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Thursday: Re-evaluate This
posted at 2007-08-23 20:57 | Last modified 2007-11-14 10:38
It was nice to wake up to the sound of a rainstorm this morning. But it apparently wasn't much help. The US Drought Monitor that came out today downgraded conditions across the state, adding more western counties to the "D4 - Exceptional Drought" category, and moving the last six holdout counties officially into drought.
So we're now at 100 for 100 - and Governor Mike Easley responded today by directing all state agencies to cease non-essential water use, and asking all citizens to cut their water use by 20%.
State Climate Office chief Ryan Boyles and I talked with SOT's Frank Stasio today about the worsening drought. If you missed it, it's here.
Norris returns
Over at Dome, Ryan Teague Beckwith says Norris finally got her real estate license - but it wasn't easy. Norris's initial application was denied by the Real Estate Commission.
The panel conducted a "character review" of Norris August 6th, at which, according to Dome, Norris blamed Scientific Games' Alan Middleton and murky state lobbying laws for leading her astray, though she took ultimate responsibility for her mistake. Norris also reportedly had five character witnesses who spoke in her defense, Apparently, their testimony worked - well, that, and the end of her probation August 13th.
Norris might not have picked the best time to get into the business. The N&O's Dudley Price says the Triangle is finally feeling the effects of the national housing slump. Hmmm. If the houses for sale (for months) in my neighborhood are any indication, this didn't just happen overnight.
Crummie evaluation
No, that's not a pun. You might remember Dr. Bob Crummie as the lobotomy-loving psychiatrist/author who was legislative Doctor of the Day earlier this summer. Turns out 19th century medical views aren't Crummie's only issue.
The Char-O's Karen Garloch reports the good doctor has consented to undergo a comprehensive four-day evaluation after the NC Medical Board charged him with unprofessional conduct back in May. (For the record, their beef seems to be more about his DUI record than his affection for electroshock therapy.)
A correction, and a question
I got an email today (several, actually) from an Anonymous Source at the Independent Weekly. Said Source pointed out that my post last week about changes at the Indy incorrectly referred to Peter Eichenberger as a "long-time Indy reporter," and requested I redact the entry to describe Eichenberger as a "freelance columnist, off and on." The Source was concerned that readers might mistake Eichenberger for an actual Indy employee.
Okay, fair enough. I'll own the "reporter" mistake. Mea culpa. I should have called him a columnist, as the Indy's own masthead used to do. And I'm sorry if I've mistakenly led anyone to believe that Eichenberger was an Indy staffer.
But I'm not about to call him an "off-and-on" freelancer, because that's not accurate, either. According to the Indy's own online archives, Eichenberger appeared at least once a month from Oct 02 to May 07, with five exceptions. In my book, anyone who shows up 51 out of 56 months is a regular contributor. The guy's been one of the Indy's most distinctive and dependable voices for years.
Funny how things change. Seems like just last year - oh, wait, it WAS last year - that the Indy referred to Eichenberger as "our writer." That was the March 1, 2006 issue, and Eichenberger was the cover story, with a six-page spread on his near-fatal bicycle accident.
For the record, I've never met Peter Eichenberger. (Another inside source tipped me about the end of Eichenberger's relationship with the Indy, however you want to characterize it.) And I know nothing about the reasons behind that decision, either, though I'm sure it wasn't made lightly. I'm just a regular Indy reader who enjoyed Eichenberger's work. Even though I don't agree with everything he writes - or any of it, sometimes - it's almost always engaging.
So now I'm really interested. Any time anyone feels the need to get
nasty with me over someone else's job description, it gets my
attention. I'm baffled by what, to me at least, feels like an spin-control effort to minimize Eichenberger's longtime contribution to the paper. Hey, the guy's already out the door -- what's the point? If you know, pass it on.
In the meantime, if you're looking for Eichenberger, he's doing some work these days for Metro magazine.
Comments? Drop me a line.
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