Opinion Roundup: No county's immune; open or close?; DOT furloughs; budgets and bond issues; and more

Tuesday, May 19, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: whether to open or close; no county's immune; unemployment benefit delays; big cuts coming? bond issue, maybe? furloughs at DOT; and more.

Lincoln County leader reopens restaurant in pandemic, defying NC governor’s executive order (Charlotte Observer reports) -- Carrol Dean Mitchem, the Republican chairman of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners has become the latest restaurant owner to defy Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order that closed dine-in services during the coronavirus pandemic. And in an unusual move, the Lincoln County sheriff released a statement saying he issued a citation reluctantly.  Mitchem was charged Monday with violating N.C. Executive Order 138, which bans on-site food consumption during the pandemic.

Reopen resolution fails; Vidant reports uptick in hospitalizations (Greenville Daily Reflector reports) -- The Pitt County Board of Commissioners again voted down a resolution seeking local authority over reopening local businesses after Vidant Health's leader warned about an increase in hospitalizations.

Coronavirus has spread to all 100 counties in NC as Avery County reports first case (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Coronavirus has spread to all 100 counties in North Carolina. Monday, mountainous and sparsely populated Avery County in Western North Carolina reported its first positive test results for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. It was reported on the Avery County Health Department’s Facebook page.

Cooper hopeful NC can move into second recovery stage this weekend (WRAL-TV reports) -- Gov. Roy Cooper and other state leaders share an update on the state's response to the coronavirus outbreak, cases, deaths and recoveries.

What places put you at highest risk for coronavirus exposure? Experts weigh in. (WRAL-TV reports) -- As North Carolina gears up to loosen restrictions further, experts weighed in on what activities could put someone at high risk to spread COVID-19. From family gatherings to going to restaurants, they rank the riskiest to the east.

THOMAS GOLDSMITH: NC DHHS recommends testing all in long-term facilities for COVID-19, but questions remain (N.C. Health News reports) -- NC health officials say all residents of long-term care centers, in dozens of which COVID-19 has run rampant, should be tested for the virus, but left several details vague.

NC BECOMING MORE POLARIZED OVER PANDEMIC THREAT (Duke University COVID-19 Digital Lab) -- North Carolinians are split over the risks posed by the coronavirus, a Duke survey finds. The statewide social distancing survey, now in its sixth week, also found fewer people are practicing social distancing across the state, but that most still believe they are responding appropriately.

FLOYD ABRAMS & JOHN LANGFORD: Do You Have the Right to Protest in a Pandemic? (New York Times column) -- Although some states have tried to ban them, anti-lockdown demonstrations are protected by the First Amendment. ... In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper’s stay-at-home order exempted outdoor exercise, funerals and small worship services as “essential activities,” yet the Raleigh Police Department broke up a protest, tweeting by way of explanation, “Protesting is a nonessential activity.” As we and others explained in a letter to Governor Newsom and the California Highway Patrol, such bans on public protest run afoul of the First Amendment.

Churches post big win on coronavirus lockdown but should exercise care in reopening (Fayetteville OBserver) -- ‘There is no pandemic exception to the Constitution of the United States,’ a federal judge writes in his opinion.

NC legislature is back. Is it doing enough to keep coronavirus out of its buildings? (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- As the legislature took a big step Monday toward resuming business as usual, some Democrats are worried that more precautions should be taken to avoid spreading coronavirus. Lawmakers are in the short session that is held in even-numbered years. After a one-week coronavirus relief session and a two-week break, the session resumed Monday to address a wide variety of issues.

GOP lawmakers blame Cooper administration for problems with unemployment system (WRAL-TV reports) -- After hearing from almost a dozen people - some seething, some weeping - describe Monday their often futile efforts to file for unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic, Republican lawmakers pointed the finger of blame at Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper's administration.

Legislators worried about shortfalls as N.C. session resumes (AP reports) -- The legislature resumed its annual session on Monday after a two-week break prompted by COVID-19, with lawmakers returning in part to address a state economy and government revenue socked by the pandemic.

Report: Drastic action needed in North Carolina to thwart long-term economic impacts of coronavirus (Triangle Business Journal reports) -- The North Carolina Budget & Tax Center is calling for expedient and bold action to quicken the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and support the well-being of residents, particularly those in marginalized communities and at highest risk of long-term harm. A new report highlights emerging needs focused most on the toll being experienced by individuals who have the most extreme economic vulnerabilities.

NC’s shutdown will leave a hole in the state budget. Will big cuts be needed? (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Due to falling tax revenues spurred on by the coronavirus shutdown, state lawmakers expect to face a budget shortfall of billions of dollars. The losses could be as high as $4 billion, said N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger, a Republican from Eden, at a press conference Monday. That would be around 16% of North Carolina’s $25 billion budget — potentially requiring large cuts across state government. Berger said coronavirus is to blame.

BOND PROPOSAL (N.C. Insider reports) -- House Speaker Tim Moore said Monday he wants to consider a bond referendum this year to fund transportation and construction of K-12 schools, higher education facilities and community colleges. “Money is cheap right now,” Moore said. “It’s a great time to do that and with decreased cash flow you can do some things by leveraging debt in a smart way, plus you encourage some activities with construction.”

SCOTT SEXTON: Larry Womble spent a lifetime fighting for what was right. Victims of NC's sterilization program benefited (Winston-Salem Journal column) -- The voice was unmistakable. Deep with the timbre and cadence of a man of a certain age who’d been raised and educated in North Carolina. No matter how many times I heard it, after the first time I’d met the man in the early 2000s, there was never any question about who it was on the other end of the line.

