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Miscellany

AHEC/ Horace Williams hearings

Powerful testimony today from AHEC doctors and pilots about concerns over the move RDU.

Dr. Bill Henry, chair of UNC’s pediatric cardiology division, set out the case against the move calling the university’s stance that it’s either Horace Williams or RDU “a false choice.”

Henry, noting that appearing at the legislature in opposition of the move to RDU was not a “career enhancing” move, said that while the university says it has thoroughly looked at the issue, there are many who disagree with the conclusion that RDU is the right place for Medical Air. He encouraged legislators to ask the hard questions.

“Ask the people participating (in AHEC) and you’ll get a very different view,” he said.

University officials, led by Carolina North Executive Director Jack Evans and chief lobbyist Kevin Fitzgerald, reiterated the school’s position on the move and its support of AHEC. Pressed by Rep. Rick Glazier of Fayetteville, Evans seemed to leave the door open to opening the search for an another alternative.

……developing

Categories
Miscellany

Legislature to hold hearings on AHEC, airport closing

Editor’s note: This story will be updated around 1 p.m. today with remarks from today’s hearing.

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

University administrators, Area Health Education Centers officials and a host of physicians from UNC Hospitals will appear before a joint House and Senate committee today (Thursday) to review plans to close Horace Williams Airport and its impact on the university’s Medical Air program.

The North Carolina House and Senate appropriations subcommittees on Education and Health and Human Services called the hearing at the behest of House Speaker Joe Hackney, after some doctors recently reiterated their objection to plans to move flight operations for AHEC to Raleigh Durham International Airport, according to AHEC director Dr. Thomas Bacon.

Bacon said in an interview Wednesday afternoon that Hackney asked Orange County Rep. Verla Insko to convene the meeting after receiving objections from Dr. Bill Henry, chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiology.

Bacon said Henry has been critical of the move.
“They’re the biggest users of the planes,” Bacon said. “The main concerns are over travel time and time taking off and landing.”

Categories
Miscellany

Horace Williams hearings

A joint session of the House and Senate Appropriations Health and Humans Services subcommittee is going to hold the long-awaited hearing on the closing of Horace Williams Airport on Thursday morning.

Look for, perhaps, some real surprises. From the calendar:

APPROPRIATIONS 643 8:30 am
H.B. 73 Improve State Construction Process.
S.B. 1119 State Budget Act/Technical Correction.
APPROPRIATIONS/Education (JOINT) and 643 9:00 am
APPROPRIATIONS/Health and Human Services (JOINT)
Discussion on the planned closing of Horace Williams
Airport.

Categories
Miscellany

Norwood

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Ran into Mr. Norwood Cheek after the BoA meeting Tuesday. He was in great spirits and passed on details of his NC Records enterprise. In town with his bride for a visit.

Some of you will remember his commercial work, others his documenting of a rather quirky era of local music.

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Miscellany

War no more

Members of the Ragin’ Grannies perform some of their anti-war hits at a Memorial Day event at the Carrboro Town Commons Monday. Speakers called for an end to the Iraq War and greater understanding between the Israeli and Palestinian people. About 100 residents attended the afternoon event. Photo by Kirk Ross

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Miscellany

Native plants show off in spite of drought and heat

A group of local folks stopped in their tracks on the edge of one of Mason Farm’s Penstemon fields. Photo by Ken Moore

By Ken Moore

Summer has not officially arrived, but the summer heat made its dramatic entry this past Memorial Day weekend. And we are well along into the predicted drought; without ample rainfall soon, that anticipated bumper crop of “4th of July blackberries” will be sparse indeed.

While we’re having to provide supplemental water to maintain the health of our cultivated gardens, the native plants along our roadsides and woodland borders are continuing to put on a show without the additional help from our watering hoses.

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Miscellany

Local leaders question new immigration bill

By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer

Local Latino leaders say an immigration reform bill under consideration in Congress is unlikely to benefit a majority of the local immigrant population.

Under the bill, illegal immigrants who entered the United States before January 1 of this year would receive probationary legal status. To qualify for permanent residency, illegal immigrants would have to pay a $5,000 fine and a $1,500 application fee.

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Miscellany

Tax hikes coming

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Counties and towns look at raising rates

This isn’t likely to come as a shock, but it’s safe to assume your property taxes are going up.

Even though county and town managers have crafted no-tax alternatives, elected officials throughout the region have not shown an inclination toward the idea and are focusing instead on the size of increases rather than whether to have them or not.

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Miscellany

Early sun exposure linked to skin cancer gene mutation

UNC News Services

Skin cancers often contain different gene mutations, but just how these mutations contribute to the cause of melanomas has been a mystery.

A new clue comes from scientists at UNC’s Schools of Medicine and Public Health. Their research indicates that early-life sun exposure, from birth to 20 years old, may specifically increase the risk of melanomas with BRAF gene mutations. A different mutation, on the NRAS gene, was found in patients who had sun exposure later in life (between ages 50 to 60 years old). The results indicate that different subtypes of melanoma are associated with different risk factors.

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Miscellany

Survey should guide policy, IFC says

By Matthew Fiorentino
Correspondent

For six weeks now, two outreach workers have been hitting the streets of Orange County getting to know the homeless and the panhandlers. They talk to these people of the streets, earning their trust, learning about their situation and, most importantly, coming up with ideas about how to help them.

At a meeting earlier this month of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce’s Community Leadership Collaboration, this survey of people on the street was touted as an important method for developing ways to deal with panhandling downtown.

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Miscellany

Slater details Weaver Street Market’s Hillsborough moves


Slater

By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer

Ever since Weaver Street Market announced plans to open a store in Hillsborough and move administrative offices and food preparation out of Carrboro, concerns have been raised about the impact on the Carrboro economy and the workers whose jobs are heading to the county seat.

In a recent interview, Ruffin Slater, general manager of Weaver Street Market, said the decision to move offices and food preparation out of Carrboro and into new facilities in Hillsborough was neither easy nor quick.