Daily Courier December 26, 2009 by Digital Courier

Murder suspect in custody— Page 5 Sports Bowl battle North Carolina and quarterback T.J. Yates will lock horns with Pitt today in the Meineke Bowl in Charlotte Page 7

Saturday, December 26, 2009, Forest City, N.C.

NATION

50¢

FIRE DAMAGES RESTAURANT Ol’ Blue’s House of Barbecue on Piney Ridge Road was damaged in a fire that broke out around noon on Christmas Day. The restaurant is owned by Thom and Amy White and opened for business earlier this year. Forest City Fire Department fought the blaze with assistance from firefighters from S-D-O and Sandy Mush Volunteer Fire Departments. Forest City Police also assisted at the scene. The business was closed at the time of the fire, and no one was injured.

Storm strands travelers, buries Midwest

Page 10

SPORTS

Jean Gordon/Daily Courier

Timing a factor in water decision

Trash Piles Panthers tackle Giants in Sunday NFL action

By LARRY DALE Daily Courier Staff Writer

Page 7

GAS PRICES Scott Baughman/Daily Courier

Piles of trash like this at the county landfill will get a little larger the day after Christmas. The county sees an average of 480 tons of trash on Dec. 26, about 130 tons more than the average day.

Low: $2.51 High: $2.61 Avg.: $2.56

DEATHS Forest City

Virginia Harris Erv Kelly Mark Hazard Bostic Jonathan McSwain Elsewhere Doyle Sisk Page 5

WEATHER

County ready for overload By SCOTT BAUGHMAN Daily Courier Staff Writer

RUTHERFORDTON — Think you’ve got a lot to clean up from Christmas? Rutherford County’s solid waste department will see about 480 tons of trash today. Workers said that amount was average for the last three years on Dec. 26, but expect it might be even more today because the day after Christmas falls on a Saturday. The 480 tons is about 130 tons more than the average day. “I think a lot of it depends on the weather,” said Gene Toney, assistant director for the department. “If the skies are clear, people will be coming because they’ve had two days worth

of stuff they’d usually bring to us and then all the Christmas trash on top of that.” The refuse is about 130 tons more than the daily average for the county’s facilities. With more emphasis than ever on going green and recycling, GDS expects to see a few people recycling wrapping paper. “We could accept wrapping paper here locally and we have a spot at GDS to accept mixed paper like magazines and newspaper inserts, some of the oddball paper,” said Jerry Searcy, operations manager for GDS. “We are allowed to put a little of that into our product. If folks Please see Trash, Page 6

FOREST CITY — Commissioners, trying to decide whether to begin work on a raw water intake project, are aware that the clock is ticking on getting the work done. The Public Water Section of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Environmental Health, has issued a permit that authorizes construction of the Broad River raw water intake, pump station and raw water line. The state permit was issued on Nov. 3, 2009, and expires on Nov. 2, 2011. M. Keith Webb, of the Asheville engineering firm of McGill Associates, which is working for the town on the project, noted in a Dec. 18 letter that it is possible to ask for a time extension for construction, if the work is not completed by 2011. Commissioners also know, however, that this is a project that likely will cost at least $14 Please see Water, Page 6

Sewer project taking longer than expected By SCOTT BAUGMAN Daily Courier Staff Writer

High

Low

52 27 Today, mostly sunny. Tonight, clear and cold. Complete forecast, Page 10

INSIDE Classifieds . . . 16-17 Sports . . . . . . . . 7-9 County scene . . . . 6 Opinion . . . . . . . . 4 Vol. 41, No. 307

LAKE LURE — Sealing leaks in the sewer in the lake here has been a priority for decades, and the most recent effort to repair a system that is unique in the world has hit some snags. Earlier this year, the town’s board voted to have divers wrap the joints of sewer pipes in the lake itself, but unlike past wrapping efforts – which wound up difficult to manage – the new plan would use Global Position System (GPS) coordinates and hydro-phonic microphones to get precise locations. In July, the town council voted unanimously to receive a $3 million allotment from federal stimulus funds for the project. The money will take the form of a $1.5 million grant from the American Reinvestment and Please see Sewer, Page 6

Contributed Photo

This barge marks the surface of Lake Lure where divers are wrapping sewer joints. The project is taking longer — and may cost more — than officials had originally planned.

Now on the Web: www.thedigitalcourier.com

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009

LOCAL Church News Music/concerts Concert: Sunday, Dec. 27, 6 p.m., Missionary Wesleyan Church, Doggett Road, Forest City; featuring James Rainey, pianist for the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, and special guest, Roger Queen. Concert: 37th Annual Gospel Concert, featuring Soul Harvest, Master’s Singers and Ronnie Felker “Fearless Fife” on Thursday, Dec. 31, at New Hope United Methodist Church, 4251 Chesnee Road (Parris Bridge Road). Concert begins at 8 p.m. Special midnight candlelight service with the Rev. Butch Osborne. Refreshments served during intermission. Singing: Sunday, Jan. 3, 7 p.m., Riverside Baptist Church, Hogan Road, Harris; featuring The Servant Call. Singing: Sunday, Jan. 3, 2 p.m.; Village Chapel Church, 141 Huntley St., Forest City; featuring Living By Faith.

Seasonal Christmas musical: An encore performance of “Hope Has Hands” will be given Sunday, Dec. 27, during the 11 a.m. worship service at Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Hudlow Road. Lessons and Carols service: Sunday, Dec. 27, 11 a.m. worship service, Advent Lutheran Church; scripture passages relating to the nativity will be

read accompanied by a Christmas carol related to it; Jeff Brooks, organist, will provide special music; congregational members will serve as readers and liturgists for the service; church located at 102 Reveley Street, Spindale; a time of fellowship will follow. New Year’s Eve service: Thursday, Dec. 31, 9 a.m. to noon, Faith Temple Christian Church, 111 Kentucky St., Spindale; guest speaker, Carolyn Knuckles of Inman, S.C.; special music, praise and worship. New Year’s Eve worship service: 6 p.m.; Wells Spring United Methodist Church, Forest City; public invited. Dr. Alfonxa Everett is pastor.

Fellowship service: Sunday, Dec. 27, 4 p.m., Angel Divine Faith Church, Rutherfordton.

each Monday at noon, in the basement of Harvest House Church, Big Springs Ave., Forest City; call Sheila at 828-447-1880 for more information. Mom’s Hope is a ministry that offers hope and support for mothers who face daily struggles and fears when their children are addicted to drugs or alcohol. The group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at Missionary Wesleyan Church, 811 Doggett Rd., Forest City. For more information contact Chris Park at 289-6467, or Karen Elliott at 286-2308. “Celebrate Recovery” is a weekly Christ-centered program that meets every Friday from 6:30 to 9 p.m., at Cornerstone Fellowship Church, 1186 Hudlow Rd., Forest City. The group is open to anyone who wishes to find healing no matter what you’re going through. For more information call 245-3639.

Other

Soup Kitchens

New location: Holy Ground Community Church has moved from Bostic to 139 S. Powell Street, Forest City. Services are Sunday — Sunday School 9:45 a.m.; worship service 11 a.m., evening service 6 p.m.; Wednesday 6 p.m., and Friday Bible Study 6 p.m. Edward Ellision, pastor. “The Way Home”: A support group for anyone recovering from an addiction; meetings are held

Samaritan Breakfast: Thursdays from 6 to 8 a.m., at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 395 N. Main St., Rutherfordton. Carry-out breakfast bags. St. Paul AME Zion Church, Forest City, each Monday at 6 p.m. St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 330 N. Ridgecrest Ave., Rutherfordton. “Helping Hands Outreach”: Members of Caroleen Congregational Holiness Church hold a monthly soup kitchen each Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. The church is located on Walker Store Rd. First Baptist Church in Spindale, 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. each Tuesday. New Beginnings Soup Kitchen, Thursdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Green River Baptist Association, 668 N. Washington St., Rutherfordton.

Special services

Associated Press

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Jon Kitna (3) leads others in prayer following an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers, in Arlington, Texas. High-profile expressions of faith by athletes have become routine in pro sports. “Some love it, some really resent it. The comedians have a field day with it,” said Krattenmaker, author of “Onward Christian Athletes.”

Looking at expressions of faith in pro sports By JAY LINDSAY Associated Press Writer

BOSTON — A toss left, a quick break past the defense, and it was obvious Philadelphia Eagles running back Herb Lusk was headed to the end zone. The real surprise came when he arrived 70 yards later. Lusk dropped to a

Envy So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander. Like newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up in salvation, for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. R.S.V. 1 Peter 2:1-3 Envy, is the thirteenth work of the flesh mentioned by Paul in his epistle to the Galatians, and is the translation of the Greek word “phthonos.” In contrast to the Greek word “zelos,” which can have both a positive and a negative sense, phthonos almost always has a negative sense. Phthonos is the envy which inspired the chief priests to deliver Jesus to Pilate (Mark 15:10); it is often produced by a morbid craving for controversy and disputes about words (1 Timonthy 6:4); it is a prominent characteristic of our behavior prior to

Salem United Methodist Church

becoming true Christians (Titus 3:3); and it is something which we are instructed to put aside (1 Peter 2:1). What distinguishes zelos from phthonos is that zelos is jealousy which desires what someone else has, and thus can have the positive which desires what someone else has, and thus can have the positive connotation of emulation, whereas phthonos is a malicious jealousy which seeks to deprive others of goods which they have and we do not. For instance, the child who imitates his fellow student’s good work is exemplifying zelos, whereas the child who sabotages his neighbor’s work is exemplifying phthonos. This type of envy often occurs in politics, where false and malicious character assassination is seen as sport, or in higher education, where it is often the motive for attacking someone’s research, or even in the church, where we intentionally misrepresent other religions or denominations, thereby slandering them, often without making the effort to find out what they really believe.

Advent Lutheran Church

�� Invites You to Join Us for Sunday School at 9:45am Worship�� Service at 11:00am

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STEVE BARNES

knee in the NFL’s first public end zone prayer. High-profile expressions of faith by athletes have become routine in pro sports since Lusk’s October 1977 run. A new book by religion writer Tom Krattenmaker explores how it happened, and asks whether it’s a good thing. “Some love it, some really resent it. The comedians have a field day with it,” said Krattenmaker, author of “Onward Christian Athletes.” From the numerous Lusk copycats, to prayer circles at the 50-yard line, to jubilant players praising God in postgame interviews, an often conservative voice of the Christian faith is now commonplace in American professional sports. That reflects decades of influence by evangelical Christian groups in locker rooms and a belief among some Christian athletes that their visibility is a gift they should use to proclaim their faith. Krattenmaker says the problem is that they’re reaching a sporting public with increasingly pluralistic religious convictions, or no religion at all. “There are many secular fans who really feel annoyed by that kind of religious expression,” he said in an interview. “Even people who are religious themselves often resent this situation where athletes talk about God in this big moment of victory, sometimes seeming to imply God gave them the victory.” But Tennessee Titans All-Pro center Kevin Mawae said his Christianity is part of who he is, and he can’t separate it from his life. “The fact that some people are jaded toward religion or faith shouldn’t stop a player from expressing his faith in public,” Mawae said. There’s no intent to alienate people, only to share Biblical truth, said Vince Nauss, president of Baseball Chapel, which provides chaplains to every major league baseball team. “If there’s an exclusivity, it’s because Jesus put it out there,” Nauss said. “So I don’t think there’s anything to apologize for, or to dance around in a politically correct

environment.” The influence of Christianity in locker rooms can be traced to people such as baseball pioneer Branch Rickey, the executive who brought Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1954, Rickey agreed to help college football coach Don McClanen found the influential Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Baseball Chapel was established for players like ex-New York Yankee Bobby Richardson, who was mobbed at local churches on Sundays, Nauss said. By 1975, it had established programs for every major league team. Another prominent group, the international sports ministry Athletes in Action, places about half of the NFL’s chaplains. Krattenmaker said evangelical ministries have a near monopoly in pro clubhouses because they seized the chance, then won the teams’ trust by not exploiting their access. Other faith groups simply haven’t done the work, he said. “The conservative Christians got their upper hand in the sports world the old fashioned way,” Krattenmaker said. “They earned it.” Krattenmaker isn’t asking pro athletes to stop talking about religion, just to be more sensitive in their tone and timing. He also sees a credibility-bruising selectivity in the theologically and politically conservative messages evangelicals in sports trumpet. In his book, for instance, he highlights retired Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy’s public stance against same-sex marriage. But Jesus’s teaching that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” doesn’t get much attention among hyperwealthy athletes, he said. Retired NBA guard and 1993 Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward, an outspoken Christian, said when athletes publicly talk about Christianity, it’s often just a reflection of the joy of the faith.

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009 — 3

State

Convenience store and fine dining mix well An AP Member Exchange By ANDREA WEIGL The News & Observer of Raleigh

SAXAPAHAW — Along a dark country road in Alamance County, the red and gold stripes of a Shell sign glow in the distance, beckoning drivers. The gas station is at the Saxapahaw General Store, where inside you can get the usual: domestic beer, cigarettes, a package of Carolina Pride hot dogs. Or you can sit down to a dinner of veal shanks over mashed potatoes and spinach for $18 or crab cakes with duck-fat fries, wax beans and lemon aioli for $15. Most of it is from local farms, such as Cane Creek and Chapel Hill Creamery. This local foods-focused convenience store is the work of Jeff Barney and Cameron Ratliff, the duo who left Chatham Marketplace, a cooperative grocery in Pittsboro, to open this store and cafe in June 2008. Saxapahaw was a textile town until the mill closed in 1995. The town, situated along the Haw River 17 miles west of Chapel Hill, was home to 1,400 people at the time of the 2000 census.

Since then, the old cotton mill has been turned into loft apartments and townhomes, where professors and professionals are buying homes. “Saturdays in Saxapahaw,” a weekly event during the warmer months, have become a weekend destination with live music, vendors and an evening farmers market. There are plans for a pub and a butcher shop. The Saxapahaw General Store is part of that renaissance. Heather LaGarde, who runs the farmers market, and Mac Jordan, whose family owns the redeveloped textile mill, persuaded the couple to

Bicycle man sets a record

FAYETTEVILLE (AP) — North Carolina’s “Bicycle Man” has outdone himself. The Fayetteville Observer reports that Moses Mathis, who for 19 years has repaired bicycles and then given them away at Christmas, set a record this year by fixing more than 1,100 bikes. He repaired 1,046 bicycles and gave them away in 2008. Hundreds of people formed a line that wrapped around a small parking lot and folded back on itself for the annual giveaway on Tuesday. Needy recipients are identified by local school social workers.

Now, Mathis is on a new mission. By the end of next month, he will have to leave his current warehouse space and may have to cancel the 2010 giveaway to focus on raising money for permanent space. During the decade, he has moved three times.

Madoff has been moved to hospital

BUTNER (AP) — The federal Bureau of Prisons reports that financier Bernard Madoff has been moved from a North Carolina federal prison to a prison medical facility. The bureau noted the change on its Web site Wednesday.

Madoff has been imprisoned since March, when he pleaded guilty to fraud charges and admitted cheating thousands of investors out of billions of dollars.

Associated Press

In this Dec. 11 photo, it’s dinner time at the Saxapahaw General Store as local resident Edmund Moseley, left, with 3-year-old daughter Ada Moseley are served dinner by General Store co-owner Cameron Ratliff as mom Meredith Moseley (with 3-month-old son Leo Moseley wait, in Saxapahaw.

come to Saxapahaw to open this store. LaGarde explains that the store located in a former dye house was once called Poppies and used to be a community gathering spot. But in recent years, the gas station had lost its place as the village’s nerve center. One day, LaGarde says, she, her husband Tom, Ratlifff and Barney were walking past the gas station talking about their project when someone jokingly said, “’Wouldn’t it be funny to be in there?’ and Jeff replied, ‘I can see it.’” Their envisioned local foods-focused grocery store and cafe took over the space. They have transitioned from Hunt Brothers Pizza and hot dogs to local goat meat burgers and kombucha, a fer-

A to Z It's In The Classifieds

mented tea that for a while was outselling Gatorade. Jordan says, “It’s exceeded our expectations. It helps that he is a fantastic cook,” referring to Barney. On a recent Friday night, Ratliff is rolling out dough for cranberry scones to be frozen overnight and baked in the morning. Barney is writing the dinner specials on a chalkboard menu. A section of the menu falls under this heading: “Shanksgiving” and includes entrees using local veal, goat and pork shanks. Line cooks Josh Coburn and Alec Stinson are preparing for the dinner rushes: one right at 5 p.m. and another at 7 p.m. “We came in here without knowing what was possible,” says Ratliff, a former high school English teacher who

deferred UNC law school for this gas station dream. They evolved slowly trying not to alienate customers. Their shelves reflect that transition: agave nectar next to pure blackstrap molasses; Goody’s powders around the corner from a local herbalist’s products, Suki’s Blends. They also hired Ron Veitel, a nutritionist who used to work in the health food industry. About Veitel, their nutritionist-cashier-manager, Ratliff jokes, “Every gas station should have one.” Barney says they discovered you can’t guess what people will buy based on their appearance. A gentleman who sells them cigarettes bought a liver-cleanse loose tea. “It’s really chastening because you realize we devel-

op unconscious stereotypes about what people will buy certain things,” Barney says. They asked regulars, such as Edmund and Meredith Moseley, what they would like to be able to buy without having to drive to Carrboro or Chapel Hill. Their list included kombucha, coconut milk, kefir (a fermented milk drink). “As you can imagine, we were excited to have a local grocery store with local foods, organic foods,” Meredith says. “And delicious meals,” adds Edmund, before sitting down to dinner in the cafe with the couple’s infant son and toddler daughter. Before ordering his own dinner, Matt Diehl, who owns a nearby bed and breakfast called River Landing Inn, says he loves the cafe’s proximity. Before, Diehl says, “We didn’t have a place to send people to eat without getting in a car to go to Chapel Hill.” Dinner service churns on with Barney and the line cooks grooving to “Papa was a Rolling Stone,” by The Temptations. Families line up to place their dinner orders and grab tables in the back. Workers in paintsplattered pants buy cases of Milwaukee Best or a couple 24-ounce beers. Half a dozen folks gather around the cafe’s center tables, drinking Dogfish Head microbrews and Izze sodas. Jerry Whittaker, a bushybearded builder wearing jeans and a denim shirt, pays for a 24-ounce Natural Light and a pack of Camel filters. “I like it,” he says. “You can get almond butter without running into Chapel Hill.” He points to his purchases adding, “They still got enough of this redneck stuff to keep everybody happy.”