Protest Convention For Anti-Trump Republicans Is Coming to Charlotte (WFAE-FM reports) -- A group of conservatives opposed to President Trump – often known as “never Trump” conservatives – will hold a shadow convention at the same time as the Republican National Convention. The opposition convention is led by Evan McMullin, a former CIA officer who ran for president as a third-party candidate in 2016. He got 21% of the vote in his home state of Utah. And he’s bringing together – in Charlotte – conservatives who oppose the president.

NC fares slightly better in second round of federal Paycheck Protection Program loans (Winston-Salem Journal/Greensboro News & Record reports) -- North Carolina’s small businesses ranked slightly better in terms of number of approved loans and loan amount so far in the second round of the federal Paycheck Protection Program. The U.S. Small Business Administration reported Friday that 66,677 small businesses in the state were approved for PPP loans between the second round begun April 27 and May 8. North Carolina was 11th in terms of number of approved loans. Those loans accounted for a combined $4.69 billion, eighth highest. By comparison, North Carolina ranked 16th in the first PPP round in terms of loan dollar commitment at just more than $8 billion, and 15th in number of approved loans at 39,250. A Bloomberg News report found that 53% of N.C. applications were approved in the first round.

NC unemployment delays have been a disaster. Own it, Gov. Cooper (N.C. McClatchy editorial) -- North Carolina’s unemployment system is a disaster right now. Hundreds of thousands of people aren’t getting their benefits. They’ve waited as long as two months instead of the two weeks that’s typical. They’re getting little to no information from the state unemployment office, and their governor is not doing a whole lot better.

Experts: Without more COVID-19 testing, 'more people will die' in prisons (WRAL-TV/News consortium) -- North Carolina is falling behind other states in both testing and early release of prison inmates amid the COVID-19 pandemic, two major steps that experts say will help control the spread of disease and reduce fatalities.

NCDOT furloughs top-level executives to spare other workers (WRAL-TV reports) -- The state Department of Transportation will furlough thousands of employees statewide through July.

This won't end well (Greensboro News & Record) -- This being 2020, some are claiming a conspiracy — they say that Sen. Richard Burr is being targeted by President Trump’s weaponized DOJ because his Intelligence Committee has stood firm that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to benefit Trump — an assessment that Trump allies like Gaetz would certainly like to undermine. Even in today’s dysfunctional political climate, that seems unlikely. Wherever all of this leads, Burr’s legacy already is an early casualty. Even if the FBI’s investigation produces no criminal charges, his reputation is likely damaged beyond repair. And Burr has only himself to blame.

The largest container ship to ever visit the Port of Wilmington is due Wednesday (N&O/N.C. McClatchy reports) -- The largest container ship to ever visit the Port of Wilmington is scheduled to steam up the Cape Fear River and dock on Wednesday afternoon. The MV Hyundai Hope is 157 feet wide and nearly 1,200 feet long and can carry just shy of 14,000 TEU or 20-foot containers. If the ship were stood straight up on its stern it would be a football field taller than the Bank of America building in Charlotte, the state’s tallest. The Hyundai Hope’s arrival this week is possible because of several changes at the port and along the river itself to allow Wilmington to handle the largest container ships that visit the East Coast.

New program feeds unemployed workers while supporting local farmers (WRAL-TV reports) -- When one sees empty tables at restaurants during this pandemic, one often thinks of the revenue lost and laid off workers. But there are many more layers to the number of people who are affected.

Mayor calls on Rocky Mount officials singled out in state audit to correct misdeeds (WRAL-TV reports) -- A councilman should resign, the city manager should repay her improper spending and the City Council should sign a pledge to do right by Rocky Mount taxpayers, Mayor Sandy Roberson said Monday.

Grand jury indicts former Cherokee County DSS officials (Carolina Public Press reports) -- Grand jury indicts sheriff’s wife for her role in separation of children from parents when she served as Cherokee County DSS director.

CHARLES LANE: How our open carry laws can endanger democracy (Washington Post column) -- North Carolina bans such displays in its legislature (and other public buildings). It also forbids carrying weapons at political demonstrations. Otherwise, though, “open carry” is generally the law. And so one of the men in paramilitary garb who have paraded through downtown Raleigh on three occasions since May 1 armed with various weapons — including a menacing but apparently inoperable rocket-launcher — claimed he was just out getting “some exercise,” and police backed off.

Expecting school to reopen like normal next year? Don’t. (EdNC reports) -- “I will be blunt. Since the start of our switch to remote learning in March, I have held the belief that we are going to need to utilize remote learning next school year as well in some form or fashion.” That’s what state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson said in an email to members and advisors of a task force looking at how to safely reopen schools amid COVID-19.

Independent panel to rule on N.C. State recruitment case (AP reports) -- The NCAA said Monday a case involving alleged recruiting infractions at North Carolina State will go through an independent investigation process created for complex cases.

Federal grand jury wraps with no criminal charges for Chemours (WRAL-TV reports) -- Company that makes GenX in Cumberland County tells shareholders federal investigators are closing the file without charges.

History Rediscovered: NC’s First Lighthouse (Coastal Review reports) -- What did the first lighthouse on the Cape Fear River look like and what really happened to it? Documents that maritime historian Kevin Duffus found in the National Archives shed some light.

Larry Womble (Winston-Salem Journal) -- With the recent passing of Larry Womble, former City Council member Vivian Burke earlier this month and former NAACP president Stephen Hairston in March, we can’t help but feel as if a special era is coming to an end. These leaders blazed the trail — now others are needed to pick up where they left off.