Jenny Huang

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Britthaven Examines Nursing Failure

By Jenny Huang | January 23

Britthaven Nursing Centers has less than one week to submit a plan of correction in response to an investigative report citing its nurses' failure to follow facility procedures in response to a patient's death. According to the Jan. 14 report released by the N.C. Division of Facility Services, a nursing employee did not know proper procedures to alert the nursing staff when she found Lois M. Edwards, 78, dead in her room Dec. 28 at Britthaven, located at 1716 Legion Road in Chapel Hill.

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Local Scout Troops Plan to Cope With Funding Loss

By Jenny Huang | April 25

Local Boy Scouts officials say Triangle United Way's recent decision to cut funding for local troops will not have a negative impact on their programs. Triangle United Way officials voted Tuesday to cut funds for the Occoneechee Council of the Boy Scouts of America because the group refused to comply with a Triangle United Way policy statement affirming nondiscrimination against gay scouts.

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Council Approves Expansion of Weaver Dairy

By Jenny Huang | April 23

After more than an hour and a half of public comment, the Chapel Hill Town Council approved a resolution 6-3 to expand Weaver Dairy Road into a three-lane road at its meeting Monday night. More than 40 residents, community members and local officials gathered at a public forum before the vote to discuss the town's proposal to widen Weaver Dairy. The approved resolution also included the construction of bicycle and turn lanes, gutters, curbs and sidewalks.

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Resident to Ask Board to Keep Program Alive

By Jenny Huang | April 18

A local resident is petitioning the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education to create a full-time paid staff position at the Pine Knolls Community Center's after-school program. Because of the lack of funding and volunteers, the center's after-school program expects to close its doors by the end of April, but a full-time coordinator would prevent the program from shutting down. Virginia Barbee, a volunteer at the center, said she plans to petition the board because the community center is in desperate need of funding for the after-school coordinator.

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Local Business Petitions for Revamped Flier Policy

By Jenny Huang | April 15

A local business owner has petitioned the Chapel Hill Town Council to change an ordinance that prohibits signs from being fastened to utility poles, claiming the regulation has direct implications for free speech. Erik Ose, who owns Lost City Music and Video, located on 402 Rosemary St., says small business owners and community organizations should be allowed to post fliers on telephone poles for grass-roots advertising purposes.

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Council Agrees To Discuss Traffic Study With UNC

By Jenny Huang | April 10

Chapel Hill Town Council members say they are ready to begin talks with University officials about a proposed traffic study regarding the prospect of widening South Columbia Street. UNC Chancellor James Moeser sent a letter March 1 to Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy asking the town to request that the N.C. Department of Transportation conduct a feasibility study on widening a portion of the roadway.

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Local Officials Warn Latino Community About Scams

By Jenny Huang | March 26

Local officials say they are actively reaching out to protect the Latino community from scams that aim to profit from some group members' lack of knowledge about state and local policies. The Chapel Hill Police Department is alerting the local Latino population about two scams -- a telemarketing scam that might have originated from the Fiesta del Pueblo event held in town last September and a second one that distributes invalid international driver licenses for exorbitant fees.

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Council OKs Talks on Tax On Athletics

By Jenny Huang | March 26

The Chapel Hill Town Council approved a resolution Monday night that set a public hearing for April 8 to discuss taxing University athletics tickets. For the past 21 years, resident and former council member Roland Giduz periodically has petitioned the town to enact a sales tax on UNC event tickets to generate additional town revenue. The request was put on Monday's consent agenda as part of a package the council plans to discuss with local legislative delegates. Giduz petitioned town officials Feb. 11 to establish a tax specifically on tickets to UNC athletics events.

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Widening Columbia Debated

By Jenny Huang | March 21

More than 35 residents sat in the School of Public Health's auditorium Wednesday night trying to make it clear that they will not accept lip service from UNC officials about widening South Columbia Street. UNC Hospitals officials started the meeting by presenting the residents with information on the University's reasons for widening the road. Officials are considering the prospect of expanding South Columbia Street into a boulevard-style four-lane road in an effort to improve access to hospital facilities.

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Local Tower Construction Halted

By Jenny Huang | March 7

The Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on telecommunication towers Wednesday, halting the development of new telecommunication structures until September. Planning officials called for the moratorium in an effort to update the county's existing tower ordinance to comply with new wireless technologies. "It's time to reevaluate the whole tower location program and look at some of the new things coming online with telecommunication," said Robert Davis, head of the current planning division, Wednesday morning. "By putting a moratorium (on t