newsobserver.com blogs

Verizon's Motorola Droid 4 means business

matthewfortner — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:00:00 -0500

A dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 4-inch display over a 4G LTE. What more could a smartphone users want? Well some want a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.

Aimed primarily at business users, Verizon's Motorola Droid 4 launched February 10 with a much improved keyboard that has been hailed as one of the best available.

Here are a few details from the press release:

Android™ 2.3.5 Gingerbread, to be upgraded to Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

4.0-inch qHD display with scratch and scrape resistant glass

Government-grade encryption (FIPS 140-2) for email, calendar and contacts; preloaded with Citrix® Receiver™ for Android (available in webtop) for desktop virtualization and access

8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture

Front-facing camera for video chat

4G LTE Mobile Hotspot supporting up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices

Business Ready

DROID 4 is designed to help customers get more done. Business professionals can impress their audience by presenting to a conference room full of potential customers in a snap by plugging the DROID 4 into an HDTV and presenting directly from the phone. Professionals can also combine the DROID 4 with the Lapdock 500 and its 14-inch display to create a full-featured mobile office. They can download documents, make edits using Lapdock’s full keyboard and email the updated documents to colleagues or customers. The Lapdock even features a built-in webcam so customers can attend virtual meetings and manage their business face-to-face.

The Smart Actions app on the DROID 4 helps automate everyday tasks and optimizes battery efficiency by letting customers create rules, such as automatically setting the phone to vibrate during work hours or dimming the display at a specific battery level.

Business professionals can leave their laptops behind and use the MotoCast™ app to remotely stream documents, videos, music and pictures from their work or home computers to their handset. The remote access of MotoCast eliminates the need to store documents on the handset as everything is stored on their office laptop.

Pricing and availability

· DROID 4 by Motorola will be available on Feb. 10 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

· The Lapdock 500 is available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online for $299.97.

· Customers that purchase a DROID 4 will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

Monday debate: Faulk and the Calder

chipalexander — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500

Let's make it short and to the point today.

Canes defenseman Justin Faulk is being mentioned in more and more Calder Trophy discussions, which leads to two questions: can he win it, and should he win it?

The floor is open.

Catholics, birth control and columnist Rick Martinez

bwheeler — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:05:38 -0500

We've gotten a lot of letters about columnist Rick Martinez's Feb. 8 column (read it here) about the controversery over the Obama administration's decision that Catholic institutions universities, hospitals and soup kitchens provide insurance coverage for contraceptive drugs.

Which followed William Powers' Feb. 4 Point of View "Catholics, conscience and health insurance" (read it here).

If you missed today's Sunday Forum on the same topic, find the letters here.

Here is a sample of other letters we've received.

----------------------------

William Powers’ article “Catholics, conscience and health insurance” published Feb. 4 displays a shocking ignorance of both the first rights protected by our Bill of Rights (the inclusion of which was the primary motivator in North Carolinas decision to finally ratify the Constitution) as well as the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexual ethics.

The issue is at-hand is whether a religious organization that expressly opposes as a tenet of its faith any product, opinion, procedure, etc. can be stripped of its First Amendment rights because the government determines that product, opinion, procedure, etc. is outside of the purview of conscience. It cannot.

Powers does a disservice to his readers by presenting not just an incomplete but an incorrect analysis of the history and theology of the Church’s position on human sexuality. The Catholic Church does now, as it always had, held a very firm position of opposition to the use of contraception, the killing of unborn children using abortifacient drugs, and the intentional sterilization of men and women. That is a teaching rooted firmly in theological teaching and rational thought, regardless of whether a majority of citizens understand it, accept it, or care.

Susie Farrell

Raleigh

---------------------------------------------------------

Rick Martinez comes down hard on the Obama Administration for violating the Catholic Church's First Amendment protection of religious freedom by requiring Catholic institutions to provide insurance coverage for contraceptive drugs.("Crossroads for freedom of religion," Feb. 8)

Perhaps Martinez should be reminded that this is the same Catholic Church that enabled pedophile priests to violate the rights and steal the innocence of thousands of children for decades under its watch. It would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic.

Knight Chamberlain

Raleigh

-------------------------------------

In his Feb. 8 column, Rick Martinez sided with the Catholic church in its objection to the requirement in the new (HHS) health care law that institutions affiliated with the church like universities, charities and hospitals provide insurance coverage for contraceptives to employees who may or may not be Catholic. He argued that since church doctrine says that contraception is immoral, the government cannot make institutions affiliated with the church subsidize it.

He said he was “insulted” by those who support the law when they point out that 98 percent of Catholics report that they have used contraceptives. He compared this to “taking the Lord’s name in vain” and said that neither thing gives the government the right to nullify church doctrine. No doubt this is a touchy point because it certainly appears that it is not the government but Catholics who have nullified the doctrine and the church actually has no operative moral authority on the subject of contraception.

The church is losing members over this and it comes on top the losses that resulted from the exposure of the vast world-wide child rape system operated by the church for decades if not centuries. Moral authority on sexual conduct is not going to be restored easily, certainly not by attacking access to contraception.

Jerry Carr

Chapel Hill

-------------------------

I have always admired the Catholic Church for its human services. But, understand that Catholic hospitals and Catholic colleges get tax deductions and tax benefits from our government. I find nothing wrong with that. Also, government tax money helps pay for Catholic hospitals, through government reimbursements. No Catholic university rejects students who use government-backed student loans, again tax dollars helping support the Catholic cause. Because the Catholic Church disavows birth control is no reason to claim government interference and deny the rest of us easily accessible birth control.

If you think your Catholic-based universities and hospitals can exist without non-Catholics money, you live in a world alone. As far as any religion controlling what medication can and cannot be used, imagine if the Christian Scientists demanded disallowing the practice of medicine, or the Jehovah's Witnesses tried to make all transfusing of blood illegal. There beliefs are just as strong as Catholic beliefs.

Once any private institution becomes enmeshed with our government of the people, it gives up its right to deny services based on race religion, and other factors. Control your own life, not others, or do what you please without our tax dollars.

Jarles Alberg

Raleigh

-----------------------------------

Rick Martinez's Feb. 8 column starts by declaring that to require Catholic universities, hospitals and soup kitchens to provide employee health insurance coverage for contraception, as HHS Secretary Sebelius recently directed, is the same as if "the feds told the Roman Catholic Church that women must be ordained as priests" on anti-discrimination grounds.

No, Rick, it's not the same. Not even close. The analogy is false for one stark reason: No woman will be required to use that coverage. Got that? Every woman, Catholic or otherwise, is and will remain completely at liberty not to use the covered contraception. Instead of having that decision effectively made for her (because birth control pills are not cheap) as a condition of her employment, she'll be free to choose. Milton Friedman would applaud, right along with Thomas Jefferson.

When he writes about religion, Martinez is a master of illogic and habitual abuser of metaphor. On this endlessly touchy subject, N&O readers don't need such phony arguments, especially with clearer thinkers like Ross Douthat available.

Ann T. Berry

Raleigh

-----------------------------------------

I'm a woman, I'm Catholic and I don't need or want birth control insurance. I am outraged by the idea that our government can dictate in this way. Once upon a time America was hailed for its freedom. Now our freedom, our creativity and our drive to be all we can be is tied up in knots of entitlement and government control. No one is forced to work for a Catholic organization. I would not choose to work for a business that went against my values.

At what point do we require people to take responsibility for their own choice? How much choice will we have if we let the government dictate to religion. Insurance and pharmacies are big business. Don't be fooled by the disguise of concern for women's health. My health would be of little use without my faith.

Catherine Busam

Wake Forest

-------------------------

Although I know William Powers has certainly forgotten more history than I will ever know, his assessment of the Catholic Church may need a few tweaks. The doctrine of papal infallibility does not necessarily bind the Church to its views on birth control. The doctrine is defined as applying to only very special circumstances and since its promulgation it has only been invoked once. That was when Pope Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption of Mary in 1950. The Church's view on contraception may evolve as God's truth becomes clearer without it contradicting any "infallible" statements made before, and it will not have tarnished its credibility. At least not in the eyes of this writer.

William Cauley

Raleigh

--------------------------------

In his article “Catholics, conscience and health insurance” published Feb.4, William Powers sadly misrepresents the crux of the current uproar over the Obama administration’s decision to trample the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans. It seems unlikely that Powers misses the fallacy in his defense of the mandate that requires the Church to acquiesce her teaching to todays relativistic morality.

One need look no further than our own nation’s history in which the law and common practice both accepted and protected as moral and fundamental that our black brothers and sisters were not human, and could be abused and mistreated for hundreds of years as the property of the so-thought wiser, more educated, more responsible class. It is radically unacceptable for a government body to dictate to its citizens that we must violate our consciences or be penalized. It was exactly the British recusancy laws in the late 16th century that fined Catholics for refusing to attend Anglican services that motivated so many of our nations first citizens to seek refuge across the Atlantic.

Where are we to go if the nation to which our ancestors fled seeking the opportunity to faithfully preach and live our faith implements the same injustices?

Marissa Farrell

Raleigh

--------------------------------

William F. Powers wrote a Point of View criticizing the Catholic Church’s objection to the Obama administration’s requirement for the Church to provide sterilization and contraceptives, including some abortion-inducing drugs, in their health plans. Powers is not a spokesperson for the Church and, despite the polls he cited, has not been designated a spokesperson for the majority of Catholics. His call for disobedience by using the principle of the primacy of conscience is a philosophy often leveraged in the 1960s that is easily misapplied to justify personal opinions.

I encourage all Catholics to research, speak with subject matter experts, and make a reasonable effort to understand Catholic teaching before attempting to advance a personal agenda that is in conflict with Church teaching. The Obama administration HHS directive is unconstitutional and will force the Catholic Church to pay for and provide services that are against its very teaching and beliefs, ultimately something the Church cannot do.

I thank our Church leaders for their recent actions to take a stand against these directives.

Larry Henson

Wake Forest

---------------------------------------------

In his attack on a recent federal regulation that requires all health plans to cover contraceptives, Rick Martinez omits some important points and misrepresents others. He argues that forcing Catholic schools (not seminaries) and hospitals to cover contraception is analogous to mandating that the Church ordain female priests. That’s not even a close comparison. It’s more like preventing a Catholic hospital that is receiving state and federal funds from discriminating against women in hiring and promotion. Churches are exempt from the new regulation. Also, the federal rule matches a North Carolina law that has been on the books since the 1990s.

In all of his columns over the years, Martinez has never deemed our state law worthy of public rebuke.

Finally, I doubt Catholics would support an attack on their religious freedoms. Yet polling shows that Catholics are more supportive than the general public of this requirement.

Adam Linker

Raleigh

------------------------------------

Rick Martinez is using a false analogy in comparing the Obama administration's rule on birth control coverage to the Catholic Church being mandated to ordain women (“Crossroads for freedom of religion,” Feb. 8). If I were to go to work for a parish church, not only would I probably have to be Catholic, I would have to agree to work under their religious rules. If I, as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, get a job in the lab of a Catholic-affiliated hospital, not only do I not have to be Catholic, I can be an atheist.

Why should women who work at universities or hospitals affiliated with various religions have to endure different insurance coverage? Paying for pregnancy and childbirth is far more expensive.

The business of a church is religion. The business of a hospital is to care for the sick. The business of a university is education. Let's not get these issues confused.

Catherine Park

Clayton

------------------------------------

Rick Martinez, in his column of Feb. 8, asked a question about the requirement that public institutions include contraception coverage in employee insurance plans, to wit: "How can a Catholic institution teach that a practice is immoral while at the same time subsidize its use?" There is of course a good answer, and I propose to offer it in the time-honored manner in which religious leaders frequently answer queries, in the form of another question. How can a religion-affiliated public institution that takes federal funds impose its religious beliefs on its employees?

Obama's directive doesn't affect purely religious entities like churches, only church-linked hospitals and the like that take taxpayer money, and both employ and serve people of all faiths. It is precisely the taking of government money that exposes Catholic institutions to the same rules as other providers of similar services to the community. Catholic hospitals and universities have two choices: either stop taking government money, or respect the reproductive rights of female employees regardless of doctrine. Meanwhile, if the Catholic church could be honest with itself about the actual rate of contraceptive use among its members, it might discover a touch more humility and humanity on this issue.

Rob Sharer

Raleigh

---------------------------------------------------------

To suggest that President Obama has not protected women’s health could not be further from the truth. Yet rivals of the president still attempt to cloud his record on such issues at every turn.

The Affordable Care Act has done much to make health care more accessible for Americans across the country. Beginning in August, most health insurers will cover women’s preventative services, including contraceptives, without charging a deductible or co-pay. Twenty-eight states have already required contraceptive coverage; the Affordable Care Act only extends the benefit across the country. This extension does not fly in the face of support, as critics suggest, but rather builds on support for providing such coverage. In fact, 71 percent of Americans believe in covering prescription birth control at no cost.

Providing contraception simply continues Obama’s record of protecting women’s health. Instead of mischaracterizing the president’s plan, we should stand to support him as he has supported us.

