The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill installed its 11th chancellor on Saturday, the first woman to hold the position. Carol Folt is the former interim president at Dartmouth College. Folt said during the ceremony she was overwhelmed by "Carolina warmth and a Tar Heel welcome." She replaces Holden Thorp, UNC-Chapel Hill’s leader since 2008. He stepped down last year after a string of scandals involving academic fraud, improper travel spending by fundraisers, and special treatment for athletes.
CHARLOTTE MISSIONARY DIES IN CALIF.
An 18-year-old Charlotte man died in California while serving on a Mormon mission. Andrew Page was struck by a car while riding his bicycle in Asuza, California, on Thursday. A funeral is planned next Saturday. Page graduated in June from Independence High School, where he played tenor sax in the band, and was a member of Junior R-O-T-C, the national honor society, and Boy Scouts.
GOV. McCRORY SCALES BACK RENOVATIONS AT MANSION
Gov. Pat McCrory has revised his plans for renovations at North Carolina’s Executive Mansion in Raleigh. His office announced Saturday he has dropped plans to spend up to $230,000 in taxpayer funds remodeling bathrooms in his private living quarters at the mansion. The statement said the work would now be scaled back to "a very limited amount of funds" to repair potential code violations, eliminate mold and fix broken faucets. The Associated Press reported on the governor’s plans Friday, including a written estimate showing more than $100,000 of planned work to the master bathroom, including new marble, woodwork, bath fixtures and a ventilated water closet. The governor had faced questions about the work, which comes at a time when the state is tightening budgets for schools and social programs.
MAN SENTENCED FOR THREATENING SENATOR
A South Carolina man has been sentenced to federal prison for sending a letter threatening to kill U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. The Independent-Mail of Anderson reports 32-year-old Simon Peter Long of Easley was sentenced to 87 months in prison. The federal judge in the case said Long told FBI agents that he had purchased a rifle and scope six months before he sent a letter to one of Graham's state offices in November 2012. Asked why he wanted to kill Graham, Long said he didn't really know, and added, "It was really stupid, is what it was." He pleaded guilty in June.
KESELOWSKI WINS AT SPEEDWAY - FINALLY
Brad Keselowski hadn’t won in 37 Sprint Cup races and he didn’t qualify for this year’s Points Chase. But last night he passed Kasey Kahn with 9 laps left to win the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Matt Kenseth finished third, followed by Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and pole-sitter Jeff Kenseth is now the points leader in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, four points ahead of Johnson.
UNC Charlotte’s first ever homecoming football game had a disappointing ending Saturday. UNC Pembroke amassed 503 yards total offense to beat the 49ers 45 to 22. Pembroke is undefeated in 5 games. Charlotte is now 4-3.