NHL free agent scramble begins today TUNING IN TO HARRY CONNICK JR.

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Sports Weekend

FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2013

75 CENTS m RALEIGH, N.C. newsobserver.com FINAL EDITION

Egyptians defend ouster of Morsi

a News ash
See newsobserver.com
for updates.
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newsandobserver and on
Twitter @newsobserver.
Ex-president in custody; barely a year after the nations first in Egypts leadership was a culmina- streets had nullified the elections
free and fair presidential elections. tion of a maelstrom that took that led to Morsis increasing un-
party official arrested But none of that deterred the feel- months to develop as an increasing- popular and divisive tenure, they
ing of jubilation that remained on ly disgruntled public, the nations said. The military, the last remain-
By Nancy A. Youssef the streets in Egypts capital, one military and Morsis incompetent ing revered national institution,
McClatchy Foreign Staff day after the top military com- leadership collided. Even as they simply carried out the will of the
CAIRO Egypt on Thursday had a mander ousted Mohammed Morsi quietly mulled whether Morsi majority, they said. Morsi, they
new president, its former president from the presidency, suspended a might have been right that rem- said, had never had control of the
sat in military custody, the top offi- controversial constitution that had nants of the government of Hosni government, the final evidence
cial of the Muslim Brotherhood was been approved in a referendum and Mubarak were constantly under- coming when police officers and
under arrest, and at least four tele- called for new presidential elec- mining him, many here embraced soldiers turned against him.
AL DRAGO - adrago@newsobserver.com vision stations had been shut down tions. the result. It was a coup, but it was neces-
Dakota Gruver, 6, rolls down all seemingly undemocratic steps For many here, the dramatic shift A popular referendum on the SEE EGYPT, PAGE 10A
the street during an Indepen-
dence Day parade Thursday
near Oval Park in Durham.

Durham neighborhood
DOWNTOWN RALEIGH HOSTS PATRIOTIC CELEBRATION
celebrates Fourth
Carrying on the tradition despite
the passing of the events found-
er, hundreds of Watts Hospital-
Hillandale neighborhood resi-
dents both past and present
came together for its 64th Fourth
of July parade and celebration in
Durham. 1B

Witnesses say jailer

used excessive force
The investigation into an alterca-
tion that claimed a Wake County
inmates life is still underway, but
two men who also were in custo-
dy at the jail have sent letters to
The News & Observer saying
they saw the incident. 1B

Senators vow U.S. will

not abandon Afghanistan
U.S. Sens. John McCain and
Lindsey Graham made an un-
announced visit to Kabul on
Thursday to reassure Afghan
President Hamid Karzai and
reboot stalled negotiations. 3A

