newsobserver.com blogs

What to Watch on Saturday: 'Longmire' marathon, Mystery Brewing on 'Crowd Rules'

brookecain — Sat, 25 May 2013 08:30:00 -0400

Longmire (2pm, A&E) - If you missed the great first season of "Longmire," here's a chance to catch up before Season 2 debuts Monday night at 10. "Longmire" is a slower-paced modern-day western (it's nothing like "Justified," but still pretty fantastic) based on a series of novels by Craig Johnson. Sheriff Walt Longmire is an old-fashioned Wyoming lawman who struggles to cope with his wife's death as he attempts to move on with his life and career. It stars Robert Taylor as Longmire as well as Lou Diamond Phillips and Katee Sackhoff. Do it.

Defiance (5pm, Syfy) - Another marathon. This one begins with the pilot episode of a new sci-fi drama set in the year 2046, more than 30 years following a war between humans and aliens that left Earth forever changed.

Ultimate BBQ Cookout Countdown (9pm, ABC) - A search for the top barbecue in the U.S. includes stops at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama; a clambake in Connecticut; a cowboy cook-off in Texas; a BBQ contest in Tennessee; and a Memorial Day cookout in California.

Crowd Rules (10pm, CNBC) - A repeat of Tuesday night's episode in which Mystery Brewing Company of Hillsborough competed against two other companies, including a fitness center in Myrtle Beach, for a $50,000 prize. Mystery Brewing's Erik Lars Myers (right) had to convince three judges and an audience that his business plan was the most deserving.

Free Redbox rental coming up on Sunday, May 26

AmyDunn — Sat, 25 May 2013 06:58:00 -0400

Kroger is partnering with Redbox to give you a free one-night DVD rental on Sunday, May 26.

Use the code KROGERFREE at any Redbox kiosk located at a Kroger store to get your free rental.

Be sure to check Kroger.com weekly for more Redbox deals through June 16

Wake County releases more details on Tuesday's events with superintendent finalists

KeungHui — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:57:52 -0400

We've got some more details about what will happen Tuesday with the events being held for the Wake County superintendent finalists.

The district will not be charged for renting Memorial Auditorium for Tuesday night's community forum, according to Renee McCoy, a Wake schools' spokeswoman. McCoy said Wake is grateful for Memorial Auditorium's generosity in allowing them to be able to hold the forum at such a large venue.

"It provides a much larger venue for more citizens to participate," said McCoy, who will be the moderator at the forum.

Tickets will not be issued. Just show up and find a seat. Once you're in, you'll be able to submit questions in writing.

McCoy said she will be assisted by other school district staff in selecting questions to ask the finalists that represent a broad range of topics.

All three finalists will be on the stage at the same time to answer the questions.

McCoy said they've been trying to work with groups about airing the forum for people who can't attend. But she said that the district won't be streaming the forum online, like was done for the State of the Schools event, because of the cost.

Earlier in the day, the finalists will individually visit different schools. The initial list of schools includes Farmington Woods Elementary School in Cary, Middle Creek High School in Cary and Millbrook High School in Raleigh.

McCoy said more schools wlll be added. She said they're trying to work the visits around the end-of-year testing going on in schools.

After the morning school visits, the finalists will head back to the district's headquarters in Cary to meet with school employees, including the leadership team.

After some downtime, they'll be at Memorial Auditorium at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 East South St., Raleigh, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for the forum.

Letters to the Editor: auto dealers, guns in restaurants, outdoor smoking bans, internet sales tax and ALEC

samnewkirk — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:18:28 -0400

Here's a batch of letters that got overrun by other topics before they could make it into the paper.

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Wheelin’, dealin’

I am disgusted by the N.C. Senate’s unanimous passage of Senate Bill 327, which bars auto manufacturers from selling directly to consumers. The bill was backed by the auto dealers in the state, who incredibly assert that the current dealership system actually benefits consumers.

And, now, their lobbyists have bought the entirety of the State Senate, Democratic and Republican alike, to pass a bill that prevents North Carolinians from buying new cars from anybody else!

Christopher Fulmer
Raleigh
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Off the table

I sincerely hope all the restaurant owners and employees across North Carolina are pooling their profits and their tips to hire some big-time lobbyists to petition the General Assembly to shoot down this disastrous guns-in-restaurants bill.

Restaurants are just gaining ground after the recession took a bite out of their businesses, and this provision will kill them outright. Think about the conversation on a Friday night in the home of a young couple with children. “Should we go out to that new restaurant that serves alcohol and has customers carrying guns or maybe just pick up some ingredients at the grocery store and prepare something at home?”

Prepare for a significant loss of jobs if this bill from lawmakers supposedly all about being “job creators” passes. And prepare to read about loss of life in restaurant shootings, accidental and intentional, on a regular basis.

When did roving bands of criminals shooting up restaurants become such a pressing problem? Another fix for a problem that doesn’t exist!

Dave Greune
Raleigh
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Smoke-free progress waning

On my first day of high school, I noticed the big red and white sign that read, “This is a tobacco-free campus.” It became easy to overlook until I became an advocate for the tobacco use prevention initiative at Youth Empowered Solutions.

When my co-worker showed me the article written by Paul Specht and John Frank (“Outdoor smoking bans may be lifted” May 15) about the recent Senate bill that could nullify anti-smoking laws in public places I was initially alarmed. Then came a strong sense of pride in the advocacy work my co-workers and I have been working toward. I’ve spent weeks dedicated to learning about the hard work local advocates before me have done working toward tobacco-free communities. The idea of years of our work regressing is sickening.

Senate Bill 703 has the capability to deprecate years of work we have dedicated to creating a tobacco-free community and to strip the power from local municipalities. As our work in tobacco prevention comes to a close, it is becoming increasingly frustrating to watch all of our productivity be terminated. We need to ensure the integrity of the progress we’ve made in the past, while protecting the rights and preserving the role of local governments.

Karmen Kurtz
Raleigh
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Internet sales tax support

I wanted to express my support for an idea that Congress is considering: an Internet sales tax.

Allowing online companies, which already have lower overhead costs and need fewer employees than a brick and mortar store, to sell goods tax-free creates an anti-competitive situation that ultimately hurts local economies and costs people jobs. When our retailers struggle against companies that have major tax advantages they will lose business.

I will be the first to admit that many of my purchasing decisions were made because of a desire to evade sales tax, which means that I made a choice to avoid North Carolina retailers. This hurt my community. What this means is less income for our merchants and this costs local jobs. This then does further damage to our local economy because those people no longer have as much money to spend which impacts local businesses and communities even more. This also deprives governments in North Carolina of much needed funds that could be used to prevent things like the real cuts we have seen to the state university system.

I urge the United States Congress to act on this important issue.

Alex Massengale
Durham
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Life-saving law

AAA Carolinas is strongly opposed to any changes in the state’s current helmet law. The most recent statistics show that 1 in every 8 North Carolina traffic fatalities involves a motorcycle. If North Carolina’s universal motorcycle helmet law is repealed or altered, this number will increase.

According to a 2012 Governors Highway Safety Association report, when universal helmet laws like North Carolina’s were weakened in other states, motorcycle fatalities increased. In Arkansas deaths went up 21 percent, in Texas 31 percent, in Kentucky 58 percent, in Florida 81 percent and in Louisiana deaths increased 108 percent.

North Carolina was ranked first nationally in lives and money saved due to its helmet law in a June 2012 study by the Centers for Disease Control.

If the helmet law is repealed, three things are certain: Motorcycle fatalities will increase; insurance costs for everyone will go up due to brain and other serious, lengthy motorcycle-related injuries; and North Carolina will lose its only No. 1 status for a traffic safety law.

Why change a clearly successful law?

David E. Parsons
President and CEO, AAA Carolinas
Charlotte
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Bill would hurt teens

In response to “State bill strengthens parental control” (May 8): I’m disgusted by the House committee approval of a bill that so irresponsibly endangers the health of our state’s teenagers.

Not only would HB 693 create unnecessary obstacles for necessary treatment, but it would also compound existing problems with undue feelings of fear and shame. Emphasis has been placed on this bill’s parental consent requirement for birth control and STD treatment, but it can’t be ignored that this requirement would extend to treatment of drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues in teenagers.

North Carolina teens in any of these situations are undoubtedly feeling the weight of a difficult situation. The N.C. House has absolutely no place putting their health further in danger.

Emily Rich
Chapel Hill
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Teach kids to look both ways

I read with interest Bruce Siceloff's article on stopping for school buses (“Stop for that bus or else” April 30) and agree totally, but this is only half the story. It makes me heartsick every time I see a stopped school bus and watch how almost every child, especially the little ones, walks out around the front of the bus without ever looking to see if anything is coming.

True, 99.9 percent of the time, nothing is coming thanks to state law as discussed in Siceloff' article but, on rare occasions, there is a vehicle coming. Why, for a lot of reasons: distracted driver; mechanical failure, such a brakes, on the car; driver medical emergency, such as passing out at the wheel; and driver heading directly into the sun, which masks the red lights on the bus. (This one I had never thought of until the other day when driving early in the morning and was quite close to a school bus before I realized the red lights were flashing.)

So, parents and bus drivers please teach and insist that each child looks both ways before stepping out into the street from the front of the bus. If this could save just one life, it is worth it.

Jeanne Romeo
Holly Springs
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Outside interests plague GA

Years ago, I lived in Canada. A joke at the time came to mind when I read the May 10 Point of View “ALEC a place to share, learn, grow.” The joke went: “Where is the capital of Canada? Answer: In the U.S.”

It got me thinking, where is the capital of North Carolina these days? It is not Raleigh. Perhaps it is Arlington, Va., home of Grover Norquist. Or maybe Washington, D.C., base of ALEC. Or perhaps Fairfax, Va., home of the NRA.

My point is that with our new rush of legislation come people who have an agenda. It does not come from within our state, which has specific needs to be addressed by our elected officials. It is coming from groups like ALEC – funded 98 percent by corporations. There is nothing benign about what is happening here.

I urge our legislators to look to the needs of North Carolinians, not to placate outside groups with singular agendas.

By the way, the capital of Canada is decidedly in Canada – it turned itself around years ago to reflect the values and needs of its citizenry.

Will our legislators figure out they are here to represent us and to serve us as elected officials?

Liz Smith
Raleigh
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REPS creates jobs

Earlier this week, I testified before the N.C. Senate Finance Committee against Senate Bill 365, a bill that would repeal the state’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard.

My company, Holocene, has worked hard to become a stable, profitable business, which includes manufacturing, construction and financing of renewable energy projects, including solar, thermal energy storage and geothermal technologies. We owe our success to our team’s hard work and determination and to the market conditions created by the REPS. The REPS provides a more level playing field for clean energy companies, boosting a market for our products and services.

Were it not for the REPS, we would have built our business elsewhere. The REPS has created thousands of jobs and millions in investment dollars. People like me, who live, work, start businesses, create jobs and invest and re-invest their money in North Carolina, have overwhelmingly expressed support for the REPS and opposition to efforts to repeal it.

The bill’s success in committee was a victory of political maneuvering, not a win on its merits. I am grateful to the bipartisan opposition to the bill and to all who support the jobs companies like Holocene are driving in the state.

Ralph Thompson
CEO, Holocene
Raleigh
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Energy momentum

Many thanks for your May 11 editorial recapping the ongoing battle over Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards in N.C. The editorial illustrated the frivolous nature of the bill, as both Republicans and Democrats hold few ideological objections to our state’s scheduled 12.5 percent minimum requirement. As you speculate, Rep. Mike Hager may be striking such an unreasonable pose only for the sake of his party.

North Carolinians would benefit greatly from any legislation that promotes the role of renewables in our energy grid. The budding solar industry has created thousands of jobs so far and is ripe for investment. Additionally, our state has the largest potential for offshore wind power on the East Coast.

Legislators should focus on rolling the ball in a productive direction. Accounting for their environmental impacts, the external costs associated with petroleum, coal and natural gas are indicators that we should look elsewhere. But with billions of dollars in fossil fuels subsidies working against such a realization, legislation needs to pass as soon as possible if we are to level the playing field for renewables.

A revenue-neutral carbon tax could do this, while insulating consumers from any price increases associated with a tax.

Erik Vosburgh
Cary
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Fracking won’t add jobs

Regarding “Rumors of cheap-energy jobs boom remain unproven conjecture” (April 7): the use of low natural gas prices to predict growth in U.S. manufacturing jobs is another strategy of the gas industry to defend fracking.

But petroleum geologists such as Art Berman, financial analysts such as Deborah Rogers and organizations such as Headwaters Economics and the Energy Policy Forum are exposing the boom-bust pattern of shale-gas mining. Well production declines much more rapidly than predicted. So miners have had to drill more and more wells to keep production up.

Now, we have a glut of natural gas, and its price is down to less than $3 per MMBtu. What is the industry’s response to its predicament? Cap wells (temporarily) in North Dakota and convert shale-gas into liquid form (LNG) and sell it overseas, where LNG is much more profitable than in the U.S.

Where will most of the predicted jobs go, as much of our natural gas is sold overseas? You guessed it. Overseas!

