| Blog and Media Roundup - Wednesday, November 4, 2009; News Roundup | |
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| Topic Started: Nov 4 2009, 05:46 AM (178 Views) | |
| abb | Nov 4 2009, 05:46 AM Post #1 |
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http://www.heraldsun.com/pages/full_story_news_durham/push?article-DURHAM+INCUMBENTS+WIN+BIG%20&id=4296399-DURHAM+INCUMBENTS+WIN+BIG&instance=main_article DURHAM INCUMBENTS WIN BIG 11.03.09 - 09:23 pm Incumbent Cora Cole-McFadden (right) hugs Susan Austin on Tuesday after winning re-election to her Ward 1 seat Tuesday. view slideshow (5 images) PREV NEXT << >> By Ray Gronberg gronberg@heraldsun.com; 419-6648 DURHAM -- Incumbents swept Durham's mayoral and City Council races Tuesday, in each rolling up 71 percent or more of the vote. Mayor Bill Bell and Ward 3 Councilman Mike Woodard led the way, easily turning aside challengers Steven Williams and Allan Polak. Unofficial returns show that Bell secured 8,233 votes to Williams' 2,345, for a winning margin of 77 percent to 22 percent. Woodard bested Polak with 8,704 votes to the challenger's 1,307, for a top margin of 86 percent to 13 percent. The Ward 1 and 2 races were slightly closer, but incumbents Cora Cole-McFadden and Howard Clement had no trouble fending off challengers Donald Hughes and Matt Drew. "For me, it says that voters have confidence in the job we've been doing," Bell said as the last few precinct returns trickled in. Cole-McFadden carried Ward 1 with 7,941 votes to Hughes' 2,449, a margin of 76 percent to 23 percent. In Ward 2 Clement received 7,258 votes to Drew's 2,729, a margin of 71 percent to nearly 27 percent. The top vote-getting challenger, Drew said his showing was "better than what we were shooting for," given his status as a registered Libertarian in a heavily Democratic town. "As far as I'm concerned this is a positive result for me," he said, adding that he'd definitely look to run again. "I can only go up from here." Drew also noted that there was a heavier-than-usual write-in vote in Ward 2. Unofficial returns showed that 180 people cast write-ins in that race. There were reports going in that supporters of Sylvester Williams, a candidate eliminated in last month's primary, were trying to muster write-ins. Cole-McFadden and Clement both won Tuesday with bigger margins than they received in last month's primaries. Bell and Woodard faced single challengers in their races and didn't participate in the primary. Williams' total was the best showing someone without experience in elected office has turned in against Bell in a mayoral race. He ran ahead of the margins that airport security guard Jonathan Alston recorded in 2003 and 2005, but behind those of former Mayor Nick Tennyson in 2001 and former City Councilman Thomas Stith in 2007. Like Drew, Williams thought he'd done well enough that a future run for office remains a possibility. "You will see me again," he said, adding that low voter turnout drove the incumbents' showing. Woodard and Clement, though, said the incumbents' wins weren't an accident. They maintained that voters preferred experienced hands on the steering wheel given the economy and other problems. "We just made a clearer case, and we showed why experience matters," Clement said. "The challengers didn't overcome that." Hughes said the issues he and other challengers raised during the campaign -- neighborhood revitalization in his case and Williams', city finances in Drew's -- "will remain" topics for debate in the coming months. "What I stood for during the campaign is what I'll stand for after," he added. Polak, meanwhile, echoed Drew in saying he'll look for other ways to stay involved in community affairs. "It was an honor to be involved in the democratic process," he said. |
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| abb | Nov 4 2009, 06:01 AM Post #2 |
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http://www.heraldsun.com/pages/full_story_news_durham/push?article-Kidwell+guilty-+gets+life+in+slaying+of+convenience+store+clerk%20&id=4299609-Kidwell+guilty-+gets+life+in+slaying+of+convenience+store+clerk&instance=main_article Kidwell guilty; gets life in slaying of convenience store clerk 11.03.09 - 10:27 pm BY JOHN MCCANN jmccann@heraldsun.com; 419-6601 DURHAM -- The man accused of killing a Bull City convenience store worker in February 2005 will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury on Tuesday found him guilty of first-degree murder. Jurors also found Keith Kidwell guilty of felony larceny stemming from the attack at the 4604 N. Roxboro St. Kangaroo store. The victim was Crayton Nelms, who at the time of his death was working the overnight shift at the convenience store. He was 44. The verdict was called long overdue by Harnett County's Claudia Nelms Young Rosser, the victim's sister. She's been waiting nearly five years for closure. "It took a weight off of me," Rosser said of the verdict. "Tonight, I'm gon' rest," Rosser said on Tuesday. "I'm