VOLUME 2 ISSUE 15
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www.NSJONLINE.com | wednesday, April 19, 2017
Inside The NCAA is back in North Carolina. Sports
madeline gray | North State Journal
The Air Hike Ropes Course is one of many new attractions open at the North Carolina Zoo.
the mid-week
News BRIEFing Police: Suspect in Facebook video murder case kills self Erie, Pa. The man who police said posted a video of himself on Facebook killing an elderly man shot and killed himself after a “brief pursuit” by Pennsylvania State Police officers on Tuesday. Steve Stephens was accused of shooting Robert Godwin Sr., 74, on a Cleveland sidewalk on Sunday before fleeing in a car and uploading a video of the murder to Facebook, becoming the subject of a nationwide manhunt. Police said on Tuesday they had more than 400 tips from the public in attempting to locate the 37-year-old Stephens, who worked as a case manager with troubled youths and young adults in Pepper Pike, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb.
BoA’s wealth revenue surges on assets under management, fees New York Bank of America’s wealth business reported revenue climbed 3 percent to $4.6 billion in the first quarter this year from last year on higher client assets under management and fees, Bank of America Chief Financial Officer Paul Donofrio said Tuesday. The results come amid the backdrop of the bank’s decision to break from its wealth management peers and wind down its commissionsbased retirement business and the departure of 145 financial advisers from Merrill Lynch’s “thundering herd.” The firm was committed to ending its IRA accounts last year in preparation for the U.S. Labor Department’s fiduciary rule that takes effect on June 9 and requires firms to eliminate potential conflicts of interest for advisers managing client’s retirement accounts.
NORTH
STATE
JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION
To veto, or not to veto That is the question for Gov. Roy Cooper as he weighs options on two bills he has criticized as Republican power grabs By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — In an otherwise slow start to the legislative week — state lawmakers took an extended break over the Easter holiday, returning Wednesday — two bills sit on the desk of Gov. Roy Cooper present a tricky problem of political calculus. Cooper has criticized both House Bill 239 and Senate Bill 68 as politically motivated power grabs by the Republican dominated General Assembly, but he may be considering if vetoes of the bills are the best use of his political capital when accounting for the likelihood of veto-overrides. “This is going to be one of the ongoing calculations that Roy Cooper is going to have to make between now and the next legislative elections,” predicted Mitch Kokai, senior political analyst for the John Locke Foundation. “And that is: How often do I use the veto stamp with the strong likelihood that the veto would be overridden, versus how many times do I let something go into law with out my signature and issue some strongly worded statement of being against it, and how many times do I try to work with the General Assembly and come up with some sort of fix or alternative that might be more amenable.”
H.B. 239
gradually reduces the N.C. Court of Appeals to 12 judges from the current 15. Three appellate court judges are expected to retire within the next few years.
S.B. 68
expands the State Board of Elections from five to eight members, all appointed by the governor, but evenly divided among Republicans and Democrats.
See NCGA, page A3
Jones & Blount Page 5 eamon queeney | North State Journal
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By Mollie Young North State Journal ASHEBORO — Climb aboard the open-air Dino Bus, balance 12 feet above the ground on the Air Hike ropes course, or cruise the lake on Dragonfly paddle boats and you’ll know that new things are happening at the North Carolina Zoo, but big plans for the future and an exciting new hire could mean Walt Disney-style magic might touchdown in our own backyards. The zoo currently has two major subregions, North America and Africa, that highlight each continent’s native species and cultures. In her first visit to the zoo since being appointed secretary of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Susi Hamilton outlined the $25 million vision that will expand the park to include subregions Australia and Asia. Patrons will also say goodbye to the old Pavilion to resurrect a new home for the hamadryas baboons. The 500-acre zoo certainly has the space to cover the expansion, while funding is afforded by the bond referendum that passed in March 2016, spearheaded by then-Gov. Pat McCrory. The Asheboro renovations draw similarities to the layout and vision of Walt Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and with the hire of Gary Buchanan, a 19-year Disney veteran, the world’s largest zoo might be able to tap into some of that magic and innovation. Buchanan, the new manager of Public Relations and Media, worked in Disney’s theme park division in Orlando, leading marketing and public relations projects for Disney World as well as satellite parks in
Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to the press after announcing a 410-job expansion by Corning Optical Communications in the old House Chamber of the North Carolina State Capitol building in Raleigh.
“One thing I love seeing is that they are focused on the guest here, and that’s something Disney teaches everyone.” Gary Buchanan, NC Zoo
See zoo, page A2
British Prime Minister May calls for early election to strengthen Brexit hand Reuters
Expanded coverage of the North Carolina political scene
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Plans for Australia and Asia subregions, more guest-friendly activities part of plan to increase interest and attendance
Polls show Conservative Party with 20-point lead
INSIDE
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Disney-inspired magic in store for NC Zoo
LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May called on Tuesday for an early election on June 8, saying she needed to strengthen her hand in divorce talks with the European Union by shoring up support for her Brexit plan. Standing outside her Downing Street office, May said she had been reluctant about asking parliament to back her move to bring forward the election from 2020, but decided it was necessary to win support for her ruling Conservative Party’s efforts to press ahead with Britain’s departure from the EU. Some were surprised by her move — she has repeatedly said she
does not want to be distracted by time-consuming campaigning — but opinion polls give her a strong lead, the economy is weathering the Brexit vote and she has faced opposition from her own party for some of her domestic reforms. The pound rose to a two-and-ahalf-month high against the U.S. dollar after the announcement, but Britain’s main share index fell to its lowest point in more than seven weeks. “It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond,” May said. “Every vote for the Conservatives will make it harder for opposition politicians who want to stop See brexit, page A8