Foxx Wins Congressional Debate

Ashe County, NC — Today Congresswoman Virginia Foxx debated her opponent at a public forum in Ashe County. In the debate, Foxx highlighted her fiscal conservatism and her vision to get North Carolina back to work. She also exposed her opponent’s extremely liberal views on taxes, government spending, and health care.

Voters know that there is just one proven conservative in this race—and that’s Virginia Foxx. Today’s debate illustrated that Virginia embraces common sense conservative ideas like reducing government spending, keeping taxes low and slashing job-killing federal red tape.

But the debate also exposed how out of step her opponent, Billy Kennedy, is with North Carolina voters. He supports big government programs like the trillion dollar health care bill, a job-killing energy tax and the failed stimulus program.

The choice this election is between strong conservative values or Washington’s failed liberal policies. Unfortunately Virginia’s liberal opponent would be a rubber stamp for big-government policies that mean more government, more debt and less freedom. In fact, Kennedy can’t stop talking about all the new spending he supports. North Carolina simply cannot afford to send big spenders like Kennedy to Washington.

Virginia is working to keep America the land of the free and a country of opportunity for everyone. And she isn’t afraid to take on the liberals who run Washington. As today’s debate made clear, Virginia Foxx is a conservative voice that North Carolina families and small businesses can depend on.

Read more: Jefferson Post – Foxx Kennedy to square off in forum
Turnout is expected to be heavy for tonight’s forum with U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and her Democratic challenger Billy Kennedy, both from Watauga County. The forum takes place at Ashe Civic Center in West Jefferson beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the New River Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the 90-minute forum is open to the public and will be moderated by three panelists: Lonnie Adamson, editor and general manager of the Jefferson Post, Ron Fitzwater, editor of the Ashe Mountain Times, and Scott Nicholson, senior political writer for the Watauga Democrat. Questions were invited to be sent in by the public.

The forum is expected to be broadcast live on radio station WMMY ‘My Country’ ‘Highway’ 106.1 FM broadcasting from Boone and serving the counties of Watauga, Ashe, Avery, Alleghany, Wilkes, Catawba and Caldwell.

Foxx was reelected to her third term to represent North Carolina’s Fifth District in the United States House of Representatives in November 2008. Prior to serving in Congress, Foxx spent 10 years in the North Carolina Senate. Virginia is married to Tom Foxx. Prior to her entering Congress, the couple owned a nursery business in Watauga County.

Kennedy is the host of WATA-AM’s call-in show, “Watauga Talks.” He’s also the son of a minister, and later mayor of Black Mountain, NC; a farmer; a father; a carpenter; and is active in community service. Billy is married to Becka Saunders. They have three children and one son-in-law.

WASHINGTON — In U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, North Carolinians have a lawmaker who looks the part of a moderate businessman, works like a policy wonk and votes sharply conservative.

“No one can get to the right of me,” Burr told reporters when he announced his re-election campaign.

And in the Senate, few have. Burr has high rankings from the American Conservative Union, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Rifle Association. National Journal ranks him the 9th most conservative member of the Senate.

He has consistently voted to keep marriage between a man and a woman, to restrict abortion access, to strengthen gun rights and to increase spending on national defense. He opposes the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the military, and he voted against the expansion of a children’s health insurance program.

He voted with the Republican leadership 94 percent of the time during the current Congress.

“He’s essentially an across-the-board conservative on economic issues, on foreign policy issues and on social issues,” said John Dinan, a political scientist at Wake Forest University in Burr’s hometown of Winston-Salem.

Burr, who faces Democratic Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Libertarian Michael Beitler in November, has broken with his party on some significant votes, though. Burr aligned himself with Democrats in a stem cell debate in 2006, voting in favor of allowing research on embryonic stem cells that otherwise would have been destroyed.

Burr opposed a $120 billion war-spending bill in 2007 as one of a handful of senators voting “no.” The bill laid out a series of benchmarks for continuing reconstruction aid to Iraq, and it included money for domestic programs such as hurricane relief efforts and pandemic flu protection.