just gonna relax. "Just take it all in," she said. Rosser cried after deputy clerk Keshia Perry-Foxx read the verdict pertaining to the man convicted of killing her younger brother. Rosser said the jurors' decision also eases the minds of Nelms' son and daughter. Defense lawyer Lisa Williams in her opening statement and closing argument sought to paint the state's case as very-much lacking. From the very beginning, the state made the matter about seeking to prove Kidwell's guilt instead of going after the truth, Williams claimed. Williams made the point that it ought to be tough for jurors to swallow what District Attorney Tracey Cline was telling them -- that Kidwell's bloody shoe print was on the back of the victim's vest when no bloody shoe prints were found elsewhere in the store. Cline was trying to convict Kidwell -- he is 25 and had no prior criminal record -- based on a little blood that showed up on the tongue of one of his Nike shoes, Williams explained. "This investigation is flawed at the core," said Williams, who facetiously offered that if Kidwell had blood on his shoes when he killed Nelms then he must have levitated throughout the convenience store. Cline told jurors not to feel sorry for sending Kidwell to prison for the rest of his life. At least loved ones will have opportunities to talk with him, to get a smile from him, she said. Nelms' family and friends don't have that luxury, the district attorney said. "The whole month of this trial, there's been one person missing. There's been one person who could not say a word," Cline said. "He can't cry out for justice." Despite the holes Williams tried to punch in Cline's argument by pointing toward insufficient evidence, Rosser is certain jurors convicted the right man. "I am absolutely positive," Rosser said. "I know for sure it was Keith Kidwell." Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson put the defendant in the hands of courtroom authorities, who led the tall, dreadlocked killer -- who at times during the trial flashed a great smile -- away to a life behind bars. |
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| abb | Nov 4 2009, 06:03 AM Post #3 |
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http://www.heraldsun.com/pages/full_story_news_durham/push?article-Duke+early+admissions+requests+up%20&id=4299683-Duke+early+admissions+requests+up&instance=main_article Duke early admissions requests up 11.03.09 - 10:36 pm By Neil Offen noffen@heraldsun.com; 419-6646 DURHAM -- More than 2,000 high school seniors are pretty certain they want to attend Duke University next year. The university has received a record number of early decision applicants, a whopping 32 percent increase from last year, which had been the second highest total ever. The 2,040 students who applied for early decision this year know they want to attend Duke and commit to enrolling at the university if they receive an offer of admission next month. Christoph Guttentag, Duke's dean of undergraduate admissions, attributed the surge of interest to the university's increase in applications last year. Duke received more than 23,850 early and regular decision applications for the Class of 2013, which was almost a 17 percent increase over the previous record. "When we received 3,500 more applications last year than the year before, people noticed; schools, parents and counselors saw the results of our greater selectivity," Guttentag said. "I think students realized that the best way to improve their chances of being admitted this year would be to apply early decision." Another contributing factor, Guttentag added, was Duke's commitment to making the cost of attendance more affordable. Two years ago, Duke announced significant enhancements to its financial aid program for lower- and middle-income families. "People are increasingly believing colleges when we say we will make it affordable for students from every economic background," Guttentag said. "I think families are realizing that schools like Duke are within reach." Although Duke is significantly more expensive than any state schools, it is less expensive than many of its elite peer private institutions. Duke charges $50,250 a year for tuition, fees and room and board; 49 private colleges charge more, according to a survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education.. Duke is also one of a limited number of schools with a "need-blind" admissions policy, and the university guarantees it will meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need. In previous years, about one-third of the students who applied early decision were accepted, which is a higher admittance rate than those who apply through the regular process. But the increase in applications means that the percentage of early decision admits will "almost certainly" drop this year, although how much won't be known until applications are read and evaluated, Guttentag said. The largest percentage increases among early decision applicants were among students from California, New Jersey and Virginia, as well as international students. Students who applied early decision should learn in mid-December whether they have been accepted. |
