Free Republic

The News & Observer filed a motion Monday opposing the Orange County district attorney's request to seal the results of the autopsy of murdered UNC student Eve Carson. Last week, Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour ordered that the results remain under seal to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation into the 22-year-old Athens, Ga., senior's death.

. The Showdown / All-Star Saturday 7:30 pm Eastern on SPEED from Lowe's Superspeedway Please give your support to the FR Canteen - Dedicated to our troops, veterans, and their families: The FR Canteen God Bless Our Troops

Raleigh, N.C. — North Carolina's 58 community colleges will no longer allow illegal immigrants to enroll, officials said Tuesday. The move follows an advisory letter issued a week ago by the state Attorney General's Office recommending that community colleges tighten their admissions standards to be more in line with federal laws. “We asked the Attorney General’s Office for clarification of our present policy and will abide by their advice,” Community College System President R. Scott Ralls said in a statement. “Until we receive further clarification, we will no longer admit individuals classified as illegal or undocumented immigrants into curriculum degree...

No federal law prohibits North Carolina from admitting illegal immigrants to its colleges and universities, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said today. The statement from federal officials contradicts a letter sent this week by the office of state Attorney General Roy Cooper. The letter from Cooper's office advised the state Community College System that federal law bars the admission of illegal immigrants to public colleges and universities, even if they pay out-of-state tuition. The letter said that the Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part, was responsible for enforcing the law and offered to ask...

Barack Obama pocketed the support of at least four Democratic convention superdelegates on Wednesday, building on the momentum from a convincing North Carolina primary victory. Rival Hillary Rodham Clinton vowed to remain in the race "until there's a nominee." The former first lady declined to say whether that meant through the roll call of the states at the Democratic National Convention this summer. Clinton also disclosed that she had loaned her campaign an additional $6.4 million in recent weeks, evidence that her once front-runner campaign was in deep trouble. She told reporters the loans were a sign of her commitment...

<p>Amid heavy turnout, Republicans appeared to be crossing over in droves today in Marion County and suburban counties, where fewer Republican voters might impact down-ticket primary races.</p>

Obama's big disconnect By Salena Zito TRIBUNE-REVIEW For Barack Obama, closing the deal with Democrat voters has become like herding cats: He just can't get them all lined up and coordinated on his side. This nation has a history of looking closely at its candidates and taking their measure before they vote for them. It is a process that Obama shuns and rival Hillary Clinton thrives on -- and therein lies the problem for Democrats. Obama, who leads both in pledged delegates and in the popular vote, cannot close the gap with lunch-pail Democrats, older voters and (for lack of...

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama is moving away from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright so fast he may claim to be an atheist by next weekend. The ongoing sprint from such a polarizing figure is far from a surprise, it's just the timing of it that is so odd. A New York Times editorial described the recent developments like this: "In the last few days, in a series of shocking appearances, he [Wright] embraced the Rev. Louis Farrakhan's anti-Semitism. He said the government manufactured the AIDS virus to kill blacks. He suggested that America was guilty of "terrorism" and...

(CNN) — It appears the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination is tightening up in North Carolina. A new CNN poll of polls released Sunday suggests Senator Barack Obama, D-Illinois, has the support of 50 percent of likely Democratic primary voters in North Carolina, with 42 percent backing Senator Hillary Clinton, D-New York, and 8 percent still undecided. This eight point Obama margin is down from a nine point lead Obama held in Saturday’s CNN poll of polls and down from his recent double digit lead in the state.

Ed Frawley Posted Video on YouTube to Expose Conditions at Fort Bragg When Edward Frawley went to welcome home his 22-year-old son, who was returning from a tour of duty with the 82nd Airborne Division in the mountains of Afghanistan, he was in for a shock. Not to hear the stories about Jeff's battles with insurgents, but to witness his son's current living conditions at Fort Bragg, N.C. So, Frawley did what any concerned citizen does — he posted a video on YouTube two weeks ago, containing still photos of moldy ceiling panels, broken toilet seats, backed up sewage water...

