daily courier march 27 2010

Central wins ICC Challenge — Page 3 Sports Conference battle The Trojans blasted Shelby in conference action on Friday in both baseball and softball

Page 7

Saturday, March 27, 2010, Forest City, N.C.

NATION

50¢

Robbery is fourth in two weeks n Two armed men hit O’Reilly Auto Parts store in Forest City

By ALLISON FLYNN Daily Courier Staff Writer

Economic growth forecast remains tepid Page 11

SPORTS

Employees and bystanders wait outside while police investigate the scene at O’Reilly Auto Parts after an armed robbery.

Garrett Byers/ Daily Courier

Maps show the locations of the four armed robberies that have occurred in the county in the past two weeks.

Garrett Byers/Daily Courier

Central played host to Freedom Page 7

GAS PRICES

FOREST CITY – Three employees of O’Reilly Auto Parts on Oak Street were held at gunpoint Friday morning during what makes the fourth robbery at a retail store in the county in two weeks.

The robbery occurred at around 7:38 a.m., just minutes after the store opened for business.

“Two black males entered the store around 7:30 and held the clerks at gunpoint,” said Forest City Police Department Assistant Chief Bob Ward. “They left on foot toward Hardin Road.”

The suspects asked the employees to leave the store following the robbery, which they did, Ward said.

“The employees got in the car and came to the police department,” he said.

A K-9 unit from Cleveland County was called and searched the area behind the store and near the golf course. Officers were also looking at footprints behind the building near the road, Ward said.

There was a manager and two employees in the store at the time of the robbery, said Jessica Edwards, whose fiance works at O’Reilly.

“This is awful,” she said.

Edwards fiance, Danny Bradley, called to tell her and Please see Robbery, Page 6

Low: High: Avg.:

$2.71 $2.81 $2.76

DEATHS Rutherfordton

Martha Boyer James Griffin Spindale V Forest City Napoleon Whitesides Caroleen Louise Beaver Elsewhere Jane Lane Al Womack Margaret Hill Page 5

Area businesses are on alert for trouble

By SCOTT BAUGHMAN Daily Courier Staff Writer

FOREST CITY — A recent string of armed robberies in the area have put stores on alert. Many merchants are altering schedules and taking extra precautions to stay ahead of the criminals and increase security.

“We’ve already got cameras and all of that in this store,” said Sam Dale, manager of the Family Dollar on West Main Street. “But we are being more aware of what is going on and making sure nobody is hanging around the front when we’re opening or closing.”

Over on Oak Street, Advanced Auto

Parts is also being leery, especially after another nearby auto parts store O’Reilly Auto Parts was hit on Friday.

“We have been taking precautions and are certainly staying alert,” Advanced Auto Parts Manager Henry Cooper said.

MAN INJURED IN FIRE

WEATHER

High

Daily Courier Staff Writer

61 41 Today, sunny.

Tonight, Thunderstorms.

Complete forecast, Page 10

INSIDE

Vol. 42, No. 74

Downtown coffee shop is closing

By ALLISON FLYNN

Low

Classifieds . . . 14-15 Sports . . . . . . . . 7-9 County scene . . . . 6 Opinion . . . . . . . . 4

Please see Alert, Page 6

Garrett Byers/Daily Courier

A man with burns to both arms and the esophagus was airlifted by Regional One to the Augusta Burn Center Friday night following a house fire on Oak Ridge Drive. Forest City Fire Department responded to the scene of the fire, and a landing zone for the helicopter was set up at Sandy Mush Fire Department. No other details were available Friday evening.

Now on the Web: www.thedigitalcourier.com

FOREST CITY — After nine years in downtown, The Daily Grind will close Friday.

“It’s at a time when we need to move on,” said Margaret Butcher, who owns the coffee shop and eatery along with Jill Thorne.

The downturned economy in the area had nothing to do with the closing, Butcher said.

“If we hadn’t had the customers we had, we wouldn’t have the friends we did,” she said. “We hate to do this and to the downtown area, and we’ve tried to be a part of Forest City.”

Butcher said the closing instead is due to a move.

“We’re moving to Charlotte,” she said.

The business is closing, but the building is for sale, Butcher added.

The equipment used in the coffee shop will also remain. When asked could someone potentially re-open the building as a coffee shop, she said “I honestly hope somebody Please see Closing, Page 6

2

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010

local Church News Presentation of the ‘Last Living Supper’

The Dixie Melody Boys

The Dixie Melody Boys will be in concert Sunday, March 28, at Crestview Baptist Church, Forest City. Music begins at 6 p.m. Public invited.

Easter services Easter Sunday is April 4.

The following churches have announced activities and services: Easter cantata: The adult choir of Spencer Baptist Church will present “See What A Morning” Sunday, March 28, during the 10:55 a.m. Worship service.

This cantata is a choral celebration of Christ’s Resurrection.

Easter cantata: Bethel Baptist Church Choir will present “I Know My Redeemer Lives,” Sunday, March 28, during the 11 a.m. Worship service.

Victory Temple Bibleway Church, Maple Creek Road, Rutherfordton, will hold a Good Friday service on April 2, at 7 p.m. Bishop Aaron Shawn Hooper, pastor of St. Luke Church of God, will speak.

Easter Extravaganza: Saturday, April 3, 11

a.m. to 1 p.m., Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 130 Pleasant Grove Road, Rutherfordton; Easter egg hunt and other activities for kids; also volleyball, basketball, and other activities for youth; lunch will be served.

Chase Baptist Church will hold an Easter Jubilee “Celebrating 50 Years,” April 2-4. Friday, April 2, 7 p.m., music by the Foothills Gospel Choir; Saturday, April 3, 11 a.m., SonShine Saturday Children’s Worship Service; Sunday, April 4, Easter Jubilee service 11 a.m.

Caroleen United Methodist Church, Holy Thursday Service with communion, April 1, 6 p.m.

Advent Lutheran Church, 102 Reveley St., Spindale, will hold a Maundy Thursday worship service on April 1, at 7 p.m.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 130 Pleasant Grove

Road, Rutherfordton, sunrise service at 7 a.m., breakfast will follow at 7:45 a.m.; Sunday School 8:45 a.m.; worship service 10 a.m., which includes baptism and a cantata by the church choir “Christ is Risen, Alleluia.”

Easter egg hunt: Saturday, April 3, 10 a.m., West Memorial Baptist Church, Rutherfordton.

Community sunrise service: Easter Sunday beginning at 7 a.m., behind Harrelson Funeral Home, US 221-A in Caroleen; breakfast will follow the service at Caroleen Baptist Church; Rev. Robert Harris, pastor of Harriett Memorial Free Will Baptist Church, will speak; music will be provided by Caroleen United Methodist Church.

High Shoal Baptist Church, 284 High Shoals Church Rd., Henrietta; Easter Sunday service begins at 6:30 a.m.; Good

RUTHERFORDTON — The Living Last Supper will be presented Friday April 2, at the Gold Hill Association Assembly Building, Spindale, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The cast includes Rev. Arnie Twitty, pastor of the Green Creek Missionary Baptist Church, Tryon; Rev. Jamel Edwards, pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church, Forest City; Rev. Rob Roy Staley, pastor of the Zion Grove A.M.E. Zion Church, Rutherfordton; Rev. Theodore Kelly, pastor of the Moores Grove Baptist Church, Mill Spring; Rev. Phillip Forney, pastor of the Wheat Creek Baptist Church, Rutherfordton; Friday service, April 2, 7 p.m.

St. John AME Zion Church, 109 N. Ridgecrest St., Rutherfordton, Easter sunrise service 6 a.m.; Rev. Thelena Jackson, pastor of Union Hill AME Zion Church, will speak.

West Memorial Baptist Church, Rutherfordton, will hold a sunrise service beginning at 7 a.m.

Spencer Baptist Church, Spindale, Easter sunrise service 7 a.m., breakfast will follow; Sunday School 9:45 a.m., worship service 10:55 a.m.

Music/concerts Trojan Concert Series: “New Fire Youth Rally”; Saturday, March 27, 7 p.m.; Chase High School auditorium; $5 per person; speaker, Steve Collins, South Mountain Christian Camp; worship music by Restoration Praise

Self-control And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

R.S.V. Galatians 5:24 Self-control is the final virtue which Paul lists as the fruit of the Spirit in Galations 5:2223. Self-control is a translation of the Greek word “egkratia” and may also be rendered as temperance. This virtue is exemplified by the person who has mastered their passions and appetites.

The Greeks also had a word for the vice of lacking self-control, i.e., “akrasia,” which referred to the phenomenon of knowing the right thing to do but failing to do it.

This lack of self-control is something with which all of us struggle, often to our own detriment. Proverbs 25:28 warns us that “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

And, St. James tells us that our religion is worthless if we cannot control our tongues: “If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is in vain.” (James 1:26) But of course, taming the tongue is more difficult than taming a wild beast. Socrates said that the appetitive part of our soul, the part of our self concerned with our appetites and passions, was like an unruly steed which needed to be reined in by reason.

But sadly, reason is too weak in most of us to rein in the passions, and therefore, we need divine assistance. Where the flesh is weak, and reason is willing and able to follow the flesh, we must rely on the Spirit to guide us.

Welcome Home Baptist Church

In the final analysis, we cannot rely solely on our own devices to be self-controlled, but must seek the assistance of God.

Harrelson Funeral Home

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Come join ours! Spindale, NC 28160 828.287.2056

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P.O. Box 241 Forest City, NC 28043 828-245-2011 Fax: 828-245-2012 BILL MORRIS

STEVE BARNES

P. Forney

Terry Hines, James King, Min. Charles Simpson, Min. Nathaniel Miller, David Staley, O’Neal Edwards, Kevin Hamilton and Ulysses D. Miller.

Faye Jones is the narrator.

A. Twitty

R. Staley

J. Edwards

Band; for more information call 245-1716, ask for Mr. Henderson.

Singing: Sunday, March 28, 6 p.m., Bostic Missionary Methodist Church; featuring The Lamberts.

The Far City Boys will be in concert Sunday, March 28, at Full Gospel Revival Church, 10 miles west of Rutherfordton, on Hwy. 74.

Music begins at 2 p.m.

Singing: Sunday, March 28, 6 p.m., Shingle Hollow Congregational Holiness Church; featuring the Lumberton River Quartet.

Singing: Sunday, March 28, 2 p.m.; Harris Baptist Church; featuring Point of Life from Pickens, S.C. Singing: Sunday, April 4, 2 p.m., Village Chapel Church, 141 Huntley St., Forest City; featuring Winners Either Way.

Special services Revival: March 28-31, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church; guest speaker, Evangelist Frank Walker; special music each night; Sunday services 10:45 a.m., and 6 p.m.; MTW, 7 nightly; William Swink, pastor; church located 5 miles west on Hwy. 108, turn right on Pleasant Hill Church Road.

Fellowship lunch, singing: Sunday, March 28, Johnson Memorial Baptist Church, 129 Groce St., Forest City; Sunday School 9:45 a.m.; Preaching 11 a.m.; covered dish lunch at noon; afternoon singing at 2.

Four Gospels service: Sunday, March 28, 4 p.m., Forest Chapel Church, 137 Chapel St., Forest City; guest speakers, Rev. Albrutus Hines, Rev. Bernice Suber, Rev. Johnny Logan and Sister Tonya Mills.

Family and Friends service: Sunday, March 28, New Harvest Church; guest speaker, Josh Bunton, pastor of True Vine Tabernacle in Taylorsville, will speak; “Puppets on a Mission” will also perform. A meal will be provided following the 11 a.m. worship service.

Men’s Day service: (Men in Black), Sunday, March 28, 4 p.m., Zion Grove AME Zion Church; guest speaker, Rev. Leroy Staley, pastor of New Bethel AME Zion Church.

Family and Friends service: Sunday, March 28, 11 a.m. worship service, Wells Spring United Methodist Church; Rev. Donald E. McCoy, pastor of Faith St. Paul UMC Church, Mooresville, will speak; a meal will follow the service.

Prodigal Praise services: Beginning April 2, First Baptist Church in Spindale will hold Prodigal Praise services the first and third Friday of each month, beginning at 7 nightly.

100th anniversary celebration: Sunday, April 11, worship service 11 a.m.; Sulphur Springs Baptist Church; a covered dish meal will follow.

Spring Marriage Celebration: Ignite your marriage with praise, worship and five topical sessions with special guests Scott and Angela Hunter, April 16-17, at Florence Baptist Church, Forest City; $40 per couple, includes sessions, snacks, breakfast and lunch; for more information, contact Mike Elgin at 245-5411.

T. Kelly

Usher Board program: Sunday, April 18, 4 p.m., Russell Tabernacle CME Church, 326 Ledbetter Road, Spindale; speaker, Dr. Karen McNeil-Miller, president of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust in Winston-Salem.

Lenten services: n St. Francis Episcopal Church, Rutherfordton, every Tuesday through March 30; soup/bread supper 6 p.m., service begins at 6:15 p.m.; n First Baptist Church of Spindale, 105 East Wilson St., each Wednesday through March 31; worship time at noon; lunch promptly at 12:30 p.m.

Special services: “Back to the Heart of Worship”; April 8 and 9, 7 p.m., Faith Temple Christian Church, 151 Kentucky St., Spindale; doors open at 6; guest speaker, Pastor Joey Turner from Restoration Church International, Gaffney, S.C.; Tracy Martin, pastor of Faith Temple.

“Women in White”: Sunday, April 18, 3 p.m., Union Hill AME Zion Church; guest speaker, Rev. Juanita Staley from Zion Grove AME Zion Church, Rutherfordton; sponsored by the deaconess board.

Fundraisers Breakfast buffet: Saturday, March 27, 7 to 10 a.m., Long Branch Road Baptist Church, 621 Long Branch Road, Forest City (Shiloh community); no set price, donations accepted.

Fish fry: Saturday, March 27, 4 to 7 p.m., Temple Baptist Church, Henrietta, (beside the post office); no set price, donations accepted; all proceeds go toward the Haiti mission team.

Yard sale: Saturday, March 27, begins at 7 a.m., Campfield Baptist Church, Ellenboro; country ham breakfast, car wash and yard sale items; proceeds for a youth mission trip.

Yard sale: Saturday, March 27, begins at 7 a.m., at 1491 Centennial Church Road, Union Mills; large variety of items; sponsored by Centennial UMC; proceeds for church projects.

Country ham, chicken pie supper: Saturday, March 27, begins at 4:30 p.m., Mt. Vernon Clubhouse; adults $8; ages 6-12, $5; ages 5 and under free; all proceeds go toward the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church children/ youth programs.

Poor man’s lunch: Sunday, March 28, Oak Grove United Methodist Church, immediately after the worship service (around noon); adults $6, donations accepted; includes dessert and beverage; church located on Oak Grove Church Road near Ellenboro.

Country ham supper: Saturday, April 3, 4 to 8 p.m., Duncan’s Creek Presbyterian Church, 1658 Duncan’s Creek Road, Ellenboro.

Poor man’s supper: Thursday, April 8, 4 to 7 p.m., Providence United Methodist Church (Chase Middle community); adults $5, children $3, under 6 free; proceeds will go to the Feed the Hungry ministry; bake sale.

Spaghetti lunch: Sunday, April 18, 12:15 p.m., St. Francis Episcopal Church, Rutherfordton; adult plates $6; children $3.

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010 — 3

Local/state

Carolina Notes Court watch group challenged

CHARLOTTE (AP) — A North Carolina neighborhood advocacy group is upset with a public defender, whom they say is taking steps to limit the group’s work in court.

The Charlotte Observer reported Friday that volunteers with CharMeck Court Watch push for tougher penalties for some defendants with histories of arrests or convictions for felonies. They give letters to prosecutors that provide details of those criminal records.

Assistant Public Defender Dean Loven says he plans to object whenever that happens. He’s also concerned the volunteers could prejudice a case by wearing Court Watch T-shirts in court to lobby for tougher penalties.

Court Watch Chairman Marcus Philemon said Loven’s plans won’t change the group’s mission.

College opens job center

CHARLOTTE (AP) — A North Carolina community college is opening a center to help unemployed or underemployed professionals find a job in the health care and energy industries because those areas have openings.

The Charlotte Observer reported Friday that Central Piedmont Community College is one of eight around the country selected for the project by the League of Innovation in the Community College. A two-year grant from Walmart Brighter Futures is funding the center, which will be located on the school’s Harris campus near Charlotte/ Douglas International Airport.

Counselors will work with clients and employers to identify the skills needed to move to new careers.

Obama to discuss economy in N.C.

CHARLOTTE (AP) — President Barack Obama will discuss the economy when he visits North Carolina next week.

The White House said Friday that Obama will speak about the economy during a visit to the Charlotte area on April 2. The president’s visit is timely, coming a week after the state’s unemployment hit a record high 11.2 percent for February.

The rate is the highest since states started their current calculation method in 1976.

More details on Obama’s visit will be released later.

Army expert: DNA matches soldier

FORT BRAGG (AP) — An Army expert says DNA taken form a woman killed in a 1985 triple slaying in North Carolina matches a retired soldier once acquitted but now charged again in the deaths.

A forensics technician with the Army’s criminal investigations lab testified Friday that DNA samples from the victim matched 51-year-old Master Sgt. Timothy Hennis.

“Master Sgt. Hennis and all his male, paternal relatives can’t be excluded as a source,” said Brian Higgins, a forensics technician at the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory located at Fort Gillem, Ga. The DNA samples were from a vaginal smear obtained during an autopsy of Kathryn Eastburn.

Higgins estimated that one Caucasian male in 426 would be a match for the DNA. But Higgins also said Hennis’ DNA didn’t match samples on a bloody towel found at the Fayetteville home where she and two of her daughters were killed. And samples taken from under Kathryn Eastburn’s fingernails and in the tip of a rubber glove found at the scene were inconclusive.

Student brings handgun to class

LUMBERTON (AP) — A student at a North Carolina elementary school has been suspended for bringing a loaded handgun to class earlier this week.

Robeson County schools spokesman Al Kahn told The Fayetteville Observer that the 8-year-old boy brought the gun Tuesday to Rosenwald Elementary School. He says another student saw it in a book bag and told the teacher.

The boy has been suspended for 10 days.

NOTICE OF MEETING OF THE RUTHERFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EQUALIZATION AND REVIEW Pursuant to N.C.G.S. 105-322 the Rutherford County Board of Equalization and Review will meet as required by law.

