Daily Courier, December 12, 2009 by Digital Courier

Many states loosening gun laws — Page 15 Sports El-Amoor lifts Cavs East Rutherford’s Tamara El-Amoor hit a game-winning, 3-point shot to lift the Lady Cavs over Owen Friday

Page 7

Saturday, December 12, 2009, Forest City, N.C.

NATION

Winter weather watch on for weekend By SCOTT BAUGHMAN Daily Courier Staff Writer

FOREST CITY — With temperatures falling into the low 20s in some areas and a forecasted low of 33 on Saturday, local emergency workers are keeping a wary eye on old man winter this weekend. The National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C.

Climate agreement coming together

50¢

issued a prediction of rain mixed with sleet for Saturday night and cold rain on Sunday with a low around 36. “We’re monitoring the weather and we’re staying in touch with the Department of Transportation,” said emergency coordinator Roger Hollifield. “We’re getting direct weather

information from the National Weather Service out of Greenville and if there is anything significant with power outages or ice on the roads they keep us informed.” Precipitation chances for Sunday are around 80 percent, so officials around the area are on standby. But temperatures are hovering around

Christmas Cheer draws near

Page 13

the danger zone meaning none of them have definitive plans yet. “Apparently everything is hinging on the fact that there is just as much chance of anything happening as there is of nothing happening,” Hollifield said. “So we’re all watching and waiting on it to make up its mind.”

Grand jury action sends cases forward From staff reports

SPORTS

Woods going on indefinite leave from golf Page 8 Jean Gordon/Daily Courier

GAS PRICES

Low: High: Avg.:

$2.50 $2.61 $2.55

Christmas Cheer Center volunteers (left to right) Jay Claudio, Jane Bell, Amy Revis and Kristi Germack, sort toys and fill stockings for boys and girls Thursday at the center. Distribution days are Dec. 17 and 18 at the center on Withrow Road, Spindale, and volunteers are needed to help with the distribution. Also volunteers are needed each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to continue sorting and preparing the gifts for more than 1,100 children. Large boxes of food also needs to be sorted before next Thursday for more than 600 families. To volunteer, go by the center or call 287-0119.

Program’s goal is to reward students for good behavior By ALLISON FLYNN

DEATHS Forest City

Lottie Scruggs

Mooresboro

Donald Boyd

Elsewhere

Robert Hill Dillard Mynatt Page 5

WEATHER

High

Low

42 33 Today, snow possible. Tonight, rain likely. Complete forecast, Page 10

INSIDE Classifieds . . . 15-17 Sports . . . . . . . . 7-9 County scene . . . . 6 Opinion . . . . . . . . 4 Vol. 41, No. 296

Daily Courier Staff Writer

FOREST CITY – Rutherford County Schools, and other local education agencies in North Carolina, know that rather than Public Broadcast System, PBS means Postive Behavior Support. Recognition was given to PBS Initiative Schools in Rutherford County during the Dec. 8 meeting of the Rutherford County Board of Education. Schools recognized were Cliffside, Ellenboro, Spindale and Forrest Hunt as green ribbon schools. Forest City-Dunbar was also recognized as a banner school. “PBS is part of the North Contributed photo Carolina State Improvement Forrest Hunt students are STARS Program,” said Steven Helton, director of elementary education. “It’s aimed at promotfor music class, but only a few for regular ing student performance and class,’” she said. improving school climates through designing According to the North Carolina a matrix of behaviors.” Department of Public Instruction’s Web site, Schools take a team approach in designing PBS school teams have to go through training, their matrices, said Margaret McSwain, who which is composed of three modules. Modules serves as Rutherford County Schools’ PBS are made up of presentations, activities and coordinator. team time for planning. Topics covered by the “The school says ‘What are the behavioral expectations for the bus, for the classroom, for modules are building a foundation, universal strategies -schoolwide, universal strategies the lunchroom....,’” she said. “They look at it -nonclassroom settings, universal supportschool wide.” classroom, brain-based learning, teaching uniThe matrix also sets forth the rules and versal rules and expectations, targeted small expectations for the school. Students practice group interventions, etc. acceptable behaviors, McSwain said, because Those schools attaining green ribbon stasome rules are inherent to school only. tus must have completed module one train“We don’t line up in our house to go someing with at least 80 percent implementation where,” she said. “Kids get to go out and pracof school-wide behavior goals and a school tice being on a bus and learn why it’s imporevaluation of 80 percent or more. As a banner tant to be quiet on the bus – they actually school, a school must meet all green ribbon practice those things.” requirements and complete module two trainHaving the matrix in place, too, she said, ing with 80 percent or more implementation eliminates the need for sets of rules in classrooms. Please see Behavior Page 6 “Students don’t have to think ‘I have 15 rules

Now on the Web: www.thedigitalcourier.com

RUTHERFORDTON — A true bill of indictment has been returned against a man charged with two counts of first-degree statutory sex offense on a person under 13 years old. Ryan Keith Poteat is facing those charges. The defendant is at least four years older than the victim. A true bill is returned when a grand jury is convinced that there is enough evidence in the case to proceed. Also, a true bill was returned against Justin McArther Hice on charges of felonious breaking and entering and felonious larceny. The indictment alleges that Hice broke into Chase High School on July 26 and stole six laptop computers. He is also charged with misdemeanor break coin/ currency machine, for a vending machine break-in. Jose Miquel Mata is facing the same three charges in connection with the Chase break-in. True bills were returned against Kenneth Hugh Humphries on charges of felonious breaking and entering, felonious larceny and felonious possession of stolen goods. Humphries allegedly broke into a residence and stole an air conditioner. Humphries also is charged with obtaining property by false pretenses by allegedly pawning the air conditioner. True bills also were returned against Brian Kevin Cole, who is charged with break or enter Please see Jury, Page 6

Probe results in murder charge From staff reports

RUTHERFORDTON — A Rutherford County woman has been charged with murder. Joyce Buchanan McKinney, 50, of 1014 Coney Island Rd., is charged in the death of her husband, Frankie McKinney, 29. The murder charge was returned as a true bill indictment when the grand jury met Monday. A true bill is returned when a grand jury is convinced there is enough evidence to proceed with the case. McKinney was arrested Thursday evening. She is under no bond in the Rutherford County Jail. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office was called out at 4:46 p.m. April 22, 2009, to 1014 Coney Island Rd. on a report that a subject had shot himself. When officers began looking into the case, and with the help of forensic work, they decided that the evidence was contrary to the report of a self-inflicted wound, according to Chief Deputy Jeff Buchanan, and investigators took their case to the district attorney’s office.

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009

local Church News Groundbreaking for Catholic Church

Pastor Appreciation

Bishop Peter J. Jurgis (center) of the Diocese of Charlotte broke ground for the new 600 seat, 11,000 square foot Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church. The new facility is expected to be dedicated in September 2010. Also pictured are (l-r): Luciano Flores, Mike Hunter, Pastor Herbert Burke, Deacon Andy Cilone, Dr. Michael and Linda Roberts. Absent from the photograph are Father Gabriel Meehan, Padre Jose Juya and Barbara Bridges. Contributed photo

Advent will participate in ‘Meals at the Manger’

SPINDALE — Advent Lutheran Church will participate this year in Meals at the Manger, a campaign encouraging North Carolina churches to collect food for the needy on Christmas Eve. The ministry, started by First Lutheran Church in Greensboro, is calling on congregations across the state to encourage those attending worship to bring at least one canned good or food item per person to Christmas

Christmas Musical: “Love of God at Christmas”; Saturday, Dec. 12, 6 p.m., Alexander Mills United Methodist Church; presented by the adult choir under the direction of Teresa Mauney. Birthday Party for Jesus: Sunday, Dec. 13, begins at 6 p.m. at Spindale United Methodist Church; includes cake and refreshments. Cantata: “One Incredible Moment” will be presented by the adult choir of Missionary Wesleyan

Eve services. Participating congregations are also encouraged to set up manger scenes with large boxes to hold the Christmas Eve donations. Each church then donates the items to a food bank or soup kitchen of its choice after the holiday.

“We here at Advent accept the challenge to do our part in our community,” stated the Rev. Ronald Fink, pastor. Community residents are invited to participate. Advent’s Christmas Eve service is at 7 p.m. The church is located at 102 Reveley St., Spindale, next to Spindale House.

Last year, First Lutheran collected 1,500 pounds of food. The success inspired First Lutheran to take the campaign statewide.

Church on Dec. 19 and 20. Saturday’s performance begins at 6:30 p.m., and Sunday at 10:45 a.m. Church located at 811 Doggett Road, Forest City. Christmas musical: Floyds Creek Baptist Church will present “Child of Darkness, Child of Light,” a Christmas musical written by David Roach, on Sunday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m. The musical will feature the high school members of the church’s youth group portraying characters telling the story of the birth of Jesus, His death and resurrection and

For more information call 2872056.

will also feature the sanctuary choir singing original music written for this presentation. Christmas Concert: David Roach will present a Christmas Concert on Saturday, Dec. 19, at Chase High School auditorium. The program begins at 7 p.m. Admission will be $10 at the door; all proceeds going to the Trojan Marching Band. Christmas music: The Adult Choir of Piedmont Baptist Church will present a program of Christmas

music on Sunday, Dec. 20, at 10:30 a.m. in the fellowship building. The service includes music, staging, and a message by Pastor Ad Hopper. Lunch and fellowship afterwards. The choir is directed by Barbara Haynes, Catherine Ayers is directing the players, and Bobby Bridges is the piano accompanist. Church located at 1050 Maple Creek Road, Rutherfordton. Cantata: The Chancel Choir of Spindale United Methodist Church, Sunday, Dec. 20, during the 11 a.m. worship service.

Don’t Disturb Yourself Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

New K.J.V. Psalm 37:3

Most of the things that we fear the most, fortunately never come to pass, and even when they do, they are often not as bad as we imagined they would be. The most dreaded things in our lives are usually most often the result of our vivid imaginations, which run amok with worries and imagined evils which thankfully seldom occur. This is not to say that horrible things never happen; surely the world has plenty of frightful misery. But, these things are usually vastly exaggerated, and we often worry needlessly about things that never come to pass. Therefore, we should follow the advice of the serenity prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” There is simply nothing else to do about the evils of the world. That is, we need to change them if we can or accept them if we cannot. This exact sentiment is expressed quite beautifully in a Mother Goose nursery rhyme from 1695: “For every ailment under the sun there is a remedy, or there is none; if there be one, try to find it; if there be none, never mind it.” Even a child could follow this simple logic, and yet as adults, we too often fret and worry about things beyond our control. So, we should stop worrying and get to work on the things that we can control, and trust that God will handle the rest. Race Path Baptist Church

Advent Lutheran Church

�� Invites You to Join Us for Sunday School at 9:45am Worship�� Service at 11:00am Pastor: Ron Fink Pastor: Rev. Pamela Mitcham St. 104102 EastReveley Main Street Spindale, NC Spindale, NC 28160 28160 828.287.2056 828.287.2056

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STEVE BARNES

Contributed photo

A pastor appreciation service will be held in honor of Rev. and Mrs. Rob Roy Staley on Sunday, Dec. 13, at Zion Grove A.M.E Zion Church, Forest City. The service begins at 4 p.m., with guest speaker Rev. Paul Miller from St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, Charlotte. Dinner will be served prior to the service at 2 p.m. Christmas musical: “Camel Lot: Don’t Miss the Manger,” a Christmas musical by Cynthia Nine, will be presented Sunday, Dec. 20, at Walls Baptist Church. Fellowship will follow. Christmas Eve service: Drop-in communion at Spindale United Methodist Church, Thursday, Dec. 24, 6 to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve services: Candle-lighting and Holy communion at First United Methodist Church, Rutherfordton; Thursday, Dec. 24, at 5:30 p.m., later that night at 11, Christmas message “A People of His Own,” followed by candlelighting and Holy communion. Lessons and Carols service: Sunday, Dec. 27, 11 a.m. worship service, Advent Lutheran Church; scripture passages relat-

ing 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. Walk to the Manger: Dec. 21, 22 and 23, begins at 6:30 each night; those who wish to walk with the group meet in the parking lot of Riah Salon, near Spindale Restaurant; otherwise, meet in the parking lot of Main Street Baptist Church, Spindale, at 6:40 p.m., where characters dressed in Biblical attire will lead guests to the manger for a true celebration of Christmas; narration, beautiful lighting, traditional Christmas carols and songs of praise.

Music/concerts Shape-Note singing: Christian Harmony Shape-Note Singing; Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., St. John’s Historical Church, Rutherfordton; covered dish lunch. Concert: The Christian group Celestial Praise will perform Saturday, Dec. 12, during the 11 a.m. worship service at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Tryon. Choir anniversary: New Bethel All Male Choir; Sunday, Dec. 13, 4 p.m., New Bethel AME Zion Church, 263 Forest City; the program includes the following all male choirs from St. John, Green Creek, New Bethel Independent and Oak Grove; Clarence Quarles, master of ceremonies; Rev. Leroy Staley, pastor. Singing: Sunday, Jan. 3, 7 p.m., Riverside Baptist Church, Hogan Road, Harris; featuring The Servant Call.

Special services Special service: Sunday, Dec. 13, 4 p.m., New Life Christian Fellowship Church of God; guest speaker, Minister Kadoza Campbell of Gastonia; John McCluney Jr., pastor. Birthday celebration: Sunday, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m.; New Salem CME Church; Rev. Nathaniel Poole and the Russell Tabernacle CME Church family of Spindale, will be the guests. Rainbow March: Sunday, Dec. 13, 3 p.m., New Bethel Independent Church, Forest City; guest speaker, Rev. Ernie Twitty, pastor of Green Creek Baptist Church, along with his choir and congregation; sponsored by the Beautification committee. Special service: Sunday, Dec. 20, 11 a.m., Holy Temple No. 2, Forest City; guest speaker, Rev. Rachel Twitty.

