WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM The Triangle Budget: Income taxes cut, salesBy Gary tax D. Robertson expanded ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH – Income taxes would be cut and small and rural counties RIBUNE would get more revenue as the sales tax gets applied for the first time to TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE car repairs and appliance installations under tax changes within the long- awaited North Carolina budget deal revealed Monday. The two-year budget agreement also would restore completely an in- come deduction for medical expenses that had been repealed in 2014. An VOLUME 17 NO. 26 WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2015 $1.00 expired tax credit for rehabilitating historic buildings also has been re- stored, although it's not as generous as before. The tax provisions, added in 11th-hour weekend negotiations between Shaw volleyball House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger, represent a sec- ond round of significant changes to the tax code after an historic 2013 is making a overhaul. The changes are part of a state budget that spends more than $21.7 bil- comeback to lion this fiscal year. The deal still requires two positive votes from the full House and Senate before going to Republican Gov. Pat McCrory's desk. competitiveness. The budget bill was supposed to take effect July 1, but Republican ne- gotiators wrestled this summer with differences over spending levels and policy. The House and Senate also have been holding concurrent negoti- ations on economic incentives, Medicaid reform and a $2 billion bond package, which will be in separate bills. Please seeBUDGET/2A Durham State police prepares chief to make resigns refugees By Latisha Catchatoorian [email protected] DURHAM – There will be a new chief welcomeBy Stephanie Carson in town. N.C. NEWS SERVICE The Durham Police Department will have a new police chief, as Chief Jose CHARLOTTE – North Car- Lopez, who served for eight years, will olina will likely receive some resign effective Dec. 31. of the 10,000 Syrian refugees “After an eight-year tenure I feel that President Obama said the U.S. with all your help, as will admit for resettlement chief I have led an ex- over the next 12 months. tremely professional po- Church World Service, with lice department,” Lopez offices in Charlotte, Greens- wrote in a memoran- boro and Durham, has al- dum. “What I have en- ready helped place 25 Syrian joyed the most as chief refugees earlier this year after has been watching they went through a rigorous DEMETRICE JONES everyone of you work on background check. Michaela Dunn gets crowned Miss Junior Black Teen USA Spokeswoman Sarah Ivory Lopez a daily basis and invok- ing a feeling of much pride said it's important to under- knowing that I was part of the best law stand the experience people enforcement has to offer.” arriving have had in their na- City Manager Tom Bonfield said in a tive country. media advisory that a change in lead- "The people that are coming ership is necessary for the city and the to the refugee program are DPD “to continue to meet the law en- Raleigh teen crowned people who are fleeing the forcement expectations and needs of very terrorism that we want to the community.” protect ourselves from as “Yesterday Lopez and I reached an well," she said. agreement for his separation from the "Our screening processes City of Durham, resulting in his deci- MissBy Latisha Blackcause it’s the part Jr. of the pageant Teenyour child set a goal and obtain are so incredibly rigorous and sion to retire,” Bonfield said. “I appre- Catchatoorian she doesn’t have control over. that goal is such a moment of will continue to be so for this “I was really nervous…my pride,” Vanessa said. “It was ab- population. " ciate (his) eight years of service to the [email protected] city during some very challenging stomach was so nervous on the solutely wonderful watching all Ivory said the amount of times for the Durham Police Depart- One of the Triangle’s own is inside. Once I got past the on- of her practice and hard work vetting the refugees go ment and for law enforcement across now the reigning Miss Black USA stage question, I felt really good pay off. I was so happy and through makes it unlikely that the country.” Junior Teen. about the rest of the competi- proud of her.” any of them could pose a dan- Lopez’ tenure has been rife with con- Michaela Dunn, who won Miss tion,” she said. Dunn donned an elegant, ger to citizens here. CWS is troversy and opposition, especially Black North Carolina Jr. Teen To help her daughter prepare white, princess ball gown with waiting for more information from the minority community. Last 