‘A stealth politician’

In the committee rooms of Capitol Hill, Burr carries the reputation of a policy wonk. He has rarely written major legislation or taken a leadership role on controversial issues.

“From the time he’s been in Congress, he’s been a stealth politician. He just stays under the radar,” said Gary Pearce, a Democratic strategist who once advised Burr’s predecessor, John Edwards. But while supporters call Burr a “workhorse,” Pearce says that keep-his-head-down approach means Burr hasn’t done much.

“Can you point to one thing that you could say is a Richard Burr accomplishment?” Pearce asked.

Burr declined to be interviewed for this story. But his backers say there are many issues that Burr has taken on successfully. And a review of his record shows that he’s worked to shape policy on a variety of matters, albeit usually in a behind-the-scenes way.

“He’s very pro-business, and he’s been very supportive on all kinds of issues,” said Bob Morgan, president and chief executive officer of the Charlotte Chamber. Morgan calls Burr a leader in the areas of tax policy, labor law and energy.

Burr’s record

Burr came to the U.S. Senate in 2005 after a decade in the House, and he stuck with many of the same issues he had tackled on the other side of the Capitol.

Among these were issues focused on health care. Burr, along with Democratic U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, helped create a new agency in 2006 focused on preparedness against bioterrorist attacks and pandemic diseases. The bill would help streamline funding to private and university pharmaceutical research – much of it taking place in North Carolina.

In 2005, the so-called Burr Amendment overturned a 13-year-old policy to ban exports of weapons-grade uranium unless recipients agreed to begin converting their nuclear reactors to less-dangerous kinds of uranium. Burr said the uranium was needed for the continued production of medical isotopes to conduct research.

The Democrats took over the Senate in 2007, and Burr has occasionally offered his own legislation as an alternative.

He introduced his own health care legislation three years ago. It would have given Americans their own stipends to spend on health insurance and choose their own coverage. Much of the legislation became part of U.S. Sen. John McCain’s health platform during his presidential run, and Burr re-introduced the bill in 2009.

Despite Burr’s low-key demeanor, he gained national attention in 2009 when he pledged a gloves-off battle to defend Winston-Salem-based R.J. Reynolds and other N.C. tobacco companies against a major regulation overhaul. Working largely alone, he held up Senate floor matters for nearly two weeks before giving up his filibuster attempt. The bill eventually became law.

The health law

This past spring, Burr became a poster child for Senate gridlock when he blocked an Armed Services hearing that was to be attended by generals who had flown in from Hawaii and Korea. He invoked an obscure parliamentary rule on behalf of his party during a fight with Democrats over the health care law.

Burr voted against the health care overhaul, and he told supporters this year that he would make repealing the law a central plank in his re-election platform.

But in an interview this past summer on the cable-access show of Republican U.S. Rep. Walter Jones of Farmville, Burr told Jones that repeal wouldn’t be possible. Instead, he said, he and other opponents should work to take away funding for the law’s implementation.

The health care overhaul was a galvanizing force for conservatives across the nation in the past year. And yet there were just token rumbles of opposition to Burr in the GOP primary this past spring.

“I think that when people learn about his voting record, they’re probably pleasantly surprised that he actually votes as conservatively as he does,” said Dallas Woodhouse, president of the N.C. chapter of Americans for Prosperity, which has organized many of the tea party forces in the state.

Not all observers consider Burr pure in his anti-spending role.

He pledged in 2009 not to accept any more earmarks, those taxpayer-funded programs that lawmakers steer to their districts. Still, he said he would continue pushing for multiyear programs that had already begun, such as local transportation projects. For the current fiscal year, Burr’s name is among those sponsors of earmarks totaling $105 million, according to Citizens Against Government Waste’s annual “Pig Book.”

“He does make some big mistakes every once in a while,” said Andy Roth, vice president of government affairs for Club for Growth, a pro-business organization that has pushed tea party candidates. “He supported [the Troubled Asset Relief Program], he supported the highway bill, which was infested with earmarks, and he supported the farm bill.”

All were sweeping pieces of legislation that saw the federal government spend billions of dollars to shore up failing banks, build transportation infrastructure and continue subsidies for farms.

“He’s very bad on trade; he has a very strong protectionist streak,” Roth said.

