The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 17

2005 3B FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30 2005 TIIE NEWS Trilan2 le Eta con DURHAM: Linda Williams (919) 8294524 lindawnewsobservercom ORANGE CHATHAM: Orange editor Mark Schultz (919) 932-2003 WAKE: Wake editor Holly Stepp (919) 8294792 hsteppnewsobservercom JOHNSTON: Growth editor Jane Ruffin (919) 8294570 jruffinnewsobservercom View BRIEFS FROM STAFF REPORTS uplin kids part of national study WAKE COUNTY The county is one of a few nationwide where youths will be watched from birth to age 21 of child-bearing age might be offered small gifts such as gift certificates at Wal-Mart or elsewhere to join They might even get paid a little Greg Bounds who runs federally subsidized Duplin's Goshen Medical Center in Faison hopes the attention yields more than data His clinic tends local people who are more poor than most North Carolinians and less likely to have health insurance or get dental care "Maybe they can come here" Bounds said "and bring some attention to the problems" youths at risk for obesity asthma diabetes and mental illness Scientists will hunt for clues in bodies They'll clip pieces of each baby's placenta for analysis They'll examine parents' breast milk and semen Over the years public health detectives will collect samples of blood saliva urine hair and nail clippings from the children Researchers also will take pains to understand whether anything dangerous lurks in the places the children live attend day care or go to school They'll scrutinize the air dust soil paint water and fpod that young ones encounter there year after year after year And they'll ask a lot of questions about each child via tele announced the first 'vanguard" phase of the long-term study Thursday at a news conference in Washington DC Congress must still approve full funding of the program which would total $27 billion over the two decades The federal agency selected Duplin the only site in the South on the start-up list because it needed a rural area with diverse ethnic groups said David Savitz a UNC professor of epidemiology The US Census says that more than half of Duplin residents are white less than a third are African-American and the rest are mostly Hispanic Ramping up in Duplin a center of hog and poultry production will take time Dole said Women phone computer or mail-in questionnaires every three months early on and annually after they reach the age of 5 There's plenty to do" said Nancy Dole deputy director of UNC's Carolina Population Center which will lead the project with public health scientists The dose look in Duplin is part of a kickoff of the National Children's Study which in time is expected to watch 100000 children over 21 years from all over the country including six other North Carolina counties Durham is the only Triangle site expected on the list though it is not clear when research there will begin The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Plane at RDU after emergency landing A plane carrying 90 people from Norfolk Va to Atlanta made an emergency landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Thursday after crew members smelled smoke near the cockpit officials said Delta Airlines flight No 1229 landed about 1:35 pm said Mindy Hamlin spokeswoman for RDU All of the passengers were put on to other flights while mechanics investigated the smoky odor said Delta Airlines spokesman Anthony Black Airline officials hadn't determined the source of the problem Thursday and didn't know how soon the plane would be returned to the air Black said Breast cancer BY CATHERINE CLABBY STAFF WRITER The next generation of babies in rural Duplin County will be watched closely for many years by Triangle scientists even before they are born UNC-Chapel Hill researchers want to enroll 1250 Duplin newborns for a health study lasting 21 years beginning in 2007 The project will attempt to capture what foods exposures habits even genetic differences put Staff writer Catherine Clabby can be reached at 956-2414 or cciabbynewsobservercom A CHILD'S GARDEN OF BUTTERFLIES Feds extend TTA deadline Commuter train report is due Oct 14 COMING SUNDAY A five-part series "Triangle Trains: Off Track?" begins 0 0 All 0 0 0 rtt 1 r) 0 0 4 volohim 40----- i ''t '47114''''''Ziol' k-ot 4- ilt 41te'- 0- c4! '48 14 'A yt i'1 st lek i '--r 't 4 I i (-1 tr- I I '4 At I "4 4:: No 4- I Yr I 4 0 ilk: i 'S''' IV i -4772 unior tsents ale at urham today )n call jhorg 2005 turday Trail owing will Asirollna lk for place leatre at 10 ns are ce fair to 03732 State Tinary will 1 to 3 liege's and ritable of all and in-tonath-Lay inr free ations and re-id their stions Police ontrol Sat-a Bond id Fee aly All a a nonths tgainst 94517 ry eman's nn 5 to Street food Ava ration 1 Gard-be fifth of the 9 call ail to are out second rard by lations of Durlan ReIgnizes us who in le for ns De1 Plaza phone 0-4092 BY BRUCE SICELOFF STAFF WRITER