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009

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

James R. Brown/ 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 Congress not showing its best

he Senate on Thursday passed its version of the Health Care reform bill that has been one of the top priorities of the Obama administration. This months-long debate has been intense and bitter at times and it is not over yet. A conference committee must now meet to reconcile differences between the Senate version of the bill and the House’s version. What we have seen over the course of the health care reform debate has not been our legislative process at its best. Sadly, that is not something that we have seen in Washington in recent memory. Instead of watching intelligent, well-intentioned and wellinformed men and women work together to solve our problems, we see instead political grandstanding fueled by an ideological divide that punishes those who try to build bridges to compromise. This environment is counterproductive and prevents open, honest efforts to give us real solutions to our problems. On health care, there is still time to do what is right and what the American people deserve. The members of the conference committee with the leaders of both political parties can produce legislation that works, but only if they commit themselves to the effort and use their ideological beliefs as a guide and not as a sledgehammer.

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, factual accuracy and length. 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

Our readers’ views Thanks ‘angels’ who helped at accident To the editor: To all of my family’s guardian angels: On Friday, Dec. 18th, my husband, myself and our 2 children (ages 4 and 6) were on our way home from a short trip to Forest City. Our Jeep hit a large ice patch and we started to slide. My husband (Derrick) stayed as calm as possible and even corrected the Jeep two times in our long ride. He kept the Jeep on the road for over 100 feet and then I saw the ditch. I told Shane and Siera to hold on and we landed in the ditch, hard. From the road you couldn’t even see us. Four or five teenage boys came running from different directions to help. They called the police and helped us all get out of the Jeep and up the embankment. Next, two ladies stopped and wanted us all to get in their van to stay warm. They talked calmly to our children, and made them feel safe. Then they called a tow truck for us, which arrived very quickly. One of the young men who stopped, got his truck stuck and had to have a friend pull him to the road. (I hope his mom and grandma read this, and he does not get in trouble). All of you were our angels that

day! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Deedee Canipe Shelby

Urges full reading of First Amendment To the editor: In response to Mr. Haulk in the December 19th issue of The Daily Courier: If you are going to quote the First Amendment, then continue with it and don’t just use the one part. The next part of this amendment states, “or impeding the free exercise of religion.” This means that you have the right to worship or not worship as you see fit. Having the words, “In God We Trust” on our money or our federal buildings or anything else does not in any manner require you to believe in God yourself. Secondly, study your history. When our country was founded in the 1700s, most of the nations in Europe were under some form of monarchy. These rulers had for hundreds of years dictated what religion that nation must respect. Whether the monarch was protestant or Catholic, that was the national religion and anyone not following this lead was persecuted and possibly put to death. Wars were fought over this issue and murders were conducted at the highest level to ensure the state religion was followed. Just remember the Spanish Inquisition.

Many of the leaders of the young republic that became the United States did not want to enlist the aid of France because their monarch at the time was Catholic. Therefore, they added the first amendment, allowing the people of the United States the right to worship as they saw fit. And the heads of our government were not and are not permitted to make laws that dictate to the citizens how they must worship. I will state that unfortunately we as a nation have not always been as tolerant of some religions as we should have been, but that is a subject to be discussed at a different time. Though it seems that nonChristians do not want to admit it, but this country was founded on the Christian principles. It seems that anytime a Christian speaks up, they are being told you can’t say that, but non-Christians don’t seem to have a problem telling us how and what we are to think and do. Now, if you think that having “In God We Trust” printed on our money makes you think that the government is trying to tell you how to worship, then here is a suggestion — don’t use the money. You can pay all of your bills using debit or credit cards now and you will not be subjected to looking at these words. If seeing the words “In God We Trust” scares you, then maybe it should. Donald Brown Bostic

Hagan and Perdue should demand some deals RALEIGH – There are so many compelling reasons to detest and oppose ObamaCare at this point that it has become a challenge to saying anything new about it. The latest edition, emanating just before Christmas from the U.S. Senate, ostentatiously shed the so-called public option but maintained the core elements of the intended federal takeover of health care – the dictate that individuals and employers purchase federally approved health benefits on pain of fines and incarceration. If Washington obtains such power, all health care decisions will inevitably become politicized and federalized. That’s what the proponents of ObamaCare want. They think that would be best. Obviously, I disagree – as do most of the American people. The Democrats running Congress are willing to risk public disapproval, a political backlash, and even the loss of their majorities for the sake of nationalizing health care as a step towards their

John Hood Syndicated columnist

ultimate goal of remaking America as a European-style welfare state. But are North Carolina Democrats really intent on following these extremists over the cliff? Consider Kay Hagan’s situation. As a freshman senator, she clearly doesn’t have nearly the clout of a Ben Nelson, a two- term senator and former governor of Nebraska. But her vote counts just as much as his does. Nelson famously withheld his vote, dithering publicly in his best Hamlet impersonation until Senate leader Harry Reid promised extra federal dollars to help Nebraska afford its share of the Medicaid expansion ordered in the Senate bill. Complying with the federal Medicaid diktat would reportedly cost North

Carolina $800 million after the temporary federal aid ends. Even in government terms, that’s real money. Not surprisingly, other Democratic senators are starting to complain that they weren’t offered a similar deal. Strictly as a political matter, Hagan ought to cut to the front of the line and demand an $800 million federal bailout for North Carolina. One of two things would happen. Reid and the Obama administration might start ladling out “free” federal money to everyone, to keep their momentum going through the coming weeks of negotiation between House and Senate. That will make it impossible to maintain the fiction that ObamaCare will reduce the budget deficit. Or, Reid and Obama might tell Hagan no – in which case, she’d have an excellent excuse to oppose the final bill, should a conference committee send one back to the Senate floor. As for Beverly Perdue,

she is badly in need of some major issue to change her fortunes. Right now, she’s the most unpopular governor in the modern history of North Carolina. Facing the very real prospect of another state budget hole in 2010, Perdue should consider grabbing hold of the Medicaid issue with both hands and not letting go until she gets either another massive federal check (bad policy, good politics) or someone to blame for the resulting fiscal mess, Democratic leaders in Washington, who are even less popular among North Carolinians than she is. If you think it’s impossible to imagine North Carolina Democrats separating themselves from their national leadership, you have only to look at the choice that Reps. Heath Shuler and Larry Kissell made when ObamaCare passed the House. Representing districts with lots of conservative independents willing to swing their votes, Shuler and Kissell weren’t willing to sacrifice

their political careers on the altar of government-run health care. Now, all I said was that it’s not impossible to imagine Hagan and Perdue changing positions. It is, however, most unlikely. Shuler and Kissell probably got permission to vote no, knowing that the House version of ObamaCare would pass without them. If Hagan promised to withhold her support for any final bill until she got another bailout, and Perdue backed up her position, both would be hammered by their political friends and supporters for imperiling the passage of ObamaCare. They’d attract new friends and supporters, however. I think Hagan and Perdue ought to consider it. But, admittedly, I’ve been accused of excessive optimism and an inordinate belief that reason can govern the passions. I’ll hope for the best and plan for the worst. Hood is president of the John Locke Foundation.

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009

Police say 32-year-old Bogdan Rudenko surrendered peacefully Friday at a Howard Johnson’s hotel after several hours of negotiations. He is suspected in a Dec. 20 slaying in Stallings, N.C. Stallings police chief Larke Plyler told The Gazette of Colorado Springs that a

Virginia Harris

motive hasn’t been established. Police couldn’t confirm whether Rudenko is the minor league hockey player of the same name and age who last played for the defunct Twin City Cyclones in Winston-Salem, N.C. in the 2008-9 season. The hockey player was known for his fighting skills and jail records show Rudenko has several scars from sports injuries and surgeries.

Police Notes

Editor’s note: These Police Notes reflect arrests Dec. 23-25.

Fire damages Ellenboro house

ELLENBORO — Firefighters responded to a residential fire at 700 Boss Moore Rd. at 2:12 a.m. Thursday. The house is the property of Scott Blackwood. Early indications are that the fire may have started around a wood heater. No estimate of damages was available Thursday morning. Ellenboro firefighters were assisted by Sandy Mush and Cliffside firefighters.

Sheriff’s Reports

n The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office responded to 109 E-911 calls Wednesday and to 138 calls Thursday.

Rutherfordton

n The Rutherfordton Police Department responded to 32 E-911 calls Wednesday and to 33 calls Thursday.

Spindale

n The Spindale Police Department responded to 42 E-911 calls Wednesday and to 20 calls Thursday.

Lake Lure

n The Lake Lure Police Department responded to 11 E-911 calls Wednesday and to 10 calls Thursday.

Forest City

n The Forest City Police Department responded to 76 E-911 calls Wednesday and to 60 calls Thursday.

Arrests

n Shela Kay-Messer Bridges, 42, of 302 W. N.C. 16; charged with misdemeanor larceny and injury to real property; placed under a $500 secured bond. (FCPD) n David Roger Davis, 44, of 1812 Beaman St.; charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and shoplifting/ concealment of goods; placed under a $200 secured bond. (FCPD) n Timothy Dale Gordon, 40, of 1991 Oak Grove Church Rd.; charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, simple possession of schedule II controlled substance, simple possession of schedule VI controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting a public officer, possession of controlled substance on prison/jail premises and trafficking opium or heroin; placed under a $90,000 secured bond. (RCSD) n Buffy Christine Davidge, 35, of 361 J.M. Lovelace Rd.; charged with assault and battery; freed on a $1,000 unsecured bond. (RCSD) n Jennifer Jo Henson, 39, of 178 Big Island Rd.; charged with two counts of assault on a government official/ employee, resisting a public officer and seconddegree trespassing; placed under a $10,000 secured bond. (RCSD) n Deon Cash, 32, of 165 Allen St.; charged with assault inflicting serious injury; placed under a $1,000 secured bond. (RCSD) n Donald James Dixon, 59, of 139 Eskimo Drive; charged

Local/Obituaries/State

N.C. murder suspect Obituaries arrested in Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A man wanted in a North Carolina murder is behind bars after being arrested at a hotel in Colorado Springs.

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with driving while impaired, fictitious registration/ altered title, driving while license revoked, operate vehicle with no insurance and simple worthless check; placed under an $8,100 secured bond. (RCSD) n Wallace Ronald Laughter, 57, of Union Rd.; charged with simple affray; freed on a custody release. (RPD) n John Sebastion Lail, 33, of 181 Hickory St.; charged with simple affray; freed on a custody release. (RPD) n Perry Todd Conner, 22, of 401 Maple Creek Rd.; charged with no operator’s license; placed under a $300 secured bond. (RPD) n Howard Junior Edgerton, 38, of 1056 Grassy Knob Rd.; charged with resisting a public officer, intoxicated and disruptive, assault on a government official and injury to personal property; placed under a $5,800 secured bond. (RPD) n Brad Bright, 34, of 187 Spindale St.; charged with simple possession of schedule IV controlled substance and disorderly conduct in a public building or facility; placed under a $5,000 secured bond. (SPD) n Alice Faye Tallent, 50, of 108 Wyoming St.; charged with simple possession of schedule VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia; released on a $1,000 unsecured bond. (SPD) n Anthony Durham Philbeck, 51, of 108 Wyoming St.; charged with simple possession of schedule VI controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia; placed under a $5,000 secured bond. (SPD)

Virginia McDowell Blanton Harris, 89, of Forest City, died Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009, at White Oak Manor in Rutherfordton. She was born on July 26, 1920, in Spartanburg County, S.C., to the late Wilton Clyde McDowell and Lula Ramsey McDowell. She earned a music degree from Converse College in 1941 and taught piano for more than 40 years. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Forest City and was a member of the Asbury Sunday school class. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband of 33 years, Hoyle Blanton, and by her second husband of 20 years, Clayton Harris; and by three brothers and one sister. She is survived by a number of nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday at First United Methodist Church in Forest City with the Rev. K. Wesley Judy officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to service time in the church parlor. A private entombment is planned for a later date in Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church cemetery. The family requests memorials be sent to Hospice of Rutherford County, PO Box 336, Forest City, NC 28043 or First United Methodist Church, 341 E. Main St., Forest City, NC 28043 or to Converse College Music Department, 580 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29302. Harrelson Funeral Home is serving the family. An online guest registry is available at www.harrelsonfuneralhome.com

Doyle Sisk Doyle Sisk, 63, of Maragate Circle, Chesnee, S.C., and owner of Sisk Restaurant in Forest City died Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009, at Mary Black Hospital in Spartanburg. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by The Padgett and King Mortuary.

Erv Kelly

Gaines Ervin “Erv” Kelly, 63, of 174 McArthur St., Forest City, died Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009, at Hospice of Rutherford County. He was a son of the late Paul and Irene Kell. He was a member of New Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church. He is survived by two EMS/Rescue daughters, Barbara Shelton n The Rutherford County and Wanda Shelton, both of EMS responded to 25 E-911 calls Wednesday and to calls Forest City; two sons, Billy Shelton and Roy Shelton, Thursday. n The Volunteer Life Saving both of Forest City; a sister, Daphne Tutt of Wilson; five and Rescue, Hickory Nut brothers, Wilson Kelly of Gorge EMS and Rutherford Forest City, Horace Kelly of County Rescue responded Orlando, Fla., Huston Kelly to 12 E-911 calls Wednesday of New York City, Harry and to calls Thursday. Kelly of Anderson, S.C., and Theodore Kelly of Columbia, Fire Calls S.C.; and five grandchildren. Thursday report The funeral will be held n Bill’s Creek firefightMonday, Dec. 28, at 2 p.m. ers responded to a chimney at New Bethel A.M.E. Zion fire, assisted by Lake Lure, Church with the Rev. Leroy Fairfield and Chimney Rock Staley officiating. The body firefighters. will be placed in the church n Cliffside firefighters one hour prior to the service. responded to a fire alarm. Burial will be in the church n Ellenboro firefighters cemetery. responded to a motor vehicle Thompson’s Funeral Home crash and to a house fire, is in charge of arrangements. assisted by Sandy Mush and Cliffside firefighters. Mark Hazard n Forest City firefightMark Macauley Hazard, 65, ers responded to two motor of Forest City died Thursday, vehicle crashes and to a fire Dec. 24, 2009, at Rutherford alarm. Hospital. n SDO firefighters He was a native of New responded to a motor vehicle Jersey. crash. He was a former employee n Sandy Mush firefighters responded to a motor vehicle of Davis Enterprises in New Jersey; a Vietnam veteran crash. of the Army, being awarded the Purple Heart for wounds Friday report received in combat; a memn Cliffside firefighters ber of the VFW; and a memresponded to a fire alarm. ber of First United Methodist n Ellenboro firefighters responded to two motor vehi- Church of Forest City. He is survived by his wife, cle crashes. Edna Mae Cannon Hazard n Hudlow firefighters responded to a motor vehicle of the home; two daughters, Christine Armstrong and crash. Bobbie Turner; three stepn Rutherfordton firefighters responded to a house fire. daughters, Britain Matchner, Patricia Armstrong and n Sandy Mush firefighters responded to a motor vehicle Frances Matchner; three brothers, Chick Hazard, crash.

Dwight Hazard and Scott Hazard; nine grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. The funeral service will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Crowe’s Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Wes Judy officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Military honors will be provided by the Rutherford County Veterans Honor Guard. Crowe’s Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.crowemortuary.com

Jonathan McSwain Jonathan Lee McSwain, 17, of Bostic, died Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009. A native of Rutherford County, he was a son of Stacy Allison McSwain of Charlotte and Micki Lynn Capps McSwain of Bostic. He was a student at the Rutherford Opportunity Center (ROC). He attended Bear Creek Bible Church. In addition to his parents, he is survived by two brothers, Brandon Ross and Ethan McSwain; two sisters, Samantha McSwain and Alicia McSwain; grandparents Mary and Rick McAbee and Sonny and Nancy Capps; great-grandmother Janie Sims; and a number of aunts, uncles and cousins. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church with the Revs. Jimmy Cooke and William Swink officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Crowe’s Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.crowemortuary.com

Deaths Wes Lematta AURORA, Ore. (AP) — Wes Lematta, the founder of Oregon’s Columbia Helicopters, has died at age 82. When Lematta started the Aurora company in 1957, he was giving helicopter rides at county fairs. In that year he rescued 17 sailors from a sinking barge in Coos Bay. Today, the family run company employs more than 600 worldwide, providing helicopters for logging, oil exploration, firefighting and building remote towers. Dale R. Wright NEW YORK (AP) — A noted black journalist who was the first reporter to integrate the newsroom at the old New York WorldTelegram and Sun newspaper has died. Dale R. Wright was 86. Wright’s 10-article series in the early 1960s on the plight of migrant workers won numerous awards and sparked legislative action to improve working conditions. It also was considered among four Pulitzer Prize entries. Wright also worked as a press secretary to former THE DAILY COURIER Published Tuesday through Sunday mornings by Paxton Media Group LLC dba The Daily Courier USPS 204-920 Periodical Postage paid in Forest City, NC. Company Address: 601 Oak St., P.O. Box 1149, Forest City, NC 28043. Phone: (828) 245-6431 Fax: (828) 248-2790 Subscription rates: Single copy, daily 50¢ / Sunday $1.50. Home delivery $11.75 per month, $35.25 for three 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.