Fundraisers Toy and book sale: Saturday, Dec. 12, 8 a.m. to noon, Sandy Springs Baptist Church, 382 Sandy Springs Road, Rutherfordton; large variety of children’s books and toys; proceeds go toward international missions. Plate sale: Saturday, Dec. 12, begins at 11 a.m., at Holy Temple No. 2; chicken or fish plates $6 each, includes dessert and beverage.

Bike ride, car show: Benefit for Jessica Henderson Sanney; Saturday, Dec. 12, registration starts at noon, Cornerstone Baptist Church, Mooresboro; ride from 1 to 3 p.m., ending at Lattimore Fire Department; $10 per bike; car show vehicles, registration $15; door prizes; hot dog sale; call (704) 434-5262 for more information.

Other Food truck: A mobile food truck will be at Providence United Methodist Church, 161 Providence Church Road, Forest City, on Tuesday, Dec. 15, from 10:30 to 1 p.m. The food is free and will be given to those in need (no credentials necessary). Bring box or laundry basket to carry food. Sponsored by the church. “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.

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 3

local/STATE

Asheville lawmaker is target for atheist views

Christmas Concert

By ALYSIA PATTERSON

tion that promotes the interests of black southerners. The head of a conservative weekly RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Asheville newspaper says city officials shirked City Councilman Cecil Bothwell their duty to uphold the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laws believes in ending the death penalty, conserving water and reforming gov- by swearing in Bothwell. David Morgan, editor of the Asheville ernment â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe Tribune, said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tired of seeing his in God. His political opponents say state Constitution â&#x20AC;&#x153;trashed.â&#x20AC;? thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sin that makes Bothwell canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be him unworthy of servforced out of office over ing in office, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve his atheist views because got the North Carolina the North Carolina Constitution on their side. provision is unenforceBothwellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s detractors are able, according to the threatening to take the supremacy clause of the city to court for swearU.S. Constitution. Six ing him in, even though other states, Arkansas, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s antiquated Maryland, Pennsylvania, requirement that officeSouth Carolina, holders believe in God is Tennessee and Texas, unenforceable because have similar provisions it violates the U.S. barring atheist officeConstitution. holders. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The question of whethIn 1961, the U.S. Cecil Bothwell er or not God exists is not Supreme Court reafparticularly interesting to firmed that federal law me and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly not prohibits states from relevant to public office,â&#x20AC;? the recently requiring any kind of religious test elected 59-year-old said. to serve in office when it ruled in Bothwell ran this fall on a platfavor of a Maryland atheist seeking form that also included limiting the appointment as a notary public. height of downtown buildings and But the federal protections donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t saving trees in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core, views necessarily spare atheist public offithat appealed to voters in the liberalcials from spending years defending leaning community at the foot of themselves in court. Avowed atheist the Appalachian Mountains. When Herb Silverman won an eight-year Bothwell was sworn into office on court battle in 1997 when South Monday, he used an alternative oath that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require officials to swear Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest court granted him the right to be appointed as a notary on a Bible or reference â&#x20AC;&#x153;Almighty despite the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law. God.â&#x20AC;? Bothwell said a legal challenge to That has riled conservative activhis appointment would be â&#x20AC;&#x153;fun,â&#x20AC;? but ists, who cite a little-noticed quirk believes his opponentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efforts have in North Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Constitution more to do with politics than relithat disqualifies officeholders â&#x20AC;&#x153;who gious beliefs. shall deny the being of Almighty â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local political opponents seekGod.â&#x20AC;? The provision was included ing to change the outcome of an when the document was drafted in election they lost,â&#x20AC;? said Bothwell, 1868 and wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t revised when North whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lived in Asheville nearly three Carolina amended its constitution decades and wrote the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bestin 1971. One foe, H.K. Edgerton, is selling guide book. threatening to file a lawsuit in state Bothwell was raised a Presbyterian court against the city to challenge but began questioning Christian Bothwellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appointment. beliefs at a young age and considâ&#x20AC;&#x153;My father was a Baptist minister. ered himself an atheist by the time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Christian man. I have problems with people who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in he was 20. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church God,â&#x20AC;? said Edgerton, a former local of Asheville and he still celebrates NAACP president and founder of Christmas. Southern Heritage 411, an organizaAssociated Press Writer

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Mercyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Well (above) of Greensboro and Southern Sounds (below) from Rutherford County will present an evening of Christmas music on Saturday, December 12. The concert begins at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary of Corinth Baptist Church. Corinth Baptist Church is located on Pinehurst Road between Old US 74 and Tiney Road in Ellenboro.

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— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 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 Financial fix important work

he first round of the effort to overhaul the nation’s financial regulatory system concluded this week when the House passed its version of the bill, but this project is far from finished. Congress is attempting to address some of the weaknesses and problems discovered last year as the nation’s financial industry teetered on the edge of collapse. The bill passed by the House would be the most significant change in the nation’s financial regulatory system since the Great Depression. This debate brings to the table some of the most intensely competitive interest groups in the nation: pro-business and pro-consumer, big government and limited government. They will all be trying to have an impact on the final shape of this legislation. What every American needs to make sure their representatives understand is that this is an important task and that they have to do whatever it takes to rebuild confidence in the nation’s financial system.

Our readers’ views Offers opposition to health care bill To the editor: I am responding to Ray Crawford’s letter in which he encourages us to get behind the passage of the health care bill. Instead of presenting an argument for passing THIS bill, he basically clothed his position in a banal moral argument and then demogouged Republicans who oppose it implying that they don’t care about sick people. Next, he attacked those big, greedy insurance companies. This is the common default tactic of the Left and a very versatile technique they employ to debate many issues. Depending on the issue, they simply substitute “oil companies,” “Wall Street,” “banks,” “drug companies,” etc. after the “big greedy” rather than debate the facts. The profit margins of these evil for-profit health insurance companies is about 3.5 percent. In one study, they ranked 86th in comparison to other industries. Does he know that? According to Mr. Crawford, we should merely accept the CBO estimate that the cost will be under $1 trillion, and “deficit neutral.” This estimate is based solely on the assumptions that Harry Reid gave the CBO — nothing more than garbage ingarbage out. The $1 trillion figure assumes 10 years of increased taxes, but only five years of benefits! It also excludes massive cost omissions ($250 billion “doctor fix”), as well as unachievable cost reduction assumptions ($400 billion in cuts to Medicare). Senator Baucus (D), Chairman of the Finance Committee, estimates the actual cost at $2.5 tril-

lion as he honestly included these factors. Excluding the massive, open-ended cost of this bill, our country is currently projected to have a $1.6 trillion budget deficit for 2009. Yet, Mr. Crawford assures us “we have the money.” Like they say “never let facts get in the way of ideology!” Health care reform is needed, but let’s address the areas of deficiency rather than scrap the whole system and replace it with a massive, inefficient Federal bureaucracy. How can a 2000-page health care bill be taken seriously that doesn’t even address tort reform, medicare fraud or the interstate sale of medical insurance? These areas present huge opportunities for cost reductions. Not addressing tort reform is unconscionable, whose purpose is to simply recycle the trial lawyers’ huge contributions back to them. Allowing interstate sales of medical insurance would increase competition and lower premiums, which would increase their competitiveness against a public plan — Democrats certainly don’t want that. In a recent poll, 53 percent of the people in this country oppose this bill — 41 percent support it. These figures are a complete reversal from a few months ago as people have learned the details of it. Over 60 percent are against a public option and the opposition is growing daily. In response, the Democrats simply attempt to obfuscate the issue by simply renaming the public option. The only logical conclusion that can be drawn is that our elected officials do not care what we think — they know what’s best for us. Before it is too late, we must all contact our elected officials and voice our opinion.

Make them aware that there will be serious consequences at the ballot box if they vote for this bill. William Saer Rutherfordton

Time to remember what is important To the editor, It is time! For a better nation, it is time we all admit the truth that: 1. No matter the system, there will always be those who are rich and poor. 2.We must all have incentive to improve ourselves. 3. It is better for INDIVIDUALS to give than receive. 4. Laws should not discriminate, but be written to better ALL people. 5. It is not about YOU, it is about us all as a nation, so stop looking for what YOU can get and realize what is fair and just for all. 6. Free speech, property rights and the pursuit of happiness are paramount to liberty. 7. Your choice of God is yours alone, but be assured it is not the government. 8. We are all accountable for our own actions. 9. Families are vital to the fabric of a good nation and we need to cherish this fact. 10. Tolerance is like being lukewarm, it is better to take action for your beliefs. 11. Political correctness is the absence or inability of speaking your mind without fear. 12. Do not deceive anyone, for you will eventually be held accountable. 13. Especially let not government leaders forget that we are all servants of each other. 14. Being right is something only GOD can do at all times. Carl Matthews Rutherfordton

Treasurer’s ‘innovation fund’ idea is a bad one RALEIGH – For as long as there have been state treasurers managing state pension funds, there have been attempts by political insiders to scam some of the money with promises of “creating jobs.” They’ve always been, properly, rebuffed. Until now. State Treasurer Janet Cowell has just announced the creation of an Innovation Fund that will invest up to $250 million of pension funds in businesses with “significant operations in North Carolina.” According to reporting by Carolina Journal, the fund has two goals: to achieve a competitive rate of return and to “support the economic well-being of the state of North Carolina.” At first glance, however, it would seem to be impossible to pursue both goals at the same time. By definition, if the fund’s managers are required to favor North Carolina-based businesses in their investment decisions, then they are required to

John Hood Syndicated columnist

sacrifice rate of return for economic development. Any political constraint on their choice of business investment inherently reduces the manager’s ability to meet or exceed the performance of other managers who lack such a constraint. That’s why former state treasurers have turned down every major attempt to use North Carolina pension funds for so-called economic targeted investment (ETI). They recognized that their sole responsibility was to maximize rate of return over time so as to guarantee the largest possible pensions to teachers and state employees at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers. State treasurers, in other words, are not elected to serve as economic-develop-

ment officers. As a fiduciary, they are required to focus like a laser beam on finding the best investments for the retirement savings entrusted to them – regardless of whether those investments occur in North Carolina, South Carolina, or South Korea. But this first glance is mistaken, Cowell argues. Her case centers on the fact that the health of North Carolina’s economy bears a strong relationship to the fiscal health of its government. Unless the state becomes a more attractive place to create or expand businesses, fewer people will have jobs and fewer tax dollars will flow to Raleigh to pay for, among other things, contributions to the pension fund. This is more of a rationalization than an argument, however. If it’s okay for the state treasurer to make economic development a “secondary” objective to the primary one of maximizing investment return, how secondary does it have to

be? How will the treasurer’s managers ever know if they’ve gotten the balance right? How many jobs must the Innovation Fund create in the short run to offset the hit that the pension fund takes on the long run by having an artificial limit on the breadth of its investments? And what happens if a firm in which the treasurer invests subsequently concludes that it should move its operations out of North Carolina in order to become more profitable? Does she buy, hold, or sell? That these are unanswerable questions is the point. Clear rules exist precisely to clarify one’s responsibilities in an unpredictable world of limited knowledge. State treasurers are supposed to act as fiduciary agents, not economic policymakers. Whatever Cowell’s intentions may be, her Innovation Fund compromises her fiduciary responsibility, as I’m sure she’s going to hear loud and clear from irate teachers and state employees if she hasn’t

already. Now, one can be yet more cynical about all this and wonder who is about to get what. The state treasurer’s request for proposal was rather specific: she is looking for firms that have made at least three North Carolina or regional ETIs or have invested in at least 25 private companies with significant operations in North Carolina. Potential bidders must be managing at least $1 billion in assets. Chris Tobe, a trustee for Kentucky Retirement Systems, told CJ that the wording in the state’s request for proposals appeared rigged. “There are not a lot of firms that can do North Carolina only,” Tobe said. “You have a very limited number of people who can do it.” It will be interesting, to say the least, to find out who ends up with the dough. Hood is president of the John Locke Foundation and publisher of CarolinaJournal.com.

