The Chapel Hill Town Council has apologized "for the actions taken against the press on Nov. 13." That was the day police made arrests at the former Yates Motor Co. building at 419 W. Franklin St., which had been occupied by protestors.

Two journalists were detained. One of them was Katelyn Ferral, a reporter for The N&O and Chapel Hill News. Before police arrived, Ferral was on the scene for about 15 minutes, interviewing people inside the building and walking around the site. When police approached the building they ordered everyone to get to the ground but allowed Ferral to shoot photographs. After a few more minutes, they told her to get on the ground. She told them she was a reporter and provided identification. She remained face-down on the ground for 15 minutes, was cuffed and then detained for about 30 minutes before being released. 

It's clear Chapel Hill police didn't know what to do about the journalists. They knew Ferral wasn't doing anything illegal; otherwise they would have charged her. She in no way hindered their work. If police thought Ferral was in their way (and no one representing Chapel Hill police has ever said this, including Chief Chris Blue when I later met with him), they could have directed Ferral to a spot away from the action. Other police agencies in the Triangle routinely direct reporters to a spot deem appropriate by police. But Chapel Hill police had no written policy on how to work with journalists at a crime scene. Since then, I have shared Raleigh's written policy with town officials and met with Blue and Roger Stancil, town manager, to talk about how journalists and police can work together. It's in everybody's best interest -- police and those being arrested -- for independent observers to record the proceedings. Blue agrees with this. The presence of journalists can help protect police from unfounded claims of inappropriate force.

There was no reason to detain Ferral, other than police didn't know what to do with her. In this country, that's not a good enough reason to force a citizen to lie face down and be cuffed.  

A majority of the council recognized that. We accept their apology and will work with Chapel Hill to help police and journalists do their jobs. --John Drescher

The Raleigh Police Department has a written policy in how it will work with reporters in the field. "As needed, media representatives will be informed about accessible areas, about areas that have been secured and restricted such as crime scenes, and about any particular restrictions that might apply," part of the policy says. "In some instances, to ensure that safety and necessary order are maintained, a media assembly area will be created to provide a designated location for media representatives and for the dissemination of information."

Roger Stancil, Chapel Hill town manager, said his police department does not have a written policy but is interested in developing one. In an e-mail to me, he asked if we would be interested in discussing a proposed policy with him and his staff. I said yes. For the latest on Chapel Hill's internal review of the Nov. 13 raid at what had been a vacant building, click here for today's story. 

During that raid, Katelyn Ferral, a reporter for The N&O and Chapel Hill News who was covering the news, was cuffed with a zip-tie and detained by police. A written policy could have prevented that. We appreciate the invitation by Stancil to join the discussion and hope we can find a solution that lets police and reporters do their jobs.

--John Drescher

Here's a look at some of tomorrow's local headlines:

MAU A MALAWI: Andrew Finn Magill had no words to describe his feeling at seeing the 2-week-old boy with AIDS in an African orphanage. So he put his feelings to music. Staff writer Katelyn Ferral spoke with the Carrboro-based fiddler about a new album and events at UNC this week designed to help. 

FAMILY DOLLAR FEARS: OrangeChat bog readers (and CHN letter readers before that), already know some Alabama Avenue residents are worried what a new Family Dollar store might do to their quiet neighborhood off Jones Ferry Road in Carrboro. Correspondent Tammy Grubb spoke to some of them for her story.

RSI ACTIVITY CENTER: Did you know adults with disabilities are 57 percent more likely to be overweight than people with disabilities? Katelyn reports how RSI, a local agency that provides housing for the adult disaabled, has opened a new activity center in Orange County to combat the problem.

Wow, do we have letters. Read a bunch of them, and if you're writing one, please make it unique. Due to limited space, we must give priority to letters that are not duplicated in other papers.

Thanks for reading,

Mark

Here's a look at today's local headlines:

COLONIAL INN UPDATE: Owner Francis Henry could get the OK tonight to raze a portion of the King Street inn he and a state expert say is not historic. Tammy Grubb has our preview.

SHELTON STATION DELAYED: The project proposed for North Greensboro Street in Carrboro is challenging the Board of Aldermen to balance the need for economic development and town character. Read why Jacquie Gist is taking a different tack than some of her colleagues.

BUDDHIST TEMPLE TO OPEN: The late John Hartley had a reverance for nature amd sought to bring the outdoor into the buildings he designed. The architect's last big project opens this weekend. Dave Hart went to take a look.

Katelyn Ferral has a report on the county commissioners meeting last night here. I'll be heading out later to the Department on Aging public meeting today, and you can weight in again on the future of Chapel Hill at tomorrow night's 2020 visioning session. Busy week.

Thanks for reading, and remember you can follow me and the Chapel Hill News on Facebook now. Friend us!

Mark       

Here's a look at today's local headlines (and we know y'all haven't read the paper yet):

MAN'S BEATING UNSOLVED: Two Sundays ago I came to work and found a note stuck in the front door. It was from Judy Sammer, whose son, Roland, was badly beaten just across the street a year ago. Katelyn Ferral has the story.

CARS OFF THE GRASS: Hard to say what should happen in Northside. But not hard to say keep the cars off the grass. The problem? The town hasn't been enforcing the rule. That changes in two weeks.

SPANKING LITTLE KIDS: We mean really little kids. A new UNC report shows nearly one in three mothers hit children under age 2. "Staggering," says lead author Adam Zolotor. Tell what you think at editor@nando.com.

Lana Douglas samples the tomatoes, big cranes arrive downtown, and Carl Matyac has advice for what ails ... your plants, that is.

We're working hard to get all your letters in about the YMCA, campaign signs, meat and taxes (gotta love the letters!). We'll be caught up after Sunday and ready for more.          

Thanks for reading,

Mark

Dogged work by reporters Virginia Bridges and Katelyn Ferral has given us more information about the fatal shootings of four people on a deserted road through RTP last weekend. (Read the story here.)

The story broke too late for today's Durham News, which went to press Monday night. By Tuesday we were able to confirm that shooter Brinton Millsap believed he had contracted herpes from a sexual encounter with one of the women. The rumor was not true, according to her mother, Anita Baker, who spoke with Bridges yesterday.

The story, in todays' News & Observer, paints a picture of a troubled young man who dreamed of a basketball career but suffered from a debilitating case of lupus, at times  so painful he could not play. His brother and a good friend told Ferral Millsap's life changed after the diagnosis; he started making bad judgments. Posts on his Facebook page glorified guns and violence.

We will continue to report this story. Officially, the Durham County Sheriff's Office has declined to comment on the herpes rumor, though multiple sources told us that investigators had the information.