Fracking is not about jobs or energy independence. And it’s no good for clean water, clean air and property values.

Dennis Welch
Cary
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Voter ID not necessary

Every voting day I proudly participate in a fundamentally honorable transaction. I stand in front of a table and state my name and address. After being checked against a list of registered voters, I am given a piece of paper to sign attesting to my identity. The poll worker and I thus complete a transaction long recognized as appropriate for the citizens of North Carolina.

I spent an election on the other side of the table and participated in this honorable transaction representing the state of North Carolina. Reportedly in few more days my word will not be enough. I find this deeply offensive.

A modest proposal: If our governor is so lacking in personal honor as to sign the proposed legislation, then all of the members of the various commissions overseeing voting in this state should resign as a matter of personal principle; all who are scheduled to work at the polls in the next election should refuse to do so; and if an election is held, all currently registered voters should go to the polls, attest to their identity and wait for a ballot to be provided.

Chris Wise
Raleigh
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‘Court costs’ necessary?

I recently received a traffic citation from a North Carolina state trooper for speeding near Asheboro. I plan to accept responsibility for my transgression, request a waiver of my trial and pay the specified $30 fine.

However, the citation also apparently obligates me to defray an additional $188 for “court costs,” even though there will be no trial and added effort to prosecute me.

As a relatively recent ex-pat from the Washington, D.C. area, I was surprised by such a seemingly arcane and unfair practice. Are the law enforcement and structures of this state so bloated that it is necessary to soak its residents in this manner to keep the wheels of justice in motion here?

James P. Witeck
Apex
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Teen bill about ideology

House Bill 693 states that no physician shall provide medical health services for a minor for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of venereal diseases, abuse of controlled substances or alcohol, emotional disturbance, or pregnancy unless the physician first obtains written consent of the minor and the parent or legal guardian (“State bill strengthens parental control” May 8).

How ironic that the same legislators who want to pass laws requiring schools to teach students about a medically debatable small risk of preterm labor in women who have had prior first-term abortions, also want to pass legislation obstructing your child’s physician from preventing unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse or even suicide. This bill is brought to you by the same legislative majority that wanted to allow your young adult child over 18 years old to ride a motorcycle without a helmet and to risk permanent brain injury.

Dr Jim Fulghum, M.D., retired neurosurgeon, should be ashamed to co-sponsor HB 693, which handcuffs the physicians caring for our children. It does more to protect “tea party” and “radical right” ideology and to increase physician administrative burdens than to protect our precious children.

James Womble
Cary
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Cool on regulations

I research and write about needless, silly and burdensome regulations on a regular basis at work.

A few weeks ago, however, I got some personal experience when I had to replace a broken air conditioner at home. First, I found out that state law required the installation of a carbon monoxide detector, which probably added around $40 to my bill. While safety is important, the reality is that almost as many people die from drowning in bathtubs each year as from carbon monoxide poisoning.

I also had to buy a $40 permit to install the A/C unit. The subsequent inspection required me to take a morning off from work to wait for the inspector. For hard-working families, especially ones that just paid several thousand dollars for a new A/C unit, $40 here, $40 there, and a half-day off work can really start to add up.

But at least now, in return for the cost, time and hassle, I can rest assured that the A/C is safely and properly installed, right? Well, it turns out that the inspector knew the company I had used and that they do good work. He barely glanced at the A/C unit.

Tyler Younts
Raleigh

Dwane Powell: An unholy union

bwheeler — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:04:50 -0400

The N&O’s former cartoonist just couldn’t sit out this legislative session, not with all the fun things to draw. He’ll be offering his view every Sunday in The N&O during the session. Here’s this week’s cartoon.

Clement reaches milestone on Durham council

jaydub — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:01:01 -0400

City Manager Tom Bonfield took a moment during his budget presentation last week to recognize a milestone: the 30th anniversary of Councilman Howard Clement’s tenure on the City Council.

Clement was not on hand, though, due to the extended illness that has kept him away from almost all council meetings since late 2011.

“Thank you for this longevity of service to the City Council and this community,” Bonfield said, addressing Clement who had promised to be watching on television.

Clement was appointed to a council vacancy in 1983 and has won election to the Ward 2 seat seven times. His current term expires this year.

“We miss your presence and hope to see you back with us soon,” Bonfield said. “Mainly, we want you to know this great milestone was not missed … because you could not be with us.”

A Memorial Day reminder from the N.C. National Guard

bwheeler — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:35:13 -0400

The NC National Guard has issued a statement about Memorial Day:

Let us pause for a moment of reflection this Memorial Day. It is a simple request made on behalf of so many who have given their last, full measure of devotion to the state and nation they called home.

Their lives were given in the purest of spirit as they went into battle to defend the ideals and values of a nation that most inhabitants of our world can only wish, hope, pray and strive for.

During these last, many years of persistent conflict, we have presented our nation’s flag to the grief-stricken families of our fallen. They received them with stoic pride amidst the streaming tears. Twenty-nine have fallen while serving in the N.C. National Guard around our globe. They now lay among many, many more fallen whose ultimate sacrifice either gave birth to our nation, defended our democratic ideals from global fanaticism, stood firm against communism during the Cold War or secured our American Way of Life in the face of terrorism. We will enjoy the traditional beginning of our summer vacation season because of the very freedoms and securities they provided for us through their service.

Let us be reminded that the families of our nation’s heroes will have a void around their picnic blankets this Memorial Day as they have and will have every other day. Let us reach out to them, pay our respects and express our solemn gratitude for the patriotic sacrifices they will forever endure. Let them know that we will never forget them; neither will we ever forget their loved ones who no longer walk among us.

A brief moment to pause and read the names on the tombstones that mark the final resting place of our fallen is a simple, yet, pure gesture of reflection and tribute. It reconnects us to the true purpose of this holiday. It is but a simple request made on behalf of so many.

SciQuest names CEO Wiehe to be chairman of the board

dbracken — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:10:54 -0400

SciQuest has named CEO Stephen Wiehe to be chairman of the Cary company's board of directors.

The company has also appointed Tim Buckley, a former chief operating officer of Red Hat, to be its lead independent director.

Wiehe has been CEO and president of SciQuest since 2001.

During that period the company was taken private in a 2004 management buyout, and then returned to the public markets in September 2010 after raising $57 million in an initial public offering.

SciQuest's technology allows customers to buy goods and services more efficiently online. It has more than 300 customers, including casinos, universities, drugmakers and governments.

SciQuest reported earlier this month that its first-quarter revenue was up 48 percent from the previous year.

The company reported revenues of $20.7 million for the quarter that ended March 31, slightly less than analysts' estimates of $20.78 million.

NetApp has received nearly $7.9m in state incentives since 2006

dbracken — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:54:53 -0400

NetApp, which announced earlier this week it is laying off an undisclosed number of employees in Research Triangle Park, has received nearly $7.9 million in state incentives since 2006.

The company has easily exceeded the annual investment and job creation goals required under its 2004 and 2007 state incentives grants, according to data from the state Department of Commerce.

The company has received three state incentives packages since 2004 for expansion of its operations in RTP.

The most recent grant was awarded last year, when NetApp announced plans to create 460 jobs and invest more than $75 million in a new research and development facility in RTP.

NetApp is not eligible to receive its first payment from last year's grant until 2014.

A company official said this week that the staff cuts aren't expected to prevent NetApp from meeting annual investment and job growth milestones. NetApp plans to cut 900 workers worldwide, about 7.5 percent of its global workforce.

Under the terms of the 2012 grant, NetApp must retain 1,450 jobs in the Triangle in addition to the 460 it plans to add in order to receive payments. It must sustain the new jobs for 10 years to qualify for $11.8 million in state grants.

NetApp created 506 jobs under its 2004 incentives grant as of 2011, the latest year for which data is available. That is well above the 361 it had planned. Investment totaled $86.3 million, more than the $60.8 million targeted.

Under its 2007 grant, NetApp created 756 jobs as of 2011, above the 646 it expected. Investment totaled $64 million, compared to the $41.5 million it had targeted.

The average annual wage of the jobs NetApp has created has also exceeded targets. Under the 2004 grant, the average wage was $149,465 in 2011. Under the 2007 grant, the average wage was $121,374.

Today NetApp employs more than 1,500 people in RTP.

The company could end up received more than $35 million in state and local incentives if its meets investment and hiring goals.

Farmers' Market has ATM

jaydub — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:58:37 -0400

Durham Farmers' Market has joined the 21st century: Its first ATM was installed Thursday and will be ready to use Saturday after a 7:50 a.m. unveiling.

According to market Manager Erin Kauffman, the ATM has been a work in progress for a long time. Some of its fees are to be used for funding another work in progress, a Food Stamp program the Farmers Market hopes to have in operation by the end of this year.

Deal alert: Kroger to offer quadruple gas points on gift cards

AmyDunn — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:37:15 -0400

Starting Thursday, May 30, Kroger will be offering its popular quadruple gasoline rewards promotion when you purchase gift cards.

When readers ask for my favorite ways to save money, this deal always ranks in my top five.

Here's how it works:

Using your Kroger loyalty card, purchase gift cards for other retailers. For instance, if you do a lot of shopping at Target, Macy's or Home Depot, why not do your shopping with a gift card purchased at Kroger.

A $100 gift card will give you 400 fuel reward points, which amounts to a 40-cent discount on gasoline at Kroger gas stations. (Or, use your discount 10 cents at a time at Shell stations.)

You can redeem up to 1,000 points at the pump, which is a $1 per gallon savings, up to 35 gallons.

My best advice on how to work this deal: Always have a specific use in mind when buying the gift cards. For instance:

Buy the gift cards as gifts. With Father's Day coming up and graduation season underway, consider purchasing a gift card.

Or buy a gift card, then use it yourself to purchase the gift for dad or a grad.

Or buy a gift card to use in your regular shopping at the stores you regularly frequent.

The quadruple points deal starts May 30 and runs through June 26. The promotion is on top of the double-points deal Kroger is offering each weekend on grocery purchases through June 30, which you can read about HERE.

Head over HERE for tips and tricks on how to work this gasoline deal to your advantage and read how I scored gasoline for three cars for just $1.60 per gallon.

Weather radios should be in every home

nmorock — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:08:13 -0400

After watching the tragedy in Oklahoma unfold earlier this week and seeing the aftermath on the news for days afterward, a friend of mine asked me if there was a NOAA weather radio that I would recommend. What a great question!

While there is no make or model that I favor in particular, there are a couple of things to look for in a NOAA weather radio that will make owning one a bit easier. It used to be that you bought the radio, turned it on, and then received any watch or warning sent out in your region. You might have channels from which to choose, but you had nothing to regulate what alerts sounded. You might be in Wake County and have to listen to an alert for Cumberland, and it would feel like there were a lot of false alarms in your life.

Now, weather radios are available with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology, which lets you program in your own county code. When programmed correctly, a SAME NOAA weather radio will only sound an alarm when a warning is for your county, thus eliminating “false” alarms. You know when you hear that alert that you really do need to pay attention.

Another important feature to look for in a weather radio is backup battery power. Think about it. When the power goes out, without a battery backup, how will your radio still work?

Ask any meteorologist, and they will tell you that every home should have a NOAA weather radio. In fact, every business should, too. It’s an investment worth making similar to a smoke detector. You don’t install a smoke detector because you think you will have a fire. You install one just in case you ever do have a fire. So, why would you not have a system in your home that would automatically alert you in case of severe weather including tornadoes? In a situation where every second counts, a NOAA weather radio can make a difference by alerting you to a warning faster than any other way to receive it.

No coupons for holiday weekend

AmyDunn — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:00:37 -0400

It's a holiday weekend coming up, which means there won't be any coupons in Sunday's newspaper.

Take some time off from your coupons. Or, if you're like me and are hopelessly behind, take the time to get caught up on your coupon chores.

Look for an updated version of the database early Sunday morning, as usual, along with posts detailing the best deals at the drugstores and Kroger.

Looking at Wake County superintendent finalist Ann Clark

KeungHui — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

Let's take a look now at Ann Clark, one of the three finalists for Wake County schools superintendent.

Clark is the deputy superintendent for the Charlotte-Mekcklenburg school system. Although she's the only finalist who doesn't have superintendent experience, she is the no. 2 person in the 141,000-student district that's comparable to Wake in size.

"She has a lot of experience even though she’s never been a superintendent," said Wake school board chairman Keith Sutton.

One of the things that Wake school board members say caught their eye is that Clark said she started out as a school bus driver.

“We have someone who has a unique story. She started as a bus driver and rose through the ranks," Sutton said.

Click here for Clark's bio.

Clark started out her career in 1973 as as an elementary school teacher in Virginia Beach, where James Merrill, one of the other finalists, is superintendent.

But Clark's career has been noted for her time in Charlotte, where she started in 1983 as a special-education teacher.

“I know that all children can learn,” Clark says in the bio. “Teaching every child effectively is the responsibility and the privilege of public education.”

Clark rose through the ranks and in 1994 was named MetLife/NASSP National Principal of the Year. She was a principal at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Clark was promoted to central office, with stints as assistant superintendent for high school curriculum and instruction, regional superintendent for high schools and associate superintendent of education services.

