North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 06/30/1995

It's Friday June 30th. Tonight the sights and sounds of a jazz orchestra lineup. Yeah. Thank you. Good evening. Thanks for joining us on this Friday night. Coming up in our program as the Fourth of July holiday arrives we will talk with Joe Parker of the Governors Highway Safety program

regarding sobriety checkpoints set up to combat holiday drinking and driving. Plus we'll check in with our legislative Bureau to find out how lawmakers have responded to some recent events at USC Chapel Hill and will top off this program with the beautiful sounds of the North Carolina Jazz Orchestra. First tonight the General Assembly when the state House of Representatives passed its budget today it included little new money for the 16 campus state university system. Some House leaders say they are disappointed with the system in light of a number of recent controversies. Adam Hochberg reports the University of North Carolina has long been considered one of the state's greatest assets a place where generations of North Carolinians have been proud to send their children. Even fictional North Carolinians I do think about my college career. You know what college I want to go to. Oh yeah and I decided I want to go to a state college. The University of North Carolina University of North Carolina.

Yeah it's a great school and it's not too far away. UN S. is still considered a great school but according to some legislative leaders the university's image has changed a lot since the days of Opie and Anthony. Some lawmakers complain that school administrators have lost touch with the people of North Carolina. Obviously some of those eggheads have got their head in the sand away and they just really don't know what's going on in the outside world. Representative Edwards is not alone. Many legislators this year have been unusually critical of the university system. Much of the criticism has surrounded a Chapel Hill English professor Jim Williams who had extramarital affairs with students and paid one of those students as a research assistant from university grant money. Last month the university reprimanded Williams but allowed him to remain on paid leave making $65000 a year at the legislature the House Republican leader was so upset about that. He rose on the House floor to express his

displeasure. I think this is this disgrace. I'm sorry to hear that it happened and say that it happened. I think in a different day that profession would no longer be a professor would be packed up and left and and sometimes it makes me wonder about the taxpayers when they pay the bills and say these things happen and it strikes at the confidence we have in our university system. It's just as that controversy began to die down another one started this time over a seminar the university is planning for tobacco industry opponents complete with instructions on how to sue and tax tobacco companies. Dockery calls that an insult to one of the state's biggest industries. It's simple and a complete attack on the back end. For those of us who live in the east it will spill over somewhat into a good relationship an open relationship with the university. They do these kinds of things we call folk here and we just simply are frustrated about.

Criticism like that from powerful legislators puts university officials in a difficult spot. On the one hand the legislature controls the university budget so USA officials have to be responsive to legislators concerns. On the other hand there's the issue of academic freedom a long standing tradition that the university should be protected from political interference in Raleigh for 200 years University of North Carolina has managed that delicate delicate operation between legislative interest in what we're doing which we were very pleased to have and the kind of legislative interest that might if unchecked compromise the kind of academic freedom and the other strong points of the university which I think everyone agrees we must have if it's going to be a great university. Martin says he's heard a lot of complaints about the anti tobacco seminar. But he says the seminar fits into the university's mission which includes health education. And he points out the U.N. system also has many programs designed to help the state's tobacco industry. As for the controversy involving Jim Williams the Chapel Hill English

professor Martin says Yuen sea has toughened its rules about professors having affairs with students. But those changes came too late to punish Williams legal procedures are not in place to provide. Quickly and precisely the kind of solution to this problem that many folks would desire. Meanwhile as the debate goes on in Raleigh professors in Chapel Hill are just hoping the controversy will die down soon and hoping the legislature doesn't respond to the controversy by cutting the university budget. The situation has a lot of professors on edge. It looks to me as though the legislature doesn't like us very much right now. And they have in the past it seems. Brown says she understands some of the legislature's concerns. She calls the Jim Williams

situation for instance an embarrassment and an outrage. But at the same time Brown says she's concerned about the constant criticism of the university that's coming from some legislative leaders. It questions the very nature of whether we know what we're doing that we're being paid by the state to do to further what we know about lots of topics to educate others about what we're learning here. And if the legislature decides that they know better than we do what should be taught what we should be paying attention to then might as well let the legislators be the university all the legislators we spoke with so they would not let their concerns about the UN SI system affect their opinions on how much money the system will receive. But the university budget the House on failed this week is one of the least generous in recent memory in the House budget proposal the only new money for the U.N. see system would come from tuition increases to wishing for in-state

