BCR's Daily Fishwrap Report for October 24, 2008

• The ping-pong game on the ATT I-40 bridge continues; it's back to the arch design after City Council progressives pushed for the attractive-but-more-economical design, saving $200k in the process. (H-S)
• As expected, the Plensa art installation for the Durham Performing Arts Center plaza made it through Thursday's City Council work session without a hitch, though not before questions over impact on migratory birds got settled. (H-S, N&O)
• City manager Tom Bonfield continues to press for matters to be handled through proper chains of command, discouraging a City Council task force on public safety employee pay compression recommended by employee advocacy groups, and noting instead that Chief Lopez has "all the authority he needs" to involve employees. (H-S)
• The national turmoil in bond markets won't impact the nearly $200 million in bond-funded construction approved by voters in 2007 for Durham Public Schools, as county officials lined up funding shortly before the market tanked. A new high school (relieving pressure at Riverside and Jordan, and therefore likely located between the two) will cost $47 million, with a new elementary and new middle school totaling the same amount. The Durham School of the Arts, Y.E. Smith, Parkwood, Merrick-Moore, R.N. Harris and Club Blvd. are also in for major investments, with many other facilities getting more minor investments. (H-S #1, #2)
• Duke lacrosse case accuser Crystal Mangum spoke publicly for the first time about the case and reiterated her assertion that she had been assaulted; representatives for one of the players intimated that they are "presently evaluating all legal options" against what they describe as "slander." (H-S #1, #2, N&O)