Huckabee weighs in on Wright TRIBUNE-REVIEW by salena zito I asked former Republican candidate for president and ordained Southern Baptist Minister Mike Huckabee to give his thoughts on Reverend Wright's Q & A session at the National Press Club this morning. Huckabee was quick to say that his perspective would be coming not so much as from a pastor, but as a candidate and American. "When Rev. Wright's comments were first exposed, I actually had some sympathetic words for him because I felt his sentiments needed to be put in the context of his own experience of being treated with...

While campaign over the weekend Senator Obama attempted to rationalize his refusal to debate Senator Clinton. He stated that with such little time in both North Carolina and Indiana he would rather spend that time meeting voters rather than suiting up for a debate. In actuality Senator Obama (and his campaign strategists) have probably become aware of the fact that his polling numbers tend to go down after each one on one debate with Senator Clinton. Why would he willingly risk loosing a few more approval rating points with his lackluster Lincoln Douglas debating skills---

More than 9,000 North Carolina license plates have been recalled because they begin with "XXX" — a common symbol for sexually explicit material...

Last week in Pennsylvania 27% of Republicans voted against John McCain. They voted for Huckabee and Ron Paul, who did not even campaign. In McCain's home state of Arizona, white registered Republicans voted McCain (44%) to Romney (42%). This week McCain condemned the North Carolina GOP for producing an ad that called Barack Obama and his mentor Jeremiah Wright "extreme." It is time to send a clear message to McCain. I urge my fellow Republicans in North Carolina to write-in Rush Limbaugh on May 6.

RALEIGH—North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Linda Daves made the following statement: “Contrary to any media reports, the ‘Extreme’ ad will run as scheduled next week. There has never been any intention to pull the ad and it will air. The ‘Extreme’ ad has garnered attention around the country. I want to thank the people across North Carolina and across the country who have shown overwhelming support for us. Our aim is to tell the truth and ask difficult questions. We will continue to do so. People here in North Carolina should know that this ad is focused on Democrats Richard...

Reports that the N.C. Republican Party is pulling a planned TV advertisement about Barack Obama are false, Republican chairwoman Linda Daves said today. "I can't be emphatic enough that we're running the ad," Daves said, reports David Ingram. "We are not pulling the ad. It has never been a consideration for us to pull the ad." Several media outlets, including MSNBC, have reported that the party reversed course Thursday and would not run the ad. The ad has been scheduled to begin running Monday on evening newscasts in North Carolina. Daves said the reaction received by the party is running...

Contrary to multiple media reports and word from McCain aides, the North Carolina Republican Party says it will continue to run the anti-Obama ad that's caught so much flak over the last couple of days. From a North Carolina GOP press release at 4:30 p.m. today, this is Republican Party Chairwoman Linda Daves: “Contrary to any media reports, the ‘Extreme’ ad will run as scheduled next week. There has never been any intention to pull the ad and it will air. The ‘Extreme’ ad has garnered attention around the country. I want to thank the people across North Carolina and...

A former state lawmaker was convicted Monday of mishandling thousands of dollars in charitable contributions and fraudulently obtaining a $150,000 loan and was sentenced to six to eight years in prison. Thomas Wright, the first member of the General Assembly to be expelled from office in 128 years, was immediately taken into custody. He winked at his wife, Joyce, as he left the courtroom. Wright was convicted of three felony fraud charges, concluding he misused or mishandled donations from two companies totaling $7,400 and used a bogus letter to take out a loan to build health care offices and a...

A tangle with a cop and an achy heartBy Jeri Rowe Staff writer Tuesday, Apr. 1, 2008 3:00 am GREENSBORO — Alexander Kohanowich is a patriotic guy. His six grandchildren call him Pop. For at least five years, Pop has traveled around our city, showing his support for American troops overseas. He doesn't say much. He just holds his signs at busy intersections and busy events to get people's attention. Maybe you've seen him. He'll hang, say, on Westover Terrace, near Wendover. He'll face east in the morning, west in the afternoon, so drivers can see his signs clearly, without...

Indiana has 72 Delegates and is a pretty big prize. However, Media is acting like it doesn't really exist and its all about PA and NC. Anyone know anything how Hillary and Obama are running in Indiana? Any Polls? Local Polls? Who takes it? The Big Names in that State - are they behind Hillary or Obama?