students would go up 3.1 percent out of staters would pay about 8 percent more. Well coming up a discussion about safety enforcement on our highways this holiday. But first let's check in with more weight in the tray at the now news desk. Worried and there's a lot of concern about the recent rain and flooding in our state. That's right Mary Lou. Good evening everyone and fact Governor Jim Hunt is seeking federal disaster aid to help farmers recoup their losses from weather damaged crops. The wet weather has led to an outbreak of blue mold and target spot disease affecting tobacco plants and numerous counties many. Vegetables have been drown out in hail storms have ruined others. Farmers have been unable to harvest wheat or fertilize cotton because of the soggy fields. Meanwhile the threat of flooding continues in the western and central parts of the state. At the General Assembly Republican members of the House won their battle over the expansion budget today by a 76 to 36 vote. Lawmakers gave tentative approval to a GOP written

spending plan. The budget includes one hundred four million dollars to provide a 2 percent pay raises for teachers and a state workers. Fifty four million dollars will be used for new construction of prisons and more than 18 and a half million dollars will go to cutting teacher student student ratios that community colleges and 9 million will be spent on mental health plans. No new money was approved for public school programs however Representative Carolyn Russell says lawmakers should be proud of their work this year streamlining the educational system. We've got one person one group driving the ship. Instead of as it has been before we have a legislative group maybe giving their ideas a forum another group different folks telling people what to do. That gets down to the local level with a mixture of messages and emits entanglement of paperwork reports that have to be filled out. We have told that state board develop a plan for making our schools better and

get back to us. A final vote on the spending spending plan is scheduled for tomorrow during a rare Saturday session in the state Senate lawmakers today approved a bill to let more citizens carry concealed handguns the bill says people who pass a criminal check would be allowed to carry the weapons. Supporters of the bill say it would deter crime but opponents believe it would lead to more violence and put police officers in danger. Changes made by the Senate would restrict where concealed handguns could be carried. The bill now goes back to the house for a final vote. And eight hundred million dollar road bond package will have to wait until next week for final approval. The house had to take a second tentative vote on the measure today because of a technical problem yesterday but the results were the same it passed after ROOL lawmakers claimed an equal share of the funds. Measure originally called for 600 million dollars to be spent speeding up construction of loop highways around the state's seven biggest cities. The other 200 million dollars was to be used to pave roads. Now the money will be split 50/50.

A lawsuit challenging the presence of two plaques bearing the Ten Commandments in a county courthouse has been dismissed by a federal judge. A Waynesville resident had challenge the marble plaques claiming they violated the separation of church and state. And now taking a look at tomorrow's weather the clouds just won't go away. Look for mostly cloudy skies throughout the state and a good chance of rain from boom to Wellington. It will be 83 degrees in Greensboro 85 degrees in Fayetteville. The rest of the state can also look forward to pleasant temperatures in the mid 80s tomorrow and throughout the Fourth of July weekend. North Carolina will suffer a double loss as a result of the decision by AMP Corp. not to build a new plant here. Not only will the electronics manufacturing facility be built near or near Rock Hill South Carolina but about 300 jobs will be filled from amp's plants in Lowell and gas Tonia. The Rock Hill plant is expected to eventually employ about 1000 people. Car Barris County had been a

finalist for the new site but officials said they couldn't match South Carolina's offer. Pitt County officials are hoping no news is good news. The group met with Glaxo Wellcome executives in an attempt to find out what the future holds for the drugmakers plant in Greenville. But the company says it doesn't know what will happen to the plant or its seventeen hundred workers. The merger between Glaxo and Berle's welcom is expected to cause some job cuts in the company's North Carolina operations. Food Lion says its profits rose in the second quarter of this year. The cells vary by a supermarket chain says net income rose 11 percent from the same period last year to thirty nine million dollars. Sales rose nearly two and a half percent and the stock market finished higher after the blue chips falter briefly near the close. The Dow Jones Industrials were up five and a half points to close at forty five fifty six point ten. About 300 in the 11 million shares traded hands. The Standard Poor's 500 index was ahead nearly a point. Well the Nasdaq

composite index gained more than five points. And now for some stocks of North Carolina interest. Starting this Fourth of July weekend North Carolina law enforcement officials will once again step up their drunk driving enforcement efforts by setting up sobriety checkpoints in all 100 counties.

