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Sun. Headlines: CIAA Comes To Town

The CIAA college basketball tournament will bring thousands of fans to Charlotte this week for parties, career networking, concerts and basketball. Play begins at Time Warner Cable Arena on Tuesday and continues through Saturday, when the men’s and women’s titles will be decided.

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a collection of historically black institutions from around the southeast. Bowie State and Winston Salem State have the top seeds in the men’s tournament. Johnson C. Smith of Charlotte is No. 4 in the South Division. In the women’s tournament, The Lincoln and Shaw University are top seeds, while Johnson C. Smith is No. 2 in the South.

GAP REMAINS, BUT NC AHEAD IN ROAD FUNDING

There’s a big gap in funding for roads in North Carolina - the state will need as much as 94 billion dollars more than it has over the next 25 years, and policy makers are trying to figure out how to make up the shortfall. But the situation could be worse.  A new analysis by the Associated Press says North Carolina recently has outpaced most other states, and the nation as a whole, on highway fund access and spending. Transportation analyst David Hartgen credits the state's brisk pace of revenues to population growth and a variable state gasoline tax that rose as gas prices increased.

The picture in South Carolina is worse:  federal road funds flowing to the state have declined since 2008. And lawmakers say that’s only part of the problem for fixing and expanding the state’s a crumbling highway system.  Lawmakers say state road funding has never matched South Carolina's growth, and the gas tax hasn’t changed in 30 years.

BREVARD TO END FOSSIL FUEL INVESTMENTS

Brevard College is pulling all of the school's investments out of fossil fuels to make a public statement that something has to be done about climate change. The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that trustees voted Friday to get rid of any investment in fossil fuels from the college's $25 million endowment. Officials estimate about 4 percent of the Transylvania County school's portfolio is in fossil fuels, like coal.  College President David Joyce says students first came to trustees in 2013, and that the action is in keeping with the school's mission statement, which values social action.

CITADEL CADETS DISCIPLINED FOR HAZING

The Citadel says four cadets have left school voluntarily and 20 more have been disciplined after the school investigated 85 allegations of hazing and other mistreatment. The military college released a statement Friday saying commandant of cadets Capt. Geno Paluso reminded them they have a duty to report any hazing.

DUKE SETTLES COAL ASH CHARGES

Duke Energy announced Friday it has reached a settlement with federal prosecutors over criminal charges relating to last year’s massive coal ash spill on North Carolina’s Dan River.  Duke will pay about $100 million for fines, community service and mitigation. The company disclosed last week that it had reserved that amount for legal fees. If a judge approves the settlement, it will resolve the federal criminal charges, but not any damages that federal and state environmental officials may seek.  For more on this story,listen to an interview with WFAE's resident coal ash expert Ben Bradford.

SOTOMAYOR COMING TO DAVIDSON

US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will make an appearance at Davidson College next month. Our news partner DavidsonNews.net reports that demand for tickets is so strong that the college has moved the March 12th event into its 6000-seat basketball arena. Sotomayor and other justices often visit schools to promote understanding of the judicial system. Tickets will be available first to students, faculty and staff at Davidson, then beginning March 5th to the general public, if any remain …   

DAYTONA 500 TODAY – WITHOUT BUSCHES

The NASCAR Sprint Cup season begins anew this afternoon with the Daytona 500 in Florida.  Jeff Gordon, who announced recently that he’ll retire after this season, has the pole position … For the first time since 2000, neither of the Busch brothers will be in the race. NASCAR suspended Kurt Busch indefinitely after a judge found he had abused his girlfriend. Meanwhile, younger brother Kyle Busch is out with a broken leg and foot - suffered in a crash late in last night’s Xfinity Series race at Daytona. For today’s 500, the green flag waves at around 1:30pm.