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Experts say that 2 percent to 4 percent of the national population has gambling problems, although research specific to North Carolina is scarce.Also unclear is whether the lottery will exacerbate people with existing gambling problems or cause new people to become addicted.North Carolina already has a panoply of ways to gamble, said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling in Washington."I've never met a problem gambler, including some from North Carolina, who ever said they had a hard time finding somewhere to lose their money," Whyte said.

Video poker, charity bingo and the Cherokee casino are legal venues in North Carolina.

Tar Heels also bet over the Internet, through illegal sports booking operations and the like.The blitz of lottery advertising may have the most immediate effect on recovering problem gamblers trying to kick their habit, Whyte said.Although his group has consulted with North Carolina on its help line, Whyte is critical of the state in some regards.

A help line, he said, is only one part of an approach that should include public education, treatment options and research to combat problem gambling.His group last year fielded 2,265 calls from North Carolina, about 10 percent of those from people who needed immediate counseling or other help.

Whyte said he was unsure whether his group would begin referring calls to the North Carolina helpline or not."We want to make sure they have an adequate service before we ...

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Home More 28 March 2006 THE THUG SQUAD FOUL-MOUTHED cops bullied and abused lone woman on train then had her arrested, court told.By Rod ChaytorSIX drunken policemen taunted a woman on a train with a stream of foul abuse, then had her arrested on a false drug accusation, a court heard yesterday.They allegedly bullied, goaded and heaped insults on Miguel Bowler for over half an hour.She was the subject of a twisted game of I Spy in which answers included "skag-head" and "dirty lesbian", it was said.Magistrates heard that even when one left the train he told the others: "Don't let up on her.

Abuse her all the way.

Give her hell."Other passengers "did not realise they were police officers and felt unable to intervene", said prosecutor Richard Newbury.The off-duty officers - based at Boston, Lincs - were returning from a day-trip.

They had obviously been drinking and passengers described them as rowdy, he said.Advertisement When Miss Bowler, 35 - who was known to them - got on the train, Sergeant Mark Connolly said: "Of all the trains in all the world, you had to get on this one, Miguel," said Mr Newbury.

He said they began to make "hostile and public remarks" about her use of drugs and se...

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ARCHIVE SEARCH READER METER Should the boundaries for Golden Valley High School be redrawn?

YesNo Current results: 74/10769% Yes 33/10731% No County Proposes Plan to Combat Homelessness 3/28/2006 Kristopher Daams / Signal Staff Writer With a January report saying there are more than 88,000 homeless people across Los Angeles County, officials have released a $100 million plan to aggressively combat the problem.

The plan will be voted on by county officials next month and comprises several components, including the creation of a new unit in the county?

s budget called the Homeless and Housing Program fund, aimed at supporting county efforts to assist the homeless to secure housing.

A one-time allocation of $80 million is proposed to finance housing development and related supportive service programs, and to develop emergency, transitional and permanent housing as well.

The county?

s ongoing annual financial obligation to the plan would be $15.6 million, said chief administrative officer David Janssen, whose office concocted the plan along with other county agencies and departments at the direction of the Board of Supervisors.

The plan includes five strategically located 24-hour ?

Stabilization Centers,?

create...