By 2012, Clark was Charlotte-Mecklenburg's chief academic officer and one of the three finalists for superintendent.

An April 9, 2012 Charlotte Observer article notes how Clark had spent much of the past two years selling business and foundation leaders on a push to help CMS transform schools. Leaders of Project L.I.F.T., a quest to raise $55 million for nine West Charlotte Corridor schools, said in the article that Clark has no problem building bonds outside the educational hierarchy.

Clark worked to get Project L.I.F.T. up and running.

The article also said that Clark "has invested her life and career in CMS," is "respected by many in the CMS workforce, including some eager to see a superintendent who understands this community and its classrooms" and "wins praise for her intellect, her loyalty and her enthusiasm for new ideas."

The article also noted that she had ruffled feathers.

"One of her passions is identifying talent and preparing people to lead schools," according to the article. "This year, CMS has seen a wave of retirements, resignations and job changes among principals, and some have grumbled that Clark has contributed to pushing out veterans."

The Charlotte Mecklenburg school ultimately hired Heath Morrison, superintendent of the Washoe County schools in Nevada.

Morrison named Clark to the position of deputy superintendent, where she kept her old duties as lead administrator in academics while taking on oversight of human resources, testing and data.

Morrison and Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board members praised Clark, saying she'd make a good superintendent for Wake.

"We're excited for Ann," Morrison said. "It's certainly mixed feelings. She'd be a loss, but as leader of Wake she would be a strong partner in working with the state. Wake and CMS combined have about 20 percent of the state's public school students."

Morrison added that he knows all three Wake finalists and that "Wake's going to get a good superintendent."

Ericka Ellis-Stewart, who chaired the CMS board during last year's superintendent hiring, said Clark's lack of experience as a superintendent didn't count against her because Clark had proven herself in so many areas working with CMS.

"I know that she would be a great candidate" for Wake, she said. "She's a solid educator with a strong background. I think she would have a lot to offer."

Ellis-Stewart also said she was not surprised that Clark applied, given her clear interest in being a superintendent.

CMS board member Eric Davis said he was "not at all" surprised when Clark's name came up as a Wake finalist. She has made her aspirations to lead a district clear, he said, and her experience in one of the state's two largest districts makes her a good match.

Davis said he does not think Clark lacks experience to lead a district. He noted that CMS, like Wake, is far larger than most school districts in North Carolina. Clark has more leadership experience than most superintendents, he said: "I'd say she has terrific superintendent experience."

"You will not find another person more committed with her heart, soul and mind to improving the education of students in North Carolina," Davis said. "You will find none better."

Davis said losing Clark would be a blow to CMS, but "there's a lot of students in North Carolina that deserve to have Ann Clark as superintendent."

(Thanks to Ann Doss Helms of the Charlotte Observer for the CMS interviews.)

Sutton said that while Clark hasn't been a superintendent, she has overseen an $850 million budget, worked in a wide range of areas in Charlotte, worked on the district’s school bond construction programs and has been one of the district’s spokeswomen.

Tim Simmons, vice president of the Wake Education Partnership, also said that Clark has an advantage over the other finalists in that she's currently working in a district which is close to Wake's size.

While Merrill worked in Wake 13 years and tens of thousand of students ago, he's now leading a 70,000-student district.

Dana Bedden leads a 35,000 student district in Texas.

One part of Clark's resume that could either draw a praise or criticism is that she graduated from the Broad Superintendents Academy in 2010. Critics of former Superintendent Tony Tata remember that he too graduated from Broad.

Clark was part of the team that worked to win the Broad prize in 2011 for Charlotte.

Sutton acknowledged that some board members considered Clark's ties to Broad a positive and others considered it to be a negative. But what he said was ultimately most important was that Clark was a career educator.

While Broad trains non-educators such as Tata, it also attracts career educators too.

Sutton said Clark was asked about why she attended Broad. Her response was that she considered it to be a professional development piece for her.

Cheap milk at Harris Teeter this Saturday

AmyDunn — Fri, 24 May 2013 08:36:43 -0400

If milk is on your grocery list, don't miss out on Harris Teeter's upcoming one-day deal.

Saturday only, milk will be just $2.57 per gallon when you use your customer loyalty card.

It's the Saturday E-Vic special, meaning its only available on Saturday to customers who use their loyalty cards.

There's a two-gallon limit.

What to Watch on Friday: Lifetime movie murder and climbing Everest in '63

brookecain — Fri, 24 May 2013 08:30:00 -0400

Americans on Everest (8pm, NGC) - This classic National Geographic special documents an American assault on Mount Everest in 1963. Cameras follow the team as it trains in Washington, then through the arrival in Nepal, the trek across the base and the slow battle to the top. Filmed by Norman G. Dyhrenfurth and narrated by Orson Welles.

The Perfect Boss (8pm, Lifetime) - A new Lifetime movie in which a businesswoman turns to murder when a colleague threatens to expose their pharmaceutical company's dangerous new drug and block its approval.

Rock Center with Brian Williams (10pm, NBC) - No programming information was listed in advance for this or "20/20" on ABC (also at 10) but more coverage of the devastation in Oklahoma is a safe bet.

Mystery Diners (10pm, Food) - The husband and wife owners of N'awlins Cafe in New Orleans ask for help getting to the root of why their restaurant isn't thriving. Charles and his team discover that the manager has staffed the place with her friends, many of whom are not qualified.

Ryan Kelly engaged to longtime girlfriend Lindsay Cowher

laura_keeley — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:51:29 -0400

Lindsay Cowher has a new ring. Credit: RYAN KELLY'S TWITTER

Here at Duke Now, we're into hard news and analysis. But we (and by that, I really mean me) have a softer side, too.

So when we (that just sounds better) saw on Twitter that longtime pair Ryan Kelly and Lindsay Cowher were engaged, we decided to share the good news. Above is a picture of Ms. Cowher's new hardware. Below is the reaction of some of Kelly's teammates.

According to details gleamed from Twitter, the proposal came in Raleigh's Durant Nature Park. And yes, Lindsay is the daughter of former Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

Congratulations to the happy couple

For all the latest Duke news, like Duke NOW on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

Wake County holding forum for superintendent finalists Tuesday at Memorial Auditorium

KeungHui — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:04:16 -0400

Wake County school leaders have announced the date, time and location for the public to meet the three finalists for schools superintendent.

The forum will take place Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 East South Street, Raleigh. The forum is part of a two-day series of events for the three people vying to replace Tony Tata as Wake’s permanent superintendent.

The word is that you'll have to submit your questions in writing. A moderator will determine which ones to ask.

The school board will hold private, final interviews with the candidates on Wednesday. The board will then meet behind closed doors to attempt to agree that day on which person they will enter into contract negotiations with for the position.

School board chairman Keith Sutton said he hopes to hold the official vote hiring the new superintendent on June 4. He said he expects the new superintendent will start in August.

UPDATE/CORRECTION

The school system sent out a press release this morning correcting the time the forum will run from Tuesday. It will go from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Overture nets $8 million in funding

johnmurawski — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:28:49 -0400

Overture, a Triangle technology survivor of the dot-com bust, has raised $8 million in its latest round of capitalization.

The 200-employee company said the funding round includes an option to raise up to $11.7 million. Overture, which has raised more than $50 million in its 13-year history, did not disclose the identity of its latest funders.

Overture said also it has opened offices in Massachusetts and in India to augment its existing engineering team in Morrisville.

Overture supplies hardware, software and services used by communications service providers like AT&T and Windstream to provide commercial data service, residential broadband and mobile service.

The company, which employs about 140 people at its Morrisville office, is the product of a 2011 merger of two local tech competitors: Overture Networks and Hatteras Networks, both founded in 2000.

Attorney General Cooper files suit against debt settlement firm

dbracken — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:11:51 -0400

Attorney General Roy Cooper has ordered debt settlement firm World Law Group to stop collecting what his office says are illegal upfront fees.

Cooper filed a lawsuit this week against Swift Rock Financial of Austin, Tex., which also operates as World Law Group, and the company's owner, Derin Scott.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning Jr. on Thursday approved Cooper's request to halt World Law Group from offering debt settlement services in the state. The company can't enter into contracts with consumers while the case is going forward.

Cooper is seeking to stop the company's practices as well as get refunds for consumers.

North Carolina consumers have paid more than $4.1 million in debt settlement fees since 2010 to the firm, according to the AG's complaint. World Law Group collected more than $2.6 million for itself and used only $527,00 to pay consumers' creditors.

“Schemes like this dig consumers deeper into debt and also tie up our courts with bogus legal claims,” Cooper said in a statement. “Consumers struggling to tackle their debts deserve legitimate help, not someone trying to make a quick buck off of them.”

PowerSecure inks $4.3 million in acquisitions

johnmurawski — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:09:57 -0400

PowerSecure International, the fast-growing Wake Forest energy services company, announced a series of acquisitions Thursday valued at $4.3 million.

The 700-employee company said it bought the final 10 percent ownership stake from Southern Energy Management and the final 33 percent ownership stake in IES LED lighting business. Both acquisitions had been previously announced with options to buy out the entire business.

PowerSecure also said it acquired Powerline EHV & Safety Training, a utility infrastructure safety training business. This acquisition strengthens PowerSecure's focus on safety industrial programs, the company said.

PowerSecure has several lines of business: solar panel installations, high-efficiency lighting, emergency power generators,and utility infrastructure maintenance and services.

Giveaway on Mouthful blog: Bon Appetit's "The Grilling Book" and a pair of grilling gloves

AmyDunn — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:10:07 -0400

Andrea Weigl, our food writer and author of our Mouthful blog, has got a nice giveaway going on.

Leave a comment on her blog and you'll be entered to win a copy of "The Grilling Book" from Bon Appetit and a pair of grilling gloves from Trudeau.

You have until noon, Friday, May 31st to enter. Andrea will pick a winner at random.

And a friendly reminder: Don't leave a comment on this post. You must comment on Andrea's blog to be entered.

Mike Krzyzewski committed to 2016 Olympics, Duke

laura_keeley — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:47:53 -0400

Mike Krzyzewski isn't planning on leaving the Duke sideline anytime soon. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

Flanked by Duke president Richard Brodhead and athletic director Kevin White, Mike Krzyzewski announced that he would return at USA Basketball’s head coach for a third Olympics.

He also talked about his long-term commitment to Duke.

“You’ve got to stay sharp. I’m coaching in the best league with the best competition, the best players, that I can,” Krzyzewski said. “I wasn’t sure before London just how much longer I might coach. Not that I gave a timeframe, but I don’t see an end. I’m not going to end before the Olympics.”

He joked that he needed to follow up with Brodhead about his contract extension.

Krzyzewski is the winningest college coach in Division I history, with a 957-297 career record in his 38-year career, 33 of which have been at Duke. Internationally, USA basketball is 62-1 since he took over as head coach in 2005.

Click here for more from Krzyzewski on Duke and USA Basketball.

Click here to read about what Krzyzewski did after his Olympics media obligations finished up.

For all the latest Duke news, like Duke NOW on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

Prius, Tesla, Volt drivers et al: Ready to pay new hybrid / electric car fees?

BruceSiceloff — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:48:50 -0400

If the state Senate gets its way, North Carolina will join a small but growing number of states that collect extra fees or taxes from drivers of all-electric cars and hybrid fuel-electric cars.

I'm reporting on this issue. I'd like to hear from drivers of all types of cars: electrics, hybrids, and old-school fuel: What do you think about the proposed new fees? Please email me with your name and daytime contact info. Tell me your name, what car you drive, and what MPG you're getting.

The budget rolling through the Senate this week includes new annual fees of $100 for plug-in, electric-only cars and $50 for hybrids. The Senate figures this would generate an extra $1.5 million a year for state transportation needs.

The rationale for electric cars is straightforward: They use our public roads, but their drivers don't pay the fuel taxes that help build and maintain the roads.

When it comes to hybrids, the issue is murkier: They use gas or diesel fuel, so their drivers already pay fuel taxes. Are hybrid owners to be penalized for taking steps to improve their fuel economy?

Here's the budget language:

ADDITIONAL ANNUAL FEE FOR ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLES

SECTION 34.21.(a) G.S. 20‑87 is amended by adding the following new subdivisions to read:

"(13) Additional fee for certain electric vehicles. – At the time of an initial registration or registration renewal, the owner of a plug‑in electric vehicle that is not a low‑speed vehicle and that does not rely on a nonelectric source of power shall pay a fee in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00) in addition to any other required registration fees.

(14) Additional fee for certain hybrid vehicles. – At the time of an initial registration, or registration renewal, the owner of a hybrid vehicle that is not a low‑speed vehicle shall pay a fee in the amount of fifty dollars ($50.00) in addition to any other required registration fees."

What would you ask the Wake County superintendent finalists?

KeungHui — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:33:40 -0400

If you had a chance to ask a question to the three finalists for Wake County schools superintendent, what would it be?

Would you ask about student assignment, academic achievement, school budget or school construction? Or would you ask something else to the person who will be in charge of leading the 150,000-student school system?

