Six days after the election, Wake County Judge Abe Jones is ousted and upset. “I’ve won elections before, and I’ve lost, but I’ve never had these dirty tactics used against me until now,” Jones says. His opinion of the behind-closed-doors jockeying that led to his election challenge is as unvarnished. “It’s behavior that’s borderline unethical,” […]
Vernal Coleman
Bio: Staff writerTwitter: http://twitter.com/colemantron
Posted inElections
Getting out the Latino vote
A shared database of names and phone numbers, two staffers, computers and a quiet room in which to work: On the overcast morning of Election Day, this is what the voter turnout operation looks like at El Pueblo‘s Raleigh offices. The day’s task is relatively simple, says Executive Director Angeline Echeverria. On this morning, they […]
Posted inElections
GOP learns from its mistakes of 2008: New push in North Carolina
Find your one-stop early-voting location Print our 2012 Take-Along Voting Guide Read more elections coverage and information Barack Obama wasn’t supposed to win North Carolina in 2008. In the seven previous presidential elections, the state’s electoral votes went to the Republican. But on Election Day, he carried the state by 14,000 votes over John McCain, […]
Posted inSports
Instead of their first home game, we look at the Hurricanes’ finances
On paper, the Carolina Hurricanes season is nearly three weeks old. But only on paper. Earlier this month, National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman announced the cancellation of the entire first month of scheduled league play, thanks to the ongoing owner lockoutthe second labor dispute in less than a decadeas they haggle with the players […]
Posted inNews
Durham City Council Legalizes Patio Drinking
As expected, the Durham City Council last night unanimously approved a long-gestating revision to outdoor seating regulations that will allow for the consumption of beer and booze on city sidewalks. The council’s approval comes despite opposition from Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez, who’d expressed concern about the inclusion of private clubs (also read: bars) in […]
Posted inUncategorized
After 751 South, Durham rewriting rules on sewer and water service
Interested? What: Council vote on new water, sewer rules When: Monday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m. Where: Durham City Council Chambers, 101 City Hall Plaza What’s at stake: Developers would have to comply with new requirements if they want city water and sewer service for projects outside the city limits After the last dustup over water […]
Posted inUncategorized
Durham calls for American Tobacco Trail watchers
Citizens trail watch meeting Who: The city is holding a meeting for volunteers and citizen groups that want to participate in a monitoring program for the American Tobacco Trail. When: Wednesday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m. Where: Durham City Hall With recent attacks on the American Tobacco Trail, Durham officials are searching for solutions to the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Greg Hatem and Wells Fargo settle out of court
Eight months after it was filed, a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Raleigh developer Greg Hatem has been settled. A key figure in downtown Raleigh’s renaissance, Hatem, along with four others, was charged with defaulting on a $5.8 million loan issued in 2005. In the months since the suit was filed, Hatem received a city loan […]
Posted inUncategorized
Billboards: New state law could curb cities’ input
The changes might not be noticeable at 65 miles per hour. But if you get close enough to certain billboards in Durham, you can clearly see how recent amendments to the state laws regarding outdoor advertising are affecting the landscape. The portion of the law that most directly affects Durham, which has its own strict […]
Posted inNews
Updated: Durham’s occupancy tax collections are down again
Update: Bob Klaus, general manager of the Durham Performing Arts Center, emailed over the weekend to remind that DPAC has had significant overall impact on the city’s economy. His input has been added below. *Original postFor all of the Durham Performing Arts Center’s success—it ranks No. 1 in the country in ticket sales—there’s one area […]