Opinion Roundup: Embracing wind energy, NC helmet law, impact of tariffs and more

Tuesday, April 9, 2019 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Early voting begins Wednesday in Congressional primary election, White House aide named 2020 Republican convention CEO, tariffs impact High Point furniture market, Duke Energy to invest $76 million to help spur electric vehicle sales in N.C. and more.

Corrupting influence (Greensboro News & Record) -- It was dispiriting to learn that state Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes, along with insurance and investment firm founder Greg Lindberg and others, has been charged by the FBI with bribery and conspiracy. We expect more from those we place in positions of leadership and it’s disappointing, to say the least, when we find their feet are made of clay. It’s a failure that resounds more fully for the state Republican Party in the wake of the recent ballot-harvesting charges against GOP operatives that have led to a tainted outcome and a new election in the state’s 9th Congressional District. And it’s one more incident on the national stage that will make people raise their eyebrows when they think about North Carolina.

JIM MORRILL: NC’s bribery charges are coming up in a governor’s race ad. You may see more (Charlotte Observer reports) -- Last week's indictments of North Carolina's Republican chairman and a top party donor on Monday already have become the focus of a new ad targeting the GOP's leading candidate for governor. American Bridge, a group allied with Democrats, launched a statewide campaign with a 47-second digital ad targeting GOP Lt. Gov. Dan Forest. The ad is the first to highlight the scandal that has seen the indictments of state GOP Chair Robin Hayes, donor Greg Lindberg and two associates. And it may not be the last.

PAUL WOOLVERTON: Candidate: GOP must avoid November to avoid Democrats in 9th District (Fayetteville Observer reports) -- Eight of the 10 Republican candidates who want to fill NC’s empty 9th District Congressional seat appeared in Fayetteville on Monday trying to sell themselves to Republican voters in this year’s special election.

Republican hopefuls to succeed Jones attending forum (AP reports) -- More than a dozen Republicans seeking to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Walter Jones Jr. are making their case today to party activists in northeastern North Carolina at a special meeting.

Early voting begins Wednesday in Congressional primary election (Jacksonville Daily News reports) -- Early voting begins Wednesday for the primary in the special election to fill the vacant North Carolina 3rd District Congressional seat and one location will be set up for those voting in Onslow County. “It’s a small election with one contest so we’ll have one-stop early voting in one place.”

KELLY HINCHCLIFFE: Durham, Orange join list of schools closing for May 1 rally; NC superintendent says teachers need to stay in class (WRAL-TV reports) -- Durham and Orange County schools became the third and fourth district in the state to announce it is closing to students for the planned teacher rally in downtown Raleigh on May 1. Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Lexington city schools previously announced they will also be closed.

House Republicans pitching Medicaid expansion in NC again (AP reports) -- Some House Republicans are expected to pitch again their idea to expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of uninsured people through the 2010 federal health care law. They scheduled a Legislative Building news conference to unveil a measure.

Let them build wind turbines (Winston-Salem Journal) -- A bill making its way through the state legislature would place a permanent ban on the “construction, operation or expansion” of all wind energy facilities — turbines — in all or parts of 39 eastern North Carolina counties. This is an unnecessary and counter-productive proposal that would be bad for the state’s environment and destructive to the state’s struggling eastern rural areas.

Region joins rush to embrace wind energy (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot) – With a unanimous vote in support of developing offshore wind near Virginia’s coast, the city of Chesapeake took another step toward a better future.

COLIN CAMPBELL: Regional School (the Insider reports) -- A bill addressing a pending lawsuit over the Northeast Regional School of Biotechnology and Agriscience prompted a lengthy debate and a party-line vote in the Senate. Senate Bill 301 would postpone the deadline for a study about regional schools -- specialty schools that serve multiple counties -- and require counties participating in such schools to maintain the same level of transportation to participating students offered during the current school year. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Harry Brown, R-Onslow, said the bill is needed because Beaufort County is trying to withdraw its participation in the five-county Northeast Regional School -- a move Brown says would force the successful school to close.

STATE SEN. PAUL LOWE: House Bill 519 is not the will of the people (Winston-Salem Journal column) -- The people did not ask for this. The Constitution of the state of North Carolina is clear: political power belongs to the people of North Carolina. Article I: Section I of our great constitution states, “All political power is vested in and derived from the people; all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only.” I take these words seriously. This is why I am leading the North Carolina Black Legislative Caucus to stand against House Bill 519.

STEVE KARNOWSKI & GEOFF MULVIHILL: Casino-operating tribes influence sports betting debate (AP reports) -- Native American tribes have emerged as key players in the legislative debates over whether states should legalize sports betting, with some opposing the idea because it could threaten their casinos and others supporting legalization but only if they retain a monopoly.

