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March 14, 2006Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:National Coverage
McClatchy to become major presence in Washington news industry
The Associated Press (National)
The McClatchy Co. would become a major presence in Washington state's news industry if its plan to buy Knight Ridder Inc. is approved, a development that several media analysts found encouraging. ...Philip Meyer, a former Knight Ridder executive who is now the Knight Professor of Journalism at the University of North Carolina, said it was the "best possible outcome" to Knight Ridder's financial troubles that it be taken over by McClatchy. McClatchy uses a two-tiered stock system by which the family's stock is valued 10 times as highly as its publicly traded stock.
Related Link: http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/business/14090139.htmAnalysts: Good news for papers
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
In the relatively small world of the newspaper business, McClatchy Co. CEO Gary Pruitt has something like rock star status. ...Currently teaching at the University of North Carolina, (W. Davis) Merritt said he's had the opportunity to take a closer look at one of McClatchy's newspapers, the Raleigh News & Observer, and gives it high marks. "It's a serious, intelligent and aggressive newspaper," Merritt said. "It's clearly involved in the community."
Aggressive Statin Therapy May Reverse Atherosclerosis
HealthDay News
Scientists may have succeeded in turning back the clock in patients with heart disease. ..."It's a very, very interesting study and potentially very helpful and an important addition to our understanding," said Dr. Sidney Smith, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, former president of the American Heart Association (AHA) and co-chairman of the ACC/AHA Task Force on Practice Guidelines. "But, in terms of broad treatment recommendations, we really need to see how these findings correlate with outcomes."
PCAST panel ready to roll
Federal Computer Week
Some heavyweights from the information technology industry will join the president’s foremost advisory committee on science as the Bush administration seeks to boost an initiative to ensure that the United States remains competitive in global IT innovation. ...The IT field has matured to a level that demands attention from such an important council, he added. “Computing has become a peer with theory and experiment as the way of doing science. It’s an enabler for scientific discovery,” said (Dan) Reed, who is also vice chancellor of IT and chief information officer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/mar06/renaissance030206.htmRegional Coverage
What will deal mean for area newspapers
The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.)
It looks likely that The McClatchy Co. will own both The Herald and The Charlotte Observer, after McClatchy announced its deal to buy The Observer's parent company Knight Ridder. ...Just because two newspapers are owned by the same parent, doesn't mean they'll stop competing, said Philip Meyer, a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Studies show children from low-income families benefit from preschool, but is Prop. 82 a good idea for every child?
The Contra Costa Times (Calif.)
For some children, kindergarten comes too late. By age 5, neuroscientists say, poverty, deprivation and stress can disrupt crucial stages of brain development, setting children up for a lifetime of academic and personal failure. ...Reports of behavior problems increase whenever children move into a large group setting, said Richard Clifford, a researcher at the University of North Carolina who was not part of the study.
Spirited risk takers
Peoria Journal Star (Ill.)
Cheerleader dad Steve Garrison knows the risks. Every time his 17-year-old daughter is thrown into the air by a pack of similar-sized girls, he holds his breath - just for a second. ...Regardless, the stunts still can be dangerous." Cheerleading has changed dramatically from the days of shaking pom-poms to more of a gymnastic-type event," said Fred Mueller, professor of exercise and sports science at the University of North Carolina who has researched the issue.
Poll: Gov't not open enough
The St. Augustine Record (Fla.)
Two national polls conducted on the eve of the second national Sunshine Week open government initiative, March 12-18, show a public that equates open government with effective democracy and is concerned about the rise in official secrecy and the national, state and local levels. ..."Polls are people, and once more the people have demonstrated that Lincoln was right: You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool most of them for very long," said Sunshine Week Honorary Chairman Hodding Carter III. "They know that information is power in a democracy, and they don't like are being cut from the facts about their government's deeds." Carter is a former journalist, State Department spokesman, Knight Foundation president and is now a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Related Links: http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060314/OPINION/603140315/1005
http://www.annistonstar.com/opinion/2006/as-insight-0312-0-6c10r3607.htmWNY film's production inspired by classic tale
Business First of Buffalo (N.Y.)
