Opinion Roundup: Coronavirus facts/fiction; most vulnerable age group for virus; another voting lawsuit; trying out for the Olympics; and more.

Thursday, Mar. 5, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: N.C. prepares for potential spread of coronavirus; another voting lawsuit over absentee ballot rules; Sanders showing better in 2016; state students compete in aviation art contest; and more.

Secret lab on the UNC campus, the coronavirus hunter races for answers (Bloomberg News) -- The deadly coronavirus arrived by courier Feb. 6, delivered to a windowless, air-locked laboratory in a secret location on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. It came sealed in two 500-microliter vials, wrapped inside plastic pouches, placed inside a third sealed plastic container, all packed with dry ice. A team of scientists — protected head-to-toe by Tyvek body suits with battery-powered respirators — opened the vials, got down to work and haven’t stopped since.

ANNE BLYTHE: Now that coronavirus is in N.C., don’t panic, health officials say (NC. Health News reports) -- Wake County health officials in contact with COVID-19 patient and tracing potential contacts.

SARAH OVASKA: Wake County coronavirus case provokes schools, families to take precautions (N.C. Health News reports) -- The announcement of N.C’s first case of coronavirus has prompted schools and families to ponder what a quarantine might look like for them.

Health officials are watching N.C. patient’s contacts for signs of coronavirus spread (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Some people living in other counties across North Carolina have been asked to limit their travel and interactions with others to see whether they develop symptoms over the next two weeks.

Coronavirus fact and fiction (WRAL-TV reports) -- Some fact-checking on coronavirus following the first case reported in N.C.

China likely to be a no-show at High Point Market because of coronavirus (Greensboro News & Record reports) -- Normally, the country sends the second-largest contingent of international furniture buyers and exhibitors to the High Point Market, which begins April 25. But not this year. Not after the coronavirus.

What seniors need to know now that coronavirus is in N.C. (WRAL-TV reports) -- The Corona Virus, which affects those over 80 at 15 times the rate as those under 50, is now in N.C.. Here is what seniors need to know.

Red Hat no longer holding summit in San Francisco due to COVID-19 (WRAL-TV reports) -- Raleigh-based Red Hat announced on its website it has decided to not hold its Red Hat Summit 2020 in San Francisco. It will, instead, hold a "virtual event."

So•ca restaurant in Raleigh to receive professional cleaning after COVID-19 patient ate there (WRAL-TV reports) -- The Wake County Dept. of Health and Human Services has notified a Raleigh restaurant that the person who they said has contracted the COVID-19 virus ate there recently.

Wake officials won't address public questions about local COVID-19 patient (WRAL-TV reports) -- N.C.'s first illness linked to a new coronavirus strain is a man in Wake County, but local and state public health officials won't disclose more information about him, despite rising public concerns.

International Festival of Raleigh canceled over virus concerns (WRAL-TV reports) -- The popular International Festival of Raleigh postponed its upcoming weekend of events at the N.C. State Fairgrounds due to the concern of virus spread.

IMARI SCARBROUGH: N.C. watchfully prepares for spread of coronavirus (Carolina Public Press reports) -- N.C. hospitals, schools and other organizations are preparing for the potential spread of COVID-19, a novel coronavirus that has swept the globe with potentially deadly consequences.

'We expect more cases': Timeline of Wake coronavirus patient's arrival, symptoms, current status (WRAL-TV reports) -- A day after Wake County identified what is believed to be N.C.'s first case of coronavirus, the timeline of the patient's arrival, symptoms, contact with others and current status started to become more clear.

U.S. virus death toll hits 11; feds investigate nursing home (AP reports) -- Federal authorities announced an investigation of the Seattle-area nursing home at the center of an outbreak of the new coronavirus as the U.S. death toll climbed to 11, including the first fatality outside Washington state.

UNC expands travel restrictions to include some domestic travel​​​​​​​ (WRAL-TV reports) -- UNC-CH has released a statement with updated information on travel restrictions related to COVID-19.

Should you change your travel plans because of coronavirus? (5 On Your Side:/WRAL-TV reports) -- Before you change your travel plans, experts recommend first deciding whether your destination or route increases your risk of contracting coronavirus.

D.G. MARTIN: The Chapel Hill flu: 100 years later, will history repeat? (Hickory Daily Record Opinion) -- In Chapel Hill, people still talk about the influenza pandemic of 1918. Even after more than 100 years the community remembers the plague that killed the young, vibrant, and very popular president of UNC, Edward Kidder Graham. This pandemic killed more than 50 million people worldwide and took 675,000 American lives. One-half of the country’s casualties during World War I were due to the flu or its complications. Could Graham and the millions of other victims been saved had there been better planning and preparation?

Blowout unlikely in Cooper, Forest matchup for N.C. governor (AP reports) -- Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest earned dominating primary gubernatorial victories. But a blowout is unlikely in their fall election clash, especially if Donald Trump performs in presidential battleground N.C. much how he did four years ago.

