Opinion Roundup: Demystifying coronavirus; Bolton doesn't sway Tillis; democrats hiring; national honors for NC authors; and more.

Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Researching treatment for coronavirus; defending dreadlocks; farmworker settlement; allegations of wrongdoing at ECU; national honors for N.C. children's authors; and more.

PAM FESSLER: Election Officials To Convene Amid Historic Focus On Voting And Interference (NPR reports) -- Top election officials from all 50 states are meeting in Washington this week to prepare for 2020 — a gathering amid widespread concern over whether the upcoming elections will be fair and accurate, as well as free of the kind of foreign interference that marred the 2016 campaign. Despite major government efforts to upgrade security, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found that about 41% of Americans surveyed do not think the country is prepared to protect the U.S. election system from another attack.

A Primary From the Right? Not in Trump’s G.O.P. (New York Times reports) -- With Republicans now unified, it is difficult to find a district where a challenger can credibly claim that the incumbent has been insufficiently supportive of the president.

Democratic Party hiring (The Insider reports) -- The N.C. Democratic Party is announcing familiar faces will help lead the party into the 2020 election cycle. The new staffers include two legislative assistants and a member of Dan McCready's campaign staff for the 9th Congressional District special election. Ian Shannon, legislative assistant for Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake, will serve as the party's finance director. Shawntay Anthony will serve as minority affairs and organizing director. Lorenzo Pedro joins the party working as political director. Also joining the team is Brigid Godfrey of California, who most recently worked with Virginia's House Democratic Caucus and helped flip the House of Delegates for the first time in two decades. Carson Pfingston and Seth Morris were hired as voter registration director and voter protection director, respectively.

GEORGE LIVINGSTON: Campaign notes: Candidate's U.S. Senate run focuses on health care (The Daily Reflector reports) -- A retired doctor said improving the affordability of health care cannot be accomplished with short-term fixes or by villanizing different segments of the industry.

Butterfield backs bill to ban hair discrimination (The Wilson Times reports) -- The CROWN Act, H.R. 5309, would ban discrimination based on hairstyles and hair texture in education, employment, housing programs and public accommodations. Advocates say a patchwork of rules and varying legal acceptance requires direction from Congress. In 2016, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that refusing to hire a candidate who had dreadlocks did not constitute unlawful discrimination.

Education Matters: 2020 State Superintendent Candidate Interviews (WRAL-TV reports) -- This year, N.C. will elect a new State Superintendent of Public Instruction, as the current State Superintendent, Mark Johnson, has announced he will run for Lt. Governor. Continuing our series of interviewing those who have decided to run for state superintendent, we talk with Rep. Craig Horn, a Republican from Union County who has chaired the Education Comm. in the N.C. General Assembly and recently announced his candidacy. We'll also talk with Constance Lav Johnson, a former educator and consultant who is running as a Democrat for the office of State Superintendent.

Tillis says Bolton leak won’t sway him on impeachment witnesses (McClatchy D.C. reports) -- U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis said a new account from former Trump administration official John Bolton "hasn't affected my decision" on whether he will vote to call witnesses in the Senate's impeachment trial. Tillis has also said he plans to vote to acquit President Donald Trump, something he made clear even before the Democrat-controlled House impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

John Bolton is the inconvenient man in Trump’s impeachment trial (Fayetteville Observer) -- As so often happens, the best indicator the Bolton news had changed the barometer in the room came from the president himself, who tweets his thoughts and feelings in real time.

GILBERT BAEZ: Fayetteville transforming crime-ridden housing complexes into sought-after homes (WRAL-TV reports) -- A $100 million investment into affordable housing more than 10 years ago has reduced crime and violence in several Fayetteville neighborhoods.