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| abb | Nov 4 2009, 06:05 AM Post #4 |
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http://www.heraldsun.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Let-s+solve+the+problem-+not+hype+a+non-solution%20&id=4261587-Let-s+solve+the+problem-+not+hype+a+non-solution&instance=columnists Let's solve the problem, not hype a non-solution 11.03.09 - 04:37 pm By Larry Bumgardner Guest columnist Gov. Beverly Purdue's claim that we "will not release violent offenders" to prey on the public is ludicrous on its face. She is referring to the infamous 27 "lifers" who were set to be released in October as a result of a NC Supreme Court ruling crediting them with good time and therefore qualifying them for release. Her claim is ludicrous because in the United States some 650,000 inmates are released each year. I'm not sure what she means when she refers to "violent" offenders. Many men who went to prison in the U.S. weren't violent when they went in, but are violent after they were released. It's a sad fact and our penal system deserves the blame for that. When I give blood at the Red Cross, one of the qualifying questions they ask is whether I've ever been locked up more than 72 hours in a jail or juvenile facility. Read between the lines. That speaks volumes to the kind of system we have for inmates in this country. There are some inmates who are put in solitary confinement for years on end. What do we expect when they get out? Some walk right out onto the streets from solitary confinement when their sentence is completed. On the N.C. Dept of Correction Web site, you can find the number of infractions for an inmate and a brief description of each. But, you can't determine what punishments were given. The public has no idea of how pervasive this practice is. Are our actions making them more or less violent? I met one inmate who was kept in solitary for three years on the basis that they believed he was associated with a criminal network. I looked at his "infraction" record and for his entire imprisonment, he was charged only with communicating to another prisoner by letter. He'd written his wife and asked her to send a note to a fellow inmate who had been in AA with him to find out how he was doing after his transfer to another facility. By golly, we'll put a stop to this sort of hideous behavior, won't we? A very high percentage of inmates are mentally ill. Some go in okay and come out mentally ill. Something is wrong here. Do you realize that a crime that might get you 10 years in Durham County could get you life if the crime were committed in a rural county? A life sentence is arbitrary within our justice system. If the DA offers a deal to avoid a trial or because he can't quite get enough evidence to warrant a sure conviction, the punishment is going to be less severe than for the same crime taken to trial. One of the 27 got life for second degree rape. So, to put "lifers" up for target practice by the public and the news media is disingenuous at best and gives us all a false sense that our politicians are taking care of business. Three of those 27 "lifers" had a MAP that, if completed successfully, would have released them as early as next year. MAP is an acronym for a plan of release for a prisoner given a life sentence. If he follows his MAP (normally lasting about 3 years) someone with a life sentence can be released when he completes the requirements. Normally he has to have no infractions during the time of his MAP, earn a high level of trust in the system and get a work release job. I know of several guys sentenced to life who have MAPs. It is a good thing. The impression you get from the governor and the news media is that the sky is falling. It isn't, but attention needs to be given to keep those incarcerated from coming back into the system once they are released. Giving them $40 and a handshake isn't going to cut it, especially in the economy that we are seeing now. We're willing to spend $30,000 a year to imprison folks in North Carolina, but virtually nothing to help keep them from coming back into the system. That's where the story should be. Calling for more money to reduce recidivism may be unpopular politically. If it is unpopular, it is our fault. We don't know how to attack and fix a problem anymore, assuming we ever did. Larry Bumgardner lives in Durham. |
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| abb | Nov 4 2009, 06:09 AM Post #5 |