Durham voters elect county’s 1st all-female board and 1st Muslim woman commissioner (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Durham County has had majority-female county boards since the 1980s. Now it’s going to have a board comprised of all women. Five women won the Democratic primary for the board’s five seats Tuesday. With no Republican candidates for commissioner in November’s general election, they are the presumptive winners.

Sanders' showing in N.C. was better in 2016 primary (WRAL-TV reports) -- Joe Biden's solid victory in N.C.'s Democratic presidential primary Tuesday stunned Bernie Sanders' campaign, which had expected to build on his performance from four years ago. Instead, Sanders performed worse than in 2016.

With Bloomberg out, N.C. Democrats confident he won’t stop spending in the state (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Democrat Michael Bloomberg built a small army in North Carolina and fueled it with money — more than $15 million in advertising alone. For all that, he appears to have won a single delegate. After Bloomberg on Wednesday became the latest to drop out of the race, North Carolina Democrats said they’re confident that he’ll continue to invest in the state.

Redistricting called factor in Kimberly Hardy N.C. House District 43 win over Elmer Floyd (Fayetteville Obsever reports) -- On the Republican side, Diane Wheatley defeated Clarence W. Goins Jr. and will face Hardy in the November general election.

U.S. House 11th District: GOP primary headed to Bennett, Cawthorn runoff; Davis wins Democratic race (Hendersonville Times-News reports) -- The rowdy March 3 race to replace one of the most conservative members of the U.S. House is finished, but the contest is not over ,with Republicans headed for a runoff. In the Democratic primary for North Carolina’s new 11th District, retired Air Force Col. Moe Davis won, amassing 47% of the votes

N.C. Senate race takes shape with attack ads on Day 1 of general election (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- It didn’t take long for the U.S. Senate race in N.C. — expected to be one of the key battles for determining control of the chamber — to get heated. Just hours after Democrat Cal Cunningham secured his party’s nomination and incumbent Republican Sen. Thom Tillis did the same, the Tillis campaign released a general election ad, trying to tie Cunningham to Democratic presidential candidates. The state Democratic Party dropped its own statewide digital ad, hitting Tillis over past comments about Social Security and Medicare.

Coastal Incumbents Survive Challenges (Coastal Review reports) -- According to the unofficial results from the N.C. Board of Elections for Super Tuesday, state House incumbents representing coastal districts have withstood challenges from within their respective parties.

Race for N.C. treasurer pits seasoned incumbent against political newcomer (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- The race for state treasurer has come down to a Republican incumbent and seasoned politician versus a Democrat with federal experience seeking his first statewide office. Ronnie Chatterji of Durham won by 1.8 percentage points, according to complete but unofficial results released Tuesday by the State Board of Elections.

Democrats send a Super Tuesday message: Trump first, change later (Durham Herald-Sun) -- It’s accurate — but not complete — to call Super Tuesday a triumph for the moderate wing of the Democratic party. Yes, voters handed establishment candidate Joe Biden victories in North Carolina, Virginia, Texas and at least six other states, while progressive candidate Bernie Sanders stumbled to apparent wins in just four. But the numbers behind the victories show that they may have been more about pragmatism than policy. Instead of crowning a movement, Democrats sent a message: Change first, then progress.

Lawsuit: N.C. absentee vote changes went too far (AP reports) -- A portion of a 2019 North Carolina law designed to toughen mail-in absentee ballot rules following a fraud investigation in a congressional race went too far and is unconstitutional, a lawsuit filed on Wednesday contends.

Another voting lawsuit in N.C., this time over new absentee fraud rules (WRAL-TV reports) -- A get-out-the-vote group backed by a legal team with ties to the Democratic Party sued the state in an effort to overturn absentee ballot security measures that the General Assembly passed last year in the wake of major election fraud.

FALSE: Rev. Barber says Democrats lose 'every time' Senate group overlooks black candidates (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV reports) -- The Rev. Dr. William Barber says that every time the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has overlooked a black candidate in N.C.'s Senate primary, the endorsed candidate has gone on to lose. This year, the DSCC endorsed Cal Cunningham over Erica Smith.

2 N.C. lawmakers lose reelection bids in primaries (AP reports) -- A veteran House Democrat and a first-term Senate Republican in the N.C. legislature won't be returning after this year because they lost their primary races.

​​​​​​​Daughter of late GOP redistricting expert releases trove of documents (CBS News reports) -- The daughter of a deceased Republican redistricting expert whose files roiled legal challenges to N.C.'s state voting map and the Trump administration's efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census has made those documents available to the public. The records belonged to GOP strategist Thomas Hofeller, who died in August 2018, and were discovered by Stephanie Hofeller following his death. In all, Stephanie Hofeller stumbled upon thousands of files stored on four hard drives and 18 thumb drives. Republicans in N.C.a and Thomas Hofeller's former company have sought to block the release of the cache of records, which include spreadsheets, maps, emails and presentations. But last month, Stephanie Hofeller announced on Twitter she made copies of the documents and would upload them to TheHofellerFiles.com. She tweeted a link to the records Sunday.

