Basnight to Navy: Don't bother bird-watching

N.C. Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight told the state's congressional delegation Friday that North Carolina doesn't need any more study about a Navy outlying landing field.

The Navy, he wrote, can save its money.

"I am pleased to inform you that these studies and their significant costs are not needed. The people of northeastern North Carolina DO NOT wish to have an outlying landing field constructed in their community," Basnight wrote in a letter to the delegation.

The Navy is conducting an additional study of migratory bird flights this winter near Hale Lake in Camden County, one of five locations it wants to consider for an airstrip.

The outlying landing field would serve a squadron of F/A-18 Super Hornet jets at a Navy base in Virginia.

Basnight, who represents Camden County, asked the delegation to stop the study.

Stay the course, whatever it is

North Carolinians may not know much about how the state's judges are selected. But they know they don't want to change it.

A new poll of North Carolina residents by Elon University found that 90 percent of those surveyed were either not familiar or only "somewhat" familiar with how North Carolina judges are selected. Only 9 percent said they were "very familiar" with the process.

Yet the same survey found that 69 percent said they favor continuing the process of voters electing judges to their positions. Only 20 percent said they favor a change to have judges appointed.

Elon surveyed 563 North Carolina residents Nov. 16-19. The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

Perdue makes innovation official

The creative and instinctive nature of innovation will now be channeled through, yes, a government agency.

Gov. Bev Perdue, by executive order, has established the state's first Innovation Council. The group's mission is to coordinate public and private investment to promote innovation, help move ideas faster from the lab to the marketplace, and improve the collaboration between business, academia and government.

The council will be chaired by Al Delia, senior adviser to Perdue, and Steve Nelson, managing partner of the Wakefield Group.

Independents favor GOP

Voters may be slightly more likely to vote for Republican legislative candidates, according to a recent poll.

The GOP would have independents to thank, because they said they would vote Republican by a wide margin, according to the survey by Public Policy Polling.

Voters said they would vote Republican by 45 percent to 44 percent in state legislative races and by 45 percent to 43 percent in congressional races. Republicans are faring well, despite the state's heavily Democratic registration, because independents are siding with the GOP and Republicans are more unified, PPP's Tom Jensen wrote.

The PPP poll surveyed 711 voters from Nov. 9 to 11 and has a margin of error of 3.7 percent.

Judge Steelman to run again

N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Sanford Steelman announced last week that he is seeking a second term.

First elected in 2002 as a Republican, Steelman is the only judge on the Court of Appeals from the Charlotte area. He and his wife, Buff, live in Weddington.

Steelman plans to participate in the state's public financing for judicial campaigns, which limits both fundraising and spending. Judicial races are now nonpartisan.

Mansell to try for Congress

Dan Mansell, a Selma businessman and local Republican leader, has announced he will make another run at the seat held by U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge.

Mansell, 52, has run for the seat twice before.

A former 2nd District Republican Party chairman, Mansell is managing partner of Demco Construction Services, a coating and fireproofing inspections and consulting firm.

By staff writers Barbara Barrett, BillKrueger and Mark Johnson.

Latest Comment View all comments