The local crew that's turning the legend of St. Nicholas into a feature film is hoping "Nicholas of Myra" will bear gifts, both financial and intangible, for a long time. ..."It is possible that he could take the film to a major studio, get someone to watch it, they fall in love with it and distribute it," says Joan Darling, an adjunct drama professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who has directed episodes of "M*A*S*H," "Mary Tyler Moore" and "The Bob Newhart Show."
The Quiet-Spoken Muslims Who Turn to Terror (Opinion-editorial column)
The New York Sun
"Individual Islamists may appear law-abiding and reasonable, but they are part of a totalitarian movement, and as such, all must be considered potential killers." I wrote those words days after September 11, 2001, and have been criticized for them ever since. But an incident on March 3 at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill suggests I did not go far enough.
State & Local Coverage
Take closer look at graduation rates (Opinion-editorial column)
The Chapel Hill Herald
UNC is an excellent university -- equal to the best in the nation in the quality of education provided its students and with a proud record of successful graduates. But our officials, governance board and Chapel Hill Herald editorialist have taken an unnecessarily defensive position with regard to an insignificant difference in graduation rates between us and two other top-rated public institutions. ... M. Richard Cramer is associate professor of sociology and adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC.
Note: No link available. For a copy, email Michelle at mgreene@dev.unc.edu.Library showcases Southern Collection
The Chapel Hill Herald
They called him, appropriately, "Ransack" Hamilton, for J.G. de Roulhac Hamilton would travel through the South, begging families for their printed memories. Now, 76 years later, the manuscripts, letters and ledgers Hamilton collected -- plus millions of others -- are housed in UNC's Wilson Library, in the Southern Historical Collection. "If [Hamilton] hadn't done that, they might have gone to the rats and fires," said Tim West, director of the collection. "Virtually everything in here, there are not copies of anywhere else."
Historians garner fellowships
The Chapel Hill News
UNC associate professor of history Kathryn Burns and history professor Sarah Shields received $40,000 each recently from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The highly competitive fellowships allow faculty to pursue advanced research projects in the humanities.
UNC News Brief: http://www.unc.edu/news/briefs/2006/030106.htmNursing school gets federal recognition
The Chapel Hill News
UNC's School of Nursing has received recognition from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for its efforts to improve nursing curriculum, including safe patient handling and movement systems to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
UNC News Brief: http://www.unc.edu/news/briefs/2006/022806.htmSandler to receive Masters Award
The Chapel Hill News
Robert S. Sandler, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in UNC's School of Medicine, has been selected to receive the 2006 Masters Award for Sustained Achievement in Digestive Sciences.
UNC News Brief: http://www.unc.edu/news/briefs/2006/030106.htmCarolinas news giant is in works
The Charlotte Observer
McClatchy Co.'s purchase of The Charlotte Observer's parent company will produce a newspaper powerhouse in the Carolinas, consolidating some of the largest publications in both states under one owner. ...The sale is good news for The Charlotte Observer, said Philip Meyer, a journalism professor at UNC Chapel Hill, because it frees the paper from the corporate cost-cutting Knight Ridder has undertaken in recent years to please Wall Street.UNC attack called terror
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Only luck and lack of training kept Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar from committing a deadly act in the name of Allah, three terrorism experts said Monday. Even so, the former high school honor student, who drove a rented sport utility vehicle into a crowded campus gathering spot at UNC-Chapel Hill on March 3, matches the modern profile of the unaffiliated, lone-wolf terrorist.
Doctors must write prescriptions with skepticism
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Regina Bottoms Morris finally met a doctor willing to prescribe a potent pain medicine to help her endure a life crippled by constant headaches and sore joints. ...Paul Chelminski, a UNC-Chapel Hill internist who treats patients for chronic pain, gives an example. "It would be very easy," he said, "for someone who was selling methadone and was very savvy to deceive us indefinitely by taking a small amount of the methadone prior to every urine test and divert the rest."