Farm labor union again suing U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of tobacco workers (N.C. Policy Watch reports) -- The Farm Labor Organizing Committee, a labor union representing 10,000 agricultural workers in North Carolina and the Midwest, is again suing the U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of tobacco farm workers. On Thursday the committee and lawyers from the legal non-profit Public Citizen will file a claim in federal court to compel the release of records they say will show violations of federal labor laws on farms that sold tobacco to RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, Universal Leaf Corporation, Altria or Alliance One International.

DREW C. WILSON: Settlement sought in EEOC complaint: Commissioner accused of using racial slurs (Wilson Times reports) -- Negotiations are underway between attorneys representing the town of Lucama and those who have filed formal complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging racial discrimination.​​​​​​​ Lucama town attorney Gabriel Du Sablon confirmed he and Durham attorney Valerie Bateman were working to resolve the case of five individuals who allege Commissioner David Johnson used racist language when describing African American town employees.

Trump headed to N.C. later this month (WRAL-TV reports) -- President expected in Greensboro for a major campaign fundraiser.

N.C. students vying to win national aviation art competition (WRAL-TV reports) -- A collection of aviation-inspired creative artwork made by N.C. students is in Washington, D.C. for a national competition.

Lame duck Superintendent Mark Johnson challenges State Board contract with SREB​​​​​​​ (EdNC reports) -- Superintendent Mark Johnson, who lost his bid for lieutenant governor Tuesday night, challenged the State Board of Education today about a contract signed with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to study recommendations on changes to the state’s school performance grade system. Johnson began by saying that the SREB received a “substantial” amount of money from the Board for its work. When DPI staff began looking at the contract, Johnson said they discovered no evidence that it had been open to a competitive bidding process or that the State Board had actually voted on it.

BEV PERDUE: The more teachers learn, the better they teach. Their pay should be higher, too. (EdNC column) -- No one is more important to improve student learning than an effective teacher. And effective teachers need an innovative system of professional learning — one that includes micro-credentials. Micro-credentials are a competency-based form of certification for formal and informal professional learning experiences that support educators in developing skills and acquiring knowledge to improve their practice, all of which supports student success, according to the National Education Association. Micro-credentials can fundamentally change professional learning for teachers and educators to ensure opportunities are personalized, competency-based, relevant to the school and district standards, and will lead to increased achievement for all learners. And that’s what really matters — the students.

Former EMT who stole drugs off ambulances charged with breaking into EMS station (WRAL-TV reports) -- A former Wake County emergency medical technician who was the focus of a WRAL News investigation into painkillers being stolen from ambulances now faces charges of breaking into another ambulance.

How NCSU and ECU will study ‘forever chemicals’ in new federally funded center (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- NCSU has launched the Center for Environmental and Human Health Effects of Per- and Polyfluoralykl Substances (PFAS). The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program has awarded the university a five-year, $7.4 million grant.

Mother and baby whale skeletons on display at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head near where they died together (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports) -- The skeletons honor the species and educate the public. Preparing the bones for display takes years of decomposing and cleaning.

ROBERT WALTON: Duke settles with Chargepoint, expanding options for $76M N.C. EV pilot (Utility Dive reports) -- Duke Energy has made modifications to its proposed electric vehicle (EV) pilot and filed a settlement with the N.C. Utilities Commission (NCUC) that resolves competitive issues raised by ChargePoint in earlier filings. The state wants to see 80,000 zero-emission vehicles on its roads by 2025, and Duke says its program is essential to reaching that goal. The utility has also offered to scale back its $76 million EV offerings, to accommodate objections from NCUC Public Staff, which acts as a consumer advocate in the state.

StarNews’ Pam Sander to lead Gannett’s Southeast region​​​​​​​ (Wilmington Star-News reports) -- StarNews executive editor Pam Sander was named one of Gannett’s 12 regional editors on Wednesday, and she will now oversee newsrooms across five Southeast states. Sander formerly served as the Southeast editor for GateHouse and was named the company’s top editor in its circulation division in 2019. Gannett announced its new regional editors, a mix of leaders from the merged companies GateHouse and Gannett, as “deeply experienced, passionate about our mission and reflective of the diverse backgrounds of our journalists and the communities we serve.” Sander will now oversee all 21 Gannett daily newsrooms in West Virginia, Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia. The properties see a combined 15 million page views on their websites monthly.

Local runner experiences U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (WRALSportsfanWRAL-TV reports) -- Tom Nobles, a recent UNC-Charlotte grad, qualified for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta.

Raleigh teen begins conquering business world (WRAL-TV reports) -- Arica Scott created So Glossy Lip Gloss and now has written a book about entrepreneurship called Bag Talk.