As a means to create jobs and revitalize communities, Congress began The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Earlier this year, $900 billion was dispensed in stimulus money in order to boost local Economies. Among the $900 billion, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) received $64 Million of this money. […]
Day: August 19, 2009
Tuition and Taxes Possibly On The Rise
Even as signs that the recession may be slowing, the North Carolina General Assembly has gone past their July 1 deadline to pass a funding bill. Staff and students alike are waiting for the General Assembly to pass the State Senate Bill 202, which will set the budget for, among […]
Western Carolina to Receive Benefits from Going Exclusive Pepsi
Western Carolina University recently switched from Coca-Cola products to providing Pepsi products exclusively. This contract was entered on May 11, after state regulations required WCU to allow new bids for its next beverage provider contract. WCU had a prior working relationship with Coca-Cola that led to many decades of the […]
Obama Discusses Possible National Healthcare Plan
President Obama, determined as ever on his top domestic priority, has been using every opportunity and tool available to pressure Congress for legislative approval. “We’ve made a lot of progress over the last few months. We’re now closer to health care reform than we ever had been before,” Obama said […]
WCU Gets New Chief Information Officer, Craig A. Fowler
On July 10, the university announced that Craig A. Fowler will be joining Western as the new Chief Information Officer (CIO). As of July 27, Fowler will be in charge of continuing to keep all television and Internet systems running smoothly. As CIO, Fowler will be responsible not only […]
Obama’s Green Initiative Includes White Roofs
Energy Secretary Steven Chu has a revolutionary plan to fight global warming. If it works, Chu claims it will have the same effect as removing the world’s vehicles for 11 years. The plan? Whitewash roofs and roads. Chu’s proposal to paint all roofs and roads white is based on research […]
Update on Medical Marijuana Legislation Proposed in North Carolina
In April, NC House Bill 1380, titled the North Carolina Medical Marijuana Act, was introduced. This legislation, aimed at decriminalizing marijuana for medical purposes and exempts patients from prosecution, has been sitting at a standstill since April 13 after passing its first reading and being sent to the Committee on […]
Salamander Named After WCU Professor
Western Carolina University has a rather small claim to fame to the Urspelerpes brucei, a recently discovered species of salamander. Named for WCU professor Emeritus Richard Bruce, the amphibian is only 2 inches long—and the second smallest known species in the U.S. This salamander was discovered in Stephens County, Ga., […]