Developments across the Triad and beyond, compiled by Y!W staff
Unemployment rate surges Unemployment rates increased statewide in February, and Piedmont Triad job seekers were not spared the pain of the current recession, according to a report issued by the NC Employment Security Commission on April 1. Winston-Salem’s unemployment rate increased from 9.2 percent to 10.4 percent in February, while Forsyth County’s rate increased from 8.8 percent 10 percent. The Greensboro-High Point area’s unemployment rate increased from 10.6 percent in January to 11.6 percent in February, while Guilford County’s rate increased from 9.9 percent to 11.0 percent. Steve Gupton, assistant manager of the Forsyth County agency, said case managers are beginning to see applicants who have exhausted all their regular benefits, as well as their extension benefits. Last week, the Forsyth agency began distributing a $25 bonus to applicants as part of the economic recovery package passed by Congress. The length of the lines of applicants at the agency has decreased in the past month, but that can be deceiving. Only 30 local employers have signed up for the 2009 Employment Fair to be held at Joel Coliseum on April 14. “In the past, we’ve had 100 employers. This month it started off with 20 employers, now it’s up to 30. That will tell you a lot right there,” Gupton said. “But the good news is there are employers looking for workers.” The unemployment numbers for the area have probably not yet bottomed out. “The trend is the unemployment rate will increase for the next several months,” Gupton said. — KTB
Health secretary: No tolerance for abuses of psychiatric patients
Addressing mental health providers and advocates in Greensboro on April 3, NC Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Lanier Cansler pledged an end to abuses against patients at state run psychiatric hospitals, and said he would be willing to consider granting waivers for local government to administer some programs when private providers are not able to do so. “I did adopt a no-tolerance policy when it comes to abuse and neglect of patients,” he said of Broughton Hospital in Morganton and Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, two staterun psychiatric facilities. “I wanted to send a strong message that we will not condone any abuse and neglect of our patients, and send a strong message that we’re going to focus on quality of care and safety of our patients.” Beginning in 2007, local management entities were forced to privatize mental health services, with mixed results. “The legislation that was passed back in 2001 — the mental health reform legislation — while it calls for the LMEs not to be in the service business, it also allows the secretary to sign a waiver that will allow the LMEs to develop and provide services if no other services are available,” Cansler said. “That waiver is one that has not been used; I don’t know if it’s ever been used. It quite honestly should have been used so we did not have divestment of services prior to other services being available. I am willing to sign this waiver to allow LMEs to provide these services.” He also said he would reverse a plan to transfer children from Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh to Umstead in Butner. “The previous administration was working on ideas of how to close Dorothea Dix, build the new hospital and put the children into the old Umstead Hospital,” the secretary said. “I am evaluating that, and I do not plan to put children in the old hospital; I have other plans which I will announce briefly about how we’re going to deal with that. I’ve decided to utilize the new facility for children and retain some use of Dorothea Dix for some patients there.” — JG
NC House passes smoking ban for restaurants, workplaces
The NC House passed a statewide smoking ban on businesses and restaurants that employ or serve minors by a margin of 72 to 45 on April 2. The bill, a scaled back version of a measure that would have imposed a comprehensive smoking ban in all workplaces, now goes to the Senate for approval. Forsyth County Health Director Tim Monroe said the amendment to the smoking ban that essentially exempts bars is problematic. “That says if you’re over 18, you can’t be expected to be protected from carcinogens,” Monroe said. “I hope there will be opportunities in the Senate to remove that particular amendment. It’s important to understand that there’s no other situation where an employee goes to work, and the employer says, ‘If you go to work here, you’ll be exposed to carcinogens. If you don’t want to be exposed to carcinogens, you shouldn’t work here.” The House delegation from Forsyth County, home to Reynolds American, the second largest cigarette manufacturer in the nation, was divided on the issue. Democrats Earline Parmon and Larry Womble voted in favor of the bill, while Republicans Dale Folwell, Bill McGee and Larry Brown voted against the measure. The bill cites a 2006 US Surgeon General’s report stating there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. The measure exempts fraternal and veterans clubs, but gives local governments the power to implement tighter restrictions on smoking in their communities. — KTB
NC congressional delegation divided on tobacco bill
Congress approved a bill that would give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco products by a vote of 298-112 on April 2. The North Carolina delegation split its votes on the issue. Rep. Brad Miller, the Democrat who represents the 13th Congressional District, voted in favor of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, as did Rep. Mel Watt, the Democrat who represents the 12th Congressional District. Republicans Virginia Foxx, who represents the 5th Congressional District, and Howard Coble, who represents the 6th Congressional District, voted against the bill. Despite his affirmative vote, Miller said he is not comfortable giving the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco. “Tobacco is going to have to be regulated, he said. “I don’t have any doubt about that. But the FDA is not the right agency.” Miller voted for an unsuccessful amendment to the bill that was co-sponsored by Rep. Mike McIntyre, a fellow Democrat who represents Congressional District 7, that would have instead created a Tobacco Harm Reduction Center under the Department of Health and Human Services. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act gives the FDA the authority to approve or disapprove new products and prevent tobacco companies from adding flavors to cigarettes aimed at attracting young smokers. —KTB
Action Greensboro contribution Simkins PAC illegal
The NC Board of Elections determined that the George C. Simkins Jr. Memorial PAC violated state law in accepting a $5,000 contribution from Action Greensboro during the 2008 election. The Simkins PAC, which distributes its endorsements to African- American households, endorsed all four bonds on the ballot in the general election. Action Greensboro also heavily supported the bonds, contributing a total of $64,500 to the Citizens Committee for Greensboro, which handled campaign spending for the four bonds. In contrast to the 2008 general election, the Simkins PAC recommended against all but one bond issue on ballots for voters across Guilford County. “In the course of our investigation, this office contacted the treasurer and other committee officials regarding the contribution from Action Greensboro,” compliance specialist Adam Ragan wrote in an April 1 letter to Keith Brown, the High Point resident whose complaint against the Simkins PAC prompted the investigation. “The committee concluded that the contribution was considered a prohibited receipt and would need to forfeit the contribution to the North Carolina Civil Penalty & Forfeiture Fund. On March 6, 2009 this office received a check from the George C. Simkins Jr. Memorial PAC for $5,000 designated for the North Carolina Civil Penalty & Forfeiture Fund.” The letter was carbon copied to Skip Alston, treasurer for the Simkins PAC. As chairman of the Guilford County Commission, Alston is the county’s highest ranking elected official. — JG
GPD promotions given
The Greensboro Police Department has promoted 14 police officers to the rank of sergeant, and one officer to the rank of lieutenant. JP Lowdermilk, a 16-year veteran with the department, was promoted to lieutenant. New sergeants include SF Barnes, AJ Barwick, CB Isom, SP Gladieux, AH Hollis, DW Knott, TA Long, A. Moos, ME Rakes, CM Schultheis, JW Thompson, AJ Rickett, MG Terry and DC Webb. A police department press release stated that the promotions were “the result of vacancies created over the past 18 months and recommendations from the 2008 Buracker report. — JG
