June 13, 2002

Carolina in the News

Current National Coverage

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

Drama under the stars 
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
From the Texas Panhandle to the mountains of North Carolina, it's become almost a ritual 
for shirtsleeve audiences to gather on balmy summer evenings to see professional theater 
under the stars...
...Scott Parker, executive director of the Institute of Outdoor Drama, said the mood of the 
country since Sept. 11 works in favor of attendance increases at outdoor theaters this summer.
http://www.nola.com/archives/t-p/index.ssf?/entertainmentstory/drama09.html
(Note: This coverage is part of ongoing efforts by News Services and UNC's Institute 
for Outdoor Drama to promote outdoor dramas in North Carolina.)

State and Local Coverage

Demand for doctors
Driving north of Raleigh on U.S. 1, where strip malls begin to give way to hayfields near the 
edge of Wake County, a billboard for Franklin Regional Medical Center declares, "You have 
a choice in ER. Hours. Or Ours."...
...That sort of head-to-head competition is a relatively new phenomenon. Most smaller 
hospitals have always had referral relationships with larger facilities and have collaborated in 
different ways to bring needed services, particularly specialty services such as cancer care, to 
their communities. Competition started to heat up in the late 1990s, when the Duke University 
and University of North Carolina health systems each bought hospitals in Raleigh to take 
advantage of Wake County's booming growth. 
http://newsobserver.com/business/story/1454761p-1486116c.html

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

Senate hikes taxes, fees, delays rest 
The state Senate postponed a full rollout of its budget plan Wednesday, but it tentatively 
approved a $372 million mix of fee and tax increases to help finance it. The vote was 29-16, 
with Democrats mostly in favor and Republicans mostly opposed
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/nc/story/1457987p-1489194c.html

State workers speak up 
First, state employees were hit with the prospect of big layoffs. Then they got the news that 
they wouldn't get pay raises. A final blow came when major drugstore chains decided to pull 
out of the state's health plan.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1458054p-1489164c.html

Lean times hit UNCC faculty
Charlotte Observer
At UNC Charlotte, department heads are so short of supplies, they're tearing Post-it notes in 
two. Some new professors will have offices with chairs and desks this fall, but no computers.
And one professor who was promised a $25,000 piece of equipment -- equipment he needs 
to do research, earn tenure and keep his job -- broke down and wept when he found out he 
can't get it now...
...UNC Chapel Hill is also sending layoff notices. How many jobs go will be determined by 
several factors, including resignations and the severity of state cuts, says Provost Robert 
Shelton.
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/3458395.htm

An 'advisory' ballot won't pass review (Opinion-Editorial Column)
To balance his recommended budget for 2002-03, Gov. Michael Easley has again proposed 
the creation of a state lottery. The state would get one-third of the money wagered on a lottery 
as its payoff for legalizing an activity that has been a crime in North Carolina for two centuries.
http://www.newsobserver.com/editorials/story/1457954p-1489113c.html
(Note: John L. Sanders is professor of public law and government, emeritus, and former 
director of the Institute of Government.)

Biotech center has a new chief 
The N.C. Biotechnology Center has named an executive with extensive experience in industry 
and government as president and chief executive officer to replace Charles Hamner, who 
recently retired. The state-funded organization's new leader, Leslie M. Alexandre, joined the 
federal government's National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., in 1999 as assistant director 
for industrial relations...
...Given the center's multifaceted mission, Alexandre's diverse background should be a plus. 
The center's goals include strengthening the biotech research capabilities at the state's 
universities, nurturing the biotech industry and educating the public about biotechnology. 
http://newsobserver.com/business/story/1457977p-1489159c.html

Durham eyes regional transit merger 
A long-dormant idea to merge the Triangle's four transit systems was reinvigorated late Tuesday 
when the Durham City Council voted to form a commission to study combining its bus line with 
the Triangle Transit Authority. Durham Mayor Bill Bell, who also serves as the TTA chairman, 
said that merging the systems would save money and improve service for riders. Folding in the 
Raleigh and Chapel Hill bus services as well would help the region's long-term transit problem, 
he said.
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1458049p-1489100c.html

Note: If you have any questions about Carolina in the News, 
please call Cathleen Keyser or Mike McFarland at News Services, 
(919) 962-2091 or news@unc.edu or mike_mcfarland@unc.edu