Hillary Clinton has cut Barack Obama’s lead in North Carolina to one point, according to the newest survey from Public Policy Polling. Obama leads 44-43 in the state, after leading by four points in a similar poll conducted by PPP two weeks ago. Clinton has particularly made gains with female voters, with whom she now has a slight lead after trailing in the previous poll.

Obama leads 44-43 in the state, after leading by four points in a similar poll conducted by PPP two weeks ago. Clinton has particularly made gains with female voters, with whom she now has a slight lead after trailing in the previous poll.

<p>ORANGE COUNTY: Sources confirmed to NC WANTED that Durham police have arrested a person of interest in the murder of UNC student body president Eve Carson.</p> <p>Durham officials turned the man over to police in Chapel Hill, where he is currently being held for questioning.</p>

Some Union teens choose LDS prom JOE MARUSAK Imagine a high school prom where dates are optional, the dress code is modest and the lyrics are clean. Imagine one that's free. Students from Union, Mecklenburg and surrounding counties have enjoyed such annual gatherings since 2003 through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS proms, as the students and parents call them, are for ages 16-18 only and are held at a different LDS church throughout the region each year. This year's is March 15 at the LDS building on Lazy Lane in Mooresville. The proms draw up...

And so it begins. While the Wake County school system could have easily stood up to the unsubstantiated charges levied by the ACLU and CAIR, they chose to sacrifice Mr. Escamilla on the altar of political correctness. As such, Mr. Escamilla has no choice but to seek redress via the legal system. Much has been said on the various discussion forums about this issue. While many accuse Mr. Escamilla of using his position to proselytize and promote Christianity in the public school, the facts of the case clearly indicate this never happened. Others defend Mr. Escamilla based on our country's...

RALEIGH - The explosion that injured two workers at a Raleigh scrap metal yard Tuesday morning has been traced to a collection of anti-tank rockets and projectiles mixed into a pile of debris dropped off at the Garner Road facility Feb. 7. A Fort Bragg explosive ordnance disposal unit will resume detonating ammunition today, keeping a largely industrial stretch of Garner Road blocked off for at least a third day. Residents forced from their homes by the methodical detonations were allowed to return temporarily Wednesday night but were told they'd have to leave again by 8 a.m. today. It's not...

An immigration court set to open in Charlotte this spring could help hundreds of illegal immigrant children each year win the right to remain in North Carolina. The court, much closer than the current venue in Atlanta, will provide youngsters in North Carolina better access to immigration lawyers. As a result, scores of children who arrive here without their families, often fleeing gang violence or sexual abuse, may no longer face deportation simply because they can't find a North Carolina lawyer willing to take up their cause in Atlanta.

Jacksonville, North Carolina, January 26, 2008— The NC Gathering of Eagles sponsored an Operation to demonstrate support for and celebrate the American Military. Hundreds of people came to Jacksonville, from all over North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and West Virginia.They spread out along Highway 17 waving American and Marine flags and holding signs proclaiming respect, admiration and gratitude to the men and women of the United States Military. GOE National Director, Larry Bailey reports: In response to the pitiful gathering of Westboro Baptist Church miscreants near Camp Lejeune, NC, on 1/26/08, the North Carolina chapter of Gathering of Eagles organized...

Just seen on FNN: a blonde newsbabe was covering a rally in Aiken, South Carolina. The bottom-third title was "Edwards makes final push in home state." Thing is, Edwards' home state is NORTH carolina, not SOUTH Caroilina. They're two, like, totally different states. Seriously. They have separate governments and everything. It wasn't a momentary glitch. That title stayed up for most of the story.

Raleigh — Later this year, the way you get your driver's license will change. Whether you are renewing or getting a new license, it will take more than a simple trip down to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get it. There are about 115 DMV offices across the state that make drivers licenses on-site. Because of a new law that takes effect July 1, the days of over-the-counter driver's license are numbered. “You will walk out of our office with a temporary driving permit, good for 20 days,” said Wayne Hurder, of the state Department of Motor Vehicles. “It...

