Opinion Roundup: Celebrating MLK day; investigating big political donor; knighthood for NC vet; and more.

Monday, Jan. 20, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Largest state political donor under investigation; French knighthood for N.C. vet; teacher's strike; local music on famous playlist; and more.

LEE O. SANDERLIN: The woman behind it all: For 40 years, Mütter Evans has organized Noon Hour in MLK’s honor (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- It's the 40th time Mütter Evans has held the Noon Hour celebration of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, a milestone in a life with plenty of them. The event, which began in 1981, predates the federal Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday by five years. Now, with its 40th running, the event will honor Evans for her years of work honoring King — even if Evans doesn’t necessarily want it that way. “Even though I do the lion’s share, perhaps, of the work, it can’t be done without a team,” Evans said.

PHOTOTS: When the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Winston-Salem (Winston-Salem Jounral reports) -- Pictures from around the city showing what Rev. Martin Luther King did in 1962 when visiting Winston-Salem.

Martin Luther King celebration at Duke University focuses on voting rights (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- “Our strongest tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and what he fought so hard for... may be the ballot itself.”

With new Poor People’s Campaign, NC’s Rev. William Barber evokes comparisons to MLK (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- NC’s Rev. William Barber is carrying on one legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

State employees and M.L. King Commission celebrate the life of MLK at observance program (WRAL-TV reports) -- The state held its annual State Employees Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance Program.

Byron Williams: The complete Martin Luther King Jr. (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- The third Monday in January represents the annual reminder that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is truly an American icon. But such status may not be for the reasons many would readily assume.

In N.C., Texas and other states, voters face variety of barriers (US News reports) -- Nationally, Democrats say strict voter ID laws, purging of voter rolls, reduction in polling places, limits on early voting and other restrictive steps are Republican attempts to suppress their voters. Republicans counter that they are merely trying to maintain the integrity of elections and close off potential avenues for voter fraud. It's an argument playing out across the country, and one that is leading to lawsuits in numerous battleground states. In N.C., litigation over a voter ID requirement passed by Republicans has created uncertainty over whether it will be in place for the November elections. In Georgia and Wisconsin, voter advocacy groups have sued over efforts to revoke the registrations of voters who have not participated in recent elections.

GEOFF MULVIHILL: State voting, registration laws vary and change frequently (AP reports) -- The rules of elections are always changing. In the states and the District of Columbia, lawmakers last year considered more than 2,900 bills dealing with elections and voting, and enacted more than 350, according to a tally by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

VICKI WHITE-LAWRENCE & ANN SHAW: Judge was right to remove voter ID requirement (Greensboro News & Record column) -- A U.S. District Court judge, Loretta Biggs, recently ruled that photo ID’s will not be required to vote in the March primary in North Carolina. In her ruling she said, “North Carolina has a sordid history of racial discrimination and voter suppression stretching back to the time of slavery through the era of Jim Crow and crucially continuing up to the present day.” The NAACP is bringing a lawsuit that, if won, will extend this permanently. The League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad supports Judge Biggs’ ruling and the NAACP lawsuit for the following reasons:

Anti-Trump protests have shrunk. What’s it mean for 2020? (AP reports) -- Days after President Donald Trump killed an Iranian general and said he was sending more soldiers to the Middle East, about 100 protesters stood on a pedestrian bridge over Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive with an illuminated sign that read “No War in Iran.” Activists say the numbers should not be mistaken for a lack of energy or motivation to vote Trump out of office come November.

GARY ROBERTSON & DAVID LIEB: Records reveal concerns of deceased GOP redistricting expert (AP reports) -- Republican victories in state legislative and gubernatorial elections in 2010 put them in a commanding position the next year to draw new voting districts for the U.S. House and state legislatures that helped fortify Republican power for much of the following decade. But the celebration was short-lived for at least one of the Republicans' top redistricting strategists. Behind the scenes, GOP consultant Thomas Hofeller was worried that Democrats were far ahead of Republicans in collecting data that could help them draw districts in their favor following the next round of redistricting that will occur after the 2020 census. Hofeller died in August 2018 after a battle with cancer. But troves of his previously confidential digital documents, data tables and emails were publicly posted online this month by his estranged daughter, Stephanie Hofeller. She also supplied them to plaintiffs during a legal challenge brought by Democrats and Common Cause against the N.C. state legislative districts that her father helped draw.

LAURA LESLIE: UNC Board of Governors silent on 'Silent Sam' settlement, instead urges lawmakers to pass budget (WRAL-TV reports) -- UNC President Bill Roper's message to state lawmakers: "Spare us the platitudes. Just get the budget done."