New York Mayor Edward Koch and the late Sen. Jacob K. Javits and Gov. Nelson Rockefeller. He owned and operated public relations firm Dale Wright Associates, serving New York-area black businesses. Rafael Caldera CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Rafael Antonio Caldera, a two-time president who helped establish democracy in Venezuela and issued the pardon that allowed Hugo Chavez to rise to power, died Thursday in Caracas, his son said. He was 93. The former president who governed Venezuela from 1969-1974 and 1994-1999 had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for several years. Although 20 years divided his terms, Caldera’s manner of ruling was the same: Reserved, tough with political adversaries and inclined toward populism. He was also known for living simply and eschewing luxuries, and for integrity in a country where corruption is common. In 1994, Caldera pardoned Chavez, who was jailed for leading a failed military coup two years earlier. George Michael WASHINGTON (AP) — George Michael, a mainstay on the Washington, D.C., sports television scene for decades who reached a national audience with “The George Michael Sports Machine” highlights show, has died. He was 70 years old. “Sports Machine” began shortly after Michael’s arrival at WRC TV in Washington in 1980 as “George Michael’s Sports Final,” a late-night local feature. Then in 1984 it grew into the first nationally syndicated sports highlights show, eventually airing in 194 markets across the United States and in 10 foreign countries.

Virginia McDowell Blanton Harris Virginia McDowell Virginia McDowell Blanton Blanton Harris, age 89, Harris, 89, of of Forest Forest City, City, died Wednesday, December died December 23, 23, 2009 at White Oak 2009 Oak Manor Manor inin Rutherfordton. Rutherfordton. Virginia was born Virginia born on on July July 26, 26, 1920ininSpartanburg SpartanburgCounty County to 1920 to the the late Wilton Clyde McDowell late Wilton Clyde McDowell and and Ramsey Lula Ramsey McDowell. Lula McDowell. Virginia Virginia had love a lifelong lovewhich for had a lifelong for music music led a her to earn a led her which to earn music degree music Converse degree from Converse from College in1941 College in1941 piano and toforteaching and to teaching over 40 piano She for over years. She years. was 40 a member of was First a member of Church First ofUnited United Methodist Forest Methodist Forest of City City and a Church faithful of member the and a Sunday faithful School member of the Asbury Class. Asbury SundaytoSchool Class. she In addition her parents, In preceded addition to was in her deathparents, by her she first was preceded in death by her first husband of 33 years, Hoyle Blanton husband of 33 husband years, Hoyle and her second of 20 Blanton and herHarris; secondtwo husband years, Clayton brothof Clayton of 20Ransom years; ers, Ralph Harris McDowell, three brothers, McDowell, McDowell, and Ralph one sister, Vivian Ransom McDowell and one sisGiddings. ter, Vivian Giddings. She is survived by a number of She isand survived by a number of nieces nephews. nieces and services nephews.will be conFuneral Funeral conducted at services 2:00 p.m.will on be Monday, ducted at 2:00 p.m. on December 28, 2009 at Monday, the First December 28, 2009 at the First United Methodist Church in Forest United in City withMethodist Reverend Church K. Wesley Forest City withThe Reverend K. Judy officiating. family will Wesley friends Judy officiating. Theto receive one hour prior family will service time receive in the friends church one parhour prior to service time in theis lor. A private entombment church parlor. A private planned for a later date inentombPleasant ment isUnited plannedMethodist for a later date in Grove Church Pleasant Grove United Methodist Cemetery. Church Cemetery. The family requests memorials requests beThe sentfamily to Hospice of memorials Rutherford be sent toPO Hospice Rutherford County, Box of336, Forest County, Box 336, ForestUnited City, City, NC PO28043 or First NC 28043 or 341 FirstEast United Methodist Church, Main Methodist Church, East 28043 Main Street, Forest City,341NC Street, City,College NC 28043 or or to Forest Converse Music to Converse Department, 580 College East MainMusic Street, Department, SC 58029302. East Main Spartanburg, Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302. Harrelson Funeral Home is servHarrelson Funeral Home is serving the family. ing family. Anthe online guest registry is availAn online guest registry is available at: www.harrelsonfuneralable at: home.com www.harrelsonfuneralhome.com Paid Paidobit. obit.

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009

Calendar/Local/state

More giving, but charities getting less Health/education 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. The Medication Assistance Program provides access to medications at reduced rates or free of charge to those who qualify, call 288-8872.

Red Cross Blood drives scheduled: Dec. 28 — Red Cross Chapter House, 2 to 6:30 p.m., call 287-5916 for an appointment.

Students/schools Financial aid workshop: Monday, Jan. 4, 6 to 8 p.m., R-S Central High School.

Religion Lessons and Carols service: Sunday, Dec. 27, 11 a.m. worship service, Advent Lutheran Church; scripture passages relating to the nativity will be read accompanied by a Christmas carol related to it; Jeff Brooks, organist, will provide special music; congregational members will serve as readers and liturgists for the service; church located at 102 Reveley Street, Spindale; a time of fellowship will follow. New Year’s Eve service: Thursday, Dec. 31, 9 a.m. to noon, Faith Temple Christian Church, 111 Kentucky St., Spindale; guest speaker, Carolyn Knuckles of Inman, S.C.; special music, praise and worship.

Music/concerts Concert: Sunday, Dec. 27, 6 p.m., Missionary Wesleyan Church, Doggett Road, Forest City; featuring James Rainey, pianist for the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, and special guest, Roger Queen. Concert: 37th Annual Gospel Concert, featuring Soul Harvest, Master’s Singers and Ronnie Felker “Fearless Fife” on Thursday, Dec. 31, at New Hope United Methodist Church, 4251 Chesnee Road (Parris Bridge Road). Concert begins at 8 p.m. Special midnight candlelight service with Rev. Butch Osborne. Singing: Sunday, Jan. 3, 7 p.m., Riverside Baptist Church, Hogan Road, Harris; featuring The Servant Call. Singing: Sunday, Jan. 3, 2 p.m.; Village Chapel Church, 141 Huntley St., Forest City; featuring Living By Faith.

Reunions Cole family reunion: Saturday, Jan. 9, covered dish meal 2:30 p.m., Goode’s Creek Baptist Church fellowship hall; bring well-filled basket. 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. Band reunion: East Rutherford Cavalier Band (1966-1976) members under W.W. Jacobus (1966-1976); planned for August 7, 2010 at the high school cafeteria; to be added to the mailing list email cavalierbanderhs@yahoo.com or by mail, P.O. Box 934, Forest City.

Miscellaneous Community Pet Center: The Rutherford County Animal Control Facility and the Community Pet Center office will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 24, through Sunday, Dec. 27, and reopen Monday, Dec. 28, at 12 p.m. Holiday hours: All Rutherford County convenience centers and the central landfill will resume regular hours will resume Saturday, Dec. 26. Veteran services: Adult day care is available for veterans 2-3 times per week, Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at LIFECare. If you are caring for a veteran, contact LIFECare at 288-1697. Weatherization Assistance Program: The Weatherization Assistance Program is accepting applications for eligible clients for possible assistance. Applicants must provide proof of ownership, verification of income on each household member and past 12 months usage history on their utility bills. It is also open to tenants, providing the landlord gives written permission and contributes a portion of the cost to receive Weatherization measures. For more information contact Becky McKelvey at 287-2281 ext. 1238.

RALEIGH (AP) — North Carolina officials say less than half of the nearly $300 million in charitable donations in the past year went to the charities — the rest went to marketing and fundraising companies. Multiple media outlets reported Thursday that the secretary of state’s office has released a report showing that only about 40 percent of $282 million donated to charities in the

Water Continued from Page 1

million, so they are reluctant to begin work on a water project that admittedly is intended to meet future, not immediate, needs. Town leaders currently are looking at the option of working with other entities to help ensure the town’s future water needs. Commissioner Shawn Moore commented during the commissioners meeting on Monday that $14 million may be a conservative estimate of the cost, since it is a multi-year project where costs could rise. If the town does proceed with the project, the hope is that the work can be done in phases, so the town doesn’t have to borrow money to pay for it. When National Textiles was still operating in Forest City, it was using a large amount of water daily. But with the closure of that HanesBrands textile plant in September 2008 the demand for the town’s water has fallen drastically. But the town’s need for an additional source of raw water was identified in the early 1990s, when National Textiles was still running. During drought conditions, the town’s current source of water, the Second Broad River, was not adequate to meet the needs of National Textiles. Webb wrote in the letter this month: “The Town was fortunate to have an opportunity in the late 1990’s to secure a parcel of property adjoining the Broad River for the construction of a new raw water intake and possible future water treatment plant site. Significant funds have been expended by the Town to secure this site to meet the future water supply needs of the Town of Forest City.” The 50 acres of property is at RiverStone, an industrial park. Webb’s letter points out that the permit obtained for the raw water intake

Trash Continued from Page 1

did want to bring their wrapping papers to GDS we will accept it, but we don’t want them putting it in the newspaper boxes at the convenience centers. GDS is located at 141 Fairground Road in Spindale. “We always see a large amount of stuff the day after Christmas, and while the economy has been tough we

Sewer Continued from Page 1

Recovery Act of 2009 and a $1.5 million loan that must be repaid over 20 years at 0 percent interest. The wrapping of the joints on the sewer pipes already in the lake will hopefully prevent lake water from being sucked into the town’s wastewater system. Officials hope that reducing the amount of lake water infiltrating the system will reduce the strain

year ending in July went to the charities. That means for every dollar donated to charities between July of 2008 and 2009, less than 50 cents on average went to the charities. Last year, 60 percent of the money donated went to the charities. The office tracks only those charities that are required to file reports, including charities in support of police and firefighters. Church and

educational charities are exempt from filing reports. “We were shocked,” Secretary of State Elaine Marshall told the Charlotte Observer. The rest of the money goes to professional fundraising companies that charities hire to raise money for them. Nonprofit organization leaders say the recession has prompted marketers and fundraisers to take bigger cuts of the donations this year.

project guarantees the town the right to withdraw 12 million gallons per day if there is adequate water in the river. That appears to be likely, he added, because the 12 million gallons is less than 20 percent of the 7Q10 flow on the Broad River. The 7Q10 flow is the seven-day average low flow in a 10-year period. Webb has recommended that the town advertise for and receive bids for March 2010 construction of the canal and concrete wet well. He estimated cost for the raw water canal earthwork, site access road and concrete wet well construction at $950,000. He also said the town could at the same time receive bids for the supply of approximately 25,000 linear feet of 24-inch raw water lines, at an estimated cost of $800,000. Webb also projected raw water line installation by town crews, from Broad River to Hogan Road and Hogan Road to U.S. 221, at an estimated cost of $200,000. One of the later parts of the project is running the remainder of the line along U.S. 221 and U.S. 221A from Hogan Road to U.S. 74 at Brackett Creek Pump Station. Webb pointed out at Monday’s meeting that the widening of U.S. 221 may cause the town to have to buy rightof-way for the lines. A proposed schedule for the project was included in Webb’s letter to the town that indicated a March 2014 date for completion of construction. This estimate includes a request for a time extension on the project. Getting to the point of possibly starting construction on the project has been a long, involved process. Part of the process was an environmental assessment. In February 2008 the town was notified that it had received what is called a FONSI, or Finding of No Significant Impact. What the FONSI meant was that the project would probably have no significant environmental impacts, so

the it could proceed. Webb noted in his letter that although there is no expiration date on a FONSI, it is generally understood that if work hasn’t begun within five years, a new environmental assessment and FONSI may be required. This could be significant for the project because the town might have to confirm the documented need for the water, an iffy proposition unless the town gets another large water user. Another concern for the town is that other entities may get the Broad River’s water before Forest City does. Webb noted at the meeting Monday, “Shelby plans to go to the river, and Polk County may.” Ironically, Shelby is in much the same situation as Forest City. The announcement of a public hearing in September 2006 to consider the proposed reclassification of the Broad River noted that Shelby planned a “raw water supply pipe line intended for use in withdrawal of water from the Broad River under conditions where the current City supply of the First Broad River is inadequate.”

will still see a lot because people still want something to unwrap,” Searcy said. “It typically doubles the volumes that we pick up for Christmas waste.”

accident, but we have seen some weird stuff,” Toney said. “A guy called us one time and said he’d thrown away his wife’s ring that was worth about $50,000. He came out and dug through the garbage and found it. People throw away their keys, important papers, their driver’s license and even sometimes their Social Security checks. But they do come and find them.”

Toney stopped short of saying it would be double, but wouldn’t be surprised to see the weak economy having little effect on Christmas trash and said he also wouldn’t be surprised by some of the stranger items people accidentally throw away. “We haven’t had too many Christmas items get thrown out by

on the town’s water treatment plant. More than 1,600 joints are scheduled to be wrapped by the time the project finishes in 2011. “Our sewer joint-sealing project at the bottom of the lake is a highly unique project,” said Town Manager Chris Braund. “We’re tracking the budget and we’ve spent 12 percent of the total budgeted amount and 12 percent of our two-year time frame. The team has only wrapped 45 joints out of an estimated 1,600. This is significantly less than we had hoped.”

Shelby is concerned about an adequate supply from the First Broad River; Forest City is worried about the flow of the Second Broad River. Both want to tap the larger Broad River. The Broad River was subsequently reclassified to Water Supply IV (WS IV) for use as a water supply for drinking, culinary or food processing purposes. Webb told the board it is important to “earmark our share” of the Broad River’s waters. But for now, as commissioner Moore said Monday, the board has to “look at the dollars” to see if the project is the best use of the town’s money. Contact Dale via e-mail at ldale@thedigitalcourier.com

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

But officials hope to see the project pick up speed. “They have a target now of wrapping 3.3 joints per day and if they can keep that it will put us back on track,” Braund said. “We’re going to follow it for one more month and then come back with a revised strategy. The wrapping so far has resulted in 200,000 gallons less per day in our sewer intake.” Contact Baughman via e-mail at sbaughman@thedigitalcourier.com.

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The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009 — 7

Inside Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 NBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15

Panthers’ Delhomme put on IR West Rowan’s Parks named Player of Year RALEIGH (AP) — K.P. Parks ran into the state record books on the way to becoming the top prep football player in North Carolina. The West Rowan running back was named The Associated Press player of the year for North Carolina in 2009 after guiding the Falcons to consecutive state championships while setting numerous rushing records. Parks earned 13 of 17 votes from sports writers across the state in results released Friday, easily outdistancing Matthews Butler quarterback Christian LeMay. Parks, a 5-foot-7 senior who is headed to Virginia, ran for a state-record 3,794 yards and 59 touchdowns this year. He set the state’s career rushing record with 10,895 yards and scored 158 touchdowns. He also set national records for career carries (1,370) and 100-yard rushing games (55), while his rushing yardage total ranked third all-time. Along the way, West Rowan won 30 straight games and a pair of state titles. “I always tell everybody it’s a team thing and I feel like it’s a program award,” Parks said. “It’s the defense getting the ball back and the receivers making a block downfield. I feel everybody was pushing for me and I wasn’t going to let my team down or my community down.” Parks capped his career by running for 155 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-21 win against Eastern Alamance in the Class 3-A championship game, capping a 16-0 season for West Rowan. He finished tied for second for the award last year, then returned to the AP All-State team for North Carolina for a second straight season earlier this week. Parks’ selection this season marked the 10th time in 16 years that the honor went to a running back.

Local Sports BASKETBALL Lady Hilltopper Classic 2 p.m. — Chase vs. Ashbrook 3:30 p.m. — Gaffney vs. Kings Mountain 5 p.m. — Hibriten vs. Shelby 6:30 p.m — Crest vs. R-S Central

been to the Pro Bowl four times and has established himself as one of the NFL’s top receivers. He’s also moody, has a fierce temper and his play is fueled on unmatched intensity. The Giants’ Steve Smith is more laid back, two inches taller and has yet to establish his namesake’s pro credentials. But a peek of the league’s statistics show it’s the younger Smith with better numbers this season. He’s tied for fourth in the league with 90 catches and his 1,090 yards receiving rank ninth. “He definitely stepped up when they needed a go-to receiver with the Plaxico situation,” Jarrett said, referring to

CHARLOTTE (AP) — The Carolina Panthers placed quarterback Jake Delhomme on injured reserve Thursday with a broken finger on his throwing hand, ending his worst season as a pro and raising questions about his future with the franchise. Delhomme said he broke the knuckle on his middle finger in a loss to the New York Jets on Nov. 29. He hasn’t played or practiced since. Matt Moore has started the last three games and threw for a career-high 299 yards and three touchdowns in last Sunday’s upset win over Minnesota. The Panthers (6-8) promoted quarterback Hunter Cantwell from the practice squad to take Delhomme’s roster spot. A.J. Feeley is No. 2 on the depth chart. “We thought he might be further along as far as his finger,” coach John Fox said. “We kind of looked at it this week as far as gripping the ball, throwing the ball and it wasn’t up to speed. We felt we needed to get another quarterback up. Hunter has been with us all year.” Despite committing six turnovers in Carolina’s ugly playoff loss to Arizona in January, the Panthers gave the 34-year-old Delhomme a lucrative contract extension in the offseason. While it’s a five-year deal, it’s structured to be a three-year contract worth more than $25 million, with nearly $13 million guaranteed. Delhomme then committed five more turnovers in a blowout loss to Philadelphia in the season opener, and had 18 interceptions and only eight touchdown passes in 11 games before the injury. Struggling with his accuracy, Delhomme completed only 55.5 percent of his passes. “The ’09 year, starting in January with the playoff game, for whatever reason it just hasn’t been good footballwise for me,” Delhomme said. “Certainly you want to finish, you want to get back out and play, but some things are just not meant to be.” While Delhomme is 58-40 as a starter with Carolina and led the Panthers to the Super Bowl after the 2003 season, his year

Please see Smiths, Page 9

Please see QB, Page 9

Associated Press

Carolina Panthers’ Steve Smith (89) runs past Minnesota Vikings’ Kevin Williams (93) after a catch in the second half of an NFL football game in Charlotte Sunday.

