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More than 500 vie for Levine program
Fierce competition is shaping up for the new Levine Scholars Program at UNC Charlotte, with 1,023 nominations for the first 15 four-year scholarships.
The new program, designed to compete with UNC Chapel Hill's Morehead-Cain and N.C. State's Park scholarships, was announced three months ago. Charlotte philanthropists Leon and Sandra Levine donated $9.3 million, to be distributed over the coming decade.
UNCC officials said this week they've gotten nominations from counselors, teachers and principals in 25 states. A little more than half the nominees, or 556 high school seniors, have applied for admission. Those who want to be considered must apply by Tuesday.
Levine Scholars will be awarded tuition, room and board for four years, along with a grant to carry out a community service project they design. The scholarship is valued at $90,000 for in-state students and $137,000 for out-of-staters. The first 15 will be chosen by March 1.
Learn more about the program at levinescholars.uncc.edu. Ann Doss Helms
Meck briefs
Charlotte
Anna Schleunes, an assistant Charlotte city attorney, has won a prestigious fellowship from the German Marshall Fund for 2010.
Schleunes is among only 54 fellows selected nationwide this year and only the third city employee ever to receive the fellowship.
The program is designed to train emerging leaders on the importance of transatlantic relationships. During a 24-day period, fellows will travel to five cities across Europe and meet with local counterparts. Jim Morrill
Autism Services of Mecklenburg County is conducting an online auction until Dec. 9 to support its eight group homes.
Dubbed Holiday Shoppe, it will also help support the agency's vocational training, summer camp and after-school programs. Up for auction are tickets to the Monterey Jazz Festival, pit passes to NASCAR's Sprint Cup All Star Race, and an opportunity to watch a local news telecast.
To participate, visit autismservices.org and follow the links to Holiday Shoppe. Franco Ordoñez
Charlotte area Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Adha on Friday at The Park (formerly the Charlotte Merchandise Mart) on Independence Road.
For Muslims, Eid al-Adha, "the Celebration of Sacrifice," marks the completion of the hajj pilgrimage and commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as a sign of obedience to God. For more information, call 704-258-0304. Franco Ordoñez
Regional briefs
North Carolina Duck
Last week's nor'easter helped deliver a message in a bottle that was tossed into the ocean 24 years ago from New Jersey to North Carolina.
Ocean City, N.J., held a contest in 1985 to reward the vacationer whose bottle traveled the farthest. The message was written by Heidi Kay Werstler of Trembler's Trailer Park in Pennsylvania.
Workers at The Sanderling Resort & Spa on the N.C. Outer Banks found the bottle while cleaning up after last week's storm.
The contest has long since expired. But Ocean City wants to track down Werstler to award her a prize of saltwater taffy. Associated Press
Raleigh
The state of North Carolina has hired a California company to create an archive system designed to manage and retrieve state employee e-mails more easily.
Gov. Bev Perdue said Wednesday the state awarded Mimosa Systems a contract to develop the archive software and maintain it for a year at a cost of $695,000.
Perdue and former Gov. Mike Easley issued executive orders directing the state to buy an archive system so messages won't have to be stored on backup tapes. Easley's executive order was filed partly in response to a public records lawsuit filed against him and his administration.
About 41,000 state workers send and receive 1 million messages a day through an e-mail system provided by the state's information technology office. Associated Press
A report released by an advocacy group shows 18 out of North Carolina's 100 counties have poverty levels above 20 percent.
WRAL reported Wednesday that the N.C. Justice Center released the results of a study revealing a statewide poverty level of 14 percent in 2008.
Robeson County in the southeastern part of the state has the worst poverty levels in North Carolina with 31 percent of residents living in poverty as of last year.
Scotland County came in second at 29 percent, followed by Lenoir County at 26 percent. Associated Press
Cullowhee
An autopsy has found that a football player who died during his first preseason workout at Western Carolina University suffered complications from an enlarged heart.
Ja'Quayvin Smalls died in July, hours after collapsing while running. The junior defensive back from Wando, S.C., had just transferred from Georgia Military College.
The Asheville Citizen-Times reported that an autopsy found that sickle cell trait and exertion contributed to Smalls' cardiac arrest. Sickle cell is an inherited blood disorder made more dangerous during strenuous exercise.
The NCAA recommended just before Smalls' death that all of its member schools test athletes for the sickle cell condition. Western Carolina started testing after Smalls' death. Associated Press
Police digest
Mecklenburg County Charlotte
Police say a man was shot in the face during a home invasion and robbery Tuesday night near the University City area.
It happened about 9:30 p.m. at a residence in the 3700 block of Ottington Place, off Harris Houston Road. That is near Interstate 485, between University City Boulevard and North Tryon Street.
Police say two armed men forced their way into the home and robbed the occupants. During the robbery, one man was shot. The two gunmen ran off.
The victim was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, but he is expected to survive. No arrests have been made. Steve Lyttle
Union County
A Union County motorcyclist was killed Tuesday night in a wreck near the Fairview community, the N.C. Highway Patrol says.
The victim was identified as David Richard Daniel, 61, of Indian Trail.
According to the police report, Daniel was northbound on Machado Drive about 9:30 p.m. when he lost control of his 2008 Suzuki motorcycle, went off the right side of the road and overturned. The wreck happened about one-eighth of a mile south of Brief Road.
Troopers say speed and alcohol were not factors in the wreck. Roads were dry at the time. The police report notes that the wreck happened on a curve in the road. Steve Lyttle
Alexander County
The N.C. Highway Patrol says it has charged a Statesville woman in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident early Tuesday in Alexander County.
Donna Farmer, 34, was arrested Tuesday night after being interviewed by police, the highway patrol said. She was charged in connection with the death of Herman Pittman Jr., 61, of North Wilkesboro.
Pittman was repairing a cable TV line in the overnight hours early Tuesday in southern Alexander County when he was struck by a vehicle. The collision happened between 2 and 3 a.m. on Old Mountain Road, south of Taylorsville.
Troopers say a phoned-in tip led them to interview Farmer. Steve Lyttle
North Carolina Cary
Police say a man rammed his car into a hot dog stand when the vendor refused to sell him a hot dog and drink for a dollar.
WRAL-TV reported that 23-year-old David Kelbaugh of Rolesville was charged Wednesday with assault with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run, driving while intoxicated and injury to property. Police say Kelbaugh was drinking at a bar in Cary early Wednesday when he left to order food at the hot dog stand.
Kelbaugh asked for a hot dog and a drink for one dollar and the vendor told him that wasn't enough money. Police say Kelbaugh yelled at the vendor, got in his car and rammed the hot dog stand twice. The vendor was treated for back injuries. Associated Press