2015 and resides with her for the competition, Dunn’s jeweled details on the sleeves – on the families it will help re- year The Tribune reported on a black mother in Raleigh, recently mother Vanessa provided cri- the perfect dress for a crowning locate. police officer who said he was repeat- competed in Washington, D.C., tiques and helped her with moment. Ivory and others believe the edly discriminated against while on to win the national title. mock on-stage questions by re- Dunn loves pageantry be- U.S. should be offering to host the job and frequently overlooked for “The competition was tough,” searching current events. cause it allows her to practice more refugees. She points to advancement and promotion in com- said Dunn, 11, who just started Dunn sang the song “Dyna- speaking in front of people and other smaller countries with parison to his white colleagues. the seventh grade. “The other mite” for her talent and won the she hopes to one day be a news less resources offering to help Lopez’ office never returned our re- girls were so nice.” overall talent award for the pre- broadcaster. thousands more and adds her Dunn competed in traditional teen and teen division. All of the Now that she holds this spe- organization is receiving Please see DURHAM/2A pageant categories like talent, Dunns hard work paid off when cial title, Dunn’s duties include more offers for help than they fitness wear, evening gown and Michaela was crowned the win- representing young girls be- have need. answering a stage question. ner. tween the ages of 9-12 years old "Ten thousand refugees for She said she was most nerv- “I still really can’t put into and bringing awareness to the a nation as large and re- ous about the stage question be- words that moment. Watching Please see NORTH/2A Truancy Please see RALEIGH/2A takes a Durham residents push for Remedy higher toll delayed affordableBy Latisha downtown housing Catchatoorian on black [email protected] for most DURHAM – Mayor Bill Bell was not happy with all the signs res- familiesBy Freddie Allen idents were holding up during By Zenitha Prince last week’s city council meeting. HBCUs AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION The meeting was so packed, the WASHINGTON – Truancy among crowd spilled out into the hall- Attorneys in the case Coali- black students has far-ranging conse- way. tion v. MHEC, in which a fed- quences, not just as a predictor for low Last week’s work session eral judge found Maryland academic achievement, but also for agenda included the proposed guilty of illegally perpetuating the long-term cost to American tax- use of the vacant lot adjacent to a dual higher education sys- payers, according to a new report by Durham Station, and many tem through duplication of the Center of American Progress, a members of Durham CAN, resi- programs at historically black Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan dents and other concerned citi- institutions, warned that im- think tank. zens came out with signs plementation of a remedy is PHOTO COURTESY OF LATISHA CATCHATOORIAN Blacks students are twice as likely to blazing, stating their support likely a long way off. be chronically absent from school for its use as affordable hous- Residents packed city council chambers to express their “What’s difficult for the than their white peers, and “because ing. views. public to appreciate is that absenteeism often leads to dropping However, signs are not al- there is no set deadline for the city putting in money to credits to build 80 to 100 apart- out of high school, it is not surprising lowed in the city council cham- conflict litigation,” said provide for people above the ments for people earning less that high school graduation rates have bers, and Bell repeatedly asked Brenda Shum, director of the median income; I’m interested than 60 percent of the area’s a similar pattern of racial gaps as ab- that they be taken out or low- Educational Opportunities in houses for families below the median income (up to $37,000 a senteeism rates.” ered. Project at the Lawyers’ Com- median income.” year for a household of three). The report titled “The High Cost of “I don’t think anybody should mittee for Civil Rights Under The vacant lot on Jackson Bell said when he first heard Truancy” detailed the consequences question this council’s commit- Law, and one of the lawyers Street adjacent to Durham Sta- the proposal, it was his under- of chronic absenteeism, identified stu- ment to affordable housing in representing the plaintiff, the tion Transportation Center is a standing the housing would dents most at risk and offered a num- this city,” Bell said. “For me, af- Coalition for Equity and Excel- 2.15-acre plot of land.