Opinion Roundup: Remembering Walter Jones, better hurricane recovery, school vaccination and more

Monday, Feb. 11, 2019 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Longtime Congressman Walter Jones dead at 76, Carrboro plaque to confront town's tie to white supremacist, three keys to better hurricane recovery, state regulators crack down on CBD, diversity delusions at North Carolina and more.

Time to get serious about absentee ballot fraud (Fayetteville Observer) -- When the State Board of Elections holds its open hearings on possible ballot tampering in the 9th Congressional District race, we may finally learn the full extent of the problem. Or we may not. We may only learn that there is good reason for further investigation. It seems certain that we’ll learn that nearly a decade of what Republican leaders said were attempts to secure the electoral process were misleading at best.

Longtime Congressman Walter Jones dead at 76 (WRAL-TV/AP reports) -- Longtime Republican 3rd District Congressman Walter Jones died in Greenville. He was 76. Jones, who has represented eastern North Carolina in the U.S. House for 24 years, recently underwent surgery for a broken hip he suffered at his home and entered hospice care last month.

JEFF TEBERII: Congressman Walter Jones Dies (WUNC-FM reports) -- Walter Jones, a second generation North Carolina Congressman who was both a Republican and a Democrat during his time in public office, died Sunday on his 76th birthday.

GARY ROBERTSON: Walter Jones Jr. dies on 76th birthday (AP reports) -- Republican U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. of North Carolina, a once-fervent supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq who later became an equally outspoken critic of the war, died Sunday on his 76th birthday.

NATALIE ANDREWS: GOP Congressman Who Changed Mind to Oppose Iraq War Dies at 76 (Wall Street Journal reports) -- Rep. Walter Jones, a 12-term Republican congressman from North Carolina known for his opposition to the Iraq war and, more recently, his criticism of President Trump, died on Sunday. He was 76.

FELICIA SONMEZ: Walter Jones, ‘freedom fries’ congressman who became Iraq War critic, dies at 76 (Washington Post reports) -- Walter B. Jones Jr., a North Carolina congressman who so enthusiastically supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq that he argued for the french fries and French toast served in House cafeterias to be called “freedom fries” and “freedom toast” — a jab at France for its opposition to the war — but who later underwent a dramatic change of heart and emerged as a prominent Republican critic of the war, died Feb. 10, on his 76th birthday.

BOBBY BURNS: Longtime U.S. Rep. Walter Jones dies at 76 (Greenville Daily Reflector reports) -- U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, the long-serving legislator who railed against deficit spending and advocated for the active duty military and veterans alike, died Sunday at age 76 after struggling with health problems including a broken hip.

BRIAN MURPHY: Walter Jones, congressman who worked to atone for his Iraq war vote, is dead at 76 (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Representative Walter Jones, a Republican who has served Eastern North Carolina in Congress since 1995, has died. He represented the military heavy 3rd District and worked to atone for his Iraq War vote.

TIM BELLA: ‘Freedom never tasted so good’: How Walter Jones helped rename French fries over the Iraq War (Washington Post reports) -- The gesture at the Longworth Building cafeteria was supposed to be strictly symbolic of one ally’s choice not to support America’s war in Iraq. Instead, a little plaque with a wooden frame and capital letters created an international sideshow. In early 2003, Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. (R-N.C.) sent a letter to Rep. Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) with a trite topic: renaming french fries to “freedom fries.” That January, France had announced its opposition to the proposed U.S.-led military action in Iraq. Around the same time, Jones, then a fervent supporter of the invasion, had heard from a constituent in Beaufort, N.C. who owned of a local diner that had renamed its fries and French toast in support of President George W. Bush’s war.

KRISTIN LAM: Long-serving Republican Rep. Walter Jones dies on 76th birthday (USA Today reports) -- Republican U.S. Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina, known for his criticism of the 2003 invasion of Iraq after initially supporting it, died Sunday. His congressional office confirmed his death in a statement, saying Jones died on his 76th birthday in Greenville, North Carolina. Jones began hospice care in January after breaking his hip and took a leave of absence from Congress in late 2018.

Leaders say Jones ‘always voted his conscience’ (Jacksonville Daily News reports) --Onslow County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jack Bright said Congressman Walter B. Jones always tried to do what was right and remembered him as someone who was good to work with. “He always voted his conscience and always did what he thought was right,” Bright said.

SAM DEGRAVE: Asheville firefighters mourn 2nd cancer casualty in year, renew cry for legislative relief (Asheville Citizen-Times reports) – With Karen Shuart in mind, NC Rep. Brian Turner is pushing for legislation that makes benefits easier to receive for firefighters.