PURPOSE OF MEETING To hear, upon request, any and all taxpayers who own or control taxable property assessed for taxation in Rutherford County, with respect to the valuation of such property, or the property of others, and to fulfill other duties and responsibilities as required by law.

TIME OF MEETINGS The Board will convene for its first meeting on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 9:00 AM in room 6 of the County Annex.

Subsequent meetings will start between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM as needed.

The Board will adjourn for the purpose of accepting request for hearing at its last meeting on Thursday, April 15, 2010.

Request for hearings must be received no later than final adjournment which is scheduled for Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 12:00 PM. In the event of earlier or later adjournment, notice to that effect will be published in the newspaper.

The schedule for hearing of appeals which were timely filed will be posted at the office of the Assessor, serving as Clerk to the Board, and will also be provided to individuals and organizations that have requested notice pursuant to N.C.G.S. 143-318.12.

All requests for hearings should be made to: Kep Kepley, Clerk to the Rutherford County Board of Equalization and Review P. O. Box 143, Rutherfordton, NC 28139-0143, Telephone: (828) 287-6355.

Contributed photo

Isothermal Community College instructor Jay Coomes poses questions for teams competing in the annual Isothermal Challenge, an academic competition among county high school students. The event was held on Friday at the college.

Central wins Senior Challenge SPINDALE — The academic team from R-S Central High School won top honors Friday in the Isothermal Challenge.

The challenge is a quiz bowlstyle event that pits teams from area high schools against one another. The teams are made up of juniors and seniors.

R-S Central managed a narrow 210-185 victory over Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in the afternoon championship round.

TJCA had beaten R-S Central in a morning match during the head-to-head round robin portion of the competition.

During those morning matches, TJCA chalked up four wins; R-S Central, three wins; Rutherford Early College High School, two wins; Chase, one win; and East Rutherford, no wins. The top scoring teams advanced to the championship round.

This year marked the first time REaCH has participated in the event.

The members of the R-S Central team are Katie Yelton,

Contributed photo

R-S Central’s academic team captured first place in the annual Isothermal Challenge on Friday.

Forrest Thurman, Cory Lowery, Cameron Bynum, Lindsay Frazier, Danny Mossburg, Jerry

Yelton, David McLaughlin, Bronwyn Fadem, Nathan Dinovetskiy and Marshall Smith.

SAVING WITH THE COUPON QUEEN Jill Cataldo saves hundreds on groceries by making the cost of the common coupon count. You can, too.

Why a coupon’s fine print may be your friend

JILL CATALDO

JILL CATALDO

Last week we discussed how to handle confused cashiers who may try to incorrectly limit our coupon usage in one way or another.

The key to eliminating most cashier confusion is to familiarize yourself with the store’s coupon policy, which states all of the store’s rules for accepting coupons. And while it’s true that most cashiers are familiar with what kinds and types of coupons the store will accept, there are also times when a cashier may mistakenly inform you that the store cannot take your coupons.

In my coupon classes, I’ve taught over 6,000 people to SuperCoupon, and so I’ve heard more than my share of stories of cashier confusion. One common theme has to do with interpreting the fine print on a coupon.

If you pick up any manufacturer coupon, either from the newspaper or one printed from the Internet, chances are it contains the wording “Limit one coupon per purchase.” Seems innocent enough, right? But these five little words can often be the source of cashier confusion.

To understand why, consider this distinction. Each item we buy is a purchase. Each group of items that we take to the checkout lane and pay for at the same time, as a group, is a transaction. So, when a coupon’s fine print states, “Limit one coupon per purchase,” what it effectively means is “Limit one coupon per item purchased.”

(In fact, many coupons now contain this updated wording, which makes the meaning much clearer.)

So, if a coupon is limited to “one per purchase,” it simply means that we can use one coupon per item purchased. If I purchase 15 items, I can use 15 coupons – one for each item I’m buying (and I often do!) But cashier confusion frequently arises when a shopper uses several like coupons to buy several like items.

For example, if I’m buying two bottles of juice and I have two $1 juice coupons, occasionally a cashier may say, “I don’t think you can use both of these coupons, because they’re one per purchase.”

The easiest response? With a smile, ask, “How many bottles am I purchasing?” If you’re purchasing two, you can use a coupon on each. If you’re purchasing three, you could use three coupons, and so on. In this case, the cashier is confusing the “per purchase” wording with the “per transaction” wording.

Coupons that state, “Limit one coupon per transaction” are typically store-issued coupons. This wording is commonly seen on coupons like “$5 off a $50 purchase” or a store’s coupon for a deeply discounted item. Stores use the “one per transaction” wording to limit your purchase in some way. In the case of coupons offering money off your purchase, the store simply doesn’t want you to use multiples of that coupon in the same transaction.

Or, they may be offering you a coupon for a special loss leader, like a dozen eggs for 49 cents, but they only want to allow you to purchase one of that item per transaction.

Knowing the difference between a purchase and a transaction can help you alleviate one of the most common sources of cashier confusion.

Jill Cataldo, a coupon-workshop instructor, writer and mother of three, never passes up a good deal. Learn more about couponing at her Web site, www.super-couponing. com. E-mail your couponing coups and questions to jill@ctwfeatures.com.

Shop the Classifieds

4

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010

■ A daily forum for opinion, commentary and editorials on the news that affects us all.

Jodi V. Brookshire/ publisher Steven E. Parham/ executive editor 601 Oak Street, P.O. Box 1149, Forest City, N.C. 28043 Phone: 245-6431 Fax: 248-2790

E-mail: dailycourier@thedigitalcourier.com

Our Views Violence never the best answer

W

e must all hope that the spate of threats against lawmakers in the wake of the passage of the health care reform bill is just an excessive outburst of emotionalism.

If it is more than that, we are in worse trouble than any of us ever imagined.

One can understand that people may be disappointed or even upset over political decisions, but violence is not the way to resolve any dispute.

There have always existed on the fringes of the political spectrum those radicals that espouse violence. They would impose their will on everyone else at the point of the sword.

Fortunately, we have been given a political system that allows us to address our differences in sane, rational ways.

If we allow ourselves to stoop to violence to redress our political grievances, we will have abandoned the principals of democratic government that we all cherish.

Our readers’ views Says liberals were not shy in bashing Bush To the editor: I read a recent letter from Ray Crawford on Health Care Reform and the only thing that surprised me is that there was no blame laid on Bush for the 40,000 people that die needlessly every year.

And like all liberals, he complains that Republicans don’t have a plan for reforming health care in America.

What good would it do to present a plan if partisan politics would never let it get out of committee?

He also makes note that the Republicans are trying to destroy President Obama and are hypocritical.

I remember your letters bashing G.W. Bush rather well. You spent eight years calling Bush everything from a liar, cheat to a murderer.

How dare you criticize someone for calling your president on the carpet?

I just remind readers of relevant history and point out the blatant hypocrisy of the liberals. Your letter smacks of hypocrisy.

How does the shoe feel Mr. Crawford now that it is on the other foot? You whined about and bashed Bush for years, now it is your turn to grow a thick skin and suck it up.

With any luck, you will only have to listen to Obama bashing for less than three years. I will be glad to tell you that I hope your president fails miserably on all of

his socialist agenda items.

If the Democrat leaders had used the “Slaughter Solution”, they would have opened themselves up for legal prosecution as criminals. Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution stipulates that for any bill to become a law, it must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

That is, not be “deemed” to have passed, but actually be voted on with the support of the required Constitutional majority.

The bill must contain the exact same language in both chambers — and in the version signed by the president — to be a legitimate law.

Hello, you idiots in Congress, this is Political Science 101.

The rape and violation of the Constitution by Obama, Reid and Pelosi would definitely meet the requirements for “High Crimes and Misdemeanors” to be an impeachable offense.

Apparently Mr. Crawford thinks the people of Rutherford County are not sophisticated enough to see through the smokescreen thrown up by Democrats over the cost and far reaching implications of this health care reform.

This health care reform debate is meant to divert the citizenry’s attention away from the sad state of our economy. If more people were working, more people would be able to afford health care.

I would think that the liberals would be interested in getting people back to work. More people working equals more tax revenue for entitlement programs they so

dearly love to dole out.

Andrew Cain Forest City

Says family impressed by hospital care To the editor: My family recently observed a demonstration of excellence in care and concern by the staff of Rutherford Hospital during the illness of our dad.

We are grateful for the compassionate service provided by the entire first floor staff.

My sister was a registered nurse for 42 years, serving in much larger hospitals, and she was both very impressed and pleased with the care our dad received.

We want all the residents of Rutherford County to know that their hospital can provide such care and we want to publicly thank the staff members who served our family.

Doug Huntley Laurinburg

Letter Policy The Daily Courier would like to publish letters from readers on any subject of timely interest.

All letters must be signed. Writers should try to limit their submissions to 300 words. All letters must include a day and evening telephone number.

The editors reserve the right to edit letters for libelous content. All submissions should be sent to The Editor, P.O. Box 1149, Forest City, NC, 28043.

Letters may also be submitted via e-mail at dailycourier@thedigitalcourier.com or via our website at thedigitalcourier.com

Health care will be dominant political issue for years RALEIGH — With budget deficits, recession, and both chambers of the General Assembly up for grabs this fall, North Carolina voters have a lot to think about.

But right now, it looks like the single-biggest factor shaping state politics will be the U.S. House vote to nationalize health care.

Most North Carolinians didn’t want it. Most North Carolinians would have preferred that Congress and the Obama administration focus on measures to enhance economic growth, rather than socking the economy in the jaw. Most North Carolinians motivated to come to the polls in November will want to hear how their elected officials will repeal ObamaCare and replace it with real health care reform that respects America’s traditions of federalism, individual liberty, and competitive markets.

They aren’t going to like what they hear from Democratic candidates.

Liberals in other states and in safe seats may feel good

John Hood Syndicated columnist

about what has happened in Washington. But many Democratic politicians in North Carolina feel a sense of dread. They’re not dumb.

Never before has Washington been so out of step with the country on a domestic policy matter of such import. Never before has Congress driven itself to such depths of public disapproval for the sake of indulging left-wing fanaticism.

But once before, a Democratic president did seek to nationalize health care through a complex array of new federal taxes and regulations. Bill Clinton failed. His effort led to a Republican takeover of Congress, and of the North Carolina House. But at least he failed, which meant that

he had room to change the subject and pivot to the center to save his presidency in 1996. Barack Obama “succeeded,” and won’t be able to shed the issue in time for his reelection campaign.

My anger at the House’s decision to destroy consumer-driven health care — including my own health plan — has been alternating with a different feeling, the one you get when watching a slow-motion film of a car crash, or maybe an episode of Cops.

You want to yell, “Look out, you’re about to drive into a tree!” or “Dude, don’t bother telling the cop the weed isn’t yours, he’s not buying it!”

But you know that it won’t make any difference. So you watch, open-mouthed and, somewhat guiltily, entertained.

Congressional leaders think that by shoving this idiotic, unpopular bill down our throats, they’ve finished the job. They keep thinking the massive tree in front of them is a mirage, or that the

skeptical cop will buy their nonsensical version of events.

They’re deluded. It’s sad but fascinating to watch.

It’s become trite to say that this vote is only the beginning of the health-care debate, not the end. But observations often are trite because they are so obviously true.

Since major portions of Obamacare don’t come into effect for several years, there’s plenty of time for repeal legislation — and any future Republican Congress and president should feel entirely justified ignoring filibusters and other procedural roadblocks to repeal, given the way Democrats have handled the legislation.

Congressional repeal won’t be the only way for lovers of liberty to challenge ObamaCare. More than a dozen state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the new federal mandate that all Americans do business with politically favored health insurers.

State legislatures can also

take a stand by authorizing a constitutional amendment to clarify that Congress has no power to intrude on the private health care arrangements of American citizens.

Until ObamaCare is repealed, every time a health insurer raises premiums or denies a claim, Democrats will be blamed. As with the stimulus issue, Democrats will claim that things would have been worse without their bill, but few will believe them. Ceteris paribus claims are hard enough to argue when they’re true. Theirs won’t be.

Tired of hearing about health care?

Sorry, but it will be a dominant political issue for years to come, much to the Democrats’ regret — especially those running for competitive legislative seats in North Carolina. They didn’t pass ObamaCare. But now they’re in the way of an angry electorate.

Hood is president of the John Locke Foundation.

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010

—

5

Local/Obituaries

Obituaries James Griffin

Abbe Byers/Daily Courier

Forest City Police Department Assistant Chief Bob Ward (far right) and Det. Sgt. Chris Lovelace (far left) at the scene on Hamilton Road, where a stolen truck was discovered Friday morning. The vehicle was found behind a residence on the dead end road.

Stolen pick-up truck recovered

FOREST CITY – A truck stolen Thursday night on Franklin Drive was recovered Friday morning.

According to Forest City Police Department Assistant Chief Bob Ward, two men were stopped in the area of O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday morning following a robbery that occurred there.

“While we were talking to them, we found the key to the truck in one of the guy’s pockets,” Ward said.

Eric Javon Mayse and Joshua Jermaine Goldberry were arrested and taken to the Rutherford County Detention Center. No charges or bonds were available as of press time.

Mayse

Goldberry

The truck, a red extended cab Toyota Tacoma, was recovered on Hamilton Street.

James Michael Griffin of Rutherfordton, died Thursday, March 25, 2010 at Rutherford Hospital.

Born in Rutherfordton, he was a son of Mary Sue Griffin and the late James Hampton Griffin.

He worked for many years in Emergency Medical Services with Rutherford County EMS, Rutherfordton Volunteer Lifesaving and Rescue, Rutherfordton Fire Department (volunteer) and with MEDIC (Mecklenburg County EMS). He was an industrial Safety Manager in Concord for several years and owned a landscaping company, Yard Dogs, which was based in Cabarrus County.

He was one of the first certified Hurst power tool rescuers in Rutherford County and taught multiple EMS/Rescue classes.

He is survived by a son, George Michael Griffin of Raleigh; a daughter, Kim Haynes of Concord; two sisters, Julia Eudy of Kannapolis, and Wanda Lane of Forest City; and three nieces.

Memorials may be made to Volunteer Lifesaving and Rescue Squad, 561 Railroad Ave., Rutherfordton, NC 28139; or to Hospice of Rutherford County, P.O. Box 336, Forest City, NC 28043.

Online condolences www. crowemortuary.com.

Napoleon Whitesides

Napoleon Whitesides, 69, died Thursday, March 18, 2010, at Asheville Healthcare Center.

He was a native of the Foundation at Isothermal Rutherford County, he was Community College on April a son of Ernest and Mattie 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 Whitesides. p.m.

Survivors include, Linda The Foundation will be Darnell Whitesides of open 30 minutes prior to the the home; two sons, Cory start of class for registration. Whitesides of Marion, and This training is cost-free to Joseph Montgomery of all attendees. All interested Rutherfordton; one stepson, community members are Harlan Barnes of Norfolk, strongly encouraged to parVa.; one daughter, Tammy ticipate.

Davis of Fort Belvuire, Va.; There are limited number one stepdaughter, Rebecca of positions. If you are able Barnes of Marion; two sisto attend, please call Amy ters, Vivian Whitesides Henson at 287-6164 no later of Lake Lure, and Mary than April 5.

Johnson of Asheville; five grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Services will be conducted at 3 p.m. Sunday in the chapel of Ulysses D. Miller Funeral Home. n Oree G. Shipman, 18, of 1351 Stateline Rd.; charged Al Womack with breaking and entering and released on a $5,000 Al Phillips Womack of bond. (RCSD) White Oak Manor, Tryon, n Elizabeth Brooke Smith, died Friday, March 26, 2010.

18, of 1205 Cleveland St.; Arrangements are incomcharged with breaking and plete and will be announced entering and released on a

by Crowe’s Mortuary & $5,000 bond. (RCSD) Crematory. n Joseph Efrain Robles, 18, of 1609 Burwell St.; charged Martha Boyer with breaking and entering Martha Boyer, 90, of and released on a $5,000 Rutherfordton, died Friday, bond. (RCSD) n James Richard Toney, 18, March 26, 2010, at Hospice House in Forest City. of 120 Greene’s Dr.; charged A native of Lake County, with breaking and enterInd., She was a daughter of ing, larceny after breaking and entering, three counts of the late Blanford and Anna breaking or entering a motor McKay She was a homemaker. vehicle, three charges of feloSurvivors include one son, ny larceny and misdemeanor Robert Boyer of Forest City. larceny and was released on a No formal services are $146,000 bond. (RCSD) planned. n Thomas Jordan Brooks, 16, of 221 Pate Rd.; charged with simple possession of a THE DAILY COURIER controlled substance; released into custody. (RCSD) Published Tuesday through Sunday n April Bland Wood, 38, mornings by Paxton Media Group of 274 Old Ross Rd.; charged LLC dba The Daily Courier USPS with felony probation vio204-920 Periodical Postage paid in lation and released on a Forest City, NC. Company Address: 601 Oak St., P.O. $35,000 bond. (RCSD) Box 1149, Forest City, NC 28043. n Harold Ruff, 30, of 226 Phone: (828) 245-6431 Main St.; charged with two Fax: (828) 248-2790 counts of misdemeanor proSubscription rates: Single copy, daily bation violation and released 50¢ / Sunday $1.50. Home delivery $11.75 per month, $35.25 for three on a $10,000 bond. (RCSD)

Disaster training to be offered

RUTHERFORD — The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and the National Sheriff’s Association are sponsoring an All-Hazards Homeland Security Initiative Community Partnership and Awareness Training for Disaster Preparedness in Rutherford County.

This training opportunity is designed to educate the community how best to prepare and respond to a disaster when emergency responders are overwhelmed.

Training includes:

n How to create a family disaster plan; n What to include in a family disaster kit; n Developing a community resources database; n Crisis response; n Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive information; n Terrorism awareness; and n a desktop exercise.

A complementary continental breakfast and lunch will be provided with this course.

The class will take place at

Police Notes Sheriff’s Reports

n The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department responded to 135 E-911 calls Thursday.

Rutherfordton n The Rutherfordton Police

Department responded to 23 E-911 calls Thursday.

Spindale

n The Spindale Police Department responded to 30 E-911 calls Thursday.

Lake Lure n Lake Lure Police Department responded to four E-911 calls Thursday.

