By LYNN BONNER, Raleigh News and Observer

You may want to stop and reconsider whether you think a home computer will help your child with reading and math.

A new Duke University study says North Carolina middle school students' test scores dropped after they got home computers, suggesting they spent more time playing "The Sims" than working practice math problems.

A new study encourages governments to consider sea level rise when deciding what land along the coast should be protected and what areas should be allowed to turn to marsh or beach.

Thousands of robed and tasseled students will pick up their high school diplomas this month from community colleges, though they'll show up as dropouts in North Carolina statistics.