Candice Davies

Cary

--------------------

The recent decision to require insurance plans to cover contraception isn’t really about religion at all. What it is about is the massive subsidy given in this country to employer-sponsored insurance. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, subsidies for employer-provided insurance amounted to $200 billion last year.

With the government covering so much of the bill, we, as taxpayers, have a right to impose certain conditions. For example, those on unemployment insurance are usually required to look for work in exchange for financial support, and nonprofits are prohibited from endorsing political candidates as a condition of their 501(c)(3) status. These are simple conditions imposed on institutions that are asking for government money.

If the Catholic Church or any other organization finds these requirements too burdensome, they are welcome to forgo the large payments they benefit from.

Ben Stormo

Durham

---------------------------------------------------------

I was raised Catholic, spent 12 years in Catholic school, was an alter boy, married in the Catholic Church, raised my two children as Catholic. Thirty years ago when we had our pre-marriage meeting with the priest, the birth control discussion was a "wink & a nod." Our pre-Cana class was taught by couples married for over 10 years with only two kids. Nobody's rhythm is that good.

This stink the church is making highlights how out of touch it is. Officials are doing is a disservice to the world by not supporting birth control. The last count I saw, there were 7 billion people in the world. The old guard in Rome is so out of touch with reality and they don't care. Maybe if they had women priests and married priests they would have some empathy four their congregations.

Doug Merrill

Durham

---------------------------------------------------------

Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik states the health insurance contraception requirement violates the freedom of conscience of the Catholic community. (“Contraception mandate outrages religious groups,” Feb 3). Directly paying for contraception violates his conscience. But paying wages to a non-Catholic employee who buys contraception herself does not violate freedom of conscience.

Suppose the health insurance company for Catholic Duquesne University keeps an account for Duquesne premiums and a separate account for premiums from non-Catholic employers. The insurance company could fund all contraception, even for Duquesne employees, from the non-Catholic account. Then an equivalent amount of money from the Duquesne account could be used to finance non-offensive procedures, such as pre-natal care, for employees of the non-Catholic institutions.

This is an accounting trick, but it guarantees the premiums from Catholic institutions are not used for contraception.

The bishop can claim victim status and demand the government change its requirement. Or he can negotiate an acceptable policy with the insurance company. The beauty of ObamaCare is that it allows Catholic institutions to find free market solutions to secure their conscience concerns and the religious freedom of their non-Catholic employees, rather than asking the government to grant these freedoms.

Ann Kane

Raleigh

---------------------------------------------------------

How objective can a scorned person be? William F. Powers, a former priest who in 1969 at age 34 took off the Roman collar and ventured into the real world writes that a majority of Catholics believe using contraceptives is a moral duty. Wow, how does he go from artificial birth control is a necessary evil to calling it a moral duty?

Powers asserts most Catholics sitting in the pews don’t agree with zero tolerance for contraceptive use; instead they consult their individual consciences for what’s right or wrong.

As far as following ones conscience, last I heard there are two kinds: a well-formed conscience and an ill-informed conscience.

President Obama’s mandate to include contraceptives and abortifacents in most health insurance plans is a direct affront to the Catholic Church. Obama has drawn a line in the sand.

Curiously, Powers doesn’t include the mandate’s inclusion of abortion-causing drugs in his argument because he would have to concede the president’s directive goes beyond simply preventing pregnancy.

Powers believes the Catholic Church should conform to secular cultures behaviors, but he is being arrogant to expect Jesus Christ who is the church to conform to his will.

Michael Daumen

Raleigh

Wake Forest women defeat N.C. State 70-57

egrobinson — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:06:21 -0500

RALEIGH – In a game decided by defense, Wake Forest proved tougher on Sunday afternoon, staggering N.C. State en route to a 70-57 victory at Reynolds Coliseum.

The Demon Deacons – mixing full and half-court traps – smothered the Wolfpack and pulled ahead late in the second half. They held on for the win and sent the sold-out crowd home disappointed after they had filled the venue for the seventh annual Hoops 4 Hope event.

Wake sophomore guard Lakevia Boykin finished a layup on a fastbreak with 21 seconds left, extending her team's lead. She then hit two free throws with 13.1 left to seal the game for the Deacs.

Wake was 10-for-10 from the free throw line over the game's final 50 seconds and the Deacs never allowed the Pack to work back into a contest.

Wake sophomore Chelsea Douglas finished with a game-high 21 points.

Four State players scored in double figures, with sophomore center Kody Burke leading the group with 13 points and four rebounds. Senior Bonae Holston added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Both teams had their moments, trapping and disrupting their opponents, resulting in a low-scoring affair. State led 25-23 at halftime.

The Wolfpack, shooting just 30 percent from the field, relied on its scrappy defense to stay in the game with the Demon Deacons – scoring 13 points off 12 forced turnovers.

Wake, which shot 40 percent from the field, outscored the Pack in the paint and in bench points.

The game marks the seventh annual Hoops 4 Hope event founded by the former N.C. State coach Kay Yow. The event was started to raise awareness for breast cancer and raise funds for research.

Over the years, it has become tradition during the Hoops 4 Hope event that cancer survivors take the floor on Kay Yow Court at halftime. Survivors stood near a sign-holder carrying a sign representing their years living with the disease: 0-2, 3-5, 6-10, 11-15, 15-plus.

This year country music star Scott McCreery performed a tribute song at halftime.

CHHS enters conference basketball tournaments as top seeds

ewarnock — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:24:58 -0500

Chapel Hill High School won a coin flip Saturday to get the top seed in the Carolina-6 Conference's girls basketball tournament. That means, if they win their semifinal game on Wednesday, that the Tigers would host the finals for both boys and girls in the Carolina-6 Conference tournament on Friday night.

Chapel Hill enters this week's tournament as the No. 1 seed in both the boys' and girls' event and gets a first-round bye in both. CHHS will host a semifinals double-header on Wednesday; the girls, who tied with Gibbons for the regular-season title, will play either No.-4 seed Orange or No. 5 Northern Vance at 6 p.m., and the CHHS boys will play either Northern or Suthern Vance at 7:30 p.m.

The championship finals will be played at the home court of the highest seeded girls team still in the tournament — girls at 6 p.m. and the boys to follow at 7:30 p.m. or 20 minutes after the end of the girls' game.

The pairing are as follows:

Carolina-6 Boys Basketball Tournament

First Round, Monday, Feb. 13

(1) Chapel Hill, bye

(2) Oxford Webb, bye

(3) Cardinal Gibbons hosts (6) Orange

(4) Northern Vance hosts (5) Southern Vance

Semifinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15

N/S Vance winner at Chapel Hill, 7:30 p.m.

Gibbons-Orange winner at Webb, 6 p.m.

Championship Game, Friday, Feb. 17

Semifinal winners at home gym of highest seeded girls team still in tournament, 7:30 p.m.

Carolina-6 Girls Basketball Tournament

First Round, Monday, Feb. 13

(1) Chapel Hill, bye

(2) Cardinal Gibbons, bye

(3) S. Vance hosts (6) Webb

(4) Orange hosts (5) N. Vance

Semifinals, Wednesday, Feb. 15

Orange-N. Vance winner at Chapel Hill, 6 p.m.

S. Vance-Webb winner at Cardinal Gibbons, 6 p.m.

Championship Game, Friday, Feb. 17

Semifinal winners at home gym of highest seeded girls team still in tournament, 6 p.m.

Check this map to see how DOT toll plan would affect your drive on I-95

BruceSiceloff — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:02:17 -0500

View NC tolls for I-95 in a larger map

NCDOT wants to collect tolls on I-95 to pay for a $4.4 billion widening and overhaul project, border to border (see today's story with map, photos and lots of reader comments).

The proposed electronic tolling network is designed to allow lots of North Carolina travelers to continue making short local trips on I-95 without paying tolls. It would make it difficult, but not impossible, for truckers and vacationers who travel longer distances to use I-95 without paying the toll.

As a result, truckers (25 percent of all I-95 traffic) and out-of-state cars and trucks (55 percent) could actually end up paying more than their share of the tolls.

Check the attached Google map to see how this would affect you and your trips on I-95. Blue icons mark locations for 9 sets of electronic toll sensors on I-95. Pink icons mark the nearest exits, before and after the sensors, where drivers going on or off I-95 also would pay tolls.

All other exits? And that's most of them. Toll-free.

When tolling starts in 2019, a car driving all the way between South Carolina and Virginia probably would be tolled $19.20, DOT says. Tolls for heavy trucks will be higher. (Some truckers have commented that today's story does not mention the fees they pay to use North Carolina roads, even when they buy fuel in other states. I'll be reporting more on the trucker perspective in coming weeks.)

Note: I produced this Google map, based on my interpretation of DOT's report explaining the plan (available at www.driving95.com). Any errors are mine, not DOT's -- so let me know if something looks wrong here.

On TV: Whitney Houston tributes planned

brookecain — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:58:29 -0500

Networks are scrambling to put together tributes to Whitney Houston. Here are a few I've seen so far (will update as I run across others -- but if you know of some, add them in the comments section):

Tonight
Dateline: NBC (7 p.m., NBC) - Lester Holt will host a one-hour special edition of "Dateline" looking at Whitney's life.
Grammy Awards (8 p.m., CBS) - Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan and others will perform a tribute to Houston during tonight's Grammy show.

Monday
106 & Park (6 p.m., BET) - A a special three-hour episode of “106 & Park” focusing on Whitney's life and music.
The Bodyguard (8 p.m., Lifetime) - Whitney's 1992 romantic drama starring Kevin Costner.
Whitney Houston: Death of a Diva (9:30 p.m., VH1) - Another special looking at the life and death of Whitney Houston.

Samson recalled; Bowman reassigned

chipalexander — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:34:39 -0500

The Canes today recalled forward Jerome Samson from the Charlotte Checkers (AHL), reassigning forward Drayson Bowman to the Checkers.

It's the second NHL recall this season for Samson. He played in three games with the Hurricanes following his Jan. 10 recall before an upper-body injury sidelined him for five games.

Samson, 24, scored his first NHL goal on Jan. 10 against Philadelphia, and now has five points in 33 career NHL games with Carolina. Samson leads the Checkers with 18 goals, and ranks second among team skaters with 31 points.

Tudor: A mid-season basketball 4-pointer

caultontudor — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:21:31 -0500

Caulton Tudor • staff columnist

1. Since TV networks call the shots, we aren’t likely to see another UNC vs. Duke basketball game in January.

For fans, that’s just another unfortunate reality of the economics of college athletics.

The first Duke-Carolina meeting of the system always delivers an immediate, and lingering, surge in national interest for all of college basketball. Another classic example of that was Duke’s riveting 85-84 win last week on a last-second 3-point shot by rivalry rookie Austin Rivers.

Sad though it may be, it’s even become popular in recent years for national pundits to refer to the first Tar Heel-Blue Devil meeting as the “true beginning of the college season.” Such talk should outrage the ACC, which once did more than any other league to generate early-winter basketball enthusiasm.

But since February and November are more important than other months for TV market rating purposes, the decision was made years ago to delay the first Duke-UNC game as long as possible.

The last time the two played in January was the 2001-02 season _ Jan. 31 in Chapel Hill.

In a perfect TV world, the networks (primarily ESPN) would prefer for both regular-season games to fall in February.

2. Based on attendance for last week’s N.C. State at Georgia Tech game in Philips Arena, the ACC has to pray that thousands of fans from North Carolina-based schools take time off to attend the league tournament March 8-11 in the same building.

The announced turnout for the Wolfpack and Yellow Jackets was 5,439 _ the latest evidence that Atlanta has become a very soft basketball market again.

Bobby Cremins provided the ACC and college hoops with a magic bullet for Atlanta, but Cremins and Tech parted after the ’99-’00 season. Since then, interest has steadily slipped. Even Paul Hewitt’s Final Four Jackets team in ’03-’04 didn’t make much of a market impact.

It’s for sure that few ACC Tournament books will be requested by Boston College, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Maryland and Miami.

The Atlanta playing site could lead to interest spikes in the Clemson and Florida State camps, but probably nothing extraordinary.

3. When Atlanta hosts the 2013 Final Four, the April 6 and 8 games will be played in the Georgia Dome and there’ll be no shortage of fans, of course.

North Carolina probably will not have a games site at any point during the 2013 NCAA event.

The regional host cities will be Los Angeles (West), Indianapolis (Midwest), Dallas (South) and probably New York in the East. The closest early-round games to North Carolina will be played in Philadelphia and Lexington, Ky.

Thus far, a deal with Madison Square Garden for the East semifinals and title game hasn’t been completely finalized, so there might be an outside hope for a North Carolina building to emerge.

4. And finally, back to the ACC Tournament for some formating speculation upon the eventual arrivals of Syracuse and Pittsburgh as members.

Fourteen-team tournaments are awkward and can be modified any number of ways.

The most popular option generally is to grant only two teams first-round byes. The other 12 teams play six games to reduce the field from 14 to eight and from there, a normal three-day quarterfinals, semifinals, championship progress. With six opening-rounds, 14-team tournaments normally are played during a five-day period with three games on, say, Wednesday, three first-round games on Thursday, quarterfinals on Friday, semis on Saturday and the title on Sunday.

