Opinion Roundup: Phase 2 & what's new; Fetzer's exit at UNC; absentee ballots; and more

Thursday, May 21, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Phase 2 and what's new; Trump acts to confuse absentee ballots; hundreds of positive tests at N.C. meat processor; Leandro judge vs. Phil Berger; Fetzer's exit; remembering Andrea Harris; and more.

Cooper moves NC into 'modest' second stage of pandemic recovery (WRAL-TV reports) -- Gov. Roy Cooper and state health and safety officials are expected to move North Carolina into the second part of a three-phase coronavirus response plan, allowing restaurants, salons, gyms and other businesses to reopen with restrictions.

NC restaurants can serve indoors in 'modest' rules changes (AP reports) -- Gov. Roy Cooper is letting North Carolina restaurants, barber shops and salons welcome patrons inside starting this holiday weekend, announcing on Wednesday the loosened rules because he says state COVID-19 trends remain largely stable.

Raleigh mayor backs governor's cautious reopening (WRAL-TV reports) -- Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said she wishes the state could have reopened bars along with restaurants this weekend, but she said she's seen images of crowded bars in other states. So, she said North Carolina is taking the right approach.

What Phase 2 means in NC: What's open, what's closed, what you can and can't do (WRAL-TV reports) -- Gov. Roy Cooper and state health officials want to reopen North Carolina in three phases. Here is what Phase 2 means for businesses, churches and more and how restrictions will be eased over time.

Restaurants, haircuts and swimming pools, but no bars: What to know about NC’s Phase Two. (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- When can you get a haircut? When can you go back to the gym? We answer your questions.

The governor is giving NC its COVID-19 freedom. What will that look like? (N.C. McClatchy editorial) -- Gov. Roy Cooper is poised to give North Carolina its economic freedom, but with that comes much more. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen called it a “more modest step than we would have originally planned.” Cooper called it “another careful step forward.” It’s also a politically sound and economically sensible decision for the governor. But like so much with COVID-19, there’s no way to know if moving toward Phase 2 is a safe step or a leap too soon.

As states reopen their economies, experts warn of chance of second wave in the South (Washington Post reports) -- Several cities and states that have been rapidly reopening are in danger of a second wave of infections over the next four weeks, according to a research team that uses cellphone data to track social mobility and forecast the trajectory of the pandemic.

They’ve already recovered from COVID-19. Now, they’re donating plasma to treat others (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Dr. Charles Gainor, an emergency room physician, had just finished an overnight shift at Vidant North Hospital in Roanoke Rapids as he sat connected to a machine that was pulling blood and 800ml of convalescent plasma from his veins. The four pouches of plasma donated by Gainor, a COVID-19 survivor, will be used to treat hospitalized patients with severe cases of coronavirus in N.C. “This gave me an opportunity to do something to kind of make a difference for some people,” Gainor said. “That’s why I went into medicine in the first place.”

Cabinet Secretary Azar visits testing site in North Carolina (AP reports) -- A key booster of President Donald Trump's administration response to the new coronavirus and efforts to revive the national economy is visiting North Carolina.

570 employees test positive for coronavirus at Wilkesboro plant, Tyson says (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Tyson Foods said 570 workers at its Wilkesboro poultry facility have tested positive for COVID-19. That’s more than a fourth of the plant’s total workforce. Tyson’s statement said all 2,244 employees and contractors at the site have been tested.

Retailers hoping Memorial Day weekend sales will encourage shoppers (WRAL-TV repoorts) -- While things still aren't fully back to normal, many retailers are hopeful their usual Memorial Day sales will help generate interest in shopping again.

Owner of martial arts business plans to defy Gov. Cooper's order and reopen (WRAL-TV reports) -- WRAL's Mark Boyle spoke with the owner of Raleigh Institute of Martial Arts who said he plans to reopen his business despite Gov. Roy Cooper's order to stay closed.

HAL TARLETON: Virus restrictions no excuse for violence, threats (Wilson Times column) -- What is the matter with us? We, meaning everyone in this country, indeed, everyone on the entire planet, is in the midst of a global pandemic.

Lockdown Delays Cost at Least 36,000 Lives, Data Show (New York Times reports) -- Even small differences in timing would have prevented the worst exponential growth, which by April had subsumed New York City, New Orleans and other major cities, researchers found.

Judge said NC schools need more money. But Berger says COVID-19 may limit that. (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- The coronavirus pandemic could become the latest obstacle to North Carolina’s efforts to provide every student with their state constitutional right to a sound basic education. In January, Superior Court Judge David Lee signed a court order in the long-running Leandro school funding case ordering state leaders to “work expeditiously and without delay to take all necessary actions” to improve the state’s education system. But Senate leader Phil Berger warned at a news conference this week that the state expects to face a revenue shortfall of billions of dollars caused by the coronavirus shutdown.

Forced DHHS move to Granville County dropped from Senate budget language (WRAL-TV reports) -- Other budget priorities emerge as the Senate rolls out bills. House Speaker Tim Moore calls for a multibillion-dollar bond package.