Two Smiths will face off CHARLOTTE (AP) — Dwayne Jarrett played with receiver Steve Smith in college at USC. He’s a teammate now in Carolina with receiver Steve Smith, too. They’re just different guys. “I call that Steve Smith ’Smitty,”’ Jarrett said pointing to his Panthers teammate’s locker. “And I call the other Steve Smith ’Scuba.’ That’s his name from SC, ’Scuba Steve.’ Or ’Eugene,’ his middle name. Put that out there.” While they have the same name, hail from California, weren’t drafted high and play the same position in the NFL, there are plenty of differences between the two as they prepare to face off on Sunday when the Panthers (6-8) visit the New York Giants (8-6). Carolina’s Smith is six years older, has

North Carolina coach Butch Davis talks with defensive tackle Marvin Austin prior to the start of the team’s practice Tuesday in Charlotte. UNC faces Pittsburgh today in the Meineke Bowl NCAA college football game.

On TV 7:30 a.m. (ESPN2) English Premier League Soccer Teams TBA. 1 p.m. (ESPN) College Football Little Caesars Pizza Bowl — Marshall vs. Ohio. From Detroit. 3:30 p.m. (WBTV) (WSPA) College Basketball West Virginia at Seton Hall. 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) College Football Meineke Car Care Bowl — North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh. From Charlotte. 7 p.m. (FSS) NHL Hockey Philadelphia Flyers at Carolina Hurricanes. From the RBC Center in Raleigh. 7:30 p.m. (TS) NHL Hockey Atlanta Thrashers at Tampa Bay Lightning. From the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. 8 p.m. (ESPN) College Football Emerald Bowl — Boston College vs. USC. From San Francisco. (WGN-A) NBA Basketball New Orleans Hornets at Chicago Bulls. From the United Center in Chicago.

Associated Press

Pitt, UNC will do battle today CHARLOTTE (AP) — Moments after finishing their last full college practice, Pittsburgh quarterback Bill Stull and defensive tackle Mick Williams emphasized the importance of their senior class’ legacy. Because of a blown 21-point lead and a botched extra point three weeks earlier, the 17th-ranked Panthers went from a seemingly certain Sugar Bowl berth into a much less prestigious trip here for the Meineke Bowl, where they’ll face North Carolina on Saturday in a virtual road game. It has all the traps that lead to a flat performance: a team that wants to

be elsewhere dealing with a hostile crowd. Stull and Williams vow that won’t happen. “We want to end this season with a win to possibly maybe finish in the Top 10, get this program back on the map, so to speak,” Stull said. Added Williams: “I want to leave my mark when I leave. I want for my younger teammates to build on this so next year they can make bigger strides. That’s why 10 wins is important to me.” Pitt, on a two-game losing streak, hasn’t won 10 games since 1981, when

Dan Marino was firing tight spirals and the Panthers were regular national championship contenders. And if Pitt (9-3) can overcome the disappointment of being so close to a BCS bowl, its matchup with the Tar Heels (8-4) could be one of the top mid-tier bowl games. Consider these subplots: n Pitt freshman running back Dion Lewis, the Big East’s offensive player of the year, facing the Tar Heels’ stout defense, which ranks sixth in the

Please see Bowl, Page 9

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009

Sports

Scoreboard Tuesday, Dec. 29 EagleBank Bowl at Washington Temple (9-3) vs. UCLA (6-6), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) Champs Sports Bowl at Orlando, Fla. Miami (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3), 8 p.m. (ESPN)

FOOTBALL National Football League

AMERICAN CONFERENCE East L T Pct PF 5 0 .643 365 7 0 .500 316 7 0 .500 282 9 0 .357 225 South W L T Pct PF x-Indianapolis 14 0 0 1.000 394 Jacksonville 7 7 0 .500 266 Tennessee 7 7 0 .500 320 Houston 7 7 0 .500 327 North W L T Pct PF Cincinnati 9 5 0 .643 288 Baltimore 8 6 0 .571 350 Pittsburgh 7 7 0 .500 315 Cleveland 3 11 0 .214 199 West W L T Pct PF x-San Diego 11 3 0 .786 389 Denver 8 6 0 .571 275 Oakland 5 9 0 .357 175 Kansas City 3 11 0 .214 240

W New England 9 Miami 7 N.Y. Jets 7 Buffalo 5

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF y-Philadelphia 10 4 0 .714 399 Dallas 9 5 0 .643 320 N.Y. Giants 8 6 0 .571 386 Washington 4 10 0 .286 246 South W L T Pct PF x-New Orleans 13 1 0 .929 483 Atlanta 7 7 0 .500 312 Carolina 6 8 0 .429 251 Tampa Bay 2 12 0 .143 214 North W L T Pct PF x-Minnesota 11 3 0 .786 396 Green Bay 9 5 0 .643 380 Chicago 5 9 0 .357 254 Detroit 2 12 0 .143 233 West W L T Pct PF x-Arizona 9 5 0 .643 337 San Francisco 6 8 0 .429 282 Seattle 5 9 0 .357 257 St. Louis 1 13 0 .071 159

PA 244 333 221 288 PA 248 322 347 286 PA 244 225 280 349 PA 283 250 335 383 PA 286 250 342 296 PA 298 312 289 363 PA 269 280 322 437 PA 282 269 325 377

x-clinched division y-clinched playoff spot

Wednesday, Dec. 30 Humanitarian Bowl at Boise, Idaho Bowling Green (7-5) vs. Idaho (7-5), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) Holiday Bowl at San Diego Nebraska (9-4) vs. Arizona (8-4), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Thursday, Dec. 31 Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas Stanford (8-4) vs. Oklahoma (7-5), Noon (CBS) Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth, Texas Air Force (7-5) vs. Houston (10-3), Noon (ESPN) Texas Bowl at Houston Missouri (8-4) vs. Navy (8-4), 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) Insight Bowl at Tempe, Ariz. Minnesota (6-6) vs. Iowa State (6-6), 6 p.m. (NFL) Chick-fil-A Bowl at Atlanta Virginia Tech (9-3) vs. Tennessee (7-5), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) Friday, Jan. 1 Outback Bowl at Tampa, Fla. Northwestern (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5), 11 a.m. (ESPN) Capital One Bowl at Orlando, Fla. Penn State (10-2) vs. LSU (9-3), 1 p.m. (ABC) Gator Bowl at Jacksonville, Fla. Florida State (6-6) vs. West Virginia (9-3), 1 p.m. (CBS) Rose Bowl at Pasadena, Calif. Ohio State (10-2) vs. Oregon (10-2), 5 p.m. (ABC) Sugar Bowl at New Orleans Florida (12-1) vs. Cincinnati (12-0), 8:30 p.m. (FOX) Saturday, Jan. 2 International Bowl at Toronto South Florida (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (7-5), Noon (ESPN2) Cotton Bowl at Dallas Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Mississippi (8-4), 2 p.m. (FOX) PapaJohns.com Bowl at Birmingham, Ala. Connecticut (7-5) vs. South Carolina (7-5), 2 p.m. (ESPN) Liberty Bowl at Memphis, Tenn. East Carolina (9-4) vs. Arkansas (7-5), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN) Alamo Bowl at San Antonio Michigan State (6-6) vs. Texas Tech (8-4), 9 p.m. (ESPN) Monday, Jan. 4 Fiesta Bowl at Glendale, Ariz. Boise State (13-0) vs. TCU (12-0), 8 p.m. (FOX)

Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Games San Diego at Tennessee, late Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Games Buffalo at Atlanta, 1 p.m. Houston at Miami, 1 p.m. Seattle at Green Bay, 1 p.m. Carolina at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 1 p.m. Oakland at Cleveland, 1 p.m. Kansas City at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Jacksonville at New England, 1 p.m. Detroit at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m. St. Louis at Arizona, 4:05 p.m. N.Y. Jets at Indianapolis, 4:15 p.m. Denver at Philadelphia, 4:15 p.m. Dallas at Washington, 8:20 p.m. Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Game Minnesota at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3 Chicago at Detroit, 1 p.m. Cincinnati at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m. Philadelphia at Dallas, 1 p.m. Pittsburgh at Miami, 1 p.m. New England at Houston, 1 p.m. Indianapolis at Buffalo, 1 p.m. San Francisco at St. Louis, 1 p.m. Atlanta at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. New Orleans at Carolina, 1 p.m. Jacksonville at Cleveland, 1 p.m. N.Y. Giants at Minnesota, 1 p.m. Tennessee at Seattle, 4:15 p.m. Washington at San Diego, 4:15 p.m. Kansas City at Denver, 4:15 p.m. Baltimore at Oakland, 4:15 p.m. Green Bay at Arizona, 4:15 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 5 Orange Bowl at Miami Iowa (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (11-2), 8 p.m. (FOX) Wednesday, Jan. 6 GMAC Bowl at Mobile, Ala. Central Michigan (11-2) vs. Troy (9-3), 7 p.m. (ESPN) Thursday, Jan. 7 BCS National Championship at Pasadena, Calif. Alabama (13-0) vs. Texas (13-0), 8 p.m. (ABC)

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association

Bowl Glance

Saturday, Dec. 19 New Mexico Bowl At Albuquerque Wyoming 35, Fresno State 28, 2OT St. Petersburg (Fla.) Bowl Rutgers 45, UCF 24

Sunday, Dec. 20 New Orleans Bowl Middle Tennessee 42, Southern Miss. 32

Tuesday, Dec. 22 Las Vegas Bowl BYU 44, Oregon State 20

Wednesday, Dec. 23 Poinsettia Bowl at San Diego Utah 37, California 27

Thursday, Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl at Honolulu SMU 45, Nevada 10

Saturday, Dec. 26 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl at Detroit Ohio (9-4) vs. Marshall (6-6), 1 p.m. (ESPN) Meineke Bowl At Charlotte North Carolina (8-4) vs. Pittsburgh (9-3), 4 p.m. (ESPN) Emerald Bowl at San Francisco Southern Cal (8-4) vs. Boston College (8-4), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Sunday, Dec. 27 Music City Bowl at Nashville Clemson (8-5) vs. Kentucky (7-5), 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Monday, Dec. 28 Independence Bowl at Shreveport, La. Texas A&M (6-6) vs. Georgia (7-5), 5 p.m. (ESPN)

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct Boston 23 5 .815 Toronto 14 17 .452 New York 11 18 .393 Philadelphia 7 21 .250 New Jersey 2 27 .069 Southeast Division W L Pct Orlando 22 8 .759 Atlanta 20 8 .714 Miami 15 12 .538 Charlotte 11 16 .407 Washington 10 17 .370 Central Division W L Pct Cleveland 23 8 .733 Milwaukee 12 15 .444 Detroit 11 18 .379 Chicago 10 17 .370 Indiana 9 18 .333 WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct Dallas 20 9 .690 Houston 17 12 .586 San Antonio 15 11 .577 New Orleans 13 14 .481 Memphis 13 15 .464 Northwest Division W L Pct Denver 20 9 .690 Portland 19 12 .613 Utah 16 13 .552 Oklahoma City 14 14 .500 Minnesota 6 24 .200 Pacific Division W L Pct L.A. Lakers 23 5 .852 Phoenix 18 11 .621 Sacramento 13 15 .464 L.A. Clippers 12 16 .429 Golden State 7 21 .250

GB â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Â 10Â 11 1/2 15 1/2 21Â GB â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Â 1 1/2 6 1/2 10Â 11Â GB â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Â 8 1/2 10 1/2 10 1/2 11 1/2 GB â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Â 3Â 3 1/2 6Â 6 1/2 GB â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Â 2Â 4Â 5 1/2 14 1/2 GB â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Â 6Â 10 1/2 11 1/2 16 1/2

Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Games Washington 105, Philadelphia 98 Charlotte 88, Detroit 76 Boston 103, Indiana 94 New York 88, Chicago 81 Atlanta 112, Minnesota 87 Memphis 121, Golden State 108 Houston 108, L.A. Clippers 99

Portland 85, Dallas 81 L.A. Lakers 111, Oklahoma City 108 Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Games Orlando 102, Houston 87 Toronto 94, Detroit 64 Miami 80, Utah 70 Minnesota 103, New Jersey 99 Washington 109, Milwaukee 97 New Orleans 108, Golden State 102 Portland 98, San Antonio 94 Denver 124, Atlanta 104 Oklahoma City 117, Phoenix 113 Cleveland 117, Sacramento 104, OT Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Games No games scheduled Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Games Miami 93, New York 87 Boston 86, Orlando 77 Cleveland 102, L.A. Lakers 87 L.A. Clippers at Phoenix, late Denver at Portland, late

HOCKEY National Hockey League EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts New Jersey 35 26 8 1 53 Pittsburgh 38 26 11 1 53 N.Y. Rangers 37 18 16 3 39 N.Y. Islanders 38 14 17 7 35 Philadelphia 36 16 18 2 34 Northeast Division GP W L OT Pts Buffalo 36 22 11 3 47 Boston 36 18 11 7 43 Ottawa 37 18 15 4 40 Montreal 39 18 18 3 39 Toronto 38 13 17 8 34 Southeast Division GP W L OT Pts Washington 37 23 8 6 52 Atlanta 36 18 14 4 40 Florida 39 16 16 7 39 Tampa Bay 37 13 15 9 35 Carolina 37 9 22 6 24

GF 106 124 103 93 100

GA 75 97 103 121 105

GF 96 96 102 102 107

GA 81 91 111 108 133

GF 135 119 112 93 90

GA 102 114 126 114 136

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF 36 24 9 3 51 108 37 22 12 3 47 107 37 18 14 5 41 98 36 17 14 5 39 93 38 14 17 7 35 106 Northwest Division GP W L OT Pts GF Colorado 39 21 12 6 48 115 Calgary 36 20 11 5 45 102 Vancouver 37 21 16 0 42 114 Minnesota 37 18 16 3 39 96 Edmonton 37 15 18 4 34 108 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF San Jose 37 22 8 7 51 122 Phoenix 38 23 13 2 48 100 Los Angeles 37 22 12 3 47 111 Dallas 37 16 10 11 43 110 Anaheim 37 15 15 7 37 103 Chicago Nashville Detroit St. Louis Columbus

GA 74 105 99 98 134 GA 114 89 94 104 123 GA 97 85 108 113 117

NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Games San Jose 3, Chicago 2 Anaheim 4, Colorado 2 Vancouver 4, Nashville 1 Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Games Pittsburgh 8, Ottawa 2 N.Y. Rangers 4, Florida 1 N.Y. Islanders 3, Toronto 1 Boston 6, Atlanta 4 Minnesota 3, Edmonton 1 Montreal 5, Carolina 1 Washington 5, Buffalo 2 Philadelphia 5, Tampa Bay 2 Chicago 3, Detroit 0 Dallas 3, Columbus 1 Phoenix 4, Anaheim 0 St. Louis 2, Calgary 1, SO Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Games No games scheduled Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Games No games scheduled

TRANSACTIONS BASEBALL American League LOS ANGELES ANGELSâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Agreed to terms with RHP Fernando Rodney on a two-year contract. FOOTBALL National Football League NFLâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Suspended Oakland FB Luke Lawton four games for violating the leagueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policy against performance enhancing substances. Fined Washington DT Albert Haynesworth $10,000 and New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs $7,500 for their part in an altercation a Dec. 21 game. Fined Minnesota DT Kevin Williams $5,000 for a tackle at the knees on Carolina QB Matt Moore during a Dec. 20 game. ARIZONA CARDINALSâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Signed G-OT Tom Pestock to the practice squad. CAROLINA PANTHERSâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Placed QB Jake Delhomme on injured reserve. Signed QB Hunter Cantwell from the practice squad. Signed RB Devin Moore to the practice squad. DETROIT LIONSâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Placed QB Matthew Stafford on injured reserve. INDIANAPOLIS COLTSâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Placed WR Anthony Gonzalez on injured reserve. NEW ORLEANS SAINTSâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Named John Carney kicking consultant. NEW YORK JETSâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Signed S Brannon Condren to the practice squad. HOCKEY National Hockey League CHICAGO BLACKHAWKSâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Reassigned LW Bryan Bickell to Rockford (AHL). PHOENIX COYOTESâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Reassigned F Kevin Porter to San Antonio (AHL).

Associated Press

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) dunks in front of New York Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari (8) in the fourth quarter of the Heatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 93-87 win over the Knicks in their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York Friday.