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009

Lottie Muriel Scruggs, age 86, of 1050 Doggett Road, Forest City, died Thursday, December 10, 2009, at Hospice House. A native of Rutherford County, she was a daughter to the late James Arthur Thornton and Bessie Blankenship Thornton. She worked for Burlington Industries as a weaver for more than 40 years before her retirement and was a charter member of Sandy Mush Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 25 years, Tony Scruggs and one son, Roger McMinn, Sr. Survivors include her grandson, Roger McMinn, Jr. of Lincolnton, NC; her granddaughter, Janet Nanney of Forest City and four nephews. Funeral services will be conducted at 3 p.m. on Sunday, at Sandy Mush Baptist Church with the Reverend Ernest Brown officiating. Interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Park. The family will receive friends one hour prior to service time. At other times the family will be gathered at the Doggett Road address. Harrelson Funeral Home is serving the family. An online guest registry is available at www.harrelsonfuneralhome.com

Robert Hill

Robert Lee Hill, 77, of 3104 Rush Ave., Charlotte, formerly of Forest City, died Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, at Presbyterian Hospital, Charlotte. He was a son of Ned Hill of Charlotte and the late Annie Mosley Hill, and a selfemployed auto body technician for 60 years. In addition to his father, he is survived by his wife of 37 years, Margaret Hill of Charlotte; six sons, Archie Hill of Forest City, Franklin Hill and Timothy Hill, both of Marion, Robert Levet Hill of Fort Mill, S.C., Josef William and Michael William, both of Charlotte; 11 daughters, Mary Martin, Darleathia Hill, Barbara Shelton, Wanda Shelton, Shari Smith, Peggy Parks,

and Shirley Mitchell, all of Forest City, Melissa Hill, Vanessa Hart, Teresa Covington, all of Charlotte, and Tracy Williams of Mt. Holly; 153 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 14, at Oak Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Jamaal Edwards officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The body will be placed in the church one hour prior to the service. Thompson’s Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Donald W. Boyd Donald W. Boyd, age 77, of Mooresboro, NC, died Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009, at the Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care. Donald was born Aug. 6, 1932, in Eva City, Ala. to the late Thomas David Boyd and Velma Woodard Boyd. He served our country as a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force for 27 years which included tours of duty during the Korean and Vietnam wars and was a longtime member of Sandy Run Baptist Church. He also worked in civil service for many years and also for Lowes. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one grandson, David Duckworth and two sisters, Faye Kerlin and Reba Young. Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Glachia Blanton Boyd; four daughters, Dianna Duckworth of Mooresboro, Deborah Zarbo of Burleson, TX, Linda Crowe of Mt. Holly, NC and Dawn Jarvis of Fayetteville, NC; one sister, Carolyn Smith of Pinson, AL; five grandchildren, ; three greatgrandchildren, and one niece. A private memorial service is planned with military honors accorded by the Rutherford County Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be sent to American Diabetes Association, 16-A Brozzini Court, Greenville, SC 29615. Harrelson Funeral Home is serving the family. An online guest registry is available at www.harrelsonfuneralhome.com

Dillard A. Mynatt Dillard A. Mynatt, 78, of Gatlinburg, TN, who once served as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Forest City, died on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009. He is survived by his wife, Frances, of Gatlinburg, two sons, Michel Mynatt of Knoxville, and Dr. Daniel Mynatt and daughter-inlaw Macy, and two grandsons, Josh and Caleb, all of Anderson, SC. His parents were the late Beecher and Mae Mynatt of Fountain City, TN. Dr. Mynatt’s ministry included pastorates at Mount Harmony Baptist Church of Knoxville, The First Baptist Church of Madisonville, TN, the First Baptist Church of Forest City, NC, and the First BaptistChurch or Oak Ridge, TN, where he retired and was later named Pastor Emeritus. After retirement, he served as interim pastor at several additional Baptist churches. He was mentor in the lives of many young ministers. He served two student churches, Timothy Street Baptist Church of Knoxville and Taylor”s Chapel Baptist Church of Murfreesboro, Tn. A native of Fountain City, he graduated from Central High School, CarsonNewman College, and the Southers Baptist Theological Seminary. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity by Carson-Newman College in 1994. A memorial service will be conducted on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 3p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Gatlinburg where he served twice as interim pastor. The family will receive friends from 1 to 3 p.m. at the church. A family held interment will be Friday, Dec,18, 2009, at 2 p.m. in the Grandview Memorial Park in Rock Hill, SC. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Mynatt Minister/Spouse Retreat in care of B.C. Bowling, Treas., 4113 Crestfield Road, Knoxville, TN 37921, or the Alumni Scholarship Fund of the Central High School class of 1950, P.O. Box 5544, Knoxville, TN 37928.

County explains funds restrictions By SCOTT BAUGHMAN Daily Courier Staff Writer

RUTHERFORDTON — Opposition to an airport expansion plan was high at the December meeting of the Rutherford County Commission, but officials insist they couldn’t have spent the $86,000 they used to match a federal airport improvement grant to pay employees salaries in November. County Manager John Condrey fielded questions regarding how the county could ask employees to take unpaid furloughs and then spend money on the airport project from several citizens, many with the Rutherford 9.12 group who organized tea party tax protests earlier this year. “The county can only spend money from the building fund on building projects,” Condrey said. “It cannot take money from that fund and put it into the general fund to pay employees. That is not what the money was collected for and it’s like they are in two separate buckets and you can’t mix the two buckets.” But some concerned citizens felt differently. “The county only has one source of revenue, and that is tax collections from it’s citizen-taxpayers. The fact that the county decides to designate certain funds for certain purposes, is commendable, because it keeps everything very delineated and transparent,” Zoran Naskov of the Rutherford 9.12 group said. “The buckets are there to serve the taxpayers in a clear and transparent manner. If such a time comes when those bucket allocations do not allow for the county to function, then they need to be re-delineated, and structured so that the taxpayer is served.” Condrey countered that the money was only allowed to spent on its stated purpose. “Comparing the money spent on furlough days to county building funds dollars is a misunderstanding of the facts,” Condrey said. “Here’s

Arrangements by GentryGriffey Funeral Chapel.

Carolinas Today SC firm fined as result of deaths

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina labor officials say a South Carolina fireworks company let its employees keep a cigarette pack and lighter right by a truck full of fireworks that exploded, killing four workers on Ocracoke Island. The North Carolina Department of Labor issued nine citations and fines of more than $40,000 Friday against Melrose South Pyrotechnics for the July 4 explosion. The company was fined for having the workers use the back of the box truck to put fuses into the 680 pounds of fireworks. It was also fined for having a motorcycle battery inside the truck and using steel tools that could create a spark. Officials at the company’s headquarters near Rock Hill didn’t return a message. A fifth worker survived the blast with severe burns.

Company loses bid for 9/11 memorial

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina company says it may have to cut 40 workers after losing a $5.5-million bid to supply granite for the National September 11th Memorial. The president of North Carolina Granite Corporation said Friday his company lost the bid to an Italian firm. William Swift says his company’s bid would have used about 200,000 square feet of green granite for the

obituaries

Obituaries Lottie Scruggs

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benches, floor and fountains of the plaza attached to the memorial. Swift says without the contract the Mount Airy firm may have to get rid of 40 employees in its stonecutting division. The company employs about 125 workers.

Senate hopeful Deaton out of race CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A Charlotte dry cleaning operator and real estate developer who got into North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race this fall is ending his bid and endorsing fellow Democrat Elaine Marshall. Frank Deaton II said Friday he was withdrawing from the Democratic primaTHE 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.

ry. He says Democrats need to unite to defeat Republican incumbent Richard Burr next November and an expensive primary race could hurt their chances. Deaton is now backing Marshall, who has been North Carolina’ Secretary of State since 1997. Other high-profile Democrats in the May primary include Cal Cunningham of Lexington and Kenneth Lewis of Chapel Hill.

Amy Coffey Proctor

Amy Coffey Proctor, age 80 of South Woodland Avenue, Forest City, North Carolina, died Wednesday, December 9, 2009, at Hospice House of Forest City. She was born January 17, 1929, in Rutherford County and was a daughter of the late Horace Edward and Nancy Luanna Collins Coffey; a retired beautician and a member of Harmon Street Baptist Church. She was also preceded in death by her husband, William Jennings “Bill” Proctor and a son, Daniel Scott Proctor. Survivors include two sons, David Proctor of Oklahoma City, OK, Mike Proctor of Forest City, a daughter, Nancy Ferguson of Forest City and a sister, Rubye Arledge of Rutherfordton. There are also nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Graveside services will be held at three o’clock Saturday, December 12, 2009, at the Cool Springs Cemetery with Chaplain Travis Smith officiating. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Rutherford County, Post Office Box 336, Forest City, NC 28043. The Padgett and King Mortuary is in charge of arrangements and an online guest registry is available at www.padgettking.com PAID OBIT

Lottie Muriel Scruggs

Lottie Muriel Scruggs, age 86, of 1050 Doggett Road, Forest City, died Thursday, December 10, 2009, at Hospice House. A native of Rutherford County, she was a daughter to the late James Arthur Thornton and Bessie Blankenship Thornton. She worked for Burlington Industries as a weaver for over 40 years before her retirement and was a charter member of Sandy Mush Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 25 years, Tony Scruggs; one son, Roger McMinn, Sr.; one brother, James Arthur Thornton, Jr. and one sister, Clarice Thornton. Survivors include her grandson, Roger McMinn, Jr. of Lincolnton, NC; her granddaughter, Janet Nanney of Forest City and four nephews, Buck Thornton and his wife, Carol, of Spindale, Jerry Thornton of Caroleen, Joe Thornton of Pacolet, SC and Robin Thornton and his wife, Beverly, of Liberty, SC. Funeral services will be conducted at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 13, 2009, at Sandy Mush Baptist Church with the Reverend Ernest Brown officiating. Interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Park. The family will receive friends one hour prior to service time. At other times the family will be gathered at the Doggett Road address. Harrelson Funeral Home is serving the family. An online guest registry is available at www.harrelsonfuneralhome.com PAID OBIT

an example from the federal government. This year Social Security recipients are currently being told that they do not receive a cost of living increase. The reason is that the Social Security cost of living increase is tied to the rise in consumer price index and that has not increased in the past year. So if someone questioned how could the government not give seniors a Social Security increase while they fund TARP, that would be mixing apples and oranges.“ County officials also pointed to the tax income from the airport as a reply to those saying the project was not necessary. The total county tax levy for planes and hangars related to the airport for 2008 was $210,649; broken down as follows: Airplane Values – $37,935,550 Hangar Values – $1,809,500 Total Values – $39,745,050 Levy at 53 cents tax rate – $210,649 But several citizens Monday night saw the airport project as a luxury and spoke against using the local funds as a requirement to receive the federal grant.

Donald W. Boyd Donald W. Boyd, age 77, of Mooresboro, NC, died Thursday, December 10, 2009, at the Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care. Donald was born August 6, 1932 in Eva City, Alabama to the late Thomas David Boyd and Velma Woodard Boyd. He proudly served our country as a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force for 27 years which included tours of duty during the Korean and Vietnam Wars and was a longtime member of Sandy Run Baptist Church. He also worked in Civil Service for many years and also for Lowes. He taught modern square dance and enjoyed all types of sports including being a fan of Alabama football and of the Dallas Cowboys. He loved and dedicated himself to his wife, daughters and grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one grandson, David Duckworth and two sisters, Faye Kerlin and Reba Young. Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Glachia Blanton Boyd; four daughters, Dianna Duckworth and her husband, Bill, of Mooresboro, Deborah Zarbo and her husband, Tom, of Burleson, TX, Linda Crowe and her husband, Mike, of Mt. Holly, NC and Dawn Jarvis and her husband, Jay, of Fayetteville, NC; one sister, Carolyn Smith of Pinson, AL; five grandchildren, Heather Williams, Gloria Jarvis, Amy Crowe, William Duckworth and Scott Zarbo; three great-grandchildren, Rya Duckworth, Jordan River Williams and Conner Zarbo and one niece, Sandra Oberg also of Pinson, AL. A private memorial service is planned with military honors accorded by the Rutherford County Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be sent to American Diabetes Association, 16-A Brozzini Court, Greenville, SC 29615. Harrelson Funeral Home is serving the family. An online guest registry is available at www.harrelsonfuneralhome. com PAID OBIT

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009

Calendar/Local

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. 16 — Harris Elementary, 1:30 to 6 p.m., contact Don Ingle at 248-2354 Dec. 21 — Oak Grove Methodist Church, Ellenboro, 4 to 8:30 p.m., contact Dawn Kanipe at 289-1279; Dec. 28 — Red Cross Chapter House, 2 to 6:30 p.m., call 287-5916 for an appointment. Classes: Adult CPR: Monday, Dec. 14, begins at 6 p.m. Child, Infant CPR: Tuesday, Dec. 15, begins at 6 p.m. First Aid: Thursday, Dec. 17, begins at 6 p.m., Preventing Disease Transmission.

Meetings/other Photographers Association: Carolina Nature Photographers Association, Foothills Region, Rutherford County, will meet Monday, Dec. 14, at the county annex building. Meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Prospective members welcome. Contact Rickey Green at 828-429-5096. Lost Playwrights: Lost Playwrights of Western North Carolina will not meet in December. The next meeting is Saturday, Jan. 23, 4 p.m., at Doc’s Deli in Hendersonville; a presentation of short plays will follow at 7 p.m. The meetings are open to anyone interested in any aspect of theatre. Alcoholics Anonymous: The TriCity Alano Club meets every day at 1201 Oakland Road, Forest City, (first door on the left). For more information and meeting times call 288-2700.

Students/schools Open House: Chase Middle School, Thursday, Dec. 17; various activities will be offered for students and their parents, including Atomic Learning (in the open lab), Flu prevention and treatment (cafeteria), Destiny web based library catalog system (media center), or make and take a Christmas ornament (art room); these are available to 6th graders from 4:30 to 5 p.m., and 7th and 8th graders 5:15 to 5:45 p.m.; a rotation through academic classes will begin at 5 for 6th grade, and 4:30 for 7th and 8th graders; open house will conclude with a chorus concert in the gym at 6 p.m., for everyone.

Miscellaneous Toy run: 10th Annual Moose Lodge Toy Run; Sunday, Dec. 13, meet in the old K-Mart parking lot to begin lining up at 1 p.m.; depart at 1:45 p.m.; bring a new, unwrapped toy; the ride ends around 2:15 p.m. at Moose Lodge, BBQ will be served. Foothills Harvest Outreach Ministries will hold a sale on all Christmas items (50 percent off) Dec. 14-19. Located at 120 E. Trade St., Forest City.

Jury Continued from Page 1

motor vehicle, misdemeanor larceny, second-degree trespassing and injury to personal property. Cole allegedly stole a catalytic converter from a 1980 Nissan 280 ZX. Other people facing true bill indictment and their charges are: n Roger Cornlius Smith, habitual impaired driving. n Demurice Tyrone Abrams, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and possession with intent to sell or deliver controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school. n Jonte Jevan Patterson, felony possession of schedule II controlled substance. n Randolph Galoraza, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and felony maintain vehicle/ dwelling/ place for controlled substance. n Kristen Williams Green, financial card withholding and two counts of obtain property by false pretense.

