* The state's universities and colleges are being hit hard with cases of flu, most likely of the H1N1 variety.
A type of influenza easily passed among young people, H1N1 is circulating so commonly that health officials don't even test for it specifically. They simply say students have "influenza-like illness" and assume the strain is H1N1.
The largest numbers are at UNC-Chapel Hill, which through last week had nearly 700 cases. That's more than twice the 309 cases reported by N.C. State over essentially the same period, and NCSU is a larger institution.
Most other universities report far lower numbers. Wake Forest has seen about 200 cases, and Duke has had about 170. At Peace, the small women's college in Raleigh, Murray is one of 13 students to get it.
The totals are likely higher. These numbers represent only students who seek help from a campus health office. The cases are mild and so far have not led to mass absences.
More hand washing could help slow the virus spread. One professor says students need to hear how unpleasant the illness is to get them to wash up. (N&O)
* A program set up last year to help North Carolina homeowners with subprime loans avoid foreclosure has been expanded to include those with traditional mortgages.
The State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project lets homeowners call a toll-free number and receive counseling and legal advice through a network of state and local government agencies and nonprofit agencies.
Mark Pearce, state chief deputy commissioner of banks, said Tuesday that North Carolina's foreclosure crisis has spread far beyond people who took on mortgages at high interest rates. Foreclosure filings over the first eight months of the year totaled just under 40,000 and are up 7 percent over the same period last year. Pearce said 60 percent of the foreclosure filings in the state now involve prime loans. (N&O)
* A North Carolina safety panel adopted emergency changes to its gas guidelines on Tuesday, three months after an explosion at a Slim Jim factory killed three people.
The N.C. Building Code Council to require that workers who are purging indoor gas lines to vent the pipes outside of the building. New guidelines demand that workers take proper precautions if venting is not possible, including the evacuation of those not directly working on the gas lines. (AP)
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Re: UNC students need to wash more
I always thought those UNC Chapel Hill students had a bit of a funk. I'm thinking the greasy hair is supposed to symbolize an academic type who doesn't have time to bathe. Think of the selfishness too. If you don't wash your hands you could cause someone else to get sick.