Opinion Roundup: Government shutdown, FEMA relief, student homelessness and more

Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Homeless students struggle to find housing during the holidays, wildlife officials warn of deer disease, Winston-Salem confederate soldiers monument vandalized, FEMA dollars trickle in as NC hurricane relief continues, the value of renewable energy and more.

Government shutdown rattles the nation (Fayetteville Observer) -- It’s not the best Christmas present imaginable. It’s more like a big lump of coal — and not the “clean” variety. The shutdown of the federal government isn’t having much direct impact on Fayetteville and the region around us, but the ripple effect may turn out to be devastating. This standoff between a truculent president and an increasingly frustrated Congress is spilling only small ripples on most people’s lives across the country.

ANTIONETTE KERR: FEMA Dollars Trickle In as NC Hurricane Relief Continues (Public News Service reports) -- At year's end, relief efforts after Hurricane Florence are still underway by churches and civic groups, in a county full of memories of Hurricane Matthew two years ago. Robeson County was granted more than $11 million from FEMA to demolish, reconstruct and elevate homes damaged by Matthew. Some were still waiting for those funds to trickle in when Florence hit this September. Jennifer Strickland is among them. The mother of three said FEMA promised to repair the missing portion of her roof more than a month ago - but things are worse for others.

FRAN DANIEL: Downtown Winston-Salem Confederate Soldiers Monument vandalized (Greensboro News & Record reports) — The Confederate Soldiers Monument at the corner of Fourth and Liberty streets has been vandalized in downtown Winston-Salem. The words “Cowards & Traitors” were written in what looks like a black marker underneath the inscription on the statue marking the October 1905 date that it was erected. It's unclear when the vandalism took place.

STEVE EDER: Did Queens podiatrist help Trump avoid Vietnam? (New York Times reports) -- In the fall of 1968, Donald J. Trump received a timely diagnosis of bone spurs in his heels that led to his medical exemption from the military during Vietnam. For 50 years, the details of how the exemption came about, and who made the diagnosis, have remained a mystery, with Mr. Trump himself saying during the presidential campaign that he could not recall who had signed off on the medical documentation. Now a possible explanation has emerged about the documentation. It involves a foot doctor in Queens who rented his office from Mr. Trump’s father, Fred C. Trump, and a suggestion that the diagnosis was granted as a courtesy to the elder Mr. Trump.

MELISSA KORN: Welcome to College. Now Take a Year Off (Wall Street Journal reports) -- Colleges are offering financial aid to entice admitted students to stay away for a year. Gap years, long popular in Europe, have gained ground in the U.S. not just for wealthy teens who can afford a lengthy vacation, but also for students of modest means who want to pause before jumping into academic endeavors. Incoming freshmen at UNC-Chapel Hill, Florida State University and Princeton University can get financial support to defer their enrollment for a year and travel, volunteer, or pursue other passions. This fall, Duke University announced it will begin giving $5,000 to $15,000 to a few dozen admitted students with particularly compelling plans.

ANN DOSS HELMS: Cambridge in Charlotte: British education comes to suburbs (Charlotte Observer reports) -- In 1864, the University of Cambridge began offering exams to students outside of Great Britain who hoped to attend the prestigious school.

OLIVIER METZLER: With dorms closed, homeless students struggle to find housing during the holidays (Durham-Herald Sun reports) — Qulea Anderson, a junior in N.C. State’s English Department majoring in creative writing, sits on one of the couches in front of one of the 15-foot windows of the student lounge inside Caldwell Hall at N.C. State. Although she looks much like any other student at the Raleigh university, Anderson’s situation is one that many on campus do not even know exists. She is homeless.

YEN DUONG: Got someone in your family who’s a caregiver? Give them a real gift this holiday (NC Health News reports) — During the holidays, family and friends may wonder how they can support people who are caring for those loved ones. Around 43.5 million Americans act as unpaid caregivers, according to the National Center on Caregiving, or about one in six adults, as NC Health News has previously reported.

Deal with state's dangerous coal ash (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot) – At last, the time seems right for reaching an agreement on the best way to handle the dangers that millions of tons of toxic coal ash pose to the health of Virginians.

Sen. Tillis point out value of renewable energy to N.C. (Greensboro News & Record) -- Earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina released a statement to remind us that the Trump administration’s tariffs are hurting a significant part of the state’s economy: the solar energy market that has been providing jobs and essential income for North Carolinians.

NC wildlife officials warn of deer disease (AP reports) — NC wildlife officials are warning of a deadly disease encroaching on the state's deer population. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission enacted a rule for the 2018-19 deer hunting season prohibiting import of whole deer carcasses and restricting importation of specific carcass parts to prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease.

VALERIE BAUERLEIN: Junior League Strains to Keep Members, Thrift Stores (Wall Street Journal reports) -- The Bargain Box in Raleigh is shutting down after 67 years, the latest of dozens of Junior League thrift stores across the country to succumb to pressure from used clothing websites, declining membership and shifts in how people spend their time. The Junior League, which began in 1901 as a volunteer outlet for young society women, was long an invitation-only organization, especially popular in the South. Now, it is implementing a yearslong strategic plan to stabilize membership, which has dropped to 140,000, down 30% since 2000. “When we all started these stores, most of our members were not working,” said Samantha Hatem, president of the Raleigh Junior League. Now, nearly all of the chapter’s 1,600 members work outside the home and want to volunteer at night or on weekends. “The model doesn’t work anymore,” she said.

SCOTT MASON: Fruit, nuts, family are ingredients in Southern Supreme Fruitcake Company (WRAL-TV reports) -- Southern Supreme Fruitcake Company bakes holiday tradition in Chatham County.