Cavs roll past Lakers, 102-87 LOS ANGELES (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; After the Cleveland Cavaliers made the defending NBA champions look ordinary, the Los Angeles Lakersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fans threw up their foam hands in frustration. Mo Williams scored 28 points, LeBron James added 26 and the Cavaliers beat Los Angeles 102-87 on Friday in a game that ended with angry Lakers fans throwing dozens of giveaway foam hands onto the court. Shaquille Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal had 11 points in his latest Los Angeles return with the Cavaliers, who dominated the Lakers with sharp shooting and physical defense, prompting several technical fouls and retaliation hits in a one-sided matchup of title contenders. The crowd lost its holiday spirit with 4:04 left when Lamar Odomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ejection and another technical on the Lakersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; infuriated bench prompted many fans to throw their pregame presents onto the court. After another foul with 3:45 left, several more foam hands were thrown along with a full water bottle. Kobe Bryant scored 35 points for the Lakers, 16-2 in their last 18 games.

Heat 93, Knicks 87 NEW YORK (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Dwyane Wade had 30 points and nine rebounds, and Miami spoiled New Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return to Christmas competition, snapping the Knicksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; three-game winning streak. Michael Beasley scored 13 of his 19 points after halftime for the Heat, who opened a comfortable lead by limiting New York to 31 points across the middle two quarters. Danilo Gallinari scored 26 points, and David Lee had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks, who had a six-game home winning streak snapped and lost for just the third time in 10 games overall. They were playing in their NBA-high 45th Christmas game, but first since beating Toronto in 2001.

Celtics 86, Magic 77

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Rajon Rondo had 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, and the Boston Celtics bullied the Orlando Magic with strong defense in an 86-77 victory Friday. er on them.â&#x20AC;? Ray Allen added 18 points and Tony Allen scored Robinson was a first-round 16 in place of the injured Paul Pierce for the pick of the Texans in 2004 and Celtics, who rolled to their 14th win in the last 15 has started each game this seagames. son. He lobbied to have his monThe only big blow for the Celtics came in the final ey given to a cause that serves minutes, when Kevin Garnett jumped to block a children after spending much of shot by Vince Carter, only to land awkwardly and his childhood in facilities such as go tumbling to the ground. He hobbled back to the the one that his money will help bench holding his back and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t return. fund. Carter finished with 27 points, and Rashard â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have that Lewis had 19 points for the Magic. Orlando had no father figure, maybe you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t answer to Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relentless pressure, which held have that big brother figure and Dwight Howard to five points and Orlando to a you come into these type of situ- season low in points. ations and you get to see grown Even with all that, the Magic had a chance. ups helping and giving to kids that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even theirs you just Lewisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the same want to help out a little bit,â&#x20AC;? he play Garnett went down â&#x20AC;&#x201D; cut Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lead to said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I definitely grew up in 78-75. Then Ray Allen connected with a jumper the same situation and I know and made a pair of free throws to seal the win, what it did for myself, so I can perhaps cementing the Celtics as the top contendonly imagine what these kids are ers to dethrone the defending Eastern Conference going through right now.â&#x20AC;? champions.

Shoe gaffe pays off for Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kids

HOUSTON (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Dunta Robinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shoe escapade has turned into a $25,000 boost for a facility that will serve underprivileged children. The Houston Texans cornerback was fined that amount for wearing shoes during the season opener that carried a message directed at general manager Rick Smith: It said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;pay me Rick.â&#x20AC;? Robinson was upset he and the Texans were unable to reach a long-term contract and skipped training camp before signing. After writing letters to Smith, owner Bob McNair and coach Gary Kubiak, Robinson was allowed to donate the fine this week toward the construction of a Houston Texans YMCA that will benefit kids in some of the

cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poorest neighborhoods. Before delivering the check, Robinson did arts and crafts with a group of children in a housing development in Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Third Ward, a neighborhood that will be served by the YMCA. Dozens of boys and girls from elementary and junior high school giggled and smiled as they decorated wooden Christmas ornaments with Robinson and his fiancee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great way to make a negative situation into a positive,â&#x20AC;? Robinson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have worked out any better than to come down here and give back to this community and see all these kids smile. These people work really hard to keep these kids on the right track so you just want to make it a little easi-

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The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 9

Sports Bowl Continued from Page 7

Associated Press

In this Oct. 18 file photo, New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith (12) catches a pass in front of New Orleans Saints cornerback Jabari Greer (32) in the second half of their NFL football game in New Orleans. Carolina Panthersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dwayne Jarrett has played with both Steve Smiths. He distinguishes between the two by calling the Panthers receiver â&#x20AC;&#x153;Smittyâ&#x20AC;? and the Giants wideout â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scuba.â&#x20AC;? Different in size, style, age and stature, the two Smiths are big talents as they prepare to face off Sunday.

nation overall and ninth against the run. n Pitt star receiver Jonathan Baldwin going one-on-one with North Carolina cornerback Kendric Burney, who has returned two of his five interceptions for touchdowns. n Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt facing old buddy Butch Davis. They worked together on Jimmy Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staffs at Oklahoma State, Miami and the Dallas Cowboys, winning a national championship and Super Bowl together along the way. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an awful lot of just great memories of our families together, trips that we took with the staff and all of the things that coaching staffs go through,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rare and unique, I guess, where someone that you spent that much time around and have so much respect for that you end up playing each other.â&#x20AC;? Davisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tar Heels didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t envision a second straight trip to Charlotte until an upset loss to North Carolina State in the regular-season finale saw them tumble in the Atlantic Coast Conferenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bowl pecking order. But knocking off Pitt would be a satisfying finish to his third season as he tries to make North Carolina a prominent program. The Tar Heels lost a thriller to West Virginia here last year when Hakeem Nicksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; behind-the-back catch wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough to overcome Pat Whiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s late touchdown drive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love it here in Charlotte. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a nice place and if I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to a BCS bowl game, I would love to

QB Continued from Page 7

Smiths Continued from Page 7

Plaxico Burressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; prison sentence. Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Steve Smith, slowed by poor quarterback play, has 60 catches for 922 yards. But heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming off his best game of the season, catching nine passes for 157 yards and a touchdown in the Panthersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 26-7 upset of Minnesota. So whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the better Steve Smith? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Actually my real name isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Steve Smith,â&#x20AC;? the Carolina receiver said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is the name I go by. That is the name that my dad has and people always called me that since I was a little boy. But my mom and my wife, all my family, call me by my birth name. That is really what I go by outside of football.â&#x20AC;? OK, so is Stevonne Smith or Steve Smith better? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re different receivers,â&#x20AC;? the Giantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Smith said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shorter and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done special teams and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast and quick. I think we can both stretch the field and I think his playmaking ability after the catch is something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trying to get better at.â&#x20AC;? The two Smiths could be â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and probably should be â&#x20AC;&#x201D; teammates in Carolina. Looking for a No. 2 receiver to replace Keyshawn Johnson before the 2007 season, the Panthers drafted Jarrett in the second round with the 45th pick. Jarrett had posted better numbers than his USC teammate, including a Pac-10 career record 41 touchdown catches. The Giants then took Smith with the 51st pick, and the their careers have gone in opposite directions. Jarrett has been a big disappointment. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yet to catch a touchdown

pass in the NFL and was inactive for last Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game. Meanwhile, his former USC teammate is on the verge of his first Pro Bowl selection after becoming the Giantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; top receiving option. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My personal opinion: he might be a Pro Bowler,â&#x20AC;? Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Smith said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a Pro Bowler, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing a great job. There is nothing that I can add to it or take away from it. There is nothing I can say to take away from it and it would be foolish, I think it would be disrespectful to try to take anything away from him. He has a Super Bowl ring, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.â&#x20AC;? But the Carolina Steve Smith proved heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still dangerous against the Vikings. He made an acrobatic 42-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to put the Panthers ahead to stay. He later had a 45-yard catch and run that set up the clinching TD. If Jake Delhomme hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t struggled so much earlier in the season, Smith would probably be in line for another Pro Bowl selection despite being drafted in the third round out of Utah in 2001 as a kick returner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big play guy whether heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s running reverses or catching the ball short and running or catching it deep,â&#x20AC;? Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always been that way and he deserves extra attention.â&#x20AC;? Added the Giantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Smith: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great player, really explosive. Big time playmaker for the NFL, one of the best receivers in the NFL in the past five years.â&#x20AC;? But after being the â&#x20AC;&#x153;other Steve Smithâ&#x20AC;? for his first two years in the NFL, the Giants receiver is making a case for equal billing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He came to us as any young guy who has to learn in terms of pro ball,â&#x20AC;? Coughlin said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gotten better each and every year.â&#x20AC;?

of bad play has led to calls for a new QB. If the salary cap remains in effect next season, the Panthers may have no choice but to bring him back because of his contract. But if negotiations stall on a new collective bargaining agreement and there is no cap, the Panthers could more easily jettison Delhomme. Fox didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t clear up the issue Thursday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be a lot of talk, there usually is,â&#x20AC;? Fox said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But with us, all of our focus is on the New York Giants. After that week, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll finish up with the New Orleans Saints. And we evaluate everything after that. That would be true of our whole football team.â&#x20AC;? Delhomme acknowledged the Panthers havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t told him if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll bring him back. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a lot a time before they have to worry about making decisions and things of that nature,â&#x20AC;? Delhomme said. Receiver Steve Smith, Delhommeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top receiver, sidestepped questions about the quarterbackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future on Thursday.

come back here,â&#x20AC;? said safety Deunta Williams, who has six interceptions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s working out for me and my family gets to come.â&#x20AC;? North Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defense will be tested by Lewis, the small, softspoken tailback who has rushed for 1,640 yards and 16 touchdowns and is only 46 yards shy of Tony Dorsettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s freshman season total. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re strong, physical and aggressive and pretty fast on defense,â&#x20AC;? Lewis said. It helps that teams have to keep an eye on Baldwin, who has 1,080 yards receiving, helping Pitt average better than 33 points a game. Despite averaging a nation-best 3.67 sacks a game, it was Pittâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defense that disappointed in the 45-44 loss to Cincinnati. Now Pitt goes against quarterback T.J. Yates and bruising 245-pound tailback Ryan Houston, who took over when Shaun Draughn was lost for the season. There will be few secrets with the coaches knowing so much about each other and their styles. Wannstedt and his wife are godparents of Davisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; son, and Davis and his family attended the wedding of Wannstedtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost uncanny to think about that it was 1979 that I was fortunate enough to join Jimmyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff and Dave was there,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sound like a long time ago until you do the math and you figure out that it was 30 years ago.â&#x20AC;? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect them to take it easy on each other, though. Davis has a program to build, and Wannstedt has plans of making his alma mater a premier program again.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m nobody to answer a question like that,â&#x20AC;? Smith said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playing somebody that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not.â&#x20AC;? Moore was limited in practice on Thursday with a sore shoulder but is expected to start Sunday against the Giants. Cantwell went undrafted out of Louisville and has spent the season on the practice squad after being cut before the start of the regular season. The Panthers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold a firstround pick next year, which could also factor in on whether Delhomme is Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quarterback in 2010. But Delhomme made it clear he wants to be back. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A hundred percent, yes,â&#x20AC;? Delhomme said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is nothing inside of me that says letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s try to start over someplace. Absolutely not. Not even remotely close.â&#x20AC;? Notes: The Panthers were again without running backs DeAngelo Williams (ankle) and Tyrell Sutton (calf) in practice Thursday. Running back Jonathan Stewart (Achillesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tendon) practiced after sitting out Wednesday. ... Cornerback Richard Marshall (ankle) was limited. ... The Panthers added running back Devin Moore to take Cantwellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spot on the practice squad.

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Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009

Weather/Nation Weather The Daily Courier Weather Today

Tonight

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Mostly Sunny

Clear

Mostly Sunny

Sunny

Partly Cloudy

Precip Chance: 5%

Precip Chance: 0%

Precip Chance: 5%

Precip Chance: 0%

Precip Chance: 10%

53Âş

28Âş

46Âş 25Âş

44Âş 27Âş

49Âş 27Âş

46Âş 28Âş

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

High . . . . . . Low . . . . . . . Normal High Normal Low .

. . . .

.51 .24 .51 .27

Precipitation 24 hrs through 7 a.m. yest. .1.29" Month to date . . . . . . . . .8.23" Year to date . . . . . . . . .58.81"

Barometric Pressure

Sun and Moon Sunrise today . Sunset tonight . Moonrise today Moonset today .

. . . .7:34 . . . .5:22 . . .12:59 . . . .2:03

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

Moon Phases

High yesterday . . . . . . .30.30"

Relative Humidity High yesterday . . . . . . . . .93%

Full 12/31

Sunday

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx

Asheville . . . . . . .48/25 Cape Hatteras . . .61/43 Charlotte . . . . . . .55/29 Fayetteville . . . . .61/33 Greensboro . . . . .53/29 Greenville . . . . . .63/35 Hickory . . . . . . . . . .51/28 Jacksonville . . . .62/36 Kitty Hawk . . . . . .61/39 New Bern . . . . . .64/35 Raleigh . . . . . . . .58/31 Southern Pines . .58/32 Wilmington . . . . .63/33 Winston-Salem . .52/28

s mc s s s pc s pc mc pc s s mc s

41/24 55/40 49/26 53/28 47/24 56/32 45/25 57/32 54/39 55/33 50/25 50/26 58/31 46/24

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

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

First 1/23

New 1/15

Last 1/7

City

North Carolina Forecast

Greensboro 53/29

Asheville 48/25

Forest City 53/28 Charlotte 55/29

Today

Raleigh 58/31

Kinston 62/33 Wilmington 63/33

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

.52/32 .47/32 .26/19 .29/24 .29/21 .61/48 .77/62 .48/37 .51/34 .50/44 .56/47 .46/31 .65/50 .48/31

s ra sn mc sn s t t t mc mc pc mc ra

Greenville 63/35

Fayetteville 61/33

Shown is todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weather. Temperatures are todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highs and tonightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lows.

Across Our Nation

Elizabeth City 63/34

Durham 57/30

Winston-Salem 52/28

47/28 38/26 24/15 30/23 27/18 61/49 74/58 47/32 42/30 48/43 54/47 45/33 66/50 38/25

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

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Nation Today Girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body found

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The body of a Maryland girl who authorities say was abducted by a registered sex offender was found Friday in a wooded area near the Delaware state line after thousands of volunteers spent Christmas searching for her. Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said the body of 11-year-old Sarah H. Foxwell was discovered about 4 p.m. near the Delaware state line. He offered few other details. Thomas J. Leggs Jr., 30, was arrested Wednesday and charged in her kidnapping. Wicomico County Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Attorney Davis R. Ruark said authorities remain focused on Leggs as they investigate the killing.

Guard suspends search

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for two Virginia crewmen missing after their fishing boat was hit by a big wave and sank off southern New Jersey. Coast Guard aircraft and rescue boats searched for about 24 hours before suspending operations Thursday night.

Gift-wrapped pot seized

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Some people wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be getting the Christmas presents they were expecting.

Missouri troopers seized about 20 pounds of marijuana from a car this week â&#x20AC;&#x201D; some of it in luggage, and some in boxes wrapped as Christmas gifts. The Highway Patrol says troopers found the marijuana in the car they stopped for speeding.

Children killed fire LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Fire officials say two children have died in a Christmas morning fire that destroyed a house in Kentucky. Maj. Henry Ott of the Louisville Metro Arson Squad says the children were ages 10 and 12. Their grandparents were injured too. Chief Chris Aponte of the Harrods Creek Fire Department says three firefighters were also hurt.

Man shot in front of kids LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Arkansas police are looking for two men who shot and killed a Salvation Army major in front of his three young children on Christmas Eve outside the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community center in North Little Rock. Pulaski County Coroner Garland Camper says two men accosted Philip Wise and his children â&#x20AC;&#x201D; ages, 4, 6 and 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; about 4 p.m. Thursday. He says one man pulled a gun, demanded money and then shot Wise. Wiseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife, Cindy, also a major in the Salvation Army, was inside the

Associated Press

A resident digs out from a holiday snow storm Friday in Lawrence, Kan.

Winter storm bashes large section of nation OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A fierce Christmas storm dumped more snow and ice across the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s midsection Friday after stranding travelers as highways and airports closed and leaving many to celebrate the holiday just where they were. Meteorologists predicted the slowmoving storm would glaze highways in the East with ice through Christmas night and that gusty thunderstorms would hamper the South. An ice storm warning was issued for parts of West Virginia and the Blue Ridge mountains in North Carolina and Virginia, while a wind chill advisory cautioned of temperatures as low as 30 below zero in Montana. The National Weather Service warned that blizzards would hit parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin on Christmas Day and into the evening. A sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deputy in central Iowaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guthrie County, where 6 inches of snow fell since Thursday night, said he saw only snowplows on his way to work Friday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be one of them days,â&#x20AC;? Deputy Jesse Swenson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody wanted a white Christmas â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and they got it.â&#x20AC;? In Minnesota, Mike Ruhland, who was shoveling his driveway in Minneapolis on Friday morning, said he hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t made much progress after two hours. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I waited too long to start shoveling. For two days, it was the white powdery snow, and now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the heavy,

Airplane bombing bid called terrorist attack WASHINGTON (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A Northwest Airlines passenger from Nigeria, who said he was acting on al-Qaidaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instructions, tried to blow up the plane Friday as it was landing in Detroit, law enforcement and national security officials said. Passengers subdued the man and may have prevented him from detonating the explosives, the officials said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe this was an attempted act of terrorism,â&#x20AC;? a White House official said. Federal officials imposed stricter screening measures after the incident. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., ranking GOP member of the House Homeland Security Committee, identified the suspect as Abdul Mudallad, a Nigerian. King said the flight began in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit. There were 278 passengers aboard the Airbus 330.