GOP faces hard choices

on Voting Rights Act
When the Supreme Court gutted
the Voting Rights Act last week, it
handed Republicans tough ques-
tions with no easy answers over
how, and where, to attract voters
even GOP leaders say the party
needs to stay nationally compet-
itive. 5A
Warning issued: Watch
for rain-swollen rivers
Authorities in North Carolinas
mountain parks are on high alert,
saying they are concerned that
heavy thunderstorms could send
torrents of water down already-
swollen streams and rivers
where campers, boaters and
swimmers are enjoying the holi-
day weekend. 3B
A good use for a creepy insect
Professor harnesses
roaches, hopes they can
aid at disaster sites
By Daniel Blustein
dblustein@newsobserver.com
Alper Bozkurt, an electrical and
computer engineering professor at
N.C. State University, loves cock-
roaches. Big, hissing cockroaches.
His research team has developed
technology to automatically control
the insects as they move around an
environment. The work represents
CHUCK LIDDY - cliddy@newsobserver.com
Inside Online Thousands of spectators watch the fireworks show Thurs-
Independence Day: Read about Gallery: See more photos from Thursdays July Fourth day during downtown Raleighs Fourth of July celebration
Raleighs celebration. 1B fireworks and fun in Raleigh at nando.com/localpics on Fayetteville Street.
School bonds could overshadow election Plan eases
4 board members held by Tom Benton, Bill Fletcher, less likely to see the energy and fo-
Deborah Prickett and John Tedes- cus on the campaign, Tedesco
seats are up, and so is co. said.
way to shore
$810M bond issue The candidates vying for those You are more likely to see the
four seats could play second fiddle energy and focus on getting the in Hatteras
By T. Keung Hui to the groups that will be pouring bond passed.
khui@newsobserver.com money into persuading Wake vot- Tedesco represents District 2, By Bruce Siceloff
Wake County school board can- ers either to pass or reject a bond which includes much of Garner bsiceloff@newsobserver.com
didates could find it hard to get that would fund 16 new schools, and Fuquay-Varina and part of Now that surf fishers and vaca-
their message out this year when renovations and other construc- Knightdale. He said hes engaged tioners are shelling out $2 million a
voter attention will be focused on tion projects. in thoughtful consideration and year for permits to drive on the
an $810 million school construc- Benton, Fletcher and Prickett all prayer with his family about the beach at the Cape Hatteras Nation-
tion bond referendum. say theyll run this fall, but Tedes- issue of whether to run for re- al Seashore, the National Park Serv-
The filing period opens today co hasnt announced his decision. election. ice has the money it needs for long-
for the school board seats now With a bond up this time, youre SEE FILING, PAGE 4A sought improvements that will
make it easier for all visitors on
foot and on wheels to actually
reach the beach.
The agency aims to spend $8 mil-
lion to $12 million to build parking
areas, off-road vehicle ramps, foot
an important step toward developing right along a desired path. trails, boardwalks and observation
remote-controlled animals that can Using the popular Kinect control- platforms along the 67-mile-long
investigate small and dangerous ler for the Xbox video game system, seashore on North Carolinas Outer
spaces, such as the rubble of a col- Bozkurt can even set the controllable Banks.
lapsed building. animals he calls them biobots The new plan is being aired for
Bozkurts cockroaches are not the on autopilot. The Kinect camera public comment through Aug. 2,
kitchen invaders some of us know all known for tracking the dance moves and it will be discussed at public
too well. His hissing cockroaches and soccer kicks of video gamers is meetings in Avon July 16 and Ocra-
from Madagascar have to be big effective at monitoring the move- coke July 17. The first construction
enough, 2 to 3 inches, to wear minia- ment of the cockroach. could start next spring.
ture backpacks. Tiny wires are insert- Bozkurts approach to harnessing DANIEL BLUSTEIN - It has drawn praise from an envi-
dblustein@newsobserver.com
ed into the antenna of the insects animal power is just the next step in ronmental advocate who supports
and, with electrical stimulation com- humankinds domestication of ani- N.C. State professor Alper current restrictions on beach driv-
ing from the cockroach backpack, mals, he said. And with the physical Bozkurt can guide roach- ing. But Park Service critics, who
Bozkurt can guide the insect left or SEE ROACHES, PAGE 4A es via remote control. SEE HATTERAS, PAGE 4A

88 70 Detailed A B
Todays forecast
Index Lotteries.......2A Weekend .......1D Sports...........1C
weather 40% chance precip. on 8B Television .....9D Obituaries ....6B Comics........10D Editorials ......8A Vol. 2013, No. 186

