference room.…

Rowand art gallery vandalized; personal art collection to be auctioned

Lisa Sorg — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:24:00 -0500

Update: The Joe Rowand Art Gallery was vandalized Saturday, Nov. 26, according to a Chapel Hill police report. Two large flower pots were broken, the business' banner sign was torn and the building was spray painted.…

Chapel Hill weighs Northside, Pine Knolls plan

Joe Schwartz — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:49:00 -0500

Chapel Hill rolled out a proposed Community Plan for Northside and Pine Knolls on Monday that leaders hope will help combat a student-rental takeover that is pricing out the town’s black and working class residents.

The plan comes during a six-month moratorium on development in those neighborhoods meant to buy time to craft a plan to keep housing affordable and better relations between students and long-term, single-family residents.…

Chapel Hill protesters to demonstrate at police station, Town Council meeting Monday

Joe Schwartz — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:35:00 -0500

A group of Occupy Chapel Hill members plans to gather at the police station at 6 p.m. Monday and march to Town Hall and the Town Council meeting at 7 p.m. in opposition to last Sunday's raid at the Chrysler Building.…

State considers five new Triangle charter schools

Samiha Khanna — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:24:00 -0500

State education officials are reviewing 27 applications for new charter schools across the state, including two in Durham County, two in Wake County and one in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district.

A new state law passed this year raised the limit on charter schools in North Carolina, which previously had been capped at 100.…