As of Saturday, 1 May 2010 any person under the age of 26 will be required by NC law to complete a boater’s safety course before operating a boat with 10 horsepower or greater in state waters. The Cape Fear Sail and Power Squadron, a local non-profit, will be hosting the safety courses for a [...]

Jonathan Graham was wrongfully terminated after a refusal to turn a blind eye to a code violation on a house built in the prestigious community of Landfall in Wilmington, NC.  Ignoring such a violation was against Grahams personal and professional responsibilities and morals as an architect and Inspections Department Director working for his county. Within [...]

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is urging the Food and Drug Administration to regulate and reduce the amount of sodium found in processed foods and restaurant meals. The current recommended amount of sodium is set at a maximum of 2,3000 mg daily; however, the IOM recommends a healthy daily intake of 1,500 mg. Americans ingest [...]

A December 2008 Tennessee coal-ash spill has sparked concern in North Carolina over the use of coal-ash as structural fill. The NC Sierra Club is the leading the fight for tighter regulations on the use of ash, including limiting disposal sites to lined landfills. Although the proposed restriction would minimize concern for groundwater contamination, it [...]

Linda Shearer of Massachusetts filed a wrongful death lawsuit, after her husband who had been taking Neurontin, an anti-seizure drug, committed suicide in 2002. Harley Shearer was prescribed the drug in order to control the effects of his paralysis. The suit alleged that Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company that produces the drug, promoted this use of [...]

An FDA advisory panel is researching and considering restriction on tanning beds, in a number of areas. Restrictions are being considered for light skinned people, and for people under the age of 18. Light-skinned is classified as Fitzpatrick skin type 1, those who don’t tan, for example red heads and people with a lot of [...]

The Permit Extension Act of 2009, designed to help developers suffering from the recession, passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. According to the act, any developer that obtained a building permit beginning January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2010 will not have to apply for a permit extension, thus giving the developer a [...]