GOP senators pledge bipartisan fiscal reforms at DOT (AP reports) -- Republican state senators pledged bipartisan fiscal management reforms within Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s transportation agency following a recent audit that found it overspent by $740 million last year.

NANCY PETTY: Is It Christian To Reopen North Carolina Churches?(Cardinal & Pine column) -- A lawsuit urging the state to reopen churches misuses the Bible and endangers everyone. One might think that at the heart of the question of reopening churches in the midst of a global pandemic would be the safety and well-being of congregants.

RICHARD HASEN: Trump’s bogus attacks on mail-in voting could hurt his supporters, too (Washington Post column) -- On Wednesday morning, President Trump threatened to withhold aid from Michigan and Nevada because of purportedly illegal activity related to absentee ballots. In reality, the states are doing nothing illegal — they are trying to ensure voters can exercise their right to vote without jeopardizing their health during a pandemic.

Guilford County readies for huge mail-in vote for November election (Greensboro News & Record reports) -- Guilford County’s elections office is bracing for a massive increase in voting by mail during the upcoming presidential election because of the pandemic. County Elections Director Charlie Collicutt said that based on advice from state officials, his office is preparing for as many as 125,000 mailed ballots in the Nov. 3 election, about a 733% increase over what normally would be expected.

Longtime Louisiana party leader Doré now at N.C. GOP (AP reports) -- A former state GOP leader in Louisiana, Jason Doré ,is the new N.C. Republican Party executive director. He succeeds Jonathan Sink, who left the post after less than a year on the job to become the county government attorney for Gaston County.

G.O.P. Officials Quietly Consider Paring Back Convention (New York Times reports) -- President Trump has insisted that the Republican convention is moving ahead for August despite the coronavirus. But even he has expressed openness to a scaled-down event.

2.4 million filed jobless claims last week; GOP seeks to roll back benefits (Washington Post reports) -- The White House and Republican lawmakers want to begin rolling back expanded benefits for the unemployed, arguing that they have created disincentives for people to return to work.

Duke expert: Another relief package ‘absolutely’ necessary for pandemic recovery (WRAL-TV/TechWire reports) -- COVID-19 is causing unprecedented implications for our economy. Millions are filing for unemployment relief, many industries have been forced to temporarily cease operations, and some businesses will remain closed indefinitely. And more relief is needed. So says John Quinterno, the founder and principal of South by North Strategies, Ltd., a Durham-based research and communications consultancy specializing in economic and social policy affairs and a Duke adjunct professor. Congress is debating the passage of a $3 trillion package which would be the third such bill intended to provide relief from the pandemic. He is set to appear on a webinar today at 2pm to explore the economic impact of COVID-19 organized by NC Growth and the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise.

Auditor urges more oversight, better forecasting at DOT (WRAL-TV reports) -- State Auditor Beth Wood told Senate lawmakers Wednesday that better budgeting oversight is needed at the state Department of Transportation.

KYM HUNTER: NC DOT should look beyond road building to projects that build stronger communities (N.C. McClatchy column) – N.C. DOT must recognize that healthy and economically thriving communities need more than new, wider expensive highways. Throughout our state, communities are waiting on DOT to act on transportation projects that would truly benefit our communities, but are passed over because they lack the show of highway ribbon-cuttings. New downtown sidewalks help businesses thrive. Expanded bus services provide essential access to jobs. Improved bike lanes allow our children to ride without fear. Projects are ready to go and put people back to work. Projects that value whole, integrated communities over the shortsighted devotion to “saved minutes.” And that is just the start.

Housekeepers used armed guard to swindle NC dementia patient out of $400K, feds say (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- A woman with dementia who lived alone in South Carolina was kept from her friends and family for two years while her purported caregivers conned her out of close to half a million dollars, prosecutors say. Now they face decades in prison. Gerald Maxwell Harrison, 53, and Elizabeth Robin Williams, 55, pleaded guilty to charges relating to the fraud, which took place at multiple residences in Charlotte and Mint Hill and a senior citizen community in South Carolina between 2014 and 2016, federal prosecutors said in a news release Wednesday.

Fetzer leaves UNC System board. He had often sparred with other members. (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Tom Fetzer, a UNC Board of Governors member who has come under fire frequently from fellow members, announced Wednesday that he’s stepping down from the board to focus on his family. Fetzer said he has been homeschooling his five children during the coronavirus pandemic and that his family has had to “reassess our priorities in light of the incomprehensible time in which we’re living.” He said they will continue to teach their kids at home with a year-round schedule as summer activities have been canceled.

Outspoken Fetzer resigns suddenly from UNC Board of Governors (WRAL-TV reports) -- Tom Fetzer, a former mayor of Raleigh, was heavily involved in behind-the-scenes back and forth over university business.