The No. 1 seed would be in a bracket with regular-season Nos. 4 and 13, 5 and 12, and 8 and 9.

The No. 2 seed would be in the opposite bracket along with Nos. 3 and 14, 6 and 11 and 7 and 10.

The 2013 through 2016 ACC events are slated for Greensboro.

Three final thoughts on Duke's 73-55 win over Maryland

jackdaly — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:46:09 -0500

DURHAM – No. 10 Duke had a strong second half Saturday afternoon, maintaining its momentum from Wednesday’s win over North Carolina with a 73-55 victory against Maryland at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

From Miles Plumlee’s monster effort on the glass (22 rebounds, an all-time high for a Mike Krzyzewski-coached team) to Seth Curry’s steady offensive performance, there were a lot of things the Blue Devils had to like about the win.

Here are three of the more encouraging things Duke can take from the victory:

1. Miles Plumlee morphs into Brian Zoubek

Of all the things Duke had to like about Saturday, the possibility of Plumlee assuming Zoubek’s mantle has to be the highest on the list. Against Maryland two seasons ago, Zoubek kicked off a robust conclusion to his senior campaign by scoring 16 points and grabbing 17 rebounds, becoming a force down low over the final six weeks to help lead the Blue Devils to the NCAA title.

Whether Plumlee’s effort (nine of his rebounds came on the offensive end) was a one-game thing or something more, Krzyzewski was nonetheless encouraged by Plumlee’s response to the coaching staff showing the team highlights of Zoubek’s game against Maryland.

“We showed what that team two years ago did on this weekend against Maryland, which kind of pushed us in a really good direction where a youngster went from being good to being great,” Krzyzewski said. “I’m not going to put that on Miles, but he was great today. I don’t know if he can keep doing that, but the fact that he’s done it is a nice turn.

“It’s not like he’s played poorly – he’s done a really good job, just like Brian had done a good job. From that day on, Zoubek was great and we won a national championship.”

2. Austin Rivers plays within himself

Compared to his spectacular effort against the Tar Heels on Wednesday, Duke’s freshman guard was quiet against the Terrapins, scoring 11 points.

After his career night against UNC, it may have been easy for Rivers to assert himself offensively and show that he is the star of the Blue Devils’ offense. Instead, Rivers didn’t force the issue, seeming to realize he wasn’t especially sharp while allowing his teammates attack the Terrapins.

That’s noteworthy because three weeks ago Rivers likely would have taken a couple of ill-advised shots or driven into the teeth of the Maryland defense in an effort to get himself going. There was little of that Saturday, which, in a sense, is almost as encouraging for Duke as Rivers' performance on Wednesday night.

“I talked to him briefly after the game and just said you played well defensively and rebounding wise,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s really difficult to come back after doing that and the whole world is talking about your shot.”

3. The Blue Devils played well in consecutive games

It’s been since the early part of January that Duke have strung together two solid efforts that have resulted in a win.

Given the unpredictable nature of this team, it wouldn’t have been a complete shock had the Blue Devils struggled against the Terrapins. Instead, they put together a second half that ranks as one of their better 20 minutes of the year.

“I would like to think we could take a step up after these two games,” Krzyzewski said.

Added Rivers, “I think it shows maturity as a team. For us to win against North Carolina – a less mature team would play loose and lose the game. For us to come in here and play a team that really needed a win … that shows maturity as a team and is a big momentum thing for us right now. We’ve got to ride this in a positive direction.”

Play online game for grocery prizes at Kroger.com

AmyDunn — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:00:00 -0500

Kroger's website has launched an online game promotion that gives you the chance to win free grocery products.

Click here to register or sign in to "race" in the Daytona 500. If your car wins, you get one of more than 80,000 prizes, which include bottles of Gatorade, jars of Ragu and tubs of Country Crock margarine.

You can instantly load the prize onto your Kroger loyalty card so it will be free the next time you shop.

Play once a day over the next two weeks. You're eligible to win up to two prizes.

I would say your odds of winning are pretty high. I won a bag of Cracker Jack the very first time I tried.

New York and Boston go to war over...Dvorak?

dmenconi — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:00:00 -0500

So you might think that Red Sox-Yankees or last week's Super Bowl represents the ultimate New York-Boston rivalry. But there's plenty of competition for that title, because bitter disputes between New York and Boston are a time-honored tradition -- and sometimes, they're centered on some unlikely subjects. Like the 1893 premiere of Dvorak's "From the New World," which New York just loved but Boston simply hated. For more on that, see the preview of the NC Symphony's "Dvorak and America" program in Sunday's paper.

New documentary shows rare MLK assassination footage

brookecain — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:00:00 -0500

The Smithsonian Channel debuts a new documentary tonight on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that includes rare footage of the days leading up to the iconic Civil Rights leader's murder in Memphis in April 1968.

"MLK: The Assassination Tapes" relies solely on archival films, photographs and recordings from television and radio news coverage, as well as audio recordings of local police scrambling to secure the Lorraine Hotel minutes after King's shooting was reported.

The documentary uses what Smithsonian describes as "recently rediscovered footage" from the Special Collections Division at The University of Memphis, chronologically presented for a powerfully immersive effect. Much of the archival footage has not been seen by the public since it was first gathered in 1968.

The special debuts tonight at 9 on Smithsonian Channel and repeats at midnight, then again Monday at 8 p.m.

Smithsonian Channel is on Time Warner Cable digital channel 1264; DirecTV 565 and 1565; DISH Network on 288; and AT&T U-Verse 118 and 1118.

If you don't have access to Smithsonian Channel, you can watch the film free online starting today through SmithsonianChannel.com or by using Smithsonian Channel's apps for iPhone, Android and Nook.

Read more here: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/tv/home#storylink=cpy

What to Watch on Sunday: Grammys, zombies, comic books

brookecain — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:30:00 -0500

Grammy Awards (8pm, CBS) - LL Cool J hosts the 54th annual music event from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Kanye West leads all nominations with seven. Scheduled to perform: Adele, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Rihanna, Foo Fighters, Taylor Swift, the Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Bennett, Carrie Underwood and many others. Our own David Menconi will be live-blogging the event and tracking how our local nominees do.

The Walking Dead (9pm, AMC) - The second season resumes in the aftermath of the bloodbath (wait, do zombies bleed?) at the barn. Rick tries to restore order and a devastated Hershel turns to the bottle for solace. Some new characters are introduced tonight, including a shady traveler played by Michael Raymond James ("Terriers," "True Blood"). James' scenes have the feel of a tense, classic Western. He's a welcome addition to the show. Can we swap him for Lori?

Downton Abbey (9pm, UNC-TV) - The Spanish flu sweeps through the household infecting Cora, Lavinia and Mr. Carson.

Desperate Housewives (9pm, ABC) - Susan is shocked when Julie returns home very pregnant, and Bree's drinking and lust continues unabated.

Luck (9pm, HBO) - Jerry pursues a deal to buy the horse that Renzo lost to Mulligan while also talking to Escalante about training it. I've been on the fence about this show, and reports that horses are being injured and euthanized during production haven't helped me.

Comic Book Men (10pm, AMC) - A new series that looks at life in and around a New Jersey comic book store opens with manager Walt challenging the staff to a sales competition at a flea market.

House of Lies (10pm, Showtime) - Marty takes on Roscoe's school after his son is slapped with sexual harassment charges for kissing another boy.

New Sunday coupons = new deals at Lowes Foods Super Doubles

AmyDunn — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:00:00 -0500

Today's two new coupon inserts equal a whole new set of potential deals at Lowes Foods inaugural Super Double coupon promotion.

I did a quick check of the coupons and matched them up with prices on Lowes Foods to Go, the chain's online shopping site.

Here are the very best deals I spotted. Please chime in with any bargains you find!

Secret deodorant/antiperspirant (1.6 oz.): $1.99
$1/1 Red Plum
= FREE!

Activia yogurt 4-packs: $2
$1/1 Smart Source (This is a new issue of this coupon.)
= FREE!

Nivea Body Wash for Men: $3.69
$1.50/1
= 69 cents! A terrific deal.

Glade PlugIns Scented Oil Warmer: $3.99 (Regular price: $5.95)
$1.50/1 Smart Source
= 99 cents. A very good price, if you buy these.
Note: Lowes Foods to Go does not list a price for Glade Decor Scents holders or refills. Check your store for a potential good deal using the $1/1 coupon.

Chinet Comfort Cups with lids: $2.50
.75/1 Smart Source
= $1.

M&M's candies (12.6 oz. Cupid Mix): $2.88
$1.50/2 Red Plum
= $1.38 each. A pretty good price, though you can use the same coupon at Rite Aid.

Hormel Compleats: $2.50
$1/2 Smart Source
= $1.50 each.

Country Crock Side Dishes: $3.50 (Regular price: $4.99)
$1/1 Smart Source
= $1.50. A nice deal on these.

Welch's 64 oz. 100% Grape Juice: $3.69
$1/1 Red Plum
= $1.69.

Hormel Refrigerated Entrees: $3.75 (Regular price: $7.49)
$1/1 Smart Source
= $1.75. A great deal.

Poise Pantiliners (26 count): $3.85
$1/1 Smart Source
= $1.85.
Note: The Lowes Foods to Go site does NOT list Poise Hourglass pads. Check your store for a potential good deal with the $1.50/1 coupon.

Fixodent Adhesive (regular, 1.4 oz.): $3.85
$1/1 Red Plum
= $1.85.

Gold Bond Body Lotion (8 oz.): $5.19
$1/1 Smart Source
= $3.19.

Arm & Hammer laundry detergent (32 load): $4.49 (Regular price: $6.49)
$1/2 Smart Source
= $3.49 each. An OK price if you're brand loyal.

Cortizone 10 products: $5.69-$5.79
$1/1 Smart Source
= $3.69-$3.79.

Hormel Always Tender flavored meat: $6.99
$1/1 Smart Souce
= $4.99.

Newman's Own Organics coffee (10 oz.): $7.29
$1.50/1 Smart Source
= $4.29. A good price on organic coffee.

Newman's Own Organics K-Cup packs: $8.99
$1.50/1 Smart Source
= $5.99. A decent price for K-Cups.

Live-blogging the 2012 Grammys: How will our peeps do?

dmenconi — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:00:00 -0500

Chances are, Sunday night's Grammy Awards won't be nearly as exciting for us in North Carolina as last year's model and its stunning finale -- even if it's certain to be a somber occasion, given Saturday night's events. But year in and year out, the telecast is always one of the most reliably entertaining trainwrecks in show business.

So come on back to this space when it starts at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, and we will break snark together. Check the photo gallery, too.

7:40 p.m. -- Some awards have been given out in the pre-telecast portion of the program, and the Triangle already has a couple of Grammys in hand. Bon Iver, Raleigh alumnus Justin Vernon’s band, has won best alternative album; so even if he comes up empty in his other three nominations (best new artist and record/song of the year), Vernon won’t be going home empty-handed.

Durham-based Merge Records also won a Grammy for best recording package, for the expanded version of Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” (which won album of the year last year, you may recall). And Levon Helm’s best-Americana-album victory for “Ramble at the Rynam” gives some shine to Greensboro songwriter Laurelyn Dossett – whose song “Anna Lee” Helm including on the album.

As for those falling short, Jim Lauderdale and Steep Canyon Rangers lost out to Alison Krauss for best bluegrass album; Durham-based Marsalis Music fell short for best large jazz ensemble album; and Asheville’s Warren Haynes lost to Tedeschi Trucks Band for best blues album.

More to come…

7:52 -- CBS' pre-Grammy "60 Minutes" feature with Adele closes with a plug for online outtakes. You can go there for the "Funniest moments with Adele...brought to you by Viagra." Oh, yeah...

8:00 -- "Ladies and gentlemen...Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band!" Not a bad way to start. Not surprisingly, it's his new single, "We Take Care of Our Own." A little ragged on the vocal, but it's all good.

8:03 -- You know, I wish we did take care of our own here in America. Alas, seems like that's kind of been the problem in recent years.

8:05 -- Host LL Cool J out, asking "how to speak to these times." Also not surprisingly, the evening's first Whitney Houston reference. LL leads the audience in a prayer for her, followed by a clip of her belting out "I Will Always Love You" a few years back.

8:09 -- Okay, Mr. Cool J, this monologue is going on a little too long...

8:10 -- "O.G. Paul McCartney?" Seriously, dude?!

8:11 -- Bruno Mars is out to do his performance. And even if his hopped-up R&B revue ain't your kind of thing, Mars is one of those performers who seems impossible to dislike. He is one good-lookin' cat, too.

8:13 -- Mars is trying to whip the crowd up, first with a Whitney Houston reference and second with a plea for everyone to "get up offa your rich asses!" Oooh...

8:21 -- Bonnie Raitt and Alicia Keys out to do Etta James' "Sunday Kind of Love," in tribute to her and Houston. Nice; Raitt just owns this, and Keys is keeping up with her.