FISHING EXCURSION FOR UP TO 3 ANGLERS Not a coupon. Visit

200 400
triangle.dealsaver.com
$ $ to purchase deals.
newsobserver.com
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Spec Fever Fishing Guide Service
New Bern, Oriental, NC triangle.dealsaver.com
+
 4A Friday, July 5, 2013
FILING
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
A law that the state legislature
passed last month changes when
and how Wake school board mem-
bers are elected. Most of the
changes take place in 2016, but,
more immediately, the law stipu-
lates that the four candidates elect-
ed Oct. 8 will serve only three-year
terms instead of the regular four-
year term.
The law also extends the terms
of the five Democratic-backed
members elected in 2011 by a year.
But in 2016, all nine of the board
seats will be on the ballot under
new lines drawn up by the legisla-
ture.
For this year, the elections will
take place under the lines adopted
by the school board in 2011.
Prickett, a Republican whose
District 7 seat includes northwest
Raleigh, Morrisville and parts of
Cary, said she believes she can be
an effective board member even
though she would remain in the
minority for the next three years.
There are a lot of things we
agree on, Prickett said of the oth-
er board members. Were still
working for kids and families.
Zora Felton, a retired educator
and Democrat, has announced that
she will run against Prickett.
All four board members back the
bond. Their challengers might find
that to be valuable campaign fod-
der because the bond issue would
HATTERAS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
are backing federal legislation to
end the required driving permits
and fees, are skeptical about the
proposed improvements.
With construction stretching ov-
er a projected 10 to 15 years, the
beach access improvements could
make a big difference for 2 million
people who travel each year to the
windswept barrier islands only
to find that the shore itself is re-
mote and inaccessible for anyone
without a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
The few parking spots are scat-
tered miles apart. For decades,
most visitors have simply parked
on the beach itself. The new plan
would add 193 new parking spaces
along the beach highway, N.C. 12.
Parking areas are important,
said Walker Golder of Wilmington,
assistant state director for the Au-
dubon Society. Otherwise, people
end up parking on the side of the
road and getting stuck in the sand
and all that stuff, just trying to go
to the beach.
Once you find a place to leave
the family car, you can face a long
slog to the surf through a few hun-
dred yards of deep, hot sand and
across dunes armored with cactus
and thorn bushes.
That means trampling the vege-
tation, which lessens the ability of
the dune to hold up during storm
surges, said Barclay Trimble, the
Hatteras seashore superintendent.
Also in the plan are five foot-
paths from parking spots to the
shoreline, and 11 handicap-acces-
sible boardwalks.
A difficult trek
Except for a few small camping
areas and visitor centers, the Cape
Hatteras National Seashore is
primitive and has seen little in the
way of capital improvements over
the past few decades. Access to the
shore is focused on a string of sim-
ple vehicle ramps unpaved tracks
between gaps in the dunes sep-
arated from each other by several
miles.
To protect nesting birds and
turtles, and to accommodate visi-
tors who dont enjoy seeing vehi-
cles on the beach, the National
Park Service instituted sweeping
restrictions on beach driving in
February 2012. Permits are re-
quired, hours are limited, and vehi-
cles are banned from many miles of
Outer Banks beaches where they
were allowed in the past.
Additional areas are marked off-
ROACHES
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
limitations and battery require-
ments of engineered robots, espe-
cially at small sizes, the appeal of
controlling an animals body as a ro-
bot has been gaining traction.
This week, Bozkurt is at a confer-
ence in Japan to share his findings
and connect with other biobot
builders. The field is growing with
teams working to remotely control
large moths and beetles, in addition
to roaches.
RoboRoach
A company in Michigan called
Backyard Brains has developed
cockroach control technology simi-
lar to Bozkurts that allows students
to direct their own bugs using an
iPhone.
Their RoboRoach kit, in the
midst of a successful funding cam-
paign on Kickstarter, serves as an
