North Carolina Newspapers

PANTHERS GET SMART Special teams ace recovered from knee surgery and making presence felt immediately 1C HIP-HOP MEDIA NoDa exhibit takes mystery, stereotypes jut^f music, lifestyle Volume 30 No. 48 Struggle” lice Gallery Cl^arlott 28216 S9 PI James B. Duke Library 100 Beatties Ford Rd Charlotte NC 28216-5302 ,si.oo IP t m ig The Voice of the Black Community 2005 Also serving Cabarrus, Chester, Mecklenburg, Rowan and York counties WEEK OF AUGUST t8-24, 2005 Shift in health care for children N.C. budget would move youngest to Medicaid By Sommer Brokaw THE TRIANGLE ITUBUNE RALEIGH - Senate Bill 622 proposes to move kids 5 and imder from NC Health Choice to Medicaid. Supporters of the bill say it win allow the state to keep serving more kids because the federal government is running out of money to fund Health Choice. But opponents say that if it caus es reimbursement levels for doctors to get cut and providers to be scaled back, Medicaid will be headed towards destruction. The proposal is a strong victory for the North Carolina Justice Center which has advocated for the Senate to make this change for years. “The provision in the bud get biU to switch children 5 and imder to Medicaid, actu ally, its a very good thing for a number of reasons,” said Sorien Schmidt, legislative director for the Justice Center. “The kids will contin ue to get care even if the fed eral government doesn’t pro vide enough money to health choice. By making these changes, there should be enough money left for NC Health Choice to cover chil dren ages 6 to 18.” Sen. Walter H. Dalton, who represents Cleveland and Rutherford counties, admits that the change has to be made. ‘More states are going to health choice, and the feder al money is less than what it used to be. Based on those projections we’d run out of money fairly quickly and See BUDGET/7A PHOTO/NEWS & OBSERVER N.C. Sen. Robert Holloman, D-Ahoskie, pauses during the Senate session iast week. The chamber passed scores of biils, but couidn’t ciose its session. o«oi THIRD-PARTY INTERVENTION OVER HOLIDAY BASH ' rV A ■k . S'" -f - vf ■■■ r«^.v:v...' FILE PHOTO/WADE NASH Treatment of African Americans at Atlantic Beach Bikefest, held during Memorial Day weekend, has been a point of contention between the NAACP and Myrtle Beach officials. Mediation sessions have been set for this week in a lawsuit challenging the way Myrtle Beach handles traffic. Mediation ordered in S.C. Bikefest lawsuit Dispute centers on how blacks treated THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Mediation sessions are set this week in a lawsuit challenging the way Myrtle Beach handles trafiBc during a black biker rally each spring. Hie National Association for the Advancement of Colored People sued more than two years ago because of what it says is a discriminatory policy Hie suit alleges black bikers at the Atlantic Beach Bikefest on Memorial Day weekend are treated differently from those at the Carolina Harley- Davidson Dealers Association Myrtle Beach Rally a predomi nantly white rally the previous week. During the black biker rally traffic is limited to one way along busy Ocean Boulevard It is allowed to flow both direc tions during the Harley- Davidson rally Hie lawsuit is scheduled for trial next April and an out-of- court resolution before then could save the city legal fees and resolve the case. Both sides agreed to media tion sessions beginning Hiesday city manager Tbm Leath said. Another session was eaqiected on Wednesday The NAACP sought an See MEDIATION/2A Unspecified illness hospitalizes C. King By Errin Haines THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - Coretta Scott King was admitted to a hos pital for an unspecified con dition Hiesday and was in fair condition, a hospital spokeswoman said King, 78, the widow of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., went to-an emergency room Tliesday morning. Piedmont Hospital spokeswoman Diana Lewis would not elab orate on the reason for the hospitalization, but said King will spend the night at the hospital for observation Media outlets reported Wednesday that King suf fered a stroke. Lewis said the King family is ®qpected to release a state ment Wednesday Attempts to reach relatives by phone Tuesday weren’t successful. King has canceled recent public appearances, raising concerns about the health of the civil ri^ts matriarch. At a ceremony paying trib ute to the King family at the Georgia State Capitol on June 30, her son Martin Luther King HI said his mother was “doing well” and Please see CORETTA./2A King Rains, flooding staggers north Darfur By Mohamed Osman IHE ASSOCIATED PRESS KHARTOUM, Sudan - Heavy rains have damaged a dam and caused flooding that has left thou sands of people without shelter in the capital of North Darfur state and a nearby camp for displaced people, government officials said Monday The rainfall fir^m Friday morn ing to Saturday collapsed part o^ the Haloof Dam, some 13 kilome ters (ei^t miles) northeast of El- Fasher, and sent meter-high waters sweeping through the area An official at the Ministry of Hirmanitarian Affairs said some 2,284 families lost their makeshift shelters in Abu Shouk camp, according to a preliminary report. In El-Fasha*, seven nei^- borhoods were leveled and some 547 families left homeless, 12 schools were destroyed and the central maricet was heavily dam aged, the official said He spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has yet to be released No casualties were reported ‘Hie situation has now been brou^t under control and the government has exercised tremendous efforts, distributing canvas and blankets and sorghum to the affected families,” Gov. Osman Mohamed Yusuf Kibir said He said over 2,200 sacks of sor^um had been hand ed out. The Humanitarian Affairs report said the main concern now is to contain any sanitary or health problems, fearing a possi ble outbreak of disease because of pools of standing water and sewage mixing with rainwater. The ministry official said inter national organizations met Sunday in El-Fasher and will assess how best to assist the situ ation David Jones takes his ribs from NFL training tables to Southern kitchens 8C Howhigli amice for slave profile Wachovia’s $10 million to black causes draws praise and criticism By Herbert L. White herb.whii€@thecharlottepost£om Is $10 million enough to apologize for slavery? Wachovia Corp.’s partnerships with African- American organizations has drawn criticism finm reparations activists who say it’s not enou^ to compensate for the company’s profits finm slavery Last month, the bank announced programs with the Association for the Study of African Life and History, National Humanities Center, United Negro College Fund, Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, NAACP and National Urban League. The programs will concentrate on preserving and promoting Afiican-American history and culture; and enhance educational and economic opportunities. This new community initiative follows Wachovia’s June 1 announcement of historical ties to slavery through two predecessor compa- Thompson “Our partnerships reflect feedback and ideas that we received fix)m employees, customers and community organizations, including many Please see HOW MUCH/2A Caucus honors leaders from all walks of life Nine to be recognized for community work By Herbert L. White herb.while@lhecharloneposl£om Cannon Tlje Black Political Caucus is honoring nine of the county’s best-known and brightest They will be honored Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Marriott Charlotte Execufive Park Hotel, 5700 West Park Drive, Charlotte, NC 28217. The reception begins at 6:30 p.m. with the program fol lowing at 7:15 p.m. The honorees are: • Judge Clifton Johnson, (Pinnaele Award); • The Rev. Claude Alexander of University Park Baptist Church (rehgion); • Mayor Pro-Tfem Patrick Cannon, (pohtics); • Khristina Cunningham, (youth); • Thereasea Clark Elder (commirrrity service; • Jermaine and Darrrien Johnson of No Grease Barber & Salon, (business); • Retired Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools superintendent James Pu^isley (service) and • CMS Chairman Joe White (education). Tickets for the banquet are $50. For informa tion call Anna Hood, Chairperson at (704) 333- 4685. Life IB Religion 8B Sports 1C Business 8C A&E1D Happenings 6C INSIDE To subscribe, call (704) 376-0496 or FAX (704) 342-2160.© 2005 The Chariotte Post Publishing Co. Recycle 1