Share your question on the blog or shoot me an email at khui@newsobserver.com. We may run some of them in print on Tuesday.

Canes changing up uniforms

chipalexander — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:59:42 -0400

The Carolina Hurricanes won't just be playing in a new NHL division next season. They'll also have a new look on the ice.

The Canes are significantly changing up their home and road uniforms for the first time in their 15-year-history in North Carolina. The team will unveil the new uniforms June 4 at PNC Arena.

The team said Thursday that the Hurricanes logo and colors will not change. But the sweaters, pants and socks will have a new design.

The Canes, under the NHL's realignment, will be playing in a new division with the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Target launches 'Cartwheel' coupon program

AmyDunn — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:42:59 -0400

Target has launched a new coupon program that gives shoppers another way to save at the big-box retailer.

The best part for price-conscious shoppers: these new "Cartwheel" coupons can be combined -- or stacked -- with manufacturer coupons and Target coupons.

If you participate in the Ibotta savings program using your smartphone, which I wrote about HERE, you have the potential for quadruple savings.

And in a move to appeal to the tech-savvy as well as old-school shoppers, the coupons can be redeemed using a smartphone or they can be printed on paper and redeemed the old-fashioned way. A single swipe of the barcode redeems all your Cartwheel savings.

Another big plus: many of the Cartwheel coupons are on items for basics such a eggs, produce, bread, shoes and bedding.

The discounts generally range from 5 percent to 20 percent off.

Sign up for Cartwheel on the Target Facebook page. Once you're signed up, you can access your account on your computer, tablet or smartphone at cartwheel.target.com.

Initially, you may choose up to 10 offers at a time, but as you use Cartwheel, you'll be able to add more coupons.

You may use each Cartwheel coupon on up to four items. So, for instance, if you buy two dozen eggs and four pairs of shoes, you'll get the discount on each item.

For help setting up your Cartwheel account, check out the FAQ HERE.

Earn extra fuel rewards at Kroger through June 30

AmyDunn — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:24:47 -0400

Kroger is offering shoppers the chance to earn double fuel rewards.

Every weekend through June 30, shoppers will get double the normal fuel rewards on most grocery purchases.

The offer is good on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Download a gas-savings digital coupon on Kroger.com to take advantage of the deal. Or clip the paper coupon in last week's or this week's circular.

Redeem up to 1,000 points for up to $1 savings in gasoline at Kroger gas stations, up to 35 gallons. Or redeem the rewards 100 points at a time for a dime off the price of gas at Shell stations.

NCHSAA baseball playoffs: East regional series starts Thursday

jmikeblake — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:08:28 -0400

Garner enters the postseason as the N&O's top-ranked area baseball team.

Below are all of the match-ups in the baseball playoffs and we've updated this blog with links to our coverage from every round. The best-of-three series is scheduled to start Thursday. Fuquay-Varina (4A) has advanced to the East final series, while Orange (3A), Northwood (2A) and Voyager Academy (1A) have done the same.

4A
1st round
Person at Garner; Knightdale at New Bern; (Wilmington) Ashley at (Fayetteville) Terry Sanford; (Fayetteville) Jack Britt at Scotland County; Harnett Central at Richmond County; West Johnston at (Fayetteville) Cape Fear; (Fayetteville) Pine Forest at (Wilmington) Hoggard; (Wilmington) Laney at Clayton // Heritage at Riverside; Broughton at Green Hope; (Southern Pines) Pinecrest at Millbrook; Jordan at Holly Springs; East Chapel Hill at Fuquay-Varina; Leesville Road at (Pembroke) Swett; Middle Creek at Northern Durham; Apex at Sanderson
2nd round
New Bern at Garner; Scotland at Terry Sanford; West Johnston at Richmond; Clayton at Hoggard // Green Hope at Riverside; Holly Springs at Millbrook; Leesville Road at Fuquay-Varina; Middle Creek at Sanderson
3rd round
Terry Sanford at Garner; Hoggard at Richmond // Holly Springs at Green Hope; Middle Creek at Fuquay-Varina
4th round
Garner at Richmond // Green Hope at Fuquay-Varina
East regional best-of-three series (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
G1: Richmond County def. Fuquay-Varina
G2: Richmond County at Fuquay-Varina
(G3: Fuquay-Varina at Richmond County)

3A
1st round
West Craven at (Wilson) Hunt; South Johnston at West Brunswick; Eastern Wayne at (Winterville) South Central; Jacksonville at (Pikeville) CB Aycock; (Wilson) Fike at Currituck County; West Carteret at Rocky Mount; Hertford County at South Brunswick; Nash Central at (Greenville) DH Conley // (Thomasville) Ledford at Gray's Creek; (Cameron) Union Pines at Eastern Alamance; (Burlington) Williams at Orange; Northern Guilford at Chapel Hill; Eastern Guilford at Western Harnett; Southern Guilford at Cardinal Gibbons; Northern Vance at Western Alamance; Southern Lee at Triton
2nd round
West Brunswick at West Craven; Jacksonville at South Central; South Brunswick at DH Conley; West Carteret at Currituck // Eastern Alamance at Gray's Creek; Northern Guilford at Orange; Eastern Guilford at Cardinal Gibbons; Triton at Western Alamance
3rd round
Jacksonville at West Brunswick; DH Conley at Currituck // Orange at Gray's Creek; Eastern Guilford at Western Alamance
4th round
DH Conley at West Brunswick // Eastern Guilford at Orange
East regional best-of-three series (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
G1: DH Conley def. Orange
G2: Orange at DH Conley
(G3: DH Conley at Orange)

2A
1st round
Louisburg at Northwood ; Corinth Holders at Greene Central; Cedar Ridge at (Kill Devil Hills) First Flight; (Wilson) Beddingfield at Roanoke Rapids; North Johnston at North Pitt; Pasquotank County at South Granville; Tarboro at Bunn; Carrboro at (Edenton) Holmes // Clinton at Whiteville; Eastern Randolph at St. Pauls; Richlands at Topsail; Swansboro at Jordan-Matthews; Reidsville at Fairmont; South Columbus at (Newport) Croatan; Farmville Central at (Climax) Providence Grove; South Lenior at North Brunswick
2nd round
Corinth Holders at Northwood; Roanoke Rapids at First Flight; South Granville at North Pitt; Tarboro at Carrboro // Clinton at Eastern Randolph; Swansboro at Topsail; South Columbus at Fairmont; North Brunswick at Providence Grove
3rd round
First Flight at Northwood; Carrboro at North Pitt // Eastern Randolph at Topsail; North Brunswick at Fairmont
4th round
Carrboro at Northwood // North Brunswick at Topsail
East regional best-of-three series (Friday, Saturday, Monday)
G1: North Brunswick at Northwood
G2: Northwood at North Brunswick
(G3: North Brunswick at Northwood)

1A
1st round
(Pinetown) Northside at Gates County; Southeast Halifax at Roxboro Community; KIPP Pride at Voyager Academy; Camden County at Northampton County; Plymouth at Mattamuskeet; Franklin Academy at Perquimans; Creswell at Riverside-Martin; South Creek at Columbia // Jones County at North Duplin; Pender County at West Columbus; Rosewood at East Carteret; (Holly Ridge) Dixon at Ayden-Grifton; (Clinton) Union at Red Springs; (Seven Springs) Spring Creek at Wallace-Rose Hill; South Robeson at Midway; (Rocky Point) at Pamlico County
2nd round
Roxboro Community at Gates; Camden County at Voyager Academy; Perquimans at Plymouth; South Creek at Riverside-Martin // West Columbus at North Duplin; Dixon at East Carteret; Union at Spring Creek; Pamlico County at Midway
3rd round
Roxboro Community at Voyager Academy; Perquimans at Riverside-Martin // Dixon at North Duplin; Union at Midway
4th round
Riverside-Martin at Voyager Academy // Dixon at Midway
East regional best-of-three series (Friday, Saturday, Monday)
G1: Voyager Academy at Midway
G2: Midway at Voyager Academy - at Southern Durham
(G3: Midway at Voyager Academy - at Southern Durham)

Two freebies coming up at Panda Express

AmyDunn — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:47:08 -0400

Panda Express wants you to know its restaurants are open after 9 p.m. this summer so its offering two late-night freebies.

Stop in after 9 p.m. on May 31 and June 21 to pick up a free single serving of Orange chicken.

Starting tomorrow, May 23, print your coupon on the Panda Express Facebook page.

In the Triangle, there are Panda Express locations in Apex and at Duke University's Bryan Center.

A chance to meet chef Edward Lee, a former "Top Chef" contestant

amweigl — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:26:22 -0400

“Top Chef” contestant Edward Lee is coming to Fearrington Village to promote his cookbook, “Smoke & Pickles.”

At 6 p.m. June 5, Fearrington is hosting a barbecue picnic dinner with Lee as a special guest. This is part of McIntyre’s Books’ “Books and Cooks” series of events.

Lee is the chef and owner of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Ky, a three-time finalist for best chef in the Southeast from the James Beard Foundation and was a contestant on the 2012 season of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen will introduce Lee at the event.

Tickets cost $85 for the meal, a tasting of beer and an autographed copy of Lee’s book.

The event’s menu includes recipes from Lee’s cookbook: pulled lamb barbecue, lime beef salad, adobo-fried chicken and waffles, pork ribs and sauerkraut with horseradish, rice bowl with tuna, pork rinds and jalapeno remoulade sides, green tomato kimchi, soft grits, bourbon ginger glazed carrots, fried green tomato and cilantro relish, bacon candy and curried cashews, fried pickles, kimchi poutine, whiskey ginger cake with pear salad and a coconut rice pudding brulee.

Call 919-542-3030 to reserve tickets.

What to Watch on Thursday: A don't-miss Mel Brooks doc and Anne Heche in 'Save Me'

brookecain — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:30:00 -0400

Hell's Kitchen (8pm, Fox) - The remaining eight chefs are challenged to create ethnic dishes using specific ingredients, and a top-performing chef makes major mistakes during dinner service.

Save Me (8pm, NBC) - Never heard of this one? Yeah, well, don't get attached. There may be no saving this stealthy new Anne Heche sitcom. Two new episodes launch the series (and two air each Thursday at 8 until they're gone), which is about a suburban housewife (Heche) whose near-death experience transforms her into a modern-day prophet with a direct line to God.

Motive (9pm, ABC) - This new Canadian import, which debuted Monday night after "Dancing with the Stars," moves into its regular timeslot tonight.

Does Someone Have to Go? (9pm, Fox) - If you've ever thought, "A network should build a reality series in which people get fired from their jobs," then this is for you.

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise (10pm, UNCTV) - This is being described as one of the most incredible American Masters installments in a long time: a profile of Mel Brooks, the comic mastermind behind classics like "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein." The profile features insight from friends and associates, including Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman, Carl Reiner and Joan Rivers, as well as archival comments from his wife of 41 years, the late Anne Bancroft. Don't miss this one.

Hannibal (10pm, NBC) - Still no word on whether NBC is going to re-up this one for a second season, but I don't even care at this point. I'm just enjoying what we have now. Tonight, the team tracks a serial killer who digs up victims, creating a totem pole of their bodies. Elsewhere, Abigail is questioned about a death as some of her secrets come to light.

Rookie Blue (10pm, ABC) - Andy and Nick go missing during an undercover operation in the Season 4 premiere.

Looking at Wake County superintendent finalist Dana Bedden

KeungHui — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

I'm going to do separate posts, probably one per day, about the three finalists for Wake County schools superintendent.

Today's article has an overview of all three finalists. I'm going to start first with Dana Bedden, superintendent of the Irving Independent School District in Texas, as he's the least known locally.

Bedden was also the lone finalist willing to talk Wednesday. He called close to deadline so I was only able to put a fraction of what he said in the print article. Consider this the bonus coverage.

Click here to read the Bedden's bio.

In addition to his education experience, Bedden was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, serving some stints of active duty when his unit was called up. Bedden said he was accepted into West Point but chose to go instead to the University of Florida.

Click here for a letter from Bedden that he sent to the staff of the 35,000-student district that's a summary of his tenure as superintendent.

Bedden said he started during a period when Texas was starting the new STAAR testing system and implementing a major state education budget reduction.

After the initial hit, Bedden said they weathered through the challenges to raise teacher pay and avoid more layoffs while not raising taxes and maintaining their financial ratings. While Bedden said it's not something he could necessarily do in Wake, he proudly noted that the starting teacher salary in Irving will now be $50,000 a year.

At the same time, Bedden said he worked to address the adversarial relationship that he had inherited between the school system and business community. He said it's improved to the point now where the local chamber of commerce is raising money for the school system.

Bedden also pointed to increased parental involvement at schools through the " Our House Is Your House" campaign. He said there's now a parent center established at every school.

Bedden said that while they're not saying that all schools should be exactly the same, they're working to set the same expectations for what they should all be doing.

“Every decision I’ve made is based on how we can make our children successful,” Bedden said.

Bedden also pointed to how he commissioned an audit of the special education program.

