Cover

• State official’s land excluded from regs
• Elizabeth City officials jumped gun on aviation park

North Carolina

• Residents upset over residential land use proposal, page 4
• Parton ousted: City changes theater contract, page 5

Education

• State school superintendent hopefuls have their say, page 8
• Those who prefer tax hikes less likely to give — report
• Terry Stoops commentary: A tale of two public schools, page 9
• Course documentation causing problems, page 10
• Buncombe Early College program give higher-ed taste, page 11

Higher Education

• Key noters disagree on prospects for reform, page 12
• Academia enforces ‘new dogma,’ page 13
• Jane Shaw commentary: ‘Helicopter parents’ can help, page 13
• Bats in the Belltower, page 14
• Not much ‘student’ activity in university activity fees, page 14
• Radical rebels without a clue hit George Mason University, page 15

Local Government

• Local option taxes get voters’ cold shoulder, page 16
• Chad Adams commentary: Will Rogers’ government, page 17
• Local Innovation Bulletin Board, page 18
• From Cherokee to Currituck, page 18
• ‘Calming sensation’ descends upon Triad roads, page 19

Learning Curve

• Book review: The Language of God by Francis Collins, page 20
• Troy Kickler commentary: ‘What if?’ questions can help us understand history better, page 21
• Book review: The Fred Factor by Steve Gill, page 22
• Book review: The Wal-Mart Revolution by Vedder and Cox, page 23

Opinion

• Richard Wagner commentary: Conserving taxpayer paychecks, page 24
• Editorial: Climate group should open up, page 24
• Editorial: N.C.’s raw gas-tax deal, page 25
• Editorial: Land grab in Elizabeth City, page 25
• Michael Walden commentary: Economics best way to conserve water, page 26
• Becki Gray commentary: State transportation needs might get needed attention, page 27
• Letter to the editor: Felony Erasure legislation would just be bad law, page 27

Parting Shot

• Study: 1890 CO2 levels would create 10 million jobs (a CJ parody), page 28