Burr has said he’ll do what he can to protect North Carolina’s manufacturing industries, including textiles.

He supported the Central American Free Trade Agreement in 2005, after initially saying he would oppose it, because he said it included provisions to protect textiles. Roth called that one of Burr’s good votes.

The party line

Nearly all Burr’s votes on major issues fall in line with the Senate Republican leadership.

Burr voted against the stimulus bill in 2009, saying it cost way too much money. But since then, he has twice appeared at events in the state celebrating projects funded by the stimulus bill – drawing accusations of hypocrisy from the Democratic party.

This year, he opposed extensions of unemployment benefits, telling one media outlet that he worried the federal assistance would discourage job-seekers from finding work.

Burr serves on a variety of Senate committees. On the Select Committee on Intelligence, he listens in closed-door meetings about national security matters. He voted in 2007 to give the federal government expanded powers to eavesdrop on foreign suspects without a court order.

As the top Republican on the Veterans’ Affairs committee, Burr has taken an active role in advocating on behalf of military families who believe they were harmed by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune decades ago.

Last winter, he blocked two of Obama’s top Navy nominees until the military agreed to spend $1.5 million for a mortality study. He introduced legislation to help veterans and their family members get health care for diseases associated with the toxic water, though the bill has not moved forward.

Burr also helped write a law that allows the federal government to train and pay family caregivers of severely injured vets.

Burr also serves on – and could become the next chairman of – the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, a major panel that would shape any climate control overhaul that could come out of the Senate.

Burr co-wrote legislation this year that would offer federal subsidies for some renewable energy projects and for new nuclear energy plants, a boon for Charlotte-based Duke Energy.

Carter Wrenn, a Republican strategist who once advised Sen. Jesse Helms, said voters could expect to see Burr focused on the legislation rather than TV cameras.

“There are different kinds of senators,” Wrenn said. “He’s sort of a work-a-day senator.”

Charles Prysby, a political scientist at UNC-Greensboro, agreed.

“I think he’s just been voting along with all his Republican colleagues,” Prysby said.

bbarrett@mcclatchydc.com or 202-383-0012

The flags that fly at the Veterans Memorial in King’s Central Park flutter in the late summer breeze. But one flag that has stood there since the Memorial was presented to the public in 2004 is conspicuously missing—the Christian flag.

After voting at their August meeting to leave the Christian flag in place at the Memorial, the King City Council voted at a special meeting last week to remove the flag. The Aug. 1 vote to leave the flag up was unanimous; the Sept. 15 vote to take it down was not. Council member Wesley Carter was the lone dissenting vote.

“I felt that it is our religious right and the religious freedom that we are granted by the Constitution to fly that flag,” Carter stated. “Our nation was founded on Christian principles, and this flag represents those principles.”

Carter, a veteran himself, insists that it wasn’t the fact that the flag was removed from a veterans’ memorial that influenced his vote. For him, it went deeper. “This is our religious freedom at stake here,” he declared.

“We were faced with an ethical dilemma that challenged our role as city leaders as well as our personal faith,” noted Council member Terri Fowler. “It was a hard decision not taken lightly. . .Leaving the Christian flag flying with not enough money on hand for fines and fees associated with the potential lawsuit would have the potential for financially crippling the City of King.”

Before 24 hours had passed after the vote, the flag was gone from the Memorial.

“After the Council approved the recommendation of the City Attorney to remove the Christian flag,” explained King City Manager John Cater, “I directed Ricky Lewis, Public Works Director, to remove the flag and bring it to me – which he did on Thursday morning.”

The sequence of events that led to the Council’s decision began when the City received an anonymous complaint via phone in July 2010. The caller felt that the Christian flag flying at the City’s Veterans Memorial went against the definition that many use to argue constitutional separation of church and state.

Cater tells how the City was also dealing with an inquiry from the American Civil Liberties Union about the issue. According to the city manager, the ACLU, as well as Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, suggested that “the Christian flag flying over the Veterans Memorial at Central Park violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”

The City Attorney advised the Council to take down the flag, using money as a rationale. “He cited the enormous cost associated with fighting a potential lawsuit on the issue,” noted Cater.