In terms of academics, Bedden said that the SAT participation rate has shot up from 39 percent to 85 percent. While the scores are still below the state average, Bedden said they've gone up even as more students take the exam.

Bedden also pointed to how the numbers of students taking Advanced Placement exams is going up along with the percent who are passing by getting 3s or higher.

Bedden noted that Irving is one of 487 districts nationwide invited to participate in the AP STEM Access program. The program was created to increase the number of traditionally underrepresented minority and female high school students taking Advanced Placement courses in STEM disciplines.

While 82 percent of Irving's students receive free-and-reduced lunch, Bedden said that shouldn't be a road block or a barrier to academic success.

Bedden said they've increased foreign language instruction to the point where students can be trilingual instead of just bilingual.

They've also increased the number of students participating in performing arts programs during the tight budget times, according to Bedden.

"He was really progressive when he came here,” said Gwen Craig, who until recently was a member of the Irving school board, called the board of trustees. “He’s done a wonderful job of leading the district.”

Bedden was unanimously hired by the Irving board of trustees in 2010. But, after the May 11 election, six of the seven board seats are now held by Bedden's critics.

At the first meeting Monday of the new Irving board, the new majority announced plans to hold a special closed-session meeting Friday to review Bedden’s performance.

Bedden has clashed with some board members about having replaced a staff-developed curriculum with a third-party curriculum and for expanding a program that allows Spanish-speaking students to take some of their core classes in their native language through fifth-grade. The new board majority has advocated rolling back those programs.

For instance, the Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday that the new Irving board dropped the CSCOPE curriculum Monday against staff’s advice,

The article says that about three-quarters of Texas school districts buy the suite of teacher guides and lesson plans instead of writing their own curriculum. Irving ISD is one of the first to drop the program.

The article says that conservative groups across the state claimed CSCOPE’s lessons contained socialist and Islamist propaganda.

Craig and former board president Rose Huffstetler both charge that the real problem isn’t Bedden’s job performance. They say he’s in danger of being fired from Irving, a city outside of Dallas, because of his race.

“Irving is a white community and we have an African-American man,” Craig said. “They’ve never given him a chance.”

Both former board members predict the new majority will fire Bedden, something they say is undeserved.

Steven Jones, president of the Irving board and a longtime critic of Bedden, did not return a request for comment Wednesday.

Bedden has been reluctant to publicly criticize board members. He declined to say if he felt race was behind his current difficulties with the board.

"I can't speak for other people," Bedden said. "Every day I come in ready and focused on improving the district's performance."

Bedden said that he is lawfully required to carry out any action by a majority of the board that doesn't violate state law or doesn't violate ethics.

Bedden said his job is to advise the school board. If they reject his advice then it's his job to go back to the drawing board and come up with something else.

Despite the job uncertainty, Bedden said he didn't seek the Wake job. He said he was contacted by McPherson & Jacobson, the board's search firm. He noted that his wife grew up in Wake and his son now attends UNC-Chapel Hill.

“It’s one of the best districts in the country,” Bedden said. “It’s also an opportunity to bring my family home. It’s a win-win situation.”

Bedden said he's also aware of the controversy in Wake that has seen superintendents exit at a rapid rate over the past three years.

"I want to see if I can be part of moving the district forward and providing some stability," Bedden said. "I don't want to add to the revolving cycle."

Wake school board chairman Keith Sutton said they hadn’t been aware of Bedden’s difficulties with his board when they decided to name him a finalist. But Sutton said he doesn’t think it will hurt his chances.

“He’s been a superintendent with three different districts so we know he’s capable, he’s experienced,” Sutton said. “The board change is something that’s happened here where there’s been a change in political philosophy. That happens.”

Wake school board member Tom Benton said that Bedden offered a compelling vision for what he’d like to do in Wake.

Craig and Huffstetler both say Bedden is capable of leading Wake, which is more than four times the size of Irving.

2013 Tri-9 softball all-conference awards, stat leaders, season standings and postseason finishes

jmikeblake — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:39:11 -0400

Apex softball was the Tri-9 Conference champ.

One blog with all of the all-conference performers links to postseason stories and final season standings for the 2013 Tri-Nine Conference softball season.

Want previous years?

2013 ALL CONFERENCE TEAM
Player of the Year -- Lindsay Hodge, junior, Apex	P
Coach of the Year -- Robbie Wray, Middle Creek

First Team
Lindsay Hodge, junior, Apex	P
Chandler Patterson, junior, Lee County	SS
Cassie Healy, sophomore, Apex	SS
Kiley Majette, sophomore, Middle Creek	P
Lexi Ross, senior, Green Hope	C/3B
Alexis Overdiep, junior, Apex	C
Tanya Van Dyk, senior, Athens Drive	SS/P
Heather Ratcliff, senior, Fuquay-Varina	P
Emily Libero, senior, Cary	2B
Ali Then, junior, Green Hope	P/1B

Second Team
Ashlyn Long, freshman, Fuquay-Varina	CF
Megan Walker, sophomore, Middle Creek	OF
Nikki Hoover, senior, Lee County	C
Madison Thompson, junior, Panther Creek	CF
Allie Burghardt, sophomore, Middle Creek	3B/CF
Olivia Barrata, junior, Athens Drive	C
Priscilla Sanchez, sophomore, Cary
Katlyn Hillesland, junior, Holly Springs	INF
Megan Tarpey, sophomore, Fuquay-Varina	C
Mackenzie Brown, junior, Apex	1B

**Conference Standings**
Team	Overall Record	Tri-9 Record
1. Apex	20-2	15-1
2. Middle Creek	19-5	14-2
3. Fuquay-Varina	14-5	12-4
4. Green Hope	14-8	9-7
5. Holly Springs	7-12	7-9
T6. Athens Drive	10-13	5-11
T6. Cary	7-13	5-11
8. Lee County	6-15	4-12
9. Panther Creek	1-15	1-15

Playoff links

First round

1-Apex defeats Northern Durham

2-Middle Creek defeats Leesville Road

3-Fuquay-Varina defeats East Chapel Hill

4-Green Hope defeats Riverside

5-Holly Springs loses to Wake Forest-Rolesville

WC-Athens Drive loses to Garner

Second round

1-Apex defeats Lumberton

2-Middle Creek defeats Wakefield

3-Fuquay-Varina defeats (Southern Pines) Pinecrest

4-Green Hope loses to Wake Forest-Rolesville

Third round

1-Apex loses to Wake Forest-Rolesville

2-Middle Creek defeats 3-Fuquay-Varina

Fourth round

2-Middle Creek loses to Wake Forest-Rolesville

Pintful: Beer fight in Washington jeopardizes tax break bills

John_Frank — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:59:37 -0400

A week ago, I wrote about the beer legislation in the North Carolina state legislature. The two bills advanced to the Senate before the crossover deadline and now await further action.

The picture in Washington is a bit murkier. Get a look at the beer fight at the federal level in this week's Pintful column and a tasting of an oak-aged IPA.

Theo Pinson commits to UNC

Andrew_Carter — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:23:17 -0400

Theo Pinson, a 6-foot-6 Greensboro small forward who is among the top junior prospects in the nation, has committed to North Carolina.

Theo Pinson. Big smile. UNC wins the race. twitter.com/DaveTelep/stat…

— Dave Telep (@DaveTelep) May 22, 2013

Pinson announced his decision earlier today during a ceremony at Wesleyan Christian Academy. He chose UNC over Duke, Georgetown, Indiana and Louisville.

ESPN.com ranks Pinson the 13th-best prospect in the class of 2014. With his commitment, the Tar Heels have commitments from the No. 12, 13 and 14th-ranked prospects in the junior class, according to ESPN.com.

Before Wednesday, UNC already had commitments from Orlando point guard Joel Berry, whom ESPN.com ranks the No. 12 junior prospect in the nation. Justin Jackson, a Tomball (Texas) small forward who is ranked the No. 14 prospect in the nation, also has committed to UNC.

Outside of UNC, no other school has more than one commitment from a top-50 player in the junior class.

DWTS Finale: Recap of Kellie Pickler's big night

brookecain — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:42:10 -0400

Even the morning after, our "Dancing with the Stars" correspondent Lenni G is still pretty psyched about North Carolina native Kellie Pickler winning last night's trophy. Lenni came down off of Cloud Nine this morning just long enough to send us a recap of the show. Thanks for all the great recaps all season, Lenni!

Lenni G: After nearly two hours of entertainment from the top ten stars, the pros, Pitbull, Wynonna, Psy, and a cast of thousands, we were more than ready for the announcement of the winner of Season 16 of "Dancing with the Stars."

Have to say I was feeling a little more confident about our home girl, Kellie Pickler, when she and her partner, Derek Hough, were chosen by the viewers for the encore dance. And it wasn't just any encore dance. It was, in my opinion, the best dance of any season of the show. Of course, I'm talking about the phenomenal, brilliant, utterly perfect contemporary routine from Monday night's supersized freestyle round.

Moving on to the eliminations... In what I would consider a mild upset, Aly and Mark were the first to go. I loved watching this girl "blossom" during the season and totally agree with Mark that she was "the best student" he has ever had.

With Aly's departure, the last three couples -- Jacoby and Karina, Kellie and Derek, and Zendaya and Val -- each did an "Instant Dance."

So, just what is an "Instant Dance?" Well, the couples know what the style will be ahead of time but get the music only about 30 minutes before they must perform. As is generally the case on finale night, the judges scores for the salsa from Jacoby and Karina, the jive from Kellie and Derek, and the jive from Zendaya and Val, were all perfect 30's.

First to go of the three couples remaining were Jacoby and Karina. Totally agree with the judges that Jacoby was "a breath of fresh air" in the competition and that he definitely deserved to be in the finals. Also have to give huge props to Karina for always getting the best out of him, no matter the style.

Host Tom Bergeron then announced the winning couple: KELLIE AND DEREK!!!! Yes, North Carolina, our girl took home the vaunted Mirror Ball Trophy! Actually, Derek had to tell her they won when she seemed not to hear Bergeron make the announcement. Yep, that's our girl. Derek's comment that her dancing reminded him of his dancing sister, the fabulous Julianne Hough, said it all. She really is that good and has been all season.

Second place finishers, Zendaya and Val, were also tremendous contenders all season. As Bruno said, Zendaya is a "pitch perfect" performer and will go very, very far in her career. Keep up the good work, little girl. We need lots more 16-year-old role models like you!

Well, time to "call it a season." I am so over the moon about Kellie and Derek's win. Many, many thanks to both of you for the great ride.

-Lenni G

(Also, be sure to check out our awesome photo gallery of some of Kellie Pickler's best moments on "Dancing with the Stars.")

Check your Harris Teeter E-Vic account for free items

AmyDunn — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:12:36 -0400

Be sure to check your Harris Teeter E-Vic account today.

You may have received two digital coupons for two completely free items.

I received an E-Vic coupon for a free box of Fiber One Protein Chewy Bars, up to $4.50 in value.

And I also received a coupon for a free box of Pillsbury Toaster Struedels, up to $3.25 in value.

If you're not familiar with the E-Vic digital coupons, which sometimes are referred to as ZVRs, you'll find a link to them in your weekly Harris Teeter email.

Click to save these coupons and they will be linked to your loyalty card.

Many of the digital coupon offerings are the same, but oftentimes some folks receive a slightly different set of digital coupons.

One other note: Be sure to check your receipt before you leave the store. Harris Teeter has had problems with its digital coupon program and sometimes, the coupons don't show up. Customer service will gladly refund you the money you are owed.

What freebies, if any, did you receive from Harris Teeter?

Sonic Drive-In: 50-cent corn dogs on Thursday, May 23

AmyDunn — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:58:00 -0400

Sonic Drive-Ins locations are kicking off the summer season a little early with a special on a summer-time favorite.

Corn dogs will be 50 cents each all day long on Thursday, May 23.

Find your closest Sonic at SonicDriveIn.com.

Learn to make homemade cheese at SEEDS garden in Durham

amweigl — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:57:43 -0400

Durham’s SEEDS garden will host a homemade cheese workshop from 2-5 p.m. Saturday.

Cheese maker Laurel Shulman will offer a broad introduction to cheese, discussing its chemistry, culture and history. Then Shulman will teach how to make mozzarella and farmer’s cheese, using fresh herbs from the educational community garden to spice up the cheeses. Students are asked to bring a container to transport the cheeses.

The class costs $45 per person. To register, go to goo.gl/NEM3w.

SEEDS is at 706 Gilbert St. and the garden’s new entrance is located on Elizabeth St. across from Carlton St. The class will be in the outdoor classroom, which is in the far right of the gardens. Info: seedsnc.org.

Enter to win Bon Appetit's "The Grilling Book" and a pair of grilling gloves

amweigl — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:34:50 -0400

You know the drill. Leave a comment below this post to be entered to win a copy of "The Grilling Book" from Bon Appetit and a pair of grilling gloves from Trudeau.

You have until noon, Friday, May 31st to enter. I'll pick a winner at random.

Good luck!

