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Sept. 29, 2006
Carolina in the News
Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:National Coverage
High School Sports Injury Rates Drop
The Associated Press (National)
High school sports injury rates in the United States have dropped by more than half in the past decade, probably because of better equipment and other advances, researchers reported Thursday...Poorer schools may also have worse field conditions and equipment, and they probably have higher injury rates, said Steve Marshall, a sports injury epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina.State and Local Coverage
Recent rankings put spotlight on state business climate
The Triad Business Journal
Several recent rankings by magazines and research institutes have ranked North Carolina locales, including one in the Triad, for their positive business climates. Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem was ranked 59th in The Milken Institute's listing of top universities in terms of ability to move biotech research into business startups. Other North Carolina schools recognized were N.C. State, which was 20th; UNC-Chapel Hill, which was 25th; Duke University, at 38th; and East Carolina, at 81st.Single Strand: Parent of the Blues
"The Story" WUNC-FM (Chapel Hill)
Bill Ferris directs the Center for the Study of the American South, at UNC Chapel Hill. He's also one of this country's outstanding folklorists. Bill was in rural Mississippi in the 1970s, when for the first time in his life he heard a single strand of wire being played as a musical instrument. The wire was fixed to the side of a wooden shack, and played with a bottle. What he heard that day so moved him that he started to dig into the musical roots of the blues.
Note: “The Story” airs Monday through Friday at 1 p.m. on North Carolina Public Radio. It rebroadcasts at 8 p.m.Roaming the Mountains
"The State of Things" WUNC-FM (Chapel Hill)
From prize-winning sweet potatoes to Christmas tree farmers, North Carolina mountain life and mountain folk are the subjects of UNC-Chapel Hill journalism lecturer Jock Lauterer’s photographs. He’ll be presenting a retrospective of his work tonight at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh. He joins host Frank Stasio in the studio for a preview of his speech, “Roaming the Mountains with Pen and Paper.”
Note: The State of Things" is the statewide public affairs program airing live at noon weekdays and rebroadcast at 9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 6 a.m. on Saturdays.When yesterday and tomorrow meet
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The planetarium on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus had a starring role in training astronauts headed to the moon. Almost every astronaut NASA employed in the 1960s and 1970s spent time in the planetarium's Star Theater learning to navigate by the stars. Nine of the 12 astronauts who have landed on the moon are still alive, and all but one trained in the planetarium's Star Theater.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep06/destinationspace092006.htmPlanetarium Space Program Blasts Off
WRAL-TV (Raleigh)
Area residents don't have to spend millions to experience outer space -- only the $5.25 cost of a ticket to Morehead Planetarium. The planetarium on the University of North Carolina campus launched "Destination: Space," a multimedia show that examines the history and future of America’s space program, from the moonwalkers of the 1960s to NASA’s current plans to send astronauts to Mars."The Underpants" is in some ways like a good dirty joke
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Actress Winslow Corbett says she was relieved to discover that renowned director Gene Saks doesn't have a God complex. The director certainly has an ego-boosing resume: Three Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, the George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, and a place in the Theatre Hall of Fame... PlayMakers Repertory Company, the resident company at UNC, is presenting the Steve Martin-adapted version of the 1910 German farce by Carl Sternhein. Performances begin Wednesday.
Note: This article is not available online. For a copy, contact Kym Register at kym@dev.unc.edu.
UNC News Release: http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/sep06/underpants092206.htmSpa to launch one thousand smiles opens at Hanes Mall
The Winston-Salem Journal
Studies show that on average about half of the people who whiten their teeth will have some level of sensitivity, said Dr. Ed Swift, a professor and the chairman of the department of operative dentistry at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill. "The good news is that at any level of sensitivity, it always goes away, and it goes away quickly," Swift said.UNC professor scheduled to discuss zoning at afternoon meeting
The Daily Dispatch (Henderson)
One is a meeting, to be held today at 3:30 p.m. at the Vance County Schools board room at 1724 Graham Ave., at which a University of North Carolina professor will discuss zoning. The professor, David Owens, is the author of “Land Use Law in North Carolina” and “Introduction to Zoning.” Owens holds graduate law and planning degrees from UNC Chapel Hill. He has been a member of the university's Institute of Government faculty since 1989.Lost, found offices store what you lose; some donate to charity
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
Randy Young, a spokesman for the UNC Police Department, said he finds it curious how many items end up in the department's lost and found. Among the items locked in the department's property room are umbrellas, iPods, baseball caps, sweaters, and even a laptop computer. All the stadiums and gyms on campus send their found property to the department, which then annually auctions off most of the items.Lookout: It's deer season
The Daily News (Eden)
According to a report from the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, Rockingham County reported 437 deer-motor vehicle accidents in 2004. That number, the report says, is probably lower than the actual number of accidents because many are often unreported. Each year seems to bring more deer than the last, but George Strader, a biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, said it's likely the deer population in Rockingham County has remained constant since 2004.
Related Link: http://www.wchl1360.com/details.html?id=1865Issues and Trends
UNC internal efficiency reviews near end
The Chapel Hill Herald
As the UNC system is concluding a study of how efficient its operations are, Carolina is starting an internal review of the same topic. Systemwide, subcommittees have been looking at ways for each campus to save money and time in such areas as dining services and construction. The groups are scheduled to make recommendations to UNC President Erskine Bowles by the end of October.
http://www.heraldsun.com/orange/10-773977.htmlNCAA graduation rates (Opinion)
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
For the second consecutive year, the NCAA has released statistics showing graduation rates for student-athletes. And with the exception of the sports that make the most money on campuses, the picture is a good one...At UNC, the trend was much the same, with both the basketball and football teams earning 70 percent graduation rates. The UNC women also notched perfect or near perfect rates among most teams -- except basketball. The basketball team's shocking 56 percent rate was among the lowest for all UNC sports, men or women.Tough grader... (Editorial)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The Commission on the Future of Higher Education had a rather grandiose-sounding name, but the panel convened by Margaret Spellings, the federal secretary of education, produced some plain and simple wisdom. It's objective was an overview, and a host of recommendations from the group were reflected in a recent speech by Spellings.N.C. law places couples at risk (Opinion)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
News coverage of the plight of the Clayton couple who were sued by UNC Health Systems for $185,300 in medical debt apparently saved their residence from ultimately being sold to pay the debt. What has not been so obvious is that the couple's retention of the residence was placed in jeopardy because of an antiquated common law doctrine known as the "doctrine of necessaries," which provides that one spouse is liable for the medical expenses of the other spouse.
Related Link: http://www.newsobserver.com/1108/story/492048.html
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.
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