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thick stuff,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pain in the butt, but at least Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m getting my exercise for the month.â&#x20AC;? Crews were working to restore power to thousands of customers in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa. Several small towns in western Iowa, including Deloit, Manilla and Vail, were in the dark, said Greg Miller, Crawford Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergency management director. The National Weather Service said the storm posed a threat to life and property. Officials warned travelers to stay home and pack emergency kits if they had to set out. Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency. Slippery roads have been blamed for at least 19 deaths this week as the storm moved east across the country from the Southwest. Driving became so treacherous that authorities closed interstates in Texas, Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota to prevent further collisions. Jonathan Cannon was spending Thursday night at a Baptist church in Goldsby, Okla., after being stuck for several hours on Interstate 35. He had left Sherman, Texas, a little after noon hoping to join his wife in Edmond, Okla. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a trip that usually takes about three hours. Cannon said about 200 people â&#x20AC;&#x201D; plus the dogs many travelers had with them in their cars â&#x20AC;&#x201D; were in the church Thursday night, with more possibly on the way. He wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure if he would be able to finish his journey on Friday.

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There was nothing out of the ordinary until the flight was on final approach to Detroit, said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory. That is when the pilot declared an emergency and landed without incident shortly thereafter, Cory said in an e-mail message. The plane landed at 11:51 a.m. EST. One of the U.S. intelligence officials said the explosive device was a mix of powder and liquid. It failed when the passenger tried to detonate it. The passenger was being questioned Friday evening. An intelligence source said the Nigerian passenger was being held and treated in an Ann Arbor, Mich., hospital. All the sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing. One law enforcement source said the man claimed to have been instructed by al-Qaida to detonate the plane over U.S. soil. CALL FOR INFO ON THESE TOPICS & MORE! â&#x20AC;˘ FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE â&#x20AC;˘ COUNSELING â&#x20AC;˘ CHILD OR SPOUSE ABUSE â&#x20AC;˘ HEALTH CARE â&#x20AC;˘ TRANSPORTATION â&#x20AC;˘ FOOD OR CLOTHING

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The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009 — 11

Business/finance

Business Notes

The Bottom Line

NY firm to create 1,000 NC jobs CHARLOTTE (AP) — A mortgage servicing company says it will expand its North Carolina operation by adding about 1,000 call center and loan servicing jobs. The company and Gov. Beverly Perdue announced Tuesday that Zenta Mortgage Services will expand its Charlotte operation over the next five years. In return, the company could collect up to $8.6 million in taxpayer incentives if it meets the job-creation targets and keeps them for nine years. The financial services outsourcing company plans to begin hiring next month for jobs paying nearly $48,000 a year. Zenta now employs about 260 workers in Charlotte. The New York City-based company operates call centers and other service centers in Philadelphia, Dallas, Los Angeles, London, and in Mumbai and Chennai, India.

New rules to give credit clarity

Associated Press

This Dec. 11 photo shows Jack Dent in East Bend, N.C., with an electric guitar that he built for British rock guitarist Steve Rothery. The Winston-Salem Journal reports that Dent, 53, is a former machinist and potter who has turned his love of woodworking, music and engineering into a guitar-making venture that is beginning to gain attention in a competitive industry. With his guitars now in Rothery’s hands, Dent’s profile is sure to grow, if not in the United States then certainly in Marillion hotspots such as England and The Netherlands.

N.C. man’s guitars are getting noticed by European artists An AP Member Exchange By LISA O’DONNELL Winston-Salem Journal

EAST BEND — Steve Rothery may not be a household name in America, but in Europe millions of music fans know him for his smooth, atmospheric guitar playing with the band Marillion. In the past few months, Rothery has been playing those tasteful licks on a guitar made by Jack Dent of East Bend. The Winston-Salem Journal reports that Dent, 53, is a former machinist and potter who has turned his love of woodworking, music and engineering into a guitar-making venture that is beginning to gain attention in a competitive industry. With his guitars now in Rothery’s hands, Dent’s profile is sure to grow, if not in the United States then certainly in Marillion hotspots such as England and The Netherlands. In an e-mail from England, Rothery wrote that what won him over was more than Dent’s craftsmanship. “His guitars have a clarity, tone and natural sustain that is quite exceptional as well as being works of art,” Rothery wrote. A few of Dent’s guitars, including his signature “Sludge Rooster” design, have been on display at the 5ive and 40rty art gallery on Trade Street. Mike Terry, Dent’s longtime friend and owner of The “B” String, is the only official dealer for the guitars. “Jack’s a master craftsman, but there’s a part of him that is a mad scientist,” Terry said. And he’s a purist, too. Most guitars today, Dent said, are glued-together pieces of wood that are assembled overseas. In some cases, a guitar may be started in one country and finished in another. “Along the way, things got cheapened,” he said. Dent, his son Aaron Robbins and others in his shop may spend 200 hours on each guitar. “When Aaron and I started designing our first guitar, we wanted to keep things pure and get back to a solid, handmade instrument,” he said.

A Winston-Salem native, Dent bought his first guitar when he was 13 after hearing Led Zeppelin for the first time. “That was the deal breaker,” Dent said. He piddled around with guitars for a few years, then put them away to ride motorcycles. “Different noise,” Dent said. “Same mentality.” He rediscovered his love of guitars when Aaron bought his first one. Dent bought one, too, and started studying its design. “The builder in me said, ’I can build a better guitar than this.’ It wasn’t arrogance but curiosity,” Dent said. He studied books on guitar design, engineering, electronics and what types of woods produce the best tone. Then, he built a guitar. About nine years ago, he signed up to take lessons with Terry, who was then teaching at a music store in King. Terry admired the guitar’s sparkling finish and clear tone. At first, he thought that Dent had probably cut out the body, bolted on a prebuilt neck and hired someone to lay the frets. He said he was stunned when Dent told him that he had done all the work himself. “But it’s one-tenth of an inch too thick,” Dent told Terry. Terry laughed as he recalled the story. “He’s a perfectionist,” he said of Dent. “It has to be right.” Unlike many guitar makers, Dent’s guitar bodies and necks are carved from a single piece of wood. One of the unique features of his guitars is the necks, which extend further into the body than most guitars. That longer neck, Dent said, adds resonance. “Just playing it acoustically, it has a lot of ring,” Terry said. The cheapest of his guitars sell for about $1,800. A Sludge Rooster, depending on how it is equipped, sells for as much as $4,500. Terry was so impressed with Dent’s guitars that he began stocking them when he opened his shop on Trade Street about two years ago. Over the summer, Jon Epstein, a guitar player

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and music publicist, walked into Terry’s shop and played one of the guitars. “I started messing around with it and it was just extraordinary, the best guitar I had ever played,” Epstein said. The tone and natural sustain in the guitars reminded him of the type of music that Rothery played with Marillion, a band that his company promotes. Epstein visited Dent in East Bend and arranged to take a few guitars of different design with him to a meeting with Rothery in Montreal. Rothery, who has played mostly Stratocaster-type guitars over the course of his 30-year career with Marillion, loved the guitar, particularly the asymmetrically shaped Sludge Rooster. “It looked more like a metal guitar and it was the last one he picked up,” Epstein said. “His comment when he played it was, ’Man, this is just ridiculous.’ I thought that was funny because that was the adjective I used.” Not long after, Rothery flew to North Carolina and met with Dent. Dent laid out several of his guitars, including a Stratocaster copy, then left the room so that Rothery could play them. But Dent stayed close by. “When he came to the Sludge Rooster, we noticed his playing was a little more vibrant and he played longer,” Dent said. Dent said he was thrilled that Rothery gravitated to a guitar of his design. “It felt like such an inspiring instrument that I really wanted a guitar of that design,” Rothery wrote. They arranged for Dent to build Rothery two guitars — a Stratocaster copy and a Sludge Rooster, which will be renamed the SR model. Rothery plans to use the guitars for the new Marillion album next year, and he is currently playing the Sludge Rooster prototype on the band’s European tour.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers taking out credit cards, home mortgages, auto and other types of loans will be notified when they are offered higher interest rates because of their poor credit histories, under new rules issued Tuesday. Many lenders offer borrowers rates and terms based on their credit reports, which reflect the borrowers’ ability to repay the loans. It’s called “risk-based pricing.” Under the rules set by the Federal Reserve and the Federal Trade Commission, borrowers who receive the pricing notifications also will be entitled to a free credit report to check on the accuracy of their credit record. The rules take effect Jan. 1, 2011. Consumers will be notified about the higher interest rates “after the terms of credit have been set, but before the consumer becomes contractually obligated on the credit transaction,” according to the rules. The notification kicks in when a lender — based on the borrowers’ credit report — offers or provides credit on terms “that are materially less favorable” than the terms offered or provided to other consumers, the regulators said. Lenders don’t have to provide the notification if they offer borrowers a free credit score, Federal Reserve attorneys explained. Most consumers must pay a fee — roughly between $8 and $11 — to obtain their credit scores, the attorney said. Credit reports don’t contain credit scores, they said.

NC foreclosure program helping RALEIGH (AP) — Officials say a state program has helped more than 2,500 North Carolinians avoid home foreclosure through counseling. The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Tuesday that an additional 5,000 homeowners have contacted the State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project for help in avoiding foreclosure. The North Carolina Office of the Commissioner of Banks says while counseling can’t help everyone, two out of three homeowners can avoid foreclosure by seeking advice. The legislature created the program which began late last year. It provides resources and free legal advice to those facing foreclosure. North Carolina homeowners in danger of foreclosure can call 1-866-234-4857.

Perdue: NC well-positioned RALEIGH (AP) — Gov. Beverly Perdue says North Carolina is well-positioned for the nation’s economic recovery. Perdue said Tuesday the state is facing another budget shortfall of $400 million because of weak tax collections. She says that can be handled without much effort because she already ordered state agencies to hold back five percent of what the budget authorized them to spend. The governor has concerns about the longterm economic future, questioning whether the state will get a cut of the growing online retail market. She also questioned whether the federal government would leave states with unfunded mandates. Perdue says she thinks the nation is on its way out of the recession but faces a slow recovery.

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Dent is working on Rothery’s new guitars while finishing up some custom orders and building cabinets and furniture in his shop. “I hope it becomes all guitars,” he said.

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— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009

Nation

Senate passes milestone with health care passage

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama’s legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country’s history. “We are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance reform that will bring additional security and stability to the American people,” Obama said shortly after the Senate acted. “This will be the most important piece of social leg-

islation since Social Security passed in the 1930s,” said Obama, standing with Vice President Joe Biden in the State Room of the White House. The 60-39 vote on a cold winter morning capped months of arduous negotiations and 24 days of floor debate. It also followed a succession of failures by past congresses to get to this point. Biden presided as 58 Democrats and two independents voted “yes.” Republicans unanimously voted “no.” An exhausted Senate

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., initially cast a “no” vote by mistake, then quickly corrected himself as fellow senators burst out laughing. The tally far exceeded the simple majority required for passage. The Senate’s bill must still be merged with legislation passed by the House before Obama could sign a final bill in the new year. There are significant differences between the two measures but Democrats say they’ve come too far now to fail. Both bills would extend health insurance to more

than 30 million more Americans. Obama said the legislation “includes the toughest measures ever taken to hold the insurance industry accountable.” Deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as Obama flew to Hawaii, said the House and Senate versions were “95 percent similar.” “We’re going to be actively working to iron out the rest of the differences and get a bill passed and signed,” Burton said. Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy,

D-Mass., who made health care reform his life’s work, watched the vote from the gallery. So did Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the longest-serving House member and a champion of universal health care his entire career. “This morning isn’t the end of the process, it’s merely the beginning. We’ll continue to build on this success to improve our health system even more,” Reid said before the vote. “But that process cannot begin unless we start today ... there may not be a next time.”

OFFICIAL BALLOT FOR THE 2009 “BEST OF RUTHERFORD COUNTY”

THE

BEST

People

1. Best Contractor Name 2. Best Electrician Name

4. Best Doctor Name Location

6. Best Dentist Name 7. Best Optometrist Name

Rutherford County 2009

8. Best Insurance Agent Name Business 9. Best Waiter/Waitress Name Restaurant 10. Best Car Salesperson Name 11. Best Hair Stylist Name Salon 12. Best Sales Team Business 13. Best Auto Mechanic Name Business 14. Best Attorney Name 15. Best Service Team Business 16. Best Real Estate Team Business 17. Best Real Estate Agent Name 18. Best Dental Hygienist Name Office 19. Best CPA Name

Dining

3. Best Pharmacist Name

5. Best Nurse Name

Your ballot automatically enters you in the 2009 “BEST OF RUTHERFORD COUNTY” SWEEPSTAKES!

Firm

20. Best Chiropractor Name 21. Best Physical Therapist Name

Goods & Services 22. Best Bank Bank 23. Best Tires Business 24. Best Department Store Business 25. Best Funeral Home Business 26. Best Jewelry Store Business 27. Best Used Cars Business

28. Best Assited Care/Nursing Facility Business

47. Best Nail Salon Business

29. Best Fitness Center Business

48. Best Barber Shop Business

30. Best Computer Sales/Service Business

49. Best Carpet Dealer Business

31. Best Car Rental Business

50. Best Drug Store Business

32. Best Dry Cleaner Business 33. Best Hair Salon Business 34. Best Furniture Store Business 35. Best Video Rental Store Business 36. Best Gas/Service Station Business 37. Best New Cars Business 38. Best Dance Studio Business 39. Best Garage (Automotive) Business 40. Best Florist Business 41. Best Home Improvement Company Business 42. Best Nursery/Garden Center Business 43. Best Kennel Boarding Business 44. Best Tattoo Parlor Business 45. Best Gift Shop Business

1. At least 50% of the questions must be answered on your ballot. 2. When voting on names, please put the first and last names and put “Jr.”, “III”, etc. when applicable. 3. When voting the name of a chain (for example: Hardee’s, Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonalds, etc.) be sure to specify which location.

Name (Please Print) Phone (Home)

70. Best Quick Food Restaurant

74. Best Coffee Shop Restaurant or Store 75. Best Pancake and Waffles Restaurant 76. Best Deli Subs Restaurant or Deli 77. Best Hot Dogs Restaurant or Grill 78. Best Hamburgers Restaurant or Grill

53. Best Appliance Store Business

79. Best Barbeque Restaurant

54. Best Pawn Shop Business

80. Best Fried Chicken Restaurant

55. Best Mattress Dealer Business 56. Best Heating & Cooling CO. Business 57. Best Preschool or Day Care Center 58. Best Book Store 59. Best Hotel/Bed & Breakfast Business 60. Best Photography Business

81. Best Hushpuppies Restaurant 82. Best Soups Restaurant or Grill 83. Best Salad Bar Restaurant or Grill 84. Best Mexican Restaurant Restaurant or Deli 85. Best Pizza Restaurant or Delivery Service 86. Best Steaks Restaurant

61. Best Golf Course Business

87. Best Seafood Restaurant

62. Best Veterinarian Business

88. Best Iced Tea Restaurant or Grill

63. Best Massage Therapist Name

89. Best Ice Cream/Milkshakes Location

65. Best Interior Designer/Decorator Name

(Day)

69. Best “Southern Style” Meal Restaurant

73. Best Chinese Food Restaurant

52. Best Plumbing Company Business

RULES FOR ENTRY

68. Best Value Meal Restaurant

72. Best Italian Food Restaurant

51. Best Manufactured Homes Business

4. No mechanical reproductions (copies) of “answered ballots” will be accepted. 5. All answers must be applicable to Rutherford County for eligibility.

67. Best Home-Cooked Breakfast Business

71. Best French Fries Restaurant

64. Best Insurance Company Name

46. Best Groomer Business

66. Best Restaurant Restaurant

90. Best Desserts Restaurant, Deli or Bakery

6. Send your completed entries to “The Best of Rutherford County” 601 Oak Street, Forest City, NC 28043 7. Ballots must be received by December 29, 2009 8. One entry per person. 9. Must be 18 years or older to participate.