NC GOP lawmakers support ‘Second Amendment sanctuaries,’ will attend Va. gun rally (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Republican state lawmakers are showing their support for areas that declare themselves “Second Amendment sanctuaries,” and some plan to attend a gun rights rally Monday in Virginia that the state’s governor fears might turn violent. Fifty members of the Republican House caucus, including Speaker Tim Moore and Majority Leader John Bell, signed a letter from Rep. Keith Kidwell’s office that supports those who want “Second Amendment sanctuaries,” especially in Virginia.

NC Republicans write backing Virginia gun "sanctuary" effort (AP reports) -- Dozens of North Carolina Republican state legislators are expressing solidarity with local governments in Virginia that have spoken out formally in recent months for gun rights.

NC lawmakers compare Virginia gun bills to tyranny, but can't describe them (WRAL-TV reports) -- Fifty House Republicans sign a letter praising pushback against Virginia gun control proposals. Several legislative Republicans who signed a letter comparing Virginia gun control proposals to confiscations by a tyrannical government couldn't describe what those proposals would do when asked. Fifty members of the N.C. House GOP caucus signed a letter by Rep. Keith Kidwell , R-Beaufort, who plans to visit Richmond, Va., for a rally against gun control proposals from the Virginia General Assembly's new Democratic majority.

TRAVIS FAIN: Another federal investigation into NC's largest political donor (WRAL-TV reports) -- Court filings just unsealed reveal financial fraud inquiry as regulator accuses Greg Lindberg of diverting money from struggling NC insurance companies.

RICHARD CRAVER: Telemarketers continue to top NC consumer complaints list (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- Telemarketers remained at the top of the top-10 consumer complaint list for North Carolina in 2019, according to the N.C. Attorney General’s Office. Telemarketing complaints are related to robocalls, spoofed calls and calls that violate the Do Not Call registry.

KATE MURPHY: Hundreds of pro-life supporters gather in Raleigh at 2020 Rally and March for Life (Durham Herald-Sun reports) --Hundreds of people gathered on Bicentennial Plaza outside the N.C. General Assembly for the annual Rally & March for Life. Some held signs that said “Stop abortion now,” “I was an unplanned pregnancy,” and “Life if the first inalienable right.” The event, organized by N.C. Right to Life, opened with a prayer and featured speakers who shared their religious and personal reasons for supporting the pro-life cause. Bill Pincus, president of N.C. Right To Life, said the goal is to influence public policy and legislation through education and lobbying elected officials.

From Raleigh to Denmark and back, Sir James Cain reflects on time as ambassador for America (WRAL-TV reports) -- From the impeachment hearings to the conflict with Iran where an ambassador was arrested, the role of ambassador has taken center stage recently. It is one Raleigh resident Jim Cain knows well. Cain is an attorney and was once the president of the Carolina Hurricanes. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark under President George W. Bush.

Woman alleges man in controversial RPD arrest video guilty of hit and run (WRAL-TV reports) -- Police said Braily Batista-Concepcion was involved in three hit and runs before police caught him. One of the alleged hit-and-run victims spoke about what happened to her during the incident.

NC wants to give criminals a second chance, survey says (Fayetteville Observer reports) -- Conservatives for Criminal Justice Reform wants the state to make it easier for people to clear old crimes off their records.

Car shootings lead to teen’s arrest: Suspect used pellet gun, hid in shrubs (Wilson Times reports) -- Sheriff’s deputies say a 14-year-old camouflaged in shrubbery fired a pellet rifle at passing cars on U.S. 264 in Wilson County, shattering windows and scaring motorists

CELIA RIVENBARK: Love Lev? You’re gonna be disappointed (Wilmington Star-News column) -- Lev Parnas to the rescue? Don’t pin your hopes on a louse.

ALEXANDER GLADSTONE: Contract Losses Sink Apollo’s Defense Bet (Wall Street Journal reports) -- The spike in Mideast tensions may have come too late for Constellis Group, the defense contractor owned by Apollo Global with roots in the Blackwater mercenary training firm.

Fact check: Facebook post tries to link union president, Hillary Clinton to Epstein's death (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV reports) -- A Facebook post falsely links a union president, Hillary Clinton, and jail guards who were supposed to be watching Jeffrey Epstein at the time when he committed suicide.

French government to grant knighthood to N Carolina veteran (AP reports) -- Paul Prewitt is adjusting to the idea of knighthood and having plenty of chuckles as his friends and fellow veterans rib him and genuflect in his honor.

Costs mount as families evacuated in Durham CO emergency face 3rd week in hotels (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Inspections at another DHA property found 21 faulty stoves emitting carbon monoxide and 6 gas leaks

KAYLA LASURE: Economic forecast: 2020 will continue upswing in economy trends (Watauga Democrat reports) -- The nation is in its 11th year of economic expansion and there is "not a recession in sight," according to local economist Harry Davis. "I’m very positive about this year for the state and nation in terms of economic growth," said Davis, who is also an Appalachian State University professor. "It’s a great time to be alive in this country. It’s a great time to be part of the economy and be in part of the state that we’re living in." Davis announced his 2020 economic forecast during the fourth annual High Country Economic Kickoff Breakfast  — presented by the Boone Area and Blowing Rock Chambers of Commerce — at Meadowbrook Inn.