Lobbyist Banned (The Insider reports) -- Raleigh attorney and lobbyist Mark Bibbs will be disbarred after pleading guilty to charges of unregistered lobbying. Bibbs was indicted in 2018 on felony charges that he lobbied legislators on behalf of a bail bonds company without properly registering, and then lied under oath about his actions to the Secretary of State's lobbying compliance investigators. He had lobbied legislators in 2016 to oppose Senate Bill 508, which made changes to bail bonds regulations and expanded the insurance commissioner's power to discipline bail bondsmen.

Department of Commerce looks at pipeline that leads to over-incarceration of disabled individuals (N.C. Policy Watch reports) -- Individuals with disabilities are over-represented in the prison system, and the disparities are rooted in a school-to-prison pipeline that punishes disadvantaged youth — it’s a trend reported nationally by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics that is mirrored in N.C., according to a new analysis by the state Department of Commerce’s Labor and Economic Analysis team. The team used data from N.C.’s Common Follow-Up System — a longitudinal repository of workforce and education data — to illustrate the extent of the “school-to-prison pipeline” for young people with disabilities in the state.

DREW C. WILSON: Farmworkers receive $600K wage settlement: Scott Farms agrees to pay wages, fees and costs (The Wilson Times reports) -- Farmworkers in Wilson County will be paid $600,000 in back wages after settling a federal lawsuit against Scott Farms. Attorneys for the North Carolina Justice Center and private attorney Robert Willis represented nine workers who were allegedly paid wages lower than temporary foreign workers in the H-2A visa program. The workers were employed by Scott Farms Inc. between 2014 and 2017 doing various jobs dealing with sweet potatoes and tobacco crops.

An outspoken conservative, Phil Van Hoy mentored a generation of Republicans (Charlotte Observer reports) -- Phil Van Hoy, a prominent attorney, outspoken conservative and confidant to a generation of Republican politicians, died Saturday at his Charlotte home. He was 72. U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis called Van Hoy "a good friend who played a key role in advancing sound conservative principles in North Carolina." U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop called him "a friend and a mentor in politics." Decades ago Van Hoy held positions in the Mecklenburg Republican Party, chairing the Young Republicans and later serving as vice-chair of the county GOP. In 1980 he was an alternate delegate to the convention that nominated Ronald Reagan.

JANET ALSAS: New Durham exhibit promotes conversation on reproductive rights and female empowerment (The Daily Tarheel reports) -- 21c Museum Hotel Durham is opening a new exhibition titled “The Future is Female,” centered around women-related issues and topics. The exhibit, curated by 21c Chief Curator Alice Gray Stites, features work from three female artists each touching on different topics related to women empowerment or awareness. Audiences can expect to see how society interacts with women in regards to reproduction, education and civil liberties.

BOBBY BURNS: Resolution, letter allege wrongdoing at ECU (The Daily Reflector reports) -- The student government board for the UNC System passed a resolution on Saturday calling for an investigation into allegations that two ECU trustees tried to influence an ECU Student Government Association election. The resolution from the General Assembly of the UNC Association of Student Governments says that David Powers, chairman of UNC Board of Governors Committee on University Governance, received a letter regarding allegations against Phil Lewis and Robbie Moore on Jan. 18. The letter was from the leadership of the East Carolina University Board of Trustees, the resolution says.

NC officials criticize school leader’s emergency contract. But Istation gets limited OK. (Greensboro News & Record reports) -- State technology officials are criticizing how state Superintendent Mark Johnson handled a new testing contract, but they will allow elementary schools to continue to use the new program for the next two months. State Chief Information Officer Eric Boyette canceled the $928,570 emergency contract that Johnson had signed Jan. 7 for elementary schools to use the Istation program through March 31. Boyette says Johnson had ample time to get the state Department of Information Technology's permission before signing the contract but did not do so.

Cooper Announces Grant to Support College and Career Readiness (News Release) -- Gov. Roy Cooper announced an $825,000 grant to help high school students prepare for college and careers through Communities In Schools of N.C. Jobs for N.C.'s Graduates program. Cooper made the announcement at Henderson County Innovative High School. As part of Cooper's NC Job Ready workforce development initiative, the grant allows the JNCG program to work with high school juniors and seniors at seven schools, including the Henderson County Innovative High School, that have piloted the program since 2017.

