A man authorities were attempting to arrest was struck by a police cruiser as he tried to get away from them, Durham police officials said today.

After years of being tied to Raleigh in all those “best places to” lists, Durham stands alone in Fortune Small Business magazine’s “Best Places to Live and Launch” list. It's ranked No. 12.

Former Labor Commissioner John C. Brooks, who is currently in second place for votes in the Democratic primary for his old job, filed for a runoff Tuesday.

State attorneys for Gov. Mike Easley want a lawsuit dismissed that accuses his administration of violating public records law when his staff destroyed e-mails.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that Wake and Durham counties have been chosen to participate in a “comprehensive anti-gang initiative” that includes $2.5 million in federal funding.

Law enforcement officials announced a new information sharing program Tuesday that will allow investigators to search crime and incident records in other jurisdictions and agencies.

Hundreds of Marines were conducting a combat training mission in the Mojave Desert when an air patrol spotted something kicking up dust: A civilian pickup truck speeding across the barren landscape.

In a motion filed Monday, the newspaper says it wants to protect its rights and the rights of the public to observe and report on the criminal case stemming from the shooting of the UNC student leader.

The pastor of a Florida church and his teenage son were found dead Tuesday after a plane the father was flying crashed.

The N.C. Department of Transportation plans to close a section of Rivermont Road in Durham County for several months while it replaces a bridge.

The state auditor said today that the State Board of Elections created the appearance of a conflict of interest when it hired the spouse of a top official.

A package of proposals sent to the General Assembly would enable construction of the the 18-mile Triangle Expressway to begin this fall. It also would allow Triangle voters to tax themselves for transit projects and would focus more state money on reducing urban traffic jams.

The Durham Fire Department is investigating a suspicious package found this morning in a vehicle at the intersection of Pineburr Place and Greyson Drive.

Gov. Mike Easley's plan to give teachers dramatic raises and spend $68 million to reform the mental-health system depends on his ability to sell 'sin tax' increases to the legislature in an election year.

The Wake school board has reached a consensus to allow students to train and compete in marksmanship, but it will take about a month to put a policy in writing.

Along with the state budget, it will consider bills that passed at least one chamber during the 2007 session as well as some new legislation.

Police are seeking a Durham man who has been charged with breaking into the Pure Food Shop at 601 West Chapel Hill Street — twice.

Thousands of people are without power in western North Carolina as utility companies work to restore power a day after high winds whipped the region.

The starting line will be the same for the two candidates in the governor's race, according to the latest survey by Public Policy Polling.

A man convicted of three armed robberies in Eastern North Carolina has been sentenced to more than 72 years in prison.

A proposal to double the fees on new development to pay for roads and parks will go before the City Council now that the Planning Commission has called for increasing the fees in phases.

The Cash sisters can skip rope 170 times in a minute. It's an offbeat hobby that started when they were schoolgirls and now has them on a world stage.

A section of a parking deck collapsed this morning at a business park in the SouthPark area. There were no reports of injuries.

Residents tell the Town Council they are concerned about traffic, building height and other issues in proposals for the first phase of the multiple-use development.

Ridership on Triangle Transit buses was up more than 20 percent last month over April 2007.

Gov. Mike Easley today met with local emergency response officials and took an aerial tour of tornado damage in Bertie County.

More than two weeks after an Atlanta company told Siler City leaders it had made a bid to buy a chicken plant that's scheduled to close, plant owners say they still haven't had a n offer that would change their minds.

As County Manager David Cooke prepares the budget he'll propose to Wake commissioners next week, he'll have to negotiate a projected $51.5 million budget gap.

Road Worrier:A rumbling drive along Glenwood Avenue can conjure up not-so-nostalgic reveries from decades ago.

Barry Saunders:If you can still afford to drive along, say, Interstate 85, you've seen one of the saddest sights known to man: Highway Patrol cruisers sitting by the side of the road with nobody in them.

Triangle Briefs: The Town Council will hold a special meeting May 21 to review the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year.

Triangle Briefs: A candidate for an unresolved seat on the Orange County Board of Commissioners criticized his opponent Monday for asking for a runoff election.

Triangle Briefs: Damage from fire, smoke and water was estimated at $200,000 after lightning hit a two-story house over the weekend.

Triangle Briefs: Organizers of the town's Camp Paradise at the Chapel Hill Community Center are accepting donated items for the summer day camp program.

Chapel Hill will hold a public hearing Wednesday night on a proposal to set up a publicly funded local election program.

Ignoring safety rules allowed an ambulance to fall on him, state investigation says.

People who awake to find a bat in the bedroom should trap it, then call for help, public health officials say.

Operatives from opposite sides of the political aisle, Democrat Gary Pearce and Republican Carter Wrenn, will present their views on politics, the presidential elections and the media today in Cary.

The owner of the tract ponders her next move.

State Briefs: John William Ingram V has been named the new sheriff of Brunswick County to replace Ronald Hewett, who resigned after he was suspended and charged with embezzlement and obstructing justice.

Wake's 19 rural fire districts are pushing for steep increases to the county's fire tax to support hiring more full-time firefighters.

State Briefs: An official says the state-run ferry between Southport and Fort Fisher on the North Carolina coast may close for about two months this winter for repair work on loading ramps.

State Briefs: A police official says three Greensboro officers could be held accountable even though a prosecutor decided not to prosecute them in a sexual assault case.

Under the Dome:Attorney General Roy Cooper has refused to discuss the advisory letter his office sent out last week, which recommended barring illegal immigrants from community colleges.

Flood and gale warnings go up as a storm system moves from the western part of the state to the coast.

An ECU biologist has named a newly discovered trapdoor spider after rock star Neil Young: Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi.

State Briefs: A section of beach closed for bird nest protection has been enlarged because vandals tore down National Park Service boundary signs.

State Briefs: The N.C. Zoo lost about $120,000 in visitor revenue when it had to close over Mother's Day weekend because of a broken water line.

A soldier from a North Carolina base was killed Sunday in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced Monday.

Triangle Briefs:The U.S. Postal Service will hold a passport fair Saturday in Raleigh.