Mrs. Carnegie opens home to benefit authority From staff reports

RUTHERFORDTON — Dot Carnegie inherited more than just hundreds of Christmas ornaments from her mother. She also inherited her love of decorating for the holidays. Or as Dot puts it: “My mother was a Christmas nut – just like her daughter!” To share her Christmas obsession with the community while making a contribution to a worthwhile local cause, Dot is opening her home to visitors Dec. 19-20, to raise funds for Rutherford Housing Partnership. Dot returned to the family home place after a 38-year career as a first-grade teacher in Charlotte. It’s the home she shared with her parents from six weeks of age, she said. “Decorating at Christmas has always been a thing with our family. My mother always enjoyed it, and so do I. I have only been doing it in this kind of detail for the last eight years.” Ornaments fill four trees in her home. The dining room features angels, she said, “but there is really no motif. I have everything on the trees – all the ornaments the children gave me through the years and ornaments from when I was a baby.” Pressed to select a favorite ornament, Dot names the ornaments her cousin Lib Carnegie made from the costume jewelry in an aunt’s estate. The oldest are thin, delicate ornaments she remembers from when she was growing up. “Those are now antiques,” she said, laughing. “Today ornaments are shatterproof.” She often selects ornaments as mementos of special trips, she said. “Thousands” is the best estimate she can give for how many ornaments she owns. “If you want to help me put them up,” she’ll tell a visitor, “we’ll count them.” She does know how many Santas she has collected over the last eight to 10 years, and visitors will be given a chance to guess how many. The visitor each day who guesses closest to the number of Santas in the house will receive a special door prize. Decorating begins at the end of October. Storing all the decorations is tough in an old house with so few closets. “Christmas at Dot’s” will be 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19-20. Admission is $5. Advance tickets – nice Christmas gifts for friends – can be purchased at the Habitat ReStore, 686 W. Main St., Forest City or Hill’s Hardware, 184 N. Main St., Rutherfordton. Tickets can also be purchased at the door.

Behavior Continued from Page 1

of goals for students requiring support strategies beyond school-wide support and a school evaluation of 80 percent or more. “These schools had more than 90 percent and scored 90 or above on their school evaluations,” Helton said. School evaluations are completed by members of the community and others, McSwain said. Helton said data about PBS is collected using School-Wide Information System. The software allows a school to track the times of days and locations of problem behaviors, among other things. “As far as the rate of children’s suspensions, it’s a tenth of what it was before PBS was instituted,” McSwain said. “And academic scores have gone up.” Because students know what is expected of them, McSwain said, it cuts down on the amount of time teachers have to spend settling classes down – leading to more instructional time. “If children know what to expect, period, they will behave better,” she said. “It makes schools run a whole lot smoother.” Currently PBS is used in six elementary schools in Rutherford County. McSwain said other schools may sign the PBS agreement with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as they see the success rate of those already using the pro-

Contributed photo

Dot Carnegie of Rutherfordton is hosting a holiday tour for Rutherford Housing Partnership next Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at Habitat ReStore or at the Carnegie home the days of the tour.

The house is located at 117 S. Mitchell St., Rutherfordton, between Court Street and Maple Street (Hwy 108 between downtown and the hospital). Mitchell Street sits behind the old Rutherfordton Elementary School. Rutherford Housing Partnership is a local nonprofit dedicated to providing urgently needed repairs affecting health and safety to the homes of qualified low-income homeowners. RHP provides materials; volunteers provide labor. For more information, call 248-3431.

gram. “That’s my hope,” she said. “It can be utilized for all age schools. Counties around us, like Burke and Henderson, have middle schools who are in it.” Here are school programs: Spindale Elementary – Through the Positive Behavior Support program (PBS) at Spindale Elementary, each student is encouraged to “Bee” his or her best by remembering the Big Three: Bee Respectful, Bee Responsible and Bee Cooperative. As students are recognized for making positive choices on a daily basis, the children earn bee stickers and ultimately beads to wear on their PBS necklaces which are worn schoolwide every Wednesday. Students also have the opportunity to earn the following dog tags to proudly display on their PBS necklaces: Honor Roll, Outstanding Attendance, H.U.G. award (Hiking Up Grades), Super Bus Rider, Character Counts, Responsibility, Hooked on Books and “Bee My Best.” Earning “honey drops” for the big school-wide “Honey Pot” is also an important part of the PBS program at Spindale. Everyone looks forward to the reward celebration the entire school is treated to every time the big Honey Pot fills up during the year. Being designated as “Cool & Classy” or winning the “Golden Dustpan” are weekly PBS classroom incentives students also strive to attain at Spindale Elementary. Ellenboro Ellenboro – Last year

we began Team Tiger and will continue this again to improve attendance. Students will be recognized for perfect attendance with no tardies or early check-outs every six weeks. Those who achieve this goal every six weeks will be recognized at the end of the school year. In addition to Team Tiger, we will focus on improving behavior in the cafeteria, bathrooms, hallways, playgrounds and buses. It is expected that all students, faculty and staff of Ellenboro Elementary follow the rules and expectations of our matrix. Our Tigers ROAR With Pride: Respect, Organization, Attitude, Responsibility Forest City-Dunbar Elementary – Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School is “Home of the SuperStars,” focusing on Positive Behavior Support (PBS) strategies to increase positive behavior in students. FC- Dunbar has received a banner as a PBS Model School for their efforts in school-wide incentive programs. These programs focus on character education awareness. Forrest Hunt At Forrest Hunt Elementary as part of our Positive Behavior Support initiative, students from every class are recognized each six weeks as “STAR Students.” These students consistently exhibit the qualities that support our STAR behavioral expectations: “S” for Safe, “T” for Trustworthy, “A” for Accountable and “R” for Respectful.

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The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009 — 7

Inside Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Tiger Woods . . . . . . . . . Page 8 NFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9

UNC-C approves football team for ’13 CHARLOTTE (AP) — Trustees for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte have announced plans to move forward with a football team, starting in the 2013 season. The board of trustees agreed unanimously Friday morning on a new plan that would provide $40.5 million in funding to build a permanent 30,000seat stadium and field house, and to seek state approval for a student fee increase to fund the project. Chancellor Philip Dubois said the time would never be better. The move would require an increase of student fees of up to $320, to be phased in over several years. UNC Charlotte’s chancellor says the student fee could go down if private donations toward the football program increase.

East’s Tamara El-Amoor (10) watches her game-winning, 3-point shot go into the basket. The shot beat both the buzzer and Owen in non-conference basketball action at East Rutherford High on Friday. Scott Bowers/Daily Courier

El-Amoor’s buzzer-beater lifts Lady Cavs

Busch enters ownership with Truck team CHARLOTTE (AP) — Kyle Busch is entering team ownership with two entries next season in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series. Kyle Busch Motorsports will field the No. 18 Toyota and drive it himself in companion races to the Sprint Cup Series. Brian Ickler will drive the truck when Busch has other obligations. Busch was able to build his team by purchasing the assets of Xpress Motorsports. KBM will use Xpress Motorsports’ shop in Mooresville until construction is completed on a new building. Rick Ren will oversee the organization as director of competition. He just won the Truck Series championship as crew chief for Ron Hornaday Jr.

Local Sports

n Devince

Boykins’ double-double leads Cavaliers over Warhorses By KEVIN CARVER Sports Reporter

Scott Bowers/Daily Courier

East’s Devince Boykins shoots the first of his two free throws during the basketball game against Owen Friday. Boykins sank both.

FOREST CITY — Tamara El-Amoor stayed quiet for most of Friday night, but she hit undoubtedly the biggest shot of her high school career in the final moments to lift East Rutherford over Owen, 40-37. With time winding down and the game tied, 37-37, a double team on Shaquisha Dawkins freed up El-Amoor in the right corner. El-Amoor, standing beyond the 3-point arc, fired and connected as the buzzer sounded for the victory. It was her only basket on the night. “El-Amoor had a tough shooting night, but in that situation, with her as a senior, there isn’t anyone else that was more capable of hitting the shot at the end,” East Rutherford girls coach Larry Ross said. “I am proud of our young girls in the way they played and this is a big confidence builder for us.” Things were not exactly on East Rutherford’s side early on as Shaquisha Dawkins was tagged Please see Prep, Page 8

WRESTLING 12 p.m. R-S Central at Freedom Tournament

On TV 7:30 a.m. (ESPN2) English Premier League Soccer Teams TBA. 12 p.m. (WBTV) (WSPA) College Basketball Kentucky at Indiana. 12 p.m. (ESPN) College Basketball Ohio State at Butler. 1 p.m. (ESPN2) College Football NCAA Division II, Final: Teams TBA. 2 p.m. (ESPN) College Basketball La Salle at Kansas. 2 p.m. (FSS) College Basketball Georgetown vs. Washington. John Wooden Classic. 2:30 p.m. (WBTV) (WSPA) College Football Army vs. Navy. 4 p.m. (WYFF) PGA Tour Golf Merrill Lynch Shootout — Second Round. 4 p.m. (ESPN) College Football NCAA Division I Second Semifinal — Teams TBA. 4:30 p.m. (FSS) College Basketball Mississippi State vs. UCLA. John Wooden Classic. 5 p.m. (ESPN2) College Basketball Marquette at Wisconsin. 7 p.m. (ESPN2) College Basketball Virginia Tech at Penn State. 7 p.m. (FSS) NHL Hockey Carolina Hurricanes at Ottawa Senators. 9 p.m. (ESPN2) College Basketball Purdue at Alabama. 9 p.m. (SHO) Boxing Timothy Bradley vs. Lamont Peterson. 10:15 p.m. (HBO) Boxing Juan Diaz vs. Paul Malignaggi, Welterweights.

Appalachian State players celebrate Matt Cline’s (17) go-ahead touchdown reception against Richmond in Richmond, Va., on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, during an NCAA college football game. Associated Press

Top FCS teams meet in semifinals MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — The two most successful Football Championship Subdivision teams this past decade meet in a semifinal game Saturday. Appalachian State, a three-time national champion with a 101-32 record since 2000, plays at Montana, which has a 118-12 record and the 2001 national title to go with three runner-up finishes since 2000. “I told our team I thought it will be the biggest game in the history of our stadium, and it certainly has a chance to be the toughest ticket of all time,” said Montana coach Bobby Hauck. “It has a chance to be the largest crowd in stadium history. Nationally televised, it should be a lot of fun.” The game kicks off at 2 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN. William &

Mary (11-2) and Villanova (12-1) meet in the other semifinal Friday night. Montana (13-0) is trying to advance to the national championship game in Chattanooga, Tenn., for the second straight year while Appalachian State (11-2) is looking for its fourth appearance in five years. Appalachian State is led by defending Walter Payton Award winner Armanti Edwards, who led the led the team to its second and third national titles in 2006 and 2007. “Right now we’re playing the team that has the Walter Payton Award winner,” said Griz defensive tackle Austin Mullins. “Last year he was the best player in the country, and he’s a finalist this year.” Edwards has passed for 2,938 yards and 12 touchdowns this season and

rushed for 625 yards and 18 more scores. His top two receivers are Matt Cline with 880 yards and two touchdowns while Brian Quick has 847 yards receiving and four scores. Devon Moore has rushed for 1,290 yards and 17 touchdowns. “They’re a gifted group,” Hauck said. “We’ll have our hands full with these guys. We don’t have any illusions about that.” Montana quarterback Andrew Selle has passed for 2,531 yards and 24 touchdowns while backup Justin Roper has 951 yards passing and eight more scores. Marc Mariani is the leading receiver with 1,262 yards and 12 touchdowns. Chase Reynolds leads the Griz ground game with 1,245

Please see FCS, Page 9

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009

sports

Scoreboard

Prep Continued from Page 7

with three fouls in the first quarter alone and others had to pick up the pace for the Lady Cavs. East, despite the foul trouble for Dawkins, ran out to a quick lead they kept throughout the half. Following a top of the key 3 by Shanay Watkins to break a 2-2 tie. Watkins nailed a three-pointer along the left wing on the next possession. With 9.2 seconds left in the quarter, the Lady Cavs rushed up court and Watkins struck again from 25-feet out. The shot swished through the net as time expired to push out to an 11-4 advantage for East Rutherford. The Lady Cavs continued to build a big lead, even with Dawkins sitting on the bench during the entire second quarter, buckets by Kaziah Miller and Watkins kept the East lead to 19-11 at the half. Dawkins obtained her fourth foul with four minutes left in the third period and had to sit the rest of the quarter. While she sat on the bench, Owen nibbled themselves back into the contest and on Sheena Twitty’s put back, Owen had tied it up at 25-all on a 14-6 run. The Lady Warlassies completed a 3-point play moments later to take their first lead, 28-25. East fired back on four free throws for East Rutherford to end the third up 29-28. In the final frame, East found themselves down, 37-33, with Dawkins returning at the 4:20 mark of the fourth. A Dawkins 3-ball and freebie tied the game back at 37-all to set up the dramatic ending. East was 3-of-15 from 3-point range in the first half and hit 3-of-4 in the second half as the Lady Cavs moved to 6-0 on the season. Watkins led the way for East Rutherford with 15 and Miller added 13 in the contest. East Rutherford (6-0) will play at R-S Central in the South Mountain Athletic Conference opener on Tuesday, Dec. 15.

