John Edwards is ending a pilot scholarship program.

The former North Carolina senator had started a privately funded program at Greene Central High School offering to pay the cost of tuition, fees and books at public college for one year if students worked at least 10 hours a week, took college prep courses and stayed out of trouble.

In his presidential run, Edwards often touted the program as a model for a national program he would start.

No longer running for president, Edwards recently informed Greene County officials that he would end the program, which cost a total of $600,000 for the first two years and helped 190 students go to such colleges as East Carolina University, Lenoir Community College and N.C. State.

The program will help a third class of students who graduated this spring attend college in the fall.

"The program was a huge success," said Pamela Hampton-Garland, director of the program. "The numbers soared. The interest from students and parents and the community rose. It seemed the whole notion of college access changed." (N&O)

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole has won the roadside debate.

Driving along U.S. 70 from New Bern to Atlantic Beach, Dome could almost navigate by the deep-blue signs for the Salisbury Republican along the roadway. At first appearing every few miles, they were about once a block closer to the Sheraton where a debate will be held later this morning.

Although Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beverly Perdue was also fairly well represented, she did not nearly reach Dole's level.

Republican gubernatorial nominee Pat McCrory had no signs up, nor did Democratic Senate nominee Kay Hagan. But Hagan could take comfort from a billboard for a distance learning program for Lenoir Community College outside Kinston.

"There's no place like home," it read, next to an image of a pair of ruby red slippers — just like the ones that Hagan is always suggesting she'll give Dole.