uncnews.unc.edu

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

International Coverage

Some heart patients aren't getting the right care
Reuters (Wire Services)
Some patients with congestive heart failure are not receiving recommended medicines that could keep them alive longer and out of the hospital, a trend that may be adding to the nation's health costs, U.S. researchers say. ...Dr. Sid Smith, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and former president of the American Heart Association, said the findings do not reflect his group's experience. "Everything that we can see in the heart failure quality improvement efforts using the AHA or ACC (American College of Cardiology) heart failure guidelines suggests that there is an increase in the use of these therapies," Smith said.

National Coverage

College-bound kids with learning disabilities get help
USA Today
...Colleges and universities across the nation are increasingly offering programs such as Project Access to help prepare incoming students who have learning disabilities. ...Such obstacles bother Jim Kessler, director of the disability center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. "Once you're learning disabled, you're always learning disabled" he says. "I don't know why people have to prove that they have a right to the same education as everyone else."

State and Local Coverage

Gifts from the garden
The Chapel Hill News
...That's the point of this new 8,000-square-foot garden tucked away on Wilson Street on the western edge of campus. Since it opened in March, the garden has become a go-to source of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables for housekeepers and other low-paid university workers. "We're reaching largely people who can't afford to buy it," said Claire Lorch, who runs the garden part time with a salary paid through grants. "A lot of people have to make choices, and they're not always the healthiest."

Lawsuit threat lurks for 751 South
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
The 751 South project appears to be headed for a courtroom after an acrimonious meeting Monday night during which the Durham County commissioners approved a rezoning for the proposed development near Jordan Lake. ...Charles A. Szypszak, a UNC School of Government faculty member, wrote that he had never seen a similar case. He offered reasoning that seemed to support the proponents' position but said, "I would be reluctant to conclude that the State's revocation was ineffective."

UNC-TV: More than entertainment channel
The Charlotte Observer
...The result has been a public relations debacle. UNC-TV looks foolish for supplying the information and for issuing a statement that it had suspended its normal editorial judgment in making public the materials. It also asked professors at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Journalism and Mass Communication to review the reports UNC-TV released. In a draft, the panel of professors was sharply critical of UNC-TV's "abdicating editorial control" to a sole reporter. It said the agency "should have maintained control and reported the story."

10 tasty meals without meat (Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
'Eat less meat" is standard dietary advice today. That's welcome news for those of us who love beans and greens, but it's harder for meat-eaters who see a hole on their plates where the steak used to be. If you're trying to cut your meat intake and feeling stumped about where to begin, keep it simple. (Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical assistant professor in the department of health policy and administration in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill.)

Trip paid for, ex-Tar Heel says
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
A trip by two North Carolina football players to a training facility in California last summer could impact both UNC's immediate future and the status of the 2009 season. Former UNC defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer paid for his college teammates, Marvin Austin and Cam Thomas, to travel to California in the summer of 2009, Thomas said Tuesday.
Related Links:
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/08/11/623542/spurrier-not-surprised-about-blake.html

Silence isn't golden for UNC's problems
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Regardless of how the NCAA investigation into North Carolina's football program plays out, the school already has taken an image hit, partially because of its unwillingness to publicly address the situation. Those involved are presumed innocent, of course. But Carolina's unwillingness to get out on front on this issue is taking an unseen but growing toll on the public-opinion front.

Issues and Trends

Olympic runner, UNC coach Pettigrew dead
United Press International
Former Olympic runner and University of North Carolina assistant track coach Antonio Pettigrew was found dead Tuesday, the school said. UNC Athletic Director Dick Baddour said the circumstances of Pettigrew's death were still being sorted out. ..."Although we are still learning the circumstances, we are deeply saddened to learn of Antonio's death," Baddour said. "I was particularly impressed with the relationships he established with his student-athletes and the pride he took in representing the University of North Carolina."
Related Link:
http://charlotte.news14.com/content/local_news/triangle/629104/new-details-
emerge-in-death-of-unc-assistant-track-coach

Colleges Get Reprieve as Congress Approves Aid to States
The Chronicle of Higher Education
State lawmakers may be able to avoid some painful cuts to their higher-education budgets, thanks to a last-minute reprieve from Congress. On Tuesday, members of the U.S. House of Representatives took a break from their annual August recess to give final approval to a bill that would provide $16.1-billion in additional Medicaid assistance. While that money will not directly benefit colleges, it will help plug states' budget gaps and avert cuts to other areas, including education. More than half of state legislatures have already approved budgets assuming Congress would come through with the aid.

Students' return a welcome sign (Editorial)
The Herald-Sun (Durham)
...No, what signals the imminent end of summer's lazy days for many, especially in communities such as Durham and certainly Chapel Hill, is decreed by the academic calendar. For tens of thousands of students who attend our three universities, another school year is about to begin. ...The impact of students' return, of course, is greatest in Chapel Hill, where everything from the sky-blue fire trucks to the retail mix downtown reflects the pervasiveness of Tar Heels in that community.

Without signature, Perdue lets bill become law (Blog)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Gov. Bev Perdue chose not to sign the last bill on her desk. The deadline for Perdue, a Democrat, to sign or veto House bill 1292 has come and gone, which means the bill became law today. The law is meant to encourage UNC campuses to find ways to save energy and cut utility bills. The bill allows campuses to keep money they save through conservation. The law requires that in the next year, 60 percent of the money must be used on conservation. The bill says the governor cannot cut the budget to campuses because they were able to save money on utilities.