Forest City

n The Forest City Police Department responded to 30 E-911 calls Thursday. n A Forest City police officer reported found property on Dunbar Street. n An employee of WalMart on Plaza Drive reported an incident of shoplifting/ concealment and damage to property. n A Forest City police officer reported an incident of forced entry to assist EMS that occurred on South Church Street. n An employee of Direct Care on West Main Street reported an incident of a missing person, who was later located in Gastonia.

Arrests

n Janice Kay Parris, 53, of East Main Street was cited for shoplifting/concealment.

n Kasheba Niesha Burns, 30, of Spurlin Road in Ellenboro was arrested on warrant for possession with intent to sell/deliver a schedule II controlled substance and maintain a vehicle for controlled substance and was released on a $15,000 bond.

(FCPD) n Codi Alan Greene, 20, of Cherry Mountain Street, was arrested for driving while license revoked and was released on a $1,000 bond.

(FCPD) n Chad Everette Greenlee, 31 of 407 Goodes Creek Church Rd.; charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor; released on a $500 bond. (RCSD) n Bruce Lee Toney, 24, of 542 Harmon St.; charged with possession of drug paraphernalia; released on a written promise to appear.

(RCSD) n Alice Louise Blount, 41, of 946 West Main St.; charged with misdemenaor larceny, second degree trespassing and failure to appear on a misdemeanor; released on a $1,000 bond. (RCSD) n Wilton Andre Park, 34, of 199 Goldenoak Ln.; charged with assault on a female and held for 48 hours. (RCSD) n Richard Charles Dysart, 29, of 1330 Old Henrietta Rd.; charged with a misdemeanor probation violation and assault on an officer or state employee and released on a $10,000 bond. (RCSD) n Charles Clifton Mann, 18, of 153 Sunnyside St.; charged with simple possession of a schedule IV controlled substance; released on a $500 bond. (RCSD)

EMS n Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services responded to 22 E-911 calls and rescue crews responded to five calls.

Fire Calls n SDO firefighters responded to a brush fire.

months, $70.50 for six months, $129 per year. In county rates by mail payable in advance are: $13.38 for one month, $40.14 for three months, $80.27 for six months, $160.54 per year. Outside county: $14.55 for one month, $43.64 for three months, $87.28 for six months, $174.56 per year. College students for school year subscription, $75.

The Digital Courier, $6.50 a month for non-subscribers to The Daily Courier. Payment may be made at the website: www.thedigitalcourier. com The Daily Courier is not responsible for advance subscription payments made to carriers, all of who are independent contractors.

McMahan’s Funeral Home and Cremation Services assisted with the cremation.

Louise Beaver Louise Beaver, 81, of Caroleen, died Friday, March 26, 2010, at the Restwell Resthome in Rutherfordton.

Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced

by Harrelson Funeral Home.

Jane Lane Aleta “Jane” Johnston Lane, 75, of Charlotte, died Wednesday, March 24, 2010, at Britthaven of Charlotte.

Born in Charlotte, she was a daughter of the late Trady Johnston Sr. and Jessie Noles Johnston.

She is survived by her children, Leta Lane Wellman of Bostic, Tracy Lane Gugel of Richmond, Ky., and Robert Kenneth “Kenny” Lane Jr. of Charlotte; and a number of grandchildren.

Services were held privately.

Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of the U.S., 2100 L. Street NW, Washington, DC 20037.

Arrangements are in the care of Hankins & Whittington Funeral Service.

Online condolences www.hankinswhittington.com.

Margaret Hill Margaret Watson Hill, 86, of Hendersonville, died Thursday, March 25, 2010, at Carolina Village.

Born in Rutherford County, she was a daughter of the late James G. and Mattie Young Watson, and also preceded in death by her husband, William Hicks Hill who died in 2005.

She retired from Belk’s after 25 years, a former member of East Flat Rock First Methodist Church, and a current member of East Flat Rock First Baptist Church.

She is survived by a son, Mike Hill of Flat Rock; a daughter, Jane Hudson of Hendersonville; a sister, Nelle McCurry of Forest City; a number of grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday in the chapel at Forest Lawn Mortuary.

Burial will follow the service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday in the chapel.

Memorials can be made to East Flat Rock First Baptist Church, or Four Seasons Compassion for Life, 571 South Allen Rd., Flat Rock, NC 28731.

Online condolences www.forestlawnhendersonville.com.

Margaret Watson Hill Margaret Watson Hill, 86, of Hendersonville passed away Thursday March 25, 2010 at Carolina Village.

Born in Rutherford County, she was a daughter of the late James G and Mattie Young Watson. She was also preceded in death by her husband William Hicks Hill who died in 2005. She retired from Belk’s after twenty five years and was a former member of East Flat Rock First Methodist Church and current member of East Flat Rock First Baptist Church.

She is survived by a son, Mike Hill and his wife, Judy of Flat Rock; a daughter, Jane Hudson and her husband, Bob of Hendersonville; a sister, Nelle McCurry and her husband, Earl of Forest City; grandchildren, Josh Hill and his wife, Melissa of Fletcher, Nathaniel Hill and his wife, Michelle of Fletcher and Miriam Zook and her husband, Brian of Fletcher and three greatgrandchildren.

A funeral will be held at 3:00 pm Sunday in the chapel at Forest Lawn Mortuary. Burial will follow the service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 2-3:00 pm Sunday in the chapel.

Memorials can be made to East Flat Rock First Baptist Church or Four Seasons Compassion for Life 571 South Allen Rd. Flat Rock 28731.

A guestbook or sympathy card is available at: www.forestlawnhendersonville.com

Forest Lawn Mortuary is assisting the family with the arrangements.

Paid obit.

6

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010

Calendar/Local

Health/education

Crime scene tape surrounded the perimeter of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday morning after two black males robbed the store at gunpoint.

Free Advance Directive Clinics, to discuss Living Wills and Health Care Powers of Attorney, are offered twice a month at the Hospice Annette Cash Whitaker Center of Living. The first Tuesdays from 12:30 to 2 p.m., and the third Tuesdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Call 245-0095 to register or for information.

Community Health Clinic of Rutherford County provides access to primary medical care, wellness education, medications and preventative programs. The clinic, open Monday through Thursday, is located at 127 E. Trade St., B 100, Forest City. Patients seen by appointment only. The clinic does not accept patients with private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare.

Call 245-0400.

Meetings/other Welcome reception: In honor of James H. Hines Jr., newly appointed health director, Rutherford County Health Department; Monday, March 29, drop-in from 3 to 5:30 p.m.; open to the public; for information call 287-6101; hosted

by RPM District Board of Health.

Regular meeting: RutherfordPolk-McDowell District Board of Health will meet Tuesday, March 30, 7 p.m., Rutherford County Health Department, 221 CallahanKoon Road; open to the public; contact Brenda Green at 287-6101 for more information.

SWEEP meeting: (Solid Waste Environmental Education Panel) meets on the first Friday of each month at noon at GDS 141 Fairgrounds Road, Spindale. If you would like to help promote recycling in Rutherford County, please join us at our next meeting on April 2.

Athletic Boosters: Chase High Athletic Boosters will meet Monday, April 5, at 6:30 p.m. in the office conference room.

Miscellaneous Big Gospel Singing: Sunday, April 4, 5 p.m., Dunbar Community Center; doors open at 4 p.m.; On program — The New Telenaires and Kings of Joy from Forest City, 2gether of Spartanburg, Harris Brothers of Gaffney and others; admission $7; ages 8 and under free; senior citizens half price; concessions will be sold; drawing for an Easter basket.

Power of the Purse: Family Resources will be hosting its annual Power of the Purse fundrasier on May 13. To donate new or gently used purses, contact Sherry Bright at 247-1440, ext. 105.

Foothills Harvest Outreach Ministries is now fully stocked with spring and summer merchandise. All Easter items are 50 percent off. The store is located at 120 E. Trade St., Forest City.

Low-cost rabies clinic: Saturday, April 10, noon to 1 p.m.; Thunder Road Animal Hospital; $10 cash, one-year rabies; $12 cash, threeyear rabies; other discounted vaccines available; call 286-0033.

Beginner shag lessons: Last Chance to sign up for beginner shag lessons before summer. Class starts in April. Call 287-9228 for information or to register.

Fundraisers Formal dress sale: Wednesday, March 31, 3 to 4 p.m., R-S Central High School, English Hall; dresses start at $10; donations accepted daily at the school before 4 p.m.; Proceeds for Hospice of Rutherford County.

Barbecue supper: Saturday, April 10, 4 to 8 p.m., Hopewell Hollis Community Clubhouse; barbecue pork and chicken plates; adults $8.50; ages 6-12, $5.

Relay for Life fundraiser: AMAZINGrace, sponsored by the Little Warriors Relay Team, will be held Saturday, April 24, beginning at 10 a.m. Based on the television reality show Amazing Race. Fee $100 per team. Deadline April 10.

Contact Barbara at 429-4616, or Bobbie at 223-8193.

Reunions J.C. Cowan plant reunion: Saturday, June 19, at Crowe Park in Forest City. The Dogwood and Forest City shelters are reserved for the event. Both have picnic areas with playground equipment for children. Bring a covered dish and drinks to share (no alcohol). Cups, plates, napkins, utensils, ice and tea provided. Bring lawn chairs and wear an old BI shirt or cap, if you still have one. For more information contact Don or Jackie Wilson at 657-5021 or via email at jccowanreunion@yahoo.com.

McNair 20th anniversary: The Robert and Janice McNair Educational Foundation will celebrate its 20th year anniversary on May 14, 2010. If you are a McNair ROPE recipient, contact the foundation at rope2010@att.net or www. mcnairedfoundation.org.

Allison Flynn/ Daily Courier

Robbery Continued from Page 1

his mother, Sheila Bradley, to let them know what had happened. As Bradley stood near a Forest City Police squad car behind crime scene tape, both Edwards and Bradley watched, waiting to see if he was OK. “I was getting out to go into work,” Bradley said. “I could hear it in his voice – he was extremely upset.

“He told me it was kind of scary here in the mornings,” Sheila Bradley said.

Ward did not say how much money was taken during the robbery, and said it is possible the robbery is linked to others that have occurred in the past two weeks.

“We’re looking at it that way, but it’s too early to say for sure,” he said. “I haven’t seen a pattern to it yet.”

The investigation is ongoing, Ward said, and the store was closed until around 2 Friday afternoon until forensics was completed.

Suspects are described as black males, one at 6-foot, 4-inches tall and approximately 250 to 260 pounds wearing a red zip-up hoodie and the other as 6-foot wearing a red pullover hoodie, a red hat and dark blue jeans, approximately 160 pounds.

O’Reilly’s is only a block away from the ABC Store in Forest City that was robbed March 13 as the store closed.

Last weekend the Family Dollar in Ellenboro and Dollar General in Forest City were robbed. Suspects in those robberies were also described as black males. No arrests have been

Alert Continued from Page 1

With about 20 employees, Autozone on Commercial Drive is full of workers on alert. Manager Kenny Poteat was reluctant to give any specific information over the phone for this article.

“The police come by regularly, prob-

Closing Continued from Page 1

would be able to do that soon.

Hopefully someone will come in and provide what the town wants.”

This is the second business this year to close on Main Street. The Old Mill Tavern closed last month. However, the economy hasn’t impacted the downtown area quite as badly as one might think.

“The economy is bad, but our Main Street business has been able to hold on,” said Town of Forest City Planner and Downtown Development Director Danielle Withrow. “And City Table has expanded.”

Abbe Byers/Daily Courier

Det. Sgt. Tommy Turner and a Forest City officer investigate footprints behind the O’Reilly Auto Parts store Friday morning following an armed robbery that occurred after the store opened. Forest City Police Department and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office responded to the robbery.

made in any of those robberies.

Forest City Police Department and Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department responded.

Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to contact the Forest

City Police Department at 2455555 or the Tip Line at 245-7771 or mytip@forestcitypd.com.

ably a couple times an hour,” said Kenny Poteat, AutoZone manager.

“We haven’t really changed our hours or anything like that. Some of our employees are concerned and we are making sure the police department is here when we close. But we had asked them to do that a long time ago.”

altering their routines.

“We are also staggering our employees work schedules so that people aren’t leaving all at once, but also not leaving all alone,” Dale said. “We do have some of our clerks that are a little concerned, but we are doing the best we can do right now.”

Downtown on West Main Street, Dale and his five employees have been

Contact Baughman via e-mail at sbaughman@thedigitalcourier.com.

Withrow said there were signs up at Western Auto of a “going out of business” sale but if you read the fine print, she said, the retail store is getting out of the furniture and appliance business.

“They will stay in business with selling Cub Cadet and other lawn mowers,” she said.

“I think people realize there’s great potential in downtown,” she said.

“Forest City is very progressive, but we are in the climate of Rutherford County where unemployment is 18 percent. We are not an edge city in Charlotte, nor do we want to be.”

The Daily Grind, Withrow said, was almost a symbol of the quality of business that could be had on Main Street, and she hates to see them go.

“Despite the economy, in our economic development plan the number one goal was to continue to work on downtown,” she said. “We are not a dying town.”

Withrow said while there were empty buildings in the downtown area, a closer look reveals there is work going on inside all of them. There are several new restaurants on the horizon for downtown, she said, but did not name what they were or where they would be located because all the permits have not been filed.

Contact Flynn via e-mail at aflynn@thedigitalcourier.com.

Contact Flynn via e-mail at aflynn@thedigitalcourier.com.

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Maintenance

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If you do not receive your paper on either Saturday or Sunday and call by 8 a.m., a customer service representative will bring you a paper.

If you call after 8 a.m. on Saturday or Sunday, the missed paper will be brought out on Monday morning.

Our carriers are instructed to deliver your paper by 6 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, by 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. on Sunday.

Remember, call 245-6431 for circulation customer service.

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The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010 — 7

Inside Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 East Awards . . . . . . . . . Page 9 Braves’ Heyward . . . . . . Page 9

Eggstravaganza at McNair Field FOREST CITY — The Owls are hosting an Easter Eggstravaganza at McNair Field on Saturday, April 3 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Hoot and Annie will set up a kid’s area in the concourse featuring games, face painting, an egg hunt, crafts, prizes, and free popcorn.

In addition, Gardner-Webb will host Winthrop in a double header beginning at 2 p.m.

Admission is free for kids with a paying adult.

Gardner-Webb returns to McNair Field for a three game set against Big South Conference foe, Winthrop.

Game one is Friday night beginning at 6 p.m. and the teams will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 2 p.m.

Adult general admission tickets are $6. All youth tickets are free on Saturday with an adult ticket purchase.

For more information contact the Owls at (828)245-0000.

Cowboys’ canopy firm seeks protection DALLAS (AP) — The parent company of the firm that built the Dallas Cowboys’ ruined practice facility says it has filed for protection from its creditors under Canadian law governing bankruptcies.

On TV 12 p.m. (ESPN) Women’s College Basketball NCAA Tournament Regional, First Semifinal: Teams TBA. 12 p.m. (ESPN2) College Lacrosse Johns Hopkins at Virginia.

1 p.m. (WBTV) (WSPA) College Basketball NCAA Division II Tournament, Final: Teams TBA. 1 p.m. (TS) ATP Tennis Sony Ericsson Open, Early Round.

2 p.m. (ESPN) Women’s College Basketball NCAA Tournament Regional, Second Semifinal: Teams TBA. 2 p.m. (ESPN2) College Softball Florida at Alabama.

2:30 p.m. (WYFF) PGA Tour Golf Arnold Palmer Invitational, Third Round.

3 p.m. (FSS) College Baseball LSU at Tennessee.

4 p.m. (WGN-A) MLB Preseason Baseball San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs.

4:30 p.m. (WBTV) (WSPA) College Basketball NCAA Tournament, Regional Final: Teams TBA. 5 p.m. (USA) Horse Racing Louisiana Derby/Land’s End Stakes.

7 p.m. (WBTV) (WSPA) College Basketball NCAA Tournament, Regional Final: Teams TBA. 7 p.m. (ESPN) MLS Soccer Chicago Fire at Red Bull New York.

7 p.m. (FSS) (TS) NHL Hockey Atlanta Thrashers at Carolina Hurricanes.

8 p.m. (WGN-A) NBA Basketball New Jersey Nets at Chicago Bulls.

9 p.m. (ESPN) Women’s College Basketball NCAA Tournament Regional, First Semifinal: Teams TBA. 10:30 p.m. (HBO) Boxing Victor Cayo vs. Marcos Rene Maidana, Junior Welterweights.

10:30 p.m. (SHO) Boxing Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell. Arthur Abraham vs.

Andre Dirrell.

11:30 p.m. (ESPN2) Women’s College Basketball NCAA Tournament Regional, Second Semifinal: Teams TBA.

Garrett Byers/Daily Courier

Chase’s Jay Turner slides into home safely according to teammate Thomas Melton. Turner came home on a passed ball and was officially ruled safe during the baseball game against Shelby, Friday.

Chase blanks Shelby, 8-0 n Lady

Trojans also dismantled Shelby in softball action

By JACOB CONLEY Daily Courier Sports Reporter

CHASE — The Trojans performed well in all three facets of the game — getting a complete game shutout from Cameron Wilkins, a defense that turned three double plays and a five-run inning in the fifth to pull away from Shelby by an 8-0 score.

“Cameron just went after it tonight,” said Coach Matt Tipton. “And that triple was just as big, because this was an important game to get as far as playoffs go. But it’s a long season, we still have a long way to go.”

The Trojans jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when Jay Turner delivered an RBI single that scored Tyler Gaffney and Robert Johnson both of whom reached Garrett Byers/Daily Courier base on infield hits. On the mound, Chase pitcher Cameron Wilkins (4) and catcher Dakota Whitaker talk things over Please see Prep Report, Page 8

during the baseball game against Shelby, Friday.

Lady Hilltoppers clip Freedom, 2-1

By KEVIN CARVER Sports Reporter

RUTHERFORDTON — R-S Central scored twice in the first 30 minutes of girls soccer action and then held on for a 2-1 victory over Freedom, Friday.

“It wasn’t pretty, but this is a much needed conference win for us,” R-S Central girl’s soccer coach Ashley Fromson said. “We are at mid-season

and I think the physical and mental straining is there, but I am happy that we pulled out the victory. We will take it and just move on to next week.”

Freedom had over twice the amount of shot attempts in the game, 18 to 7, but R-S Central was the bearer of good fortune. The Lady Hilltoppers had just three shots in the first half and made two of them.

The first of those came on some crisp passing as Daryl Brown’s long outlet hit the feet of Jessica Hernandez in the 25th minute of play.