East Rutherford 56, Owen 49

FOREST CITY — Devince Boykins’ double-double lead the Cavaliers to a 56-49 home win over Owen, Friday. Owen made several dramatic runs, but East Rutherford quickly ended each in spectacular fashion — including the final quarter for the Cavaliers to stay undefeated with a victory at home. “I felt like we answered every little run they had in them. Owen seemed to get some easier looks and yet we still ended up outscoring them,” East Rutherford coach Brad Levine said. “Also, Adrian Wilkins drained two key 3s in the game for us and Ramone Snow had some good minutes with four steals and four assists to help us get the win tonight.” It was quite a fast start for East Rutherford as they broke out to a 7-0 run off the opening tip. Rob Gray picked up from Wednesday night’s 30-point effort and began the game with a 3-pointer. Boykins nailed an open 12-foot jumper and Zach Price’s up-and-under move on a drive created two more points for the early lead that East held through out the half. Boykins slid three nice assists in the first quarter, including one to Gray on the baseline for a bucket and one each to Price and Mikhail Baxter, who responded with 3-pointers to propel East to a 22-12 first quarter lead. Owen’s J.D. Chaplain hit three first half 3s with two coming back-to-back in the second frame to close the Cavaliers lead back to 24-18. The contest closed to five with under a minute to go in the half, but Raheem Hampton’s half-court heave at the buzzer allowed East to keep a 33-25 at the break. Another 3 by Chaplain reeled the East lead back to 38-33, as the Warhorses went on a 8-5 run to start the third quarter. Boykins finished off two plays — one on a reverse slam and the other a 3-point play — as East ended the third with a 46-36 advantage. Chaplain again made a 3 to cut the Cavs lead to six, but another Boykins dunk and Ricky Wilkerson’s 3-point play on a Boykins assist finalized the contest with just over a minute left in the game. Boykins ended with 18 points and 14 boards. Gray added 14 more points in the win.

FOOTBALL National Football League AMERICAN CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF New England 7 5 0 .583 328 Miami 6 6 0 .500 278 N.Y. Jets 6 6 0 .500 249 Buffalo 4 8 0 .333 199 South W L T Pct PF x-Indianapolis 12 0 0 1.000 331 Jacksonville 7 5 0 .583 225 Tennessee 5 7 0 .417 246 Houston 5 7 0 .417 277 North W L T Pct PF Cincinnati 9 3 0 .750 254 Baltimore 6 6 0 .500 271 Pittsburgh 6 7 0 .462 278 Cleveland 2 11 0 .154 158 West W L T Pct PF San Diego 9 3 0 .750 342 Denver 8 4 0 .667 240 Oakland 4 8 0 .333 142 Kansas City 3 9 0 .250 196 NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF Dallas 8 4 0 .667 279 Philadelphia 8 4 0 .667 327 N.Y. Giants 7 5 0 .583 303 Washington 3 9 0 .250 200 South W L T Pct PF x-New Orleans 12 0 0 1.000 440 Atlanta 6 6 0 .500 279 Carolina 5 7 0 .417 215 Tampa Bay 1 11 0 .083 187 North W L T Pct PF Minnesota 10 2 0 .833 359 Green Bay 8 4 0 .667 323 Chicago 5 7 0 .417 233 Detroit 2 10 0 .167 206 West W L T Pct PF Arizona 8 4 0 .667 297 San Francisco 5 7 0 .417 245 Seattle 5 7 0 .417 243 St. Louis 1 11 0 .083 139

PA 224 296 208 261 PA 201 273 316 266 PA 187 215 244 315 PA 242 202 282 326 PA 213 235 285 238 PA 251 279 262 330 PA 233 229 270 358 PA 234 233 267 314

x-clinched division Thursday’s Games Cleveland 13, Pittsburgh 6 Sunday’s Games Seattle at Houston, 1 p.m. Green Bay at Chicago, 1 p.m. Detroit at Baltimore, 1 p.m. New Orleans at Atlanta, 1 p.m. Buffalo at Kansas City, 1 p.m. Denver at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. Carolina at New England, 1 p.m. N.Y. Jets at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. Miami at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Cincinnati at Minnesota, 1 p.m. St. Louis at Tennessee, 4:05 p.m. Washington at Oakland, 4:05 p.m. San Diego at Dallas, 4:15 p.m. Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 8:20 p.m. Monday’s Game Arizona at San Francisco, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17 Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 8:20 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 Dallas at New Orleans, 8:20 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 Miami at Tennessee, 1 p.m. Arizona at Detroit, 1 p.m. Atlanta at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m. Houston at St. Louis, 1 p.m. Chicago at Baltimore, 1 p.m. New England at Buffalo, 1 p.m. Cleveland at Kansas City, 1 p.m. San Francisco at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. Oakland at Denver, 4:05 p.m. Cincinnati at San Diego, 4:05 p.m. Tampa Bay at Seattle, 4:15 p.m. Green Bay at Pittsburgh, 4:15 p.m. Minnesota at Carolina, 8:20 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21 N.Y. Giants at Washington, 8:30 p.m. Bowl Glance Saturday, Dec. 19 New Mexico Bowl At Albuquerque Wyoming (6-6) vs. Fresno State (8-4), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) St. Petersburg (Fla.) Bowl Rutgers (8-4) vs. UCF (8-4), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Sunday, Dec. 20 New Orleans Bowl Southern Miss. (7-5) vs. Middle Tennessee (9-3), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Tuesday, Dec. 22 Las Vegas Bowl BYU (10-2) vs. Oregon State (8-4), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Wednesday, Dec. 23 Poinsettia Bowl At San Diego Utah (9-3) vs. California (8-4), 8 p.m. (ESPN) Thursday, Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl At Honolulu SMU (7-5) vs. Nevada (8-4), 8 p.m. (ESPN) 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, Tenn. 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) Tuesday, Dec. 29 EagleBank Bowl At Washington Temple (9-3) vs. UCLA (6-6) or Army (5-6), 4:30 p.m. (ESPN) Champs Sports Bowl At Orlando, Fla. Miami (9-3) vs. Wisconsin (9-3), 8 p.m. (ESPN) 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) Tuesday, Jan. 5 Orange Bowl At Miami Iowa (10-2) vs. Georgia Tech (11-2), 8 p.m. (FOX) Wednesday, Jan. 6 GMAC Bowl 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) Saturday, Jan. 23 East-West Shrine Classic At Orlando, Fla. East vs. West, 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30 Senior Bowl At Mobile, Ala. North vs. South, 4 p.m. (NFL) Saturday, Feb. 6 Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Challenge At El Paso, Texas Texas vs. Nation, 3 p.m. (CBSC)

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Pct Boston 18 4 .818 Toronto 10 14 .417 New York 7 15 .318 Philadelphia 5 17 .227 New Jersey 2 20 .091 Southeast Division W L Pct Orlando 17 5 .773 Atlanta 15 6 .714 Miami 11 9 .550 Charlotte 9 11 .450 Washington 7 13 .350 Central Division W L Pct Cleveland 15 7 .682 Milwaukee 10 11 .476 Detroit 10 12 .455 Chicago 7 13 .350 Indiana 6 13 .316

GB — 9 11 13 16 GB — 1 1/2 5 7 9 GB — 4 1/2 5 7 7 1/2

WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct 15 7 .682 12 9 .571 10 9 .526 10 11 .476 9 12 .429 Northwest Division W L Pct Denver 16 7 .696 Portland 14 9 .609 Utah 13 9 .591 Oklahoma City 11 9 .550 Minnesota 3 19 .136 Pacific Division W L Pct L.A. Lakers 17 3 .850 Phoenix 15 7 .682 L.A. Clippers 9 12 .429 Sacramento 9 12 .429 Golden State 7 14 .333 Dallas Houston San Antonio New Orleans Memphis

GB — 2 1/2 3 1/2 4 1/2 5 1/2 GB — 2 2 1/2 3 1/2 12 1/2 GB — 3 8 1/2 8 1/2 10 1/2

Thursday’s Games Detroit 101, Denver 99 Boston 104, Washington 102 Utah 120, Orlando 111 Friday’s Games Atlanta 111, Toronto 89 Indiana 107, New Jersey 91 Houston 96, Philadelphia 91 Dallas at Miami, late Oklahoma City at Memphis, late New York at New Orleans, late Golden State at Chicago, late Portland at Cleveland, late Charlotte at San Antonio, late Minnesota at L.A. Lakers, late Orlando at Phoenix, late Saturday’s Games Indiana at Washington, 7 p.m. Golden State at Detroit, 7:30 p.m. Boston at Chicago, 8 p.m. Charlotte at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. Portland at Milwaukee, 8:30 p.m. Phoenix at Denver, 9 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Utah, 9 p.m. Minnesota at Sacramento, 10 p.m. Sunday’s Games Houston at Toronto, 1 p.m. New Jersey at Atlanta, 5 p.m. Memphis at Miami, 6 p.m. Cleveland at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m. San Antonio at L.A. Clippers, 9:30 p.m.

HOCKEY National Hockey League EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Pts GF New Jersey 29 21 7 1 43 85 Pittsburgh 32 21 10 1 43 102 N.Y. Rangers 30 14 14 2 30 84 Philadelphia 29 14 14 1 29 86 N.Y. Islanders 31 11 13 7 29 80 Northeast Division GP W L OT Pts GF Boston 30 16 9 5 37 81 Buffalo 28 17 9 2 36 76 Ottawa 30 15 11 4 34 86 Montreal 32 15 15 2 32 82 Toronto 31 10 14 7 27 88 Southeast Division GP W L OT Pts GF Washington 31 19 6 6 44 111 Atlanta 29 15 11 3 33 92 Tampa Bay 30 11 11 8 30 76 Florida 31 11 14 6 28 82 Carolina 30 7 18 5 19 72 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division GP W L OT Pts GF Chicago 29 19 7 3 41 87 Nashville 31 18 11 2 38 81 Columbus 31 14 11 6 34 95 Detroit 30 14 11 5 33 83 St. Louis 29 13 11 5 31 71 Northwest Division GP W L OT Pts GF Calgary 30 19 8 3 41 90 Colorado 33 17 10 6 40 98 Vancouver 31 17 14 0 34 97 Edmonton 31 14 13 4 32 93 Minnesota 30 14 13 3 31 79 Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF San Jose 32 19 7 6 44 108 Los Angeles 33 20 10 3 43 103 Phoenix 31 18 11 2 38 77 Dallas 30 13 8 9 35 88 Anaheim 30 11 13 6 28 86

GA 63 85 90 83 98 GA 74 62 91 91 111 GA 85 85 88 106 109 GA 65 85 109 83 77 GA 72 96 81 97 88 GA 87 99 71 89 99

Thursday’s Games Ottawa 2, Philadelphia 0 Boston 5, Toronto 2 Pittsburgh 3, Montreal 2 Nashville 4, Columbus 3, SO Vancouver 4, Atlanta 2 Los Angeles 3, Phoenix 2, SO Friday’s Games Florida 4, New Jersey 2 Washington 4, Carolina 3, OT Anaheim at Detroit, late Chicago at Buffalo, late Edmonton at St. Louis, late Minnesota at Calgary, late Tampa Bay at Colorado, late Dallas at San Jose, late Saturday’s Games Boston at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. Buffalo at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m. Washington at Toronto, 7 p.m. Anaheim at Columbus, 7 p.m. Montreal at Atlanta, 7 p.m. Carolina at Ottawa, 7 p.m. Florida at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. San Jose at Phoenix, 8 p.m. Detroit at Nashville, 8 p.m. Minnesota at Vancouver, 10 p.m. Dallas at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. Sunday’s Games Tampa Bay at Chicago, 7 p.m. Calgary at Colorado, 8 p.m.

Tiger Woods to take “indefinite” leave from golf

(AP) — Tiger Woods said Friday he is taking an indefinite leave from golf to work on saving his marriage, using the word “infidelity” for the first time in a statement posted on his Web site. “After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf,” Woods said. “I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.” Woods and his wife, Elin, have been married five years and have a 2-year-old daughter and 10-monthold son. The announcement came two weeks after a car accident set in motion a shocking downfall for the world’s No. 1 player, and included sordid allegations of numerous extramarital affairs. One woman even shared a voice mail she said Woods left her two nights before his Nov. 27

accident. Woods hasn’t been seen in public since the accident. “I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children,” Woods said. “I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try.” The PGA Tour said it supported the decision by its biggest star. “His priorities are where they need to be, and we will continue to respect and honor his family’s request for privacy,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement, the tour’s first public comment since Woods mentioned his “personal failings” on Dec. 2. “We look forward to Tiger’s return to the PGA Tour when

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he determines the time is right for him.” The announcement by Woods raised the possibility, depending on how long he stays away from the game, that he could miss the Masters for the first time since he played as an amateur in 1995. The tournament is April 8-11. One of Woods’ favorite playing partners also said it was the right thing to do. “I think it’s great that he’s going to put his family first and work things out,” Steve Stricker said from Naples, Fla. “Golf will always be there. He wants to make sure his marriage is right and everything is good on the homefront. We’ll sure miss him on tour until he gets things taken care of.” It will be the second straight season the PGA Tour begins without its No.

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1 player, although this is different. A year ago, he was out of golf for eight months while recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, and television ratings dropped 50 percent during his absence. “We knew before he was coming back,” Stricker said. “Now we’re not sure when he’s coming back. But this sounds good. I hope everything works out for him.” Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, told The Associated Press that he supports Woods’ decision to take time off for his family. “The entirety of someone’s life is more important than just a professional career,” Steinberg said in an e-mail to the AP. “What matters most is a young family that is trying to cope with difficult life issues in a secluded and caring way. Whenever Tiger may return to the game should be on the family’s terms alone.”

