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March 8, 2006Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:Pit incident:
Defendant Offers Details of Jeep Attack at University
The New York Times
The man charged with nine counts of attempted murder for driving a Jeep through a crowd at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill last Friday told the police that he deliberately rented a four-wheel-drive vehicle so he could "run over things and keep going," according to court papers released yesterday by investigators.
Related Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/07/AR2006030701646.htmlHow do you spell 'terrorist wacko nutcase'? (Commentary)
The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.)
Such was my thought as I listened to the recorded telephone conversation between the man who confessed to mowing down several people on the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill with an SUV and the 911 police dispatcher whom he called to report his crime. ...UNC officials have studiously avoided labeling the event a "terrorist attack," while some students have protested (to the acclaim of many in the blogosphere) that the university is caving to political correctness by failing to call a terrorist a terrorist.
Details on UNC suspect revealed
The Charlotte Observer
The man accused in last week's Chapel Hill SUV assault started thinking about "some type of attack" two years ago and told police he was disappointed a UNC campus hangout wasn't more crowded when he drove through it, according to court documents released Tuesday.
Warrant cites long planning
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
For two months, Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar had been planning to drive a rented sport utility vehicle through a lunchtime campus crowd, hitting people, police wrote in a search warrant released Tuesday.
Related Link: http://www.newsobserver.com/135/story/415782.html (Commentary)A Carolina protest (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
In the wake of a frightening incident last Friday on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill, it was understandable that some showed up to protest what they fear was a terrorist attack. A recent graduate of the university had driven an SUV into a crowded student gathering spot, intentionally injuring nine and declaring later his intent to kill to avenge the deaths of Muslims at the hands of the United States.
Terrorism or not, attack was madness (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill Herald
Terrorism, says the United States Department of Defense, is "the unlawful use of - or threatened use of - force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious or ideological objectives." ...Trying to intentionally run down college students, whatever the perceived motivation, whatever the imagined grievance, is madness, whatever else we choose to call it.
Note: No link available. For a copy, email Michelle at mgreene@dev.unc.edu.Attack heightens tensions
The Chapel Hill News
Xhevahire Hyseni says Muslims in the United States are not feeling like they are part of their communities. "People need to consider their actions before they do anything because it could hurt other Americans, because [Muslims] are Americans themselves," said the 23-year-old Albanian-American, a devout Muslim who lives in Chapel Hill.
Roses & raspberries (Commentary)
The Chapel Hill News
Roses to the UNC, Chapel Hill and Carrboro police departments, each of which got sucked into the aftermath of the mayhem in the Pit on Friday and appear to have responded efficiently and with good communication and coordination.
UNC offers tools to heal (Opinion-editorial column)
The Daily Tar Heel
In the wake of Friday's incident in the Pit, individuals both in and outside the University community have questioned the manner with which our campus would react to such an alarming occurrence. It has been obvious from the support shown during the last few days that we are a resilient bunch here at UNC, a community quick to embrace and support one another. ...Seth Dearmin, guest columnist.
Simply self-divided (Editorial)
The Daily Tar Heel
Sometimes tragic events bring people together - but that hasn't exactly happened at UNC. Part of that might be due to students and groups struggling to figure out what the appropriate reaction is. A rally that was held in the Pit on Monday denouncing Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar as a terrorist sparked tense discussion between flag-waving rally attendees and folks who were uncomfortable with labeling Taheri-azar's actions as terrorism.
National Coverage
Aspirin Therapy Benefits More People Than Thought
HealthDay News
Taking aspirin to prevent coronary artery disease is beneficial for more men than previously thought. The finding, reported by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers, appears in the March 7 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. ..."Our analysis suggests that is also beneficial for men between 5 percent and 10 percent risk," study author Dr. Michael Pignone, an associate professor of medicine, said in a prepared statement.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/mar06/aspirin030206.htmSCHIP Program Boosts Kids' Dental Care
HealthDay News
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has helped reduce financial barriers to dental care for American children in low-income families and increased their use of dental services, a new study finds. Researchers from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assessed the impact of SCHIP on the use of dental care and unmet dental needs by analyzing six years of data (1997 to 2002) from the annual National Health Interview Survey.
Regional Coverage
Trains, planes and (fewer) automobiles
Metro Times (Detroit)
Gathering speed on the immensely popular light rail line from downtown Detroit to Metro Airport is a car full of executives on their way to Manila. ...There's really nothing outlandish about the concept of establishing communities and markets around international airports. John D. Kasarda, a development specialist at the University of North Carolina who's been involved in the Wayne County project, has written extensively about airport cities emerging in Dallas, Amsterdam, Seoul and other metropolitan regions.
Kick Line Raises Awareness For Deep-Vein Thrombosis
WTVJ-TV (NBC, Miramar, Fla.)
The Coalition to Prevent Deep-Vein Thrombosis and cheerleaders from the Miami Heat and Miami Dolphins in South Florida, as well as kickers in New York and Washington, D.C., tried Tuesday to set a record for the world's longest kick line. ..."The symptoms of a deep-vein thrombosis, or a blood clot in the leg, are typically swelling of the leg. It's a diffused swelling of the ankle, of the calf, maybe the whole leg. It's a warmth of the leg. It's a reddish discoloration and often pain," said Dr. Stephan Moll, of the University of North Carolina.
