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Weekend reads: NCSU's cancer cluster, campaign finance issues, and a $804K charter school error | NC Newsline

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10 months ago

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Weekend reads: NCSU's cancer cluster, campaign finance issues, and a 4K charter school error | NC Newsline

Breast cancer cluster suspected at NC State’s Poe Hall, contaminated with PCBs; separate study shows those chemicals linked to that cancer

Testing showed five rooms in Poe Hall at NC State University contained materials with high levels of PCBs, a likely carcinogen. (Photo: Lisa Sorg)

By Lisa Sorg

A 2020 study of nearly 800 North Carolina women found that PCBs might increase the risk death from breast cancer, raising questions about a suspected cluster at N.C. State’s Poe Hall, which is contaminated with high levels of the toxic chemical. In addition, among women who already have breast cancer, the study found PCBs could contribute to deaths from all causes. PCBs are known to accumulate in breast tissue.

Sampling results from Poe Hall in November showed extremely high levels of PCBs in multiple rooms and in air handling systems, Newsline reported. [Read more…]

Expanded Medicaid managed care for people with mental illness or disabilities to begin July 1

Map of NC LME/MCOs
Map: NC Department of Health and Human Services

By Lynn Bonner

New managed care plans for North Carolinians whose mental health treatment or disability care is coordinated and paid through regional mental health offices will launch on July 1.

Under these “tailored plans,” regional mental health offices called “Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations” will pay for health care for people with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, substance use disorder, or traumatic brain injury. [Read more...]

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US Army to begin excavating up to 300 tons of contaminated soil at former missile plant in Burlington

By Lisa Sorg

The U.S. Army Environmental Command this month is scheduled to begin excavating as much as 300 tons of contaminated soil at the Tarheel Army Missile Plant in Burlington, city officials announced this week. This is the first step in a renewed effort to cleanup extensive contamination at the abandoned 22-acre site at 204 N. Graham-Hopedale Road. The site is known locally as the Western Electric plant because it had a military contract to build Nike missile guidance systems there during the Cold War. [Read more...]

Rocky Mount charter school leader says ‘coding error’ caused unexplained expenses

entrance to Rocky Mount Preparatory Academy
Photo: https://www.rmprep.org/

By Greg Childress

The leader of Rocky Mount Preparatory Academy told the Charter School Review Board on Monday that the more than $804,000 in unexplained expenses that threatened to close the school last year was mostly a coding error.

Last August, the former Charter School Advisory Board warned school leaders that it could be forced to close due to its poor academic performance and unexplained expenses. [Read more…]

Bonus read: Charter renewals spark debate among review board members

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DOJ lawyer tells Appeals Court imprisoned man can serve the same sentence twice

three Court of Appeals judges listen to arguments
A North Carolina Court of Appeals panel hears arguments in a case in which a trial court seemed to ignore a Supreme Court directive in resentencing a defendant. (Photo: Court of Appeals video stream)

By Kelan Lyons 

A lawyer for the North Carolina Department of Justice argued in court Wednesday that a man should be allowed to serve the same prison sentence twice, even though he had already done his time for that crime.

“This is a question of what authority does North Carolina’s statutory law give a trial judge at re-sentencing,” said Heidi M. Williams, special deputy attorney general. “If the language of that statute confers that authority on the sentencing judge to exercise in his or her discretion, this court should not limit that authority that has been given to the sentencing court by the General Assembly.” [Read more…]

North Carolina AG’s office pushes for delay in key Racial Justice Act hearing

Johnston County courthouse
The North Carolina attorney general’s office has petitioned the state Supreme Court to overrule a Johnston County’s Superior Court’s plans to commence a review on Feb. 26 of evidence of racism in jury selection in North Carolina capital cases. (Photo: NCCourts.gov)

By Kelan Lyons 

Johnston County prosecutor once compared Black defendants to wild dogs and hyenas, hunting their victims “like the predators of the African plain”

A hearing scheduled for later this month could clear a path for the 136 people on North Carolina’s death row to one day get resentenced to life without the possibility of parole — or bring them one step closer to the execution chamber.