educational tool to expose students
of all ages to neuroscience, said
Greg Gage, co-founder of Backyard
Brains.
+ I think people get kind of
Running for office
The filing period opens at noon today for the elections Oct. 8 in Raleigh and
Cary and for the Wake County school board, and the elections Nov. 5 for
Wakes other municipalities. The filing period ends at noon July 19.
result in a property tax increase of
$145 a year for the average home-
owner.
I dont know how this is going
to play out with the bond at the
same time, Benton said. Im
guessing that virtually everyone
who runs will be in support of the
bond.
A less contentious race seen
The bond and the fact that this
years contests wont change the
boards Democratic-backed major-
ity through 2016 mean this years
election will probably be less con-
tentious.
In the last two school board elec-
tions, Republicans gained the ma-
jority in 2009, and Democrats took
back control in 2011.
The elections saw increased vot-
er turnout and record amounts of
spending for the contests over
who would lead the states largest
school system.
Both Prickett and Tedesco were
elected in 2009, along with Debra
Goldman and Chris Malone. The
four joined with incumbent Ron
Margiotta to form a new 5-4 Re-
publican majority.
But Margiottas defeat in 2011
gave Democrats a 5-4 majority.
Resignations by Malone to take a
N Manteo
Nags Head
64
Raleigh
Pea Island
National
Wildlife
Refuge
264
Rodanthe
Pamlico
Sound
Beach driving 12
fees will pay
for boardwalks,
ramps, parking
Hatteras
Atlantic
Ocean
Cape Hatteras
National
Ocracoke Seashore
The News & Observer
Easier access to the
beach at Cape Hatteras
The National Park Service is
proposing improvements to make it
easier for visitors at the 67-mile-
long Cape Hatteras National Sea-
shore to get from their cars to the
beach. The plan includes:
m Fifteen new parking areas for
nearly 200 cars.
m Five paths and 11 handicap-
accessible boardwalks, some with
observation platforms, to provide
an easy walk across the dunes from
parking areas to the ocean and
Pamlico Sound.
m Six new vehicle ramps for
drivers with permits to drive on the
beach.
The improvements will be funded
with fees collected for beach-
driving permits $50 for a week,
$120 for the calendar year.
The plan will be aired at two
public meetings:
m July 16, Avon Fire Department,
3-6 p.m.
m July 17, Ocracoke School, 3-6
p.m.
Details are online at http://
bit.ly/1cRIkdw.
Source: National Park Service
limits during spring and summer
nesting seasons. The spots most
popular with surfers, swimmers
and shell collectors are inaccessi-
ble for all or much of the year, both
for vehicles and people on foot.
The improvements outlined last
week include five new vehicle
ramps that would restore driving
access to parts of the beach that
are cut off under the new restric-
tions.
DANIEL BLUSTEIN -
dblustein@newsobserver.com
A Madagascar hissing cock-
roach wears a backpack that
allows it to be remotely and
automatically directed.
creeped out by remote control of in-
sects for fun, Gage said.
But the work of both Gage and
Bozkurt is not just for fun.
Backyard Brains is serious about
education. And Bozkurts research
at NCSU is ultimately focused on
developing technology that can be
used to help humans.
FROM PAGE ONE
seat in the state House and Gold-
man to head a nonprofit group in
Wilkes County allowed the new
majority to increase its control.
Benton, a Democrat, was ap-
pointed in February to replace Ma-
lone in District 1, which covers
Wendell, Zebulon, Wake Forest,
Rolesville, and parts of Knightdale
and North Raleigh.
Fletcher, a Republican, was ap-
pointed in March to replace Gold-
man in District 9, which covers
much of Cary. Fletcher was backed
by the Democratic board members
but didnt get the support of Prick-
ett and Tedesco.
Nancy Caggia, a longtime school
volunteer and Republican who was
passed over in favor of Fletcher,
has announced plans to run for the
seat.
Fletcher previously served on
the board from 1993 to 2005. He
has joined the board majority in
votes such as restoring diversity as
a factor in student assignment.
He said he hopes to help restore
the board to its officially non-
partisan nature.
I want to get us back to running
the schools to meet the needs of
the children, he said.
Hui: 919-829-4534
It will be more accessible than it
is today, but it is still far less acces-
sible than it was two years ago,
said Jim Keene of Nags Head, a
former president of the N.C. Beach