Hernandez then split through two defenders and crashed toward the net for a one-on-one match up that Hernandez would win, scoring a Please see Soccer, Page 8

Baylor, Tennessee advance HOUSTON (AP) — Baylor knocked off 10th-seeded Saint Mary’s 72-49 on Friday night behind 28 points from LaceDarius Dunn and an exemplary allaround effort from Tweety Carter.

Coach Scott Drew, the man behind the Baylor reclamation project, couldn’t help but smile in the closing minutes as the Bears pushed their school record for wins in a season to 28.

Tennessee 76, Ohio State 73 ST. LOUIS (AP) — Brian Williams scored on a tip-in with 32 seconds left, Bobby Maze converted a pair of free throws and J.P. Prince blocked Evan Turner’s desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer, leading Tennessee to a 76-73 victory over Ohio State in the Midwest Regional semifinals Friday night.

It’s the first trip to the round of eight in school history for the Volunteers.

Associated Press

Ohio State’s Evan Turner and Tennessee’s Brian Williams (33) fight for the ball during the first half of an NCAA Midwest Regional college basketball game Thursday, in St. Louis.

8

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010

sports

Scoreboard

Prep Report Continued from Page 7

Wilkins allowed base runners in each of the first three innings, but the Trojans defense turned a double play to end each frame and keep Shelby off the scoreboard.

The Trojans tacked on a run in the third as Gaffney showcased his speed by reaching on yet another infield single. He then promptly stole second and scored on a wild pitch after moving to third on a ground out.

The Chase defense protected that lead in the fourth as the Trojans escaped a two on, one out jam as Thomas Melton made a running, overthe-shoulder catch in left and Wilkins recorded a strikeout to end the frame.

The top of the Trojans lineup did more damage in the fifth as Brandon Holland led off with a walk, Gaffney doubled and Johnson was intentionally walked. Turner then cleared the bases with a triple to make the tally 6-0. After Turner scored on a pass ball, pinch-hitter Adam Copper brought in Chase’s final run of the night as the Trojans improved to 3-1 in conference play.

Lady Trojans 10, Shelby 0

CHASE — The Lady Trojans used a 4-for-4 day at the plate from Euletha Davis and a dominating two-hit performance from Rebecca Bailey to overwhelm the Golden Lions on Friday, 10-0. “Today, we put both hitting and pitching together,� said Coach Daniel Bailey. “And doing it against Shelby really helps our goal of getting the number one seed in 2A when it comes to the playoffs.�

Chase cracked the scoreboard in the first when Davis crossed up the Shelby defense by legging out a bunt single. Davis then moved to 3rd on a botched double play and scored on a RBI groundout.

The Trojans loaded the bases in the third as the top of the Trojans’ lineup continued to do damage to the Golden Lions. After the first three batters reached in the frame, Bailey brought in a run on a fielder’s choice and the Shelby pitcher then proceeded to walk the next three Lady Trojans to give Chase a commanding 6-0 lead .

The Chase offense was far from finished as Davis’ third hit of game sparked a three-run outburst with the big blow coming off bat of Blair White, who laced a two-run single to put Chase up 9-0 Davis was part of the Trojans final run as well as the senior smashed a double to the fence to send the Trojans to the 10-0 win.

Chase steps out of conference play on Monday when the Lady Trojans take on 4A power, Spartanburg at home. “They have an excellent pitcher,� said Bailey of Mondays contest. “It should be a good litmus test for the team�

R-S Central 13, Patton 3

MORGANTON — Mariah Lattimore was nearly unhittable and the Lady Hilltoppers offense erupted to take down Patton, 13-3, Friday.

Lattimore worked six innings, in the rule-shortened game, and allowed just one hit. The hardthrowing senior sat down 14 by way of strikeout.

Lattimore also helped herself with a solo home run in the win.

Central (8-0, 4-0) received multi-hit games from Chelsea Smith (3-for-4), Brooke Owens (2-for-3), Cori Hipp (2-for-4) and Taylor Sullivan (2-for-3, HR) in the win.

East Rutherford 6, Burns 1

LAWNDALE — Makayla Harrelson smacked a Grand Slam and Ali Ruppe worked seven strong innings as East topped Burns, 6-1, Friday.

East (3-5, 2-1) got two hits from Ruppe to go along with her two-hitter from the circle. Ruppe struck out eight.

Chelsea Rush celebrated her 18th birthday with a crucial hit in the conference win, while teammate Sally Harrill also added a critical hit, according to coach Julie Powell, for the Lady Cavs.

Soccer Continued from Page 7

clean goal from the left side for a 1-0 Central lead.

Three minutes later, R-S Central (4-2, 3-1) struck again from the right side as Morgan Gilreath’s assist found Erin Wilkins. Wilkins literally rightfooted a popfly that sailed over the Freedom goalie’s head for a 2-0 lead.

Freedom (0-5-4, 0-3) answered quickly and in the 31st minute when Dominique Lor punched a nice ball into the right post from 30-yards out, cutting Central’s lead back to 2-1.

Brown remained defensive in clearing out wouldbe attempts to keep the game at 2-1 at the half.

The Lady Hilltoppers’ Haley Drabek came up with 12 saves in goal in the win.

Charlotte 108, Minnesota 95 Indiana 99, Washington 82 Utah 113, Toronto 87 New Jersey 93, Sacramento 79 Philadelphia 101, Milwaukee 86 Cleveland 105, New Orleans 92 Oklahoma City 122, Houston 104 L.A. Lakers 92, San Antonio 83 Golden State 128, Memphis 110 Thursday’s Games Miami 103, Chicago 74 L.A. Clippers 99, Houston 93 Portland 101, Dallas 89 Friday’s Games Charlotte 107, Washington 96 Indiana 122, Utah 106 Denver 97, Toronto 96 Philadelphia 105, Atlanta 98 Orlando 106, Minnesota 97 Sacramento at Boston, late L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, late Detroit at New Jersey, late Miami at Milwaukee, late Cleveland at San Antonio, late New York at Phoenix, late Saturday’s Games Utah at Washington, 7 p.m.

New Jersey at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Portland at New Orleans, 8 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Houston, 8:30 p.m.

Dallas at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

BASEBALL Major League Baseball Spring Training Glance AMERICAN LEAGUE

W L Cleveland 14 6 Tampa Bay 16 7 Detroit 14 9 Minnesota 11 9 Boston 12 12 Kansas City 10 10 Oakland 11 11 Toronto 9 11 New York 9 12 Baltimore 9 13 Seattle 9 14 Chicago 7 13 Los Angeles 7 13 Texas 6 15 NATIONAL LEAGUE

W L San Francisco 19 7 Atlanta 13 8 Chicago 13 9 Colorado 14 10 Philadelphia 11 8 San Diego 13 10 Houston 12 10 New York 12 10 Milwaukee 12 11 Florida 11 11 Arizona 11 12 St. Louis 10 11 Cincinnati 9 11 Los Angeles 8 11 Pittsburgh 6 14 Washington 6 16

Pct .700 .696 .609 .550 .500 .500 .500 .450 .429 .409 .391 .350 .350 .286 Pct .731 .619 .591 .583 .579 .565 .545 .545 .522 .500 .478 .476 .450 .421 .300 .273

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct 46 25 .648 35 35 .500 26 45 .366 25 47 .347 8 63 .113 Southeast Division

W L Pct x-Orlando 50 22 .694 x-Atlanta 46 26 .641 Miami 38 34 .528 Charlotte 38 34 .528 Washington 21 49 .300 Central Division

W L Pct y-Cleveland 57 15 .792 Milwaukee 39 31 .557 Chicago 33 38 .465 Indiana 26 46 .361 Detroit 23 48 .324 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division

W L Pct Dallas 47 25 .653 San Antonio 42 28 .600 Memphis 38 34 .528 Houston 36 35 .507 New Orleans 34 39 .466 Northwest Division

W L Pct Denver 47 25 .653 Utah 47 25 .653 Oklahoma City 43 27 .614 Portland 43 29 .597 Minnesota 14 58 .194 Pacific Division

W L Pct x-L.A. Lakers 53 18 .746 Phoenix 45 26 .634 L.A. Clippers 27 45 .375 Sacramento 24 48 .333 Golden State 20 51 .282

RACING NASCAR-Sprint Cup Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 Lineup

NCAA Tournament Glance

Thursday’s Games Detroit (ss) 5, Toronto 1 St. Louis 2, N.Y. Mets 1 Tampa Bay 5, Minnesota 3 Philadelphia 8, Houston 7 Pittsburgh 7, Atlanta 6, 10 innings Boston 6, Florida 4 Baltimore 8, N.Y. Yankees 0 Kansas City 8, Seattle (ss) 7 Chicago Cubs 7, Arizona 2 Cleveland 3, Seattle (ss) 1 L.A. Angels 9, Texas 6 San Diego 5, Chicago White Sox 3 L.A. Dodgers 7, Milwaukee 3 Colorado 10, Cincinnati 6 Detroit (ss) 8, Washington 2 San Francisco 6, Oakland 3 Friday’s Games Tampa Bay 14, Toronto (ss) 10 Florida 8, N.Y. Mets 8, tie, 10 innings Houston 6, Pittsburgh 4 Atlanta 5, Detroit 2 Washington 7, St. Louis 4 Boston 3, Toronto (ss) 2 San Francisco 5, L.A. Angels 3 Oakland (ss) 6, Texas 3 Cleveland 5, Colorado 4 Seattle 6, Cincinnati 5 Arizona 10, Chicago White Sox 1 Oakland (ss) 5, Chicago Cubs 2 San Diego 9, Milwaukee 4 Kansas City 8, L.A. Dodgers 4 Minnesota vs Baltimore at Sarasota, Fla., late Philadelphia vs N.Y. Yankees at Tampa, Fla., late Saturday’s Games Florida vs St. Louis at Jupiter, Fla., 12:05 p.m.

Washington (ss) vs Atlanta at Kissimmee, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Tampa Bay vs Houston at Kissimmee, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Toronto vs Pittsburgh at Bradenton, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees vs Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Boston vs Baltimore at Sarasota, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Philadelphia vs Minnesota at Fort Myers, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Washington (ss) vs N.Y. Mets at Port St. Lucie, Fla., 1:10 p.m.

San Diego (ss) vs Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.

Oakland vs Kansas City at Surprise, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.

Texas vs Milwaukee at Phoenix, 4:05 p.m.

Cincinnati vs San Diego (ss) at Peoria, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.

San Francisco vs L.A. Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.

Arizona vs Cleveland at Goodyear, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.

Seattle vs L.A. Dodgers at Glendale, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.

Chicago White Sox vs Colorado at Tucson, Ariz., 4:10 p.m.

x-Boston Toronto New York Philadelphia New Jersey

Dallas at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

GB — 10 1/2 20 21 1/2 38 GB — 4 12 12 28 GB — 17 23 1/2 31 33 1/2 GB — 4 9 10 1/2 13 1/2 GB — — 3 4 33 GB — 8 26 1/2 29 1/2 33Â

EAST REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Thursday, March 25 West Virginia 69, Washington 56 Kentucky 62, Cornell 45 Regional Championship Saturday, March 27 West Virginia (30-6) vs. Kentucky (35-2), 7 p.m.

SOUTH REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Friday, March 26 Baylor 72, Saint Mary’s 49 Duke (31-5) vs. Purdue (29-5), late Regional Championship Sunday, March 28 Baylor (28-7) vs. Duke-Purdue winner MIDWEST REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Friday, March 26 Tennessee 76, Ohio State 73 Northern Iowa (30-4) vs. Michigan State (26-8), late Regional Championship Sunday, March 28 Tennessee vs. N.Iowa-Mich. State winner WEST REGIONAL Regional Semifinals Thursday, March 25 Butler 63, Syracuse 59 Kansas State 101, Xavier 96, 2OT Regional Championship Saturday, March 27 Butler (31-4) vs. Kansas State (29-7), 4:30 p.m.

FINAL FOUR At Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis National Semifinals Saturday, April 3 East champion vs. South champion Midwest champion vs. West champion National Championship Monday, April 5 Semifinal winners

HOCKEY National Hockey League EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division

GP W L OT Pts GF New Jersey 73 43 25 5 91 198 Pittsburgh 74 42 25 7 91 228 Philadelphia 74 37 31 6 80 215 N.Y. Rangers 74 33 32 9 75 195 N.Y. Islanders 74 30 34 10 70 192 Northeast Division

GP W L OT Pts GF Buffalo 72 40 22 10 90 203 Ottawa 74 39 30 5 83 198 Montreal 75 37 30 8 82 202 Boston 73 33 28 12 78 183 Toronto 74 27 35 12 66 195 Southeast Division

GP W L OT Pts GF y-Washington 74 49 14 11 109 289 Atlanta 74 32 30 12 76 219 Tampa Bay 74 30 32 12 72 196 Florida 73 30 32 11 71 191 Carolina 74 31 34 9 71 206 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division

GP W L OT Pts GF x-Chicago 73 46 20 7 99 239 Nashville 75 43 27 5 91 211 Detroit 73 37 23 13 87 200 St. Louis 74 35 30 9 79 201 Columbus 74 30 32 12 72 198 Northwest Division

GP W L OT Pts GF Vancouver 74 45 25 4 94 242 Colorado 73 41 25 7 89 220 Calgary 74 37 28 9 83 189 Minnesota 74 36 32 6 78 203 Edmonton 73 24 42 7 55 187 Pacific Division

GP W L OT Pts GF x-San Jose 74 45 19 10 100 239 Phoenix 75 46 23 6 98 204 Los Angeles 73 42 25 6 90 215 Dallas 74 32 28 14 78 211 Anaheim 73 34 31 8 76 205 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division Thursday’s Games N.Y. Rangers 4, New Jersey 3, SO Carolina 3, Washington 2, SO Nashville 4, Phoenix 3, SO Tampa Bay 5, Boston 3 N.Y. Islanders 3, Calgary 2 Minnesota 4, Philadelphia 3, OT Toronto 2, Atlanta 1, OT Columbus 8, Chicago 3 Montreal 4, Florida 1 St. Louis 3, Los Angeles 1 San Jose 3, Dallas 0 Friday’s Games Ottawa at Buffalo, late Minnesota at Detroit, late Anaheim at Edmonton, late Saturday’s Games Calgary at Boston, 1 p.m.

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

N.Y. Rangers at Toronto, 7 p.m.

New Jersey at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Florida at Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Atlanta at Carolina, 7 p.m.

N.Y. Islanders at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Nashville, 8 p.m.

Colorado at Phoenix, 9 p.m.

Vancouver at San Jose, 10 p.m.

GA 176 212 205 200 229 GA 182 212 204 186 243 GA 209 236 230 214 231 GA 187 209 195 204 238 GA 191 197 185 218 250 GA 193 185 195 234 224

(Car number in parentheses) 1. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

2. (17) Matt Kenseth, Ford, Owner Points.

3. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Points.

4. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, Owner Points.

5. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

6. (2) Kurt Busch, Dodge, Owner Points.

7. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

8. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, Points.

9. (98) Paul Menard, Ford, Owner Points.

10. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, Owner Points.

11. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

12. (33) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

13. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, Owner Points.

14. (83) Brian Vickers, Toyota, Owner Points.

15. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Points.

16. (5) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

17. (20) Joey Logano, Toyota, Owner Points.

18. (82) Scott Speed, Toyota, Owner Points.

19. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Owner Points.

20. (56) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Owner Points.

21. (43) AJ Allmendinger, Ford, Owner Points.

22. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, Points.

23. (9) Kasey Kahne, Ford, Owner Points.

24. (00) David Reutimann, Toyota, Owner Points.

25. (19) Elliott Sadler, Ford, Owner Points.

26. (39) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Points.

27. (6) David Ragan, Ford, Owner Points.

28. (78) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

29. (71) Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet, Points.

30. (12) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, Owner Points.

31. (47) Marcos Ambrose, Toyota, Owner Points.

32. (38) Kevin Conway, Ford, Owner Points.

33. (77) Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, Owner Points.

34. (34) Travis Kvapil, Ford, Owner Points.

35. (37) David Gilliland, Ford, Owner Points.

36. (7) Robby Gordon, Toyota, Owner Points.

37. (26) David Stremme, Ford, Owner Points.

38. (36) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet, Owner Points.

39. (13) Max Papis, Toyota, Owner Points.

40. (55) Michael McDowell, Toyota, Points.

41. (66) Dave Blaney, Toyota, Owner Points.

42. (87) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, Owner Points.

Failed to Qualify 43. (90) Casey Mears, Chevrolet.

44. (09) Aric Almirola, Chevrolet.

45. (46) Terry Cook, Dodge.

46. (35) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet.

Qualifying rained out; owner points set start.

TRANSACTIONS Friday’s Sports Transactions

BASEBALL American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES—Named David Stockstill director of international scouting and John Stockstill director of player development.

Optioned INF Josh Bell, INF Rhyne Hughes, INF Brandon Snyder and INF Michael Aubrey to Norfolk (IL) and INF Pedro Florimon to Bowie (EL). Assigned RHP Frank Mata, RHP Josh Perrault, RHP Dennis Sarfate and OF Jonathan Tucker to their minor league camp.

BOSTON RED SOX—-Optioned LHP Fabio Castro to Pawtucket (IL). Reassigned OF Darnell McDonald to their minor league camp. Released LHP Brian Shouse. Agreed to terms with LHP Scott Schoeneweis on a minor league contract.

National League ATLANTA BRAVES—Suspended minor league RHP Duente Heath indefinitely.

CHICAGO CUBS—Optioned RHP Jeff Gray, RHP Marcos Mateo, LHP John Gaub and OF Jim Adduci to Iowa (PCL). Assigned INF Darwin Barney, INF Bobby Scales and C Robinson Chirinos to their minor league camp.

FLORIDA MARLINS—Optioned LHP Andrew Miller, C Brett Hayes and RHP Chris Leroux to New Orleans (PCL).

HOUSTON ASTROS—Optioned LHP Wesley Wright to Round Rock (PCL). Reassigned RHP Shane Loux and INF Oswaldo Navarro to their minor league camp.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS—Optioned OF Jon Jay and INF Tyler Greene to Memphis (PCL).

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS—Traded INF Kevin Frandsen to Boston Red Sox for a player to be named or cash.

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association MIAMI HEAT—Signed G Kenny Hasbrouck to a second 10-day contract.

FOOTBALL National Football League PITTSBURGH STEELERS—Signed QB Charlie Batch to a two-year contract.

