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Panthers Owner Richardson Selling NFL Team
The Carolina Panthers have announced that owner Jerry Richardson is selling the NFL franchise amid an investigation by the league into allegations of sexual and racist misconduct by Richardson in the workplace.
The Panthers announced on Twitter that Richardson is selling the team, linking to a five-paragraph letter by the franchise's only owner.
The NFL awarded Richardson an expansion franchise in 1993.
The letter did not directly address the investigation.
Richardson's announcement comes after a Sports Illustrated report Sunday that cited unnamed sources who said Richardson made sexually suggestive comments to women and on at least one occasion directed a racial slur at an African-American Panthers scout.
Some Former Board Members Renamed To Cardinal Panel
A reconstituted board for North Carolina's largest regional mental health agency includes members of the former board that was criticized in audits and by legislators for signing off on excessive spending and large salaries and benefits for executives.
Three former board members were among 17 chosen Thursday to the new board for Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions by a committee of county officials. The state Department of Health and Human Services removed the previous board Nov. 27 when it took temporary control of Cardinal operations.
Some General Assembly members this week warned against hiring the most recent board members. Sen. Jeff Tarte of Mecklenburg County called the reappointments "bad optics."
New board members not on the previous board include Carmen Hooker Odom, a former DHHS secretary.
Forsyth Settles Lawsuit Alleging Inmate's Wrongful Death
Forsyth County is paying $180,000 to settle one of two lawsuits alleging inmates died in the county jail because a private company provided inadequate medical care.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports the county will pay to settle with the wife of Dino Vann Nixon, who died in 2013. The lawsuit alleged Correct Care Solutions failed to give Nixon medications he had taken for years and jail staff mistakenly believed he was suffering from alcohol withdrawal.
The Nashville, Tennessee-based company denied the allegations in Diane Nixon's lawsuit and remains a defendant.
Five people have died at the Forsyth County jail in the five years since Correct Care Solutions started providing medical care.
Chancellors Of Most NC Public Universities Given Pay Raises
Three-quarters of the chancellors running North Carolina's public universities are getting a raise.
The News and Observer reports the biggest pay bump goes to Carol Folt, who runs the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her 6 percent salary increase approved Friday adds an extra $36,000, matching her compensation with N.C. State University Chancellor Randy Woodson at nearly $633,000.
The university system's Board of Governors also backdated to July the pay hikes approved for 13 of the UNC system's 17 chancellors.
No raises were given to the chancellors hired within the last two years. Eight received a 2.5 percent raise.
The Board of Governors was sharply criticized two years ago for a round of chancellor raises that ranged between 8 percent and 19 percent.
North Carolina Group Backs Police Use Of Overdose Antidote
A North Carolina group has been a leading advocate nationally for having police carry and administer the overdose-reversing drug naloxone.
The Raleigh-based nonprofit North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition helps law enforcement agencies establish naloxone programs with training, locating supplies and other assistance. It also tracks police use of naloxone across the United States.
Robert Childs is the group's executive director. He scoffs at police holdouts citing any danger from people who wake up from overdoses angry and violent. Childs says police are well-equipped for that.
The coalition promotes public measures to help people with histories of drug use, sex trade and other high-risk activities.
Fayetteville police Capt. Lars Paul says officers there have saved more than 100 people since they began carrying naloxone in 2015 — giving people another chance to change their lives.
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