Address Signature

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 13

Nation COMPARING SENATE, HOUSE HEALTH PLANS

The Senate Democratic bill (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act): Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s covered: About 94 percent of legal residents under age 65 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; compared with 83 percent now. Government subsidies to help buy coverage start in 2014. Of the remaining 24 million people under age 65 left uninsured, about onethird would be illegal immigrants. Cost: Coverage provisions cost $871 billion over 10 years. How itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paid for: Fees on insurance companies, drugmakers, medical device manufacturers. Medicare payroll tax increased to 2.35 percent on income over $200,000 a year for individuals, $250,000 for couples. A 10 percent sales tax on tanning salons, to be paid by the person soaking up the rays. Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. Forty percent excise tax on insurance companies, keyed to premiums paid on health care plans costing more than $8,500 annually for individuals and $23,000 for families. Fees for employers whose workers receive government subsidies to help them pay premiums. Fines on people who fail to purchase coverage. Requirements for individuals: Almost everyone must get coverage through an employer, on their own or through a government plan. Exemptions for economic hardship. Those who are obligated to buy coverage and refuse to do so would pay a fine starting at $95 in 2014 and rising to $750. Requirements for employers: Not required to offer coverage, but companies with more than 50 employees would pay a fee of $750 per employee if the government ends up subsidizing employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; coverage. Subsidies: Tax credits for individuals and families like-

ly making up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, which computes to $88,200 for a family of four. Tax credits for small employers. Benefits package: All plans sold to individuals and small businesses would have to cover basic benefits. The government would set four levels of coverage. The least generous would pay an estimated 60 percent of health care costs per year; the most generous would cover an estimated 90 percent. Insurance industry restrictions: Starting in 2014: no denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions. No higher premiums allowed for pre-existing conditions or gender. Limits on higher premiums based on age and family size. Starting upon enactment of legislation: children up to age 26 can stay on parents insurance; no lifetime limits on coverage. Government-run plan: In place of a government-run insurance option, the estimated 26 million Americans purchasing coverage through new insurance exchanges would have the option of signing up for national plans overseen by the same office that manages health coverage for federal employees and members of Congress. Those plans would be privately owned, but one of them would have to be operated on a nonprofit basis, as many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans are now. How you choose your health insurance: Selfemployed people, uninsured individuals and small businesses could pick a plan offered through new statebased purchasing pools. Would generally encourage employees to keep work-provided coverage. Drugs: Grants 12 years of market protection to hightech drugs used to combat cancer, Parkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and other

deadly diseases. Drug companies contribute $80 billion over 10 years with the majority of the money used to limit the prescription coverage gap in Medicare. Changes to medicaid: Income eligibility levels likely to be standardized to 133 percent of poverty â&#x20AC;&#x201D; $29,327 a year for a family of four â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for parents, children and pregnant women. Federal government would pick up the full cost of the expansion during the first three years. States could negotiate with insurers to arrange coverage for people with incomes slightly higher than the cutoff for Medicaid. Long-term care: New voluntary long-term care insurance program would provide a basic benefit designed to help seniors and disabled people avoid going into nursing homes. Antitrust: Maintains the health insurance industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decades-old antitrust exemption. Illegal immigrants: Would be barred from receiving government subsidies or using their own money to buy coverage offered by private companies in the exchanges. Abortion: The bill tries to maintain a strict separation between taxpayer funds and private premiums that would pay for abortion coverage. No health plan would be required to offer coverage for the procedure. In plans that do cover abortion, beneficiaries would have to pay for it separately, and those funds would have to be kept in a separate account from taxpayer money. Moreover, individual states would be able to prohibit abortion coverage in plans offered through the exchange, after passing specific legislation to that effect. Exceptions would be made for cases of rape, incest and danger to the life of the mother.

The House bill (Affordable Health Care for America Act): Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s covered: About 96 percent of legal residents under age 65 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; compared with 83 percent now. Government subsidies to help buy coverage start in 2013. About one-third of the remaining 18 million people under age 65 left uninsured would be illegal immigrants. COST: The Congressional Budget Office says the billâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cost of expanding insurance coverage over 10 years is $1.055 trillion. The net cost is $894 billion, factoring in penalties on individuals and employers who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t comply with new requirements. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s under President Barack Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $900 billion goal. However, those figures leave out a variety of new costs in the bill, including increased prescription drug coverage for seniors under Medicare, so the measure may be around $1.2 trillion. How itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paid for: $460 billion over the next decade from new income taxes on single people making more than $500,000 a year and couples making more than $1 million. The original House bill taxed individuals making $280,000 a year and couples making more than $350,000, but the threshold was increased in response to lawmakersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; concerns that the taxes would hit too many people and small businesses. There are also more than $400 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid; a new $20 billion fee on medical device makers; $13 billion from limiting contributions to flexible spending accounts; sizable penalties paid by individuals and employers who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t obtain coverage; and a mix of other corporate taxes and fees. Requirements for individuals: Individuals must have insurance, enforced through

a tax penalty of 2.5 percent of income. People can apply for hardship waivers if coverage is unaffordable. Requirements for employers: Employers must provide insurance to their employees or pay a penalty of 8 percent of payroll. Companies with payrolls under $500,000 annually are exempt â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a change from the original $250,000 level to accommodate concerns of moderate Democrats â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and the penalty is phased in for companies with payrolls between $500,000 and $750,000. Small businesses â&#x20AC;&#x201D; those with 10 or fewer workers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; get tax credits to help them provide coverage. Subsidies: Individuals and families with annual income up to 400 percent of poverty level, or $88,000 for a family of four, would get slidingscale subsidies to help them buy coverage. The subsidies would begin in 2013. How you choose your health insurance: Beginning in 2013, through a new Health Insurance Exchange open to individuals and, initially, small employers. It could be expanded to large employers over time. States could opt to operate their own exchanges in place of the national exchange if they follow federal rules. Benefits package: A committee would recommend a so-called essential benefits package including preventive services. Out-of-pocket costs would be capped. The new benefit package would be the basic benefit package offered in the exchange. Insurance industry restrictions: Starting in 2013, no denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions. No higher premiums allowed for pre-existing conditions or gender. Limits on higher premiums based on age.

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— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009

Nation

Abortion could derail health reform

Comparing Continued from Page 13

GOVERNMENT-RUN PLAN: A new public plan available through the insurance exchanges would be set up and run by the health and human services secretary. Democrats originally designed the plan to pay Medicare rates plus 5 percent to doctors. But the final version — preferred by moderate lawmakers — would let the HHS secretary negotiate rates with providers. CHANGES TO MEDICAID: The federal-state insurance program for the poor would be expanded to cover all individuals under age 65 with incomes up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $33,075 per year for a family of four. The federal government would pick up the full cost of the expansion in 2013 and 2014; thereafter the federal government would pay 91 percent and states would pay 9 percent. DRUGS: Grants 12 years of market protection to high-tech drugs used to combat cancer, Parkinson’s and other deadly diseases. Phases out the gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage by 2019. Requires the HHS secretary to negotiate drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries. LONG-TERM CARE: New voluntary long-term care insurance program would provide a basic benefit designed to help seniors and disabled people avoid going into nursing homes. ANTITRUST: Would strip the health insurance industry of a long-standing exemption from antitrust laws covering market allocation, price-fixing and bid rigging. The bill also would give the Federal Trade Commission authority to look into the health insurance industry at its own initiative. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: Would be barred from receiving government subsidies but permitted to use their own money to buy coverage offered by private companies in the exchange. ABORTION: Private companies in the exchange could not offer plans covering abortion if those plans received federal subsidy money. Most plans in the exchange would be affected, because most consumers in the exchange would be using federal subsidy money to buy coverage. The new government plan could not offer abortion coverage. Insurance companies would be permitted to offer supplemental abortion coverage in separate plans that people could buy with their own money. Use of federal money for abortion coverage would be limited to cases of rape, incest or danger to the woman’s life.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The way abortions are covered under health care reform is a major obstacle to finalizing the legislation, even though the House and Senate both agree that no federal money should be used. The stumbling block is whether insurance plans that get federal money are completely barred from covering abortions, or whether they can cover it as long as they require customers to write separate checks for the procedure using their own money. Why does that matter? Because the House and Senate solved the dispute in different ways, neither of which makes everyone happy, and now they have to find a further compromise. “Something’s going to have to give,” said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., author of the abortion language in the House. At this point it’s not clear what that will be, although talks to resolve the issue have already begun and all involved in the intraparty dispute say they want to be able to support a final health care bill. “We want to see a health care bill passed and we don’t think it’s particularly helpful for anyone to draw a line in the sand,” said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., a leader of the House Pro-Choice Caucus. Abortion threatened to derail both the House and Senate legislation before last-minute compromises satisfied anti-abortion Democrats in both chambers. But those hard-won deals look very different. The health bill passed by the House in November bars federal funding from going to any insurance plan that includes abortion coverage. That’s a significant limitation because Congress’ redesigned health care system would give federal subsidies to millions of lower-income people to help them buy insurance at new marketplaces called exchanges. Since the bulk of purchasers in the exchanges would be receiving federal subsidies, most, if not all, insurance plans would be receiving federal money and therefore would be barred from covering abortion. Stupak’s House language does

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tomers, and keep the money in a separate account segregated from federal funds. Additionally, states would be able to block health plans operating in the new exchanges from covering abortion, and in states that allow the procedure, at least one health plan that does not cover abortion would have to be available through the exchanges. Nelson said the language achieves his goal of ensuring that no federal money may go for abortion. Boxer said that although it wasn’t her first choice, it still allows women to obtain abortion coverage. The deal has been rejected by outside groups on both sides of the issue — something that Boxer and Nelson both cite as evidence that they achieved a fair outcome. In a letter to senators Wednesday, leaders of the influential U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reiterated their opposition, contending the Senate language “violates the long-standing federal policy against the use of federal funds for elective abortions.” Senators have warned that if their bill changes much — on abortion or other issues — it could threaten the tenuous 60-vote coalition now behind it. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said Wednesday he thinks the Senate abortion language will ultimately carry the day. But the Senate language has met a cool reception from Stupak, who said that he and 10 or so other House members could oppose the health overhaul if it’s included. However, Stupak is showing some flexibility. In an interview he termed the language “unacceptable,” but also said he’s not yet ready to say he would oppose a final bill over that issue alone. “I do believe this is not an insurmountable issue. I think it can be worked out,” said Stupak, who’s talking it over with Nelson and others.

Associated Press

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., center, accompanied by Senate Democrats, speaks during a health care news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington Wednesday.

allow insurers to offer separate rider policies covering only abortion, but abortion-rights activists contend such policies would be unlikely to materialize because there’d be little market for them. They note that most women don’t plan for abortions ahead of time. Abortions in the first trimester typically cost between $350 and $900, according to Planned Parenthood. The Senate’s abortion compromise was designed to secure support from conservative Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson as the critical 60th vote for the bill, headed for final passage Thursday. Nelson offered language nearly identical to Stupak’s as an amendment on the Senate floor, but it was defeated 54-45. Democratic leaders then scrambled for a compromise that would satisfy him. In the end, Nelson himself worked with Senate leaders, White House officials and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. — representing abortion-rights supporters — to come up with a deal. Their language would allow health plans that receive federal subsidies to sell insurance plans covering abortion. But those plans would have to collect separate premiums for the procedure from cus-

Abortion-rights supporters in the House also are evaluating the Senate language. After being taken by surprise when talks in the House broke down and Stupak got his way, DeGette and others in the Pro-Choice Caucus are vowing not to let it happen again and say they won’t support a final bill that goes beyond existing law.

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The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009 — 15 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

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Without Griffi Griffi Scene Insi Ent. Ton. For Jeop Jeru His Two Two L. Welk Payne Payne History Proj Fam Fam

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

True Lies Criminal Criminal Criminal CSI: Miami Criminal Foxx Foxx Foxx Foxx } ›› Miami Vice (‘06) Colin Farrell. Å Miami Vice Blue Collar Comedy Tour Bill Engvall Jeff Dunham Larry the Cable Guy Newsroom Camp. Brown Larry King Newsroom Camp. Brown Larry King Dirty Jobs Dirty Jobs Dirty Jobs Dirty Jobs Dirty Jobs Dirty Jobs Football College Football: Emerald Bowl SportsCenter Å World Series World Series World Series World Series Sport Fast Foot Foot FOX Report Huckabee Glenn Beck Geraldo Jour Watch Red Eye NHL Hockey: Flyers at Hurricanes Post Score Final Pro Final World Poker Spider-Man 2 } ›› Spider-Man 3 (‘07) Tobey Maguire. } My Super Ex-Girlfriend Ter Film } The Poseidon Adventure } The Poseidon Adventure Poseidon Fallen Angel } The Christmas Card (‘06) } Silent Night (‘02) Å Fallen Angel For House De Gene Color Color House House House House Color Color Aliens Jesse James-Treasure Rumrunners, Moonshiners Jesse James } My Neighbor’s Secret } My Nanny’s Secret (‘09) } My Nanny’s Secret (‘09) iCarly iCarly iCarly Å The iCarly Lopez Lopez Nanny Nanny Nanny Nanny Band of Brothers Band of Brothers Band of Brothers Band of Brothers } ›› Saw II (‘05, Horror) } ›› Saw III (‘06) Tobin Bell. Å } ›› Autopsy (‘08) } ››› Music and Lyrics Surviving Christmas :45 } ›› Overboard (‘87) Sherlock } The Asphalt Jungle (‘50) } ›››› Adam’s Rib (‘49) Panic-Zero Child Frozen Children Toddler Tsunami Children Toddler Ocean’s 11 } ›› Sahara (‘05) Å :15 } ›› The Legend of Zorro Sa Bak Hero Titans Bat Satur Jus King King PJs Boon Boon Bleac 3 NHL Hockey: Thrashers at Lightning Post Spot Phen To Be Announced NCIS Å NCIS Å NCIS Å NCIS Å NCIS Å NCIS Å Bones Å NBA Basketball: Hornets at Bulls News Scru Scru Behind

8651 8182 8181 8650 8180 8192 8183 8190 8184 8185

48 Hours. News Without Ath Law/Ord SVU News Saturday Night Live 48 Hours. News WSSL Trax Pant Castle Å News :35 CSI: NY Anat Castle Å News Paid Housewives Van Gaither Sp. Studio Perfect Gift News Wanda Sykes Sit Paid Poirot Å MI-5 Å Austin City Housewives Access H. TMZ (N) Å Artists Den Austin City Soundstage News Office CSI: Miami CSI: Miami

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

Death :45 } ››› The Fifth Element } The Secret Life of Bees Life Cou The Goonies Pee-wee’s Adv. Fast Times :05 } ›› Porky’s Scar } › Fool’s Gold (‘08) Å } Revolutionary Road (‘08) Boxing’s Best R’l Revo In NFL } ›› Rambo (‘08) } ›› The Mist (‘07) iTV. :45 } › Saw IV iTV. Mummy Paul Blart: Mall Cop You Don’t Mess Nick and Norah

Couples are not destined to grow apart Dear Abby: I have only recently realized how unhappy my parents’ marriage is. On the way home from a concert one night, my mom started crying and said how much she wanted to be with a man who could stay awake throughout a performance. Then she told me I should never get married. She said people “always grow apart.” I am now genuinely afraid to get married. I am 18 and have just started dating a man you would consider marriage material. Is “happily ever after” achievable anymore in a marriage? — Upset Dear Upset: Your parents’ marriage appears to have hit a rough patch. When your mother started crying after the concert, I guarantee she wasn’t crying because your father couldn’t stay awake until the end. She was crying because she was disappointed in him for something else. While the intensity of feelings can fluctuate over time in a marriage, couples do not “always” grow apart. While I know from experience that a lasting, loving relationship/marriage is possible, allow me to point out that the qualities that attract someone at 18 may not be necessarily the same ones you’ll find important when you’re older. Dear Abby: A former professor of mine was a good friend and very supportive last year when I was expe-

Dear Abby Abigail van Buren

riencing some personal difficulties. Recently I have heard that he has not been acting like himself. I was told he has developed a bad attitude, curses in class, and uses his degree to demean his students’ opinions on topics. One of his current students told me he’s surprised the professor hasn’t been thrown out of class for his behavior. This is not the same professor who helped me last year. It seems like his evil twin. I suspect he may be having some personal problems. Because of our previous professor/student relationship, I don’t think I can get involved. However, because of the help he gave me when I needed it, I care and would like to offer support. Is there anything I can do? I want my friend back. — Student Dear Student: While it might not be appropriate for you to reach out to your former professor directly, it still may be possible to get him some help. Tell the student who spoke to you that he and some of the other members of the class should talk to the head of the department or the dean about what has been going on.

Is new diet book a knock-off? Dear Dr. Gott: I live in a retirement community in California. Most of our 250 elderly residents discuss your column on a daily basis. For us to have our oatmeal without Gott would be tragic. I have respected that the No Flour, No Sugar answer to losing weight has been your secret. In fact, in your “Live Longer, Live Better” book, written in 2004, you specifically stated that people are more able to lose weight by following a low-carb diet than by using a traditional low-fat plan, a finding that supports your No Flour, No Sugar diet. Then you followed up with a diet book that explains “the simplest way to lose weight.” How, then, can Andrew Weil claim the same approach in the Oct. 24, 2009, issue of USA Weekend that talks about his best secret — skip sugar and flour? Dear Reader: Andrew Weil, M.D., who practices holistic medicine, recently wrote a book titled “Why

PUZZLE

Ask Dr. Gott Dr. Peter M. Gott

Our Health Matters,” in which he states that sugar and processed carbohydrates are the primary culprits in the obesity epidemic. So what more can I say? I began working more than 40 years ago on a simple yet effective weight-reduction plan. In 2006, I was approached by a publisher to write a “No Flour, No Sugar Diet” book. There will always be authors, painters, musicians, designers, shoe manufacturers, builders and people from every walk of life that, to one degree or another, follow the lead begun by someone else. There’s the expression that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. So I guess I’m flattered. Thanks for writing.

IN THE STARS

Your birthday, Dec. 26; Material prospects look to be quite encouraging for you in the year ahead. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — If you have time, engage in a form of friendly competition. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — To your credit, you’ll keep some information to yourself that could tarnish another’s image or reputation. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) — Social encounters with good friends could prove to be pleasant and beneficial. ARIES (March 21-April 19) — Play your hunches and follow your instincts when it comes to handling things of a material nature. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — Contacting a friend to extend a holiday greeting could turn out to be a lucky circumstance. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — Something important needs to be changed, and it requires the help of another. CANCER (June 21-July 22) — Fortunately, two friends are blessed with long memories and haven’t forgotten the nice things. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — You’ll have no trouble handling all those extra responsibilities. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Discovering something new could prove to be an enjoyable and useful experience. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — When it comes to your affairs, you might expend only nominal effort toward taking care of them. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Select companions who share many common interests to celebrate some holiday cheer. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Your customary channels of earnings could yield larger-thanusual rewards at this time. Be alert for ways to reap

16 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, SATURDAY, December 26, 2009

CLASSIFIEDS 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 DEADLINES: New Ads, Cancellations & Changes Please check your ad on the first day that it runs. Call us before the deadline for the next edition with corrections. We will rerun the ad or credit your account for no more than one day.