Officers statewide will conduct an estimated 5000 DWI checkpoints from now until the end of the year. Just this week the National Organization of Mothers Against Drunk Driving picked North Carolina as the site to kick off the nationwide Fourth of July campaign to combat drunk driving. Our state was chosen because North Carolina is considered to be a model for the nation in its efforts to crack down on DWI offenses. I am there every year and every minute. Right right. We would have remembered your tragedy that way. And here to talk about North Carolina is booze it and lose it campaign is Joe Parker the director of the Governor's Highway Safety Program. And Mr. Parker We're so glad you could be here tonight. Glad to be here with you Mary Lou. Well tell me about some of North Carolina's successes since apparently were known nationwide as having so much success. Tell me about our success in combating drunk driving. Well last year when we first launched the boozer to lose it we

had two impaired drivers out of a hundred late my own our highways coming through checkpoints at the end of the year. We had reduced that number by more than half 2.9 and less than one in a hundred. That's the lowest number there's ever been measured in the United States. That is something to be proud of. Well tell me now that we're hitting the 4th of July holiday weekend is this a big concern for folks in your department is this a really bad time for drinking and driving. It absolutely is that's why mothers against drunk driving have national sobriety checkpoint each year during July 4th week. It's this normally it's the second bloodiest holiday weekend of the year. Followed by I am sorry. Thanksgiving is actually the worst. OK so whenever there's a holiday situation you're prepared that people are going to be getting together having a good time partying and possibly drinking. How how big a problem is it increasing decreasing here in North Carolina because of the efforts of groups like MADD and even sad.

The good news is that the alcohol related portion of fatalities and injuries are going down on North Carolina's highways. And we intend to keep it going that way. That's the reason for booze it and lose it. We had an 8 percent reduction in alcohol fatalities last year and our percentage of total fatalities alcohol related was thirty one point nine percent. By itself that doesn't mean a lot. But the national goal for 1997 is to reduce alcohol fatalities to 43 percent. We're already 12 percent below the 97 goal for the nation. Well that's good to hear that there are still some fatalities but it's good to hear that we're less than a number of people who die on the roads. That is the good news and the bad news is there were four hundred sixty nine people killed on the highways last year. Alcohol related and that we need to we need to put an end to that.

Tell me about this visit and there's a campaign because that that is another idea another program trying to solve this problem right. And how successful has it been. Well it's been very successful. During our first effort last fall we conducted over twelve hundred checkpoints across the state had thirty eight hundred citations for DWI. And that's. A big part of the reason that our alcohol fatalities went down and the number of impaired drivers went down. So these checkpoints are considered to be pretty successful than they absolutely are. And the big thing about checkpoints is that the word gets out it's to Terence. I mean if our program were 100 percent successful nobody on our highways would be arrested for DWI because we wouldn't have impaired drivers. I also understand that something has just come out today and about tougher child safety seat regulations and it takes effect at midnight tonight right. That's right. The child safety seat law that the legislature strength of last year

the provisions go into effect midnight tonight July 1st. What exactly does that mean as far as tougher restrictions. It means that all children under age 12 must be in some kind of occupant restraint regardless of where they're sitting in the vehicle and that children under age 4 must be and a child safety seat. It also removes the out-of-state exemption that was in our law. And this will have a big impact in our resort areas where we get lots of out-of-state Vestals also in the areas around our military bases where we have lots of people coming in from other states. And I understand there is a place you can get more information is that right. Yes absolutely. We have a card that is available to the general public and we have an 800 number that people can call to get detailed information not only about the law what about how to properly use child safety seats.

