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Sunday Roundup: Sad news
posted at 2009-01-25 13:01 | Last modified 2009-01-25 16:40
The big story of the weekend was the passing of NC State coach Kay Yow after a 22-year battle against breast cancer. She even made the “In Memoriam” roll on Stephanopoulos this morning. The N&O has extensive front-page coverage of her life and career. What an amazing woman, and what a tremendous loss.
Former Governor Bob Scott passed away Friday. Charlotte’s Jack Betts had a great column on Scott here, full of colorful details and personal anecdotes. Makes me sorry I never got to meet the man.
And another sad passing reported today: longtime superlobbyist and former legislator Roger Bone died this morning. Dome has a few details. Update: WRAL has more here. We'll miss you, Roger.
Long update
The AP reported Friday that former Insurance Commissioner Jim Long remains in intensive care at Rex Hospital after suffering a “serious stroke” Wednesday at the Legislative Office Building. Long had retired as of Jan. 9th, but he was a member of the Beach Plan Study Committee and had come back for its final meeting.
Tick, tick, tick
At noon Wednesday, the gavel drops on the 2009 session. Senate leader Marc Basnight and Speaker Joe Hackney sat down with the press late last week to talk about their priorities. (Think James Carville. ) You’ll be hearing lots more on this all week, but Greensboro’s Mark Binker’s got a nice head start for you today.
Otherwise
The N&O’s Rob Christensen has an interesting column today on how Governor Max Gardner used the Depression as an impetus for change, and how new Gov. Perdue might do the same with the current crisis. Bonus: a sidebar timeline of other governors’ attempts to improve efficiency.
New Treasurer Janet Cowell held her first presser Friday to announce that the state pension fund is still secure, even though it’s down about 20% thanks to the tanking economy. The AP’s Gary Robertson has the details.
The N&O’s Michael Biesecker reports on yet another screw-up in the state’s mental health system. It's the latest chapter in Biesecker's long, excellent investigative series. New HHS Secretary Lanier Cansler’s sure got his work cut out for him.
Charlotte’s Fred Clasen-Kelly and Julia Oliver report on allegations of mismanagement at a publicly-funded community development corporation. CDCs have had a mixed track record at the legislature. Supporters say they’re an efficient way to get tax dollars into communities that need them most. Critics argue they don’t offer enough oversight or accountability. It could be a hotter topic than ever this year: legislators will be looking for places to cut state spending, but they’ll also be looking for ways to put federal stimulus money to work ASAP.
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