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 9

sports

Brady, Pats endure tough stretch

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The 24-year-old quarterback beamed from the podium as the crowd cheered and confetti fluttered. He clutched the top of his head with both hands and shook it from side to side, as if in disbelief. Tom Brady had just won his first Super Bowl. Eight seasons later, he lay face down on a different field. His hands were in nearly the same position, atop his helmet, after his last-chance pass was intercepted on Sunday. Tom Brady had just lost for the third time in four games. How did the cover-boy quarterback with the dimpled chin and the rifle arm go from the peak to the pits? He takes some of the blame for the New England Patriots problems. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hate to talk about myself Associated Press because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not about what I Nebraska defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh with the do. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about what we need Outland Trophy for best interior lineman at the Home to do,â&#x20AC;? he said, before adding, Depot ESPNU College Football Awards in Lake Buena â&#x20AC;&#x153;Obviously, I need to play better.â&#x20AC;? Vista , Fla., Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009. Brady has thrown balls over receiversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; heads and at their feet. His knack for carrying the team to fourth-quarter comebacks is missing. His frustration is evident on his face. But there are plenty of reasons why the Patriots are 7-5 and in a NEW YORK (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; With one brilliant display of tight battle for a playoff berth. brute force, Ndamukong Suh altered the Heisman The play-calling has been Trophy race like no other player this season. questionable. There is no reliIn fact, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doubtful that any one performance by able wide receiver behind Randy one player has ever done more to determine who Moss and Wes Welker. Tight wins college footballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most prestigious award. ends have caught just 22 passes The Nebraska defensive tackle in one night went in the last 10 games. The runfrom Heisman dark horse to fast-finishing finalist ning game is inconsistent. and might have shaken the big bronze statue loose With former offensive coorfrom Colt McCoyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grasp as he was tossing the dinator Josh McDaniels leavTexas quarterback around Cowboys Stadium. ing after last season to coach â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any idea what my (Heisman) chanc- the Denver Broncos, Brady and es were (going into the game),â&#x20AC;? Suh said Friday, quarterbacks coach Bill Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, not long after checking into a midtown Manhattan who calls plays, havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t clicked. hotel with his parents and sister. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My focus was to The Patriots lost 22-21 to the go out there and play as hard as I can to win that Miami Dolphins last Sunday on Big 12 championship and go to the Fiesta Bowl.â&#x20AC;? a field goal with 1:02 left despite Suh might not win the Heisman when it is hand- Bradyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 352 yards passing. In ed out Saturday night, but the guy who does should the second quarter, coach Bill probably thank him. Belichick chose to run on fourth McCoy, despite the pounding he took from Suh down from the Miami 6-yard and the Cornuskers in a 13-12 victory in the Big 12 title game, is also a Heisman finalist, along with running backs Toby Gerhart from Stanford and Mark Ingram from Alabama, and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

Suh blew up Texas and the Heisman race

New Englandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tom Brady (12).

line and fell short. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think the outcome of the game is probably different if they just kick the field goal,â&#x20AC;? said New Orleans cornerback Mike McKenzie, who intercepted Brady in a 38-17 Saints win in the Patriotsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; previous game. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So why is it Tom Brady? Why isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it Belichick whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not doing a good job?â&#x20AC;? And Brady? â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a great season every year,â&#x20AC;? McKenzie said. Still, Brady is second in the league in yards passing, throwing for more than 300 yards in six of his last seven games, tied for sixth in touchdown passes and eighth in completion percentage. He threw two interceptions against Miami in the fourth quarter, but Moss didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t challenge cornerback Vontae Davis on the first one in the end zone and linebacker Cameron Wake eluded right tackle Nick Kaczur and hit Brady as he unloaded the pass right to linebacker Channing Crowder with 35 sec-

onds left. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re 7-5, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a lot of good feelings about much, especially with some of the teams that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been on and the kind of expectations that we have,â&#x20AC;? Brady said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have to play my best football down the stretch.â&#x20AC;? If he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be for lack of effort. Even after his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, gave birth to their son on Tuesday, Brady was eager to return to his teammates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a captain and a leader of this team, the last thing they need from me is to be really not focused on the job at hand,â&#x20AC;? he said. Brady entered this season with 28 wins after the Patriots trailed or were tied in the fourth quarter. The only time they did that this season was in the opener, a 25-24 win over the Bills in which he threw two scoring passes in the last 2:06. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you just let Brady drop back at the top of his drop and deliver the ball on perfect timing, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be tough,â&#x20AC;? Buffalo safety George Wilson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s getting a lot more contact in the pocket.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the games I have seen on TV, throws that have become typical of him, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s missing. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not hitting them every time like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve grown to expect him.â&#x20AC;? Brady threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns as New England led Indianapolis 31-14 in the fourth quarter on Nov. 15. But the Colts won 35-34 after Belichickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ill-fated try for a first down on fourth-and-2 with 2:08 left. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you look through time and all your great quarterbacks, your Hall of Fame quarterbacks, there is a pretty good supporting cast along with them,â&#x20AC;? said Panthers coach John Fox, who will face the Patriots again on Sunday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as good as there is in the business and has been for some time.â&#x20AC;?

Browns sack struggling Steelers

CLEVELAND (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Steelers coach Mike Tomlin promised his team would â&#x20AC;&#x153;unleash hellâ&#x20AC;? in December. On Thursday night, hell froze Continued from Page 7 over. Sacking quarterback Ben yards rushing and 20 scores. Roethlisberger eight times, Both teams have used some comebacks to the Cleveland Browns ended a advance in the postseason. 12-game losing streak against Last week, Appalachian State trailed defending Pittsburgh with a 13-6 victory, national champion Richmond 31-28 with 3:26 left. dealing the Super Bowl champiArmanti led the Mountaineers on a 70-yard drive, ons their fifth straight loss and capped by the game-winning 4-yard touchdown one that may have done irrepapass to Cline with 10 seconds left. rable damage to their playoff â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re down and we always find a way to win,â&#x20AC;? hopes. said App State linebacker Jacque Roman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;NinetyWith a wind-chill factor dipnine teams out of 100 wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given up in ping well below zero, the Browns Richmond, because of the (snowy) conditions and (2-11) put the Steelers on ice, the calls. That shows the heart of a champion.â&#x20AC;? sending them to their second Montana has scored 91 straight points in the loss in a row since Tomlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playoffs, after rallying from a 48-21 third-quarter famous prediction. deficit against South Dakota State to win the Josh Cribbs rushed for 87 yards opening round game 61-48. Montana forced 10 out of the wildcat formation, turnovers in its 51-0 quarterfinal win over Stephen Chris Jennings scored the first F. Austin, the top scoring offense in the FCS until rushing touchdown by a Browns they played the Grizzlies. Montana now leads the running back in over a year and nation in scoring with nearly 38 points per game Clevelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s patchwork defense, while App State is seventh with 34.5 points per ranked last in the league, congame. tained the Steelers for four quarâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a very, very talented football team,â&#x20AC;? said ters. Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Pittsburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2 1/2-hour trip make any difference what defense they run or what home probably felt like it lasted offense they play or anything, their kids play hard. a month. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the thing thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impressive. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re used to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to hear that busâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; winning.â&#x20AC;? engine all the way back,â&#x20AC;? Cribbs Notes: The Mountaineers are 15-0 in games televised on ESPN channels, but the program is 0-8 in games west of the Mississippi River and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never won an FCS semifinal game on the road. Montana beat App State 19-16 in overtime in the 2000 semifinals in Missoula, the only time the two teams have met.

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Associated Press

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Cribbs (16) runs out of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;wildcatâ&#x20AC;? formation against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009, in Cleveland.

said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lonely ride. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ridden that ride for five years now. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for them to hear that engine all the way home.â&#x20AC;? Clevelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s win was its first over Pittsburgh at home since 2000, ended the Brownsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 10-game losing streak in their lakefront stadium and was just their second in 20 games against their archrival. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To lose five straight coming

off a Super Bowl from last year is embarrassing,â&#x20AC;? wide receiver Hines Ward said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing fun about losing games, especially five in a row. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re better than that. We should play better than that. With three games left, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to see who really wants to go out here and play for the pride of this organization and this city and who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be around.â&#x20AC;?

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009

weather/local Repairing the damage

Weather The Daily Courier Weather Today

Tonight

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Snow Possible

Rain Likely

Partly Cloudy

Few Showers

Mostly Sunny

Precip Chance: 30%

Precip Chance: 90%

Precip Chance: 80%

Precip Chance: 10%

Precip Chance: 50%

Precip Chance: 5%

42º

33º

46º 36º

59º 44º

57º 36º

49º 27º

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 .

. . . .

.47 .24 .54 .29

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

Precipitation 24 hrs through 7 a.m. yest. .0.00" Month to date . . . . . . . . .4.72" Year to date . . . . . . . . .55.30"

. . . .

.7:27 .5:16 .3:47 .2:20

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

Moon Phases

Barometric Pressure High yesterday . . . . . . .30.31"

Relative Humidity

New 12/16

High yesterday . . . . . . . . .50%

Full 12/31

First 12/24

Last 1/7

City

Sunday

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx

Asheville . . . . . . .40/32 Cape Hatteras . . .50/46 Charlotte . . . . . . .44/35 Fayetteville . . . . .50/39 Greensboro . . . . .46/33 Greenville . . . . . .49/40 Hickory . . . . . . . . . .41/31 Jacksonville . . . .52/42 Kitty Hawk . . . . . .48/44 New Bern . . . . . .49/41 Raleigh . . . . . . . .48/35 Southern Pines . .49/37 Wilmington . . . . .53/48 Winston-Salem . .45/33

sn pc pc pc pc s mc pc s pc pc pc mc pc

46/36 60/51 45/36 50/40 43/35 56/39 45/35 59/42 54/50 57/45 47/37 47/38 61/45 43/34

ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra

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

North Carolina Forecast

Greensboro 46/33

Asheville 40/32

Forest City 42/33 Charlotte 44/35

Today

City

.43/38 .40/34 .34/29 .30/29 .40/28 .63/50 .83/75 .37/26 .37/28 .52/46 .58/48 .39/28 .79/65 .41/33

ra s pc s pc ra sh s s ra ra sn sh s

Raleigh 48/35

Bad Data

Kinston 50/41

Woman charged in rape case is jailed

Today’s National Map

Sunday

54/42 42/37 35/30 38/31 43/34 62/45 85/75 40/35 41/36 53/39 56/45 40/27 81/65 42/36

ra rs cl rs ra ra pc rs rs sh ra rs sh ra

20s

30s

10s

40s

20s

20s 30s

40s

50s

40s

50s

30s

H 50s

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

Stationary Front

Warm Front

70s

Low Pressure

High Pressure

They put lots of energy into saving power costs By SCOTT BAUGHMAN Daily Courier Staff Writer

RUTHERFORDTON — Whether it’s turning up the heat in winter or turning up the air conditioning in the summer, homeowners are likely spending too much money on energy costs. Staff at the Weatherization Assistance Program want to help turn down bill. “The average person can save $300 on their home energy bill with this program,” said Coordinator Becky McKelvey at Isothermal Planning and Development Commission. “The weatherization program is open to those families who are at or below 200 percent of the poverty level, and either own their own home or have cooperation from their landlord.” The renovations that the program funds include: n tune-ups and repairs to heating and cooling systems n improving health and safety conditions by addressing carbon monoxide levels and combustion safety n sealing major air leaks n installing insulation in attics, walls and floors n installing a smart thermostat n replacing existing lighting with energy efficient bulbs The program has been around since the 1970s and is funded as part of the United States Department of Energy. But the Obama administration has made weatherization a real priority. “We’ve received about 10 times as much funding this year as in the past,” McKelvey said. “And there is a greater push on for results. We have

Sheriff’s Reports

been given the task of weatherizing 335 homes before December 2010 and our crew is ready to work.” That usual crew consists of David Bess, Dustin Gantt and Kirby Gantt with supervisor Flynn Walters. “My job is to evaluate people’s homes and see what work they need done,” Walters said. “There is a lot more interest this year.” Workers will also replace standard light bulbs with new compact fluorescent bulbs to reduce energy costs and the necessity of replacing them sooner. Walters and his crew will be getting some help this year, though. “We have one home done so far and about 14 houses to do as part of our standard program,” McKelvey said. “But this year, our crew is going to get some independent contractors to help them with the weatherization work.” The program has received additional funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and has hired one additional worker. McKelvey said there was a need for about four more new workers. “We have 90 homes on our waiting list right now,” McKelvey said. “So, we’re looking to get help and get started. This is a great opportunity to reach out to people and this time of year help them get the heat they need.” For more information or to sign up, contact McKelvey at bmckelvey@ regionc.org or 287-2281 ext. 1236. Contact Baughman via e-mail at sbaughman@thedigitalcourier.com.

Spotlights Every Sunday and Wednesday

The Daily Courier

KEETER 1775 E. DIXON BLVD. • SHELBY, NC

Arrests

A Rutherford County woman is charged with the statutory rape of a person 13, 14 or 15 years of age in a true bill of indictment. Cindy Miller Byers, 37, of 349 Spurling Rd., is facing the charge and has been placed under a $200,000 secured bond. In a true bill indictment, a grand jury has looked at the case and decided there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. She was placed in the Rutherford County Jail on Friday morning.

60s

Jean Gordon/Daily Courier

Dressed in warm coat and jacket, Peggy Murray and her husband Jack Murray of Whiteside Road, Bostic, complete the finishing touches on replacing their mailbox Thursday afternoon just in time for Christmas card delivery. The mailbox was knocked down and broken by a driver who lost control of her vehicle and ran off the right side of the road hit the mailbox. There were no injuries.

