Some might revel in their underage drinking exploits, but I suspect UNC-Chapel Hill tennis player Chris Kearney never expected his life to take the detour it looks like it will take.

Orange-Chatham District Attorney James Woodall just announced that he will seek the death penalty against Demario James Atwater in the slaying of former UNC Student Body President Eve Carson.

Can it happen in Orange County?

Fiona Morgan at the Indy has written a scathing analysis of the Durham Herald-Sun situation.  As they also publish the Chapel Hill Herald, her conclusions don't bode well for local media coverage in the future. It's also really sad to read that Ginny Hoyle will depart. Given the reported cutbacks at the N&O, it sure looks like this could be a great opportunity for the Daily Tar Heel to have an even more significant impact in this market.

The Herald-Sun's circulation has declined by 38 percent and its staff by more than half since the Paducah, Ky.-based Paxton Media Group bought the newspaper. Paxton, a private company, owns 32 newspapers, including seven in North Carolina, and one television station. But as chains go, it's a small-time operation. Most of its papers are in small Southeastern and Midwestern towns where there is no competing publication. The Herald-Sun continues to be its biggest newspaper.

How will he be remember in our community? 

For me, I will never forget what he was willing to do to win an election.

A new citizenship test is being rolled out:

In October 2008 a new version of the U.S. citizenship test will be taken by all applicants. Could you pass it? The questions are usually selected from a list of 100 samples that prospective citizens can look at ahead of the interview. Some are easy, some are not. We have picked some of the more difficult ones.

NOTES: Candidates are not given multiple choices in the naturalization interview. The following questions have been adapted from the immigration service’s sample questions.

Given the concerns about the process of becoming a US citizen, this 4th of July might be a great opportunity to see if those of us who are citizens could pass the sample test.

No references allowed!

The N&O is reporting that Liz Parham is resigning as executive director of the Chapel Hill Downtown Parntership and taking a job as director of the Office of Urban Development for the Division of Community Assistance at the state Department of Commerce .

The resignation is effective July 18.

Graham Allison, in his classic, Essence of Decision, perfectly characterized the Horace Williams Airport situation when he wrote about governmental behavior: "No decision is made just once or for good." He also argued that "where you stand depends on where you sit."

Today, according to the Chapel Hill Herald, is the day.

An agenda for the UNC Board of Governors' monthly round of meetings includes a mid-day session of the full board Thursday with a closed-session report of the Committee on Personnel and Tenure, followed by an open report and a final item: "Election of a Chancellor."

The BOG typically spends Thursday in committee meetings, gathering in a limited full board session at 5 p.m. before adjourning until the regular meeting on Friday morning.

Details about candidates for chancellor have been carefully guarded since the UNC Chancellor Search committee was formed last September. Nelson Schwab, a UNC Trustee and chair of the search committee, has said repeatedly that only the final choice would be announced publicly.

The BOG must vote to approve the Search Committee's recommendation.