Tuesday Edition.............Monday, 12pm Wednesday Edition......Tuesday, 2pm Thursday Edition......Wednesday, 2pm Friday Edition...............Thursday, 2pm Saturday Edition................Friday, 2pm Sunday Edition......................Friday, 2pm

*4 line minimum on all ads Apartments Special $100 dep.! 1, 2 & 3BR Nice, large Townhomes Priv. decks, w/d hook up. Water incld.! Starting at $375/mo. 1-888-684-5072

Classic & charming

Apt. with storage garage. Clean 2 Bedroom Brick at 433 E. Main St., Forest City $475/mo.

Call 828-447-3233

Apartments Nice 2 Bedroom Townhouse Apt & 1 Bedroom Apt across from Super 8 Motel in Spindale $385/mo. & $515/mo. Call 828-447-1989

Sell or rent your property in the Classifieds!

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administrator of the estate of SANDRA RUTH BLACKWELL FRAZIER of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said SANDRA RUTH BLACKWELL FRAZIER to present them to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of March 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 5th day of December, 2009. Charles Shawn Frazier, Administrator 210 Carpenter Road Rutherfordton, NC 28139

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the estate of RUBY C. SMART of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said RUBY C. SMART to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of March 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 12th day of December, 2009. Peggy Lou Smart Alley, Executor 1516 Chase High Road Forest City, NC 28043

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Co-Executor of the estate of CHARLES G. CAMBY of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said CHARLES G. CAMBY to present them to the undersigned on or before the 26th day of March, 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 26th day of December 2009 Michael Gene Camby, Co-Executor 880 Mt. Creek Rd. Rutherfordton, NC 28139 Charles Edward Camby, Co-Executor 8725 Williamsburg Circle Huntersville, NC 28078

ROSEDALE PHASE I APARTMENTS 121 Holly Lane Forest City, NC 28043

Run ad 6 consecutive days and only pay for 5 days*

2 WEEK SPECIAL Run ad 12 consecutive days and only pay for 9 days*

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.

Homes

Mobile Homes

For Sale

For Rent

Beautiful country cottage Hudlow Rd. 2BR/1BA $500/mo. 704-376-8081 GREAT STARTER in Cleveland County! 3BR/1BA Brick ranch w/great features - brick fireplace in family room, large eat-in kitchen, hardwoods, in-ground pool, large fenced backyard, swing set and 2 storage sheds remain. $94,900 #45277 Coldwell Banker Mountain View Real Estate Contact Marsha Brown 704-284-0137

FOR OUR WEEKLY SPECIAL POSTED EVERY SUNDAY IN THE CLASSIFIEDS!

1 WEEK SPECIAL

2BR/1BA Dual pane windows, ceiling fans, window a/c, w/d hookup. East Court St., Rfdtn. $310/mo. 1/2 off 2nd month App. 828-748-8801

Homes For Rent or Sale Houses, mobile homes & apartments for sale & rent. Owner fin. avail. 453-9946

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the estate of EDNA Y. TWITTY of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said EDNA Y. TWITTY to present them to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of March 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 5th day of December, 2009. Lois Kay Yelton Mathis, Executor 521 Goldenrod Lane Lexington, NC 27295

Single wide Shiloh: 2BR/2BA No Pets! $425/mo. + $300 dep. 245-5703 or 286-8665

Real Estate Wanted Mobile home w/land or

house. Need owner fin. $2,500 DP $350-$425/ mo. 864-972-0498

Daycare Kids R Us, Inc.

Now enrolling children 0-12 yrs. 1st & 2nd shifts •Weekend care Rutherford center only •Transportation provided (if needed and general area) •Diapers & wipes provided at FC center •Healthy meals and snacks •Professional speech therapy through Alpha & Omega

Forest City 247-1717 or Rfdtn 286-9979

The Daily Courier office will be closed on Friday, January 1st in observance of New Years Classified Advertising deadline for new ads, cancellations, and changes to existing ads for the Friday, January 1st, Saturday, January 2nd and Sunday, January 3rd editions are as follows: LINE ADS: Deadline is Thursday, December 31st at 12:00 PM DISPLAY ADS: Deadline is Wednesday, December 30th at 2:00 PM DISPLAY AD DEADLINE for the Tuesday, January 5th edition will be Thursday, December 31st by 12:00 PM

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

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

Help Wanted CLINICAL DIRECTOR Critical Access Behavioral Health Agency to supervise community-based services and design treatment protocols for medium sized NC company. Position based in Forest City office. Must be licensed in N.C. as LCSW, Psychological Associate, LPC, LMFT, Addiction Specialist, or Certified Clinical Supervisor. Call HomeCare Management Corporation at 828-247-1700 for position description and application

Help Wanted

Lost

Part Time RN/LPN Phlebotomy exp. req. Mobile insurance exams. Fax resume to 828-254-2441

M Walker Coon Hound w/red Harley collar. Part of right ear missing, 3 yrs. old. 12/15: Kiser Rd., Bostic 447-2376

Immediate openings in Rutherford Co. for Substance Abuse Counselors & Mental Health Therapists. LCSW,

Male Grey Tabby Cat 10-12 lbs., 3 yrs. old. Needs meds! Lost 12/14 from Grayson Bostic Rd./ Bethany Church Rd. area. Call 289-5989 or 245-0222

LPC, CCS, LCAS or CSAC preferred.

Fax resumes to: 828-245-2548

For Sale Contour Adjustable Bed, 2 positions, massage, heat, wave. New. $400. 287-5299

Want To Buy

WILL BUY YOUR JUNK

Male Siberian Husky 4 years old Missing since 12/15 from Old Gilberttown Rd., Rfdtn. 287-5010 or 223-5010

Found

Key w/ I Love Reading key chain. Found 12/21 in The Daily Courier parking lot in FC. Call 245-6431 or come by the office at 601 Oak St.

Black Cat Approx. 4 mo. Found on Main St., Spindale, 1st wk of Dec. Needs home. 828-202 5700

Cars & Trucks Pick up at your convenience!

Call 223-0277 Autos 1998 VOLVO S70 181,500 mi. New tires, roters, brake pads & battery. Good cond.! $4,000 828-674-0027

Lost or found a pet? Place an ad at no cost to you! Yard Sales

Pets Mini Dachshunds 13 weeks, registered, shots, cage trained, black/tan w/white stripe. 1 m, 1 f $250 ea. 245-0906

Day after Christmas Yard Sale FC: 251 McSwain Rd., 10A-2P All types of items and all prices negotiable. Call Don at 864-426-6302

CALL TODAY

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Executor of the estate of WALKER BENTON MCCRARY of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said WALKER BENTON MCCRARY to present them to the undersigned on or before the 19th day of March 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 19th day of December, 2009.

Having qualified as Executor of the estate of HAZEL ANN HAWKINS STRICKLAND of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said HAZEL ANN HAWKINS STRICKLAND to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of March 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 12th day of December, 2009.

Having qualified as Executor of the estate of DANIEL KENNETH BOURDEAUX of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said DANIEL KENNETH BOURDEAUX to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of March, 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 12th day of December, 2009.

Julie Lea McCrary Hodge, Executor P.O. Box 1223 Forest City, NC 28043

Dumont Clark Strickland, Executor 4059 Lee Cline Rd. Conover, NC 28613

Teresa Gale Smith, Executor P.O. Box 1453 Rutherfordton, NC 28139

Family Households

1 BEDROOM APARTMENTS Units for Persons with Disabilities Available Section 8 Accepted

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

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Administrator of the estate of RONNIE BAYSINGER SCOTT of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said RONNIE BAYSINGER SCOTT to present them to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of March 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 5th day of December, 2009.

Having qualified as Executor of the estate of MELFORD (MILFORD) EULUS MORGAN of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said MELFORD (MILFORD) EULUS MORGAN to present them to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of March 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 5th day of December, 2009.

Having qualified as Executor of the estate of MARTHA COLLINS TESTERMAN of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said MARTHA COLLINS TESTERMAN to present them to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of March 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 5th day of December, 2009.

Shawn Renay Jones Scott, Administrator 292 Old Castle Lane Forest City, NC 28043

Dorothy E. Shoemaker, Executor 450 Tangleridge Drive Inman, SC 29349

Selena Cash, Executor PO Box 13 Cliffside, NC 28024

A TO Z, IT’S IN THE

CLASSIFIEDS!

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, SATURDAY, December 26, 2009 — 17

WEB DIRECTORY Visit the advertisers below by entering their Web address

AUTO DEALERSHIPS

HEALTH CARE

NEWSPAPER

REAL ESTATE

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

BUSINESS&SERVICE DIRECTORY (828) 245-0095 www.hospiceofrutherford.org

(828) 245-6431 www.thedigitalcourier.com

(828) 286-1311 www.keeverrealestate.com

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

AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING

GRADING & HAULING

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ROOFING

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5 YEAR WARRANTY ON LABOR FREE ESTIMATES

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H & M Industries, Inc. LAWN CARE

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* Leaf Removal * Gutter Cleaning

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TREE TREE CARE CARE

VETERINARIAN

Carolina Tree Care & Stump Grinding

10% discount Topping Removal on all& work Stump Grinding Valid 9/17-11/1/09

• Low RatesInsured Fully • Free Good Clean Work Estimates • Satisfaction Guaranteed 20 Years Experience • Fully Insured Senior Citizens & • Free Estimates

Veterans Discounts

Chad Reid Sisk Mark (828) 289-7092 828-289-1871 Senior Citizen Discounts

Thunder Road Animal Bi-Lo Hospital Super 8 Motel 74 Bypass

Spindale Denny’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

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 26, 2009

Nation/world World Today Captured soldier said on video KABUL (AP) — The Taliban released a video Friday purporting to show captured U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who disappeared more than five months ago in eastern Afghanistan. Bergdahl, a U.S. airborne infantryman, was captured by the Afghan Taliban in Paktika province on June 30. It could not be confirmed immediately that it was Bergdahl in the new video, which was e-mailed to The Associated Press and other news organizations. A man is shown seated, facing the camera, wearing sunglasses and what appears to be a U.S. military helmet and uniform. A caption below the man speaking says “War prisoner: Bowe Robert Bergdahl.” On one side of the image it says: “An American soldier imprisoned by the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.” The man identifies himself as Bergdahl, born in Sun Valley, Idaho, and gives his rank, birth date, blood type and mother’s maiden name.

6 Shiites killed during ceremony BAGHDAD (AP) — A roadside bomb killed six Shiite Muslim pilgrims Friday during a procession, the latest violence targeting the group during observances of a religious holiday, officials said. The deaths followed heightened tensions in a northern Iraqi town after troops were deployed following a scuffle between Christians and Shiites over holiday decorations. Observances of the ten-day Shiite festival of Ashoura, which ends on Dec. 27, coincided Friday with Christian celebrations of Christmas. The government has been trying to assure people it can protect both Shiites and Christians during the two holidays. During Ashoura, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims converge on the holy city of Karbala.

Iran offers nuclear swap option TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran would be willing to swap nuclear material with the West in Turkey, the foreign minister said in the country’s latest counteroffer to a U.N.-drafted deal aimed at thwarting Tehran’s ability to produce atomic weapons. The U.N. proposal aims to ease concerns that Iran could build a nuclear weapon by reducing its stockpile of low-enriched uranium. Under the proposal, the uranium would be shipped to France and Russia in exchange for more highly enriched fuel rods that are not suitable for use in weapons. Speaking on Iran’s state TV, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki suggested Turkey, which neighbors Iran and has good relations with the West, as a venue for exchanging nuclear material.

Pope Benedict XVI approaches the papal chair during the “Urbi et Orbi” (to the City and to the World) message in St. Peter’s square at the Vatican Friday. Pope Benedict XVI delivered his traditional Christmas Day blessing Friday, looking tired and unsteady but otherwise fine hours after being knocked down by a woman who jumped the barrier at the start of Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Associated Press

Vatican reviewing security plan VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican will review its security procedures after a woman jumped a barrier and rushed at Pope Benedict XVI for the second time in two years, managing to knock him down before being pulled away by security, the Vatican spokesman said Friday. Benedict, 82, wasn’t hurt and delivered his traditional Christmas Day greetings in 65 languages from the loggia overlooking St. Peter’s Square. While a bit unsteady at first, he also delivered a short speech about the world’s trouble spots without problem. The incident in St. Peter’s Basilica raised fresh questions about security for the pontiff, however, after officials said the woman involved had jumped the barrier at the 2008 Midnight Mass in a failed bid to get to the pope. She even wore the same red-hooded sweat shirt. Italian officials also remarked on the odd similarity of the breach to an assault two weeks ago on Premier Silvio Berlusconi by a man with a history of psychological problems. The attack in Milan broke the premier’s nose and two teeth. The Vatican identified the

woman involved in Thursday night’s incident as Susanna Maiolo, 25, a Swiss-Italian national with psychiatric problems who was immediately taken to a clinic for treatment. Efforts to obtain further details on Maiolo’s background were unsuccessful, with Vatican and hospital officials citing privacy laws. In the 2008 case, the woman never managed to reach the pope and was quietly tackled by security. During Thursday night’s service, the pope’s attacker launched herself over the barricade as Benedict walked down the aisle at the start of Christmas Eve service. As security guards wrestled her to the ground, she grabbed onto Benedict’s vestments, bringing him down with her. Virtually anyone can get into a papal Mass: tickets are required but are easy to get if requested in advance. Identification cards are not necessary to gain entrance, although visitors must pass through a metal detector. The Rev. Federico Lombardi said it’s not realistic to think the Vatican can ensure 100 percent security for the pope considering he is regularly surrounded by

tens of thousands of people for his weekly audiences, Masses, papal greetings and other events. “It seems that they intervened at the earliest possible moment in a situation in which ’zero risk’ cannot be achieved,” he said. The Vatican’s security officials will nonetheless review the episode and “try to learn from experience,” Lombardi told The Associated Press. It was the first time a potential attacker has come into direct contact with Benedict during his nearly five-year papacy. Security analysts have frequently warned the pope is too exposed in his public appearances, but Lombardi noted that they are a necessary part of the job. “People want to see him up close, and he’s pleased to see them closely too,” Lombardi said. “A zero risk doesn’t seem realistic in a situation in which there’s a direct rapport with the people.” While Benedict was unhurt in the fall, a retired Vatican diplomat, French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 87, fractured his hip in the commotion. He will be operated on in the coming days at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said spokesman Nicola Cerbino.

Church news every Saturday in The Daily Courier

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

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Annual Memorial Service McKinney - Landreth Funeral Home will host their 14th annual memorial service in memory of the families that we have served in the 2009 year.

Sunday, January 3, 2010 2:00 pm Cliffside Baptist Church Cliffside, North Carolina Community Invited. Reception immediately following the service. McKinney - Landreth Funeral Home 4076 US Hwy. 221-A Cliffside, North Carolina 28024 (828) 657-6322 www.mckinneylandrethfuneralhome.com

Last week I introduced you to some of the fun ways shoppers can make “Buy one, get one free” (BOGO) sales even more rewarding. Anytime we can buy one item and get another free, we’re essentially buying two at half price each. So how do we make a half-off sale even better? With coupons, of course! Here’s the third “best-kept secret” of couponing: Secret #3: Use Two Coupons During a BOGO Sale At most stores, you can use one coupon per purchase. Even though you’re buying one item and getting another “free,” it’s not truly free. You still have to go through the act of “purchasing” it at the register (the store won’t allow you to just pick up the “free” jar and take it home, will they?) If you live in an area that collects sales tax on groceries, you must still pay sales tax on the “free” item. So, it’s best to think of BOGO sales as buying two for the price of one. As long as you’re buying two items, even if one is full-price and one is free, you can use a coupon on each item you’re buying. You’re buying two items, so you can use two coupons. Here’s an example illustrating why this is a great idea. My grocery store has organic pasta sauces on sale for $3, “Buy one, get one free.” And even though the register rings them up as $3 for the first jar and $0 for the second, it is still possible for me to present a coupon on each jar for additional savings. For this sale, I have two $1 coupons for the pasta sauce. Using one coupon for each jar I purchase brings my cost down to just $1 for two jars, or 50 cents each! That’s a great price for any pasta sauce, especially organic. Now, many grocery stores handle BOGO sales differently. With a sale like the one I outlined above, most stores’ registers will ring the sale as one $3 jar and one $0 jar. Other grocery stores may approach the same BOGO sale by ringing up each item at $1.50 each. Either way, you can still use a coupon on each item and get each jar of pasta sauce for 50 cents. Are you ready for a bonus tip? If your store “splits” BOGO prices into half for each item, you only have to buy one of the items to get it for that price! So, if you only had one pasta sauce coupon, you could buy just one jar, get it for the $1.50 price, use a $1 coupon on it, and still take it home for 50 cents. To determine which way your store handles BOGO sales, look at your receipt the next time you buy items promoted in a BOGO sale. If the register rings one at full price and one at zero, you must buy two to receive the price. If it rings each one at half of full price, you will be able to buy just one of the items involved in the sale and receive it for half the price without buying the second item. (c) CTW Features 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.