Manager finalists vacated past jobs

The three finalists for Durham's top job arrived with lengthy resumes -- as well as fresh pink slips from their most recent jobs.

George Kolb, Charles Oliver and Patrick Salerno, introduced as city manager finalists Monday, all left manager jobs in the past four months after disagreements with their respective city councils.

At a brief Monday night news conference, they each downplayed their resignations as the result of shifting political winds or divergent philosophies. But their detractors back home maintained publicly that there were serious reasons to cut the men loose -- with six-figure severance packages, of course.

Durham council members, who will choose Patrick Baker's replacement, said the candidates' strengths, at least on paper, outweigh or diminish any excess baggage.

Kolb and Salerno were accused of being alternately heavy-handed or deceptive with their city councils, according to published reports in Wichita, Kan., and Sunrise, Fla., from where the two men respectively hail.

Oliver was quick to produce a resolution from the city of Peoria, Ill., expressing "appreciation to Randy Oliver as he completes his service as City Manager."

But several Peoria council members decried a gag order that said none was permitted to make disparaging comments about Oliver as a condition of his severance package.

Suspect Atwater to go to prison

A lawyer for the man accused of killing UNC student leader Eve Carson told a judge today that his client did not know he was on probation after he hadn't heard from his probation officers for more than a year.

Damario Atwater, 21, pleaded guilty this week to violating his probation on break-in and gun charges. Superior Court Judge Ripley Rand revoked his probation and activated what had been suspended sentences, meaning Atwater will serve 20 to 35 months in prison.

State probation officials have acknowledged that they neglected to supervise Atwater, who was on probation when Carson was killed March 5. In court, Atwater's lawyer, Rudy Renfer, said Atwater wasn't even aware that he was on probation for a stretch of time, because his probation officer had stopped contacting him.

Atwater was charged with violating his probation by failing to pay money he owed and also failing to do community service.

The problems in the handling of Atwater's case came to light after he was arrested and charged in Carson's killing.

Atwater had not received a phone call from his probation officer for more than a year. He was passed from officer to officer -- 10 officers and supervisors in three years.