N.C. Political Donor’s Napping Trucker Request; Another State Struggles With Its Untested Rape Kits
Welcome to North Carolina. Just don't park and nap on the side of an expressway onramp. Ken Lund / Flickr via CC BY-SA 2.0
Also: Minnesota's good Black Friday idea and Las Vegas tests out traffic safety project successful in South Carolina
Here some of what we’ve been reading this weekend …
DOBSON, North Carolina: There’s a reason why the North Carolina Highway Patrol is writing so many tickets to truckers who park along an Interstate 77 on-ramp at Exit 93 to take a nap: complaints that were “funneled through the Governor’s Office.” The News & Observer reports that the source of complaint is Charlie Shelton, a GOP fundraiser and supporter of Gov. Pat McCrory.
According to the N&O:
“It’s unsightly,” Shelton, 80, said in an interview. “It’s against the law to park a tractor-trailer and go to sleep there and throw your trash out on the road. …
“I asked to talk with [McCrory] about it, and I spent a little time explaining it to him. And that’s when he got the troopers involved and the DOT involved.”
McCrory’s office did not respond to email and telephone requests for comment.
The parking enforcement campaign is the second instance to become public recently in which McCrory has gotten involved in state policy on behalf of a campaign donor.
Shelton, according to the N&O, said: “This has nothing to do with Shelton Vineyards, nor with our wine business here.” Shelton’s winery is located near the highway interchange in question. [The News & Observer]
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico: Just how much untested evidence from sexual assault cases are gathering dust in New Mexico? According to The Albuquerque Journal, a state Department of Public Safety survey of police agencies in the state found the number of untested “rape kits,” as they’re often referred to as, at at least 5,341. And that doesn’t include those that are in possession of “several dozen” police agencies that didn’t respond to the state inquiry. Some of the rape kits date back to the 1980s. [The Albuquerque Journal]
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota: Here’s a good idea from the Land of 10,000 Lakes: Admission fees to state parks and recreation areas will be waived on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the day that has grown into the frenzied Black Friday for holiday shopping. “Visiting these parks is a great way to spend time with family and loved ones, relieve stress and enjoy exercise in the great outdoors,” Lt. Gov. Tina Smith said in an announcement, according to the Star Tribune, which noted that Smith’s announcement included some health statistics: “The average American consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving, well more than twice the recommended daily intake, and a brisk one-hour walk can burn 300 calories.” [Star Tribune]
MUNCIE, Indiana: When you’re discussing the topic of municipal relations with railroad companies these days, there’s a good chance it might have something to do with trains carrying hazardous materials and the risk they pose to local communities. In Muncie, the issue is somewhat more simple, but one that looms large in arena of local quality of life: the noise from train horns. As The Star Press reports, the city has been wrapping up its “quiet zone” project, where trains will cease the use of their horns and the city will close certain railroad crossings and improve the safety of remaining crossings in the downtown area. [The Star Press]
LAS VEGAS, Nevada: Is there a better way to make traffic signals more visible to motorists, especially at night? The city of Las Vegas has been installing new reflective tape on the backplate of traffic signals in one targeted corridor as part of a pilot project funded through a one-time federal grant. As the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, the South Carolina Department of Transportation has found success with the 3-inch reflective yellow tape, with decreases in late night and early morning traffic crashes between 31.8 percent and 85.5 percent. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
(Image by Ken Lund / Flickr via CC-BY-2.0)
Michael Grass is Executive Editor of Government Executive’s Route Fifty.
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