We've gone to a new way of posting stories that makes it easier to get stories on  www.thedurhamnews.com. Today online you'll find the latest on Crystal Mangum's murder case, which happened yesterday, too late for today's print edition. (Read it here.)

And in the print Durham News:

SUPER PAC COMPLAINTS: Blog readers saw this first here. The county has received complaints of candidates colluding with the new Southern Durham Development-backed PAC. The candidates and the PAC says it isn't true. Virginia Bridges has our story.

PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS: It's not official yet, but folks are lining up from the reveue that would be generated by a one-cent city tax-rate increase for housing Jim Wise has that story.

CHUCK'S COOL PICTURES: I didn't make it out to Bennett Place this past weekend. Fortunately N&O photographer Chuck Liddy did and came back with some cool pictures of Civil War re-enactors. Check out the one with the soldier in a bonnet and find out what that meant 150 years ago.

Michelle Laws says woman must be on guard, D.G. Martin says Amemdment One could be good for Obama and Carol Young, Dan McShea, George Brine, Katherine Register, Jim DiGuiseppi and Matthew Morin all have letters in today's DN. Tell us what's on your mind at editor@newsobserver.com

And thanks for reading,

Mark 

Durham County Commissioner Brenda Howerton said today her re-election campaign has not collaborated with a super PAC backed by Southern Durham Development.  

Elections Director Michael Perry forwarded about eight complaints to the State Board of Elections this week claiming county commissioner candidates Rickey Padgett and incumbents Joe Bowser and Howerton illegally coordinated with the The Durham Partnership for Progress.  The complaints allege Padgett and representatives of Bowser and Howerton distributed the Super PAC’s fliers at early-voting sites over the weekend.

On Monday, Bowser, Padgett and Southern Durham Development, the would-be builders of the 751 South mixed-use project in southwest Durham County, denied any collaboration. Efforts to reach Howerton that day were unsuccessful.

Perry, who said forwarding such complaints is standard procedure, indicated in an email that he spoke with a Howerton supporter on Saturday who was passing out the super PAC literature.

So far, Southern Durham Development has spent $54,000 to promote four county commissioner candidates through the Durham Partnership for Progress Super PAC.

Partnership for Progress is backing incumbent Commissioners Joe Bowser, Brenda Howerton and Michael Page for re-election, and candidate Rickey Padgett. The four support Southern Durham's proposed 751 South subdivision in southern Durham.

According to a PAC report filed today with the Durham County Board of Elections, the company donated $50,000 for services from Nexus Strategies, a Raleigh political consulting firm, and $1,500 for The Marketing Department, a Raleigh online advertising firm.

Previously, Durham Partnership for Progress reported receiving $2,600 from Southern Durham Development, $2,500 of which went for services by a Raleigh opinion-polling company.

Partnership for Progress has also opened a Web site, http://bit.ly/J54Ba0. According to the site, the Super PAC "intends to be active in the years to come."

The glossy, full-color political flier appearing in Durham mailboxes this week brings local politics into the "Super PAC" era on behalf of the controversial 751 South subdivision project.

The flier endorses incumbent county commissioners Joe Bowser, Brenda Howerton and Michael Page, and aspiring commissioner Rickey Padgett in the May 8 primary election. All four support the 1,300-home mixed-use project in southwest Durham County.

Prospective developers of the controversial 751 South subdivision have created a political action committee of their own in time for the county commissioner elections.

On Friday, The Durham Partnership for Progress registered with the Durham County Board of Elections as an "independent expenditure political committee."

Treasurer is Rhonda Hall Sisk of 9222 N.C. 751, a residence owned by Southern Durham Development at the 751 South site that is also the company's registered office. Assistant treasurer is Tyler Morris, a partner in Southern Durham Development.

The filing forms list a $100 cash donation from Southern Durham Development as well as the company's in-kind contribution of $2,500 for services of Public Policy Polling, a Raleigh survey and robocall company.

In a formal statement, Southern Durham President Alex Mitchell said the PAC will make candidate endorsements "in the near future."

Three incumbent county commissioners running for re-election have been strong 751 South supporters and have said during the campaign that they would continue that support: Joe Bowser, Brenda Howerton and Michael Page. Candidate Rickey Padgett has said he supports the project "100 percent."

Mitchell's statement described the Partnership for Progress's purpose: "to foster a political environment in Durham that encourages equal opportunity, job creation, smart growth, new business and industry, affordable housing and education while protecting property rights."

It also alluded to "an alternate political action committee" that has made opposition to 751 South "their primary election issue." The Durham People's Alliance endorsed four candidates who oppose the project – Fred Foster Jr., Wendy Jacobs, Will Wilson and incumbent Ellen Reckhow" and listed candidates' positions on the project among the factors considered in making the PA's endorsements – along with "tax fairness, remedies for homelessness ... responsible government and the Constitutional Amendment."

The plaintiffs in a lawsuit over the 2010 rezoning for 751 South have withdrawn their case, by an agreement signed Wednesday with Southern Durham Development.

Two property owners near the proposed subdivision, and the Chancellor's Ridge Homeowners Association, had appealed their suit's dismissal by Superior Court Judge Henry Hight in January.

"They agreed to walk if we agreed not to pursue sanctions for a frivolous lawsuit," Southern Durham President Alex Mitchell said.

Hight dismissed the suit "with prejudice." The plantiffs had sued Durham County, contending that their protest petition against a rezoning vital to the project was improperly ruled invalid. Southern Durham Development subsequently joined the suit on the county's side.

Withdrawing the lawsuit means the Durham County commissioners' approval for the rezoning remains in effect. However, in December Southern Durham filed a request to re-rezone its 167-acre site in southwest Durham County. The new rezoning would remove some restrictions included in the original.

Terms of the settlement agreement bar the defendants and plaintiffs from further action in the matter, but the terms expressly state that the plaintiffs are free to express their opinions of the plaintiffs publicly.

Rental-housing inspections upstaged 751 South at the City Council's meeting Monday night.

Council members took only four minutes to reject, 6-0, Southern Durham Development's request for a city water and sewer extension to its controversial subdivision.

That vote, though, came only after an hour and 55 minutes of comments, questions and discussion on the proposed Proactive Rental Inspections Program – resulting in a decision to talk about it some more two weeks from now.

The City Council decided this afternoon to put Southern Durham Development's utility extension on its Feb. 20 agenda.

City Attorney Patrick Baker informed Southern Durham attorney Cal Cunningham of the decision after a closed session with the council.

Southern Durham Development has withdrawn its attempt to collect expenses and "sanctions" from plaintiffs in the 751 South lawsuit.

According to the withdrawal notice, Southern Durham did so "as a gesture of good faith."  Attorney Cal Cunningham said the company "has agreed to resume confidential mediated settlement discussions" and would make no further comment.

With a victory in court behind it, Southern Durham Development is pressing for a hookup to city water and sewer lines for its 751 South subdivision site.

In a Tuesday letter to City Attorney Patrick Baker, Cal Cunningham, an attorney for Southern Durham Development, requested that the City Council take up and vote on a utility extension agreement "at the next available session."

"It is Southern Durham's expectation that the Application will be brought to a vote within thirty (30) days," Cunningham wrote.