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HICKORY — In the grocery store, a child goes through the produce isle picking up items and biting into them. When mom tries to stop him, he takes a bite out of her. Meanwhile, the child has managed to get the attention of shoppers and workers alike. Story continues here >>>

Raped and pregnant at age 13, orphaned by a runaway father and a mother in prison, Elaine Riddick already had many strikes against her when it was time for her son Tony to be born.

But worse was yet to come. Judged “feeble minded” and “promiscuous” by the North Carolina eugenics board, Riddick was sterilized against her will by the doctors who delivered her baby in tiny Winfall, N.C. Story continues here >>>

Give the residents of Huntersville’s Monteith Place credit. In this age of political correctness and inclusiveness, they did not hide behind intangibles or generic descriptions in voicing their opposition to Carolinas Healthcare System’s plans to build a behavioral health hospital adjacent to their subdivision. Story continues here >>>

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A Fayetteville hospital has been granted a last-minute reprieve by federal regulators, who were set to cut off funding following two patient deaths. Story continues here >>>

Laurie Coker’s reputation as a persistent, passionate local advocate for behavioral-health issues, including making numerous trips to the General Assembly, has caught the eye of legislators. Coker has been appointed to a 24-member subcommittee focused on governance of local management entities, which oversee behavioral-health providers and services. She is director of the N.C. Consumer Advocacy, Networking and Support Organization. Story continues here >>>

RALEIGH, N.C. — An advocacy group for people with disabilities is calling on North Carolina officials to better care for children who have both a mental illness and developmental disability, hundreds of whom have been sent to live in facilities outside the state because of a lack of adequate resources closer to home. Story continues here >>>