DESTRY ADAMS: Community College Collaboration helps low-income students (The Technician reports) -- NC State officially launched the Community College Collaboration (C3) program, designed to help students enrolled in community colleges join NC State, in fall of 2018. The program recently received a $1,064,000 commitment over three years from the GlaxoSmithKline foundation. NC State decided to partner with the foundation because of its interest in helping people from low-income backgrounds receive degrees in STEM fields. Holly Cowfer, assistant director of C3, said over half the money will go toward STEM scholarships, adding that each scholarship is valued around $5,000 which is renewable each semester. C3 Director Martha Harmening says the program is designed "to increase access to an NC State degree for students from low-to-moderate income backgrounds and rural communities in the state."

Told he can't walk at graduation because of dreadlock length, teen defends heritage (WRAL-TV reports) -- Barbers Hill High School student Deandre Arnold was sent to in-school suspension and told he couldn't walk during graduation until his dreadlocks are cut short to meet the district's revised policy, which changed after Christmas break. Arnold said his refusal to cut his hair is due to his Trinidadian background.

Samsung awards Wilson middle school $15,000 for their lifesaving device (WRAL-TV reports) -- A group of students at Sallie B. Howard School in Wilson is proud their school is one of 100 in the country to be awarded by Samsung for their lifesaving device. To participate in Samsung's "Solve for Tomorrow" challenge, the students created a prototype of a medical device that, when miniaturized, could measure low oxygen levels through patients' skin. Their invention won them $15,000 in new classroom technology, including Samsung Galaxy tablets. The all-girls STEM team sought feedback from professional emergency responders to create their lifesaving tool.

9 NC educators selected as regional Teachers of the Year (WRAL-TV reports) -- Nine teachers from across N.C. have been selected as this year's regional Teachers of the Year. They will compete for the title of 2020 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year.

With building trades in demand, Wake Tech apprenticeships put students on road to job security (WRAL-TV reports) -- More students now choose to bypass a traditional four-year college degree. They've discovered a growing demand for skilled-trades workers, which can mean a good-paying job in less time.

JESSICA BAILEY: Equipping students with skills in applied engineering (The Wilson Times reports) -- Did you know Wilson Community College has an applied engineering program that provides quality, hands-on training for those interested in a career in that field? Wilson Community College is meeting the skills gap by aligning training with industry needs. The college’s applied engineering program is a two-year program that allows students to learn about robotics, automation, PLC programming, hydraulics and more — in other words, 21st-century manufacturing skills.

JENNIFER MAXWELL: Swim for Charlie: How friends are honoring the legacy of UNC physician and NC activist (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Jonathan Klein remembers listening to the voicemail in his hotel room and the grief that engulfed him. His close friend Dr. Charles van der Horst had died after disappearing during New York’s 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim. The 67-year-old long-distance swimmer was in the second-to-last stage of the 120-mile marathon swim when he went under the surface June 14, 2019. Klein, a competitive swimmer and Hillsborough family practitioner, swam alongside van der Horst for 30 years. Now he has helped establish the Dr. Charles van der Horst Water Safety Initiative to protect children around water. The nonprofit initiative, also known as Swim for Charlie, has partnered with Orange County Schools and the Orange County Sportsplex to provide free water safety and swimming instruction. The first cycle will provide lessons to 230 second graders throughout February and March.

UNC researchers have studied coronavirus for years, now working on possible treatment (WRAL-TV reports) -- A new strain of coronavirus is spreading faster than anticipated, with at least 80 deaths and thousands of people sickened since the outbreak began in Wuhan, China. The answer to fighting it could be in the Triangle. Researchers at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill have been working for years on the same family of viruses.