Classes out by Thanksgiving, delayed start, no break — Fall plans to vary at UNC schools (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Some UNC System schools plan to finish the fall semester before Thanksgiving, another won’t start the semester until after Labor Day and others are still deciding exactly what to do as the system develops a “detailed contingency plan” and guidance for welcoming students back to campuses Interim UNC System President Bill Roper said the question he gets asked most frequently is how universities will operate during the fall 2020 semester.

UNC president: Expect a return to classrooms this fall (WRAL-TV reports) -- The UNC system is working up guidance now for a return to campus.

Hold private schools that receive voucher money to higher standards, says Children’s Law Clinic report (N.C. Policy Watch reports) -- Private schools whose students receive taxpayer funded vouchers should be required to participate in state end-of-grade testing, says the authors of a new report recently released by the Children’s Law Clinic at Duke University’s Law School, And participating schools should be required to offer a curriculum that’s equivalent to the curriculum used in public schools, the authors contend. Staffed by Duke law students, the Children’s Law Clinic provides free legal advice, advocacy and legal representation to low-income, at-risk children in cases involving special education, school discipline and children’s disability benefits.

Health screenings, smaller classes, alternate days are options as schools prepare for return amid pandemic (WRAL-TV reports) -- The annual back to school frenzy and first day jitters will be magnified when the new school year starts up again in the fall. Education officials have been saying for weeks the next school year will look and feel different.

State looking to change policy for students with specific learning disabilities (EdNC reports) -- The policy for identifying and evaluating students for special services through the state’s special education program may change when the State Board of Education meets on June 5. The changes are intended to address stakeholder concerns, but practitioners who help kids qualify for specialized services say it may not improve the identification of children with special needs.

ALLISON REDDEN & KAYLA SILER :Reflecting on a decade of investments: How competency-based education can help North Carolina achieve educational equity (EdNC column) -- A marriage of innovative — and, at times, technology-based — practice and personalization, competency-based education (CBE) is a logical next step for North Carolina to take to both advance equity and do what is best for students. In a competency-based learning environment, every student receives the support needed to take control of their own learning, move at their own pace, and demonstrate mastery of knowledge across disciplines. Given North Carolina’s historical investments in technology, infrastructure, and personalized learning, the state is primed to tackle its first steps toward CBE that can enhance equity for students.

LIORA ENGEL-SMITH: Churches are an unlikely ally in solving the rural internet access puzzle (N.C. Health News reports) -- With the coronavirus pandemic highlighting the depth of rural broadband needs, churches have set their sights on increasing access in their communities.

Amid Hardship, Lockdown Curbs Energy Use (Coastal Review reports) -- Coastal electric cooperatives have taken measures to help members keep their lights on during the stay-at-home order, which researchers say has reduced emissions and improved air quality.

SAS creates tools to help count world’s bee population and monitor for murder hornets (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Data analytics giant SAS is hoping that its technology might prove useful in helping monitor the future health of the world’s honey bee population. In partnership with a group at Appalachian State University, SAS has created a visualization tool to count the world’s bee population, creating a map and database of hives. The tool is meant to allow individuals from around the world to tag hive locations and upload photos of them. With enough entries, the groups behind the effort hope that a large enough data set will emerge that universities and research institutes can mine it for insights on how to better protect the creatures.

What are those dark chunks washing up on Outer Banks? Pieces of the past, experts say (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- The latest mystery to wash up on North Carolina’s Outer Banks came Tuesday in the form of something resembling a big, black shark’s tooth. It was made of something like clay — but was fibrous in texture. Experts say her find is older and infinitely more interesting: The chunks are the remnants of a coastal marsh that was devoured decades if not centuries ago by the rising ocean. Better known as peat, the flammable chunks of rotted vegetation are “direct evidence of dramatic” change on the Outer Banks, according to a National Park Service report. In some cases, entire outcroppings of peat are revealed by storms, the report says.

How the Pandemic Splintered the Appalachian Trail (New York Times reports) -- The coronavirus scuttled plans and forced officials to ask people to get out of the woods. Of the thousands who hoped to hike the trail this year, only a few hundred remain.

Andrea Harris, Statewide Business Pioneer, Has Died (The Independent reports) -- Andrea Harris, who helped to start a Durham-based nonprofit that helped to develop thousands of businesses owned by women and people of color across the state, passed away Wednesday morning. She was 72. A spokeswoman with the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development, which Harris co-founded in 1986, confirmed her death.

A force for change (Triangle Business Journal reports) -- Andrea Harris, who spent decades helping to build businesses owned by women and minorities in North Carolina, has died.

Man on moped stole valuable Gibson Les Paul guitars from Outer Banks music store (Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports) -- Three of the stolen guitars were worth nearly $10,000

Vivian Howard reflects on Boiler Room’s permanent closing (Kinston Free Press reports) -- The Boiler Room Oyster Bar has permanently closed in Kinston, but its sister restaurant and neighboring Chef & the Farmer will become “stronger” than ever in one building. Vivian Howard, owner of the Chef & the Farmer fine-dining restaurant and the Boiler Room, recently made the decision to close the popular oyster bar amid the COVID-19 crisis and to combine both restaurants inside the Chef & the Farmer.