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U.S. NEWS Thursday 9 January 2020
UNC newspaper sues

over deal to remove

Confederate statue

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — or objections," the DTH law-
The University of North Car- suit said.
olina Board of Governors The deal has been de-
violated the state's open nounced by students and
meetings laws by secretly faculty members as paying
negotiating and approving money to support white na-
a deal to dispose of a Con- tionalism. UNC-Chapel Hill In this Aug. 22, 2017 file photo, police surround the "Silent Sam"
federate monument from lost a $1.5 million research Confederate monument during a protest to remove the statue at
the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C.
the campus of the system's grant because of it. Associated Press
flagship school, according "The University will review
to a lawsuit filed by a stu- the claims and respond in statue stood for more than Thanksgiving without any
dent newspaper. court," UNC System spokes- a century on the Chapel notice. Twenty-two of the
DTH Media Corp., which man Josh Ellis said when Hill campus before protest- 24 board members were
publishes The Daily Tar Heel asked for comment, ac- ers took it down in August on the conference call,
student newspaper on the cording to The News & 2018. The university agreed and at least one person on
UNC-Chapel Hill campus, Observer. "The University is to put $2.5 million into a trust the eight-member commit-
wants a court to void two committed to the spirit and to help defray the costs of tee opposed the deal.
agreements between the purpose of the Open Meet- the new center. When the committee re-
Board of Governors and ings Act and UNC Board In addition, UNC-Chapel turned to open session, it
the state chapter of the of Governors meetings are Hill paid the SCV about adjourned without public
Sons of Confederate Veter- conducted in full accor- $75,000 not to display Con- acknowledgment of the
ans, news outlets reported dance with all state laws." federate flags or similar settlement, saying only that
on Wednesday. Superior Court Judge Allen banners on any UNC sys- there would be a news re-
"The manner in which the Baddour said last month tem campus during any lease later in the day.
meeting was noticed and that he is reconsidering his meetings or demonstra- About 45 minutes after
conducted effectively pre- approval of the deal. Bad- tions for five years. the board adjourned, the
vented any member of the dour approved an agree- The deal was approved SCV filed a lawsuit against
public, including those who ment on Nov. 27 in which behind closed doors by the UNC over "Silent Sam," and
may have attended the the SCV agreed to take Board of Governors' Com- Baddour approved a con-
meeting, from understand- ownership of the "Silent mittee on University Gover- sent agreement between
ing its purpose or outcome, Sam" statue and build a nance, which met via con- the two sides within five
much less raising questions center to preserve it. The ference call the day before minutes.q

Cash-strapped student charged

in Illinois lawyer's death

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A and the children's cell- Vucich, who declined to
cash-strapped pharmacy phones. elaborate.
student was charged in the Gori had a passion for col- "In my 22-year career as a
stabbing death of a promi- lecting vehicles, especially law enforcement official,
nent Illinois attorney whose Ferraris. He owned 20 Fer- I've seen a lot of gruesome
firm touts more than $3 bil- raris and served as vice cases," Vucich said Mon-
lion in compensation for cli- president of a local chap- day. "But this one elevates
ents. ter of the Ferrari Club of to the top of heinous and
Timothy Michael Banowetz, America, the St. Louis Post- senseless crimes."
28, is accused of fatally Dispatch reported. Police said Banowetz of-
stabbing Randy Gori and Banowetz, who was en- ten moved around but This handout photo provided
by the Madison County, Ill.,
holding two children cap- rolled in the fall at the St. stayed in the St. Louis area. Sheriff's Office shows Timothy
tive Saturday night at Gori's Louis College of Pharmacy, Court records show he was Banowetz.
home in Edwardsville, Illi- was in jail without bond evicted in December from Associated Press
nois, a city across the Mis- on charges of first-degree his St. Louis apartment. Po-
sissippi River from St. Louis. murder and nine other lice found him Sunday in a company.
Gori, 47, had two children, counts. Online court re- wooded area near Gori's Gori was also known for
but authorities have not cords Wednesday didn't home, with the stolen SUV large charitable donations,
said if they were the minors indicate whether he has nearby. Gori's law firm spe- including a recent $2.5 mil-
who were held captive. a lawyer who could com- cializes in asbestos litigation lion pledge to the city of
Police believe Banowetz ment on the allegations. nationwide, with offices in Edwardsville to help build
acted alone. Investigators Gori's actions during the at- Edwardsville, St. Louis, New an ice rink. Banowetz previ-
would not comment on tack, and an interruption Orleans, Washington, Los ously attended the College
any motive, but the crime of the crime by a woman, Angeles, New York and of the Ozarks near Branson,
also included the theft of likely saved the children's Orlando, Florida. Gori also Missouri, from 2010 through
Gori's 2020 Rolls-Royce Cul- lives, said Madison County founded a real estate and 2014, a college spokesman
linan SUV, along with cash Sheriff's Office Capt. Dave property management said Tuesday.q