Council member Charles Allen verified that his vote to take down the flag stemmed from the “possible financial impact to city coffers.”

Allen continued: “I was absolutely, teetotally reluctant to do it. I feel that I voted with my head and not my heart.” He said that if the finances become available, this might not be the end of the flag issue, although he notes that the Council would get additional legal counsel before making any more decisions.

Mayor Jack Warren said that a possible five-cent property tax increase might’ve been necessary for the estimated $300,000 needed if the City of King had to go up against the ACLU and other such organizations in a legal battle.

Carter commented, “I agree with the idea that the cost would be a great burden, but I felt like it was a fight worth fighting.”

Warren spoke out on the Council vote: “I support their decision. . . .It broke their heart to do it. In their heart, they wanted to leave that flag up, and myself also.” Warren feels that now the Council will have time to look at other possibilities, “possibly explore other options.”

The Council discussed the issue in closed session at the special meeting on Sept. 15. When they reconvened their meeting in open session, they voted 3-1 in favor of following the City Attorney’s advice to remove the flag.

An uproar immediately followed the announcement of the decision. Residents from all over King and Stokes County began posting comments on Facebook, with many Facebook users posting Christian flags on their profile page to signify their disapproval of the Council’s decision.

Calls poured into King City Hall, say employees there. The Stokes News began receiving inquiries and letters to the editor. Local television stations picked up the story, as well as some national watchdog websites.

Although the majority of the response condemned the Council’s decision, there were those who responded with approval.

WXII reported that some of the disapproving citizens are making plans to raise money to fight a possible legal battle brought on by the ACLU. Informal gatherings for discussion and strategizing are planned at the Veterans Memorial every Monday night at 7 p.m., leading up to a more organized rally scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 23.

The anonymous caller who first raised the flag issue has spoken with area television stations but fears that if he reveals his identity, he might be punished in some way by citizens, says WXII. This man is a veteran himself, having fought for the U.S. in Afghanistan. His controversy with the Christian flag at the Memorial stems from his belief that no one should impose their religious beliefs on him; he claims that he is no longer a Christian.

Meanwhile, Mayor Warren talks about the strain the City of King is under now. “I’ve lost sleep over it, I’ve cried over it, I’ve prayed over it,” he says in a solemn voice.

Then his tone becomes more optimistic and determined. “We don’t have a final solution on what we’re gonna do,” Warren declared fervently. “But we’re gonna hang in there!”

Read more: The Stokes News – King City Council votes to remove Christian flag The vote was not unanimous

SurveyUSA polled 582 likely voters statewide Friday through Monday and found that, if the election were held now, Burr would garner 58 percent of the vote to Marshall’s 34 percent. Only 2 percent of respondents were undecided.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

Two months ago, Burr held a 46 to 36 percent lead in a similar poll.

In the latest poll, which comes one month before one-stop early voting begins, Burr has erased the gender gap by beating Marshall among both male and female voters. Marshall had previously held a slight edge among women, but Burr now leads that group by 51 to 42 percent.

Burr also holds substantial leads among all age groups and income and education levels among voters, as well as in the Charlotte, Greensboro and eastern North Carolina areas. The Triangle remains a dead heat between the candidates.

He has a favorable image among 36 percent of the 862 registered voters polled, while 26 percent said they had an unfavorable opinion of him and 30 percent were neutral. Twenty-seven percent of respondents have a favorable opinion of Marshall, with another 25 percent unfavorable and 36 percent neutral.

Burr has been able to deflect the sour mood of voters toward Congress. Seventy-four percent of those polled said they disapprove of the job their representatives and senators are doing on Capitol Hill. Fifteen percent said they approve of the job Congress is doing.

David McLennan, a political science professor at Peace College in Raleigh, said Burr has benefited from a conservative voting record that prevented a Tea Party challenger from running against him.

“He’s been able to avoid what other Republican senators around the country have had to deal with, which is an attack from the right as well as an attack from the left,” McLennan said.

Unlike Burr, Marshall hasn’t run any television ads so far in the campaign, which McLennan said makes it difficult for her to get her message out across the state.