Summer Hoops Preview '14: Part IV

jgiglio — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:30:02 -0400

Summer Hoops Preview '14
The Picks
Part I: Duke, UNC, N.C. State
Part II: Wake, BC, FSU, Notre Dame
Part III: Clemson, Maryland, Miami, Pitt

Syracuse

Coach: Jim Boeheim (38th season, 920-313 at Syracuse and overall)

2012-13 record: 30-10 (11-7 Big East, fifth)

Postseason: NCAA tournament, 4-1 (beat Montana, Cal, Indiana, Marquette; lost to Michigan)

Projected starting lineup: PG Tyler Ennis, F Michael Gbinije, F C.J. Fair, F Rakeem Christmas, F Jerami Grant

Plus

• Jim Boeheim keeps getting better with age. Few coaches understand how to recruit for their needs better than Boeheim, who has a specific idea of how he wants the game to be played and then he goes out and plugs the corresponding pieces into his 2-3 zone.

In the five seasons since consecutive NIT trips in 2007 and '08, Boeheim has averaged 29.8 wins per season and gone 12-5 in the NCAA tournament, including this year's trip to the Final Four. It's the most successful five-year period of Boeheim's 37-year tenure at his alma mater.

With the return of leading scorer C.J. Fair, a host of forwards built to alter shots in the zone (the Orange ranked fifth in the country in blocked shots last season), and another strong recruiting crop, Boeheim promises not to miss a beat in his first ACC season, despite the loss of talented point guard Michael Carter-Williams to the NBA.

• Georgetown didn't follow Syracuse to the ACC. Boeheim won his share of games against the Hoyas but after two regular-season losses to Georgetown last season — 57-46 at home and 61-39 at Georgetown — it looked like Syracuse had never picked up a basketball.

Georgetown was familiar with Syracuse's zone. Indiana, the fifth-highest scoring team in the country, was not. The Orange made the Hoosiers look foolish in a 61-50 Sweet 16 win in the NCAA tournament last March.

The 12 ACC teams, even Boeheim's good friend Mike Krzyzewski, won't have any level of comfort or familiarity working against Syracuse's zone.

• If you can get season tickets to Syracuse basketball, this would be a good year to invest. The Orange host UNC, Duke, Notre Dame, Indiana and Villanova in the Carrier Dome.

Minus

• While Syracuse is flush with options at forward (Rakeem Christmas, DaJuan Coleman, Jerami Grant, Baye Keita plus freshmen Tyler Roberson, B.J. Johnson and Chinonso Obokoh) the options are more limited at guard.

Tyler Ennis, one of the top point guards in the class, will be asked to replace Carter-Williams. Junior Trevor Cooney, who struggled from the 3-point line last season, freshman Ron Patterson and Duke transfer Michael Gbinije are the choices to play off the ball and next to Fair.

Even if Ennis is a suitable replacement for Carter-Williams, and every indication is he will be, there will still be the matter of who's going to consistently knock down outside shots. Cooney made 26.7 percent of his 3-point attempts last season and we didn't see enough of Gbinije at Duke (5.8 minutes in 19 games) to know if he's capable of filling Brandon Triche's role.

Bottom line

There's a temptation to play the "What if?" game with Syracuse's roster. Carter-Williams and Dion Waiters could both be juniors on this team. Only Roy Williams seems to be able to figure out how to keep elite prospects for three years, though.

Even without Carter-Williams, and with questions on the perimeter, the Orange will continue Boeheim's recent upward trend and contend for the conference title and be the right matchups away from another deep NCAA tournament run.

Returning	PPG	RPG	APG
F C.J. Fair, Sr.	14.5	7.0	0.7
F Rakeem Christmas, Jr.	5.1	4.6	0.2
F DaJuan Coleman, So.	4.8	4.0	0.2
F Jerami Grant, So.	3.9	3.0	0.5
F Baye Keita, Sr.	3.7	3.7	0.2
G Trevor Cooney, Jr.	3.4	0.8	0.6
Gone	PPG	RPG	APG
G Brandon Triche	13.6	3.4	3.6
F James Southerland	13.3	5.2	1.1
PG Michael Carter-Williams (NBA)	11.9	4.9	7.3
New	Ht.	Wt.	Rank
F Michael Gbinije (Duke), So.	6-7	200	—
PG Tyler Ennis, Fr.	6-2	180	20
F Tyler Roberson, Fr.	6-7	200	31
F B.J. Johnson, Fr.	6-7	170	82
G Ron Patterson, Fr.	6-3	195	NR
F Chinonso Obokoh, Fr.	6-10	220	NR

###

Virginia

Coach: Tony Bennett (fifth season, 76-53 at Virginia, 145-86 overall)

2012-13 record: 23-12 (11-7 ACC, fourth)

Postseason: NIT, 2-1 (beat Norfolk State, St. John's; lost to Iowa)

Projected starting lineup: PG London Perrantes, G Joe Harris, G Justin Anderson, F Akil Mitchell, F Mike Tobey

Plus

• No one in the ACC will have more options than Tony Bennett. All-ACC guard Joe Harris leads four returning starters, and the top six scorers, back from last season's fourth-place ACC finish.

In addition, sophomore guard Malcolm Brogdon, who missed the entire season with a foot injury, returns and South Carolina transfer Anthony Gill, who averaged 7.6 as a freshman, is eligible. Bennett also signed a pair of point guards, London Perrantes and Devon Hall, to replace the loss of senior replace Jontel Evans.

• Harris developed into a frontline ACC scorer last season (16.3 points per game) and both forwards Akil Mitchell (13.1 points, 8.9 rebounds per game) and Darion Atkins, before his injuries, were on track to giving Bennett legitimate inside options and you can add Gill to that list, too.

Bennett's never going to roll the ball out and give his team the green light, but the parts are there this season to be an efficient offensive basketball team, while still being one of the best defensive teams in the country.

Minus

• There's no real in-between with Bennett and his coaching style. You either like it or you don't. The "Pack line" defense does work for Bennett, as it did for his dad. The Cavaliers had no business winning 11 ACC games last season but they did.

But with more options and more talent, Bennett needs to evolve a little with a deep, veteran group. Is he going to loosen up a little on offense? Are there enough minutes to go around? Will he be able to keep everyone happy?

• Injuries kept point guard Jontel Evans from really getting in gear as a senior, he averaged 4.2 points per game. He was tough and strong defender, though. Whoever plays more defense between Perrantes or Hall will probably get the most minutes. Bennett is probably not crazy about turning the offense over to a freshman.

Bottom line

This is Bennett's chance to prove his skeptics wrong. There's talent and toughness in place, the program just needs to do a little more on offense. Maybe the Cavaliers aren't ready for the Final Four, but they are ready for a return to the NCAA tournament and another upper-division finish in the ACC.

Returning	PPG	RPG	APG
G Joe Harris, Sr.	16.3	4.0	2.2
F Akil Mitchell, Sr.	13.1	8.9	1.5
G Justin Anderson, So.	7.6	3.3	2.3
F Mike Tobey, So.	6.8	2.9	0.4
F Evan Nolte, So.	5.7	2.4	1.0
F Darion Atkins, Jr.	4.7	3.1	0.3
G Teven Jones, So.	2.9	0.7	1.1
G Taylor Barnette, So.	2.6	0.7	0.7
G Malcolm Brogdon, So.	injured
Gone	PPG	RPG	APG
F Paul Jesperson (transfer)	4.7	2.2	0.9
PG Jontel Evans	4.2	2.4	4.8
New	Ht.	Wt.	Rank
F Anthony Gill (South Carolina), So.	6-8	229	—
PG London Perrantes, Fr.	6-1	155	96
PG Devon Hall, Fr.	6-4	200	NR

Recruiting analysis by Phenom Hoop Report's Rick Lewis:

Perrantes: "He's really crafty with the ball has good basketball IQ. He creates for others and is a strong passer. He has the potential to be really good."

Hall: "He's a big guard and physical but he needs to work on his decision-making."

###

Georgia Tech

Coach: Brian Gregory (third season, 27-33 at GT; 199-127 overall)

2012-13 record: 16-15 (6-12 ACC, ninth)

Postseason: none

Projected starting lineup: G Solomon Poole, G Chris Bolden, G Marcus Georges-Hunt, F Robert Carter Jr., F Daniel Miller

Plus

• Most of the same good qualities from Boston College apply to Georgia Tech. Brian Gregory, in Year 3, is a smart coach, who gets the maximum out of his players. A trio of sophomores (Chris Bolden, Marcus Georges-Hunt, Robert Carter Jr.) also give Gregory a solid foundation to rebuild the program.

• Seniors Daniel Miller and Kam Holsey are serviceable ACC bigs and with a little more polish, Carter will be a pro. That gives the Jackets multiple post options, which is more than most teams in the league can say.

Minus

• While the Jackets are set inside, there are Excursion-sized holes on the perimeter. Bolden showed a solid stroke but he needs to be more consistent, and do more on defense, and he's actually the least of Gregory's worries on the perimeter.

Who's the point guard? Solomon Poole was put in a difficult situation — early enrollment, eligible midway through the season — and never could make an impact. With a full offseason, maybe he can develop into a productive point guard but if we're going on first impressions (1.8 points, 1.0 assists in 21 games), that's going to be a struggle.

Freshman Travis Jorgenson is another option, after Mfon Udofia's exit, but for a team limited on offense, it doesn't help to start the season without a proven quarterback.

• The Jackets need to shoot better — from 3 and the free-throw line. They ranked 246th in 3-point percentage (31.8) and 320th in free-throw percentage (63.5). The lighting at McAmish Pavilion was noticeably darker than any other ACC arena. Maybe they need to increase the power budget? Or just recruit better shooters.

Bottom line

The Jackets went from 4-12 in Gregory's first season to 6-12 last season. The rebuilding project is moving in the right direction, especially with Georges-Hunt and Carter, but there's still not enough there to make a serious push for an upper division finish in the ACC or the NCAA tournament.

Returning	PPG	RPG	APG
G Marcus Georges-Hunt, So.	10.8	4.9	1.5
F Robert Carter Jr., So.	9.9	6.7	1.0
F Kam Holsey, Sr.	8.8	4.7	1.0
F Daniel Miller, Sr.	8.4	6.6	2.2
G Chris Bolden, So.	7.3	2.1	1.3
F Jason Morris, Sr.	3.7	2.2	0.6
G Solomon Poole, So.	1.8	0.7	1.0
G Stacey Poole Jr., Jr.	1.5	1.6	0.4
G Corey Heyward, Fr.	injured
Gone	PPG	RPG	APG
G Mifon Udofia	8.3	2.7	2.9
G Brandon Reed (transfer)	5.2	2.6	1.2
F Julian Royal (transfer)	1.7	1.3	0.1
New	Ht.	Wt.	Rank
PG Travis Jorgenson, Fr.	6-0	170	NR
F Quinton Stephens, Fr.	6-8	190	NR

Recruiting analysis by Phenom Hoop Report's Rick Lewis:

Jorgenson: "He's solid, he'll help out a lot. He's a fundamentally sound point guard who was not highly-recruited but knows how to play the game. He's not as athletic as (Solomon) Poole but he'll be able to run the team."

###

Virginia Tech

Coach: James Johnson (second season, 13-16 at Virginia Tech and overall)

2012-13 record: 13-16 (4-12 ACC, 12th)

Postseason: none

Projected starting lineup: G Donte Clark, G Adam Smith, F Jarell Eddie, F Trevor Thompson, F Cadarian Raines

Plus

• There was no coaching change. James Johnson replaced Seth Greenberg at the end of April and spent the rest of the offseason in catch-up mode (and also saw talented forward Dorian Finney-Smith transfer to Florida).

Johnson had a chance to recruit and found six freshmen to add to the mix. With no expectations to speak of, Johnson can figure out which new parts work and which ones will be useful to rebuild the program.

• Jarell Eddie and Cadarian Raines were both inconsistent last season but both are serviceable parts. As seniors, it will be incumbent upon both to assume ownership of the program and make the best of what will be a trying season.

• Adam Smith is undersized for a 2-guard (6-1, 170 pounds) but he averaged 13.7 points at UNC-Wilmington as a freshman and after a year in the Hokies' strength program, he'll have a chance to pick up a lot of the shots left by Erick Green and Robert Brown, who transferred. Smith has already shown an ability to score against ACC teams. He had 32 against Wake Forest as a freshman and 23 against Maryland.

Minus

• The roster's thin on talent and experience. Losing Finney-Smith last year and Brown this year, really hurt Johnson's chances at gaining any traction in what was a difficult transition from Greenberg.

• How do replace Green? He led the country in scoring and was often scoring options No. 1 through 4 (Eddie was the only alternative) last season.

• Eddie and Raines both have the potential to be strong ACC players, and both have had their moments, but neither has demonstrated any type of consistencies in their careers thus far (and their both seniors). They must to deliver consistently this season.

Bottom line

I was 100 percent certain Miami's Shane Larkin was the best player in the ACC last season. After I watched Virginia Tech for a 2-minute stretch in the second half of its 80-63 loss to N.C. State in the ACC tournament without Green, my certainty dropped to 60 percent.

Green meant so much to this team, which finished in last place last season but was still competitive with wins over Iowa and Oklahoma State out of the ACC. Johnson gets a better chance to prepare for the season and he will have a chance to develop his younger players.