Federal officials have given the Triangle Transit Authority two more weeks to produce new ridership forecasts for its $759 million commuter train project John Claflin TM general manager said he would use the extra time to fix computer flaws and prove that the 28-mile rail line will attract enough passengers to justify the taxpayer investment The TTA had said it would miss this week's deadline because of problems with a new computer model of the Triangle's transportation network State and regional planners use the model to predict traffic loads and highway congestion in future years based On projected job and population growth in the region Paul Griffo a spokesman for the Federal Transit Administration said Thursday that the agency had granted the request to extend the deadline to Oct 14 After that date the agency will not consider recommending the TrA for construction funding in President Bush's next budget to be released in February The TrA was knocked out of budget consideration last year when the Federal Transit Administration ordered an overhaul of the regional computer model and the 'rTA's ridership forecast The federal agency said it did not think Triangle highways would be as heavily con gested as the forecast indicated Washington officials worked with consultants to make the changes this year The new computer model is making different mistakes Claffin said by predicting no congestion during rush hour The Oct 14 deadline will give the TrA more than enough time to work out the kinks and produce an accurate travel forecast for federal officials he said "Once we fix these issues that we have with the congestion thing we'll get those numbers to them just as soon as we can" Claflin said "All we need is just a few days" The federal agency set strict new cost-effectiveness standards this year for comparing the costs and benefits of rail transit projects Each project is rated by how much it costs to produce every hour of estimated travel-time savings If the cost is too high the agency will not recommend full federal funding "I feel confident that we're going to be able to submit a cost-effectiveness number that we need to qualify for our full-funding grant agreement" Claffin said awareness touted RALEIGH Wake County Human Services' Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program is sponsoring a countywide pink ribbon campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Gov Mike Easley has proclaimed Oct 2 to 8 as Pink Ribbon Week All North Carolinians are urged to wear pink ribbons in reoognition of breast cancer awareness and in honor of women with breast cancer According to Wake County Human Services about 6300 North Carolina women this year 420 in Wake County alone will be diagnosed with breast cancer During Pink Ribbon Week places of worship workplaces community groups and other organizations will pass out pink ribbons Human Services will feature educational displays at six Wake County buildings: II Tuesday: Wake County Office Building 337 Salisbury St Raleigh Whitaker Mill Center 401 Whitaker Mill Road Raleigh Wednesday Human ServicesSwinbume 220 Swinbume St Raleigh Southern Regional Center 130 Judd Parkway NE Fuquay-Varina Thursday: Human ServicesSunnybrook 10 Sunnybrook Road Raleigh Eastern Regional Center 1002 Dogwood Drive Zebulon Human Services also will participate with Lee Denim Day on Oct 7 The culminating activity will be the Pink Ribbon Festival from 10 am to 2 pm Oct 8 at Human Services-Sunnybrook For more information contact Sonya Reid at 2504553 Peace to dedicate new additions RALEIGH Peace College will hold a dedication ceremony at noon today for nearly $6 million in new construction property purchases and renovations Among the projects is a $45 million 66-bed residential facility known as New Hall The college has expanded onto 3 acres formerly owned by the Raleigh Housing Authority near Peace's downtown Raleigh campus Peace also created a new parking area and vehicle access route by expanding Delway Street Gifts from private donors helped the college renovate Peace's Wachovia Athletic Field and Ragland Tennis Courts and make improvements at the Hermann Center Gym The dedication ceremony will take place on a second floor balcony at New Hall which is on Halifax Street behind Peace's Main Building Staff writer Bruce Siceloft can be reached at 829-4527 or brucesicelonnewsobservercom The UNC Children's Hospital in Chapel Hill released butterflies Thursday at the dedication of its Butterfly Garden a place where patients can relax STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE BARBOUR Officials raid 'bar' at UNC-CH fraternity Couple's autopsies pending I -) 11 they had no comment before swiftly shutting the door As of this past spring the fraternity had 18 members said Winston Crisp UNC-CH senior associate dean of students "This is a fairly unique happening" Crisp said "I don't think there's anybody around here that remembers anything