North Carolina has been a safely Republican state in recent Presidential elections. Even with a home state Senator as the Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate in 2004, President George W. Bush carried the state by a dozen percentage points. But, early in the 2008 election cycle, North Carolina offers some hope to the Democrats. Hillary Clinton is competitive in the state against four leading Republican Presidential candidates. The former First Lady has a two-point edge over Mitt Romney (42% to 40%) and trails Rudy Giuliani by a statistically insignificant single percentage point (Giuliani 40% Clinton 39%). She also trails John McCain...

HIGH POINT - As a boy, Gary Don Holt would roam the woods with his father and uncles, hunting for rabbits. It's been more than two decades since he had the chance. Arrested for marijuana possession in Onslow County in 1986, Holt is a convicted felon and must stay away from guns. When his father dies, he'll have to ask his sister to hold on to a family heirloom he has been promised: a shotgun passed from father to son for generations. Holt's felony at the age of 21 has robbed him of much over the years: jobs, jury duty,...

<p>HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) – An altercation Tuesday night during an elementary school Christmas program is caught on tape.</p> <p>Children in the first through third grades had just completed about three-quarters of the program when a fight broke out among three parents in the audience, according to Guilford County Schools' spokesman Chad Campbell.</p>

Drought provides advantages to scavengers and collectors who explore the expanded shorelines of the Triangle's shrinking reservoirs and lakes. The mud-encrusted fishing lures, waterlogged watches and other contemporary artifacts are theirs to keep. But pocketing the shards of Native American pottery, spearheads and other remains from past cultures can get people in trouble. Federal and state laws prohibit the removal of archaeological materials from public lands and carry stiff fines and potential jail time. That fact is unknown to many shore combers who think nothing of palming an arrowhead or other souvenir from a trip to Falls Lake or other...

Observed traveling West from Raleigh to Greensboro, white blimp with message "Who is Ron Paul Google www.ronpaul2008.com". My husband first observed it while he was traveling West to East from Greensboro to Apex. I saw it approximately 40 minutes later when I left a store in the Greensboro area.

Quick drives to the grocery store and long road trips to Grandma's might not be as tempting some day in North Carolina. < snip >

Posted on Sat, Dec. 08, 2007 Protest may put Mackey on hold JIM MORRILL A Mecklenburg Democratic Party activist said Friday she plans to protest the process that led to Thursday's sheriff's vote, a move that could delay Nick Mackey's taking office or nullify his selection altogether. Jane Whitley, a former party secretary who voted in the contest, told state party chairman Jerry Meek that she believes the party failed to follow its own rules in choosing precinct voters. County commissioner Parks Helms said he would urge colleagues to delay Mackey's formal appointment until the protest is resolved, which could...

Since Southworth, student fees have remained a contentious issue. A new Pope Center study originated in an effort to find out whether student fees are fairly distributed between conservative and liberal campus organizations at UNC campuses. What the study found is that student governments at UNC schools seem to allocate funds fairly among political groups. Where fees are used for political groups, the distribution seems to reflect the preferences of the student body. Student government at UNC-Chapel Hill distributed $66,412 to liberal students groups in 2006-2007, and $45,993 to conservative groups. At N.C. State, during the first 2006-2007 semester, conservative...

BOONE, N.C. -- An illegal immigrant is accused of driving drunk in Boone over the Thanksgiving holiday and plowing into a sport utility vehicle, killing a man inside. Boone police said Juan Manuel Juarez Reyes slammed into the rear of a Lexus SUV that was about to turn from Highway 105 onto Poplar Hill Drive shortly before 11 p.m. Friday. The SUV was skidded 250 feet, hitting a Watauga County deputy’s patrol car. The occupants of the SUV were trapped inside their vehicle but the deputy was not hurt. The driver, Sallie Ellis Newell, and passenger Jacqueline Elizabeth Newell were...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dozens of friends, family members, former classmates and complete strangers searched for a missing 24-year-old Tuesday night, but Kyle Fleischmann is still missing. He disappeared five days ago after leaving an Uptown bar. At last check there are no solid leads and no contact with him. Tuesday, nearly 100 people searched, holding flyers, pictures and maps. It's guess work. "How far are you going to walk with no coat? I would be looking to get indoors any way I could,” said family friend Kandace Hopper while searching in Uptown. "To see anybody go missing like this is...