Think about how much better this lineup (with Brown, Finney-Smith and Louisville forward Montrezl Harrell) could have been (in theory) with Greenberg still the coach. Jim Weaver had his reasons for jettisoning Greenberg but in the process he left Johnson in an untenable situation.

Returning	PPG	RPG	APG
F Jarell Eddie, Sr.	12.3	5.6	1.3
F Cadarian Raines, Sr.	6.6	6.4	0.6
F C.J. Barksdale, Jr.	5.6	4.7	0.6
F Marshall Wood, So.	3.6	3.8	0.5
PG Marquis Rankin, Jr.	3.4	1.0	0.9
F Joey Van Zegeren, So.	3.3	3.1	0.1
G Will Johnston, Jr.	2.0	0.4	0.3
Gone	PPG	RPG	APG
G Erick Green	25.0	4.0	3.8
G Robert Brown (transfer)	8.3	2.4	2.1
New	Ht.	Wt.	Rank
G Adam Smith (UNCW), So.	6-1	170	—
G Donte Clark, Fr.	6-4	180	NR
F Trevor Thompson, Fr.	6-10	215	NR
G Ben Emelogu, Fr.	6-4	190	NR
F Maurice Kirby, Fr.	6-8	215	NR
G Devin Wilson, Fr.	6-4	175	NR
G Malik Mueller, Fr.	6-3	200	NR

In harm’s way

nmorock — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

There are a lot of sad stories coming from Moore, Oklahoma, after the devastating tornado. So many that it can be overwhelming. For that reason, I’m going to focus on a positive aspect of human nature, and the humans in question are meteorologists and storm chasers.

I have some friends who live and storm chase in Tornado Alley and connections who work at the National Weather Service offices including the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) and the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman, Oklahoma, many of whom were chasing and working on Monday.

The chasers are on the roads, trying to place themselves as close as safely possible to the storms to get video and photos of them. While some storm chasers are just thrill seekers, many are meteorologists obsessed with getting closer and learning more about tornadoes. The videos they capture can help shed light on the storms they cover by providing visual clues as to the type of tornado, stage in its life, and wind speeds, which can be estimated from the size of the funnel and the debris being tossed around it.

The meteorologists working in Norman are particularly specialized in the forecasting and tracking of severe weather. It’s their job and their passion to predict and warn on dangerous storms like the ones the Great Plains have been seeing the past several days. Their goal is to help save lives and protect property. In the case of the Moore, OK, tornado and others like it that goal is tough to achieve. There are only so many places you can hide from an F-5.

If you look at a map, you’ll see that Norman is just south of Moore. I have no doubt that at least some of the meteorologists who were working were watching that storm move toward their own homes, families, and friends. I can only imagine the feeling they must have had in the pits of their stomachs. It was obvious the damage would be brutal. Yet, those same people continued to do their job and issue warnings for that storm and others across the region. They are true professionals, and they take their jobs seriously.

The chasers who were watching the storm knew how horrible it was. They knew they were powerless to help while it was happening, but they also knew they were in the right place at the right time. I’m not just talking about getting incredible video. I’m talking about being first responders, which many chasers become after witnessing the worst Mother Nature has to offer. They work right along with emergency workers and anyone else who arrives on the scene in the search for and recovery of the victims. Why? Because it’s our nature – human nature - to help when tragedy strikes.

For those of us here in NC, far away from the utter destruction in Moore, we can still help, too. The Red Cross and other legitimate organizations will need donations to help the victims in their long road to recovery. If you can’t give, then at least send your prayers, positive energy, love - whatever you want to call it - to Moore and all of the other towns affected by the storms. Every little bit helps.

Grab a free doughnut at Krispy Kreme on Friday, June 7

AmyDunn — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:58:00 -0400

Pencil this one in on your freebie calendar:

Krispy Kreme shops will be giving away free doughnuts when you stop in on Friday, June 7, which is National Doughnut Day.

Choose your favorite doughnut. No purchase is necessary.

No coupon is required.

Creech Road Elementary principal leaving for Randolph County school system

KeungHui — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:51:47 -0400

At least one Wake County school employee will be joining interim Superintendent Stephen Gainey when he starts work in Randolph County.

According to today's article in The Courier-Tribune, the Randolph County school system has named Catherine Berry the district's assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Since 2010, Berry has been principal of Creech Road Elementary School in Garner, where she had to reapply to keep the job as part of the Renaissance Schools program.

The article says Gainey, who will take over as superintendent of Randolph County schools on July 1, supported the selection.

As has happened when Tony Tata left as superintendent, some people went to work for him at the state Department of Transportation.

Hurricanes Summerfest set for July

chipalexander — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:47:21 -0400

The Canes have announced they will hold Hurricanes Summerfest from July 16-20 at PNC Arena, incorporating the annual Prospects Development Camp.

There also will be an inaugural ‘Canes Elite Players Camp, where participants will receive instruction directly from Canes coach Kirk Muller and his staff of Rod Brind’Amour, Dave Lewis, John MacLean and Greg Stefan.

The team’s Prospects Development Camp will see most or all of the Hurricanes’ 2013 draft class, other previously-drafted players and select invitees descend on Raleigh for a week of training. The camp’s on-ice sessions will be open to the public, and the week will wrap up with a game and skills competition on Saturday at noon.

A complete roster and schedule for the Prospects Development Camp will be released in early July.

The Elite Players Camp will take place in conjunction with the Prospects Development Camp and is open to U-18, U-16 and U-14 AAA and AA players. Participants will use the NHL ice and facilities at PNC Arena, and will receive training and instruction from Hurricanes coaches and staff.

Players in the U-12 AAA and AA, U-10 AA and U-8 advanced levels can register for the ‘Canes Power Skating Clinic, to be held from July 17-20 at PNC Arena. For one hour per day, participants will receive power skating instruction from elite skating coach Kim Muir. Muir has an extensive background that includes mentoring players from the Hurricanes’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.

From July 19-20, hockey coaches from all levels can learn directly from Muller and his staff at the inaugural ‘Canes Coaches’ Clinic. Muller will discuss devising a practice plan, teach team systems and offer tips on implementing systems, while the team’s assistant coaches will focus on special teams.

What to Watch on Wednesday: Finales for 'Modern Family,' 'L&O:SVU' and others

brookecain — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:30:00 -0400

MasterChef (8pm, Fox) - Season 4 begins with amateur cooks representing 26 states (including ours!) arriving in Los Angeles for a chance to impress judges Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Eliot, who rate signature dishes based on flavor, creativity and presentation. Tune in to see Shaun Jay, a local magician who works at Casa San Carlo restaurant in Raleigh. Or head down to the restaurant and watch along with him!

The Middle (8pm, ABC) - In the fourth season finale, Axl gets ready to graduate but dodges Frankie's questions about a party, creating friction between them. Also, Sue takes her driving test for the sixth time.

Modern Family (9pm, ABC) - In the Season 4 finale, the Pritchett clan join Phil in Florida after his mother passes away, but his grief takes a backseat to his surprise at her dying wish. Meanwhile Mitchell helps Gloria deal with a legal problem, and Cameron warms up to a group of elderly women in Frank's retirement community.

Criminal Minds (9pm, CBS) - The eighth season closes out with two new episodes in which The Replicator returns and targets a member of the BAU and Hotch's estranged brother is caught in the middle of the investigation into a string of drug overdoses.

Law & Order: SVU (9pm, NBC) - In the 14th season finale, a man exposes himself in a park and is arrested, but it turns out to be more than a routine arrest. The mysterious criminal hides his true identity and outwits the detectives, eventually putting Benson's life in jeopardy.

Nashville (10pm, NBC) - In the Season 1 finale, Rayna performs at the CMA Awards with Brad Paisley, but the night may not end well as Deacon confronts her about a buried secret. Meanwhile, Juliette finds a revealing letter from her mom, and Gunnar tries to win back Scarlett.

Chicago Fire (10pm, NBC) - Season 1 concludes with the squad facing a dangerous, unstable situation at Cook County Jail. Also, Hermann's wife goes into labor, while Dawson and Mills deal with major decisions.

Grocery deals, May 22-28

AmyDunn — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:58:00 -0400

Triangle grocery stores have lots of good deals this week:

*At Harris Teeter, pick of free McCormick taco seasoning, along with good deals on Heluva Good Dip (17 cents), Vlasic Pickles (24 cents), Lipton Tea (44 cents), French's Yellow Mustard (50 cents), Ball Park Franks (82 cents), and Arnold Pocket Thins (94 cents). Also be sure to check out the many BOGO offers. Many are good deals but don't be fooled by others.

*At Lowes Foods, look for nice deals on Sanderson Farms chicken breasts, Edy's fruit bars, Tribe Hummus, Alexia rolls, Weber barbecue sauce , along with Arm & Hammer laundry detergent and Scott toilet paper.
There's also a new instant-savings Kraft promotion that makes it possible to snag Kraft Mac & Cheese and Kraft barbecue sauce for just 50 cents each and Philadelphia cream cheese for 75 cents.

*At Food Lion, there are good deals on Ragu pasta sauce, Knorr sides, Lipton Tea, Mueller's pasta, Weight Watchers entrees, and Banana Boat sunscreen, along with sweet corn and limes.

*And at Aldi, strawberries, onions and watermelon are all good deals.

Keep reading for a long list of this week's top deals at Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, Food Lion and Aldi -- with and without coupons.

Need a refresher on couponing at the grocery stores?
Click HERE to read my Coupons 101 post for more detailed information on store coupon policies.
Click HERE to print coupons from The N&O's Find N Save coupon page powered by Coupons.com.
Click HERE to read more about how to save on groceries with the Ibotta smartphone app.
Click HERE to read more about using SavingStar's digital coupons.

At Harris Teeter:

Meal Deal: 2-lb. Huisken Burgers, 8-count Harris Teeter Buns, 28 oz. Bush's Baked Beans and 9.5-10.5oz Lay's Chips for $9.99, a $8.77 savings.

E-Vic Special:
Klondike Bars (6 count): $1.97. Limit 2.

McCormick taco seasoning: 34 cents
.50/2 Taco or Mexican seasoning 4/28 RP
= FREE!

Heluva Good dip (12 oz.): $1.67
.75/1 5/19 SS2
= 17 cents.

Vlasic Pickles (24 oz.): BOGO or $1.74 each
.75/1 5/19 SS2
= 24 cents each.

Fresh Express salads: as low as $1.50
.55/1 3/10 SS (Note: This coupon may not double.)
= as low as 40 cents.

Lipton Tea (24-count): BOGO or $1.64 each
.40/1 5/19 RP
= 84 cents.
Check for a possible E-Vic digital coupon for an additional .40/1
= as low as 44 cents.

French's Classic Yellow Mustard (14 oz.): $1.50
.50/1 5/12 SS
= 50 cents!

French's Spicy Brown Mustard (12 oz.): $1.50
.40/1 5/12 SS
= 70 cents.

Ball Park Franks: BOGO or as low as $1.57 each
.75/2 5/5 RP
= as low as 82 cents each.

Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce (18 oz.): BOGO or $1.17 each
$1/3 5/19 SS
= 84 cents each.

Birdseye vegetables: BOGO or $1.34 each
$1/2 printable coupon
= 84 cents each.

Arnold Pocket Thins: BOGO or $1.94
$1/1 printable coupon on SmartSource.com
= 94 cents. Fantastic price.

Newman's Own Salsa: $2
.50/1 4/14 RP, expiring 5/25
= $1.

Heinz Ketchup (34-38 oz.): $1
.50/1 5/19 SS2
= $1.

Nabisco snack crackers: BOGO or $1.57 each
$1/3 5/19 SS1
$1/2 Triscuit Brown Rice and Wheat 4/14 SS, expiring 5/14
= as low as $1.07 each.

Smart Balance milk for kids: $3
$1.50/1 4/14 SS
$1/1 5/12 SS
= as low as $1.50.

Al Fresco chicken sausage (12 oz.): BOGO or $2.99
$1/1 4/28 RP
= $1.99.

Hellmann's mayo (22-30 oz.): BOGO or $2.99 each
$1/1 5/19 RP
= $1.99 each. Good price, if you use mayonnaise.
Check for possible HT digital coupon for $1/1
= as low as 99 cents!

Deer Park Water 24 pack: BOGO or $3.74 each
$1/2 4/14 RP
= $3.24 each.

No coupons required:

Mangoes: $1.

Strawberries: BOGO or $1.99 per pound.

Seedless watermelon (14-17 lb.): $3.99 each.

Boston Butt pork roast: 99 cents per pound. Limit 2. Very nice deal.

Split chicken breasts: BOGO or $1.34 per pound. These frequently go on sale for $1 per pound so this is not a deal.

Laughing Cow Cheese: BOGO or $2.24 each.

Kraft shredded cheese (8 oz.): BOGO or $1.94 each. Not a deal.

Snickers or Twix ice cream bars: BOGO or $2.34 each.

Breyers ice cream (48 oz.): $2.50.

Lender's Bagels: BOGO or $1 each.

Coke brand 12 packs: BOGO or $3.39. Not a deal.

