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Nov. 8, 2005
Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina
people and programs cited recently in the media:International Coverage
Parenting books neglect safety for teens
United Press International
Parenting books on teenagers are less likely to contain injury prevention messages than those that give advice on parenting small children. A study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said there was a notable lack of discussions about preventing automobile accidents among adolescents. ..."We were especially surprised by how little attention the adolescent parenting books devoted to motor vehicle safety, which is the most important injury problem for adolescents," said Wanda M. Hunter, senior author of the paper and associate professor of social medicine at the UNC School of Medicine.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov05/runyan110305.htmNational Coverage
5 Cases of Polio in Amish Group Raise New Fears
The New York Times
Polio was pronounced dead in the Western Hemisphere years ago, after one of the most successful public health campaigns in history. But now it is stealing through a tiny Amish community here in central Minnesota, spreading from an 8-month-old girl to four children on two neighboring farms. ...Confirming the presence of polio in a city with even one infected person is not impossible, said Dr. Mark D. Sobsey, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of North Carolina.
Missing: 20,000 standardized tests
The Dallas Morning News
More than 20,000 copies of state tests – supposedly kept under lock and key – disappeared from Texas schools this spring, according to state data. Dallas schools lost more than 7,000 test documents, more than any other district in the state. ...TEA asked University of North Carolina professor Gregory Cizek to evaluate Texas' test security measures this year, but he did not delve into the issue of lost test documents. As part of his report, he surveyed district testing administrators about their thoughts on weaknesses in the system.
After decades with vampires and witches, novelist Anne Rice turns to Jesus
The Associated Press (National)
After stupendous sales for her tales of vampires, witches and lust, novelist Anne Rice has turned to Jesus -- personally and literarily. ... The strange tales didn't come from Rice. Rather they originate with the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, a late apocryphal book the early church rejected. (The bird incident reappears in Islam's Quran.) Bart Ehrman, religion chairman at the University of North Carolina, says "nobody takes this seriously as history," but it shows how some ancient Christians speculated about Jesus' childhood.
Mug shots capture fallen stars
The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey)
In the late 19th century, scientists scrutinized mug shots, then coming into widespread use, to prove the theory that criminals revealed their deviant nature through telltale physical traits. ..."You want to try not to look like a crook, but also not like you're taking it lightly," says Tom Kelleher, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina's School of Journalism and Mass Communication. "The real PR advice would be 'Don't get into a situation to get in a mug shot in the first place."''
Dolly Parton Plans N.C. Concert Complex
The Associated Press (National)
Dolly Parton will take part in a groundbreaking ceremony next week for an entertainment complex planned for northeastern North Carolina. ...The project could create more than 12,000 jobs over the next five years, according to a study from the University of North Carolina.
Regional Coverage
Saving Digital Photographs Requires Care
WBBM-TV (CBS, Chicago)
A recent survey shows Americans bought nearly 10 million digital cameras in the first half of this year alone. CBS 2’s Jim Williams takes a look at the best way to preserve those memories. ..."There's nothing that's forever," said Stephen Fletcher, a photographic archivist at UNC-Chapel Hill.
State & Local Coverage
Triangle universities boosting entrepreneurism
Triangle Business Journal (Raleigh)
To Paul Mugge, the answer to the business survivability debate is simple: Innovate or die. ...At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a $3.5 million grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation - matched two-fold by the university - has spread the entrepreneurship curriculum into disciplines across the university's academic spectrum, from the arts to sciences and the humanities. "We want to create an entrepreneurship university at UNC-Chapel Hill," says John Kasarda, director of UNC's Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise.School Integration
"The State of Things," WUNC-FM
Jack Boger, professor of law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was featured on today's (Nov. 8) edition of "The State of Things." Wake County officials have integrated public schools, not by race, but by income. New studies show the plan is paying back in higher test scores, but some parents miss neighborhood schools and doubt the links between test scores and busing. The integration plan will be a major issue in Tuesday's local election. Boger discusses the controversial school assignment plan. "The State of Things" is the statewide public affairs program airing live at noon and rebroadcast at 9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 6 a.m. on Saturdays.
UNC-Chapel Hill wants to expand its power plant
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
UNC-Chapel Hill will seek town approval at a meeting Wednesday night for a large expansion of its coal-burning "cogeneration" power plant, a move some local residents oppose. The plant, built in 1991 on an 11.5-acre site off Cameron Avenue, generates both steam and electricity to cool and heat campus buildings and UNC Hospitals.
Governor's Hardest Job: Easley holds the power of life or death for 3 inmates who are scheduled to die
The Winston-Salem Journal
One of the busiest times in the recent history of North Carolina's death row is scheduled to begin early Friday. ..."Clearly, it puts a lot of pressure on the system with all the work that's involved," said Rich Rosen, a law professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
N.C. papers slide less than U.S. average
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The circulation of North Carolina's largest newspapers generally fared better than the industry average over the past six months but still lost ground, based on the latest data reported by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. ..."We are deluged with ... a media glut," said Jock Lauterer, a journalism lecturer at UNC-Chapel Hill and author of the book "Community Journalism."
LabCorp unveils early-detection test for AIDS virus
Triad Business Journal (Greensboro)
Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings Inc. has introduced a test designed to detect HIV infection earlier than existing tests, the company announced Monday. Burlington-based LabCorp (NYSE: LH) said the test hasn't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but that the company had evaluated it over the course of a year in collaboration with UNC-Chapel Hill and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.Issues & Trends
Shell game (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Do not fear, citizens of North Carolina. That latest lightening of your wallet isn't a robber -- it's courtesy of state legislators, obedient servants of big-money athletics booster clubs at UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State. The legislators took care of business when some wealthy UNC-Chapel Hill alumni, who formed a political action committee to cross political palms with silver, wanted a favor.
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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