In the wake of a Government Accountability Office report that found widespread inconsistencies among law enforcement agencies participating in the voluntary immigration enforcement program, 287(g), the Department of Homeland Security today announced a major overhaul of the program. DHS is requiring all local law enforcement agencies to sign a new, universal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), […]
Matt Saldaña
Posted inNews
Lewis Cheek joins law firm suing Durham County
One of Lewis Cheek’s final actions as a Durham County commissioner was to reject an independent survey of Jordan Lake, saying the county should instead “take ownership of the issue” by relying on a private survey commissioned by developer Neal Hunter. “I don’t think we should get into budget ordinances and amendments in order to […]
Posted inNews
Falls Lake beaches close due to high bacteria levels
Wake County has closed two recreational swimming areas at Falls Lake indefinitely due to high levels of disease-causing bacteria. The beaches, Beaverdam and Sandling, are each located on the northern shore of Falls Lake, next to Highway 50, which cuts across Raleigh’s drinking-water source to the east. This is the fourth time this summer that […]
Posted inMusic
Will the real Michael Jackson please stand up?
To carry the name “Michael Jackson” can be a blessing if you’re ordering room service, or a curse if you’re trying to get a low-interest loan. There are at least 13 Michael Jacksons in the Triangle. Of those, the Indy was able to talk with three: One MJ grows cells, another delivers newspapers and a […]
Posted inUncategorized
Developers sue Durham County over Jordan Lake
Developers proposing a massive, mixed-use project near Jordan Lake have sued Durham County for allegedly acting maliciously to “attack” and “undermine” a map change that would benefit the development. After nearly a year of pressuring Durham County to redraw Jordan Lake’s boundaries without regulatory oversight or public review, Southern Durham Development has filed a lawsuit […]
Posted inUncategorized
House committee narrowly approves Racial Justice Act; cost estimates released
By a 7-6 vote, the House Judiciary I Committee approved a “clean” version of the Racial Justice Act (SB 461), which would prevent the execution of defendants who can prove race was an underlying factor in the decision to seek, or impose, the death penalty at the time of their trial. Meanwhile, a rough cost […]
Posted inNews
Haw River Assembly survey says Jordan Lake is ‘6,200 feet upstream’
According to a new survey and hydrologist’s report (PDF, 196 KB) commissioned by the Haw River Assembly, an environmental advocacy group, Jordan Lake’s easternmost point is “approximately 6,200 feet upstream” from the drinking-water source’s present location on official County maps. The survey, which according to a Haw River Assembly press release was paid for by […]
Posted inNews
Durham County attorney retiring–but not because of 751 Assemblage suit
Updated: We’ve added additional quotations from Chuck Kitchen at the end of this post, at 12:57 p.m., and at 1:21p.m. added a reference to Southern Durham Development’s initial filing. After more than 30 years as a law clerk and attorney with Durham and Alamance Counties, Durham County Attorney Chuck Kitchen has announced his retirement, effective […]
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Jordan Lake developers cover all the bases in lawsuit against Durham County
The developers behind a proposed 164-acre mega-development near Jordan Lake have expanded their initial, one-paragraph complaint against Durham County, into a sweeping, 40-page lawsuit (PDF, 1.8 MB) that accuses individual county officials of personal plots to “attack” and “undermine” the project, and charges the county with several constitutional violations (including the “taking of Southern Durham’s […]
Posted inCulture
The night I watched the NBA playoffs with Elliot Williams—and discussed Memphis
According to a Wednesday press release, breakout guard Elliot Williams will be leaving Duke’s basketball team after one season to be closer to his family in Memphis, Tenn., due to family medical reasons. The release notes that Williams plans to appeal the NCAA rule that transfers must sit out one season, and play for a […]