December 9, 2003

Carolina in the News

Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:

National News Note

UNC School of Public Health nutrition professor Barry Popkin appeared with Peter Jennings last night in an hour long ABC News special, "Peter Jennings Reporting: How To Get Fat Without Really Trying," which focused on the ways that U.S. governmental policies and food industry practices contribute to obesity in America.
School of Public Health Web link.

National Coverage

Alkermes reports on alcoholism drug
Boston Globe
Alkermes Inc., of Cambridge, said a pivotal human clinical trial showed its Vivitrex drug candidate helped men reduce problem drinking....The preliminary results show Vivitrex "can significantly advance the practice of treating alcoholism," Dr. James Garbutt, professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina and lead investigator in the trial, said in a prepared statement.

Changing rules to give lungs to those in need now
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Shana Reif walked to the microphone, her long black hair offset by a plain, elegant red dress. A clear tube snaked from her nostrils to a small oxygen pack, but she looked young and vibrant, belying her urgent need for a double lung transplant...."We wouldn't necessarily be changing who gets transplanted. We would simply be changing the order in which organs are offered to candidates," said Thomas M. Egan, a University of North Carolina Medical School thoracic surgeon who is head of the network subcommittee crafting a proposal for changing the system.

Airline Economics: Fasten Your Seat Belt
The New York Times
Some years ago, in a speech to business students at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Warren Buffett lamented one of his rare failures as a superstar investor - money apparently squandered on US Airways and the sorry industry of commercial aviation.

State and Local Coverage

Pregnancy workouts
Greenville News
Six months into her third pregnancy, Tricia Brown still goes for a run with her friends three times a week...."No medical studies to date have shown that there's any such risk," Mainman said. The latest such study, by University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill researchers, showed women who exercise routinely throughout their pregnancy reduce their risk of premature birth.

Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., ponders moratorium on boat lifts
Sun News (Myrtle Beach)
Landowners on the canal side of the island of Ocean Isle Beach might have to wait a while if they want to put a new boat lift in the water....Recently, an expert from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Institute of Government told residents at a public forum that there would be little difference in changing the form of government for a town of its size.

School task force likely
The News & Observer
Orange County commissioners probably will call tonight for an educational task force and an audit of the county's two school systems as they consider whether to pursue a merger....Commissioner Margaret Brown, who proposed the task force, said the group's work would be conducted by faculty in the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Education with the help of graduate students. The budget for the group would be up to $10,000, which would provide salaries for the students.

Carolina down the road
The Daily Tar Heel
UNC's Carolina North plan encompasses eight key issues that will dominate the discussions between the town and University in their negotiations concerning the property.
Related links: http://www.dailytarheel.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/12/09/3fd5d15248d7c
http://www.dailytarheel.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/12/09/3fd5d08272320

UNC works on creating ashes garden
The Herald Sun
Think it's tough getting a prime parking space in town? How about a ticket to the Carolina- Duke game?...Forget it. Those things pale in comparison to the ultimate Carolina experience: a plot in the Chapel Hill Cemetery.

A season for the books (Editorial)
The Durham Herald-Sun
The women's soccer team at UNC Chapel Hill expects to win, and to win big. But even the players on this year's undefeated team must be surprised at how thoroughly they dominate the sport. The Tar Heels finished the season a perfect 27-0 -- the best record in the college sport's history.

Head over Heels (Editorial)
The News & Observer
A column by The N&O's Ned Barnett puts the NCAA championship victory Sunday by the UNC-Chapel Hill women's soccer team in perspective: The Carolina team would have beaten Connecticut even if the Tar Heels had let their goalie rest on the sidelines.

Issues and Trends

Pressure is on early admissions
USA Today
Over the next several days, tens of thousands of teenagers will learn whether their applications have been accepted or rejected by the college of their choice during the early-admissions cycle.

Panel asks advice on entity for downtown
The Herald-Sun
A town-gown committee will ask UNC's School of Government for ideas on exactly how to set up a new entity that would focus on boosting the downtown economy.

Hill, Greene sworn into office
The News & Observer
There were no bureaucratic reports to weigh and no divisive development applications to consider. Not one resident plodded to the podium to lodge a complaint about racing traffic....Joe Buckner, chief district court judge of Orange and Chatham counties, swore in Hill, who has been in the news lately for a house swap he negotiated with UNC-
Chapel Hill and for just last week paying $1,816.56 in delinquent 2002 property taxes.

Note: If you have any questions about Carolina in the News, please call Russell Campbell at News Services, (919) 962-2091, russell_campbell@unc.edu, or Mike McFarland in University Communications, mike_mcfarland@unc.edu

Note: Web links on this page are time-sensitive, so stories might not be available after the day they first appeared.