Police Notes

Wilmington 53/48

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx

Atlanta . . . . . . . . Baltimore . . . . . . Chicago . . . . . . . Detroit . . . . . . . . Indianapolis . . . Los Angeles . . . Miami . . . . . . . . . New York . . . . . . Philadelphia . . . Sacramento . . . . San Francisco . . Seattle . . . . . . . . Tampa . . . . . . . . Washington, DC

Greenville 49/40

Fayetteville 50/39

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Across Our Nation

Elizabeth City 47/38

Durham 47/35

Winston-Salem 45/33

n The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office responded to 139 E-911 calls Thursday. n Chris Ray McDaniel reported a breaking and entering and larceny. n A breaking and entering was reported at Salem Church, 184 Salem Church Rd., Ellenboro. n Loretta A. Stallings reported damage to a 2007 Honda Civic.

Rutherfordton n The Rutherfordton Police Department responded to 26 E-911 calls Thursday.

Spindale n The Spindale Police Department responded to 27 E-911 calls Thursday.

Lake Lure n The Lake Lure Police Department responded to eight E-911 call Thursday.

Forest City n The Forest City Police Department responded to 62 E-911 calls Thursday. n Toni Page reported an incident of obtaining property by false pretenses. The incident occurred on South Broadway Street. n An employee of Quality Plus, on West Main Street, reported an incident of larceny of motor fuel. n An employee of Wal-Mart reported a larceny. n An employee of Wal-Mart reported a larceny. (See arrest of Morgan.) n Stephanie Nicole Hawkins reported an assault on a female and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. (See arrest of King.) n An employee of the Forest City ABC Store reported a larceny. n An officer of the Forest City Police Department reported a power outage. The incident occurred on Bellvue Street. n An employee of Wal-Mart reported an incident of shoplifting/ concealment. (See arrest of Cole.)

n Jimmy Wayne Cole, 23, of Humphries Road, Shelby; charged with driving while license revoked, fictitious tag and no insurance; placed under a $1,000 secured bond. (FCPD) n Mark Anthony King Jr., 27, of Wells Drive, Forest City; charged with assault on a female and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; placed under a $500 secured bond. (FCPD) n William Brett Grindstaff, 24, of 123 Old Piney Mountain Rd.; charged with carrying a concealed gun; released on a $1,000 unsecured bond. (LLPD) n Jessica Alice Lovelace, 26, of 361 Rock Corner Rd.; charged with disorderly conduct; placed under a $1,000 secured bond. (RCSD) n Christopher David Medlin, 28, of 361 Rock Corner Rd.; charged with breaking and/or entering and larceny after break/ enter; placed under a $5,000 secured bond. (RCSD) n Kendall Loula McMillan, 19, of 140 E. Spruce St.; charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia; placed under a $5,000 secured bond. (RCSD) n Brandon Sinclair Hawkins, 23, of 341 S. Main St.; charged with driving while impaired and failure to notify DMV of address change; released on a $1,000 unsecured bond. (RPD)

Citations n Chelsea Nicole Morgan, 17, of W.V. Thompson Road, Rutherfordton; cited for larceny. (FCPD) n Jimmy Wayne Cole, 23, of Humphries Road, Shelby; cited for shoplifting/ concealment. (FCPD)

EMS/Rescue n The Rutherford County EMS responded to 26 E-911 calls Thursday. n The Volunteer Life Saving and Rescue, Hickory Nut Gorge EMS and Rutherford County Rescue responded to three E-911 calls Thursday.

Fire Calls n Chimney Rock firefighters responded to a smoke report, assisted by Lake Lure firefighters. n Ellenboro firefighters responded to a brush fire and to a chimney fire. n Hudlow firefighters responded to a motor vehicle accident. n Rutherfordton firefighters responded to a motor vehicle accident and to an electrical fire. n Spindale firefighters responded to an industrial fire alarm. n Sandy Mush firefighters responded to a motor vehicle accident. n Union Mills firefighters responded to a motor vehicle accident.

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The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009 — 11

STOCKS/BUSINESS

THE MARKET IN REVIEW

STOCK EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS

NYSE

7,125.12 +20.62

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last ChrisBnk 7.64 SunriseSen 3.04 DeltaAir 11.25 MGIC 5.16 W Hld rs lf 22.98 US Airwy 4.83 EBrasAero 22.45 LizClaib 5.13 CtlAir B 17.79 NCR Corp 10.72

Chg +1.62 +.38 +1.37 +.56 +2.23 +.46 +2.10 +.45 +1.55 +.93

%Chg +26.9 +14.3 +13.9 +12.2 +10.7 +10.5 +10.3 +9.6 +9.5 +9.5

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last Chg Prime pfB 4.65 -.98 IDT Cp C rs 3.10 -.48 IDT Cp rs 3.68 -.43 Care Inv 7.28 -.70 RogCm gs 29.32 -2.34 TorchEn lf 5.60 -.41 DuoyGWt n37.50 -2.65 QkslvGs 20.86 -1.39 IMS Hlth 20.05 -1.31 SwESPRet103.55 -.22

%Chg -17.4 -13.4 -10.5 -8.8 -7.4 -6.8 -6.6 -6.2 -6.1 -5.8

AMEX

1,779.14

+.39

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last AmDGEn n 2.87 HKHighpw 8.18 SinoHub n 4.60 ChNEPet n 6.85 AtlasAc un 10.61 GormanR 28.88 GrahamCp 19.01 CoastD 3.95 NCTDv2 15.54 ChinNutri n 3.22

Chg +.35 +.98 +.52 +.61 +.58 +1.49 +.89 +.17 +.62 +.12

%Chg +13.9 +13.6 +12.7 +9.8 +5.8 +5.4 +4.9 +4.5 +4.2 +3.9

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last OverhillF 4.85 RELM 3.50 LGL Grp 3.00 NTS Rlty 5.01 BioTime wt 2.33 AlldNevG 12.61 GeoGloblR 2.15 BioTime n 4.41 StreamGSv 6.12 KodiakO g 2.17

Chg %Chg -.71 -12.8 -.49 -12.3 -.30 -9.1 -.49 -8.9 -.22 -8.6 -.87 -6.5 -.14 -6.1 -.27 -5.8 -.38 -5.8 -.13 -5.7

DAILY DOW JONES

ASK ABOUT AN INSURANCE HAVE YOU REVIEWED YOUR

NASDAQ 2,190.31

-.55

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last ZionO&G wt 4.48 CambLrn n 4.80 SevernBc 2.70 AutoCh wt 16.78 OmegaFlex17.63 CtzCmtyBc 3.89 ArchLrn n 18.93 BkVA 3.45 Tree.com 8.34 Herley 13.44

Chg +1.38 +.71 +.31 +1.87 +1.79 +.39 +1.88 +.34 +.82 +1.27

%Chg +44.5 +17.4 +13.0 +12.5 +11.3 +11.1 +11.0 +10.9 +10.9 +10.4

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last SigaTech h 5.24 SptChalB 2.85 DeerCon s 12.20 FedFstFn 3.46 AlliancB 2.38 MaysJ 15.01 US Enr 4.98 SevenArts n 2.89 Cavico n 5.16 MonroeBc 5.87

Chg -2.08 -.86 -3.64 -.54 -.31 -1.89 -.60 -.35 -.58 -.65

%Chg -28.4 -23.2 -23.0 -13.5 -11.5 -11.2 -10.8 -10.7 -10.1 -9.9

MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE)

Name Vol (00) Citigrp 1947529 BkofAm 1785282 SPDR 1075944 Alcoa 732928 SPDR Fncl 628837 FordM 612305 FannieMae 589471 GenElec 552188 iShR2K 477919 WellsFargo 469061

Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows Volume

Last Chg 3.95 +.08 15.63 +.42 111.11 +.47 14.61 +1.11 14.39 +.10 9.00 -.05 1.04 +.12 15.92 +.31 60.17 +.56 25.41 +.09

DIARY

2,012 1,051 95 3,158 219 4 3,861,939,847

Name Vol (00) Last Chg GoldStr g 27374 3.52 -.04 KodiakO g 26103 2.17 -.13 Oilsands g 24401 1.11 -.03 NovaGld g 24221 5.51 -.09 Rentech 22697 1.63 -.06 ChNEPet n 22238 6.85 +.61 Taseko 21217 3.90 -.03 NwGold g 19303 3.25 -.07 CelSci 18495 1.09 -.03 GenMoly 18155 2.04 -.11

DIARY

Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows Volume

248 279 40 567 14 2 92,480,413

Name Vol (00) SunesisPh 697662 PwShs QQQ612043 Microsoft 425941 Intel 383206 Cisco 272553 ETrade 251398 Oracle 250587 UAL 231817 RschMotn 224000 Yahoo 221551

Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows Volume

Last Chg 1.72 +.33 44.13 -.17 29.85 -.02 19.90 -.25 23.77 -.17 1.66 +.05 22.78 +.19 10.99 +.82 63.84 -1.96 15.74 +.25

DIARY

1,577 1,098 160 2,835 60 22 1,726,126,530

52-Week High Low

NEEdS ANAlySIS. LATELY?

10,520 Dow JonesINSURANCE industrials LIFE

Close: 10,471.50 Change: 65.67 (0.6%)

10,516.70 4,122.43 399.33 7,285.67 1,887.23 2,214.39 1,119.13 717.75 11,480.36 625.30

10,360 10,200

11,200

10 DAYS

10,400 9,600

6,469.95 2,134.21 288.66 4,181.75 1,130.47 1,265.52 666.79 397.97 6,772.29 342.59

STOCK MARKET INDEXES Dow Industrials Dow Transportation Dow Utilities NYSE Composite Amex Market Value Nasdaq Composite S&P 500 S&P MidCap Wilshire 5000 Russell 2000

Net Chg

10,471.50 4,093.82 405.09 7,125.12 1,779.14 2,190.31 1,106.41 705.94 11,365.37 600.37

+65.67 +20.87 +6.36 +20.62 +.39 -.55 +4.06 +5.39 +50.45 +4.99

YTD %Chg %Chg

+.63 +.51 +1.60 +.29 +.02 -.03 +.37 +.77 +.45 +.84

+19.31 +15.74 +9.26 +23.76 +27.31 +38.89 +22.49 +31.15 +25.07 +20.21

12-mo %Chg

+21.34 +26.14 +10.79 +28.52 +34.81 +42.16 +25.77 +39.10 +29.15 +28.17

MUTUAL FUNDS

8,800 8,000

Last

Name

PIMCO TotRetIs American Funds GrthAmA m American Funds CapIncBuA m Vanguard TotStIdx TOCKS OF OCAL NTEREST American Funds CpWldGrIA m Fidelity Contra YTD YTD American Funds IncAmerA m Name Div Yld PE Last Chg%Chg Name Div Yld PE Last Chg %Chg American Funds InvCoAmA m AT&T Inc 1.64 5.9 14 28.01 +.25 -1.7 LeggPlat 1.04 5.1 75 20.25 +.69 +33.3 Vanguard 500Inv Vanguard InstIdx Amazon ... ... 79 134.15 -1.23+161.6 Lowes .36 1.5 20 23.88 +.79 +11.0 American Funds EurPacGrA m ArvMerit ... ... ... 9.20 +.21+222.8 Microsoft .52 1.7 19 29.85 -.02 +53.5 Dodge & Cox Stock American Funds WAMutInvA m BB&T Cp .60 2.3 18 25.88 -.03 -5.8 PPG 2.16 3.7 26 58.51 -.53 +37.9 Dodge & Cox IntlStk BkofAm .04 .3 ... 15.63 +.42 +11.0 ParkerHan 1.00 1.9 26 54.00 +.24 +26.9 American Funds NewPerspA m BerkHa A ... ... 3099000.00+601.00+2.5 Fidelity DivrIntl d Cisco ... ... 24 23.77 -.17 +45.8 ProgrssEn 2.48 5.9 14 41.98 +.66 +5.3 American Funds FnInvA m ... ... 63 28.22 +.56+113.5 PIMCO TotRetAdm b Delhaize 2.01 2.6 ... 77.75 -.10 +23.4 RedHat Dell Inc ... ... 18 13.12 -.11 +28.1 RoyalBk g 2.00 ... ... 52.12 -.33 +75.7 American Funds BalA m DukeEngy .96 5.4 15 17.81 +.14 +18.7 SaraLee .44 3.6 20 12.21 +.02 +24.7 FrankTemp-Franklin Income A m Vanguard Welltn ExxonMbl 1.68 2.3 17 72.83 +.43 -8.8 SonicAut ... ... ... 9.79 +.27+146.0 Vanguard 500Adml FamilyDlr .54 1.9 14 28.20 +.43 +8.2 SonocoP 1.08 3.7 21 29.37 -.15 +26.8 American Funds BondA m Fidelity GrowCo x FifthThird .04 .4 ... 10.18 +.10 +23.2 SpectraEn 1.00 5.0 16 20.19 +.08 +28.3 Vanguard TotStIAdm FCtzBA 1.20 .8 15 158.81 +4.70 +3.9 SpeedM .36 2.2 ... 16.09 +.39 -.1 Vanguard TotIntl GenElec .40 2.5 14 15.92 +.31 -1.7 .36 1.5 ... 24.73 -.06 +26.0 Vanguard InstPlus GoldmanS 1.40 .8 20 166.00 -.73 +96.7 Timken Fidelity LowPriStk d UPS B 1.80 3.1 34 58.01 +.38 +5.2 T Rowe Price EqtyInc x Google ... ... 38 590.51 -.99 +91.9 KrispKrm ... ... ... 2.99 +.05 +78.0 WalMart 1.09 2.0 16 54.65 -.04 -2.5 Hartford CapAprA m Pioneer PioneerA m Goldman Sachs ShDuGovA m Stock Footnotes: g = Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars. h = Does not meet continued-listing standards. lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 Alliance Bernstein GrowIncA m percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the DWS-Scudder REstA m Hartford GrowthL m last year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants.