Beginning Feb. 26, attorneys are scheduled to present evidence to a Johnston County Superior Court judge arguing that race significantly affected prosecutors’ actions during jury selection, not just in the underlying case of Hasson Bacote, but in capital cases throughout North Carolina.[Read more…]

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Latest NC campaign finance reports raise important questions, concerns

Board of Elections (Photo: Clayton Henkel)

By Bob Hall

North Carolina candidates and political committees recently filed their final campaign finance reports for 2023, disclosing who gave them money and how they spent it. A slew of news articles tell you who’s ahead in the fundraising horse race, but there’s so much more to explore in these reports. They offer a unique window into our state’s political culture. Here are eight examples, aided by a review of earlier reports and a little research. Look for more examples soon. [Read more.…]

Monday numbers: a closer look at school technology and learning loss recovery

two students looks at laptops while sitting on the steps in their school
As North Carolina students show signs of academic recovery, many school districts do not have a plan to update technology provided during the pandemic. (Photo: Adobe Stock)

By Clayton Henkel

Hard to believe it, but this March will mark four years since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As students and teachers switched to remote learning, federal pandemic relief dollars helped school districts purchase laptops, tablets, software, and other technology to minimize learning loss and allow students to study from home.

But now, in 2024, those cutting-edge tools from 2020 are beginning to show their age.

The chief information officer for the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) shared the status of the school technology with the House Select Committee on Education Reform last week. [Read more…]

Big data companies: Extracting millions from NC residents…with state government’s help (commentary)

Ads leading up to the Super Bowl stress the ease of placing a bet from your phone. (Photo: Screen grab)

By Rob Schofield

North Carolina will soon have legal sports gambling. The state Lottery Commission voted last month to allow bookmakers to start taking bets – both on the ground and online – starting March 11. It won’t be in time for this week’s Super Bowl, but it will be easy to lose big bucks on the ACC men’s basketball tournament that commences March 12.

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And while many have greeted this development as ho-hum news in a society in which gambling has become ubiquitous in recent years – for instance, the lottery is already plugging something called “digital instants” and as most sports fans are aware, even ESPN now has an entire website and significant programming devoted to gambling — it’s actually an important and deeply worrisome development.[Read more…]

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Finance

St. Augustine's says it will eliminate 50% university employees ahead of accreditation meeting

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7 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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St. Augustine's says it will eliminate 50% university employees ahead of accreditation meeting

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) announced Saturday it will eliminate several positions, including non-faculty and vacant, this month ahead of its significant accreditation meeting.

Last December, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commissioner on Colleges (SACSCOC) voted to remove SAU from membership due to its financial status. The university’s appeal was denied in February and then in July, the SACSCOC arbitration committee reversed the decision and reinstated SAU’s accreditation.

The SACSCOC board will vote on the next step for the university in December.

In a news release, SAU said to ensure compliance with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commissioner on Colleges and keep its accreditation, the school has reduced its expenses by approximately $17 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to 2023. Reductions, totaling 50% of university employees, include 67 staff positions (41% reduction); 37 full-time faculty positions (67% reduction); 32 adjunct faculty positions (57% reduction); and stopping several under-enrolled programs.

SEE ALSO | St. Augustine’s alumni hosts celebration amid canceled on-campus homecoming

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The university also said it will be actively settling outstanding balances with vendors and adjusting various contrasts.

SAU also reported completing four financial audits for fiscal years 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and restoring employee payroll and health insurance benefits.

The HBCU university — remaining millions of dollars in debt — secured a $7 million loan from Gothiuc Ventures with a high-interest rate. To get the loan, St. Aug’s put up much of the university’s main campus and off-campus properties as collateral.

Gothic Ventures tells ABC11 that the interest rate offered was determined by the financial difficulties faced by the university, which included a recent audit, historical revenue losses, and outstanding debt.