Remains of fallen US soldier returned to Fort Bragg(AP reports) -- The remains of a paratrooper who was killed a week ago in Afghanistan have been returned to his family in the U.S.

Loud noises, low-flying planes reported as military arrives at RDU (WRAL-TV reports) -- People who live in the airport's path heard loud noises Saturday night as military planes landed at RDU and again Sunday morning as they left.

GILBERT BAEZ: Program helps Fort Bragg troops get everything in order before deployment (WRAL-TV reports) -- Fort Bragg is home to thousands of units that can get out of the gate and around the world quickly. The 82nd Airborne Division has units on call to be ready to have wheels up and deploy within 18 hours.

AMANDA SMITH: State putting the squeeze on teachers (Greenville Daily Reflector column) -- It’s certainly not unusual for teachers to stay in their classrooms long after school ends to grade papers and plan for upcoming lessons. It’s part of the job I expected when I became a teacher. But something I didn’t expect was having to work a second job to make ends meet.

DEBORAH GRIFFIN: ECU's mobile exhibit shines light on Princeville (The Daily Reflector reports) -- A new exhibit at East Carolina University will reveal the historic magnitude of a tiny, flood-besieged town 25 miles northwest of Greenville.

N.C. group gauges teachers' support for strike (AP reports) -- The North Carolina Association of Educators wants to know how long teachers would stay out of the classroom to get the pay raises and benefits that they want.

UNC System condemns state’s budget impasse and warns that it will hurt universities (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- “Please don’t make this system collateral damage in this year’s political standoff.”

University leaders plead for NC budget stalemate to end (AP reports) -- UNC campuses -- including students and employees -- could suffer if the extended state budget impasse isn't resolved soon, according to system President Bill Roper. The resolution passed by the Board of Governors also calls on trustees of colleges and universities in the UNC system to pass similar resolutions.

UNC Board Of Governors Calls For Quick Passage Of State Budget (WUNC-FM reports) -- The UNC System Board of Governors is taking the side of the Republican-led General Assembly in its budget fight with Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. The Board unanimously passed a resolution urging passage of the GOP version of the budget approved by the General Assembly and vetoed by Cooper.

NC social studies classes are about to change. And some teachers aren’t happy about it. (Durham Herald-Sun reports) – N.C. is overhauling what students will learn in social studies classes, putting more emphasis on managing credit cards and spending less time on U.S. history. Newly approved changes mean high school students will have to take a course on personal finance before they graduate. But squeezing in the financial literacy course means other changes to the social studies curriculum, such as eliminating one of the two U.S. history courses now required in high school.

The N-word. Standoff between school systems. How the story unfolds in Davidson County (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- Lexington Middle School sports teams will resume playing Davidson County teams in the 2020-21 school year, ending a standoff between the two school boards that was sparked last summer after a racist incident at a county high school. In August, the Lexington City Schools Board of Education decided not to allow Lexington Middle School to play South Davidson Middle School in football after a video posted to social media showed a student at South Davidson High School painting “Kill N------!” on the high school’s spirit rock.

A North Carolina teen was healthy and athletic. The flu killed her in days (Asheville Citizen-Times reports) -- On the morning of Dec. 30, 15-year-old Lacie Rian Fisher grudgingly conceded she wouldn’t be able to cheer at the Pisgah High basketball game that evening. She’d been feeling achy and hadn’t had much of an appetite for the past couple days, but she had hoped to rally in time for the game. Her dad knew she’d been exposed to the flu over the holidays, but he figured Lacie just had a garden-variety winter bug, given her only symptoms were the body aches and clammy skin. When she hadn’t improved by 9 a.m. Monday, Lacie threw on some clothes and climbed into her dad Keith Fisher’s truck for the quarter-mile drive to her pediatrician. It was less than 72 hours after Lacie felt the first symptoms. But when Lacie stepped out of the truck, “she just kind of screamed out a couple times,” Fisher remembers. She crumpled to the ground and “just went limp in my arms.” Lacie would never regain consciousness. By 4:45 p.m., Lacie Rian Fisher — athletic cheerleader, straight-A student and beloved friend — was gone.