Making 'Eureka!' happen
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
When mobile-phone maker Sony Ericsson wanted to brainstorm ideas to promote a camera phone, it hired a creativity consultant to draw out its staffers' best ideas. ...During the 2001 recession and its aftermath, many companies focused on slashing costs to boost profits. Now that those cost-cutting efforts have hit their limits, they're turning their attention to boosting revenue, said Richard Blackburn, associate professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill.
College women get a warning
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The American Medical Association is warning college women not to go wild during spring break. ...The AMA said the findings highlight the need for alternative spring break activities. For example, the University of Nebraska, Lehigh University and the University of Wisconsin offer spring break "service" trips. [UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University also are combining service with learning.]
Government trade show draws crowd
The Asheville Citizen-Times
Whether the U.S. military marches into the jungle or into the desert, Waynesville’s Wellco Enterprises makes sure the troops are well-protected with its boots. ...“You don’t know how hard it is to get 50 agencies like this to show up, so Congressman Taylor deserves some kudos,” said Scott Daugherty, executive director of the Small Business and Technology Development Center of the University of North Carolina.
N.C. open records laws lack penalties
The Charlotte Observer
Reporters and watchdog groups have exposed political scandals using the state's public records and open meetings laws. But those laws need stronger penalties for cases when public officials try to circumvent them, said speakers at an open government conference Monday. ...UNC Chapel Hill media law professor Cathy Packer said her students question why public officials comply with the law at all. "To them, it seems kind of silly that we carry on about how great these laws are when there are no penalties."
Cooper: Penalties would boost access
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
North Carolinians are entitled to know more about the financial dealings and potential conflicts of interest of their top government officials, state Attorney General Roy Cooper said Monday. ...Cathy Packer, a journalism professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, said one of her recent students was surprised to find that there's no penalty for government officials who break the access laws.
Records of nursing home errors private
The Associated Press (N.C.)
When the General Assembly told the state's nursing homes in 2003 to begin studying how patients get the wrong medicines and to take steps to prevent such mistakes, lawmakers made a point to keep the public out of the process. ...Comprised of a pharmacist, nursing director, physician and other staff, the committees are required to gather information about every error involving a patient's medication, which is forwarded to a research center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
How are the children? They are in need of care
The Outerbanks Sentinel
Many of Dare County's working parents -- or those who would like to work -- find themselves in a "catch-22" situation due to the shortage of day care spaces available to serve young children, particularly infants and toddlers. ...The Carolina Abecdarian Project, conducted by researchers from the University of North Carolina, was a scientific study of the potential benefits of early childhood education for poor children.
Consultants complete report for Roxboro’s strategic plan
The Roxboro Courier Times
The initial phase of the City of Roxboro’s strategic planning process is complete now that city council members have received a planning report from the University of North Carolina School of Government's Public Intersection Project.
Well-prepared at Tech (Letter to the editor)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
As a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate who was a junior college transfer -- and now a faculty member at Wake Technical Community College -- I take issue with provost Stephen Farmer, director of UNC-CH admissions, who says that most North Carolina community college students transferring into University of North Carolina institutions will need help to thrive ("Elite colleges welcome community students," March 6).
Issues & Trends
36% of Teams in NCAA Basketball Tournament Failed to Graduate Half of Their Players in 6 Years, Report Says
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Of the men's basketball teams headed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament this week, 36 percent did not graduate at least half of their players within six years, according to an annual report by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida.
Cooper talks about public records, open meetings laws
The Associated Press (N.C.)
...You wrote an advisory opinion shortly after the University of North Carolina failed to alert the public before conducting closed-door meetings during its search for a new system president. Are you disappointed as to how the system handled that, and do you have confidence that the system under the new president (Erskine Bowles) will abide by the open meetings rules?
Tax hike seen in Orange
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
However it's done, Orange County's efforts to improve funding for its northern school district will cost taxpayers more. ...The board continued a discussion about how to equitably fund that school system and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools that started last year when a comparison study by a UNC-Chapel Hill education group identified several areas where the Orange County Schools needed more money.
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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