TAMMY GRUBB: Carrboro plaque to confront town's tie to white supremacist (Durham-Herald Sun reports) — The town will soon hang a plaque by its front door to explain how Carrboro was named for a Durham industrialist and white supremacist, and how his views don't reflect the town's values today. But a three-paragraph statement approved for the Town Hall plaque will only touch on Julian Carr's history.

TAYLOR BATTEN: KKK robes as an honor? We’ve come a ways in 100 years (Charlotte Observer reports) — A hundred years before UNC’s Silent Sam controversy, Thomas Dixon Jr. wanted to erect a statue of Col. Leroy McAfee in KKK robes in Shelby in 1916. The Charlotte Observer objected, but proposed a solution that didn’t go far enough.

The Virginia Scandals Spread (Inside Higher Ed reports) -- Hundreds of political scientists back colleague who accused lieutenant governor; Duke removes him from an advisory board; new accusation made about Duke failing to respond to rape report; racist yearbook photos found at more institutions.

DEBORAH STRANGE: Mass Moral March recommits to MLK's fight (WRAL-TV reports) -- The Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ) People's Assembly Mass Moral March honored Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight for racial and social justice and recommit participants to his goals.

Scores attend annual "Moral March" in Raleigh (AP reports) -- Scores of people have attended an annual civil rights rally in N.C.'s capital city.

STAN KELLY: 'Carolina Core' Is Best Shot for New Jobs (Southern Pines Pilot column) -- The next engine of transformational economic growth for North Carolina lies in the Carolina Core — an emerging megasite corridor between Winston-Salem and Fayetteville, in the heart of the state, which bridges the urban corridor with Charlotte and the Research Triangle.

CELIA RIVENBARK: Don’t worry. Trump’s God-chosen, right? (Wilmington Star-News column) -- We now join White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in the James S. Brady Press Room where she is hosting a rare afternoon briefing for news reporters. Sarah: “Good afternoon everyone. I’m here to answer your questions in a forthright and honest manner as always. Before we start, the president has asked that I share with y’all that he is very happy with the results of last week’s Super Bowl.

COLIN CAMPBELL: Legislators should tell us who’s paying them (Durham-Herald Sun reports) — Serving as speaker of the House has been good for Tim Moore’s bank account.The job of speaker isn’t itself lucrative: $38,151 annually, plus $104 a day for housing and food when the legislature is in session. That’s a decent income for many North Carolinians, but it’s not going to buy you that sports car you’ve been eyeing.

HAWLEY TRUAX: Three keys to better hurricane recovery (Durham-Herald Sun reports) — In his address to the U.S. House’s Natural Resources Committee last week, Gov. Roy Cooper made a compelling case for taking a different, more proactive approach to rebuilding after storms, saying, “We spend a lot of money on recovery. Not enough of that money is allowed to be used for mitigation and resiliency.”

This is how we make our schools, and our children, safer (Fayetteville Observer) — While NC has so far been spared the horror and heartbreak of a mass shooting, there have been plenty of close calls and situations that could have easily turned tragic. Given the shortages of law enforcement, nurses, guidance counselors and psychologists in most of our school systems, we know we’ve simply been lucky. Terrible things could easily happen.

KASEY CUNNINGHAM: Durham community holds prayer vigil for immigrant families (WRAL-TV reports) -- Hispanic religious groups gathered at a church in Durham on Sunday night for a prayer service.

Bipartisan success (Greensboro News & Record/Winston-Salem Journal) -- Believe it or not, politicians in Washington can work together in a bipartisan way to get good things done.

BUNNY SANDERS: Access to broadband fundamental right for all in NC (Elizabeth City Daily Advance) -- There is a reason why most rural communities in North Carolina do not have broadband speeds of 25 megabits per second, even after the state has spent more than $500 million on infrastructure over the last 10 years.

MYRON PITTS: Film on Bladenboro teen’s death wins Sundance award (Fayetteville Observer column) -- Lennon Lacy was found hanging from a swing set in 2014 in a case some thought was a lynching

VLAUDIA RUPCICH: N.C. facing shortage of volunteer firefighters (WRAL-TV reports) -- Fighting fires in North Carolina is becoming increasingly harder as the state faces a dire shortage of volunteer firefighters. Leaders are working to recruit volunteers to staff stations across the Triangle, even creating a video and public service announcement to help get the word out.

BRYAN MIMS: As state regulators crack down on CBD, business owners try to see through haze (WRAL-TV reports) -- State regulators are launching a crackdown on hemp products that are not allowed under federal law. They're going after certain items that contain CBD - a compound derived from the marijuana plant, but without the psycho-active chemical that produces a high.