COLIN CAMPBELL: Prison Committee (The Insider reports) -- North Carolina needs to improve pay for veteran correction officers and other prison staff in order to reduce its vacancy rate, an expert told the Senate Select Committee on Prison Safety. The committee, which is meeting weekly to review problems in the state's prison system, heard from Gary Mohr, the former head of Ohio's prison system. Mohr has been working as an advisor to the N.C. Department of Public Safety.

LAURA LESLIE: Motorcyclist lawmaker makes fifth run at repealing NC helmet law (WRAL-TV reports) -- North Carolina is one of 20 states that require helmets for all motorcycle riders and passengers, but Rep. John Torbett is trying once again to change that.

GERALD OWENS: Decades after hanging attempt by Wake deputies, Triangle man gets apology (WRAL-TV reports) -- Two months ago, Lynn Council spoke about an incident in 1952 in which he says he was hanged from a tree by two Wake County deputies who wanted him to confess to a robbery he didn't commit.

KATE MARTIN: Former NC jail guard now faces felony assault charge in scrap with inmate (Carolina Public Press reports) -- Grand jury indicted former Cherokee jail guard on two misdemeanor counts in December. Another grand jury has replaced those charges

Greenlight to cheer 10,000-customer mark (Wilson Times reports) -- After a decade of service, Greenlight Community Broadband has 10,000 customers and officials are having a celebration to thank the community.

TAFT WIREBACK: Former local, state leader Doug Galyon, for whom Greensboro's depot is named, has died (Greensboro News & Record reports) -- Former local elected official and state Board of Transportation leader J. Douglas “Doug” Galyon died Sunday after a lengthy career in business, industry, community and public service. Galyon, 88, put his most indelible stamp on the Greensboro area and North Carolina as an influential member of the state Board of Transportation from 1992 through 2008.

Recent White House aide named 2020 Republican convention CEO (AP reports) -- A recent top Trump administration manager has been named the chief executive of the 2020 Republican National Convention.

More driver license examiners to go to work in NC (AP reports) -- NC's Division of Motor Vehicles is adding 14 new driver license examiner graduates to its ranks as it tries to improve customer service. DMV officials said in a news release that the graduates will join 11 offices starting Monday after graduating Friday.

CULLEN BROWDER: Federal documents highlight alleged money laundering of north Raleigh resident (WRAL reports) — Newly obtained federal court documents are shedding new light on an international money laundering and murder for hire case involving Russian nationals living in Raleigh.

TEO ARMUS: Charlotte provides most of its services in English. The city wants to change that (Charlotte Observer reports) -- For Astrid Chirinos, the sign by the entrance to Charlotte’s government center offers much more than a warning about guns. In English, it reads “NOTICE,” alerting visitors that weapons are banned inside the building. But rather than offering the correct translation in Spanish — aviso — the sign displays the word for news: noticia.

DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN: Durham Mayor Steve Schewel will run for 2nd term (Durham-Herald Sun reports) -- Durham Mayor Steve Schewel will seek a second term. His priorities as mayor have been for Durham to be a welcoming, inclusive “progressive beacon for the South,” as well as promoting affordable housing. Schewel wants voters to pass a $95 million affordable housing bond referendum the City Council is planning to put on the November ballot, too.

ELY PORTILLO: Charlotte’s mayor dissolved the environment committee. Activists want it back (Charlotte Observer reports) -- Charlotte has touted its new environmental plan in recent months, designed to fight climate change and establish the city as a leader in a building wave of green-friendly urban policies.

Charlotte environmental leaders: Why is the mayor eliminating a key environment committee? ( Charlotte Observer column) -- The City of Charlotte has recently made positive progress on clean air, clean water, and sustainability for city operations. In its “sustainable and resilient city” resolution passed last summer, the Charlotte City Council committed the city to sourcing all its energy from carbon-free sources by 2030.

PAUL GARBER: Tariffs Impact High Point Furniture Market (WUNC reports) -- Tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration have added to the costs of many goods imported from China, and that's having an impact on attendance at the High Point Furniture Market.

Former FBI chief to talk Trump, threats at Duke University (AP reports) -- The fired FBI acting director promoting a new book highly critical of President Donald Trump will discuss the threats facing the United States during an appearance in NC.