SEE ALSO | Saint Augustine’s University’s high-rate $7 million loan puts HBCU in jeopardy, finance experts say

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Many, including SAU alumni and finance experts, are concerned about this loan.

“We are concerned about the partnership between Gothic Ventures and Saint Augustine University because if for any reason Saint Augustine is unable to repay Gothic ventures, the land will be lost and the university as we know it will cease to be,” alum Bishop Clarence Laney said.

The lawsuit against the board of trustees by the SaveSAU Coalition was also recently dismissed.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The featured video is from a previous report.

Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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Assess your financial risk before new policies affect the economy

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15 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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Assess your financial risk before new policies affect the economy

I’ve been thinking about financial risk lately.

Should I change my asset allocation in my retirement portfolio, considering Donald Trump’s successful bid for the White House? Stock market valuations have risen smartly in recent years, which real income growth, productivity improvements, technological innovation, low unemployment rates and healthy corporate profits have largely powered. Yet with the election of Trump, voters have approved a massive economic experiment.

The Trump administration comes into power with many policy goals, but four economic initiatives stand out: Enacting significant tax cuts; imposing broad-based and significant tariffs; sweeping raids, mass deportations and tighter immigration controls; and slashing federal government regulations. The extent that these plans turn into reality and how each policy will interact with the others is uncertain. The risks are obvious. The outcome isn’t.

Enter risk management, a critical concept in finance. Professionals often associate risk with volatility. The tight link makes sense, since owning assets with high volatility hikes the odds of losses if there is a pressing need to sell the asset to raise money.

However, for the typical individual and household, risk means the odds money decisions made today don’t pan out. Managing risk means lowering the negative financial impact on your desired standard of living from decisions gone wrong and when circumstances take an untoward turn.

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“Anything that makes reaching or maintaining that more likely reduces your risk, and anything that makes this less likely increases your risk,” writes Bob French, the investment expert at Retirement Researcher. “Everything else is just details.”

The key risk management concept is a margin of safety, a bedrock personal finance idea broader than investment portfolios. It can include having an emergency savings fund, owning life insurance to protect your family and investing in your network of friends and colleagues to hedge against the risk of losing your job. The right mix depends on the particulars of your situation.

In my case, after studying my portfolio, running household money numbers and reviewing lifestyle goals, I’m comfortable with the asset allocation in my retirement portfolio. There is too much noise in the markets for comfort, and market timing is always tricky. The prudent approach with my individual situation is to stay the course.

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Finance

Shannon Bernacchia Appointed Interim Finance Director for Regional Schools – Amherst Indy

Published

23 hours ago

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November 23, 2024

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Shannon Bernacchia Appointed Interim Finance Director for Regional Schools – Amherst Indy

At a Zoom meeting on Friday, November 22, School Superintendent Dr. E. Xiomara Herman recommended to the Regional School Committee and Union 26 School Committee that Shannon Bernacchia be appointed interim Finance Director for the schools, replacing Doug Slaughter who had served in that position since 2019. Bernacchia has served as Assistant Finance Director under Slaughter. Her appointment was approved unanimously by both school committees.

In recommending Bernacchia for the interim director position, Herman cited her “impressive career, dedication, and accomplishments during this transitional period [to a new administration],” adding, “Since joining our district, she has demonstrated exceptional proficiency in managing complex financial operations, including preparing budgets, overseeing audits, and providing detailed financial reporting to the school committee.”

Bernacchia holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Bay Path University and professional training in school fund accounting. She currently holds an emergency School Business Administrator license valid through 2025 and has completed all requirements for her initial license, except for the 300 hours of mentorship. She anticipates completing that requirement in January, 2025. Former Amherst Regional Public Schools and Town of Amherst Finance Director Sean Mangano is serving as her mentor.

Herman expressed confidence in Bernacchia’s ability to head the district’s financial operations.

In acknowledging her appointment, Bernacchia thanked the school committee members and said that she was excited to work with superintendent who is woman.

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