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http://dukechronicle.com/article/dupd-officials-investigating-officer%E2%80%99s-history DUPD officials investigating officer’s history By Matt Chase November 4, 2009 The Duke University Police Department has started its internal investigation of officer Webster Simmons’s actions at Duke. Simmons was arrested and charged with first degree rape and sodomy in Dothan, Ala. Oct. 26, and is currently being held in the Houston County jail. Simmons, 37, is a DUPD patrol officer and was suspended with pay last week. DUPD Chief John Dailey said Duke is investigating whether Simmons violated any University or DUPD policies. Dailey could not comment on the details of the ongoing investigation, but said he hopes it is completed as soon as possible. Because the investigation is ongoing and because Simmons is innocent until proven guilty, Dailey said he does not know if DUPD will fire Simmons. Duke hired Simmons in December 2008, WRAL reported Oct. 27. Simmons previously worked as a field operations officer with the Raleigh Police Department from June 15, 1998 until he resigned Oct. 31, 2007. Simmons earned the designation of master officer several years into the job. RPD Public Information Officer Jim Sughrue said the master officer position is the second highest officer rank. Sughrue said he does not know why Simmons resigned from RPD. Dailey said he knows why Simmons left RPD, but he declined to offer an explanation. Dailey added that Simmons’ alleged actions do not represent the actions of other DUPD employees. “It’s disappointing when an employee is alleged to have done something as serious as this, but it does not in any way reflect the professionalism of the other employees within the department,” Dailey said. |
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| abb | Nov 4 2009, 06:11 AM Post #6 |
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http://dukechronicle.com/article/early-decision-apps-33-percent-over-last-fall Early Decision apps up 33 percent over last fall By Emmeline Zhao November 4, 2009 2,040 applications most ever received A record number of high school students have applied early decision to Duke’s Class of 2014. The number of applicants increased 33 percent, from 1,535 last November to 2,040 this year—an unexpected increase, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag said. “I think if anybody had said this Fall, ‘You’ll see a 33 percent increase in applications, and you’ll break your previous record by 350, I think nobody would have thought that was a reasonable prediction,” he said. The previous record was set in 2001 with 1,589 early decision applicants. Of this year’s applicants, 1,703 applied to the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and 337 to the Pratt School of Engineering, proportions similar to last year’s 1,288 and 247 applications, respectively. Despite the current economic climate, the same proportion—51 percent—of early decision applicants indicated plans to apply for financial aid this year as last year. “As we saw last Spring, it seems that the economy hasn’t had a [negative] effect on the macro level on our applicant pool—quite the opposite, in fact,” Guttentag said. In light of the University’s budget constraints, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions cut back on recruiting by visiting fewer high schools and leaving current undergraduates behind on recruiting trips. “That’s the odd thing—there were no extra or unusual recruitment efforts this year, we were a little more conservative with our recruitment,” Guttentag said. It is unclear what factors contributed to the unexpected jump, he said. Provost Peter Lange noted that it may take a few more weeks to determine what led to the increase. The largest increases by geographic location are spread out across the country, indicating little to no pattern in recruitment or applications. The number of applications from California and Virginia increased 85 and 74 percent respectively. The number of early decision applications from outside the United States increased 39 percent to 251. This year, admissions officers emphasized that the acceptance rate is higher for early decision applicants, Guttentag said. He added that students and families may have also taken note of the University’s need-blind admissions process and financial aid offerings. “I think that people got the message that in fact... we’re really working to make Duke affordable from a wide range of economic backgrounds,” he said. “This has probably sunk in some more than in the past.” In December 2007, Duke announced its new Financial Aid Initiative, which provides more need-based aid for students from lower-income families. The University requires no parental contribution from families with incomes less than $60,000. Guttentag noted that it is currently difficult to predict what this increase means for regular decision applicants, although it is unlikely that there will be a significant decrease in regular decision applications. He added that the percentage of early and regular decision applicants that make up the Class of 2014 will largely depend on the quality of the early decision pool and the number of students admitted in December. “I’m pleased for the students who have indicated that we’re their first choice,” Guttentag said. “I think it’s a reflection of the fact that even in a challenging economy, all kinds of people appreciate the value and the meaning and the benefit of a Duke education.” |
