Can damage actually increase the value of a piece of art? A Davidson College philosophy professor thinks so, and he’ll test the theory in a benefit auction this Friday, Dec. 9., at Summit Coffee in Davidson. Read about Davidson Professor Paul Studtmann’s theory and project in The GUIDE»

Firefighters responded to a kitchen fire in Duke Residence Hall on the Davidson College campus Sunday and found it had already been put out by a campus police officer. The blaze was caused by burnt food on the stove. Emergency personnel still spent almost an hour clearing smoke from the building and ensuring that the fire had not spread. Meanwhile, several trees and a power line blocked part of Grey Road the night of Nov. 28, and an electrical problem on Northwest Drive prompted firefighters to turn off the power to an apartment. Details on these incidents and a tally of the week’s medical calls may be found below. Read the full story

David and Amanda Burns and their two oldest boys.

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Friends of David Burns of Cornelius, a 1999 Davidson College grad and ex-Wildcat basketball player who passed away suddenly Oct. 29, have come together to help out as his family tries to adjust to life without him.

That effort includes seeking donations for a trust set up to aid his wife and three children. And Davidson College is in on the act as well: The trust will be be the beneficiary of Wednesday night’s Black Out Belk fundraiser, when the Davidson Wildcats men’s basketball team takes on Vanderbilt at Belk Arena. Read the full story

Clayton Spencer

Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, has picked Clayton Spencer, the daughter of a former Davidson College president, as its new leader.

Ms. Spencer replaces Elaine Tuttle Hansen, who was Bates’ leader from 2002 through last June. She left to become executive director of The Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth. Read the full story

It could’ve been me. I easily could’ve been the one behind the wheel when a college professor was struck in downtown Davidson recently.

I watch cautiously for pedestrians and stop for them whenever I see them. But that’s the problem: we don’t always see them. Especially on a dark and rainy night, the kind of night when the beloved father and math professor was struck, while crossing the street in a highly marked crosswalk. He died more than a week later and our community mourns the loss of a respected and valued member, while those of us who are willing to admit it may be thinking, “It could’ve been me who took his life.” Read the full story

The 2011 Red and Black Ball is Friday.

Davidson College’s Warner Hall eating house will host the annual Red and Black Ball on Friday night, its annual fund-raiser for organizations that work on HIV/AIDS treatment and awareness. The gala comes a day after Thursday’s World AIDS Day commemorations. Read the full story

We’re giving away five pairs of tickets to the Davidson College men’s basketball game against Vanderbilt Dec. 7. It’s the annual Black Out Belk night, an annual game that supports a good cause.

To enter, email your name as soon as possible to Lyndsay at ads@davidsonnews.net. Winners names will be drawn at day’s end Friday, Dec. 2nd. The game is Wed., Dec. 7, at 7 p.m.

Also, proceeds from T-shirt sales ($10 and available at ‘Cats on Main and The Campus Store) will benefit the David Burns Memorial Family Trust.

The trust has been started by friends of Burns, a former Davidson College basketball player who who died unexpectedly in October at age 34. Mr. Burns’s wife, Amanda, was a Davidson College cheerleader. The trust will help support her and their 3 sons.

Davidson firefighters assisted other departments with several auto accidents last week, including one SUV rollover on I-77 between Exits 30 and Exit 31.  Meanwhile, two people were taken to a hospital Nov. 18 for injuries sustained in a an accident on Davidson-Concord Road.  A malfunctioning propane tank and a possible gas leak inside of a residence prompted emergency responses, as well. Firefighters assisted a homeowner with a propane tank that would not flow properly, and the gas leak was determined to be coming from an outside pipeline’s relief valve. False alarms on the Davidson College campus rounded out the fire calls.

Details on these incidents and more (along with a tally of the week’s medical calls) may be found below. Read the full story