Buggy Association.
Keene doesnt like the fact that
driving permit fees will pay for
boardwalks and parking lots to
benefit tourists and families who
dont pay those fees.
If theyre going to build more
than 100 new parking spots for pe-
destrian users, they should charge
for the parking and not charge the
people who are not using the park-
ing lots, Keene said.
Keenes group and many Outer
Banks residents have steadfastly
opposed the beach-driving restric-
tions, saying they hurt the local
tourism economy.
They support perennial efforts
in Congress including a bill that
cleared a Senate committee last
month to roll back the regula-
tions and eliminate the permits
and fees.
Allen Burrus of Buxton, a Dare
County commissioner, voices the
skepticism of Outer Banks natives
who have long regarded the Park
Service as an army of occupation.
Yes, we want to see more board-
walks and, yes, we want to see
more ramps, Burrus said. But to
be honest with you, we were deal-
ing with these issues in the 1980s,
and they promised the same type
of stuff. And its never been done.
These promises have been made
and broken for 25 years or more.
Golder, the Audubon Society
spokesman, said the beach access
regulations balance the interests of
wildlife protection, the tourism
economy and all kinds of Outer
Banks visitors.
If Congress eliminates the driv-
ing permits, he said, the Park Serv-
ice wont be able to collect the fees
that would pay for all those new
ramps, boardwalks and parking
spots.
The current regulation is work-
ing for wildlife, and it is working
for the economy, Golder said.
Any effort to change it is misguid-
ed.
But Burrus isnt counting on the
Park Service to follow through
with its plans.
One of the reasons we started
being a lot more active in Congress
is that they werent getting any of it
done, Burrus said.
Siceloff: 919-829-4527 or
blogs.newsobserver.com/crosstown or
twitter.com/Road_Worrier
His National Science Foundation
funding is aimed at developing a
system to search for survivors un-
der the rubble of a collapsed build-
ing. Resilient cockroaches also
could be used for environmental
sensing, such as detecting radiation
levels in Japans Fukushima nuclear
disaster.
I love all kinds
Bozkurts respect for insects is ex-
treme. Even with a 3-year-old
daughter at home, he spares black
widow spiders he finds in his shed,
using a device to harmlessly vacu-
um them up for release elsewhere.
I love all kinds of insects, Boz-
kurt said.
Hes particularly fond of social in-
sects, such as bees and ants, that
survive in large groups.
Once Bozkurt refines his auto-
matic cockroach control tech-
niques, he wants to coordinate his
biobots into swarms.
So, in the future, the first call after
a disaster may be to Bozkurts team
of remote-controlled cockroaches.
Blustein: 919-829-4627
A The News & Observer +
PABLO SPENCER - AFP/GETTY
Ash spews from Mexicos Popocatepetl volcano, near Mexico City.
At least six airlines canceled flights in and out of the citys airports.
Volcanos eruption
grounds ights from
U.S. to Mexico City
Airports say theyre Authorities registered several
tremors Thursday at the
staying safe as 17,886-foot volcano, which has
Popocatepetl spews been spraying a fountain of hot rock
and ash for 24 hours. Federal civil
Associated Press protection authorities established a
MEXICO CITY At least six U.S. 7-mile safety radius around the Po-
airlines canceled more than 40 pocatepetl, which means no one
flights into and out of Mexico City can enter that area.
and Toluca airports Thursday after In Charlotte on Thursday, US Air-
the Popocatepetl volcano spewed ways canceled its nonstop flight to
out ash, steam and glowing rocks, Mexico City that was scheduled to
airport officials said. depart Charlotte Douglas Interna-
Mexico City airport spokesman tional Airport at 9:35 a.m. and ar-
Jorge Gomez said U.S. Airways, rive at 12:21 p.m. Mexico City time.
Delta, United, American and Alas- A return flight to Charlotte that was
ka Airlines canceled 47 flights as a supposed to have a layover in Phoe-
precaution. But he said the airport nix before landing here at 5 p.m.
otherwise continues to operate nor- Thursday was also canceled.
mally and that by Thursday after- Davien Anderson, a US Airways
noon no ash had reached the area, spokesperson, told the Observer
about 40 miles from the volcano. that as of 5 p.m. Thursday, the air-
Gomez said that among the line didnt anticipate canceling any