8:23 -- Raitt and Keys present best pop solo vocal performance; Lady Gaga looks like she's wearing mesh. And the winner is...Adele. No surprise at all, although Mars is jumping up and down; in anger, perhaps? Excited for her? No idea...

8:25 -- Adele's accent is about the most charming thing ever. Nicely done on her acceptance speech; which is lead-in to Chris Brown's performance...

8:27 -- How is it that there's not a best-aerobics-record Grammy? If they gave that one out, Brown would be the prohibitive favorite. Dude's got moves, no doubt about it.

8:28 -- Chris Brown, continued: I thought the Super Bowl halftime show was last weekend.

8:35 -- Fergie and Marc Anthony out for some excruciating banter, and to present best rap performance; which goes to...Jay-Z and Kanye West. Who aren't here. Oh well.

8:37 -- Reba McEntire out to introduce the unlikely couple of Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean to duet on "Don't You Wanna Stay." Nice to have them on the same stage, actually; at her recent DPAC show, Clarkson did this one accompanied by a 30-foot-high hologram of Aldean onstage, which was kinda creepy.

8:46 -- Jack Black introduces Foo Fighters with a reference to indie cred and (I think) a slight to Bon Iver. Hmm. Still, Foo Fighters are perfectly likable. I think Dave Grohl might be his generation's Tom Petty; and it's cool that they're playing out in the Staples Center parking lot.

8:56 -- Rihanna and Coldplay, together again for the very first time as one of Grammy's odd-couple pairings; this should be...interesting...

8:58 -- Two minutes in, this is a heckuva lot more Rihanna (and her cast of a thousand dancers) than Coldplay. Another Super Bowl-worthy spectacle, complete with her urging the crowd to "Make some noise for Whitney!" That's four references to Houston in the first hour, by my count.

9:00 -- And here is Coldplay's Chris Martin, finally, on acoustic guitar and dueting with Rihanna. Nice enough, even if also kinda forced in the time-honored Grammy tradition.

9:03 -- The rest of Coldplay is out to do "Paradise." It's, um, not making much of an impression. Can't say I'm surprised it did not win best pop/duo group performance.

9:08 -- Willie Nelson's cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist" on this Chiptole Cultivate Foundation commercial is making a far bigger impression than Coldplay's own performance, quite frankly.

9:13 -- Speaking of the Super Bowl, two New York Giants players and a gal from the CBS series NCIS are out to present best rock performance. Victor Cruz does his little salsa touchdown bit. And as graceful as Mario Manningham was last week, he's incredibly awkward at the mike. And the Grammy goes to...the Foo Fighters, over Coldplay, Radiohead, Mumford & Sons and Decembrists. An okay choice.

9:16 -- They finally cut Grohl off to bring out Ryan Seacrest to introduce the Beach Boys tribute; starting with Maroon 5...who try "Surfer Girl" on for size; and it's...well, not good. It's downright hideous, in fact. These guys used to be popular, right? Can anyone explain why?

9:19 -- Here's hoping Foster the People can do better with "Wouldn't It Be Nice?"

9:20 -- Well, they're better than Maroon 5. Yes, that is damning with faint praise. Funny thing, nobody else can pull off those vocal harmonies like the original Beach Boys.

9:21 -- Including the Beach Boys themselves, circa 2012, reconvened for their 50-year anniversary. Mike Love has always scared me; and Brian Wilson -- poor, poor Brian Wilson. He looks terrified, the very essence of deer-in-the-headlinghts. They manage to get through it.

9:31 -- Stevie Wonder! He sends a shout-out to Whitney, pulls out a harmonica and brings down the house in about 10 seconds. Wish he'd keep going. But he's introducing Paul McCartney. Here we go...

9:33 -- Um...Paul? This new song of yours, "My Valentine"? It's not good. In fact, it's pretty terrible. "Silly Love Songs"-type terrible. Please, stop. This is embarrassing. And Joe Walsh, of all people, on flamenco guitar (!).

9:36 -- Common out with an actress from yet another CBS series, to give a shout-out to lifetime acheivement award winner to Gil Scott Heron, and present best R&B album. Chris Brown looks way nervous. And it goes to...the aforementioned Chris Brown.

9:38 -- Strangely, he does not mention Whitney Houston. Now we have The Civil Wars saying they'd like to "thank all our opening acts." Nice. And yet The Civil Wars kinda puzzle me -- the esteem in which they are held. Perfectly inoffensive, at least, and now they're introducing Taylor Swift.

9:41 -- Swift is wielding a banjo, leading an enormous band and singing another of her revenge fantasies, "Mean." I can't help but like her, seriously. This is a heckuva lot livelier than a lot of what various "legends" have been throwing down so far tonight. The look on her face as the crowd cheers says, "You like me! You really like me!"

9:50 -- Neil Patrick Harris out to present song of the year; seems kind of early for this one. Anyway, it should be Adele in a landslide. Bon Iver is nominated here. And it goes to...Adele. The landslide is on, I'd say.

9:52 -- Adele just as adorable as before; and she lets her producer have a word, too. They hug. Nice. On to Kate Beckinsale to introduce Katy Perry.

9:53 -- Who appears to be trying to get her Lady Gaga on. Bright blue hair, an incomprehensible outfit, a strident song that is way less memorable than the visuals. God bless America.

9:57 -- Somewhere, Janet Jackson is watching Perry and wondering why everybody nowadays cops from her "Rhythm Nation" tour 20-some years ago.

9:58 -- Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley out to present best country album. Appalachian State alumnus Eric Church is up for this one, though it's hard to imagine he can beat Taylor Swift. And the winner is...Lady Antebellum? Really? They're still winning Grammys this year after all the ones they won last year?

9:59 -- That dude in Lady Antebellum is one tall individual.

10:05 -- Chris Martin's wife -- that would be Gwyneth Paltrow -- is out to introduce Adele's performance. She's already won four Grammys, and now she's gonna do "Rolling in the Deep."

10:07 -- This is good. Really good. And I'm wishing she didn't keep canceling her tours.

10:09 -- Very cool gospel flourishes from Adele and her backup singers. And I can't help thinking about Whitney Houston, who was at the top just like Adele is now -- and like Amy Winehouse was a few years ago. I hope a kinder fate awaits her.

10:16 -- Taylor Swift back out to introduce the Glen Campbell tribute, starting with...The Band Perry. Yet another videogenic young country act that I don't get. And they're not doing much with "Gentle on My Mind."

10:19 -- Mr. Miranda Lambert -- that would be Blake Shelton -- takes a turn with "Southern Nights." He always reminds me of the father of the bride on the mike at a wedding reception, and this is no exception.

10:21 -- And now Campbell himself will do "Rhinestone Cowboy." I quite like his latest album, but he obviously does not have much voice left. I'm kinda wishing he'd done the new album's title track "Ghost on the Canvas" instead; and why didn't they have the Beach Boys involved here, given his involvement with them way back when?

10:23 -- Was that Joe Walsh I just saw dancing out in the audience?

10:31 -- Carrie Underwood and Tony Bennett on to present best new artist, and do a quick duet on "It Had To Be You." Dang, if I'm still around at 85, I hope I'm as spry as Mr. Bennett.

10:33 -- On to best new artist. And it goes to...Bon Iver! Wow! Two for Justin Vernon tonight! Even though he's hardly "new," but what the heck.

10:34 -- This is a long way from Vernon's days in Raleigh. He's kinda fumbling his way through this, and they cut him off. Oh well. Wish he'd sent a shout-out to his old bandmates in Megafaun...

10:36 -- Grammy president Neil Portnow's yearly helping of vegetables. Time for a run to the frig for something sweet.

10:40 -- The "In Memorium" segment starts with Amy Winehouse. It includes Nick Ashford, Steve Jobs, Nate Dogg, George Shearing, Phoebe Snow, Dobie Gray, Johnny Otis, Joe Morello, Bert Jansch, Hazel Dickens, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Clarence Clemons...but not Etta James, oddly enough. As expected, it closes with Whitney Houston.

10:43 -- Jennifer Hudson is starkly lit as she starts into Houston's Dolly Parton-penned signature "I Will Always Love You." Very stately, spare, stark. Loads better than the over-the-top pop productions from earlier in the show.

10:46 -- That was lovely, rough edges and all.

10:51 -- Deadmaus, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Foo Fighters, David Guetta and others in a free-for-all tribute to dance music. This is pretty cool, nevertheless. And the always-likable/aforementioned Dave Grohl is one of those guys you can throw into any situation had have it work.

11:04 -- Drake out to introduce Nicki Minaj. And this is off to a weird start. Is she...possessed by the devil? This is kinda...creepy.

11:07 -- Mighty strange performance art by Ms. Minaj. I think she should moderate the next Republican presidential debate, just for grins.

11:10 -- Lady Antebellum is out to announce record of the year. How can Adele not win this one?

11:12 -- And it goes to...yes, Adele. No surprise, indeed. All that's left is album of the year and it's hard to imagine she won't win that,too. "Thank you so much, this is ridiculous." I love this woman. Thumbs up!

11:19 -- Diana Ross is out to present album of the year and it's...another for Adele. Alas, that closes the door on Raleigh expatriate Miles Walker, who shared Rihanna's nomination. But hard to be too upset about this. She is busting out the hugs and going to pieces, trying to remember everyone to thank -- and blowing her nose on her sleeve. Adorkable, I tell you.

11:23 -- All that's left is to turn it back over to Paul McCartney. And I sure hope there will be no more new songs...

11:24 -- So far so good, with "Golden Slumbers," McCartney at the piano. Yes, his voice is showing its age. Nice, though.

11:27 -- They're sticking with the "Abbey Road" medley and it's right fine. Good to see Springsteen out there on guitar behind Sir Paul, sharing the mike with...Joe Walsh? Man, he's been everywhere tonight. So has Dave Grohl, sharing McCartney's mike.

11:29 -- Veddy nice guitar fireworks from Walsh, Springsteen, et al.

11:30 -- Done on the dot. Good night, everybody. Your late local news is next.

Sunday deals are up! (Feb. 12-18)

AmyDunn — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0500

This week's drugstore deals include FREE Colgate toothpaste, a FREE CFL light bulb and FREE Lypsl cold-sore medicine, along with some incredibly cheap deals on Nivea products, Speed Stick deodorant, Hall's and Luden's cough drops, M&M's candies, 7UP and Progresso soup.

And at Kroger this week, you can score FREE Colgate toothpaste, along with 20-cent toothbrushes and 25-cent Starkist tuna. There's also a new promo that will give you $3 off your order instantly plus a $2 off-your-next-order coupon. You must buy 10 participating products to get the discount and coupon.

Read on for all the very best deals this week at CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and Kroger. Please post any good deals you discover as you shop this week. That way, we can all save more!

At CVS:

Colgate Total toothpaste: $2.75
$2 Extra Bucks
.75/1 (2/12 Smart Source)
= FREE! Limit 2.

Nivea products: Buy $10, Get $3 Extra Bucks
$1/1 Nivea body lotion, 8.4-16.9 oz. (2/12 Red Plum)
$1.50/1 Nivea body wash for women, 8.4-16.9 oz. (2/12 Red Plum)
$1.50/1 Nivea for Men body wash, 8.4-16.9 oz. (2/12 Red Plum)
$3/2 Nivea lip care, .17-.35 oz. (2/12 Red Plum)
$2/1 Nivea Q10 Skin Firming, 2.5-13.5 oz. (2/12 Red Plum)

DEAL SCENARIO:
Buy 4 lip products
Use 2 $3/2 coupons
= 25 cents each after coupons and rewards!

Speed Stick/Irish Spring/Softsoap products: Buy $15, Get $5 Extra Bucks
BOGO coupon (1/29 Smart Source)
.50/1 Softsoap Bar Soap, 2 bar pack or larger (1/29 Smart Source)
.75/1 Softsoap Body Wash, 12 oz. or larger (1/29 Smart Source)
.40/1 Softsoap Hand Soap Pump, 8 oz. or larger (1/29 Smart Source)
$1/1 Irish Spring body Wash (excludes 2.5 oz.) (1/29 Smart Source)
.50/1 Irish Spring Multi-Bar pack, 3 bars or larger (1/29 Smart Source)

DEAL SCENARIO:
Buy 8 Speed Sticks for $1.99 each
Use 4 BOGO coupons
= 37 cents each after coupons and rewards!

Make it a moneymaker with the $5/$10 Colgate-Palmolive mail-in rebate from the 1/29 Smart Source insert!

Campbell's Chicken Noodle and Tomato Soup: 59 cents. Limit 10
.40/4 (1/8 Smart Source 2 or 2/12 Smart Source)
= 49 cents each.

Got2b hair stylers: $3.99
$3/1 (2/12 Red Plum)
= 99 cents. Identical deal at Rite Aid.

U by Kotex liners, pads or tampons: $3.50
$1/1 (1/15 Smart Source)
$1/1 SavingStar credit
= $1.50. A nice deal.