HOCKEY National Hockey League LOS ANGELES KINGS—Activated F Andrei Loktionov from injured reserve and assigned him to Manchester (AHL).

MINNESOTA WILD—Reassigned C Cody Almond to Houston (AHL).

NEW YORK RANGERS—Recalled F P.A. Parenteau and D Anders Eriksson from Hartford (AHL).

American Hockey League AHL—Suspended Binghamton RW Jonathan Cheechoo for two games as a result of his actions in a March 24 game vs. Toronto.

MANITOBA MOOSE—Signed F Aaron Volpatti and D Ryan McGinnis.

PROVIDENCE BRUINS—Signed F Olivier Labelle and F Devin Timberlake. Released D Jody Pederson.

SAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE—Signed RW Jared Staal. Reassigned RW Ryan Weston to Las Vegas (ECHL).

SYRACUSE CRUNCH—Signed RW Alex Curran.

SOCCER Major League Soccer D.C. UNITED—Signed D Carey Talley and D Barry Rice.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION—Signed MF Marko Perovic and MF Khano Smith. Waived D Gabriel Badilla.

NEW YORK RED BULLS—Signed F Juan Agudelo.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC—Named Bill Crook and Sean Henderson youth academy assistant coaches.

TORONTO FC—Signed MF Martin Saric.

COLLEGE BOISE STATE—Named Leon Rice men’s basketball coach.

NEBRASKA—Announced junior F Quincy Hankins-Cole, sophomore G Myles Holley and freshman G Ray Gallegos will leave the men’s basketball program at the end of the semester.

SAN JOSE STATE—Named Marie Tuite senior associate athletics director/chief operating officer.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA—Promoted Tony Miller to men’s assistant basketball coach.

VIRGINIA TECH—Agreed to terms with men’s basketball coach Seth Greenberg on the remaining four years of his contract and extended it two years.

# x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division Wednesday’s Games Atlanta 86, Orlando 84 Boston 113, Denver 99

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sports

Jason Heyward to start in RF for Braves KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Braves’ rookie sensation Jason Heyward will open the season as Atlanta’s regular right fielder.

“How could we keep him off the team?” Braves manager Bobby Cox said Friday. “He’s done everything this spring.”

The 20-year-old Heyward went into Friday’s game against Detroit batting .366 with a homer and five RBIs in 41 at-bats this spring. He had a .500 on-base percentage and .537 slugging average.

“He’ll be in there every day,” Cox said of the lefthanded hitter. “With him, it doesn’t matter if a lefty or a righty is pitching.”

Heyward learned he had made the team during a meeting with Cox early Friday morning, then general manager Frank Wren talked to him during batting practice.

“It was time to make it official that Jason was on the team,” Wren said.

“Now he can just go out and play the last week of Heyward spring training without any more speculation.”

Heyward was low key about making the team, but admitted that “it was a great feeling” leaving Cox’s office knowing that he was officially a major leaguer.

“I really wasn’t surprised or relieved,” Heyward said. “It just means that it is time to get ready for the season.”

The Braves could have delayed Heyward’s arbitration and free agent clock by starting him in the minors.

“But I don’t know how we could have faced our players or the fans if we had done that,” Wren said.

Cox has been in Heyward’s corner all the time.

“He makes us a lot better,” said the manager, who is in his last season. “He doesn’t just hit, he can do it all. And his makeup is off the charts.”

Heyward was the Braves’ first-round draft pick in 2007 and made a quick rise through the Atlanta farm system.

“There is not a better manager for a young player to break in under than Bobby,” Wren said.

Heyward, from the Atlanta suburb of McDonough, was named minor league player of the year last season by Baseball America after hitting .323 with 17 homers over three minor league stops. He started in Class-A and ended in Triple-A. “We saw last summer that he was a player on a quick ascent,” said Wren, who noted that the Braves considered calling up Heyward last September.

Heyward made a favorable impression on Braves players last spring and enhanced that this year.

“I couldn’t be more impressed,” Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones said. “Look out Atlanta.

He’s going to wow you.”

“He’s a stud,” said pitcher Tommy Hanson, who finished third in the National League rookie of the year voting last season. “He deserves all the attention and he can handle it.”

Heyward doesn’t turn 21 until August, but you’d never guess his age with his maturity on and off the field.

“His plate discipline for being that age is really beyond my comprehension,” Braves hitting coach Terry Pendleton said. “All I can say is that everyone in Atlanta has a lot to look forward to.”

The Braves cleared a spot on the 40-man roster for Heyward, an invitee to spring training, when pitcher Todd Redmond was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.

Now the question is which number Heyward will wear this season. He has been No. 71 this spring.

“I know, but it’s a secret,” Heyward said.

Batch stays a Steeler

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Charlie Batch has signed a two-year contract to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a backup quarterback.

The 35-year-old Batch has been under contract with the Steelers for eight seasons, although he sat out 2004 and 2008 with injuries. He has thrown only two passes since 2007, and 135 overall during his time with Pittsburgh.

A former starter for the Detroit Lions, Batch is expected to compete with Dennis Dixon to be the backup quarterback.

Right Here in the Foothills

…The Look Of The Foothills HOURS: M- F 10-6; SAT 10-4; SUN 1-4

Johnson: “They want to be in my shoes” MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson has won three races already this season, and last week rallied with 10 laps to go to win at a place where his results had been mediocre.

The victory at Bristol, Tenn., prompted a frustrated Kurt Busch, who Johnson passed, to say afterward that he would have preferred that anyone but the four-time Cup champion take the victory.

In Johnson’s mind, that means he’s got Busch — and others — right where he wants them.

“Man, I’ve always wanted to be that guy that frustrated the field, frustrated the garage,” he said Friday at Martinsville, where qualifying for Sunday’s race was rained out.

“I was fortunate enough to watch (Dale) Earnhardt do that during his run and (Jeff) Gordon during his. And you ask any driver in the garage area. They want to be in my shoes. They want to be the guy that is referenced when someone loses and they say ‘anyone but.’”

Getting into the competition’s head, intentionally or otherwise, isn’t new in NASCAR. The key to being able to make it work is knowing who you are dealing with, said two-time champion Tony Stewart. And who is vulnerable to it and who is not.

“There is a group of guys that are easy to do that to and there is a group of guys that it is impossible to,” he said. “No matter what you try to do, you can’t get in their heads.”

To some degree, what Johnson has done has to be in everyone’s head, Jeff Burton said. Before Johnson started winning championships, only Cale Yarborough had won three in a row.

“For me, if you’re not paying attention to what they’re doing and understand that they’re the guys you need to beat if you want to win a championship, then you’re not a fast learner,” he said. “You can be in denial about where they are and what they’re doing if you like, but if you want to understand what you’re up

against, then you need to understand it.”

The last driver to have a run going like Johnson has had in the past four years — he won 29 races, plus three of the first five this year — was his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, who won four championships between 1995 and 2001.

In his mind, the surest way to keep the competition guessing is to keep winning.

“Those were the easiest weekends I ever had in this sport,” he said of the six-year stretch when he earned 56 of his 82 career victories, including 33 in a three-year period.

When he was on top, and gradually taking the spot from Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace, Gordon was often loudly booed during introductions as though he had done something terrible.

Johnson, though, doesn’t even draw that response.

“It’s because he doesn’t do anything on the race track that makes them mad.” Stewart said, “other than win.”

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Jimmie Johnson, left front, passes Tony Stewart, right front, as Greg Biffle, back left, and Kurt Busch, back right, follow during the final laps of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series Food City 500 auto race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn., Sunday, March 21, 2010. Johnson won the race.

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Contributed Photo

East Rutherford High recently handed out awards to student-athletes at the school’s Winter Sports banquet.

Awards were presented to the following: (front row, l to r) Girls Basketball: Tamara El-Amoor, Coach’s Award; Shaquisha Dawkins, Best Offensive Award; Rosland Lattimore, Best Defensive Award; Kaziah Miller, Team Before Self; Sha’Na Watkins, Most Improved; Ciara Lowrance, Best Rebounder. Cheerleading: Peyton Seres, Most Spirited; Amber Henson, Coach’s Award; Mary Elizabeth Bennett, Best All-Around. (second row, l to r) Heather Horn, Coach’s Award; Katie Downs, Most Spirited; Jessica Swink, Best All-Around; Brittany Stacey, Team Before Self; Brittany Henson, Coach’s Award; Jordan Hawkins, Most Spirited & Academic. Swimming: Mara Chambers, Cavalier Award; Lauren Henderson, Most Valuable. (third row, l to r) Wrestling: Joseph Bryd, Most Pins; Charlie Perez, Most Outstanding; Justin Barksdale, Defensive JV Basketball; Mikhail Baxter, Coach’s Award Basketball; Zachary Price, Best Defensive Basketball; T.J. Watkins, Offensive JV Basketball; Maddox Stamey, Intensity JV Basketball; Brandon Barber, Swimming Cavalier Award. (fourth row, l to r) Rahkim Franklin, Most Improved Wrestling; Rob Gray, Best Offense Basketball; Devince Boykins, Best Rebounder & Most Outstanding Basketball; Ricky Wilkerson, Mr. Hustle Basketball; Dathan Beckett, Coach’s Award JV Basketball; Zachery Arrowood, Coach’s Award Swimming. Not pictured: Raheem Hampton, Team Before Self Basketball; Kyle Maynard, Most Valuable Swimmer; Isabel Ireta, Coach’s Award Swimming.

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10

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010

Weather/Local/Nation POWER RESTORED

Weather The Daily Courier Weather Today

Tonight

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Sunny

T-storms

T-storms Likely

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly Sunny

Sunny

Precip Chance: 0%

Precip Chance: 30%

Precip Chance: 70%

Precip Chance: 10%

Precip Chance: 5%

Precip Chance: 0%

61º

41º

59º 46º

64º 41º

66º 39º

71º 41º

Almanac

Local UV Index

Around Our State Today

Statistics provided by Broad River Water Authority through 7 a.m. yesterday.

0 - 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11+

Temperatures

0-2: Low, 3-5: Moderate, 6-7: High, 8-10: Very High, 11+: Extreme Exposure

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.69 .39 .65 .37

Precipitation 24 hrs through 7 a.m. yest. .0.09" Month to date . . . . . . . . .2.09" Year to date . . . . . . . . .12.87"

Barometric Pressure

Sun and Moon Sunrise today .

Sunset tonight .

Moonrise today Moonset today .

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.7:21 .7:45 .5:18 .5:33

a.m. p.m. p.m. a.m.

Moon Phases

High yesterday . . . . . . .30.04"

Relative Humidity High yesterday . . . . . . . .100%

Full 3/29

Sunday

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx

Asheville . . . . . . .60/39 Cape Hatteras . . .53/48 Charlotte . . . . . . .61/42 Fayetteville . . . . .60/42 Greensboro . . . . .57/39 Greenville . . . . . .56/39 Hickory . . . . . . . . . .60/40 Jacksonville . . . .58/41 Kitty Hawk . . . . . .48/44 New Bern . . . . . .57/40 Raleigh . . . . . . . .57/38 Southern Pines . .58/41 Wilmington . . . . .59/46 Winston-Salem . .57/39

s s s s s s s s s s s s s s

56/43 63/60 61/50 65/56 53/50 68/56 58/47 68/58 63/54 68/58 60/55 61/55 67/57 53/49

t sh t sh sh sh t sh sh sh sh sh sh sh

Weather (Wx): cl/cloudy; pc/partly cloudy; ra/rain; rs/rain & snow; s/sunny; sh/showers; sn/snow; t/thunderstorms; w/windy

First 4/21

New 4/14

Last 4/6

City

North Carolina Forecast

Greensboro 57/39

Asheville 60/39

Forest City 61/41 Charlotte 61/42

Today

Kinston 57/39

Threats against solons spread after health vote

Wilmington 59/46

Today’s National Map

Sunday

City

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx

Atlanta . . . . . . . .

Baltimore . . . . . .

Chicago . . . . . . .

Detroit . . . . . . . .

Indianapolis . . .

Los Angeles . . .

Miami . . . . . . . . .

New York . . . . . .

Philadelphia . . .

Sacramento . . . .

San Francisco . .

Seattle . . . . . . . .

Tampa . . . . . . . .

Washington, DC

.65/50 .49/36 .48/39 .48/36 .61/43 .81/52 .78/66 .46/32 .47/33 .71/47 .69/51 .62/48 .80/59 .50/35

s s pc s s s s s s s s pc s s

Greenville 56/39

Raleigh 57/38

Fayetteville 60/42

Shown is today’s weather.

Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Across Our Nation

Elizabeth City 51/39

Durham 56/37

Winston-Salem 57/39

66/46 56/52 50/34 50/32 52/37 82/55 79/69 51/42 53/47 70/48 68/53 54/45 78/66 59/50

t sh ra ra sh s pc mc sh pc s sh t sh

H

60s

50s

30s

40s

H

50s

70s 70s

This map shows high temperatures, type of precipitation expected and location of frontal systems at noon.

Cold Front

Stationary Front

40s

50s

50s

Warm Front

60s

L

70s 80s

80s

L

Low Pressure

H

High Pressure

Nation Today Benefits bill held up

WASHINGTON (AP) — Once again, a stubborn Senate Republican is blocking speedy passage of a stopgap bill to extend jobless benefits, saying its $9 billion cost should not be added to the national debt.

This time it’s Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who’s insisting that the measure be “paid for” so as not to add to the nation’s $12.7 trillion debt.

The clash comes less than a month after Republicans abandoned a similar battle that led to an interruption in unemployment benefits eligibility for some people and a two-day furlough for about 2,000 Transportation Department employees.

A stopgap law enacted early this month extends though March 31 unemployment insurance for people who have been out of a job for more than six months, provides health insurance subsidies for the jobless and protects doctors from a sharp cut in Medicare payments.

11 killed in Ky. accident

MUNFORDVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A tractor-trailer loaded with auto parts crossed a highway median Friday and slammed head-on into a van carrying a Mennonite family, killing 11 people before dawn on a hilly stretch of interstate.

The dead included an engaged couple and several members of their family, whose house burned down in December. Two children in the van were the only survivors of the crash about 75 miles south of Louisville.

After the collision, the truck smashed into a rock wall and burst into flames. The driver, the lone occupant, was also killed.

A pastor for the family said they were traveling to a wedding in Iowa, and the engaged couple planned their own wedding for July.

The crash was the deadliest single accident in Kentucky since a 1988 bus crash in which 27 people died when a church bus carrying a youth group was hit by a drunken driver.

Kauffman said the family was from Burkesville, in southern Kentucky. Those killed were John and Sadie Esh and some of their children and grandchildren. The youngest victims were ages 1, 3 and 5.

In the addition to John and Sadie Esh, the dead included their children Anna, Rose, Rachel and Leroy, authorities said.

A cousin, Martha Byler of Altoona, Pa., said Leroy Esh’s wife, Naomi, was also killed, along with one of their adopted son, Jalen Esh. Also among the dead was Rachel’s fiance, Joel Gingrich. The coroner said family friend Ashley Kramer was also killed.

Nuclear pact approved WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed on Friday to reduce the arsenals of the world’s two largest nuclear powers — the first major arms accord in a generation.

Final agreement came in a phone call between the two and a flurry of announcements in Washington and Moscow.

The new treaty — designed to replace the 1991 START accord which expired last December — would further shrink the massive stockpiles the United States and Russia amassed during the Cold War. It would limit both sides to 1,550 warheads — about 30 percent fewer than are currently allowed — and 700 deployed missiles and bombers.

In addition, the White House statement said, the measure includes tough verification measures that’ll enable both sides to monitor all aspects of its implementation.

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Garrett Byers/Daily Courier

Forest City electric employees work on a transformer after many residents and businesses in Forest City experienced a brief power outage Friday morning, which lasted approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Assistant Public Works Director Bob Daniels said the outage occurred when a squirrel got into a line causing a short. This resulted in an arc out of all three phases and breakers at the Lawing Road Substation in Forest City, which subsequently tripped out the Duke Power feed. The Forest City Public Works Department and Duke Power cleared the transformers, which have to be brought up one circuit at a time. The temporary outage affected most of the west end of Forest City, Oak Street and the Ingle’s Supermarket area.

=WASHINGTON (AP) — A fax bearing the image of a noose.

Profane voice mails. Bricks thrown, a gas line cut. White powder sent to an office.

Democrats and a few Republicans revealed mounting numbers and unsettling details of threats against them Thursday in the emotional aftermath of the passage of the health care overhaul.

Lawmakers uniformly condemned the harassment, but that’s where the agreement ended. Democrats said Republicans were slow to condemn the vigilantism, while Republicans said Democrats were playing politics with the threats.

“By ratcheting up the rhetoric, some will only inflame these situations to dangerous levels,” said House Republican Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia. “Enough is enough. It has to stop.”

At least 10 Democrats now have reported harassment, including incidents involving at least four of their offices in New York, Arizona and Kansas. More frequent have been obscenity-laced, sometime-threatening phone messages. An undisclosed number of lawmakers have been given increased police protection.

“It is unfortunate that a small but vocal group of people are using insults to convey their opinions and alarming that anyone would make threats against me or my family,” said Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, D-Pa. On Thursday, two Republicans said they, too, had been menaced.

No arrests have been reported.

A threat to assault a member of Congress in retaliation for the performance of official duties is punishable by up to a year in prison.

House historian Fred Beuttler said there have been few acts of violence against lawmakers over legislation.

The worst occurred in 1954 when four Puerto Rican nationalists shot up the House chamber, wounding five members. A cross was burned on Speaker Sam Rayburn’s front lawn in Texas during debate on civil rights legislation in the 1960s.

This week, hate-filled rants have been showing up in voice mails, e-mail boxes and on fax machines of lawmakers since the House approved the health care bill 219-212 Sunday night. President Barack Obama signed it into law on Tuesday. A package of fixes to the new law was winding through Congress Thursday on the brink of a two-week recess that begins on Monday.

On one point Thursday, there was bipartisan agreement: No act of Congress — health care reform or anything else — merits threats of violence against lawmakers or their families.

House Republican leader John

Boehner met with Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the incidents and both condemned them.

Pelosi was careful to avoid blaming Republicans directly for inciting the harassment, though she said that words “weigh a ton.” Such threats of retaliation “have no place in a civil debate in our country,” she said.

Boehner followed moments later.

While many are angry over the health care measure, he said, “threats and violence should not be part of a political debate.”

The fact that lawmakers were being harassed took attention away from the package of fixes to the health care law.

Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, released a recording of a voicemail she said she received in which a man repeatedly accuses Republicans of being racists.

Cantor, meanwhile, said he has received e-mail threats and that a bullet struck the window of his campaign office building in Richmond.

But Richmond police said the bullet apparently had been randomly fired skyward. It hit the front window of a building that houses Cantor’s campaign office as it fell at a sharp downward angle around 1 a.m.

Tuesday, police said.

Cantor said the House’s Democratic campaign chairman, Chris Van Hollen, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine had incited retribution against Republicans by telling The Huffington Post that the GOP would “own” responsibility for retaliatory slurs.

Schmidt, meanwhile, released a tape of a profanity-laced phone message in which the caller said Republicans were racists and, referring to an accident two years ago when she was hit by a car while jogging, said, “You should have broke your back.”

Rep. Anthony Weiner’s office in the Queens borough of New York City received a letter with white powder in it Thursday that mentioned his vote for the health care bill, the police department said. Police later said field tests showed the powder was not hazardous.

In addition to Dahlkemper, Ohio Rep. John Boccieri, one of eight Democrats who switched to “yes” on the most recent House vote, said he had received threats.

E-mails sent to Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-Fla., another member who switched her vote, urged her to commit suicide and said she and her family should rot in hell.”

Rep. Louise Slaughter, a New York Democrat and chairwoman of an influential House committee, said someone had left her a voicemail that used the word “snipers.”

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The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010 — 11

Business/finance

THE MARKET IN REVIEW

STOCK EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS

u

NYSE

u

7,403.58 +17.98

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last GLG Ptrs 3.07 Caplease 5.45 MGIC 10.07 FredM pfT 2.00 GenCorp 5.31 Nwcstl pfC 14.02 GtPlns pfA 79.85 Nwcstl pfB 14.90 ReneSola 5.61 RadioShk 23.65

Chg +.39 +.66 +1.15 +.21 +.50 +1.23 +6.85 +1.26 +.46 +1.85

%Chg +14.6 +13.8 +12.9 +11.7 +10.4 +9.6 +9.4 +9.2 +8.9 +8.5

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last Chg KV PhmA lf 2.11 -.70 KV PhmB lf 2.32 -.65 MS oil2010 27.13 -4.63 Ambac3-03n4.90 -.82 W Holding 8.75 -1.34 IDT Cp C 5.35 -.77 InterOil g 62.01 -8.88 Ambac2-03 4.86 -.59 IDT Corp 6.45 -.70 Natuzzi 4.76 -.49

%Chg -24.9 -21.9 -14.6 -14.3 -13.3 -12.6 -12.5 -10.8 -9.8 -9.3

MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) Name Vol (00) Last Chg Citigrp 5447549 4.31 +.04 BkofAm 2164200 17.90 +.16 S&P500ETF1829779116.58 -.07 SPDR Fncl 1752349 16.00 +.02 DirFBear rs 938428 13.35 -.04 GenElec 838858 18.34 +.04 iShEMkts 672987 41.10 +.20 FordM 586487 13.86 +.06 iShR2K 542199 67.81 -.03 Pfizer 537470 17.14 -.25 Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows Volume

DIARY

1,580 1,489 119 3,188 168 12 4,726,482,657

AMEX

1,876.14 +9.07

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last Engex 4.15 PrincEq n 14.00 AdcareH wt 2.90 OrienPap n 9.62 Taseko 5.08 Iteris 2.04 TrnsatlPt n 3.65 AdcareHlt 5.77 Ballanty 5.74 PcEn pfC 79.00

Chg +.60 +1.95 +.29 +.77 +.31 +.12 +.21 +.31 +.29 +3.90

%Chg +17.0 +16.2 +11.1 +8.7 +6.5 +6.3 +6.1 +5.6 +5.3 +5.2

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name AmApparel Gainsco rs IncOpR VirnetX MinesMgt CaracoP MercBcp IEC Elec n Cohen&Co Emergent

Last 3.17 8.07 5.10 5.27 2.45 6.18 2.26 5.32 6.00 8.02

Chg %Chg -.67 -17.4 -.97 -10.7 -.50 -8.9 -.49 -8.5 -.16 -6.1 -.39 -5.9 -.14 -5.8 -.29 -5.2 -.30 -4.8 -.39 -4.6

MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) Name Vol (00) Last Chg NovaGld g 34886 7.20 +.02 GoldStr g 34448 3.70 +.14 AdeonaPh 34173 1.56 +.27 BPW Acq 28285 11.14 +.24 Taseko 26535 5.08 +.31 AmApparel 18200 3.17 -.67 NthgtM g 17054 3.02 +.04 NA Pall g 17001 3.93 -.06 Rentech 15579 1.03 ...

NwGold g 15364 4.16 +.04 DIARY

Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows Volume

257 218 50 525 20 3 96,651,386

d

NASDAQ 2,395.13 -2.28

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last ARCA bio 8.22 inVentiv 20.06 VlyNBc wt 3.50 JksvllBcIL 13.01 WaterstnF 3.70 FstBcMiss 9.45 FinLine 16.98 ChinaGrnT 3.83 SmartM 8.14 NexstarB 4.86

Chg +5.57 +2.91 +.50 +1.84 +.52 +1.30 +2.32 +.47 +.98 +.57

%Chg +210.2 +17.0 +16.7 +16.5 +16.4 +16.0 +15.8 +14.0 +13.7 +13.3

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last ATC Tech 18.02 Manitex 2.53 X-Rite 2.97 InfoLogx rs 5.16 MediciNova 7.06 SabaSoftw 5.09 AdeptTch 3.60 BBC pf II 7.03 INX Inc 4.54 WSI Inds 2.29

Chg -5.55 -.39 -.43 -.59 -.79 -.57 -.40 -.71 -.46 -.23

%Chg -23.5 -13.4 -12.6 -10.3 -10.1 -10.1 -10.0 -9.2 -9.2 -9.1

MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE)

Name Vol (00) PwShs QQQ725930 Oracle 566901 Microsoft 550013 ARCA bio 494329 Intel 451770 BrcdeCm 354426 3Com 324355 Cisco 322974 ApldMatl 298938 Qualcom 294897

Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows Volume

Last Chg 48.00 +.05 25.69 -.35 29.66 -.35 8.22 +5.57 22.24 -.11 5.65 +.11 7.71 +.09 26.47 +.04 13.21 +.05 41.83 -.36

DIARY

1,309 1,356 130 2,795 80 16 2,216,342,993

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10,400 10,000

www.edwardjones.com

9,600 9,200

10 DAYS

O

N

D

J

52-Week High Low

10,955.48 4,439.24 408.57 7,497.88 1,925.54 2,432.25 1,180.69 800.73 12,351.24 693.32

7,278.78 2,517.16 320.44 4,832.15 1,321.21 1,482.15 772.31 464.38 7,801.35 405.71

STOCK MARKET INDEXES Name

Dow Industrials 10,850.36 Dow Transportation 4,339.91 Dow Utilities 376.36 NYSE Composite 7,403.58 Amex Market Value 1,876.14 Nasdaq Composite 2,395.13 S&P 500 1,166.59 S&P MidCap 787.02 Wilshire 5000 12,191.07 Russell 2000 678.97

F

M

Total Assets Obj ($Mlns) NAV

Name

PIMCO TotRetIs American Funds GrthAmA m Vanguard TotStIdx American Funds CapIncBuA m TOCKS OF OCAL NTEREST Fidelity Contra American Funds CpWldGrIA m YTD YTD American Funds IncAmerA m Name Div Yld PE Last Chg%Chg Name Div Yld PE Last Chg %Chg Vanguard 500Inv AT&T Inc 1.68 6.4 12 26.24 +.09 -6.4 LeggPlat 1.04 4.8 29 21.61 ... +5.9 American Funds InvCoAmA m Vanguard InstIdx Amazon ... ... 67 135.06 +.33 +.4 Lowes .36 1.5 20 24.48 +.14 +4.7 Dodge & Cox Stock ArvMerit ... ... ... 13.69 +.23 +22.5 Microsoft .52 1.8 16 29.66 -.35 -2.7 American Funds EurPacGrA m American Funds WAMutInvA m BB&T Cp .60 1.9 27 32.25 -.04 +27.1 PPG 2.16 3.3 23 66.07 +1.38 +12.9 Dodge & Cox IntlStk BkofAm .04 .2 ... 17.90 +.16 +18.9 ParkerHan 1.00 1.5 37 64.61 -.18 +19.9 PIMCO TotRetAdm b BerkHa A ... ... 23121988.00-662.00 +23.0 American Funds NewPerspA m Cisco ... ... 25 26.47 +.04 +10.6 ProgrssEn 2.48 6.3 13 39.31 +.17 -4.1 American Funds FnInvA m ... ... 63 28.39 -.51 -8.1 Fidelity DivrIntl d Delhaize 2.01 2.5 ... 80.11 +.03 +4.4 RedHat Dell Inc ... ... 21 14.99 +.12 +4.4 RoyalBk g 2.00 ... ... 58.22 -.74 +8.7 FrankTemp-Franklin Income A m DukeEngy .96 5.8 14 16.42 +.12 -4.6 SaraLee .44 3.2 12 13.74 -.02 +12.8 American Funds BalA m Vanguard 500Adml ExxonMbl 1.68 2.5 17 66.54 +.24 -2.4 SonicAut ... ... 12 12.09 +.02 +16.4 Vanguard TotStIAdm FamilyDlr .62 1.7 17 36.93 +.92 +32.7 SonocoP 1.08 3.5 20 30.50 -.16 +4.3 Vanguard Welltn American Funds BondA m FifthThird .04 .3 19 13.20 -.21 +35.4 SpectraEn 1.00 4.4 17 22.57 +.16 +10.0 Fidelity GrowCo FCtzBA 1.20 .6 18 200.70 -3.60 +22.4 SpeedM .40 2.5 ... 15.91 -.01 -9.7 PIMCO TotRetA m GenElec .40 2.2 18 18.34 +.04 +21.2 .36 1.3 ... 28.73 +.54 +21.2 Vanguard TotIntl d GoldmanS 1.40 .8 8 172.87 -2.03 +2.4 Timken Fidelity LowPriStk d 1.88 3.0 29 63.67 +.02 +11.0 T Rowe Price EqtyInc Google ... ... 28 562.69 -.19 -9.2 UPS B KrispKrm ... ... ... 4.00 +.07 +35.6 WalMart 1.21 2.2 15 55.51 -.10 +3.9 Hartford CapAprA m Pioneer PioneerA m Goldman Sachs ShDuGovA m Stock Footnotes: g = Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars. h = Does not meet continued-listing standards. lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 Alliance Bernstein GrowIncA m percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the DWS-Scudder REstA m Hartford GrowthL m last year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants.

S

L

I

Mutual Fund Footnotes: b = Fee covering market costs is paid from fund assets. d = Deferred sales charge, or redemption fee. f = front load (sales charges). m = Multiple fees are charged. NA = not available. p = previous day’s net asset value. s = fund split shares during the week. x = fund paid a distribution during the week.Gainers and Losers must be worth at least $2 to be listed in tables at left. Most Actives must be worth at least $1. Volume in hundreds of shares. Source: The Associated Press.

Sales figures are unofficial.

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828-245-2442 / 704-434-2911

Net Chg

+9.15 +5.36 +1.15 +17.98 +9.07 -2.28 +.86 -.72 +5.82 -.13

YTD %Chg %Chg

+.08 +.12 +.31 +.24 +.49 -.10 +.07 -.09 +.05 -.02

12-mo %Chg

+4.05 +5.86 -5.44 +3.04 +2.81 +5.55 +4.62 +8.31 +5.56 +8.57

+39.53 +56.23 +13.61 +45.26 +39.02 +55.00 +42.97 +57.77 +47.04 +58.27

MUTUAL FUNDS

Member SIPC

CI 122,927 LG 64,425 LB 59,564 IH 56,242 LG 55,524 WS 53,078 MA 48,457 LB 47,853 LB 47,616 LB 44,500 LV 40,010 FB 38,069 LV 37,537 FV 35,758 CI 31,614 WS 31,553 LB 30,216 FG 29,870 CA 29,675 MA 29,546 LB 28,279 LB 28,262 MA 28,252 CI 27,481 LG 27,150 CI 25,333 FB 25,302 MB 24,867 LV 15,542 LB 9,595 LB 4,231 GS 1,496 LV 1,216 SR 430 LG 180

11.01 28.27 28.90 47.75 59.98 33.74 15.72 107.88 26.62 107.18 101.59 38.13 25.36 32.65 11.01 26.09 33.77 27.85 2.09 16.77 107.90 28.91 29.79 11.94 72.96 11.01 14.47 34.50 22.27 31.96 37.43 10.36 3.07 15.31 15.72

Total Return/Rank Pct Min Init 4-wk 12-mo 5-year Load Invt

+0.4 +15.6/C +5.1 +39.4/D +5.9 +45.8/B +2.6 +29.6/C +5.0 +38.6/D +5.2 +41.5/D +2.7 +35.8/B +5.7 +43.1/B +4.9 +38.0/D +5.7 +43.3/B +5.7 +54.6/A +5.5 +44.6/C +4.9 +36.5/D +7.3 +64.6/A +0.4 +15.3/C +5.3 +44.8/C +5.4 +41.7/C +5.1 +42.5/D +3.1 +44.1/A +3.4 +31.6/C +5.7 +43.3/B +6.0 +46.0/B +3.5 +32.0/C 0.0 +18.1/B +7.4 +46.4/B +0.4 +15.1/C +5.5 +50.1/A +6.1 +56.9/B +6.5 +49.5/A +6.2 +52.6/A +5.4 +42.0/C -0.2 +3.5/C +4.1 +32.2/E +10.6 +98.6/C +7.0 +40.6/C

+7.6/A +4.1/B +2.7/B +4.2/C +5.4/A +6.0/A +3.6/B +2.0/C +2.7/B +2.1/C +0.6/D +7.6/A +1.4/C +5.7/A +7.3/A +6.7/A +5.0/A +3.7/D +4.6/A +3.3/C +2.0/C +2.8/B +5.7/A +3.1/E +6.9/A +7.1/A +5.4/B +5.1/A +2.2/B +5.0/A +2.5/B +4.9/A -0.4/E +3.9/C +2.6/C

NL 5.75 NL 5.75 NL 5.75 5.75 NL 5.75 NL NL 5.75 5.75 NL NL 5.75 5.75 NL 4.25 5.75 NL NL NL 3.75 NL 3.75 NL NL NL 5.50 5.75 1.50 4.25 5.75 4.75

5,000,000 250 3,000 250 2,500 250 250 3,000 250 5,000,000 2,500 250 250 2,500 5,000,000 250 250 2,500 1,000 250 100,000 100,000 10,000 250 2,500 1,000 3,000 2,500 2,500 2,000 1,000 1,000 2,500 1,000 0

CA -Conservative Allocation, CI -Intermediate-Term Bond, ES -Europe Stock, FB -Foreign Large Blend, FG -Foreign LargeGrowth, FV -Foreign Large Value, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA -Moderate Allocation, MB -Mid-Cap Blend, MV Mid-Cap Value, SH -Specialty-heath, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.

Eurozone, IMF develop plan to support Greece

BRUSSELS (AP) — Greece won a major pledge of financial support from the other countries that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund in a deal that aims to halt a government debt crisis undermining confidence in Europe’s currency union.

The joint eurozone and IMF bailout program comes with strict conditions and makes no money available right now.

It could be tapped only if Greece or other financially troubled eurozone members cannot raise funds from financial markets. It would require the unanimous agreement of the 16 eurozone countries to release the loan funds.

The deal at a summit meeting Thursday night in Brussels was a clear victory for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had taken a tough line on any bailout. She demanded that a rescue for Greece only come when the country runs out of other options and said it must include the IMF. It was also a comedown for the French and the European Central Bank, which had opposed turning to the IMF out of fear it would damage the euro’s prestige and show that Europe was unable to solve its own financial woes.

Greece’s financial difficulties have weighed on the shared currency, driving its exchange rate down to $1.33 from $1.51 in November. It has also illustrated a basic weakness in the euro: the budget and deficit rules adopted to support it were not strong enough to prevent governments from spending their way into trouble.

A default — if Greece cannot raise money to pay off debt coming due this year — would be a further serious blow to the euro, and most economists and market analysts expected that the European Union would find a way to stop it. But pledges of support had been vague until now.

“We hope that it will not have to be activated,” said the European Union’s president Herman Van Rompuy. “This would be triggered as a last resort.”

He said the program should tell markets to “have confidence that the eurozone will never abandon Greece.”

Luxembourg’s prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who heads the group of eurozone finance ministers, said “speculators will be discouraged because they know from now on we have this instrument.”

Greek government officials say they believe the existence of a eurozone safety net will help them borrow at lower costs. They expect the spreads to fall significantly in coming weeks.

“We hope and believe that we won’t ever use it,” a Greek source said under condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be quoted in the news media.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said eurozone nations would offer loans totaling some two-thirds of the package with the IMF offering the last third.

“We didn’t count up to the last euro,” he said. “It can be adjusted.”

Juncker said they did not agree an amount of a possible bailout for Greece. Two diplomats earlier said the total loans would be some €22 billion. All eurozone nations are pledging to help — although any contribution would be voluntary.

Last

In this photo made March 3, Yenif Polanco checks a price tag while shopping at Century 21 department store in New York. The Commerce Department reported Friday that the economy grew at a 5.6 percent pace in the October-toDecember quarter in its third and final estimate of economic activity during the period.

Associated Press

Growth outlook remains tepid WASHINGTON (AP) — The burst of energy the economy showed at the end of last year isn’t likely to be repeated anytime soon.

The Commerce Department reported Friday that the economy grew at a 5.6 percent pace in the October-to-December quarter in its third and final estimate of economic activity during the period.

Even though growth turned out to be a tad less than the government’s prior two estimates for the quarter, the new reading still marked the strongest showing in six years.

Many economists, however, think the economy has slowed in the current quarter to about half the pace seen at the end of last year.

Why won’t the big growth spurt be repeated? Because the main force behind it is already ebbing.

Most of last quarter’s growth came from a large bump up in manufacturing — but not because consumer demand was especially strong. In fact, consumer spending weakened at the end of the year, even more than the government previously estimated, contributing to the slightly lower reading on overall

economic growth.

Instead, factories were churning out goods for businesses that had let their stockpiles dwindle to save cash. If consumer spending remains lackluster as expected, that burst of manufacturing — and its contribution to economic activity — will fade.