“The three debates are going to be critical for her to kind of knock down Burr and make some headway with voters,” he said.

A majority of those polled – 52 percent – gave President Barack Obama an unfavorable rating, compared with 35 percent who said they view him favorably. Gov. Beverly Perdue had a slightly lower unfavorable rating at 49 percent, but only 21 percent of respondents said they have a favorable opinion of her.

The economy is by far the most pressing issue in the minds of voters, according to the poll. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said it’s the most important issue facing the U.S., and immigration and health care tied for a distant second place at 6 percent each.

Sixty-three percent of those polled said they believe the country is on the wrong track, compared with 28 percent who said the U.S. is headed in the right direction. Blacks were the most optimistic group, according to the poll, with 61 percent saying the country is doing fine. Meanwhile, 94 percent of respondents who said they support the Tea Party movement said the nation is off track.

On the state level, 28 percent of those polled said the North Carolina economy would be stronger a year from now, and 30 percent said it would be weaker. Thirty-six percent said the state economy would remain about the same as it is now.

Reporter: David Crabtree
Web Editor: Matthew Burns
Copyright 2010 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s three centrist Democrats scored in single digits on new congressional rankings that judge how well lawmakers protected taxpayers’ interests in 2009.

U.S. Reps. Heath Shuler, D-11th, and Mike McIntyre, D-7th, scored 8 percent and 5 percent, respectively, in the rankings by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, a conservative group based in Washington, D.C. Shuler and McIntyre are members of the Blue Dog Coalition, an alliance of House Democrats who claim to be “independent voices for fiscal responsibility and accountability.”

Rep. Larry Kissell, a Democrat representing the 8th Congressional District, isn’t a member of the coalition but has parted company with party leaders several times during his year-and-a-half in the House. He garnered 5 percent on the scorecard.

In contrast, the group named four Tar Heel Republicans “taxpayer heroes,” meaning they scored 80 percent or above: Reps. Virginia Foxx, R-5th (99 percent); Patrick McHenry, R-10th (99 percent); Sue Myrick, R-9th (95 percent); and Howard Coble, R-6th (89 percent).

The rankings scored 120 votes in the House and 74 votes in the Senate. Lawmakers faced a bevy of tough votes in the congressional term, due to quick action on President Barack Obama’s agenda.

North Carolina’s U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican, scored 92 percent, compared to 8 percent for Sen. Kay Hagan, a Democrat.

Rep. Walter B. Jones of the 3rd Congressional District was the lowest scoring Republican at 51 percent. Reps. David Price, D-4th; G.K. Butterfield, D-1st; Bob Etheridge, D-2nd; Mel Watt, D-12th; and Brad Miller, D-13th, scored zero percent.

Nationwide, seven lawmakers (none from North Carolina) earned the distinction of “taxpayer super hero,” with a grade of 100 percent.

“While far too many members of Congress on both sides of the Capitol demonstrated little regard for the consequences of failing to reduce the record $1.4 trillion deficit and the $13 trillion debt, the taxpayer heroes and super heroes give taxpayers hope for the future,” said CCAGW president Tom Schatz in a statement.

David N. Bass is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.

http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=6736

By Sarah Morayati-JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: August 9, 2010

More surviving spouses of veterans will be available for Veteran’s Affairs home loans under a bill now making its way through Congress.

The Disabled Veterans’ Surviving Spouses Home Loans Act, was introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., to fix what she describes as a loophole in veterans’ benefits.

VA loans are intended to help veterans or active-duty personnel buy and maintain homes. They can currently be granted to surviving spouses only if the service member’s death is determined to be directly connected to service disability.

But Foxx said service-related disabilities can often be factors contributing to deaths, even if doctors don’t directly attribute them as the cause.

“I’ve always said that we will have no problems with having a volunteer military as long as we treat our veterans right,” Foxx said. “Surviving spouses of veterans whose deaths are not attributed to their service-related disability are eligible for everything but this VA home loan guarantee.”

Foxx learned of the issue from a constituent who contacted her on behalf of Elnita Simmons, 50, of Raeford.