ANTIONETTE KERR: NC Groups Release Diverse Framework to Improve Early Education (Public News Service reports) -- Only 39 percent of N.C.'s third-graders are proficient in reading, according to the last National Report Card. And a recent guide issued by the N.C. Early Childhood Foundation says the state can do better. The Pathways to Grade-Level Reading Action Framework provided expectations for systems that serve children and families. Mandy Ableidinger, policy and practice leader with the foundation, said the guide proposes actions to support children's social and emotional health, early education and regular school attendance.

MARY KATE MURPHY: Loopholes Weaken School Vaccination Compliance (Southern Pines Pilot reports) -- As the mother of a special needs child and a four-month-old, Meagan Riggs is the last person who would take a cavalier approach to her children’s health.

JASON DEBRUYN: Thousands With Special Needs In NC Not Getting Help (WUNC-FM) -- Families of children with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities can qualify for help from the state Department of Health and Human Services through a portion of Medicaid called the Innovations Waiver. But limited funding to that program keeps thousand of families on a waitlist.

JESSIE POUNDS: Across Greensboro, cracks are showing — literally — as aging schools wait for improvements (Greensboro News & Record reports) -- Three of the city's big high schools are among buildings that should get major renovations in the next decade or so, consultants have advised Guilford County school officials. And students, parents and boosters for those schools have some definite ideas about what needs fixing or replacing, ranging from ventilation issues to sagging ceilings.

JOHN HINTON: Wake's yearbook had blackface, KKK images in 1970's (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- Images in the 1970s-era yearbooks at Wake Forest University and other colleges and universities depict students in blackface and wearing Ku Klux Klan robes as campus officials describe such images as deplorable, racist and demeaning toward black people.

ECU adheres, adjusts to evolving Title IX challenges (Greenville Daily Reflector reports) -- Before he came to Greenville to become East Carolina’s athletics director, Jon Gilbert oversaw some remarkable growth in women’s sports at two previous stops. He hopes nothing changes with the Pirates, who are set to embark on their second season in women’s lacrosse this spring

EDUCATION MATTERS: Newsmaker Conversations (Education Matters/Public School Forum) -- The State Treasurer has broad responsibilities over the finances of the state that have big implications for public education including state employee retirement and pension plans, the State Health Plan and how the state finances school construction. This week we talk with State Treasurer Dale Folwell about these topics and more. We also talk with an NC State Professor, Michael Maher, about why he wants to be the next State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

HEATHER MACDONALD: Diversity Delusions at North Carolina (Wall Street Journal column) -- Harvard isn’t the only university defending its discriminatory admissions policies in court. Its nonprofit adversary, Students for Fair Admissions, filed a similar complaint against the University of North Carolina in 2014. UNC’s initial defense, submitted last month, is a case study in the willful ignorance underlying the racial-preference regime in higher education. Above all, schools like Harvard and UNC have deliberately ignored the negative effects of preferences on their supposed beneficiaries.

This is how we make our schools, and our children, safer (Fayetteville Observer) -- In the year since the horrific mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, school systems, parents groups, local and state governments and our leaders in Washington have pondered what we can do to prevent the almost routine carnage in our schools, wrought so often by disturbed young men carrying deadly modern firearms.

JENNIFER ALLEN: Planting For Pollinators Brings Benefits (Coastal Review Online reports) — While planning your spring garden, consider adding native plants and more diversity to make your yard a haven for pollinators and wildlife.

ELLEN KNICKMEYER, MICHAEL CASEY & JOHN FLESHER: EPA decision soon on chemical compounds like GENX tied to health risks (AP reports) -- The chemical compounds are all around you. They're on many fabrics, rugs and carpets, cooking pots and pans, outdoor gear, shampoo, shaving cream, makeup and even dental floss. Increasing numbers of states have found them seeping into water supplies. There's growing evidence that long-term exposure to the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, or PFAS, can be dangerous, even in tiny amounts. The Environmental Protection Agency is looking at how to respond to a public push for stricter regulation of the chemicals, in production since the 1940s. A decision is expected soon.

MAC MONTGOMERY & KEMP BURDETTE: Military needs tough love on PFAS; Wheeler won’t do it (Fayetteville Observer column) -- For the past two years, North Carolinians have become all too familiar with what GenX pollution has done and continues to do to the Cape Fear River, our drinking water, and our communities. On a near daily basis we’ve been forced to watch and read about the true threats that have been unleashed on North Carolinians

JESSICA PATRICK: NC winners take home Grammy Awards (WRAL-TV reports) -- North Carolina was well represented at the 61st annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Two local men won prizes for their work, including UNC-Chapel Hill history professor William Ferris, who won a Grammy for Best Album Notes for his historical album "Voice of Mississippi." Duke University's Eric Oberstein, who serves as the Interim Director of Duke Performances, produced the album that won Best Latin Jazz Album.