WUNC News

People across North Carolina felt the 5.9-magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia.

Mitch Easter is a legend in the world of alternative music. He was a founding member of Let's Active, produced the first REM recordings back in the early 80s and has since helped scores of young bands hone their sound. One of the guitars used in those original REM recording sessions was among half-dozen instruments stolen from Easter's home in Winston Salem. 

Will McInerney, Kane Smego, Mohammad Moussa, and Sameer Abdel-Khalek spent the last two months traveling, writing, interviewing, and photographing the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia. Now they're back.  And be sure to visit their blog.

We check in one more time with the poets we've been following as they travel in Egypt and Tunisia this summer. Will McInerney, Mohammad Moussa, Kane Smego and photographer Sameer Abdel-khalek have been in North Africa for the past two months. They come home next week. Their final few days overseas happens to coincide with the start of the holy month or Ramadan. That's what inspired this latest Poetic Portrait of a Revolution.

Emergency Dispatch services in Durham County can now receive text messages. Verizon subscribers in distress in Durham can now send an text message to 9-1-1. The six month trial is a joint venture between the wireless company and the county. The capability was installed at no charge to taxpayers. Jim Soukup of the Durham Police Department says the trial opens the door for the integration of sophisticated mobile phone technology.

The Durham Police have a new reminder for residents about the dangers of driving drunk. It looks like a police car in the front and a taxi cab in the back. The car tells drunk drivers they can choose their ride- either a taxi or a police car. Decals on the hood give information warning about the monetary cost of getting a DUI. Durham County Assistant Chief Lee Russ says the 'franken-car' will be parked outside of nightlife spots. He hopes that people will think twice before getting behind the wheel after drinking.

The poets we've been following this summer are in Tunisia right now. This weekend Will McInerney, Mohammad Moussa, Kane Smego and photographer Sameer Abdel-khalek are travelling from their homebase in Tunis to more rural areas to get a different perspective on the Arab Summer. Before they left, they met a young woman named Ayya. She inspired this latest Poetic Portrait of a Revolution.

UNC-Chapel Hill has named Everett Withers as its new interim head football coach. Withers is a long-serving assistant and takes over for Butch Davis, who was fired by the university late Wednesday. Also this week, UNC's athletic director Dick Baddour announced he will be stepping down early.  education reporter Dave DeWitt sits down with David Brower to talk about the changes at Carolina.

The three young poets we're following on Morning Edition this summer are continuing their Poetic Portraits of a Revolution project in Tunisia after their sojourn in Egypt. Much of the world's attention is focused elsewhere now. But Will McInerney, Mohammad Moussa, Kane Smego and photographer Sameer Abdel-khalek are finding that, as in Egypt, the Tunisian revolution is not over.

North Carolina Zoo leaders are looking at new ways to generate revenue. In recent years the state budget has had less and less money for the zoo. Public money accounts for about 60 percent of their budget. The remainder comes from park sales and private donations. The zoo is currently one of two state-owned zoos in the United States. Traditionally a trip to the zoo in Asheboro has been a day trip for families. Officials want to change that by adding additional attractions such as a water park, an Asian continent exhibit or a hotel. Zoo Director David Jones says the zoo needs to evolve to survive.