Simmons’ husband, Herbert, died in 2008 at age 49. A soldier in the U.S. Army, Herbert was in a practice field when a grenade exploded in his eye in an accident. He became blind in that eye and was no longer eligible to serve.

Simmons said she applied for a VA loan last year, but her application was rejected because Herbert’s death was not said to be a direct result of his disability.

She applied again after talking with someone at VA, but was again turned down.

She said her house, where she has lived for more than 10 years, needs significant work; there are several leaks and the floor in her bedroom closet is starting to give. But on her substitute-teacher’s salary, she said, her bills are mounting too much to get them fixed on her own.

“Everything just needs to be repaired,” Simmons said.

Foxx’s bill has been endorsed by the Disabled American Veterans and American Legion, among other groups. Foxx said the bill has not run into significant opposition in the legislature.

“The only real concern is time. That’s always a problem,” she said.

The House has until September for bills to be heard. If the bill is not passed this year, Foxx said she planned to re-introduce it.

Simmons said that the new bill would help a lot of military widows like her.

“It’s hard for us. We’re trying to get things done,” Simmons said. “I’m just happy that someone wants to change the law to help us.”

smorayati@wsjournal.com

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/aug/09/spouses-of-vets-may-get-more-aid/

“Bernie” is a best-selling author of books such as “Bias,” and “A Slobbering Love Affair,” both revealing the bias in much of today’s media. He has won Emmy’s for his work as a reporter for both CBS and HBO. He has become a familiar face to us as an analyst for Fox News and as a weekly guest on “The O’Reilly Factor.”

There will be a book signing and silent auction at 5:00 PM(bring your favorite Goldberg book). Seating for dinner will begin at 6:15 PM. The event is $100 per person. Seating is limited, so contact me if you would like to attend! You will not want to miss this very special event.

Contact Tommy Adams @ 828.719.0738 or tpa.adams2@gmail.com

By Rick Henderson

RALEIGH — The U.S. House of Representatives last week defeated a measure that would have prevented additional funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to pay for highway signs touting projects the so-called stimulus act has underwritten.

The five Republicans in North Carolina’s congressional delegation voted to defund spending on the signs. All eight Tar Heel State Democrats — including self-described moderate Reps. Bob Etheridge (2nd), Mike McIntyre (7th), Larry Kissell (8th), and Heath Shuler (11th) — voted to continue using tax dollars on the signs.

http://www.carolinajournal.com/articles/display_story.html?id=6633

By David N. Bass
May 17, 2010

RALEIGH — A Washington-based group advocating limited government has ranked North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx and Sen. Richard Burr, both Republicans, in its top tier of fiscally conservative lawmakers in 2009.

The Club for Growth’s latest congressional scorecard, released Monday, gave perfect marks to nine representatives and six senators on issues such as tax reform, free trade, and deregulation. Foxx garnered 100 percent on the report and Burr 96 percent.

It’s the second time in as many years that Foxx, who hails from the strongly Republican 5th Congressional District, has earned a perfect ranking from the group. Burr’s counterpart, Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan, earned 6 percent on the scorecard.

Reps. Mike McIntyre, D-7th (35 percent); Larry Kissell, D-8th (31 percent); and Heath Shuler, D-11th (27 percent) were the highest ranking Democrats. All three lawmakers voted against the Obama administration’s health care reform package passed by Congress in March.

Rep. Brad Miller, D-13th, scored the lowest in the Tar Heel delegation at zero percent, followed by Mel Watt, D-12th, and David Price, D-4th, at 4 percent each.

Another report released a month ago by Citizens Against Government Waste found that the delegation reduced its share of pork barrel spending by 21 percent compared with 2009.

The Tar Heel State ranked 43rd nationally in earmarks, spending $144,384,900. Coming in at No. 1 was Hawaii, followed by North Dakota, West Virginia, and Alaska.

Price secured $208,000 for “beaver management” expenses in the state. Price also teamed up with Rep. Bob Etheridge, D-2nd, to nail down $349,000 to study “swine and other animal waste management.”

David N. Bass is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.

http://www.carolinajournal.com/articles/display_story.html?id=6426