Harris Teeter 2 liter soda: 80 cents.

Harris Teeter spicy brown mustard (12 oz.): 89 cents.

Ken's Salad Dressing (16 oz.): BOGO or $1.74 each.

Lay's potato chips (10-10.5 oz.): BOGO or $2.14 each.

At Lowes Foods:

Kraft Foods promotion:
Buy 4 select Kraft products, Get $1 off instantly.
Buy 6 select Kraft products, Get $2 off instantly.
Buy 8 select Kraft products, Get $4 off instantly.
Twenty-four products are included in this sale, among them:
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese dinner: $1
Kraft Barbecue Sauce: $1
Philadelphia cream cheese: $1.25
Kraft singles (12 oz.): $2
Kraft shredded cheese or chunks (7-8 oz.): $2

Deal idea:
Buy eight Macaroni & Cheese Dinners or Barbecue sauce = 50 cents each after instant savings. Great price.
Buy eight Philadelphia cream cheese = 75 cents each. Fantastic price.
Buy eight Kraft singles or shredded or chunk cheese = $1.50 each. A reasonably good price.

Kellogg's cereal promotion: Buy 3, Save $3 instantly.
Included in promo:
Frosted Mini Wheats, Scooby Doo, Honey Smacks, Crispix, Crunchy Nut Golden Honey Nuts, Crunchy Nut Roasted and Smorz
Price before promo: $2.79
Price after prom: $1.79
$1/2 printable coupon on Mini Wheats on N&O's Find N Save
$1/2 Crunchy Nut 4/28 RP

Fresh Rewards E-Offer:
Kingsford or Match Light charcoal (6.3-8.3 lb.): $4.88. Limit 4.
Kingsford Charcoal (12.5 lb. or larger), Buy 1, Get 1 KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce Free, up to $2.29 3/3 SS

Heluva Good dip (12 oz.): $1.69
.75/1 5/19 SS2
= 19 cents.

Dean's Dip (12-16 oz.): $1.69
.75/1 printable coupon on pretzel dip, if included in sale
$1/2 printable coupon on DeansDip.com
= as low as 19 cents, if pretzel dip included in sale

Fresh Express salad (12 oz.): $1.50
.55/1 3/10 SS (Be warned: This coupon may not double.)
= as low as 40 cents, if it doubles.
= 95 cents, if coupon doesn't double.

Weber barbecue sauce (18 oz.): $2
$1/1 3/24 RP
= $1. Great price on this item, which contains no high-fructose corn syrup.

Hillshire Farm sausage (13-14 oz.): BOGO or $2.10 each
$1/1 links 5/12 RP, if included in sale
.75/2 5/12 RP
= as low as $1.10 each.

Keebler fudge cookies: BOGO or $1.65 each
.50/2 5/12 RP
= $1.15 each.

Edy's Fruit Bars: 2/$6, then get a FREE package of Edy's Outshine Bars
$1/1 4/21 SS
= $4 for three boxes or $1.33 each after two coupons. Very nice deal.

Keebler sandies: BOGO or $1.85 each
.50/2 5/12 RP
= $1.35 each.

A1 Steak Sauce (10 oz.): $2.50
.55/1 printable coupon on N&O's Find N Save
= $1.40.

Reser's American Classic Deli Salads (15-16 oz.): $2.50
.55/1 printable coupon on N&O's Find N Save
= $1.40.

Alexia rolls or potatoes: $2.50
$1/1 bread 5/5 SS
= $1.50.

Edy's ice cream (48 oz.): 2/$5
$1/2 printable coupon
= $2 each wyb 2. A good price.

Arm & Hammer laundry detergent (50 oz.): BOGO or $3.30 each
Army & Hammer Power Paks: BOGO or $3.48 each
$1/1, if 4X included in sale 4/14 SS
.75/2 liquid 4/14 SS
$1/1 Power Paks 4/14 SS
= as low as $2.30 each.

Scott toilet paper (12 double rolls) or paper towels (6 rolls): $4.99
$.75/1 5/12 SS
= $3.49. Nice deal.

No coupons required:

Limes: 33 cents each. Food Lion has these for 20 cents.

Sweet corn: 33 cents each. A solid price, though Food Lion has them cheaper this week.

Cabbage: 49 cents per pound.

Mangoes: $1.25 each. Food Lion has a far better price.

Jumbo cantaloupe: BOGO or $2 each.

Sanderson Farms family pack of boneless chicken breasts: $1.99 per pound. A great price.

Snow crab clusters: $5.99 per pound.

Oscar Mayer Wieners or Beef Franks: BOGO or $2 each.

Oscar Mayer ham or turkey (8 oz.): BOGO or $1.80 each.

Tribe Hummus (8 oz.): BOGO or $1.75 each.

Star's potato salad, cole slaw or macaroni salad (2 lb.): BOGO or $2.20 each.

Bakery French bread: BOGO or $1 each.

Bakery hamburger or hotdog buns (8 count): BOGO or $1.50 each.

Cool Whip: 99 cents.

Budget Saver twin pops (18 count): BOGO or $1.65 each.

Front Porch ice cream (16 oz.): BOGO or $2.25 each.

Pizzazz 2 liter soda: 79 cents.

Coke brand 12 packs: Buy 2, Get 3 Free. Regular price: $6.59. Limit 5.
= $2.64. An OK price, though I don't like to pay for than $2.50 each.

Riceworks rice crisps: BOGO or $1.50 each.

Ritz Crackerfuls (6 oz.): BOGO or $1.73 each.

Ritz crackers (7.5-16 oz.): BOGO or $2.20 each.

Lay's potato chips (9.5-10.5 oz.): BOGO or $2.15 each.

At Food Lion:

Unilever promotion: Save $5 instantly when you spend $15 on select Unilever products. Save $10 instantly when you spend $30 on select Unilever products.
Some of the participating products:
Knorr pasta or rice sides: $1
Lipton Recipe Secrets: $1
Ragu pasta sauce: 3/$5
Lipton Iced Tea: $2 minus .40/1 5/19 RP

Deal idea:
Buy 10 Knorr pasta or rice sides and 3 Ragu = $15
After instant savings = 77 cents per item. Fantastic deal.

Mueller's Pasta (12-16 oz.): BOGO
.55/1 Whole Grain 5/12 SS
.55/1 Hidden Veggie 4/7 or 5/12 SS
$1/2 any pasta products 5/12 SS
This should make for a good deal.

Uncle Ben's Ready Rice: 3/$5
$1/3 4/28 RP
= $1.25 each wyb 3.

Heluva Good dip (12 oz.): $1.69
.75/1 5/19 SS2
= 94 cents.

Vidalia onions: 69 cents per pound
.50/5 pounds printable coupon on flavors-of-summer.com

Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce (18 oz.): BOGO
$1/3 5/19 SS1

Activia 4-pack: $2.29
$1/1 5/19 SS1
= $1.29.

Fresh Express salad (24 oz.): $1.99
.55/1 3/10 SS
= $1.44.

Cabot cheese (6-8 oz.): $2
$1/2 printable coupon on CommonKindness.com
= $1.50 each. Nice price.

King's Hawaiian sandwich, mini sub, hamburger or hotdog rolls: $2.50
$1/1 5/12 RP
= $1.50. Very nice deal.

Heinz Ketchup (34-40 oz.): $2
.50/1 5/19 SS2
= $1.50.

French's Mustard (18-20 oz.): $2
.50/1 5/12 SS
= $1.50.

Hefty plates, bowls or cups: 2/$4
$1/2 3/17 RP
= $1.50 each.

Weight Watchers entrees: $2 each
$3/10
= $1.70 each. Nice price on these.

Johnsonville chicken sausage (12 oz.): $2.99
$1/1 5/5 SS
= $1.99. Nice price.

Hellmann's mayo (22-30 oz.): $3
$1/1 5/19 RP
= $2. Good price, if you use mayonnaise.

Ball Park franks: BOGO
.75/2 5/5 RP

Reser's American Classic Deli Salads (48 oz.): BOGO
.55/1 printable coupon on N&O's Find N Save

Oscar Mayer Deli Shaved lunch meats (16 oz.): $5.49
$1.50/1 in-store kiosk coupon
= $3.99.

Banana Boat sunblock (6-12 oz.): BOGO
$3/2 5/19 RP

No coupons required:

Limes: 20 cents.

Sweet corn: 30 cents per ear. Cheapest price I've seen this spring so far.

Lemons: 44 cents each.

Cucumbers: 59 cents each.

Russet potatoes: 69 cents per pound.

Avocados: 99 cents each.

Strawberries: $3.49 for a 2-lb. package. That's $1.75 per pound.

Seedless watermelon: $3.99 each.

Chicken leg quarters: 69 cents per pound sold in 10-lb. bag.

Boneless chicken breast: $1.79 per pound in the value pack. Fantastic price.

Ground chuck: $2.49 per pound in the value pack.

Deli Virginia or honey ham: $4.99 per pound.

Deli Swiss cheese: $4.99 per pound.

Jumbo shrimp: BOGO.

Texas Pete hot sauce: BOGO.

Mt. Olive pickles: BOGO.

Lay's chips: BOGO.

Van Camp's Pork and Beans (15 oz.): 50 cents.

Coke brand 2 liters: 99 cents each. A nice price these days.

Food Lion applesauce (6 pack): $1.69.

Breyers ice cream (48 oz.): $2.50.

At Aldi:

Strawberries: 99 cents for 1-lb. package.

Vidalia onions: 99 cents for 2-lb. package.

Blueberries: $1.99 per pint.

Watermelon (seedless or seeded): $3.49 each.

80% lean ground beef: $2.79 per pound.

Barbecue sauce (18 oz.): 79 cents.

Steak sauce (10 oz.): 99 cents.

Pickles (16-32 oz.): $1.29 to $1.69.

Marshmallows (10 oz.): 89 cents.

Graham crackers (14.4 oz.): $1.49.

Milk chocolate (5.29 oz.): $1.49.

Ice cream cones (24-count): 99 cents.

Wake County school board narrows superintendent finalists to three career educators

KeungHui — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

It's clear the Wake County school board's Democratic majority got what it wanted based on the list of three finalists for superintendent.

As noted in today's article, all three finalists are veteran educators with between 19 and 40 years in education. It's the opposite of former Superintendent Tony Tata, whose prior experience was 18 months as chief operating officer of the D.C. Public Schools.

Board members had listed education experience as one of the top traits they wanted in a superintendent.

"They all are experienced educators," said school board chairman Keith Sutton. "Two are sitting superintendents. They all have a lot of experience. They have a breadth of experience."

Click here to read the bio for Dana Bedden, superintendent of the Irving Independent School District in Texas.

Click here to read the bio for Ann Clark, deputy superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools.

Click here to read the bio of Jim Merrill, superintendent of Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

Sutton noted how they have experience in areas such as school finance and academics.

“We found three very highly qualified candidates,” Sutton said. “It was tough to narrow down the list. We’d be happy to have any of them.”

School board member John Tedesco said the finalists are highly qualified. However, he wished the search had broadened the pool more to consider people with business experience.

“Obviously I felt better with our previous leadership,” Tedesco said. “But of the three finalists we have, I think we have one or two gems out there who could do some good things for our community.”

Some of you guys have complained they're not reformers.

But Clark, like Tata, attended the Broad Superintendents Academy. That's either a plus o minus depending on your perspective.

While Broad does train non-educators to be superintendents, it also works with many traditional educators as well who think the program would benefit them.

As for Bedden, he was apparently recruited to apply by McPherson & Jacobson, the school board's search firm.

"I would like to make it clear that I am not resigning my position as superintendent of Irving ISD, nor have I been offered a position in Wake County,” Bedden said in a statement released Tuesday. “I responded to a search firm’s request to apply because Wake County is an excellent school district and it is very appealing for my wife to return to the county where she grew up and went to school. During this process, I will continue to fulfill my duties here and keep the appropriate people informed of any decisions.”

This could be a good time for Bedden to leave the 35,000-student Irving school district. Various articles in the Dallas Morning News, such as this one from Saturday point to how a new school board majority who doesn't back Bedden is now in office.

Does Merrill, who worked in Wake from 1984 to 2000, have an inside track? Merrill has the distinction of being named state superintendent of the year in both North Carolina and Virginia.

Wake County school board appoints principals to four elementary schools

KeungHui — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:42:15 -0400

The Wake County school board announced several principal appointments Tuesday night.

Lutashia Dove was promoted from assistant principal to principal of Wilburn Elementary School in North Raleigh with a new salary of $81,412. She's been at the school since 2012.

Kimberly Grant was named principal of Lynn Road Elementary School in North Raleigh with a salary of $89,491. Grant has been an assistant principal at Yates Mill Elementary School since 2007.

Judy Dudley was named interim principal of Leesville Road Elementary School in North Raleigh for the rest of the school year. Dudley has held numerous interim positions since retiring as principal of York Elementary in 2003.

L. Roy Teel was named interim principal of Hunter Elementary School in Raleigh for the month of June. Teel, who retired as principal of Broughton High School in 2009, has held various interim positions since before and after then.