RICHARD CRAVER: Study: Gastric bypass surgery carries slightly higher risk of later medical procedures (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- A study from Wake Forest Baptist Health researchers has determined there is a slightly higher risk of patients needing additional procedures following one of the two most common bariatric surgeries. The surgeries typically involve either a gastric bypass or a gastric sleeve, in which about 80% of the stomach is removed, leaving a long, tube-like pouch. The surgery usually is performed on individuals who are obese as a weight-loss tool. A bariatric procedure also has the potential to substantially improve their overall quality of health, such as reversing type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea, reducing risk of severe illness or death from heart disease and diabetes, and easing joint and back pain.

GREG BARNES: N.C. gives away radon test kits (N.C. Health News reports) -- The radioactive substance known as the silent killer has been found at high levels in all 100 N.C. counties. The EPA says it causes 21,000 deaths annually in the U.S.

Let’s go for a walk (Winston-Salem Journal) -- Nature lovers breathed a sigh of relief last week when the Piedmont Land Conservancy announced that it had raised enough money — $6.5 million — to buy a conservation easement on 92 acres of farmland owned by the Crossnore School & Children’s Home. That land, only a mile or so from downtown Winston-Salem, will now be protected from development — and will soon be made available for city residents seeking solace in the outdoors. Though the land conservancy generally works in rural areas, this was a rare opportunity to save something a little closer to civilization. It couldn’t be passed by.

NC And SC Lawmakers Call For Studies Of Electricity Market Reforms (WFAE-FM reports) -- A group of state lawmakers from North and South Carolina want to deregulate the states' electricity markets by allowing competition for power production. At a press conference Thursday in Charlotte, the lawmakers said they want the two states to study the issue together and suggest reforms.

N.C. wetlands area could receive state protection (AP reports) -- Do the thousands of drivers who zip down N.C. 191 through Bent Creek each day know they are passing through one of the rarest habitats in the state, and possibly the country?

Dismal Swamp Canal to be closed to traffic for about 90 days (WRAL-TV reports) -- The Dismal Swamp Canal on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway between N.C. and Virginia will be closed to traffic for about 90 days for maintenance. The locks at South Mills and at Deep Creek in Virginia have temporarily discontinued operations while the work is being completed. Canal gates on the waterway are removed and restored every 15 to 20 years, said Joel Scussel, a project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Norfolk, Virginia. The South Mills gates were last rehabilitated in 2002.

N Carolina county adds historical markers for black heroes (AP reports) == Wilson County plans to add four new historical markers this year to commemorate African-American heroes, including a 1946 effort to organize tobacco workers.

WCPSS celebrates 50-year educator​​​​​​​ (WRAL-TV reports) -- For the past 13 years, Sherry Schliesser has served as the principal of Kingswood Montessori Magnet Elementary in Cary.

Greensboro philanthropist Sally S. Cone, longtime advocate of women's rights, dies at 87 (Greensboro News & Record reports) -- Sally S. Cone, an outspoken activist for women's issues and longtime local philanthropist, died Friday. She was 87. Sally Cone long advocated for women's rights to reproductive choice, both locally as onetime president of Planned Parenthood of the Triad and at the national level of Republican politics. She also spoke out about the lack of gender equity in education and put her voice and money behind UNCG's Women's Studies program.

Singer-songwriter David Olney apologized, closed his eyes, dropped his head and died onstage (Washington Post reports) -- Singer-songwriter David Olney, 71, died while performing on Saturday — apologizing, closing his eyes and not opening them again. During his second show of the day at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., Olney became still and appeared to be pausing, Variety reported.Olney is “widely regarded as a founding father of Americana,” according to Nashville Scene. He became embedded in Nashville’s music world when he moved there in 1973 after briefly studying English at UNC-Chapel Hill, his biography says.

Revered former UNC star Danny Talbott dies after 9-year battle with cancer (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Danny Talbott, one of the most revered athletes in UNC history, died Sunday morning at his home in Rocky Mount. He was 75. Talbott, who is in the NC Sports Hall of Fame, was a three-sport athlete at UNC. He played baseball and football there from 1963 to 1967, and basketball for a couple of months on the freshman team under Dean Smith. The former quarterback won ACC Player of the Year in football in 1965. His No. 10 jersey is framed at Kenan Stadium.

Winston-Salem musician lands on Barack Obama's playlist (/AP reports) -- Several months ago, Winston-Salem-native Sonny Miles recorded "Raleighwood Hills" with his friends LesTheGenius and Jaxson Free, and did what modern musicians do today -- got it placed on a curated Spotify playlist, posted it on YouTube and hoped for the best.

WWII newsletters, newspapers now available online in NC (AP reports) -- N.C.'s online archival military collection now includes installation camp newsletters and newspapers that contain little-known information about life in the state during World War II.

JCPenney in North Hills closing in April (WRAL-TV reports) -- The JCPenney store in North Hills is closing in April according to an e-mail sent to customers on January 17. As stated in an earlier article on the closing, the store has been there for more than 50 years.