like this" On Sept 22 about 30 people thought to be almost all students were hanging around the hail's backyard patio and basement bar when law enforcement officers showed up about 11:45 pm announcing they had a search warrant The bar was typically open Tuesdays and Thursdays Penland said "They actually had a bar a real bar with stools seated around the bar" he said Behind the bar were two refrigerators a cash box with 8480 in it and an index card box filled with 3-by5 cards with drinks and drink prices on them that appeared to be tabs owed to the bar Officers confiscated the cards and cash as well as more than 40 liters of alcohol and about 35 grams of marijuana Penland said Crisp said the infortnation from the investigation likely would be passed on to the university's student-run judicial system Smithfield police Capt Bruce Gentry left and an investigator talk at 216 Davis St after two bodies were found STAFF PHOTO BY Jai LEONARD BY JESSICA ROCHA STAFF WRITER CHAPEL HILL The fraternity's "bar" had a menu a file with patrons' tabs plenty of clientele and a heck of a lot of beer and liquor It just wasn't a bar Last week that distinction prompted a raid at St Anthony Hall the UNC-Chapel Hill literary fraternity whose back door opened into a speakeasy of sorts In what could be the first bar raid inside a UNC-CH fraternity officers from the NC Alcohol Law Enforcement Division the Chapel Hill Police Department and one Chatham County Sheriffs Office canine unit raided St Anthony Hall at 207 Pittsboro St They cited 17 people on 27 misdemeanor charges including marijuana drug possession underage drinking and selling alcohol without obtaining an ABC permit ALE Agent Mike Penland said All were cited at the scene and released St Anthony Hall's president Sally Enloe 21 of 2106 Sandy Pond Lane Waxhaw was cited for selling alcohol without a permit The "bar's" bartender Owen Fitzgerald 19 of 4513 Keswick Drive Raleigh also was cited for selling without a permit along with underage drinking A man and woman who answered the fraternity's front door Thursday told a reporter BY JENNIFER BREVORKA STAFF WRITER SMITHFIELD Police are awaiting autopsy results before confirming whether two shooting deaths Thursday were the result of a murder-suicide Officers said they were not seeking any suspects in the case Police arrived at 216 Davis St about 2:30 am Thursday according to a news release from the Smithfield Police Departmenti Officers found Jerri Couch Langley's body in a black sport utility vehicle which was parked in the carport of her brown house Inside the home police found the body of Ronald Keith Barbour Barbour and Langley had dated for about three years Langley's family said The couple worked together at Atlantic Steel Fabrication and had lived at the central Smithfield home for about two years Langley 45 and Barbour 46 both suffered gunshot wounds police said A handgun was found at the scene but Smithfield police refused to say if the gun was found inside the house or the SIN "There were no signs of any other criminal or suspicious activity at the residence" police said in a news release They added that they had not previously responded to calls for service at the West Davis Street house "It was not an ongoing domestic situation" Capt Bruce Gentry said Police removed yellow crime ORANGE COUNTY Eden-part-the an1 a 5K Sat-Anne Hayes is from le race ds will howan The Le arts lattle of trching inforco or (252) iync up for herself or her family "We were best friends" Stancil said tears streaming down her face Langley leaves behind a daughter and a grown son her family said She became a grandmother this past summer and delighted in spending time with her newborn granddaughter said Beverly Couch Langley's mother "She was a wonderful daughter" Couch said News researthir Becky Ogburn contributed to this report scene tape from the home's driveway shortly after 1 pm Thursday The bungalow is surrounded by trees and brush set back from the apartments that line the last block of West Davis Street A friend who answered the phone at the home of Barbotw's parents Thursday afternoon said the family did not want to speak with a reporter Langley's family said the couple's relationship appeared idyllic 'He worshiped the ground she walked on" said Connie Stand Langley's sister "Or so we thought" The second of four children Langley never hesitated to stand APS to dedicate adoption center MEBANE The Animal Protection Society of Orange County will hold its first birthday party and dedicate the APS Adoption Center at its APS Animal Sanctuary on Saturday The APS moved out of the Orange County Animal Shelter in June 2004 and opened its own animal adoption center in October For directions and more information about the APS go to www animaiprotectionsocletyorg or call 304-2300 Staff writer Jennifer Brevorka can be reached at 836-4906 or Ibrevorknewsobservercom Staff writer Jessica Rocha can be reached at 932-2008 or.