routes affected by the cancelations more flights from Charlotte to Mex-
were flights to Houston, Dallas, ico City, including one scheduled
Denver, Phoenix, Chicago and Los for Friday, but that the airline will
Angeles. re-evaluate the situation as neces-
At nearby Toluca airport, Spirit sary.
Airlines canceled flights from Dal- He recommended that passen-
las and Fort Lauderdale, said gers visit www.usairways.com to
spokesman Alejandro Munoz. The check the status of flights before
airport, about 35 miles from Mex- heading to the airport.
ico City, also continued to operate OBSERVER STAFF WRITER OLIVIA FORTSON
normally, Munoz said. CONTRIBUTED.
Town mourns Hotshots
during somber holiday
Autopsy says burns, comforted when the fire chief told
them that Grant McKee had been
breathing problems part of the Navy SEALs of fire-
killed firefighters fighting, his aunt said. His family
was planning to spend the day at
By Hannah Dreier home, visiting with relatives flying
Associated Press in for his funeral.
PRESCOTT, Ariz. They remem- Initial autopsy results released
bered the Fourth, but also the 19. Thursday showed the firefighters
At Bistro St. Michael on Whiskey died from burns, carbon monoxide
Row in this Old West town, 19 can- poisoning or oxygen deprivation,
dles burned beneath red, white and or a combination of the factors.
blue bunting, one for each firefight- Their bodies, which are in Phoenix
er killed last weekend battling a for the autopsies, were expected to
wildfire not far from the place they be taken 75 miles northwest to
called home. Prescott on Sunday. Each firefight-
In a quiet neighborhood near the er will be in a hearse, accompanied
high school, which at least five of by motorcycle escorts, honor guard
them attended, 19 miniature U.S. members and American flags.
flags were planted in front yards, A memorial service planned for
each pole tied with the purple rib- Tuesday is expected to draw thou-
bon that commemorates fallen fire- sands of mourners, including fire-
fighters. fighters fami-
At the make- lies.
shift memorial Theres no The Hotshots
on the fence that c re w h a d d e -
wrapped around celebrating today. ployed Sunday
the elite Hot- to what was
shots firefight- Were doing OK, thought to be a
ing teams head- manageable
quarters, people but its still up lightning-
left 19 potted c a u s e d fo re s t
plants, 19 pin- and down. fire near the
wheels, 19 hand- small town of
written cards, LAURIE MCKEE Yarnell, about
19 religious can- AUNT OF ONE OF THE 19 HOTSHOTS 60 miles from
dles. WHO DIED IN SUNDAYS FIRE Phoenix. Vio-
On a day NEAR YARNELL, ARIZ. lent winds fu-
meant to ponder eled the blaze
t h e n a t i o n s and trapped the
birth, and those highly trained
who built and defended it over 237 firefighters, most of them in the
years, Prescotts residents had 19 of prime of their lives. The Hotshots
their neighbors, their friends, their deployed their fire shelters, which
relatives to remember. can briefly protect people from
I just wanted to thank them and flames, but only the crews lookout
let them know that theyre heroes survived.
and that theyre missed, said Su- Sundays tragedy, the nations
san Reynolds, who hung a piece of biggest loss of firefighters since 911,
fabric with an expression of thanks raised questions of whether the
on a string of panels that hung like a usual precautions would have made
prayer flag on the fence. any difference in the face of triple-
Away from the celebrations, pub- digit temperatures, erratic winds
lic memorials and the fireworks and dry conditions that caused the
planned for later Thursday, some of fire to explode. A team of forest
the fallen firefighters families were managers and safety experts is in-
quietly trying to come to terms vestigating what went wrong and
with their own personal loss. Occa- plans to release initial findings by
sionally, relatives would emerge to the weekend.
speak about the fallen. Nearly 600 firefighters continue
Theres no celebration today, to fight the blaze, and officials ex-
s a i d L a u r i e M c K e e , w h o s e pected it to be up to 85 percent con-
21-year-old nephew, Grant McKee, tained by Thursday night. The fire
died in the fire. Were doing OK, has destroyed more than 100
but its still up and down. homes and burned about 13 square
McKees father and aunt picked miles. Yarnell remained evacuated,
up items recovered from his truck but authorities hope to allow resi-
on Wednesday night, and were dents back in by Saturday.