BCR's Daily Fishwrap Report for February 25, 2010

NCCU Breaks Ground on New Buildings: NC Central held its groundbreaking yesterday for a new school of nursing building, an additional residence hall, and a parking garage -- all told, $70m in construction pushed through to help the institution, mandated by the state to grow, to meet demand for academic programs and to ease parking and housing crunches at the HBCU. (Herald-Sun #1, #2)

NC54 Ranks High in NCDOT Non-Politicized Study: A new state ranking program intended to get what BCR thinks of as the Down East backroom power grabs out of NCDOT project prioritization has listed NC 54 between NC 55 and the Southpoint area as a number one-rated item on one of the agency's numerous statewide priority list. There's about five times the number of projects as there is funding through 2020 -- but no matter how NCDOT ends up slicing prioritization between mobility, infrastructure health, and safety, it's hard to imagine the corridor not getting funding for what could be a transit-ready expansion. (Herald-Sun)

Broad Street Cafe A-OK: We noted this on Twitter, and commenters here pointed it out, but just to put a (tuning) fork in it, the Broad Street Cafe won its battle of the bands with neighbor Waldo Fenner, who no-showed for the meeting saying he had the date wrong, but who told the N&O he'd consider appealing to Superior Court. (Herald-Sun, N&O)

Internet Sweepstakes Scrutiny: The Indy's Lisa Sorg and Joe Schwartz have a nice look at the scourge of Internet Sweepstakes "cafes," essentially video poker-style schemes that fit the definition of legality (so far) through some clever maneuvers. They map out where they are in the Triangle, and no surprise, they're setting up shop in some of Durham's (and the Triangle's) most impoverished communities. A must-read if you've not heard of this phenomenon. (Indy Weekly)

WakeUp Wake Whirring on Water Wars?: The H-S notes today that Wake Co. progressive group WakeUp Wake County is stirring against the Falls Lake compromise brokered between Raleigh and Durham. A Sat. morning event in Raleigh this Saturday will see the group bring a panel discussion together to talk about water quality in Falls Lake. (Herald-Sun)

Duke Chaplain to Open US House: Duke University's Muslim chaplain, Imam Abdullah Antelpi, will be giving the opening prayer at the US House of Representatives next week (Mar. 3). Duke is one of only a small number of US universities to have a full-time Muslim chaplain on staff, and Antelpi is the first person to hold the role at Duke. (Herald-Sun)

NCCU Still Pondering Audit: Central's chancellor notes that the university is still mulling over and reviewing an internal audit that alleged misuse of funds in a program intended to reduce minority academic achievement gaps. He's looking at three more weeks before an audit is released; Chancellor Nelms fired the auditor who prepared the initial report, saying it raised important questions but that the work was sloppy. (Herald-Sun)

DPS, NFP Look to Extend Neal Middle School Days: A national non-profit that works to extend the length of school days in high-poverty schools is interested in bringing a program they run at Lowe's Grove to Neal Middle in eastern Durham, assuming DPS can find their share of the funds to help with the program -- not a sure bet in tough economic times. (Herald-Sun)

Comments

[Roger]

I have noticed two of these Internet Sweepstakes cafes near my house and had assumed something shady going on just by the name. And now learning that they are targeted to low income areas is depressing. Not a good way to start the day learning that you are poor. I had no clue.

[Todd P]

I am a big fan of extending the school day and am glad to see DPS pursuing this grant. A longer school day would help to boost the achievement of DPS students, as well as reducing the amount of time kids spend on their own before their parents come home from work. However, I question the school by school approach DPS is taking, as well as the way the additional time is to be used.

I would much rather see the extended school day applied to all middle schools or even all schools. An across the board change would be simpler to implement and would not add to transportation costs the way this program does. Even an extension of just 60 or 90 minutes would be valuable for all students.

I also wonder why the extended day is not being used to add instructional time in the core classes - math, science, language arts, and social studies. Our students need more time in the core classes far more than careers curriculum, especially if that curriculum bears any resemblance to the simplistic careers course work 6th graders currently take.

Extending the school day is a great idea that could pay real dividends for DPS students, but the extra time needs to be used wisely.

[Oh Snap! Durham]

There's one of those internet sweepstakes things on Durham-Chapel Hill blvd, just down the street from Fosters & Guglhupf (not really an 'impoverished' area). I always wondered what it was (definitely looked shady), but I had no idea these things were so ubiquitous.

[9/9]

With the talk of cutting more teachers from DPS for budget reasons, it makes me wonder how they are going to pay the teachers at Neal for their extra time. It is going to be part of their district pay?

[D]

The way I read these internet sweepstakes are illegal....

14‑306.3. Certain game promotions unlawful.

(a) It is unlawful to promote, operate, or conduct a server‑based electronic game promotion.

(b) It is unlawful for any person to possess any game terminal with a display that simulates a game ordinarily played on a slot machine regulated under G.S. 14‑306 or a video gaming machine regulated under G.S. 14‑306.1A for the purpose of promoting, operating, or conducting a server‑based electronic game promotion.

(c) As used in this section, "server‑based electronic game promotion" means a system that meets all of the following criteria:

(1) A database contains a pool of entries with each entry associated with a prize value.

(2) Participants purchase, or otherwise obtain by any means, a prepaid card.

(3) With each prepaid card purchased or obtained, the participant also obtains one or more entries.

(4) Entries may be revealed in any of the following ways:

a. At a point‑of‑sale terminal at the time of purchase or later.

b. At a game terminal with a display that simulates a game ordinarily played on a slot machine regulated under G.S. 14‑306 or a video gaming machine regulated under G.S. 14‑306.1A.

(d) Upon conviction or plea of guilty, all of the following held by the person shall be automatically revoked:

(1) A permit issued under Chapter 18B of the General Statutes.

(2) A contract to sell tickets or shares under Article 5 of Chapter 18C of the General Statutes.

(e) Nothing in this section shall apply to the form of Class III gaming legally conducted on Indian lands which are held in trust by the United States government for and on behalf of federally recognized Indian tribes if conducted in accordance with an approved Class III Tribal‑State Gaming Compact applicable to that tribe as provided in G.S. 147‑12(14) and G.S. 71A‑8. (2008‑122, s. 1.)