Analysts predict the economy will expand at only between a 2.5 percent and 3 percent pace in the first quarter of this year.

The next two quarters should log similar growth, they say.

In normal times, growth in the 3 percent range would be considered respectable. But the nation is emerging from the worst recession since the 1930s.

Sizzling growth in the 5 percent range would be needed for an entire year to drive down the unemployment rate, now 9.7 percent, by just 1 percentage point.

Unlike past rebounds driven by the spending of shoppers, this one is hinging more on spending by businesses and foreigners.

Businesses in the fourth quarter boosted spending on equipment and software at a pace of 19 percent, the most in 11 years. Foreigners snapped up U.S.-made goods and services at a pace of 22.8 percent, which propelled exports to grow at the

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fastest pace since 1996. Both export growth and spending on equipment and software turned out to be stronger than the government’s previous estimate last month.

The slower drawdown in businesses’ stockpiles accounted for nearly 4 percentage points of the fourth-quarter’s overall growth.

But consumers didn’t spend as much.

They increased their spending at a pace of just 1.6 percent. That was weaker than the government’s prior estimate and was down from a 2.8 percent growth rate in the third quarter.

Although consumer spending is shaping up to be somewhat better in the current quarter, Americans aren’t in the mood to go on a spending spree, one of the reasons why the pace of the recovery will be more subdued than in the past. High unemployment, sluggish wage gains, hard to get credit and recordhigh home foreclosures are all expected to keep consumers relatively cautious.

The government first estimated that the economy grew at a 5.7 percent pace in the fourth quarter. Then last month it boosted that estimate to a 5.9 percent pace. On Friday it shaved it a bit.

Happy 2nd

Birthday!!!

Lucas Harris celebrated his 2nd birthday on March 25th. An Elmo birthday party will be held on Saturday, March 27th for family and friends.

Lucas is the son of Brooke Harris of Ellenboro and Adam Harris of Boiling Springs, NC. Grandparents are William and Shelia Higgins of Rutherfordton, Rick Harris and Beth Black of Ellenboro.

12

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010

Nation

Government tries new fix for mortgage crisis

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government’s bold new plan to stem the foreclosure crisis aims to succeed where previous efforts have fallen flat. Yet just as before, the odds are long, and many struggling borrowers won’t qualify.

In theory, the effort unveiled Friday would help millions of troubled homeowners who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, or who are jobless and need a break on their payments.

But it depends on cooperation from investors and bankers, many of whom have been locked in disputes over whether to reduce the debt owed by homeowners.

And just like the bank bailouts, this rescue plan poses risks. If it doesn’t slow the wave of foreclosures or if home prices nosedive, the tentative recovery in the housing market could fizzle.

The Obama administration says the plan will help stabilize the real estate market by keeping many borrowers out of foreclosure. If it succeeds, the plan would limit damage to the overall economy.

The new effort is designed to help two groups: — Borrowers who owe more on their loans than their houses are worth.

More than 15 million homeowners fall into this category, according to Moody’s Analytics. About 10 million of them owe at least 20 percent more than their house’s current value.

Their mortgage companies can cut the total amount they owe, or they can refinance into loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration. FHA will get $14 billion in incentive money from the federal bailout fund. — Unemployed borrowers.

People receiving unemployment benefits would have their mortgage payments cut to no more than 31 percent

home or possibly get nothing if they foreclose,� said Scott Talbott, the chief lobbyist for the Financial Services Roundtable, an industry group.

The plan risks angering Americans like Jim Truschel, a homeowner in La Mirada, Calif., who said he was disappointed the government is spending taxpayer money on another homeowner bailout effort. “I feel very sorry for the people that are in these situations, but they have to be somewhat to blame themselves,� said Truschel, a retiree. “They should have realized that they were getting into things that they weren’t going to be able to pay for.�

The administration says irresponsible borrowers will not benefit. The plan will not help investors, speculators or “Americans living in milliondollar homes or defaulters on vacation homes,� an administration fact sheet said.

Diana Farrell, a White House economic adviser, acknowledged the plan won’t prevent many of the expected 10 to 12 million foreclosures expected over the next three years. Doing so, she said, “wouldn’t be fair, it would be too expensive and we probably wouldn’t succeed in any case, because many people got into homes that they simply cannot afford.�

Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, praised the new steps, particularly giving jobless borrowers a break on their payments for three to six months.

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In this Feb. 19 file photo, a foreclosed house is shown in East Palo Alto, Calif. After months of criticism that it hasn’t done enough to prevent foreclosures, the Obama administration is announcing a plan to reduce the amount some troubled borrowers owe on their home loans.

of their monthly income for three to six months.

That’s intended to give homeowners more time to find a job. Once they do, they may qualify for a loan modification that would permanently reduce their payments under the administration’s existing $75 billion loan modification program.

The plan aims to help 3 to 4 million borrowers avoid foreclosure — the same target the administration tried to reach with its original plan last year. Even with the changes, the effort will likely prevent no more than 1.5 million foreclosures, estimates Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.

Disputes among banks and investors, who would have to approve any cuts in loan principal, could prevent the effort from stopping more foreclosures, as could another drop in home prices. “Practically speaking, this is probably going to prevent foreclosures. But I don’t think they’re ever going to

reach 3 to 4 million homeowners,� said Chris Mayer, a real estate professor at New York’s Columbia Business School. “These plans always turn out to be harder than we think.�

The administration’s existing program to prevent foreclosures hasn’t made much of a dent in the foreclosure crisis. A lack of planning and shifting rules on who qualifies produced a huge backlog in the program, the special inspector general for the federal financial bailout fund told lawmakers this week.

Still, analysts said this effort has a better chance of success than past efforts because it would reduce principal for some struggling borrowers — a method more effective at helping homeowners than reducing interest payments or other forms of aid. Laurie Goodman, a widely followed mortgage securities analyst with Amherst Securities Group, called it “a huge step forward.�

The plan comes after pres-

sure from the administration’s Democratic allies in Congress to intensify efforts to help Americans at risk of losing their homes.

The overhauled plan came together after several months of negotiations between the Treasury Department, major banks and investors in mortgage securities. A major sticking point so far has been getting everyone involved to agree on restructuring loans.

The problem is that most of the troubled mortgages aren’t owned by the banks themselves. They were bundled into securities during the housing boom and sold to investors.

To reduce principal payments on those mortgages, banks often must get permission from the investors who hold the securities — and may not be willing to take less.

Banking industry officials were optimistic that investors would negotiate. “You have two choices: Modify the mortgage and help a borrower stay in their

For taxpayers, the government’s plan carries some risk. Lenders will probably sell their most troubled loans to the FHA so they can be insured against default, said Mayer of Columbia Business School. Experts have warned that the FHA faces rising losses from foreclosures and might need a bailout.

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The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010 — 13 SHOE by Chris Cassat and Gary Brookins

THE GRIZZWELLS by Bill Schoor

BROOM-HILDA by Russell Myers

DILBERT by Scott Adams

GIL THORP by Jerry Jenkins, Ray Burns and Frank McLaughlin

THE BORN LOSER by Art and Chip Sansom

ARLO AND JANIS by Jimmy Johnson

FRANK AND ERNEST by Bob Thaves

EVENING

MARCH 27 DSH DTV 7:00

7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30

BROADCAST STATIONS

# WBTV $ WYFF _ WSPA ) WSOC ` WLOS 0 WGGS 5 WHNS A WUNF H WMYA Q WRET Æ WYCW

3 4 7 13 2 12 6 8 97 10

3 4 7 9 13 16 21 33 40 62

College Basketball NCIS: LA 48 Hours.

News Without Ath Griffi Griffi Biggest Law & Order Law & Order News Saturday Night Live College Basketball NCIS: LA 48 Hours.

News WSSL Trax King Ent VÅ VÅ Castle Å News :35 CSI: NY Anat.

For Jeop V Å VÅ Castle Å News Paid Housewives Jeru His Joyful Os Home Gospel V’Im Gaither Sp. Studio Best-Harvest Two Two Cops Cops Most Wanted News Wanda Sykes Sit Paid Lawrence Welk: Milestones T.A.M.I. Show: Rock ’n Roll’s First Austin City Payne Payne } My Neighbor’s Keeper Housewives Access H. TMZ (N) Å Candleford Sher. Holmes Keep Sum Ballykiss.

Austin City Soundstage Fam Fam CSI: NY Å CSI: NY Å News Office CSI: Miami CSI: Miami

265 329 249 202 278 206 209 360 248 258 312 229 269 252 299 241 244 247 256 280 245 296 649 242 307

Lethal Wpn 2 } The Andromeda Strain (‘08) Benjamin Bratt. Å Andromeda Why } ›› Lean on Me (‘89) Å } ››› Malcolm X (‘92, Biography) Å › Mr. Deeds Ralphie May Mencia Joe Rogan Artie Lange Ralphie May Newsroom Camp. Brown Larry King Newsroom Camp. Brown Larry King Deadliest Deadliest Deadliest Deadliest Deadliest Deadliest MLS Soccer Wm. Basketball SportsCenter Scoreboard Drag Racing SportsCenter Special Å Bas Wm. Basketball FOX Report Huckabee Glenn Beck Geraldo Jour Watch Red Eye NHL Hockey Post Words Final UEFA Final World Poker There’s-Mary Walk Hard: Dewey Cox } ››› Superbad (‘07) Jonah Hill.

Sunny Vanishing } ›› The Vanishing (‘93) } ›› The Vanishing (‘93) Vanishing } Follow the Stars Home The Magic of Ordinary Days What the Deaf Man Heard House House De Sarah Out Block Dear Color House House Out Block Marvels Beltway Unbuckled Å Sex-Civil War Sex Civil War Beltway } ››› What She Knew } The Pregnancy Pact (‘10) } The Pregnancy Pact (‘10) iCarly Spon Kids’ Choice Awards Vic Kids’ Choice Awards Nanny Nanny Nanny Unleashed Unleashed UFC 111 Play Play Play Play Play Play } Carny (‘09, Horror) Å } Dark Relic (‘10) (P) } Monster Ark (‘08) Å Sein Sein Fam Fam } Terminator 2: Judgment Day Chronicles-Ridd Sands Iwo } ›››› Gigi (‘58) Letter From Unknown } ›› Julie 48 Hours Evidence Evidence Paranormal Evidence Evidence } ››› The Pursuit of Happyness } ›› Why Did I Get Married?

Catch Me Bak Hero Titans Bat Dude De King King Strok Boon Full Bleac NHL Hockey Thras Prev My NHL Hockey NCIS Å NCIS Å NCIS Å NCIS Å Hall of Fame Burn Notice Bones Å NBA Basketball: Nets at Bulls News Scru } ›› Phone Booth

8651 8182 8181 8650 8180 8192 8183 8190 8184 8185

CABLE CHANNELS

A&E BET COM CNN DISC ESPN ESPN2 FNC FSS FX FXM HALL HGTV HIST LIFE NICK SPIKE SYFY TBS TCM TLC TNT TOON TS USA WGN-A

23 17 46 27 24 25 37 15 20 36 38 16 29 43 35 40 44 45 30 42 28 19 14 33 32 -

118 124 107 200 182 140 144 205 137 133 187 112 120 108 170 168 122 139 132 183 138 176 437 105 239

PREMIUM CHANNELS

MAX ENC HBO SHO STARZ

510 520 500 540 530

310 340 300 318 350

512 526 501 537 520

Hellboy-Army › What Happens in Vegas } X-Men Origins: Wolverine Zane Hills Pineapple } A League of Their Own :10 } The Shawshank Redemption From 6:15 } Spider-Man } ››› Gran Torino (‘08) Boxing Pa Transsiberian Nurse Tara } › Saw V (‘08) Boxing Bank Job You Don’t Mess } ›› Angels & Demons (‘09) Å Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Good girl tempted to be bad Dear Abby: I’m 16 and have grown up religious my whole life. I get good grades and stay out of trouble. A lot of my friends have done crazy things like drinking and partying, but I haven’t. Because of this, I have the reputation of being a “goody-twoshoes.”

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing being a good girl, but I don’t want to be a goody-two-shoes. Part of me wants to try some of the stuff my friends have been doing, but I don’t want to lose my parents’ trust. Please help! — Restless Dear Restless: You have your parents’ trust because you have earned it. Before you try any of the “stuff” your friends have been doing, ask yourself what the consequences could be. Yes, it’s hard being labeled a goody-two-shoes — but please look closely at who is doing the namecalling. A streetwise individual once told me, “The best way out of a jam is not to get into one in the first place.”

That tidbit has served me well, and that’s why I’m passing it along to you.

Dear Abby: My daughter left our small Midwestern town for the West Coast to marry money. At 37, she finally snagged her millionaire. She thought it was going to give her a blank check.

She does live in a lovely home and drives an expensive foreign car, but that’s where it ends. Everything is

Dear Abby Abigail van Buren

in his name, and her wedding ring is one we gave her, although he paid to remove the stone and have it polished.

I told her then to walk away.

They have two children. Her son is a spoiled brat, completely selfabsorbed like his dad.

Her daughter has learning disabilities and is still at home.

More than one family member refers to her spouse as a horse’s rear end.

He rarely attends family events, which is really fine with everyone. At best, he can be described as rude and obnoxious.

My daughter would never leave him. She loves the lifestyle too much.

If she only knew how most of her extended family think of them. I’m embarrassed by it, really.

I just thought your readers should know that marrying money isn’t necessarily the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. — Mom Dear Mom: I’ll say. Someone who marries for money usually ends up earning every single penny.

Behcet’s uncommon and troublesome Dear Dr. Gott: My sister is 50-yearsold and has been diagnosed with Behcet’s disease. Her symptoms began with some arthritis. She then developed horrible sores on her body and a terrible one in her throat. Then her eyes became involved. She has had to quit work and is in almost constant pain. She has been getting injections in her eye. Her throat is getting worse. Should she stop eating and drinking and have IVs until her throat heals?

Dear Reader: Behcet’s is most common in the Far East and Mediterranean areas. The syndrome is an idiopathic disorder classified as a form of vasculitis (blood-vessel inflammation).

Because of the diversity of the blood vessels affected, it can occur throughout the body but is most common in the eyes, mouth, lungs, joints, genitals, brain, GI tract and on the skin. Aneurysms in the lungs can rupture and lead to massive hemorrhaging. Painful ulcers can develop. Involvement of the central nervous system is a dangerous manifestation. When the disease involves the

PUZZLE

Ask Dr. Gott Dr. Peter M. Gott white matter of the brain and brainstem, stroke, headache, confusion and other conditions can develop.

I do not believe that fasting is an answer, even with her troublesome throat lesion. While the condition is uncommon in the US and Canada, it has been studied extensively. A 1998 article

by David Hellmann, published and copyrighted by the American College of Physicians in the Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program, edition 11, Rheumatology Section, covered Behcet’s.

Furthermore, your sister could check with the Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center to determine whether any trials she can participate in are under way.

Good luck.

IN THE STARS Your Birthday, March 27; There are some strong indications that you could enter into a productive arrangement.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) - A major aspiration you’ve been nurturing can be realized at this time.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - If you really want to get a project of yours going, you may need to be willing to accept aid.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - That bright idea you have can be developed if you’re assertive enough.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) - Opportunity isn’t likely to develop today through doubt.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Services you render aren’t likely to go unacknowledged or unrewarded.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.

22) - Your social abilities will be very pronounced today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) - Persistence and the will to try different ways and means to achieve your aims may become of extreme importance.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) - Go ahead and express your ideas and opinions today regarding an issue.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) - Now is the time to start increasing your efforts instead of slacking off and doing nothing.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - An old interest of yours can be resurrected at this time.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) - Don’t be timid if bold measures are required to achieve your ends today. Once you take action, it will enhance your self-esteem.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) - After giving ample time to evaluate an idea, you may see an effective course of action to take in order to achieve what you envision.

CLASSIFIEDS

14 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, SATURDAY, March 27, 2010

Contact Erika Meyer to place your ad!

Call: 828-245-6431 Fax: 828-248-2790 Email: emeyer@thedigitalcourier.com In person: 601 Oak St., Forest City

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3 DAY WEEKEND SPECIAL YARD SALE SPECIAL Run a 20 word yard sale ad Thurs., Fri., & Sat. for ONLY $20.

Additional words are only 75¢ each. Deadline: Wed. at 2 p.m.

Apartments

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Homes For

Mobile Homes

2BR/1BA central h/a, w/d hookup, stove, refrig. incld. FC area. $375/mo. 657-4510 or 828-305-3727

2BR/1.5BA Cent. h/a.

No pets! Owner lives on property. FC area. $450/mo. 429-1030

For Sale

Rent or Sale

For Sale

1BR APT Bostic area Appliances & water furnished. No pets or smoking. $350/mo. + dep. Call 245-1883

Nice 2 Bedroom Townhouse Apt across from Super 8 Motel in Spindale.

$525/month Call

828-447-1989

Richmond Hill Senior Apts. in Rfdtn 1BR Units w/handicap accessible units avail.

Sec 8 assistance avail.

287-2578 Hours: Mon., Tues., & Thurs.

7-3. TDD Relay 1-800-735-2962 Equal Housing Opportunity.

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ROSEDALE PHASE I APARTMENTS

3BR/1BA Brick House with large outbuilding.

Ellenboro area. Owner financing with DP! $64,900 657-4430

FSBO: 3BR/1.5BA Brick Veneer house Appliances included! $80,000 245-8233

Homes For Rent 2BR/1BA Shiloh area Central heat & air $400/mo. + $400 dep.

Call 289-2700

3,000 sqft. home in FC Fixer upper! $45,000 3BR/2BA in Rfdtn. $650/mo. + securities.

748-0658 or 286-1982

Mobile Homes For Sale Homes R Us Single Wides, Double Wides and Modulars.

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Plus Receive $6,500 - $8,000 for purchasing a home.

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121 Holly Lane Forest City, NC 28043 Family Households

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Please Call (1) 828-245-3417 TDD/TYY # (1) 800-735-2962 “This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer”

FOR OUR WEEKLY SPECIAL POSTED EVERY SUNDAY IN THE CLASSIFIEDS!

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administrator of the estate of WILLIAM ELMER LAIL of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said WILLIAM ELMER LAIL to present them to the undersigned on or before the 20th day of June, 2010 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment.

This is the 20th day of March, 2010.