And that phone number was on there so it's 1 800 six seven to four five to seven in case you missed it and we'd be happy to pass that along to our viewers as well because this is something that's very important. I'm also curious what we've just heard about the new Click It or Ticket campaign coming out this year. Tell me about that program a little bit and where you hope to go with that program. We'll Click It or Ticket. We actually started in 93 and we are continuing. This year and we have gotten North Korea on a seat belt usage rate up to third highest in the nation behind only Hawaii and California. And our goal from 1995 is to lead the nation in the use of occupant restraint. I'm also curious. We understand from some wire reports today that the state Senate is trying to toughen the standards for drivers who are drinking they basically say you cannot have a drop of liquor in you if you're driving. And they want to get tougher on passengers as well. I you must be seeing this as a wonderful thing if

indeed it does pass the Senate and go to the house. These are provisions that are in the taskforce bill that the government appointed driving while impaired task force last year chaired by a lieutenant governor Wicker and a commission of insurance jum long was the vice chair. And they have a number of proposals and they're in the final stages of enacting that. And it will require zero tolerance under age 21 and zero tolerance for drivers of any age when there's an open container in the vehicle. Well Mr. Parker We shall see what happens with that legislation and thank you so much for being our guest and we hope it's a very safe Fourth of July holiday weekend. Thank you again. Thank you Marilyn. The review headlined it is Jazz's finest hour in North Carolina and we are proud of our

cameras were there. It was a concert featuring the sacred music of Duke Ellington performed by the North Carolina jazz repertory orchestra music director James ketch tells us about the event. I am I am I am the Jazz repertory orchestra was sort of an idea that that was spawned in all probably of late 1992 on a break at a gig I was playing with the great swing band and we were sort of kind of wondering what it might feel like if we could get a big band together o players that really had an affinity for each other in the music that we wanted to play which was basically classic jazz repertory. And so we we basically have players coming from as far as we could.

About 10 15 miles to the west of us are forced to go longer term for the Chapel Hill games brawl ball in between the highlights of the record stress career was at Duke Ellington sacred music concert at Duke Chapel on Sunday afternoon February 19th a year of planning brought together the combined flyers from North Carolina Central and UK for city's past dancers and one of the state's leading jazz soloists and I think people get a chance to hear this tape they are so beautiful. It works beautifully as an ensemble. Really proud of the ensemble and we don't always seem to hire operatic types of singers and he was so taken with instruments and sounds of instruments or he wasn't Ellington's vocalist none of them have really awful powerful instrument but may not necessarily be that much

comfortable in the draft room and these forcing is really good dancing. So I think the ensemble this is a really spectacular. Ellington basically had a feeling that if anything's offered in praise to God it's accepted by God and so he went back to his 50 years of experience and part of that experience was the Cotton Club part of that experience was Carnegie Hall part of that experience was just his instrumental ensemble part of that experience involved working just literally everything that they could every experience put into this. Familiar with having had the like ever changing for talk. That's what we do with every stuff there's a little every type of

nuances like a painter and every color he's got on the palette. He'll put in various combinations and sometimes just a single color. Us Us. Wow the program will air right here Sunday July 2nd at 8:00 p.m. It features singers Yves Cornelius Kathy Gayle Carter minor tap dancers and a hundred member choir from Duke University and North Carolina Central University and many other talents from the Tar Heel State.

Well coming up on Monday night's program we will prepare you for the Fourth of July. We'll get some tips from the experts on how to safely enjoy fireworks this holiday. And we've got some great ideas on how to pack a healthy nutritious but still tasty picnic basket this 4th. Tonight at 8:30 on in sea people host Bill Friday will talk with News Talk Radio host Maury O'Dell. Remember that program is rebroadcast on Sunday at 5:30 pm. And then tonight at 8:50 for legislative week in review an hour long look at the events making headlines at the General Assembly this week. That program is rebroadcast Sunday at 1:30 for your information the nation's oldest wagon train is on its way from Andrews to Robbinsville and back. Andrews is located in the southwest portion of our state. A train of about one hundred four wagons and about 200 horseback riders began the six day trek yesterday. Well we hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. We'll see you back here on Monday. Goodnight everyone.