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| abb | Nov 4 2009, 06:13 AM Post #7 |
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http://dukechronicle.com/article/incumbents-sweep-city-election Incumbents sweep city election By Julius Jones November 4, 2009 Durham residents gave City Hall a seal of approval by re-electing all four incumbents in Tuesday’s general election. Mayor Bill Bell was re-elected to his fifth two-year term with more than 77 percent of the vote over his challenger, Republican Steven Williams. City Council members Cora Cole-McFadden, Howard Clement and Mike Woodard all received more than 70 percent of the ballots cast in their respective races. Durham City Council members serve four-year terms. The incumbents, who together ran a joint re-election campaign, celebrated their victories alongside approximately 200 supporters and family members at the Blue Coffee Cafe in downtown Durham. “This is a clear message to me that the voters of Durham are pleased with the leadership they have and the direction of the city,” said newly re-elected Council member Mike Woodard. Woodard defeated challenger Allan Polak with 86 percent of the vote, earning more votes than any other incumbent on the ballot Tuesday. Bell said this election cycle was less contentious than in years past, noting that all of the challengers in the election had no experience in elected office. Supporters at the celebration said the challengers vying to unseat the City Council members did not do a good job of getting their message out to voters. “The people who were running against [the incumbents] didn’t have the name recognition,” said Susan Austin, a Durham resident and a campaign volunteer for McFadden. “Durham has been making a lot of progress under this council so I’m glad to see to see that there will be continuity.” Although few political observers thought any of the sitting elected officials were in serious danger of losing last night, some considered 75-year-old City Council veteran Howard Clement’s age a political liability. “I think the voters spoke to that, in very clear tones, that age was not an issue,” Clement said. “I can’t control my age, but I can control the kinds of experiences I have earned and I have full control over my experiences.” Clement, as the longest-serving City Council member, serving 26 years, made experience the central issue of his campaign against Libertarian Matt Drew. “The voters, in my opinion, were very enthusiastic about supporting [the incumbents] because of our experience,” Clement said. “The voters had a choice between the challengers and the incumbents and decided that the incumbents had the experience we needed to carry the city forward.” Clement defeated Drew with 71 percent of the vote. Voters who attended the victory celebration said they attributed the large victory margins to the city’s progress under the current City Council’s leadership. “Our city has come a long way,” said DeWarren Langley, a Durham native and second-year law student at North Carolina Central University School of Law. “The citizens of Durham realized that we were headed in the right direction and that [the incumbents] were the people who ushered us in that direction.” Bell said he and the City Council will continue to promote the same policies that he believes are responsible for their victory, including a neighborhood reinvestment initiative. “I’ve said consistently that, in my opinion, that strong neighborhoods make for a strong city,” Bell said. “These things don’t take place over night, these things take years. But, I think that if voters see you making progress in the right direction, then they will continue to support you.” |
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| abb | Nov 4 2009, 06:22 AM Post #8 |
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http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/174189.html Published Wed, Nov 04, 2009 02:00 AM Modified Wed, Nov 04, 2009 06:21 AM Tedesco's easy victory puts change on track RALEIGH The new sheriffs are in town. Tuesday's overwhelming victory by John Tedesco in a Wake County school board runoff means busing for diversity and other established policies will be squarely in the crosshairs of a new majority taking the reins of the 140,000-student Wake system Dec. 1. Tedesco, a New York-born executive of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle, outpolled educator Cathy Truitt by more than three to one in District 2, which includes Garner, Fuquay-Varina and Willow Spring. The win solidifies the prospect of a turnaround for the Wake County school system, which has attracted national attention and, in the eyes of its supporters, had helped build the reputation of Raleigh and Wake County as an attractive place to live. Tedesco and three other recently elected members of the new majority withstood