Betty Marie Lail, Administrator 692 Walls Church Road Bostic, NC 28018

Work Wanted Liberty University Masters student seeking

Spring Time Specials!!

Spring is on the way.

Call 828-433-8412 and be in a new home by Spring. Use your Taxes as Down Payment Plus Get $6,500-$8,000 back to move in

828-433-8412

Mobile Homes For Rent 2BR near East High $300/mo. Dep. & ref’s req. Senior discount.

Call 248-1909 3BR/2BA DW 107 Cobra Dr., Forest City $650/mo. No credit check! 704-472-3100 2BR/2BA in Ellenboro.

Cent. h/a, stove, refrig. $85/wk + $200 dep.

Call 453-8250

Sell or rent your property in the Classifieds!

Call 245-6431 to place your ad! Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm Business Services M & G Haul-N & Removing Things such as: Scrap Metal, Buses, Cars, Aluminum, Tin, Metal Call anytime 447-8969 or 286-9591

Instruction

Professional Truck Driver Training Carriers Hiring Today!

• PTDI Certified Course • One Student Per Truck • Potential Tuition Reimbursement • Approved WIA & TAA provider • Possible Earnings $34,000 First Year SAGE Technical Services

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(828)286-3636 ext. 221 www.isothermal.edu/truck

LPC Practicum site.

Serious inquiries only please! 828-248-1563 IF YOU NEED YARD WORK OR GRASS CUT CALL 245-0701

Help Wanted Autumn Care of Forest City has the following position: 2nd shift LPN 3pm-11pm and every other weekend.

Great benefits and competitive salary.

Please apply in person: 830 Bethany Church Rd., FC, Gina Walker, RN, DON or April Sisk, RN, ADON 828-245-2852 or fax resume: 828-248-2590 or email Admin122@ autumncorp.com EOE Chiropractic Assistant High energy, selfmotivated, team player needed for Chiropractic office. Must be wellness minded, organized with great attention to detail.

Experience with Med Office/Front Desk/Ins. a must. Fax resume 828-245-0422 or mail 152 West Main St., Forest City, NC 28043 Email ccp2@ bellsouth.net. Please include prof. ref’s.

Experienced Carpenter Needed Must have DL and transportation.

Call 828-202-1205 Trinity Christian School seeking qualified Middle School Math/Science teacher.

Resumes can be dropped off at school office. 286-3900 Someone to sit with healthy elderly lady.

Must be at least 50 yrs. old. Rfdtn area.

Call 828-429-1382

FIND YOUR NEXT JOB in the Classifieds NEW LISTINGS EVERY TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

For Sale

Yard Sales

7 ft. Sleeper Sofa & Love seat. Blue with gold, rust & green floral print. Floor pillow to match. Excellent condition! $450 Call 248-5658 lv. msg.

2 FAMILY Spindale 236 Nebraska St. (turn at BB&T) Sat. 8A-until Household, furniture, Easter items, toys, books, clothes and more!

Brand New Whirlpool dishwasher. Never been installed! $300 Call 429-6702

5 FAMILY Gilkey 1922 US Hwy 221 Sat. 7A-2P Household, lots of baby items, strollers, baby/girls/adult clothing, shoes, furniture, stovetop

Set of Sheffield Fine China & Holmes & Edwards silver plates w/case Both serve 8+ Also, Medium Oak Entertainment unit, 13” TV w/DVD 287-5726

BIG SALE FC: 443 Forest Lake Rd. Sat. 7A-1P Shoes, boots, camo, bikes, knives, desks, clothing, WWII jacket, caps, jeans

Want To Buy I PAY CASH FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS Up to $10 per 100 ct. Call Bob 828-577-4197 I WILL BUY YOUR JUNK CARS & SCRAP METAL. Will haul away appliances or scrap metal.

Up to $200 for any car!

Call Jesse 447-4944 or email jking1571 @msn.com

Autos 2000 Saab convertible 93 80,100 miles, new tires, 5 spd., clean title Good cond.! $5,500 cash! 828-287-1022

Ellenboro: Campfield Baptist Church Sat. 7A-until Country Ham Breakfast/Car wash.

Proceeds for youth mission trip!

ESTATE/YARD SALE Rfdtn: 131 Fleming Dr. (221N, left on Thompson Rd., across from RS Central) Sat. 7A-until Girls clothes Moving Sale FC: 254 Elizabeth Avenue Sat. 7A-til Proceeds to fund adoption expenses!

Multi Family Yard Sale Inside the Moose Lodge Sat. 7A-12P Large variety of items!

Rfdtn: From Central High to Thompson, turn right on 64/74 West Sat. 7A Composter, french doors, baby items, clothes, keyboard

Pets Free to a good home All types of kittens Fixed, shots, house trained. Need love!

Call 245-2468 anytime Looking for a small dog for my daughter.

Will provide a very loving home. Please call 287-5297

Have you lost or found a pet? Place an ad at no cost to you!

Lost $200 Reward F Jack Russell Brown & white, 3 yrs. old, 9 lbs. Lost 3/15: High Shoals Rd. Henrietta/Cliffside area Call w/info 980-3062

Multi-Family Rfdtn: 480 S Main St. (beside Encore) Sat. 7A-until Rocking chair, entertainment center, clothing, dishes, corner rack and more!

YARD SALE Bostic 196 N. Main Sat. 7:30A-until Large variety of items!

Yard Sale Childers

Store 221S Sat. 7A-12P

Misc. & lots of clothes (ladies/men’s/juniors)

YARD SALE Hwy 221 North on the left before Thermal City Gold Mine Friday 10A-4P & Saturday 8A-until

Found Beagle, Ellenboro area, call to identify.

Call after 8 pm 453-1143 and leave message

A TO Z, IT’S IN THE

CLASSIFIEDS!

YARD SALE Rfdtn 251 W. 3rd Street (behind Courthouse) Sat. 3/27 7A-until Baby stuff, household items, elliptical, clothes and more!

YARD SALE PACKAGE AVAILABLE!

WEB DIRECTORY Visit the advertisers below by entering their Web address

AUTO DEALERSHIPS

HEALTH CARE

NEWSPAPER

REAL ESTATE

(828) 245-0095 www.hospiceofrutherford.org

(828) 245-6431 www.thedigitalcourier.com

(828) 286-1311 www.keeverrealestate.com

HUNNICUTT FORD (828) 245-1626 www.hunnicuttfordmercury.com

To List Your Website In This Directory, Contact The Daily Courier Classified Department at (828) 245-6431 Erika Meyer, Ext. 205

BUSINESS&SERVICE DIRECTORY

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, SATURDAY, March 27, 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 15

AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

Residential & Commercial s !DDITIONS s $ECKS s 2EMODELING s 3IDING s 7INDOWS

NC License 6757 â&#x20AC;˘ SC License 4299 FAST RELIABLE SERVICE ON ALL BRANDS Free Estimates â&#x20AC;˘ Best Warranties All Work Guaranteed Service â&#x20AC;˘ Installation â&#x20AC;˘ Duct Cleaning â&#x20AC;˘ IAQ Gas / Oil / Heat Pumps / Geothermal / Boilers Residential & Commercial 24 Hour Emergency Service

245-1141 www.shelbyheating.com

CONSTRUCTION Winter has been hard.

Let us help make your spring improvements. s !LL TYPES OF (OME 2EPAIRS s 2EMODELING "UILDING !DDITIONS s $ECKS 0ORCHES s (OME )NSPECTIONS s )NSURED

Call today for all your home needs.

287-8934 447-1266 Daryl R. Sims â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Gen. Contractor HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Bill Gardner Construction, Inc WINDOWS & SIDING ENTRANCE DOORS

STORM DOORS

Family Owned & Operated Local Business

Free Estimates & Fully Insured Licensed Contractor

Licensed and Insured Benjamin Greene

828-289-2743

CONSTRUCTION

Hutchins Remodeling

828-245-1986

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Not Comfortable Until You Areâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Serving Rutherford & Cleveland County For 30 Yearsâ&#x20AC;?

CONSTRUCTION Greene Construction

Seamless Gutters Decks Porches RooďŹ ng Painting Handicap Ramps Room Additions Free Estimates ~Lance Hutchins~

GRADING & HAULING

GRADING/PAVING

GUTTERS

DAVIDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GRADING

RGRA E DI N NG D R , IN A and C G PAVING SERVICES

SPINDALE SEAMLESS GUTTER AND VINYL SIDING

We do it all No job too small

828-657-6006 Track Hoe Work, Tractor Work , Dozer Work, Bobcat Work, Trenching, Grading and Land Clearing, Hauling Gravel, Sand, Dirt, Etc. FREE ESTIMATE

Quality Fine Grading, Stone & Asphalt Work, Sealcoating and Striping at Competitive Prices!

OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE

FREE ESTIMATES

828-527-3036 828-527-2925

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Vinyl Replacement Windows Double Pane, Double Hung 3/4" Glass, Energy-Star Rated

INSTALLED - $199*

Vinyl Siding â&#x20AC;˘ Windows & Decks Kitchen & Bath Remodeling Redoor, Redrawer, Reface or Replace Your Cabinets!

H & M Industries, Inc.

Website - hmindustries.com

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Does your business need a boost? Let us design an eye catching ad for your business! Business & Services Directory ads get results! Call the Classified Department!

245-6431 LANDSCAPING FOREST LAKE LANDSCAPING Landscape and Lawn Maintenance

* roofing * concrete * decks & steps * painting * carpentry * skirting * plumbing * sheet rock * room additions * metal roofing

No Job Too Small Discount for Senior Citizens

828-657-6518 828-223-0310

s ,ANDSCAPE $ESIGN )NSTALLATION s ,ANDSCAPE &ERTILIZATION s ,AWN 3EEDING AND 3ODDING s #OMPLETE ,ANDSCAPE 3ERVICES s -OWING s -ULCHING s 0RUNING s ,IGHTING Commercial â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Residential Free Estimates

Phillip Dowling 248-2585

PAWN SHOP

ROOFING

Small Cash Loans Available

Todd McGinnis Roofing

WE BUY GOLD & SILVER s 'UNS s (ANDGUNS s +NIVES ALER FFL DE nsfers a r T s *EWELRY n Gu e!

Welcom s 3ILVER #OINS

7E "UY 3ELL 4RADE

Give us a

Rubberized/Roofing Metal, Fix Leaks

287-3456

FREE ESTIMATES

A-1 Rutherford Locksmith & Pawn

828-286-2306 828-223-0633

2AILROAD !VE 2UTHERFORDTON .#

www.locknpawn.com

LOCKSMITHING

WE CAN SAVE YOU UP TO 50%!

s #HIP +EYS s $EALER /NLY +EYS s #AR 2EMOTES FOBS s $EADBOLT )NSTALLS s %MERGENCY #ALLS

-ENTION THIS AD FOR 1 FREE KEY! $ 00 KEY PER HOUSEHOLD 2. VALUE

828-287-1022

A-1 Rutherford Locksmith NCLL #553 901 Railroad Ave. Rutherfordton, NC 28139

www.locknpawn.com

ROOFING

GARY LEE QUEENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ROOFING

Golden Valley Community Over 35 Years Experience â&#x153;&#x201C; All work guaranteed â&#x153;&#x201C; Specializing in all types of roofing, new & old â&#x153;&#x201C; References furnished â&#x153;&#x201C; Vinyl Siding â&#x153;&#x201C; 10% DISCOUNT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS CHURCHES & COMMUNITY BUILDINGS ALSO METAL ROOFS

5 YEAR WARRANTY ON LABOR FREE ESTIMATES

Call today! 245-8215

Hensleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Power Washing

828-245-6333 828-253-9107 AFFORDABLE HOUSE WASHING WITH experience & knowledge & Great Customer service We Can Bring Water

HOME IMPROVEMENTS Blue Mountain Home Improvements

Chad Jones

828.447.3061 Decks â&#x20AC;˘ Porches â&#x20AC;˘ Windows Doors â&#x20AC;˘ Floors â&#x20AC;˘ Bathrooms Tiled Showers â&#x20AC;˘ Tile â&#x20AC;˘ Trim Carpentry â&#x20AC;˘ Painting Kitchens And Much More

Metal RooďŹ ng (Energy-Star Rated â&#x20AC;˘ 30% Return on Taxes)

INSURED! FREE ESTIMATES!

429-5151 HOME REPAIR

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

*up to 101 UI

704-434-9900

Licensed Contractor 30 Years Experience

286-2094 245-7779

FREE LOW E AND ARGON!

828-248-1681

â&#x20AC;˘ Painting â&#x20AC;˘ Replacement Windows â&#x20AC;˘ Decks

FREE ESTIMATES! WORK GUARANTEED!

Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Vinyl DH Windows

245-6367

â&#x20AC;˘ Remodeling

Installs Gutter Guards Cleans Gutters Repairs New & Old Vinyl Siding

Specializing In Metal Roofing.....Offered In Many Colors

Licensed Contractor with 35 Years Experience

David Francis

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE!

-

Carpentry Paint Tile Hardwood Flooring Landscape Services

J. ABRAMS

828-289-4564

Quality Work â&#x20AC;˘ Affordable Prices

Free Estimates

PAINTING

PAINTING

Interior & Exterior 22 years experience

Campbellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paint Interior & Exterior Residential and Commercial No Job Too Small or Too Big

Great references Free Estimates

FREE ESTIMATES 38 yrs experience

Charles Campbell John 3:16

TREE TREE CARE CARE

Carolina Tree Care & Stump Grinding

10% discount Topping & work Removal on all Stump Grinding Valid 9/17-11/1/09

â&#x20AC;˘ Low RatesInsured Fully â&#x20AC;˘Free Good Clean Work Estimates â&#x20AC;˘ Satisfaction Guaranteed 20 Years Experience â&#x20AC;˘ Fully Insured Senior Citizens & â&#x20AC;˘ Free Estimates

Veterans Discounts

ChadReid Sisk Mark (828) 289-7092 828-289-1871 Senior Citizen Discounts

828-289-6520 VETERINARIAN Thunder Road Animal Bi-Lo Hospital Super 8 Motel 74 Bypass

Spindale Dennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 286-0033 *Dog/Cat spay/neuter program *Low-cost monthly shot clinic *Flea & tick control *Heart worm prevention *SALE* Save Up To $4600 Today

16

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, March 27, 2010

Nation/world

Secular, anti-Iranian alliance claims Iraq victory Sadr finished a strong third and could end up playing the role of kingmaker. Kurdish parties also could be crucial in determining who will rule the oil-rich Arab nation of 28 million people.

Allawi told cheering supporters at his Baghdad headquarters he wants to help build a stable region that would help “achieve prosperity for (Iraq’s) people.”

“On this occasion, I’d like to congratulate the Iraqi people and extend the hand of friendship to all neighboring and world countries,” said Allawi, a secular Shiite politician who appealed across sectarian lines to minority Sunnis who have been out of power since the downfall of Saddam Hussein.

Baghdad’s Sunni neighborhoods, the site of vicious sectarian fighting just a few

years ago, erupted in cheering, honking of horns and celebratory gunfire in support of the man they have endorsed as their own.

“Today is a historic and joyful day which will witness a change for the sake of Iraqi people,” said Hameed Marouf, an Allawi supporter.

But the results released Friday portend an ugly, protracted battle. No coalition is close to the 163 seats needed to control the parliament.

Allawi’s Iraqiya coalition won 91 seats to 89 for alMaliki’s State of Law bloc.

The Iraqi National Alliance, a Shiite religious group dominated by al-Sadr’s followers, won about 70 seats, and Kurdish parties picked up 51.

Regardless of who eventually comes out on top, the results of the March 7 elections suggest that millions

of Iraqis are fed up with a political system that revolves around membership in one of the two major Islamic sects.

Iraqiya’s win also shows that many Iraqis are suspicious of Iranian influence.

Allawi was widely seen as closer to the region’s Arab governments than to neighboring Shiite Iran.

The next prime minister will lead a government that presumably will be in power when the U.S. completes its scheduled troop withdrawal from Iraq next year. There has been fear among some in the West that a U.S. withdrawal would effectively leave Iraq as an Iranian puppet.

Al-Maliki, the U.S. partner in Iraq for the past four years, announced in a nationally televised news

conference that he would not accept the results.

Gesturing angrily, he said he would challenge the vote count through what he described as legal process.

By law, he would have until Monday to register his complaints.

The prime minister submitted a request to the country’s Supreme Court for clarification on the definition of the biggest bloc in parliament.

Under the constitution, the president tasks that bloc with trying to form a government.

In what appears to be a non-binding legal opinion made public Friday, the court left open the possibliity that the biggest bloc in parliament could be a coalition formed after the election, not necessarily the biggest coalition as it existed on Election Day.

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BAGHDAD (AP) — Former U.S.-appointed prime minister Ayad Allawi and his secular, anti-Iranian coalition narrowly won Iraq’s parliamentary elections in final returns Friday, edging out the bloc of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who angrily vowed to challenge the results.

If Allawi’s coalition remains on top, it will get the first opportunity to form a parliamentary majority and Iraq’s next government, and complete his emergence from what once appeared to be the political graveyard. But they do not automatically mean that he will become prime minister, and the narrow margin sets the stage for months of political wrangling.

A coalition including antiAmerican cleric Muqtada al-

★ Aluminum ★ Batteries ★ Appliances For fast cash, We pick-Up Junk Cars!

Call 828-447-7787

• Junk Cars ����� $11�00 per 100lbs • Scrap Metal �� $10�00 per 100lbs • Auto Batteries ������ $6�00 each (NEW 90 ft. NC Certified Scales)

compare our prices!

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Rutherfordton

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828-287-3871

In Loving Memory of W.D. Lusk 1961-2009 Our Founder, Teacher and Best Friend

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Monday-Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm Closed Saturday

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Send us your

APRIL BIRTHDAYS

The Daily Grind Espresso Bar and Eatery Will be closing on April 2, 2010, after nine years of business in Forest City. We want to thank all our loyal customers who have also become friends.

Thanks to our staff who have hopefully made each customer feel special walking thru our doors. We will honor all gift cards up till April 2, 2010.

Margaret Butcher and Jill Thorne Owners

h

$

to be included in our BRAND NEW

Birthday Calendar Send your name or your loved one’s name and birth date with One Dollar to be included in our

BIRTHDAY CALENDAR to be published the first of April.

Submit birthdays for April by March 29th

Send to: The DAily COurier Attn: Birthday Calendar 601 Oak Street Forest City, NC 28043 Name: Birth Date: your Name: Full Address: Phone: Shop the Classifieds