uncnews.unc.edu

Here is a sampling of links and notes about Carolina people and programs cited recently in the media:

National Coverage

Fight obesity? Add sales tax to soda tab
The Associated Press
In a bid to ramp up the public health battle against obesity, a group of nutrition and economics experts are pushing for a tax of 1 cent on every of ounce of sodas and other sweetened beverages. ...His co-authors included Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Joe Thompson; New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley; University of North Carolina obesity expert Barry Popkin; University of Illinois economist Frank Chaloupka; and Harvard nutrition and obesity experts Dr. Walter Willett and Dr. David Ludwig.

Put in those ear buds and watch the scale numbers go down (Blog)
The Los Angeles Times
Successful weight loss may be just a podcast away. But what's on that podcast could make the difference between losing a modest amount of weight and losing next to none, according to a new study out of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Researchers used two different types of podcasts--audio files that can be downloaded into an MP3 player or computer--to see which was more effective at helping 78 overweight and obese men and women shed pounds over 12 weeks.
UNC News Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2874/71/

To friend or not to friend? College admissions in the age of Facebook
USA Today
Facebook isn't just for socializing anymore — a new survey of college admissions officials suggests students are increasingly taking care of business on the site as well. ...But not all students are clamoring to connect with admissions officials: friending an admission official never even occurred to her, says Alex Ward, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

What's the Point of Cheerleading?
The Wall Street Journal
There's no doubt that modern cheerleading -- a combination of dancing, tumbling and high-flying stunts -- is rough. But if you read the news of late, you'd think it's the world's most dangerous pastime. Cheerleading accounts for 65% of all female catastrophic injuries in high school and college, according to the University of North Carolina's National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research.

Security at Yale Questioned After Employee Named 'Person of Interest' in Murder Case
FoxNews.com
...Like many institutions, universities usually perform background checks for employees working in secure locations such as Le’s lab. ...Kathy Bryant, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill communications director, said UNC also pays close attention to criminal records. "Each check that's returned with a criminal conviction is reviewed on a case-by-case basis,” she said.

Regional Coverage

In public health bill, a contagion of fear
The Boston Globe
The banner, bold and provocative, was tattooed with a syringe, skull and crossbones, and a call to action: “Say no to forced vaccination.’’ The message, delivered last week on Beacon Hill, was aimed at a seemingly prosaic piece of legislation that aims to better define - and, in some respects, restrict - the emergency powers of the state’s public health officials. ...“It doesn’t surprise me that when you have another epidemic, another threat of a disease, then you get emotions tweaked up, and separately in the health care debate, we’ve seen a rise in emotionalism replacing logic,’’ said Gene W. Matthews, a senior fellow at the University of North Carolina’s Institute for Public Health

State and Local Coverage

NC Voices: Rural Education
"The State of Things" WUNC-FM
North Carolina’s rural schools are struggling. For decades, schools in small towns and isolated counties have tried to serve the poorest students with limited resources. In Halifax County, the state has been forced to intervene after Judge Howard Manning called the situation there “academic genocide.” (Professor Judith Meece from the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is included in this piece discussing educational aspirations of rural students and how it relates to keeping teachers in the rural schools.)

UNC's Hansbrough: Finding a little girl's lost dog (Blog)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Oh, that Tyler Hansbrough. When he isn't out-hustling everyone and winning a national championship, he's finding a little girl's lost dog. Or at least that's the deal in this new AT&T commercial shot at UNC Chapel Hill.

Hurricane Floyd’s Floodwaters Fueled Changes that Could Save Lives
WNCT-TV (CBS/Greenville)
We often learn valuable lessons in the wake of disaster and Hurricane Floyd is no different. The storm and its flooding spurred policy changes that could one day prove life-saving. ...But experts such as UNC-Chapel Hill associate geography professor Chip Konrad say even that may not capture the ferocity of the flood that forever changed the landscape of eastern North Carolina.

Bill could revamp student loans
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
As more college students seek financial aid in the troubled economy, the U.S. House of Representatives today is set to overhaul the nation's student loan system. ...UNC-Chapel Hill financial aid director Shirley Ort said 17 percent more students are applying for financial aid this year, and 23 percent more qualify for need-based assistance. "We've never seen anything like that before," Ort said.

Cancer Hospital Has Opened
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
One of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers in the country has made its home right here in Chapel Hill. Dr. Richard Goldberg, physician-in-chief of the North Carolina Cancer Hospital says it is an achievement to be proud of. The opening was hosted by The Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and featured Chancellor Holden Thorp, UNC-system President Erskine Bowles, and Governor Beverly Perdue at the ribbon-cutting ceremony this week.