GREG TOPPO: Partial, and Uneven, Recovery From Recession, N.C. among worst (Inside Higher Ed reports) -- An early look at state and local higher education funding finds that recovery since the recession has been uneven, with just nine states in 2018 back to pre-recession funding levels -- meanwhile, another nine have seen no recovery at all. North Carolina ranks 15th worst. The nine states that have recovered in per-student funding over that decade: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

SHANNON CUTHRELL: UNC showcase features 50 ventures from life science, health, consumer tech & education (WRAL-TV/TechWire reports) -- This week, 50 startups and research projects are set to showcase their products at Innovate Carolina’s 10th annual Innovation Showcase in Chapel Hill.

MATTHEW BURNS: Two charged with vandalizing UNC-Chapel Hill monuments, stealing flag (WRAL-TV reports) -- Two people were charged with racial vandalism found at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill last week. Ryan Francis Barnett, 31, of 2945 Lower River Road in Sanford, and Nancy Rushton McCorkle, 50, of Newberry, S.C., were charged with damage to real property and ethnic intimidation. Barnett also was charged with public urination and a second count of damage to real property in connection with the theft of a UNC system flag.

2 arrested for vandalizing U. of NC memorial (AP reports) -- Police at NC's flagship public university say they've arrested two people accused of vandalizing a monument to enslaved and free black workers who built the school.

Convicted Adidas executive ordered to pay about $100,000 to NC State in Dennis Smith case (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Federal court documents show former Adidas executive James Gatto agreed Monday, April 8, 2019, to pay NC State restitution of $80,000 in legal fees and $23,900 in tuition costs for his involvement in the Dennis Smith corruption case.

DEBRA MORGAN: Former players: UNC's Hatchell 'like my second mom' (WRAL-TV reports) -- With the women's basketball coaching staff at UNC-Chapel Hill sidelined by a review of the program, two former players spoke about their experiences there. Head coach and Hall of Famer Sylvia Hatchell and her staff are on paid administrative leave as a Charlotte law firm looks into questions of culture, the university said. Some alleged Hatchell made racially insensitive comments. The Washington Post reported on a meeting between parents and administrators in which concerns were raised about three players who reported that they felt pressured by Hatchell to play despite injuries. Ivory Latta and Erlana Larkins, All-American stars at UNC who went on to play in the WNBA, said they were drawn to Carolina because of its storied basketball history and because of Hatchell.

T. KEUNG HUI: NC charter school that would pay millions to an Arizona businessman gets state backing (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- A new 2,000-student charter school in Wake County that could pay $5 million a year to companies owned by an Arizona charter school operator got the green light Monday from a state advisory board. The N.C. Charter Schools Advisory Board recommended that state approval be given to Wake Preparatory Academy, a K-12 charter school that wants to open in Wake Forest in 2020. It would be the first charter school in North Carolina for Glenn Way, an Arizona businessman who has made millions of dollars building, selling and leasing properties to the charter schools he runs.

KEMP BURDETTE: Swine, poultry industries not trying to improve waste handling (Wilmington Star-News column) -- Tommy Stevens, a paid consultant for the N.C. Pork Council, made some contentions in a recent op-ed piece about contaminants in Hurricane Florence floodwaters that do not hold up to scrutiny. His point seems to be that contamination from flooded cesspools of untreated swine feces and urine was a less significant source of water pollution after the hurricane than human waste from overwhelmed waste treatment plants. What he doesn’t say is that the state’s public water utilities have recognized they have a problem and need to fix it. And they are.

GREG BARNES: Duke Energy plans to invest $76 million to help spur electric vehicle sales in N.C. (N.C. Health News reports) -- Duke announced it has filed a request with the N.C. Utilities Commission that would give people $1,000 rebates for electric vehicle chargers and expand the number of public charging stations across the state.

CATHERINE KOZAK: Groups Set to Challenge Mid-Currituck Bridge (Coastal Review reports) -- Opponents of the proposed Mid-Currituck Bridge have asked the N.C. Department of Transportation for additional environmental review and promise to take legal action if refused.

ANTIONETTE KERR: Collisions With Bears Rise on North Carolina Highways (Public News Service reports) -- As the breeding season begins for N.C.'s black bears, so does the risk of collisions with the animals on highways in the eastern part of the state. The Albemarle/Pamlico Peninsula has one of the highest densities of black bears in the world, according to the state Wildlife Resources Commission. And collisions with black bears there are steadily increasing — from two in 1972 to more than 200 in recent years. The latest collision happened this week in Washington County. Wildlife officer Lt. Mark Cagle said drivers should remain alert when traveling through bear country.

Greensboro will host World Irish Dancing Championships (AP reports) -- A NC city is finishing preparations to host a worldwide competition for Irish dancing starting this weekend. The 2019 World Irish Dancing Championships take place from April 14 through 21 at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.