In clout on Capitol Hill, Burr surpasses Dole

A new ranking from Congress.org has Sen. Richard Burr leapfrogging his senior colleague, Sen. Elizabeth Dole, in the power game in Washington.

Still, both Republicans are ranked near the bottom of the Senate.

Burr, elected in 2002, ranked 86th of the 100 senators, according to Congress.org's power rankings for the current Congress.

The group listed Dole, who was elected in 2000, as 95th. Both senators' scores tumbled from last year, when the GOP was in power.

The rankings are conducted a few times a year by Knowlegis, a consulting firm that follows Congress. The company measures lawmakers' power by tallying their position, legislative successes and general influence among colleagues. It takes into account committee assignments, political party and fundraising prowess.

On the House side, Democratic Rep. Mel Watt of Charlotte led the 13-member delegation, ranking 53rd in the 435-member House. Rep. David Price, a Chapel Hill Democrat, followed at 84th.

Auditor faults nonprofit

A Washington County nonprofit that has received at least $220,000 in state grants has mishandled money, according to a report by the state auditor released Wednesday.

The audit found deficiencies, instances of noncompliance and "other matters of concern" with the nonprofit, Windows on the World.

One of the grantees, the state Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, has requested repayment of $10,775. The money was paid in salary to the executive director, but should not have been, officials said.

The director, Larry Norman, said the overpayment to his roughly $51,000 salary was due to a change in the grant amount from one year to the next. The amount for salary went down, but his actual salary did not also adjust downward until a few months had passed last year. Asked why he kept the money all this time, he said, "It was an oversight. Just a plain oversight."

The organization provides a range of services, including an after-school program, pregnancy prevention programs and promotion of Internet-related enterprises.

The auditor's report also said Norman hired his niece as a consultant with no acknowledgement of a possible conflict of interest. The organization's board responded in a report that the person hired was not a niece, but is the director's second cousin. The board said it was aware of the relationship.

Fewer chores for teachers

Until now, teachers at the C.A. Dillon Youth Development Center in Butner were also serving as custodial supervisors. The N.C. Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention had taken a budget cut in 2005, and that led to getting rid of Dillon's two janitors. Instead, juveniles would clean the facility under the teachers' supervision.

The policy changed after The News & Observer toured the center this month and learned of the custodial assignment for teachers. This was on the same day the center was unable to hold a regular school day because of teacher vacancies.

George Sweat, the department's secretary, was unaware of the change, said his spokeswoman, Kim Yonkers. She said he has ordered the center to stop the practice and contract out janitorial work. Two of the other four youth development centers have vocational classes in which juveniles learn cleaning skills and then clean the facilities. The other two have residential staff supervise juveniles as they clean the facilities.

The problems at Dillon and other department facilities are drawing concern from lawmakers. Rep. Alice Bordsen, a Mebane Democrat who leads the House Juvenile Justice Committee, said she wants to file legislation reversing a provision slipped into the 2005 state budget that eliminated the requirement that an advisory council to the department meet at least four times a year.

Last year it met twice.

"That's my hope to restore it to what it was," said Bordsen.

Edwardses go to doctor

Presidential contender John Edwards left the campaign trail this week to be with his wife for a medical appointment.

Elizabeth Edwards was treated for advanced breast cancer in 2004 and met with a doctor in North Carolina on Wednesday for a follow-up to a check-up Monday.

Her husband canceled a scheduled house party in Iowa to be with her.

A spokeswoman for the Edwards campaign said that it was a routine appointment, similar to a number she has had since the cancer went into remission. She said that it was only attracting attention because of the cancellation.

"The difference is that in the past when this has happened, we haven't had public events scheduled," Jennifer Palmieri said.