State & Local Coverage
A glimpse of the future
The Triangle Business Journal
Not often do we find ourselves exhilarated at the end of the night after working for about 13 straight hours. But that's just what happened to me on the evening of Feb. 27 when I visited the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School to judge a contest called "Launching the Venture."
Triad universities get new designations by Carnegie Foundation
The Triangle Business Journal
Three Triad universities -- Wake Forest University, UNC-Greensboro and N.C. A&T State University -- have been designated as universities with "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. ... By way of comparison, UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University were the two public schools in the state categorized as "doctoral/research extensive" under the old system, a more elite status than the "intensive" label. Under the revised system, they, along with Duke University, are designated as having "very high research activity."
Student hurt in fall is at home
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A UNC-Chapel Hill student who survived a four-story fall from a dorm window Feb. 24 has been released from the hospital and is recovering at his family's home in Asheville. Tyler Downey was released Friday from UNC Hospitals. Steve Downey said Tuesday that his son is expected to fully recover.
Related Links: http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060307/NEWS01/60307021/1001
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/14043550.htmNew Orleans exhibit on display in Chapel Hill
News 14
The plight of Hurricane Katrina victims is now on display in the Triangle. An exhibit at UNC-Chapel Hill will show New Orleans before and after the hurricane. he exhibit will feature more than 30 letters, diaries, music recordings and pictures that trace the history of New Orleans.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/mar06/neworleans030606.htmAs many as 12 million live in U.S. illegally
The Charlotte Observer
The number of illegal immigrants in the United States has grown to as many as 12 million, and they now account for about one in every 20 workers, a new estimate says. ...Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill's Kenan Institute recently released a report about the economic impact of North Carolina's rapidly growing Hispanic community. The Kenan report said the state's Hispanic population contributed $9.2 billion to the economy in 2004.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/jan06/economicimpact010306.htmCity finds itself in rare company
The Charlotte Observer
City governments do plenty of things. They build roads. They police streets. They put out fires. ...Cities often set up nonprofit corporations, said David Lawrence, a professor at the UNC School of Government. But he said he did not know of a government using the LLC structure.
Awareness is lawsuit's larger goal
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A lawyer representing Vietnamese people exposed to Agent Orange and their children in a lawsuit against the defoliant's manufacturers said Tuesday that even if his clients ultimately lose, their lawsuit might bring attention to the use of chemicals in war. ...Rivka Eisner, a doctorate student in communication studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, spent a year in Vietnam volunteering at a hospital for disabled orphans, some of whom have birth defects blamed on Agent Orange.
Orange sets goal of 'social justice'
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Orange County residents pay the county to build their schools, bury their trash and count their votes, like in most counties. But now they're being asked to consider another duty. ...here is no one definition of social justice, said John Calmore, who teaches social justice lawyering at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law and cowrote "Social Justice: Professionals, Communities and Law, Cases and Materials."
Illegal tobacco sales targeted
The Asheville Citizen-Times
Most teenagers buying cigarettes try to look older than they are. These teens have to look exactly their age. ...“There are pockets of the state that really seem to have high rates of sales to minors,” said Kurt Ribisl, an associate professor of health behavior and health education in UNC’s School of Public Health and an author of the study.
Brewster has UNC degree, used to work at Kraft
The Winston Salem-Journal
Shares of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. surged 20.7 percent yesterday after it announced that it hired an official from Kraft Foods Inc. as its chief executive and president. ...Brewster, who was born in Newark, N.J., was most recently the president of Kraft's $6 billion snacks and cereals business in North America. However, he has extensive ties to North Carolina. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Virginia and earned a master's degree in business administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Make your wagers (Opinion-editorial column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
You can react to the following news in one of two ways: You can spend the next 30 years worrying about it, or you can use it as an excuse to spend the next 30 years partying. ...Let me introduce Wayne Christiansen, who is a professor of astronomy and director of the Morehead Observatory at UNC-Chapel Hill. Christiansen is a man of sound reason and good humor. He told me not to fret.
Final Word (Commentary)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
As nurses, public health professionals, a local physician and conscience-stricken UNC-CH students and employees prepare to spend our spring break in Biloxi, I am forced to speak about the outrage that is our silent federal public health response to Hurricane Katrina. "Public health" came into the American vocabulary -- along with preparedness and bioterrorism -- after 9/11. But what is public health? ...Beth Lamanna, Pittsboro.
Issues & Trends
Pattern repeats itself with 'green' building (Letter to the editor)
The Chapel Hill News
Your March 5 editorial was correct in affirming that the development approval process in Chapel Hill is rigorous. ...Carolina North is a prime example, and so is Habitat's Sunrise Road project, which for a second time has generated an unsuitable concept plan by ignoring neighbors' input.
Produced by News Services, Carolina in the News is an e-mail sampling of current news media coverage about Carolina people and programs, as well as issues and trends that affect the university. Stories usually will be online and available free for a limited time - often one to two weeks. Expiration dates before stories move to archives vary by media outlet. Some outlets require free user registration or a subscription.
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