Arm & Hammer laundry detergent: BOGO
$1/2 (2/12 Smart Source or 12/25 Parade)

Cheerios (10-14 oz.): BOGO
.80/1 MultiGrain Peanut Butter printable coupon
$1/1 MultiGrain Peanut Butter printable coupon
.75/1 Dulce de Leche Cheerios printable coupon
$1/2 Cheerios (1/22 Smart Source)

Deals without coupons:

CVS batteries: BOGO. Limit 6.

Bottled water (24 pack): $2.44. Limit 3.

At Rite Aid:

GE Energy Smart CFL: 99 cents after in-ad coupon
$1/1 (2/12 Smart Source)
= FREE! Plus a 1-cent moneymaker.

Hall's cough drops: 97 cents
$1/2 (2/5 Smart Source)
= 47 cents each.

Luden's cough drops: 97 cents
$1/2 printable coupon
= 47 cents.

Got2b hair stylers: $3.99
$3/1 (2/12 Red Plum)
= 99 cents. Identical deal at CVS.

M&M candies (8-12 oz.): 2/$5
$1 +UP Reward on 2
$1.50/2 (2/12 Red Plum)
$1/1 Pretzel M&M's printable coupon
= as low as $1 each.

Hershey's, Mars single-serve candy: Buy 2, Get 1 Free
.50/2 Hershey's candy bars Rite Aid printable coupon
.50/2 Payday or York Rite Aid printable coupon

7UP 2 liters: 4/$4
$1 +UP Reward on 4
= 75 cents.

Cold-Eeze: $3.99
$3 +UP Reward
= 99 cents.

Nivea lip care: 2/$5
$3/2 Nivea lip care, .17-.35 oz. (2/12 Red Plum)
= $1 each. CVS has the better deal.

Hershey's Pot of Gold candy: $3.99
$2 +UP Reward
= $1.99.

At Walgreens:

LypSyl Extreme Cold Sore Relief (.3 oz.): $5
$5 Register Rewards
= FREE!

Progresso soups: 4/$5
$1 Register Reward on 4
$1/4 (1/8 or 2/5 General Mills)
= 75 cents each. A very good price.

M&M's candies: 2/$5
$1.50/2 (2/12 Red Plum)
$1 in-store coupon
$1/1 Pretzel M&M's printable coupon
= as low as $1 each.

Hefty One Zip bags: BOGO or $1.65 each.
$1/2 (1/1 Red Plum)
.75/2 (11/13 Red Plum)
= as low as $1.15 each.

Quaker Oats 1-Minute oatmeal: BOGO or $1.65 each with in-ad coupon. Must buy both to get deal.

Folgers coffee (select varieties, 10.3-11.3 oz.): $3.49
.25/1 (2/5 Red Plum)
= $3.24.

Tide detergent (18-32 loads): $4.99
.50/1 or $1/2 (1/29 P&G)
= $4.49.

Charmin toilet paper (12 rolls): $5.99
$1 Register Reward
.25/1 (1/29 P&G)
= $4.74.

Huggies Jumbo Pack diapers: $8.99
$2/1 Little Movers Slip-Ons in-store coupon
$2/1 Little Movers or Little Snugglers or Overnites (2/12 Smart Source)
$1/1 Huggies Diapers (2/12 Smart Source)
= as low as $4.99. A very good price.

Deals without coupons:

Purex laundry detergent (33 loads): $1.99.

Walgreens brand cold, allergy or sinus medicines: BOGO.

Walgreens brand hearing aid batteries: BOGO.

At Target:

Eggs: $1.39 per dozen.

At Kroger:

Colgate toothpaste (6.4 oz.): $1
.50/1 (1/29 Smart Source)
= FREE!

Colgate Plus or Triple Action toothbrush: $1
.40/1 (1/29 Smart Source), excluding the Plus
= 20 cents!

Starkist tuna cans and pouches: $1.25
.50/1 on pouches (1/1 Red Plum) Expires today, 2/12
= 25 cents for pouch!

A new promo: Check your weekly ad and store shelf tags for another new promotion that kicks in when you buy 10 participating products. This time, however, there's a twist. You'll get $3 off your order instantly -- or 30 cents per item. Then you'll get a $2 coupon to use on your next order. Not quite as good as getting the $5 off instantly. However, you might be able to use this to your advantage, taking the $2 coupons you earn to Harris Teeter or Lowes Foods, both of which accept competitor coupons of this type.

Among the items in the promo:

Totino's Pizza Rolls snacks: 99 cents after promo
.40/2 (12/11 or 1/29 Smart Source)
.40/2 (1/8 General Mills)
= 59 cents. A very good deal, if you buy these.

Kraft Barbecue Sauce: 69 cents after promo. A great deal.

Pillsbury Grand! Biscuits: 99 cents after promo
.30/2 (1/8 or 2/5 General Mills)
= 69 cents. A good price.

Gatorade (32 oz.): 79 cents after promo.

Ragu pasta sauce: $1.31 after promo
$1.25/3 (1/29 Red Plum 1)
= 89 cents! A very good deal.

M&M's candies movie-size boxes: 89 cents after promo.

Betty Crocker Supreme brownie mix: $1.99 after promo
.75/2 (2/5 General Mills)
= $1.62. A decent price.

Cheetos or Fritos: $1.99 after promo.

Kraft Singles: $2.69 after promo
.55/2 (1/15 Smart Source) Expires 2/15
= $2.32. An OK deal.

Deals without coupons:

Tyson split chicken breasts: 99 cents per pound.

Rotisserie chicken: $4.99. A good price on these.

Sweet corn: 33 cents each.

Strawberries: $1.50 for 16 oz. A good price.

Bell peppers or cucumbers: 50 cents each.

Yellow or Zucchini squash: 99 cents per pound.

Roma tomatoes: 99 cents per pound.

Russet jumbo potatoes: $2.99 for 8 pound.

Kroger bread or buns: $1.

Kroger Deluxe ice cream (48 oz.): $2.50.

Database updated with Sunday's new coupons

AmyDunn — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:55:00 -0500

The News & Observer's coupon database has been updated with all of today's new coupons.

This Sunday's home-delivered Final Edition of The News & Observer contains two inserts -- one Smart Source and one Red Plum -- for a total of 100 coupons with a face value of about $132.

That's before you double the first coupon, of course, which we have the opportunity to do every day of the week at Kroger, Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods. And this week we have the good fortune of an ongoing Super Double promotion at Lowes Foods and the rumored prospect of another Super Double promo at Harris Teeter this coming week.

Look for a brand-new match up of Lowes Foods Super Doubles deals using today's new coupons. I'll have that list posted about 6 a.m. today.

Not familiar with the coupon database? You can access it on the right-hand side of the blog. There's a button at the bottom right to view it as a full-size page.
Or, you can download it as an Excel spreadsheet by clicking on the attachment at the bottom of this post.

It's a handy tool, listing every coupon we receive in the Triangle in the Sunday N&O.

Reading from left to right, you'll see a description of the coupon; the value of the coupon and how many the coupon requires you to purchase; the expiration date; the date the coupon was released; and the name of the insert in which the coupon can be found.

If there are multiple inserts of the same type in a single week, I'll number them in the database, ie. RP1, RP2. Click the "Insert Key" in blue at the top of the database to help you identify each insert in those cases.

I also wanted to let you know that starting with today's coupons, I'll be noting when a coupon states "Do Not Double," using the shorthand DND. Also starting today, I'll be using the shorthand ETS when a coupon exludes trial or travel size products.

Whitney Houston -- nooooooooooooo

dmenconi — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:42:59 -0500

Oh, Whitney – why, why, why?

UNC 70, Virginia 52: The look back

Andrew_Carter — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:10:44 -0500

CHAPEL HILL — No. 5 North Carolina defeated No. 19 Virginia 70-52 here on Saturday afternoon at the Smith Center. A look back at the Tar Heels’ victory:

Why the Tar Heels won: The Tar Heels capitalized on their second-chance points on Saturday, turning 23 offensive rebounds into 23 points against Virginia, which entered as the best defensive rebounding team in the ACC. UNC outscored the Cavaliers 23-9 in second-chance points, and the Heels also outscored Virginia 40-20 in the paint. A good number of those second-chance points came in the paint, of course. Following a heartbreaking 85-84 loss against Duke on Wednesday night, the Tar Heels trailed by seven at two points during the first half, but they closed the half on a 15-5 to take a 35-32 halftime lead. The Heels finished game on a 9-2 run.

The good: There was lots to like about this victory from a UNC perspective. The second-chance points were instrumental for the Heels, who took 13 more shots from the field than Virginia did (68-55). Any time a team attempts 13 more field goals than its opponent, it’s going to create a significant advantage – or disadvantage, in the case of Virginia. Tyler Zeller was, as he has usually been since the conference schedule started, fantastic. He finished with a game-high 25 points and outplayed the Cavaliers’ Mike Scott, who finished with 18 points. The Heels also received some valuable contributions from their bench. James Michael McAdoo scored 9 of UNC’s 11 bench points, but fellow reserves Justin Watts and Stilman White played well, too. Finally, there probably wasn’t a UNC fan watching this game who didn’t think about that loss against Duke when the Cavaliers trimmed UNC’s 15-point lead to 11 with about four and a half minutes to play. The Heels erased any notion of a similar collapse, though, by closing the game on a 9-2 run.

The bad: Shooting, particularly from the outside, continues to be a problem point for the Tar Heels. They made just one 3-pointer against Duke and again made just one against Virginia. The Heels were 1-for-10 from behind the 3-point line and shot just 35.3 percent overall. Defensively, UNC also had a difficult time containing Virginia guard Jontel Evans, who easily penetrated UNC’s defense in the first half. He finished with just two of his 12 points in the second half.

Key stat: UNC scored 23 points off offensive rebounds, and outscored the Cavaliers in that category 23-9. Virginia entered the game as one of the best rebounding teams in the conference but the Heels controlled the boards on Saturday.

Key stat II: The Heels were 21-of-27 from the free throw line and made more free throws than Virginia attempted (13). Scott was in early foul trouble, and he picked up his third foul early in the second half. No one fouled out for Virginia but Scott, Sammy Zeglinski and Darion Atkins all finished with four fouls.

UNC player of the game: Zeller. His 25 points and 9 rebounds – and his outplaying of Scott – could make Zeller the way-too-early favorite for ACC Player of the Year honors.

Quotable: “He’s a very sensitive kid. It was tough on him. People were tough on him – and very, very, very unfairly. It’s something that he’s had a great, great year – he’s playing big-time basketball for us. And I couldn’t be happier for anybody and what he did right now.” –UNC coach Roy Williams on Zeller’s performance

Carolina 3A Conference tournament brackets

jmikeblake — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:50:03 -0500

The Carolina-6 3A Conference has released its boys and girls basketball conference schedule. The games will be played Monday, Wednesday and Friday with the top two seeds in both brackets receiving a first-round bye.

All first-round games on Monday, as well as Wednesday's semifinals, will be played at the higher seed. The championship will be at the highest remaining girls seed. If a school hosts just one team, that game will be at 6 p.m. All double-headers will have the girls play at 6 p.m. and the boys at 7:30 p.m.

Ticket prices are $5 for the first two rounds and $6 for the championship

Thanks to Chapel Hill AD/boys basketball coach Tod Morgan for putting this into bracket format.

Men's Basketball Bracket:

Monday 2/13/12 Wed. 2/15/12 Friday 2/17/12

#1 Chapel Hill

BYE [ #1 Chapel Hill

[-------------------------------

#4 N. Vance [ [

#5 S. Vance [

[----------------------------------

#2 Webb [

BYE [ #2 Webb [

[-----------------------------

#3 Cardinal Gibbons [

#6 Orange

Women's Basketball Bracket:

Monday 2/13/12 Wed. 2/15/12 Friday 2/17/12

#1 Chapel Hill

BYE [ #1 Chapel Hill

[-------------------------------------

#4 Orange [ [

#5 N. Vance [

[----------------------------------

#2 Cardinal Gibbons [

BYE [ #2 Cardinal Gibbons [

[-------------------------------------

#3 S. Vance [

#6 Webb

Tudor: Zeller all smiles again after win over Hoos

caultontudor — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:17:44 -0500

CHAPEL HILL

Wednesday’s loss to Duke left North Carolina’s Tyler Zeller so depressed that Tar Heel coach Roy Williams resorted to gallows humor in hopes of lifting the player’s spirits.

“Thursday night, when I called him late, I said ‘Are you thinking about getting the knives out and slashing your wrists?’,” Williams said Saturday.

“He said maybe. And I said if you’re going to do that, call me and I’ll come over and do it with you.”

Zeller didn’t lose the game against Duke, of course. He had an unfortunate last minute.

But Saturday against Virginia in the Smith Center, the Tar Heels could not have won without the 7-foot senior center.

Had it not been for Zeller’s 25 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a 70-52 win, the rest of his Heels shot so poorly that the crushing loss to Duke could have led directly to another against the Cavaliers.

At 21-4 overall and 8-2 in the ACC, the Heels held to a share of the league lead.

And if there was any question about Zeller’s resolve to move past the Duke game and lead his team, it ended quickly.

