VOLUME 3 ISSUE 10
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2018
Inside NC players prevalent at NFL Draft, page B1
SHAWN KREST | NORTH STATE JOURNAL
The NC State Belltower can be seen behind a field of poppies erected for the NC State World War I Centennial Memorial Observance on Tuesday, May 1.
the Wednesday
NEWS BRIEFING
Central American ‘caravan’ women and children enter U.S. Tijuana, Mexico Eight women and children from a caravan of hundreds of Central American migrants have sought asylum in the United States after officials allowed them entry from Mexico, fueling hope among others camped outside the border crossing. The group of 1,500 people started March 25 recruited by an open borders advocacy group to challenge U.S. immigration policy. It dwindled to less than 400 by the time it reached Mexico and then 100 at the U.S. border. The department of homeland security warned them that asylum for most would be difficult and they may be detained.
Poll shows Democrats losing ground with millennials Washington, D.C. Enthusiasm for the Democratic Party is waning among millennials as its candidates head into the crucial midterm congressional elections, according to the Reuters/ Ipsos national opinion poll. The online survey of more than 16,000 registered voters ages 18 to 34 shows their support for Democrats over Republicans for Congress slipped by about 9 percentage points over the past two years, to 46 percent overall. And they increasingly say the Republican Party is a better steward of the economy.
Horse owners advised to vaccinate Raleigh Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is encouraging horse owners to have their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus. EEE is fatal 90 percent of the time in horses and WNV has a fatality rate of 30 percent. There were six recorded cases of EEE in horses in North Carolina in 2017, but officials say that the mild winter could cause that number to go up this year, The combination vaccination initially requires multiple injections for horses, mules and donkeys. Meckes recommends a booster shot every six months.
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STATE
JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION
Smithfield will appeal $50M verdict By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH — A North Carolina jury awarded $50 million to 10 neighbors of a hog farm in eastern N.C. who claimed that the smell of the farm and the noise from its trucks amounted to a nuisance in their community. N.C.-based Murphy-Brown Farms and parent company Smithfield Foods say they will appeal the verdict. “I am very disappointed in the verdict and believe it will harm our hardworking farm families who produce food for the state, nation and world,” said N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. Lawyers for the defendants say it sets a dangerous precedent; the farms were never found to be in violation of their permits, prompting speculation that similar lawsuits can crop up against businesses even if they are operating within the law. “These lawsuits are an outrageous attack on animal agriculture, rural North Carolina and thousands of independent family farmers who own and operate contract farms,” said Keira Lombardo, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Smithfield Foods in a statement. “These farmers are apparently not safe from attack even if they fully comply with all federal, state and local laws and regulations. The lawsuits are a serious threat to a major industry, to North Carolina’s entire economy and to the jobs and livelihoods of tens of thousands of North Carolinians.” Neighbors told the jury that the smell from the 1,500-hog farm was so strong it permeated their neighborhood. They argued that the farm’s lagoon system for storing waste, while legal, are an outdated method of containing runoff and contributed to the problem. “We are pleased with the verdict. These cases are about North Carolina family property rights and a clean environment,” said See PORK, page A2
“Our farmers care deeply about the communities where they live and work. They remain committed to being good neighbors and addressing concerns that are brought to their attention.” — Andy Curlis, N.C. Pork Council
Fighter jets and poppies honor WWI Wolfpackers As the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1 approaches, N.C. State remembers its alumni and students who served in the Great War By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH — On Tuesday afternoon, F-15 jets from the 335th fighter squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro roared over the NC State University Memorial Belltower. The display, along with a 21-gun salute, were part of a moving ceremony
commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I and those students and alumni who died serving in it. “I taught Army ROTC here, back in the ’90s, and we used to have ceremonies here and now, to be able to be here on the 100th anniversary of the ending of the war is very special,” said Si Harrington, who donned a historic World War I uniform in 80 degrees on Tuesday to present the colors during the ceremony. The observance was held on the steps of Memorial Belltower, where the names of 34 Wolfpackers who died in WWI are engraved See WWI, page A2
NC’s primary races enter the final week By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH — Primary candidates are making their last push this week ahead of the May 8 primary election day. In N.C., only voters affiliated with a party can vote in its primary election. However, unaffiliated voters, the state’s fast-growing segment at 30 percent of the electorate, can vote in any primary. Over the last decade, more than 650,000 North Carolinians have registered as unaffiliated, nearly 2,000 voters ahead of the GOP. On the ballot are 50 candidates for U.S. House, including incum-
INSIDE Kids could soon check a wifi hotspot out of public libraries for homework help Jones & Blount
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bents who are working to make their case to voters to send them back to Washington. Republicans are talking tax cuts, while Democrats are focused on the White House. All seats in the N.C. General Assembly are up for re-election as lawmakers work with reshaped district maps. With traditionally low voter turnout for primaries, Republicans and Democrats are heavily invested in getout-the-vote efforts. To find out where to vote early or find your polling place, visit the N.C. State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement at ncsbe.gov or call 1-866-522-4723. For more on the election, see page 2A.