Raleigh - An illegal immigrant hospitalized for more than a week following a wreck on Interstate 540 was released from the hospital over the weekend.

How should the US deal with Illegal Immigration? Amnesty Path to citizenship Guest worker program Deportation Other (leave a comment)

A UNC-Chapel Hill professor says John Edwards' presidential campaign tried to kill a student's video story about the campaign's headquarters. In an interview with State Government Radio, Associate Professor C.A. Tuggle said that he received phone calls from two top staffers for the former North Carolina senator. The journalism professor said the staffers threatened to cut off access to Edwards to all UNC student groups if the student-run television program aired a segment critical of the location of the Chapel Hill headquarters. "I'm dumbfounded by it," Tuggle told the radio station. "I can't imagine that a national campaign would spend...

Raleigh — A man who was pardoned after spending 18 years behind bars for a rape he didn't commit has been sued for child support for the years he was in prison. Dwayne Allen Dail, 39, was cleared in August of the 1987 rape of a 12-year-old Goldsboro girl. The girl identified him as her attacker, and hair found at the scene was similar to his. DNA evidence found on a fragment of the girl's nightgown years after the trial proved Dail wasn't involved in the attack, however.

Roots of Care: Investigation of family tree, finds that ancestor lived in 'alms house'By Sherry Youngquist JOURNAL REPORTER Saturday, October 20, 2007 Kim Quintal stands inside a building in Yadkin County that was once known as "the crazy house." It was part of the poorhouse system in North Carolina. (Journal Photo by David Rolfe) YADKINVILLE - Off a dirt road, not far from the county seat, there is a small frame building in a field. Walk closer and you see the bars over the windows. Inside, handmade, crudely cut lattice separates stalls where people were once shut away. People in...

HIDDENITE, N.C. -- Police are investigating an unusual robbery in Hiddenite. Someone dressed in a burgundy burka walked into the People’s Bank at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, showed the teller a handgun and demanded money. The robber then took off down N.C. 90 in a burgundy sport utility vehicle

. The Bank of America 500 Saturday Night 7:30 pm Eastern from Lowe's Superspeedway Speed Channel Pre-Race at 5:30ABC Pre-Race at 7:00Green Flag at 7:45 Please give your support to the FR Canteen - Dedicated to our troops, veterans, and their families: The FR Canteen God Bless Our Troops Please pray on this day, and every day, for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm's way around the world in defense of our liberty, and for the families awaiting their safe return.

Asheville, NC (LifeNews.com) -- A North Carolina community college has arrested a handful of pro-life advocates who took the pro-life message to students on campus. Members of the group Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust spent two hours at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College before they were charged with trespassing. College officials asked the members of the group to move to a sidewalk and were arrested by local Asheville police when they declined. A-B Tech President Betty Young said in a statement that the pro-life advocates disrupted the learning environment and violated campus policy requesting that outside groups obtain approval to appear...

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - An archaeologist is taking a second look at a small cannon found by fishermen off the Virginia coast more than two decades ago in hopes of determining how it got to the bottom of the ocean — and who left it there. Rod Mather, a professor of maritime history and underwater archaeology at the University of Rhode Island, has studied the 25-square-mile area surrounding the site where the cannon was found the past two summers. Some historians believe the 4-feet-long, 300-pound cannon, which was loaded when it was found 24 years ago, is an English cannon...

A search is underway in Haywood County for a group of Boy Scouts from Raleigh reported missing Sunday night. Waynesville, NC -- Emergency crews are hunting for a group of NC scouts who didn't come home from a weekend trip. A dispatcher says a call came in to the Haywood County Emergency Operations Center about 9:00 pm Sunday concerning a group of eight Boy Scouts and three adults who failed to return home Sunday evening from a weekend trip to the mountains. Local firefighters and members of Haywood Emergency Management, Haywood Rescue and NC Fire Dogs were involved in a...