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Sunday Round-up
posted at 2008-06-01 19:31 | Last modified 2008-06-01 19:34
The big stories
It’s been a tough week for the Division of Mental Health.
- Thursday and Friday, it was Portrait-gate, brought to you by the N&O’s Michael Biesecker.
- Saturday, Biesecker looked into the whereabouts of two highly critical reports by mental health reform work groups. They were filed weeks ago, but never publicly released. DMH Chief Dempsey Benton claimed copies were sent to key lawmakers, but at least one – House Health Approps Chair Verla Insko – said she hadn't seen them.
- Insko had even more to say at Saturday’s mental health policy breakfast in Chapel Hill. Danny Hooley’s story is here.
The N&O’s Lynn Bonner has an excellent profile of one of the most interesting people in the state Senate, 40-year veteran Columbus Democrat R.C. Soles. Go read.
Recent data shows more unlicensed drivers on NC roads since the state stopped giving licenses to illegal immigrants. The N&O's Kristin Collins has the story - and like her story last week, this one features an angry local official, too.
"It's about high time that the DMV make it more strict," said Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell. "We have bowed down. You go to DMV now and everything is Spanish, and people are tired of it. This is America."
Bizzell said he has a squad of deputies assigned to setting up license checkpoints and "wolfpacking," a term he uses to refer to sending marked cars to drive the streets of a small community. Most of those arrested without licenses are Mexican, he said.
I’ve heard of “wolfpacking” in highway traffic operations, but this sounds like it’s targeting an ethnic community. Is that legal?
Otherwise...
Charlotte’s Jack Betts mourns the buyouts of Winston-Salem columnist Paul O’Connor and Wilmington Star editorial page editor Chuck Riesz.
Char-O editorialists weighed in on the Auditor vs Ethics Commission flap. (More background here.) Les Merritt’s Democratic challenger, Beth Wood, did, too, says Asheville’s Jordan Schrader. Bonus: Schrader ends up in the middle of Nesbitt family drama.
W-SJ’s James Romoser reports on the fans and foes of the proposed Racial Justice Act.
Just for fun
The AP’s Ted Anthony takes a lighthearted look at how presidential hopefuls (mis)use music on the campaign trail. Related: Condi Rice rocks out to Kiss in Sweden. Who knew?
WaPo’s Ruth Marcus suggests Scott McClellan isn’t the only Bush insider ready to bite the hand that feeds him.
Vanity Fair gives former NYT reporter Todd Purdum column inches galore to speculate on "what's wrong with Bill Clinton." Clinton's team shoots back with an equally long-winded take on what's wrong with Purdum and Vanity Fair. Ben Smith has the whole memo over at Politico. (Get comfortable. )
Radio’s a crazy business - and no one knows that better than Dusty Dunn, who stepped down Friday after 44 years of NC broadcasting. Greensboro's Jeri Rowe has a fond farewell to a “Radio Announcer Extraordinaire.”
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