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An unintended target
The now-infamous “Godless” TV ad, meant to cast doubts about Kay Hagan’s beliefs, seems to have winged a bystander with Greensboro connections.

Charles Frederick “Rick” Stone III moved to Boston last year to study theology at Harvard Divinity School and attended the fundraiser for Senate candidate Hagan at the home of an atheist activist.

Stone, a Christian, previously taught biblical studies at Greensboro College. Viewers who recognized him in the ad might have been shocked, but Stone told The Independent Weekly of Durham the political event was not a gathering of atheists.

The ad, run by Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s campaign, hit like a shotgun blast, perhaps inflicting more collateral damage than its creators intended.

A fair and equal chance to vote
State and local elections boards made the right decision last week to keep polling places open longer on Saturday, the final early voting opportunity.

Giving everyone a greater chance to vote always should be the goal.

But it’s also important to be fair about it. State board member Chuck Winfree of Greensboro, a Republican, appropriately made that point in discussions last week. If the board was going to allow some counties to extend voting Saturday, he said, it should ask all counties to do so. The board agreed.

What’s the issue? Democrats control the voting mechanism in every county. It wouldn’t be proper if partisan motivations kept polls open longer in counties where Democrats prevail but not in counties where they don’t. Not that such a thing actually would happen, but it was wise to banish the idea.

To the greatest extent possible, all voters deserve a fair and equal chance to get to the polls.

Dog reunited with trooper
Remember the video of the State Highway Patrol officer kicking a work dog and saying that it was part of training?

You’d think that Ricoh would have been separated from the trooper. And for about a year, he was. But the dog is back in Charles Jones’ care. Apparently, Robert Reaves, the trooper who had been taking care of the dog, which is retired, had to go on vacation. So he took Ricoh to Jones a month ago and never retrieved him.

Jones had been fired from the patrol, but a state judge and personnel commission recently ruled he should be reinstated with back pay. Jones argued in court that violent training procedures were common in the canine unit, and troopers testified on his behalf.

This latest twist to the tale should open Jones up to further disciplinary action if he returns to work. The patrol also might want to take a look at Reaves, who signed a contract saying he would provide lifetime care for Ricoh.
At least Ricoh appears healthy.

Payback’s a gas
There was more than bureaucratic bluster to the state Attorney General’s Office’s investigation of North Carolina gas stations for price gouging during Hurricane Ike in September. All told, 36 stations have been subpoenaed. Eight thus far have agreed to pay refunds to customers.
The two latest stations to ante up are located in Ashe and McDowell counties. One of them, the Corner Market on U.S. 221 in Jefferson, raised prices to $5.29 per gallon on Sept. 12. The overcharges to customers there totaled more than $1,600.

A Citgo in Old Fort overcharged customers by more than $1,897, after raising prices to $4.99 a gallon on Sept. 12 and 13.

Customers who paid by credit card would have their accounts credited. It will be harder for those who paid with cash; they’ll have to present receipts or other proof of purchase.

But station owners should think twice the next time they’re tempted to prey on consumers’ anxieties.

In addition to the restitution, each station has been ordered to pay $5,000 in civil penalties.