Nov. 9, 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

Study: Air pollution may cause suicide
United Press International
Higher suicide rates in a North Carolina county may be caused by air pollution from local paper mills a study shows. ...Lead author of the study, Dr. Richard H. Weisler, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, said the spike in suicides coincides with a change in the local mills operations to clean wastewater using a process which releases chemicals like hydrogen sulfide into the air.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov05/haywood110705.html

Regional Coverage

Lung cancer is the tragic--and neglected--epidemic of our time (Opinion-editorial column)
The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.)
As we observe Lung Cancer Awareness Month in November, the events of this year become particularly poignant. The death of ABC news anchor Peter Jennings, a former smoker, was one such event. ...DR. Mark A. Socinski is an associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Beach medical junk nasty, but no danger
Florida Today
Some seek seabeans or Spanish coins. Noreen Lukow looks for syringes and needles, and every few days finds one, jutting up from the washed-up seaweed. ..."Although the issue of medical waste on beaches is a serious aesthetic and economic problem requiring immediate attention, the public's health risks are virtually nonexistent," wrote William Rutala, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, and Glen Mayhall, an MD at University of Tennessee Medical Center, in their 1992 paper about the topic.

State & Local Coverage

Protection in poor nations
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The idea for Global Vaccines came straight from Robert Johnston's heart. Johnston, a microbiology professor and director of the Carolina Vaccine Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was looking for a way to develop sophisticated vaccines for diseases that devastate poor countries in Africa and Asia.

Destiny's Children
Statesville Landmark & Record
Students in Pamela Hedrick's biology class got to step into the shoes of forensic scientists on Tuesday. They stretched apart DNA samples - a proccess known as DNA fingerprinting - to compare the structures with that of a sample recovered from a mock crime scene. ...UNC-Chapel Hill's DESTINY program delivered the experience to North Iredell High School students Tuesday morning via a 40-foot-long bus.
Note: No link available. For a faxed copy, email Michelle at mgreene@dev.unc.edu.

Keep kids safe from firearms
The Charlotte Observer
Guns are in nearly half of all households in the United States. While the decision to own a gun is up to each family, gun safety awareness and education of children is a vital part of that decision. ...A 2002 UNC study found 36 percent of gun owners with young children in the home report keeping a firearm loaded; 50 percent of them failed to lock the weapon or store the ammunition in a locked box.

Greens pack plenty of vitamins, fiber and flavor (Commentary)
The Charlotte Observer
Nothing in the garden loves the cold more than greens. Crisp fall weather and mild winters give greens their best flavor. That's why now through about April is the time to add greens to your menu. ...Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy at UNC.

Griffin ending run as Employee Forum chief
The Chapel Hill Herald
Tommy Griffin is one loyal guy. He's loyal to the university where he's worked for more than three decades. He's loyal to the employees he's served for four years. ..."He has, in my opinion, represented the employees of the university with passion, with courage and with a friendly, positive attitude," UNC Chancellor James Moeser told forum members last week during the group's monthly meeting. "He has really made a difference."

UNC power plant upgrade is crucial (Opinion-editorial column)
The Chapel Hill News
The university's upgrade of its cogeneration facility, which has a special-use permit pending with the Chapel Hill Town Council, is critical to meeting campus electrical energy needs and maintaining exemplary environmentally friendly practices that benefit local citizens.

Roses & raspberries (Opinion column)
The Chapel Hill News
Roses to the UNC grounds crew, which has received a national award for its superb work at keeping the campus -- those remaining parts of it that haven't sprouted new buildings, anyway -- looking lovely. The Professional Grounds Management Society will present its top honor, the 2005 Grand Award, to Carolina's grounds services department for its work on McCorkle Place, Polk Place and the Old Well. The award recognizes the best maintenance and cultivation practices of landscape programs throughout the nation.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov05/groundsaward110405.html

Campus sculpture honors UNC's 'unsung heroes'
The Chapel Hill News
It isn't often that Rebecca Clark, 90, finds herself in tears. ..."What we do today will not rectify what our ancestors did in the past," Chancellor James Moeser said. "It only begins to help the university recognize, in a fitting space, the contributions of all those who were crucial to its development."
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov05/unsung110205.htm

Did newspaper ignore event? (Letter to the editor)
The Chapel Hill News
I hope you folks have a front page spread coming soon on the dedication of the Unsung Founders Memorial in McCorkle Place on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus. On Saturday, there was a moving and meaningful event in the history of UNC and, I would argue, our state. The dedication was poignant and beautiful.
Related Link: http://www.chapelhillnews.com/opinion/story/2834148p-9284675c.html

UNC graduation speaker named
The Chapel Hill Herald
Wendy Kopp, president and founder of Teach for America, will deliver UNC's spring commencement address. ..."Teach for America embodies the same ideals of public service and equal opportunity through education that are so highly prized here at Carolina," UNC Chancellor James Moeser said. "Our students will benefit from hearing a speaker of Wendy Kopp's caliber, whose values so closely mirror those of our own campus community.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/nov05/comspeaker06110705.htm

Durham's debt plan receives state's OK
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The city's proposed refinancing of $107 million in debt moved another step forward Tuesday when the state's Local Government Commission unanimously approved the deal over one City Council member's objections. ...Jack Vogt, a professor of public finance and government at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Government, cautioned Durham that local governments have relatively little experience with this new form of debt refinancing. "I would like to find out more about it before I say, 'Hey, this looks good,' " he said.'

Religions must build bridges, analyst says
The Chapel Hill News
In many ways, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the subsequent war on terror have contributed to a deterioration in relations between Muslims and Christians. ...UNC religious studies professor Carl Ernst has played a key role in the effort to build bridges across Muslim-Christian lines. As an expert in Islam, Ernst, 55, maintains a busy speaking schedule that takes him throughout the Triangle and the world.

Issues & Trends

Public or Private? (Editorial)
The Winston-Salem Journal
North Carolina has many excellent private universities, Wake Forest and Duke being the best known. Could that list some day include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and N.C. State?

Chapel Hill - Voters re-elect mayor, 2 others
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Mayor Kevin Foy and incumbent council members Ed Harrison and Mark Kleinschmidt will return to the Town Council, to be joined by former council member Bill Thorpe and newcomer Laurin Easthom, according to unofficial election results. The winners said they plan to focus on issues such as increasing the stock of affordable housing, managing growth and negotiating with UNC-Chapel Hill about the size and scope of Carolina North.

Halloween was fun night for all ages (Letter to the editor)
The Chapel Hill News
We so hope Chapel Hill and UNC continue to value the wonderful celebration at Halloween on Franklin Street. We, age 80, delighted in choosing a costume and being with all those delightful people.

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.

Carolina in the News is also posted daily to the News Services Web page, http://www.unc.edu/news/clips/index.shtml.

Please share any questions, comments or suggestions at news@unc.edu.