The Cavaliers (19-5, 6-4) held the rest of Carolina’s lineup to 45 points and 15-of-52 shooting.

But during the final minute of the 85-84 loss to the Blue Devils, Zeller missed two free throws, inadvertently tipped in a Duke miss and failed to stop a game-winning shot by Austin Rivers.

Zeller was distraught.

“He’s a very sensitive kid. It was tough on him and people were tough on him, an very unfairly,” Williams said.

“He’s a tough, tough kid. We had a chance to visit and he said I was one of the few people who could make him laugh.”

Asked if the coach’s Thursday phone call actually cheered him up, Zeller said, “Not really.”

An emotional sort by nature, Zeller didn’t deny that the Duke game took a mental toll.

“The past two days have been very tough … I stewed over it. I went to bed about five o’clock. I didn’t sleep much,” Zeller said.

“For the most part I just sat around and thought back on it. I have a tendency to take losses hard, especially when you miss two free throws that could have won it … I didn’t go out in public.”

But the Smith Center crowd on Saturday went far toward lifting Zeller’s morale even before he scored his first bucket.

“I have to thank all the Carolina fans, because they’ve been great to me,” Zeller said. “Even when I went to class, they never said anything to me. They’ve been very positive. I think I got a text message from everybody in phone book Thursday.

“At the shoot around before the game, they all cheered. I know I let them down, but at the same time they’ve been very supportive and helped me, and I have to thank them a lot for that.”

Virginia can thank those Carolina fans for nothing.

For much of the game, the Cavaliers had Carolina moving at the deliberate pace Tony Bennett has used with fairly stunning success this season. Even with star forward Mike Scott on the bench with two fouls for 10 minutes in the first half, the Wahoos were down only three points at intermission.

But in the second half, Zeller and frontcourt teammates Harrison Barnes, John Henson and James Michael McAdoo buried Virginia on the boards.

No one enjoyed the outcome more than Zeller.

“It’s feel great to get this one,” Zeller said. “It doesn’t make the Duke game go away, but it’s great to get past these last two days.”

Duke leads Maryland 32-29 at halftime

natet87 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:24:00 -0500

DURHAM – Once again, the Duke Blue Devils are struggling in another ACC home game. This time, it’s the Maryland Terrapins who are giving the Blue Devils another test inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.

At halftime, Duke leads Maryland 32-29. That's been the Blue Devils biggest lead.

The Blue Devils have done a nice job on defense by forcing the Terrapins into nine turnovers.

On offense, the Blue Devils have been most effective in transition. When Duke has been able to run the floor, guards in Seth Curry and Austin Rivers have made long 3-pointers. Forward Mason Plumlee has also scored two baskets – including a two-handed dunk – after Maryland turnovers.

The problem for the Blue Devils is when they are forced to run their halfcourt offense.

Besides missing shots inside, Duke has struggled to found its rhythm once Maryland’s defense is set. So far, the Blue Devils are resorting to long 3-pointers, which didn’t produce much success. Duke is just five of 16 from behind the arc.

Plumlee leads Duke with 10 points.

Early in the first half, the Blue Devils (20-4, 7-2 ACC) were sloppy with the ball. Maryland’s biggest lead was seven points midway through the first half.

Maryland (14-9, 4-5) is led by guard Terrell Stoglin, who has 11 points. Though Stoglin has missed five of his first six shots from the perimeter, he’s made up for it at the free-throw line where’s he’s made all five attempts.

Taylor: 919-829-4538

UNC leads Virginia 35-32 at halftime

Andrew_Carter — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:03:32 -0500

CHAPEL HILL — No. 5 North Carolina leads No. 19 Virginia 35-32 here at halftime at the Smith Center. Some thoughts and observations from the first half:

--Yes, it did seem as if the Tar Heels suffered from a post-Duke hangover early on. UNC began the game sluggishly and shot just 32.3 percent during the first half. The Cavaliers missed plenty of shots, too, especially from 3-point range, where they’re just 1-for-10.

--Despite the sluggish start, though, the Heels twice rallied back from 7-point deficits. The Cavs led 27-20 before UNC closed the half on a 15-5 run. Tyler Zeller leads the Heels with 14 points, six of those coming from the free throw line. He also has 7 rebounds.

--Virginia’s Mike Scott, meanwhile, spent a good portion of the first half on the bench after picking up his second foul. He went to the bench with 9:10 to play in the first half and played just 10 minutes. He has 10 points and 3 rebounds. He and Zeller are among the early front-runners for ACC Player of the Year.

--Virginia is a strong rebounding team, but the Heels managed nine offensive rebounds during the first half. They scored 12 points off of those rebounds, which is how many points off of offensive rebounds they had, total, against Duke the other night.

--Close, competitive game throughout the first half. There have already been 10 lead changes and six ties.

--Stilman White played five minutes in the first half in place of Kendall Marshall, who has two fouls. Marshall also said on Friday that he spent much of Thursday feeling sick.

Onto the second half …

Greater Neuse River Conference basketball tournament

dclaybest — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:40:48 -0500

Garner's boys and Southeast Raleigh's girls are the Greater Neuse River 4A Conference regular-season basketball champions once again. The conference tournament begins on Monday with boys' quarterfinal games. Girls' play begins on Tuesday.

Boys
Monday's Quarterfinal Games
at Clayton
(6) Smithfield-Selma vs. (3) Southeast Raleigh, 6
(7) West Johnston vs. (2) Clayton, 7:30
at Garner
(5) East Wake vs. (4) Knightdale, 6
(8) Harnett Central vs. (1) Garner, 7:30

Wednesday's Semifinal Games
at highest remaining seed
Smithfield-Selma/Southeast winner vs. West Johnston/Clayton winner, 6
East Wake/Knightdale winner vs. Harnett Central/Garner winner, 7:30

Friday's Championship Game
at highest remaining seed
Wednesday's winners meet, 7:30

Girls
Tuesday's Quarterfinal Games
at Southeast Raleigh
(5) Knightdale vs. (4) Harnett Central, 6
(8) Smithfield-Selma vs. (1) Southeast Raleigh, 7:30
at East Wake
(6) West Johnston vs. (3) Clayton, 6
(7) Garner vs. (2) East Wake, 7:30

Thursday's Semifinal Games
at highest remaining seed
Knightdale/Harnett Central winner vs. Smithfield-Selma/Southeast winner, 6
Clayton/West Johnston winner vs. Garner/East Wake winner, 7:30

Friday's Championship Game
at highest remaining boys seed
Thursday's winners meet, 6

Carolina 1A Conference basketball tournament schedule

dclaybest — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:50:01 -0500

The Carolina 1A Conference will begin its conference prep basketball tournaments on Monday night. Ayden-Grifton won the boys regular-season title and Goldsboro topped the girls' field.
All games in the tournament will be played at Rosewood High School.

Boys
Tuesday's First Round Games
(5) Spring Creek vs. (4) Goldsboro, 6
North Duplin vs. (3) Rosewood, 7:30
Thursday's Semifinal Games
Goldsboro//Spring Creek winner vs. (1) Ayden-Grifton, 6
Rosewood/North Duplin winner vs. (2) Princeton, 7:30
Friday's Championship Game
Thursday's winners meet at 7:30

Girls
Monday's First Round Games
(5) North Duplin vs. (4) Ayden-Grifton, 6
(6) Spring Creek vs. (3) Rosewood, 7:30
Wednesday's Semifinal Games
Ayden-Grifton/North Duplin winner vs. (1) Goldsboro, 6
Rosewood/Spring Creek winner vs. (2) Princeton, 7:30
Friday's Championship Game
Thursday's winners meet, 6

Muller quick to defend Faulk after OT loss

chipalexander — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:01:50 -0500

The last thing Canes coach Kirk Muller wanted Friday night was for rookie defenseman Justin Faulk to feel responsible for the 4-3 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center.

Faulk was the one who lost the puck to the Avs' Ryan O'Reilly at center ice in the waning seconds of overtime. O'Reilly poke-checked the puck free, promptly roared down ice and winged a shot from the left circle past Cam Ward for the winner with 1.2 seconds left.

Muller was quick to defend Faulk after the game, saying, "The kid's 19 years old. He's been unbelievable for us. It's a learning curve.

"They made a great poke-check (and) they were timed perfectly to get the goal. But we're at the stage where we're still learning these things. The kid's been so good and he'll learn from it. The key is his bounceback."

Faulk, so solid much of the season, is beginning to get Calder Trophy mentions and it may not help his chances having the O'Reilly play shown and reshown today on NHL highlight packages -- or "O'Reilly's Big Blast" as it says on NHL.com. But the loss was more than about one play involving one Canes player.

Ward could have stopped the last shot and sent the game to a shootout. He could have stopped Gabriel Landeskog's shortside shot in the first period that gave Colorado its first goal. The Canes could have scored on one of their three power plays -- the Avs had none as the Canes went without a penalty in the game.

"(Faulk) is going to be the guy taking the responsibility for the goal but we had a chance to score on the power play and we didn't," Muller said. "There are different things in the game that add up. We get one power-play goal and there's the difference right there."

The mile-high altitude didn't appear to affect the Canes, who finish their three-game road trip Monday in Montreal. Tim Brent gave the Canes an early lead and Jiri Tlusty scored with 23 seconds left in the first for a 2-1 lead.

"Our legs were there, we were aggressive, playing our game," the Canes' Eric Staal said.

After the Avs tied it in the second, Staal scored his 14th of the season for a 3-2 lead, but Colorado's Paul Stastny tied it 3-3 with a minute left in the second. The Canes went on their third power play at 12:21 of the third, only to have Ward have come up with a handful of shorthanded saves to keep it 3-3 as the Avs were highly aggressive on the penalty kill.

"Our power play has got to be better," Staal said. "We had an opportunity there at the end of the game to get it done in regulation but it almost went the other way."

Avs goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere had a big hand in the win, making a season-high 39saves.

The Canes (20-25-11) now are 2-11 in overtime this season, giving up a lot of points. But they now have earned points in eight the past nine games and 10 of the last 12.

"We've got a lot of young kids learning but by the same token we're still picking up points where earlier on we were losing these games," Muller said. "There are a lot of positive things right now with our group."

Documentary spotlights African American pilots

brookecain — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:00:00 -0500

There's another good Smithsonian Channel documentary this weekend, this one spotlighting African American pioneers in aviation.

"Black Wings" tells the stories of black aviators -- from barnstormers to war fighters -- who broke the racial barriers that for many years kept black Americans from pursuing their dreams of flying.

The documentary tells the story of the Tuskegee Red-Tail Angels, the first African American pilots to train for combat during World War II (the Red-Tails are also the subject of a new George Lucas film).

Bessie Coleman (left), the first African American woman with a pilot's license, is also profiled. In the 1920s, no one in the United States would train a black woman to fly, so Coleman earned enough money to travel to France and train there. She returned to American and became a barnstorming stunt pilot.

For more stories like these, tune in to "Black Wings" on Saturday, February 11 at 9 p.m. or Thursday February 16 at 8 p.m.

Smithsonian Channel is on Time Warner Cable digital channel 1264, DirecTV 565 and 1565, and AT&T U-Verse 118 and 1118.

What to Watch on Saturday: Hallmark's 'Cupid' and Zooey D on SNL

brookecain — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:30:00 -0500

Cupid (8pm, Hallmark) - A new Hallmark movie in which a talk show host (Joely Fisher) receives a visit from a mysterious love expert (Jamie Kennedy) who promises he'll reveal her true love to her if she first helps other couples find each other. Her matchmaking doesn't go well and she starts to question her task.

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (8pm, ABC) - From 1975, an animated Peanuts special in which Charlie Brown keeps vigil by the mailbox, waiting for a Valentine. In a 2002 special that follows, the gang searches for the meaning of love.

America's Most Wanted (8pm, Fox) - In this "Crimes of Passion" special broadcast, a fugitive from Texas wanted for murdering his wife with chainsaws and a Pennsylvania man who murdered his wife in 2005. Happy Valentines Day!

Parking Wars (9pm, A&E) - Season six opens in Detroit and Providence, Rhode Island.

Saturday Night Live (11:29pm, NBC) - Zooey Deschanel ("New Girl") hosts and the music guest is Karmin.

Durham PA opposes fracking permission

jaydub — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:01:01 -0500

The People's Alliance, one of Durham's three major political-action groups, has taken a stand against fracking.

In a resolution released Friday, the PA calls on the General Assembly to take no action on legalizing the process "at least until" the federal Environmental Protection Agency finishes research on hydraulic fracking's effects on "the full water life cycle" is finished "and then, only if new regulations, agency funding and enforcement policies and procedures fully protect our waters, land, people, and local economies."

The resolution also asks that the Durham City Council and Board of County Commissioners take similar positions.

Cap Eight conference tournament schedule

natet87 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:34:33 -0500

The Cap Eight conference tournament is set to start first-round games Monday and Tuesday. First round games will be played at the higher seed, while the semifinal games on Wednesday and Thursday, along with Friday’s finals, will all be played at Broughton’s Holiday Gym.

