Tag search result for: smoking

Suit says suspensions rob students of an education

bniolet — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:55:39 -0500

Two teenagers kicked out of school for fighting claim the Beaufort County schools denied them their right to an education because it offered them no help keeping up with their classes while they were suspended for months. (N&O)

Lottery draws dedicated players

bniolet — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:32:56 -0500

KEEP 'EM COMING: A fervent customer base is driving sales at the top lottery retailers. Players have made the lottery a daily or even twice-daily habit. And stores have adapted their operations to serve them. No one surveys the lottery's customer base, so it has been difficult to say who is buying $1.4 billion worth of lottery tickets a year. (N&O)

Smokers are running out of time

bniolet — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:43:39 -0500

SMOKE 'EM WHILE YOU CAN: Across North Carolina, smokers and businesses will be changing long-held habits and policies come Saturday. That's when the state that tobacco built, after years of legislative debate, will go smoke-free in nearly all restaurants and bars. The rule changes exempt cigar bars and private clubs such as VFW halls and country clubs.

Workers get skinny on smoking, weight

bniolet — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:28:26 -0400

Some 600,000 state employees, teachers and retirees should have received last week a packet describing the State Health Plan's new Wellness Initiative.

That's the program that says health insurance will be more expensive for smokers and the obese. Plan officials had an Oct. 1 deadline to get some information to members. The initiatives affect some 560,000 members — everyone except for those on Medicare.

No Smoking

bniolet — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:38:28 -0400

Perdue's puts pen to work; 49 bills left

bniolet — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:55:41 -0400

Gov. Beverly Perdue has signed 59 of 108 bills on her desk as of this morning.

Perdue has 49 more bills to go, reports Gerry Cohen, the legsislature's bill drafting director on his Drafting Musings blog. The legislature left the pile of bills for Perdue, who by law, has 30 days to sign or veto them. The state has no pocket veto, so if the bills aren't signed by Sept. 11, they become law.

No special pens for this bill

bniolet — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:24:34 -0400

It's looking an awful lot like Gov. Beverly Perdue won't be having a ceremonial bill signing for the state budget.

Perdue has had ceremonies for a handful of bills this session, notably the ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. While no announcement has been made yet, there are an awful lot of reasons why she won't be hauling reporters and VIPs in to sign the bill into law.

Hookah bar exemption dropped

bkrueger — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:27:50 -0400

An effort to exempt hookah bars from the new statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants appears to be dead for this year.

James Romoser reports in the Winston-Salem Journal that Rep. Cullie Tarleton is dropping his bill to exempt hookah bars from the ban, which goes into effect in January.

Dome Memo: Unloved and outlawed

bniolet — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:08:59 -0400

NOBODY LIKES NOBODY: The popularity recession has settled in for most N.C. politicians. Gov. Beverly Perdue, with basement-dwelling approval ratings less than six months into her first term, travelled the state to rally support from unimpressed teachers and Democrats. The raspberries are bipartisan: both U.S. Senators Kay Hagan and Richard Burr's numbers are down. President Barack Obama is slipping, and his policies are less popular than the man.

Obama talks about smoking

bkrueger — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:18:28 -0400

President Barack Obama says he is "95 percent cured" of his habit of smoking cigarettes.

During a presidential press conference at The White House this afternoon, Obama was asked about his smoking habits in light of legislation he signed this week to allow the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products.