Fact-checking coronavirus conspiracies and hoaxes (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV reports) -- Falsehoods about a new strain of the coronavirus spreading from China vary widely, from Facebook posts that take a patent out of context to conspiracy theories about Bill Gates. Many of the claims were shared by Facebook and Twitter users, and others were propagated on the fringe internet and notorious conspiracy websites. One falsehood was even shared by a 2020 U.S. Senate candidate.

CDC is monitoring for Wuhan coronavirus at 20 US airports (CNN reports) -- The CDC is monitoring for symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus at 20 US airports. The CDC had previously announced enhanced screening of passengers from Wuhan, China, at five airports: JFK Airport in New York, San Francisco International Airport, LAX, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The move to monitor more airports comes as the coronavirus continues to spread and the State Department prepares to evacuate US government personnel and private American citizens from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

Students at Duke campus in China being sent home as coronavirus spreads (WRAL-TV reports) -- While many people in China are on lockdown, as health officials try to contain a rapidly spreading coronavirus strain, students at Duke Kunshan University are being encouraged to return to their home countries.

Chinese New Year Festival in Raleigh canceled over coronavirus, flu concerns (WRAL-TV reports) -- The Triangle Area Chinese American Society has canceled its Chinese New Year Festival this year over health concerns.

Independent monitor for hospital merger going public in big way (Carolina Public Press/NC Health News reports) -- Gibbings Advisors will hold a series of public meetings starting this week to provide information on its role in monitoring HCA Healthcare's compliance with promises it made when it bought Mission Health.

Repairs begin to eliminate McDougald Terrace's carbon monoxide problems (WRAL-TV reports) -- Work is underway to address carbon monoxide issues at McDougald Terrace, and it's not going to happen quickly.

American Southeast Struggles With Climate Change (WFAE-FM reports) -- With the federal government's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, state and local governments in N.C. have set their own ambitious goals for addressing climate change. Now, they're puzzling over how to carry out the big changes needed to reach those goals - such as switching to electric vehicles and shifting to more renewable energy. At least for now, it's still mostly data-gathering and discussion.

SARAH LINDENFELD HALL: Triangle children's authors win big national honors (WRAL-TV reports) -- Authors Kelly Starling Lyons' book "Going Down Home with Daddy," is a Caldecott Honor Book. And Kwame Mbalia's "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" is a King Honor Book.

Bob Shane, Last of the Original Kingston Trio, Dies at 85 (New York Times reports) -- The group spearheaded a commercially successful folk revival in the late 1950s and early ’60s, with Mr. Shane singing lead most of the time. Its first album on Capitol Records included a jaunty version of a ballad based on the 1866 murder of a North Carolina woman and the hanging of a poor former Confederate soldier for the crime. The song, “Tom Dooley,” rose to No. 1 on the singles charts, selling three million copies and earning the trio a Grammy for best country and western performance. (There was no Grammy category for folk at the time.)

Wake Forest man treasures memento from chance meeting with Kobe Bryant (WRAL-TV reports) -- When Stephen Tyson met his idol by chance at a restaurant in Texas in 2002 at age 19, Bryant had no idea Tyson was dealing with cystic fibrosis and was desperately in need of a double lung transplant.

Kobe Bryant's impact not lost on Wake Forest players, coaches (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- The reach of Kobe Bryant’s impact on the basketball community means he touched several lives at Wake Forest. For junior center Olivier Sarr, Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers jersey was the first he ever owned. For freshman forward Ismael Massoud, Bryant was an immortal figure he met when he was 10.

Title-loan settlement means $825K for N Carolina consumers (AP reports) -- A Florida-based lender will pay $825,000 while resolving a legal complaint that had accused the firm of making illegal small loans in N.C.

Fayetteville's J. Cole wins Grammy Award for Best Rap Song (Fayetteville Observer reports) -- Fayetteville's J. Cole and 21 Savage won the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Rap Song at the 62nd Grammy Awards.