MONDAY (times 7 p.m.)

Girls first-round games:
No. 8 Leesville Road at No. 1 Millbrook
No. 5 Enloe at No. 4 Sanderson
No. 7 Heritage at No. 2 Broughton
No. 6 Wake Forest-Rolesvillle at No. 3 Wakefield

TUESDAY (times 7 p.m.)

Boys first-round games
No. 8 Heritage at No. 1 Millbrook
No. 5 Sanderson at No. 4 Wake Forest-Rolesville
No. 7 Enloe at No. 2 Broughton
No. 6 Leesville Road at No. 3 Wakefield

WEDNESDAY (all games at Broughton)

Girls semifinal 1/8 winner VS 4/5 winner, 5:30 p.m.
Girls semifinal 3/6 winner VS 2/7 winner, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY (all games at Broughton)

Boys semifinals 1/8 winner VS 4/5 winner, 5:30 p.m.
Boys semifinal 3/6 winner VS 2/7 winner, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY (all games at Broughton)

Girls championship, 5:30 p.m.
Boys championship, 7 p.m.

Tri-Nine Conference tournament schedule

jmikeblake — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:58:59 -0500

The Tri-Nine Conference tournament is set to start next Tuesday. First round games will be played at the higher seed, while Thursday's semifinals and Friday's finals will all be played at Green Hope High.

TUESDAY (times TBD)

Girls first-round games
8) Fuquay-Varina at 1) Green Hope
5) Apex at 4) Cary
7) Athens Drive at 2) Holly Springs
6) Middle Creek at 3) Panther Creek

Boys first-round games
8) Lee County at 1) Apex
5) Holly Springs at 4) Athens Drive
7) Cary at 2) Middle Creek
6) Panther Creek at 3) Green Hope

THURSDAY (all games at Green Hope)

Girls semifinal 3/6 winner VS 2/7 winner, 4 p.m.
Boys semifinals 3/6 winner VS 2/7 winner, 5:40 p.m.
Girls semifinal 1/8 winner VS 4/5 winner, 7:20 p.m.
Boys semifinal 1/8 winner VS 4/5 winner, 9 p.m.

FRIDAY (all games at Green Hope)

Girls championship, 6 p.m.
Boys championship, 7:30 p.m.

Harrison named Jordan football coach

timstevens — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:58:53 -0500

LaDwaun Harrison has been named as head football coach at Durham Jordan High. He replaces Mike Briggs, who resigned in November.

Harrison has been a faculty member at Jordan since 1998 and presently serves a teacher and department leader in our Exceptional Children’s department.

He was a four year football letterman at Wake Forest University.

Harrison has served in past years as a junior varsity coach and for the past two years as varsity offensive coordinator.

To see more from area high school coaching changes, click the "coaching changes" tag above.

More buses & departure times for Triangle Transit's Durham / Raleigh Express

BruceSiceloff — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:34:43 -0500

To ease overcrowding and offer more options for riders on its second-most popular route, Triangle Transit will add more buses to the schedule for Durham / Raleigh Express (DRX) passengers who live in Raleigh and commute to Durham -- starting Monday.

The DRX bus carries nearly 400 riders on some days, almost as many as Triangle Transit's popular Chapel Hill / Raleigh Express (CRX). The DRX schedule will have buses every 30 minutes when it is expanded to add one morning departure from Raleigh at 7:30 a.m., and two afternoon depatures from Duke's West Campus at 4:32 p.m. and 5:32 p.m.

To accommodate the DRX need, Triangle Transit is eliminating trips or portions of trips that have lower passenger demand on Routes 49, 102, 301, 311, 700, 800 and 805.

Durham budgets: 'Something's got to give'

jaydub — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:19:45 -0500

City administrators and council members came away from a Friday meeting on next year's budget with some good news and a good many questions.

The good news was that the city appears poised to finish the current fiscal year on budget, with no need for the sort of last-minute cost-cutting there has been in recent years past.

Most of the questions pertained to dealing with a 2012-13 budget shortfall projected at $2.6 million, and how to fund the "dedicated revenue stream" for low-cost housing that Mayor Bill Bell called for in his State of the City address last Monday.

"Something's going to give," said City Manager Tom Bonfield. "We haven't determined (what) yet." Durham's current budget is $362.5 million.

Budget Director Bertha Johnson (right) said city department heads have been told to cut their next year's budget requests by 3 percent from 2011-12 appropriations. She also said the 2012-13 shortfall would be reduced if there turns out to be money left over from the current fiscal year.

Other "challenges" remain, though. Johnson said the projection is based on the current property-tax rate and assumes no new programs or services, including no public-transit improvements, and no funding to make up for cuts in federal-grant money that has come to the city in the past.

Federal cuts directly affect the city's housing programs such as the Rolling Hills/Southside revitalization and funding for nonprofits that build and rehabilitate dwellings.

The city government is discussing collaboration with the independent Durham Housing Authority, but Community Development Director Reginald Johnson said DHA is facing federal cuts as well.

"They're in some tough spots," he said.

Councilman Eugene Brown said the city has in the past talked of adding a penny to the tax rate specifically for housing. One penny, though, would produce only about $2 million a year, he said.

"One penny isn't going to go far," said Brown.

Mayor Pro Tem Cora Cole-McFadden said she was "not ready yet to talk about a tax increase.

"Maybe a reordering of priorities," she said.

Before talking about the source of a dedicated stream, several council members said they want to know just what the city is already doing for low-cost housing, what it has committed itself to do, where money is already going and where the money is coming from.

"We've really got to be able to explain it to people," said Councilman Steve Schewel.

They were echoing resident Lanier Blum, a board member of the nonprofit Community Land Trustees, who asked for a clear breakdown of "the city's housing projects that are now in progress.

"Right now, our plans are inscrutable," Blum said.

Johnson and Bonfield assured the council members that they would have an accounting before their next budget meeting, March 2.

More on eating the wrong foods

Messcook — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:59:53 -0500

Sharon Powell, of Eastern Wake News and Clayton News-Star writes

Now I’m in information overload! I am the underweight retired sailor with high blood pressure and a few of other health issues I don’t want to mention. I’ve struggled with eating my entire life.

There is so much out there about eating, diets, exercise, and health issues – all of this information is targeted at people who need to lose weight not people like me who need to gain a few pounds. There’s a lot of money to be made peddling DVDs, weight lose drinks, potions, exercise programs, gym memberships, Zumba classes, and more – all targeted to unhealthy people who want to lose weight.

But what about unhealthy underweight people like me? It seems the industry deliberately overlooks us and we have to go it alone. Still, much of the advice applies to me.

For example, in one of the numerous online sites the headline read, “Poor diet and lack of exercise blamed for bad health.” Another headline read, “Poor diet and lack of exercise have overtaken smoking as the main cause of ill health.”

In the article I learned that “A 'couch-potato lifestyle' which leaves a man or woman idle, overweight and eating the wrong foods is more likely to put them in hospital than smoking-related diseases.” I have never exactly been a couch potato but it took Sammy, my ever-faithful Beagle to force me outdoors. And his work continues.

I skip meals, sometimes because I don’t have an appetite or because I’m working on a project and simply can’t find the time to eat.

When I do eat I often eat the wrong foods – I love carbs and salty foods. I think I had my moment of clarity recently and I think I understand why I eat the wrong foods – foods that trigger special memories.

Several months ago a pizza joint open directly across the street from the Eastern Wake News. I can see the place from my desk. This is not Papa Johns or Pizza Hut, the owner special orders his pizza flour and makes the pizza dough himself in the shop. Having an occasional slice of pizza is not a problem for me, but this pizza joint also serves chilidogs. The last time I ran in there for one slice of pizza I watched another patron as he devoured a chilidog.

For the rest of that afternoon all I thought about was chilidogs. Chilidogs have lots of sodium in them. Sure, one chilidog would not be a problem, but would I be able to stop once I had the first one? I’m not sure. And, what would that do to my blood pressure.

I had to ponder this dilemma for some time then I had my moment of clarity. I think most of us often eat the foods that trigger memories of special events, people or places – even me, the ‘string bean’ who forgets to eat.

When I was a child, there was a drug store in Rocky Mount on Douglas Corner that sold chilidogs. My brothers and I often had to tag along with our mother when she went to a beauty shop near that drug store. If she could afford the cost, she would give each of us money for a chilidog and one for her. I can still taste the dogs and see my mother as she sat in the beautician’s chair eating her hot dog. Watching that customer in the pizza joint who clearly enjoyed his chilidog took me right back to Rocky Mount, the drugstore on Douglas Corner and memories of a special moment with my late mother. That’s why I wanted a hotdog!

But, my effort to eat regularly and to eat healthy continues. And I have challenge. Several colleagues say that want the news team and the advertising team at Eastern Wake News and The Clayton News-Star to join me in the Turning the Scales effort. They want each member of our team to work on getting healthy. I won’t preach – we all know what we need to do to live healthier lifestyles, but I do hope they join me. I look forward to reading their comments about their progress.

Attention Valentine's Day procrastinators

amweigl — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:46:11 -0500

If you are trying to avoid the dog house and come up with Valentine's Day plans or even romantic plans for this weekend, I have several posts to help you.

HERE is my roundup of restaurant offerings.
HERE is information on the Valentine's Day food truck rodeo in Carrboro.
HERE is our weekly food calendar with more dining options, cooking classes and chocolate tastings.

Offseason RailHawks player movement tracker

jmikeblake — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:36:46 -0500

Etienne Barbara, like others, will play in the MLS -- Photo by Travis Long, tlong@newsobserver.com

As the offseason moves along for the Carolina RailHawks, we will track who goes where in this blog.

It will be updated with each new signing, and we're hoping that this year that the team will announce signings like every other team in the North American Soccer League (you know, like when they happen, not a week or two before the season).

Only four RailHawks players from the 2011 season are under contract for next year.

Returning:

Cory Miller, defender
Akira Fitzgerald, goalkeeper
Nick Zimmerman, midfielder
Kupono Low, defender
Chris Nurse, midfielder

New additions:

Colin Clarke, head coach (from Puerto Rico Islanders)
Jason Garey, forward (from Houston, MLS)
Mike Palacio, midfielder (from Ft. Lauderdale Strikers)
Ty Shipalane, midfielder (from South Africa first-division)
Gale Agbossomounde, defender (loan from Portugese first-division)
James Scott Guevara, defender (first division, Costa Rica)
Tommy Drake, midfielder (RailHawks U23s/Clemson)
Brian Ackley, midfielder/forward (from Harrisburg City Islanders, USL)

Not returning:

Martin Rennie - now head coach of Vancouver, MLS
Paul Ritchie - now assistant coach with Vancouver, MLS
Gareth Evans - was on loan from Wilmington (USL), returned
Tyler Lassiter - was on loan from New York (MLS), now with Wilmington (USL)
Kithson Bain (team option not exercised)
Nick Thompson (team option not exercised)
Allan Russell - signed with LA Blues, USL
Matt Watson - signed with Vancouver, MLS
Brad Knighton - signed with Vancouver, MLS
Etienne Barbara - discovery claim made by Montreal, traded to Vancouver, MLS
Jonny Steele - signed with Real Salt Lake, MLS
Tony McManus - signed with Atlanta Silverbacks, NASL
Pablo Campos - signed with San Antonio Scorpions, NASL

Unlikely or unsigned

Floyd Franks, midfielder - trialing with Vancouver, MLS
John Krause, defender
Devon McKenney, defender
Sean O'Connor, goalkeeper

Mythbusters tour adds stop in Raleigh

paigemaxwell — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:57:49 -0500

If you missed seeing your favorite mythbusting duo in person at the NC Science Festival in 2010, you've got another chance to see them at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in March.

More dates were added today to the "Mythbusters: Behind the Myths Tour", including the stop in Raleigh. The live stage show stars Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, co-hosts of the Emmy-nominated Discovery series.

According the the tour website, the show "promises to be an unexpected evening of on-stage experiments, audience participation, rocking video and behind-the-scene stories. For the first time ever, fans will join Jamie and Adam on stage and assist in their mind-twisting and not always orthodox approach to science."

The showtimes are 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 25.

Tickets are now on sale; click here for ticket information.

Meet food writer Colman Andrews

amweigl — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:54:24 -0500

The Fearrington House is offering the next in its series of Culinary Arts & Letters dinners with special guest Colman Andrews.

Andrews, one of the founding editors of Saveur magazine, has won six James Beard awards for his cookbooks and food writing. He is now editorial director for The Daily Meal, a food and drink website and online forum.

The theme of the March 4 meal is "Four Courses from Four Books from Colman Andrews." Chef Colin Bedford will be cooking dishes from some of Andrews' books: "Saveur Cooks Authentic American," "Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian," "Catalan Cuisine" and "The Country Cooking of Ireland."

The March 4 dinner costs $125 per person. Andrews' cookbooks also will be available at a 25 percent discount Call 542-2121 for a reservation.

The Fearrington House is located in Fearrington Village, a residential and commercial development off Highway 15-501 between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill.