opposition from a coalition of traditional Raleigh power brokers as they promised to discard forced busing for diversity in favor of a system of neighborhood schools. The successful candidates questioned the effectiveness of the diversity policy and promoted allowing children to go to schools in their communities, even if the change results in racially and economically imbalanced schools. "We respect the diversity of the community," said Tedesco, 34. "Now we need to look at educating all the children in the community who are left behind. A 54 percent graduation rate for economically disadvantaged children is simply not good enough." Rosa Gill, a former board chair who resigned in June to become a state representative, said Tuesday that the neighborhood schools proposal is easier to promise than put into effect. "Right now, based on the economy, there's not going to be enough money to build neighborhood schools as they describe them," Gill said. Gill hopes for best Gill added that the new school board members will have a different perspective on the system once they take office and experience its problems and successes firsthand. "They are going to find out that a lot of things are working well," she said. "I really feel that they are going to move progressively forward." Tedesco received more votes - unofficial results gave him 6,658 - than were cast overall in the first round of voting Oct. 6, when the ballot included five candidates, including incumbent Horace Tart. Tedesco will join current board member Ron Margiotta and recently elected members Chris Malone, Debra Goldman and Deborah Prickett, all of whom have vowed to stop forced busing for diversity. "The parents just had enough," Prickett said Tuesday. "The public has spoken." In a show of unity, Prickett and Goldman joined Tedesco in a brief post-election celebration in Garner. Truitt also unexpectedly showed up. Current members who have supported the longstanding policy of balancing schools based on students' economic backgrounds are Dr. Anne McLaurin and Kevin Hill, along with Carolyn Morrison and Keith Sutton, both appointed to fill vacancies this past summer. None have served more than two years. More changes possible In addition to opposing the policy of busing for diversity, members of the new majority have pledged to end mandatory year-round school attendance and potentially stop the "Wacky Wednesday" policy of weekly early dismissals for teacher planning time. The board will also have to deal with system growth that has lessened in recent years, but still brings as many as 2,000 new students to the system annually. Truitt ran a zig-zag campaign that included a call for a runoff, an effort to reverse that call, an endorsement of Tedesco and, finally, a declaration that she would take office if voters picked her. The winning candidates won support and financing from the Wake Schools Community Alliance, a parents group and political action committee, and the Wake County Republican Party. The location of this year's races in outlying areas of the county meant that most voters within Raleigh city limits will have to wait until 2011 to make their wishes known on the system's direction. Even then, the seats up for election will mostly be those occupied by what will be a school board minority - those who favor the current policies - when new members take their seats. The state NAACP has vowed to watch the new board's actions and, if necessary, take legal action to prevent school resegregation. Some parents fear reassigning students to neighborhood schools will harm the magnet school program. The new board members pledged Tuesday to listen to parents and the community as they carry out their campaign pledges. But they emphasized that things are going to change in Wake. "We can do what the people asked us to do," said Goldman, the new board member from Cary. "Now we can get in there." thomas.goldsmith@newsobserver .com or 919-829-8929 |
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| Quasimodo | Nov 4 2009, 07:55 AM Post #9 |
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They used to say in the South (about white voters), "keep them poor, ignorant, and pregnant" and they'll aways vote for you. That's how a machine is built, and stays in power. (Think Willie Stark...) All you need is a compliant media, and nothing will ever change... |
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| abb | Nov 4 2009, 08:40 AM Post #10 |
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And so far it hasn't - in Durham anyway. |
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| chatham | Nov 4 2009, 08:47 AM Post #11 |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=G44NCvNDLfc Michigan congressman's speech. Right on. |
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| kbp | Nov 4 2009, 01:28 PM Post #12 |
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Another term should help that team solve all the problems! |
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