Riverkeeper: Fish Kill Now At 50 Million In Neuse
WITN-TV (NBC/Morehead City)
Fish continue to die in the Neuse River, and now some estimate the number at 50 million. That's the latest estimate from Neuse Riverkeeper after he went out on the river Wednesday afternoon with WITN News. ...Scientists at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's Institute of Marine Science in Morehead City have been measuring oxygen levels along the bottom of the river. Professor Hans Paerl said last week that conditions were "ripe for a fish kill." He says high winds and recent storms helped stir the water.

Study: Black hypertension patients not getting enough out of doctor visits
WRAL.com
Uncontrolled hypertension increases a person’s risk of cardiovascular diseases. Doctors can advise patients about how diet, exercise or even medication can help bring it under control. A researcher at the University of North Carolina, however, has found that black patients with hypertension aren't getting enough out of their doctor visits.

Phone 911 for a death at home (Question and Answer)
The Fayetteville Observer
Q: Whom do you call if someone dies at home of natural causes? Do you have to call the ambulance even though it's clear the person is dead? Or can you call the funeral home? I know at one time the coroner would come out and pronounce a person dead. What happens now? ...A few counties still have coroners, too, but people elected to those jobs are either the acting medical examiner or work as investigators for the medical examiner, according to the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Recycling Program A Success At UNC
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
With the help of the Orange County Solid Waste and the UNC Department of Waste Reduction, students were able to recycle a large amount of plastic wraps and bags during move-in weekend last month. Amy Prebble, recycling and outreach coordinator for UNC Waste Reduction, says the event was a success by all accounts.

Four can again visit UNC-CH
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
UNC-Chapel Hill officials say four non-student protesters may return to the campus after a judge cleared them of disorderly conduct charges this week. ...UNC Police Chief Jeff McCracken said he will meet with the district attorney's office to develop a protocol for handling protests, taking Buckner's decision into account. Ensuring the campus speakers' safety was the priority, he said. "That is our responsibility, and that's what we'll continue to address," McCracken said.

Parents upset UNC kicked daughter out of study abroad program
WRAL-TV (CBS/Raleigh)
A Raleigh man said he plans to meet with University of North Carolina officials after his daughter was dismissed from her study abroad program and was left to fend for herself on the streets of Cape Town, South Africa. Alyssa Valdez, a senior business major at UNC-Chapel Hill, went to South Africa for a semester to boost her chances of landing a job in international business, said her parents, Luis and Merribeth Valdez.

Issues and Trends

UNC board to meet with action plan on minds
News 14 Carolina
Committee meetings for the UNC Board of Governors take place Thursday, where leaders will most likely preview the system’s action plan and policies regarding budget reductions. The action plan looks to improve K-12 education, increase access to higher education, take advantage of stimulus funding and enhance global competitiveness. Erskine Bowles, UNC president, began talks about system cuts last month with chancellors of the 16 schools in the UNC system. Committees will discuss related policies on Thursday.
Related Link:
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/6010662/
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/campusnotes/uncs-bowles-talking-layoffs-today
http://www.heraldsun.com/pages/full_story/push?article-State-s+top+education+officials+meet
+in+RTP%20&id=3618955-State-s+top+education+officials+meet+in+RTP

400 positions cut at NCSU, UNC (Blog)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The UNC system Board of Governors received an update this morning on the approximately 900 jobs being eliminated across the 16-campus system. ...At UNC Chapel Hill, 202 administrative jobs have been eliminated to the tune of $67 million. They include 24 positions at the Renaissance Computing Institute, high-tech computing center based at UNC-CH that also employs workers at Duke and NCSU. "We're not closing them down but we gave them a very large cut, 35 percent," said UNC-CH Chancellor Holden Thorp.

Accused doctor was at country club before bar
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The plastic surgeon accused of second-degree murder in Friday's fatal collision that ended the life of an aspiring professional ballerina spent that afternoon playing golf at the Raleigh Country Club before going to a North Raleigh tavern.
Related Links:
http://www.wchl1360.com/detailswide.html?id=11839
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=7017178

UNC football case ends
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
The kidnapping, robbery and sexual assault case in which three UNC football players were tied up and robbed in December 2007 ended quietly this week in Orange County Superior Court when one of the suspects pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors and received probation.