NC dad shoots teen's laptop for foul Facebook post

matthewfortner — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:38:42 -0500

Parenting can be tough. When Tommy Jordan discovered a disrespectful Facebook post from his 15-year-old daughter he decided to get tough. Not only did Jordan fight fire with fire in a public video address to his daughter, he fired nine rounds into his daughters laptop.

Jordan, who runs an IT company with locations in eastern and western N.C., ran across his daughter's profanity-laced post while upgrading her computer. He reads the post on the video - including the foul bits and retorts to her complaints about chores.

"I'm not your [d----] slave. It's not my responsibility to clean up your [expletive]. We have a cleaning lady for a reason," the Facebook post said. "If you want coffee, get off your [expletive] and get it yourself. If you want a garden, shovel the fertilizer yourself, don't sit back on your [expletive] and watch me do it."

After expressing his disappointment for what he says is her second violation, he commences unloading his .45 into the laptop.

The video has collected million of views and a flood of comments including video responses.

She's apparently grounded until college. Maybe she can arrange for an early release.

YouTube

Streets at Southpoint to house 5 new tenants

toristilwell — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:10:16 -0500

Soon Chipotle-lovers will no longer have to leave the Streets at Southpoint in search of their burritos.

The shopping center will welcome Chipotle Mexican Grill this year, along with four other retailers as it gears up to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. Karen Warrick, a spokeswoman for the shopping center, said customers will begin to see construction barricades in March.

Here's a full list of the stores expected to open:

Chipotle Mexican Grill, a fast-food style Mexican eatery with a fresh twist, is taking the place of Mitchell's Hair Styling in the lower-level. Mitchell's will relocate.

Lululemon Athletica, a maker of yoga-inspired athletic apparel, will open in the Main Street section of the shopping center.

Zumiez, a retailer of action sports-related apparel, footwear, equipment and accessories, will fill a vacant space in the upper-level JC Penney wing.

Frozia, a frozen yogurt shop, is having a space constructed in the lower-level Sears wing.

Charley's Grilled Subs, a restaurant that offers made-to-order deli subs, is filling a vacant space in the food court.

The Streets at Southpoint plans to build more than 15 new stores and remodel 30 existing stores in conjunction with the anniversary.

UNC guard P.J. Hairston to miss game against Virginia

Andrew_Carter — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:54:58 -0500

CHAPEL HILL — P.J. Hairston, the North Carolina freshman guard who has averaged 6.6 points per game, will sit out the Tar Heels’ game against Virginia on Saturday because of a sore left foot, according to a statement UNC released on Friday.

Hairston played 10 minutes and did not score in UNC’s 85-84 loss against Duke on Wednesday night. Hairston, who is wearing a protective boot on his left foot, will not practice today.

During the early part of the season, Hairston was UNC’s most reliable 3-point shooter. But he has been mired in a shooting slump since the start of ACC play last month. He has made just 6 of his 34 3-point attempts since the start of conference play.

The absence of Hairston makes UNC’s already-thin bench even thinner. Only one other reserve, fellow freshman James Michael McAdoo, is averaging more than five minutes of playing time per game. McAdoo and Hairston have both averaged about 13 minutes of playing time.

Hairston is UNC’s third guard who will miss a game this season due to injury. Dexter Strickland, a junior, started UNC’s first 19 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury in a victory against Virginia Tech on Jan. 19. Junior guard Leslie McDonald, meanwhile, is sitting out the season while he recovers from a knee injury.

Butch Davis going back to NFL?

caultontudor — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:51:52 -0500

Several Tampa area news outlets are reporting that former UNC football coach Butch Davis could soon join the Tampa Bays Buccaneers staff.

Davis was by Carolina fired and given a $2.7 million payoff in July, 2011.

The Bucs hired former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano on Jan. 26. Raheem Morris was fired as the Bucs’ coach after the 2011 team finished 4-12.

Davis, who had a 28-23 record in four seasons at Carolina, was head coach of the Cleveland Browns of the NFL from 2001 through 2004. His Cleveland teams went 24-34. Before coaching the Browns, Davis had NFL experience on the Dallas Cowboys staffs.

At UNC, Davis was dismissed after NCAA and school investigations uncovered academic wrongdoing and illegal dealings between players and sports agents.

UNC forfeited all of its wins in 2008 and ’09 as part of a self-imposed punishment. The NCAA has not yet ruled on the case.

Read more here: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/reports-link-butch-davis-to-tampa-bay-staff#storylink=cpy

Cline seeks to delay inquiry, hasn't filed papers

andycurliss — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:22:52 -0500

By J. Andrew Curliss, staff writer

Suspended Durham District Attorney Tracey Cline says she wants to delay an inquiry set to begin on Monday that will determine whether she should be permanently removed from her elected office.

But she had not filed the necessary paperwork by the close of business Friday that would cause a judge to consider her request, according to the Durham County clerk's office.

Instead, Cline emailed a motion to Superior Court Judge Robert H. Hobgood, who is presiding over Monday's hearing. Judges typically act on motions that are filed with the clerk, not ones that are only sent to the judge by email.

Hobgood has declined requests through a courts administrator to discuss the removal inquiry or issues surrounding it.

Cline could still file her request for a delay on Monday, but it is not clear if the judge would consider it then.

In the emailed document, Cline cites as reasons to delay that she has a physical illness and was unable until recently to find an attorney to represent her. She wrote in documents that she is not prepared for the removal hearing.

Cline asked Hobgood, the senior judge for a four-county area northeast of Durham, to delay the matter for a maximum of 16 days.

In an email message on Thursday morning that was copied to courts officials, Cline first wrote that she needed more time.

"I need to move to continue the hearing from Monday because I do not have any attorney and I have been physically sick for over a week and presently I am not physically at my best," Cline wrote. "If necessary I can provide medical documentation."

But in the formal motion to continue, which Cline emailed to court officials at midday on Friday, she wrote that she had found one attorney "who could do the hearing but he will be out of town."

She said she had diligently tried to find an attorney before then "when physically able to do so" but that those she contacted were in conflicts and could not represent her due to the people involved.

Cline is asking Hobgood to set a new date for the hearing that is still within the 30-day timeframe allowed under state law for the removal effort to be heard. Monday is 14 days from when Cline was suspended by an order from Hobgood.

The removal effort was begun by Durham lawyer Kerry Sutton, who was involved in two cases in which Cline filed documents attacking Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson, the senior judge in the county.

Sutton filed an affidavit under a rarely used state law that requires the removal of a DA for engaging in a range of actions, including "conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice" which brings the office into "disrepute."

Sutton cited "venom" and "alacrity" in Cline's attacks on Hudson, including that Cline has alleged Hudson's rulings in cases have "raped" victims and that Hudson rules in Durham with the "reprobate mind of a monarch."

Cline has accused Hudson of "corruption" and other misconduct, and asserts that he has made decisions not based in facts or the law. Two judges have dismissed Cline's claims, citing insufficient proof. The judges have also pointed out that Cline's avenues for her claims are available through the appeals courts or with the state commission that oversees judges.

Cline claims Hudson began retaliating against her last year because she would not dismiss a murder case. Cline has alleged that Hudson then tossed out charges against a Durham man, Derrick Allen, without any basis in fact or the law.

But Hobgood, in ordering Cline suspended on Jan. 27, wrote that his review of the Allen case showed there was sufficient reason for Hudson's decision to dismiss it. That case is still being appealed by Cline in the state Court of Appeals.

Court clerks waited until 5 p.m. on Friday for Cline to file the motion for a continuance. They locked the doors and said it had not come in.

In the emailed version, Cline lists five reasons for why Hobgood found reasons to suspend and possibly remove her from office, but gets one of those wrong.

Cline asserts that Hobgood found grounds for removal because Cline had said "on the record that she was completely unprepared despite her having months of advance notice" to handle a post-conviction appeal in the case of accused murderer Michael Peterson.

Hobgood did not find that.

Sutton had alleged in her affidavit that it was a reason to remove Cline.

But Hobgood specifically did not cite that claim in his order outlining the reasons for Cline's suspension.

In all, Hobgood's order cited a dozen other issues as being the basis for Cline's suspension and possible removal. He did not adopt several others that Sutton alleged, including the Peterson case preparation issue.

Cline wrote that she will "defend each assertion made by (Sutton) by presenting evidence including but not limited to testimony, exhibits, court documents and court records."

Earlier this week, Cline had not given indications that she would not be prepared.

She issued a round of subpoenas to various people, requiring them to appear in court for the hearing on Monday. Among them are Hudson and his judicial assistant, and a reporter and two editors from The News & Observer. All have filed motions seeking to quash Cline's subpoenas.

Among the allegations from Cline is that she believes Hudson has sought to discredit her by manufacturing "media mayhem" in causing the N&O to publish a three-part series about Cline in September. Hudson and the N&O have disputed that.

She had also issued subpoenas seeking testimony on the issues surrounding Hudson in December and January, each time expressing a willingness to present her case. Judges did not grant her requests, saying her written proof was not sufficient or that she had not followed what the law requires.

The first indication that she needed time came in an email message on Thursday morning.

By that afternoon, Cline wrote to Sutton that she wanted a continuance on her removal, according to an email message provided to the N&O by the courts system. But she said she would be ready on Monday to have a hearing on whether she can access information, known as discovery.

"I do have some discovery issues I believe that we can hear on Monday," Cline wrote, "but I will not be ready for the hearing."

Cline had previously asked the judge, in an email message, for a hearing on discovery. He did not schedule one.

Comments have been closed and removed on this posting.

UNC's P.J. Hairston sidelined

caultontudor — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:16:50 -0500

UNC announced Friday that freshman guard P.J. Hairston will not play in Saturday's game against Virginia (1 p.m. Smith Center).

Hairston has a sore left foot, the school said in a news release.

He is averaging 6.6 points and is third on the team in three-point field goal conversions. Hairston played 10 minutes in Wednesday's 85-84 loss to Duke.

Earlier, UNC guards Leslie McDonald and Dexter Strickland suffered season-ending knee injuries. McDonald, who was hurt in the summer, has redshirted. Strickland had surgery Thursday following a knee injury at Virginia Tech on Jan. 19.

We have a winner.....in the Hoops 4 Hope giveaway

AmyDunn — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:11:12 -0500

Thanks to everyone who entered for a chance to win two tickets to this Sunday's Hoops 4 Hope basketball game along with a prize pack.

The winner is: belledog.

Please contact me asap so we can work out arrangements for you to pick up your tickets and the prize pack.

Reports link Butch Davis to Tampa Bay staff

caultontudor — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:08:40 -0500

Several Tampa area news outlets are reporting that former UNC football coach Butch Davis could soon join the Tampa Bays Buccaneers staff.

Davis was fired by North Carolina and given a $2.7 million payoff in July 2011.

The Bucs hired former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano on Jan. 26. Raheem Morris was fired as the Bucs’ coach after the 2011 team finished 4-12.

At UNC, Davis was dismissed after NCAA and school investigations uncovered academic wrongdoing and illegal dealings between players and sports agents.

UNC forfeited all of its wins in 2008 and ’09 as part of a self-imposed punishment. The NCAA has not yet ruled on the case.

Wake County Superintendent Tony Tata on the bell schedule changes and the Panther Creek High ninth-grade center

KeungHui — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:31:36 -0500

Here's the quick recap of today's press conference held by Wake County Schools Superintendent Tony Tata.

Tata defended the proposed bell schedules changes as a way that will save money that can be put to better use in the classroom. But he also acknowledged parental concerns, pointing to the online survey that has generated 1,100 comments so far.

Tata also said today that, based on parental feedback, he'll talk with school board chairman Kevin Hill about taking another look at the deal to lease an office building to serve as a new Panther Creek High School ninth-grade center.

The board opted not to stick modular units on the site of a future middle school next to Alston Ridge Elementary School. While the office building at 3700 Pleasant Church Grove Road in Morrisville is further away from the high school, it can be ready for the 2012-13 school year.

UPDATE

Click here for the online story.

NC has fewer jobs today than in 1999 despite population growth

toristilwell — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:24:32 -0500

North Carolina has logged no net job growth in the last 12 years, having fewer jobs at the end of 2011 than it did in December 1999, according to a report released today by the South by North Strategies research firm.

In that same period of time, the population grew by more than 21 percent.

The research firm, which specializes in economic and social policy, said in the report that the employment-to-population ratio is at its lowest level since 1976 as the state's growth outpaces the number of jobs it's bringing in.

All evidence points to a sluggish recovery in 2012, making it the fifth consecutive year of negative or minimal job growth in the state, said John Quinterno, and analyst for the firm, in the report.

"Many factors could weigh on the state's economy in 2012, and absent robust job growth, joblessness and the associated hardships will remain widespread," he said in the report.

The most telling indicator of these hardships, the report states, is the size of the state's food stamp case load (now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).

Between December 2010 and October 2011, the most recent month with data, the number of residents participating in the program grew by 7 percent.

Nearly 18 percent of the state’s residents were connected to the food assistance program in October 2011.

You can read the rest of the report here.