June 27, 2003

Carolina in the News

Current National Coverage

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

Cell phone ban drives no benefits 
MSNBC
More than 18 months since New York banned hand-held cell phone use while 
driving, there is no data indicating that the ban has reduced accidents there, 
according to state and federal safety experts. ... A slightly older but more 
comprehensive study by the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the
University of North Carolina in 2001, found cell phones even less relevant, 
having caused only 1.5 percent of all “distracted driving” accidents.
http://msnbc.com/news/930841.asp?0sl=-32

State and Local Coverage

Catawba site reveals lot more than history 
The Herald-Sun
When University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill archaeologists uncovered 
Catawba Indian artifacts from excavations along the Catawba River just south 
of Charlotte, they didn't just uncover missing pieces to the history of the 
Catawba people.
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-366118.html. A photo appears at
this link, http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/
(Note: A story also appeared in The News and Observer, 
http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2651285p-2458896c.html. This coverage 
was a result of a UNC media briefing held yesterday.)

Sometimes, death sentence can actually be a life-saver
Charlotte Observer
James Alan Gell was lucky, in a way, to get a death sentence for a Bertie 
County murder because it gave his lawyers access to prosecutors' files 
containing evidence that was withheld. ... Defense attorneys have no access to 
prosecutors' files except in death cases or in the rare case where a post-
conviction discovery motion is granted, said Rich Rosen, a law professor at 
UNC Chapel Hill. 
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/6181619.htm

Issues and Trends Affecting Carolina

Miami on hold 
News and Observer
The only thing official about ACC expansion: To find out whether there'll be 11 
teams, you'll have to wait till the 11th hour. Miami president Donna Shalala 
said Thursday that the Hurricanes -- invited to join the league along with Virginia
Tech -- will weigh their options over the weekend and announce a decision 
Monday
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc_expansion/story/2651310p-2458872c.html

Invitation to Hokies leaves some baffled at Duke, UNC 
The Herald-Sun
Interested observers of ACC athletics have spent the last couple of days trying 
to make sense of the league's recent decision to add two schools to its ranks. ... 
"I'm not certain what to think yet," said Richard "Stick" Williams, vice chairman 
of the board of trustees at North Carolina, one of two local campuses whose 
leadership opposed the move. 
http://www.herald-sun.com/orange/10-366151.html

ACC expansion still a bad idea (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
With the decision now to invite Miami and Virginia Tech to become members 
of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the ACC appears to have completed its free
fall from dignity and respect. That is, at least, until the next bombshell, say, if 
Miami rejects the invitation, lands at our feet. 
http://www.herald-sun.com/opinion/chhedits/57-366031.html

ACC expansion saga: Then there were two (Editorial)
Greensboro News and Record
In the elegant vernacular of another cherished Southern sports tradition, “It just 
blowed up.” The Atlantic Coast Conference’s original designs for a three-
school expansion are no more.
http://www.news-record.com/news/opinions/edit27.htm

ECU boosters push for ACC spot 
News and Observer
East Carolina officials and fans watched with interest the political process that 
resulted in Virginia Tech getting an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Now ECU supporters are mounting a grassroots effort encouraging elected 
officials in North Carolina to make a push for the Pirates.
http://newsobserver.com/sports/story/2651363p-2458819c.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