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

Total Assets Obj ($Mlns) NAV

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

CI 114,653 LG 65,022 IH 58,268 LB 56,221 WS 56,060 LG 55,503 MA 49,018 LB 48,458 LB 47,844 LB 43,018 FB 40,409 LV 39,492 LV 38,894 FV 35,777 WS 32,502 FG 31,850 LB 30,369 CI 30,253 MA 29,744 CA 28,628 MA 28,113 LB 27,983 CI 27,836 LG 27,285 LB 26,873 FB 25,417 LB 24,423 MB 23,633 LV 15,231 LB 9,646 LB 4,251 GS 1,416 LV 1,228 SR 415 LG 185

+0.5 +17.0/C +0.4 +35.9/C +0.4 +23.8/D +0.9 +32.7/B -0.5 +36.8/C -0.4 +32.1/D +1.6 +29.7/B +1.5 +30.0/C +0.9 +29.8/C +0.9 +30.0/C -0.9 +44.3/A +0.7 +36.6/A +2.4 +23.0/D -1.5 +51.5/A +0.4 +42.1/B -1.4 +39.3/D +0.9 +35.8/B +0.5 +16.7/C +1.2 +24.4/D +2.6 +46.2/A +0.8 +27.5/C +0.9 +30.0/C +0.7 +18.8/B +0.2 +42.9/B +0.9 +32.9/B -0.9 +43.5/A +0.9 +30.0/C -0.3 +45.4/B +0.7 +28.9/B +0.9 +46.0/A +0.9 +27.6/D +0.3 +5.7/B +0.3 +28.7/C +4.0 +51.9/B -0.7 +37.5/C

10.86 27.08 48.30 27.23 34.01 56.95 15.57 25.90 102.42 101.79 38.67 95.72 24.85 31.99 25.66 27.64 32.43 10.86 16.30 2.04 29.04 102.45 11.88 66.72 27.24 14.66 101.80 31.09 20.82 30.15 35.48 10.54 2.95 13.69 14.71

+6.9/A +3.1/A +4.3/C +1.1/B +6.8/A +4.8/A +3.3/B +2.0/B +0.6/C +0.7/C +8.7/A -0.2/D +0.7/C +6.5/A +6.3/A +4.6/D +4.4/A +6.6/A +2.3/C +3.9/A +5.2/A +0.7/C +2.6/E +4.2/A +1.2/B +6.3/A +0.7/C +3.5/A +1.1/B +4.1/A +1.4/B +4.8/A -1.4/E +0.2/B -0.3/D

NL 5,000,000 5.75 250 5.75 250 NL 3,000 5.75 250 NL 2,500 5.75 250 5.75 250 NL 3,000 NL 5,000,000 5.75 250 NL 2,500 5.75 250 NL 2,500 5.75 250 NL 2,500 5.75 250 NL 5,000,000 5.75 250 4.25 1,000 NL 10,000 NL 100,000 3.75 250 NL 2,500 NL 100,000 NL 3,000 NL200,000,000 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 5.50 1,000 5.75 1,000 1.50 1,000 4.25 2,500 5.75 1,000 4.75 0

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

Retail news boosts stocks By SARA LEPRO and TIM PARADIS AP Business Writers

Associated Press

Nicole Molavi, left, of Sewell N.J. loads her cart with the help of cashier Christina Picone at a Wal-Mart, in Deptford N.J.

Consumer spending raises hopes of quicker recovery By MARTIN CRUTSINGER and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Business Writers

WASHINGTON — Just in time for Christmas, the fragile economic recovery is showing signs of strengthening: Consumers are spending, companies are rebuilding stockpiles and Chinese exports are mounting a comeback. Data released Friday eased some worries about Americans’ willingness to spend this holiday season. But stores remain worried that they may have to offer deeper discounts than planned, perhaps as early as this weekend, because of mediocre sales so far. Most stores have reported lackluster results for the start of the holiday season, so the Commerce Department’s retail-sales report for November was encouraging. Sales rose 1.3 percent — the healthiest advance since August and more than double the increase economists had expected. Most economists have been concerned that high unemployment

could depress spending and drag down an economy struggling to emerge from the worst recession since the 1930s. “The labor market is showing signs of stabilization, and this is giving consumers greater confidence to spend a little more than they were earlier this year,” said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi in New York. But other analysts cautioned that the economy still faces so many obstacles that consumer spending and the recovery are likely to be sluggish in the months ahead. “High unemployment, poor income growth, tight credit and the need to pay down debt mean that consumption growth is likely to slow,” said Paul Dales, an economist at Capital Economics. Shoppers crowded malls for deep discounts over Thanksgiving weekend, but many consumers have been slow to return. Some analysts say the industry could suffer its second straight year of holiday-season sales declines.

70,000 to get jobless letters

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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — More than 70,000 jobless North Carolinians who have exhausted unemployment benefits are about to get letters urging them to apply for the latest round of extended benefits approved by Congress. The extension increases benefits to a total of 99 weeks. Officials say nearly 20,000 of the state’s unemployed automatically received the extended benefits. But thousands more may have to wait s so the commission can upgrade its computers.

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NEW YORK — Stocks mostly rose Friday on signs that consumers and businesses are feeling more confident about the economy. The Commerce Department said retail sales rose 1.3 percent in November, more than double the increase analysts had expected and better than the 1.1 percent rise in October. The report boosted hopes that consumers are starting to feel more comfortable opening their wallets after months of building up their savings. A recovery in consumer spending, a major component of U.S. economic activity, is seen as one of the key elements to sustained growth. A separate report showing an increase in consumer confidence signaled that spending could continue to rise. The preliminary Reuters/ University of Michigan consumer sentiment index increased more than expected in December. In another welcome sign, the Commerce Department reported a 0.2 percent gain in business inventories in October, breaking a 13-month streak of declines. That’s a signal that businesses expect consumers to step up their purchases. Outside the U.S., news that China’s exports improved last month provided more evidence that the global economy is recovering. Chinese exports posted their smallest drop in exports in a year last month, just 1.2 percent, following a 13.8 percent plunge in October. Retail sales and industrial production grew. Hopes of an economic rebound have driven stocks higher for nine months but in the past month the pace of gains have slowed as investors look to lock in the year’s doubledigit gains as they face questions about whether the economy’s recovery will continue. Stephen Wood, chief market strate-

gist at Russell Investments, said the day’s reports help confirm that the economy is on the right track. “We’re going from the first global recession in 70 years to a tepid, but very real global growth story,” he said. According to preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 65.67, or 0.6 percent, to 10,471.50. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 4.06, or 0.4 percent, to 1,106.41, while the Nasdaq composite index slipped 0.55, or less than 0.1 percent, to 2,190.31. Stocks and the dollar oscillated during the week as investors tried to determine where the economy, and subsequently interest rates, are headed. After a stronger dollar sent the Dow down 104 points on Tuesday, stocks rebounded in the final three days of the week. The Dow rose 0.8 percent for the week, its second straight weekly gain. The S&P 500 index rose for a third straight week, edging up less than 0.1 percent. The Nasdaq slipped 0.2 percent for the week. Friday’s gains in stocks came even as the dollar rose. The ICE Futures US dollar index, which measures the dollar against other currencies, rose 0.7 percent. Gold fell $6.30 to $1,119.80 an ounce. Oil slumped for an eighth day, sliding 67 cents to $69.87 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Treasury prices mostly fell Friday after the encouraging economic reports weakened demand for safehaven investments. That pushed yields higher. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 3.55 percent from 3.50 percent late Thursday. Two stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume totaled 1 billion shares versus 1.1 billion Thursday. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 4.99, or 0.8 percent, to 600.37.

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Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009

NATION

Florida judges can’t be ‘friends’ on Facebook n Ethics

committee concerned about favoritism By TAMARA LUSH Associated Press Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida’s judges and lawyers should no longer “friend” each other on Facebook, the popular social networking site, according to a ruling from the state’s Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee. At least one South Florida judge warned her pals

with a Facebook status update that they could be “unfriended,” and the ruling has prompted others to do the same. The committee ruled Nov. 17 that online “friendships” could create the impression that lawyers are in a special position to influence their judge friends. The committee did conclude that a judge can post comments on another judge’s site and that during judicial elections, a judge’s campaign can have “fans” that include lawyers. And

the ruling doesn’t single out Facebook. “Although Facebook has been used as an example in this opinion, the holding of the opinion would apply to any social networking site which requires the member of the site to approve the listing of a ’friend’ or contact on the member’s site,” the opinion said. A few on the committee dissented, saying judges should be allowed to have Facebook friends because those relationships are more like “a contact or acquain-

tance.” Although only the Florida Supreme Court can actually mandate what judges can do, most will likely follow the ruling out of an abundance of caution, said Craig Waters, spokesman for the Florida Supreme Court. Judge Thomas McGrady, the chief of the sixth judicial circuit in Pinellas County, said he understands why the committee came to its conclusion: Judges need to appear impartial. “We as judges can still be good judges and still have friends. Part of our job is

to not let that friendship interfere in any way with our decisions,” he said. “But others in the public who see judges listing a lawyer as a friend on facebook, they may think that because they are your friend, they will be treated differently.” McGrady, who is sending a copy of the ruling to the 69 judges in his circuit, said this potential conflict of interest is why he doesn’t have a Facebook page. “If somebody’s my friend, I’ll call them on the phone,” he said, chuckling.

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 12, 2009 — 13

INTERNATIONAL

Draft climate pact promises major gas reductions By ARTHUR MAX Associated Press Writer

COPENHAGEN — Wealthy nations would commit to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade, and the world should strive to nearly eliminate them — or at least cut them in half — by 2050 under a draft agreement circulated Friday at the U.N. climate talks. The draft pulled together the main elements of a global pact that 192 nations have been negotiating for two years, but left numbers on financing and cutting greenhouse gas emissions — perhaps the most contentious bargaining issues — for world leaders to hammer out next week. The draft accord said all countries together should reduce emissions by 50 percent to 95 percent by 2050, and rich countries should cut emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020, in both cases using 1990 as the baseline year. It was meant to focus attention on the broad goals the world must achieve to avoid irreversible change in climate that scientists say could bring many species to extinction and cause upheavals in the human environment in many parts of the Earth. “It’s time to begin to focus on the big picture,” said Yvo de Boer, the top U.N. climate official. “The serious discussion on finance and targets has begun.” In unusually blunt language, meanwhile, China’s vice foreign minister said the chief U.S. negotiator at the talks either “lacks common sense” or was “extremely irresponsible” for saying that no U.S. climate funding should be going to China. The world’s two biggest greenhouse gas polluters have been exchanging barbs this week about the sincerity of their pledges to fight climate change.

Associated Press

UN Climate Chief Yvo de Boer prior to a plenary session at the UN Climate summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, Friday. Negotiators are working in Brussels and Copenhagen to come up with more climate change money for poor countries amid talks on a historic deal to control the world’s greenhouse gases.

the industrial countries have amounted to far less than the minimum. European Union leaders on Friday reiterated their pledge to increase their emissions cuts by 2020 to 30 percent from 20 percent, but only if other wealthy nations, including the U.S. and Canada, make comparable commitments. The six-page draft document distilled a much-disputed 180-page negotiating text, laying out the obligations of industrial and developing countries in curbing the growth of greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. News of the document

So far, pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions from

came as the European Union leaders agreed in Brussels to commit $3.6 billion (euro2.4 billion) a year until 2012 to a short-term fund to help poor countries cope with climate change. Most of the money came from Britain, France and Germany. Many cashstrapped former East bloc countries balked at donating but eventually all gave at least a token amount to preserve the 27-nation bloc’s unity. The EU commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent below 1990 levels over the next decade was conditional, depending on

President’s body is stolen

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Grave robbers stole the corpse of former hardline Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, digging up his coffin during a thunderstorm just before the first anniversary of his death, police said Friday. The body-snatching horrified people in Cyprus and came as the island’s Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are locked in complex reunification talks that have made limited progress. Police said the tomb raiders struck late Thursday or early Friday. There was no immediate indication of a motive. Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said three people were initially detained for questioning but released without charge. He gave no more details. President Demetris Christofias, who beat Papadopoulos in March 2008 elections, urged Cypriots “to remain calm in the face of this provocative act.” “This is an unacceptable, unholy,

VATICAN CITY (AP) —Pope Benedict XVI says he is “deeply disturbed and distressed” by a child sex-abuse scandal in Ireland and will write a letter to Catholics there. Benedict met Friday with senior Irish clergy in the wake of a report detailing the abuse. The report was issued last month after a government-ordered investigation into the Dublin Archdiocese. It found that the church shielded more than 100 childabusing priests from the law. The Vatican said the letter to the Irish faithful “will clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation.”

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unethical and condemnable act that damages our tradition, our culture and our respect toward the dead,” Christofias said. Papadopoulos is seen by some nationalist Greek Cypriots as a symbol of resistance against peace deals they believe have been weighted against them. “What happened is macabre and utterly condemnable. I am honestly still trying to comprehend what kind of warped minds could even think of doing such a thing, let alone actually carry it out,” said Andros Kyprianou, the head of Cyprus’ ruling AKEL party. Mounds of fresh earth were piled by the fenced-off grave site Friday at the Deftera Village Cemetery as about 80 police and two pathologists combed the area and nearly fields for clues. The robbers had removed a heavy marble plaque from on top of the grave, police said, digging down to the coffin and taking the body of Papadopoulos, who died of lung cancer on Dec. 12, 2008, at 74.

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better commitments by the United States and Canada. The draft agreement is less specific than other proposals and attempts to bridge the divide between rich and poor countries. It leaves much to be decided by the 110 heads of state, including President Barack Obama, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and most of Europe’s top leadership, who are due to arrive in the Danish capital in one week for a landmark summit. “This text will be the focus of the negotiations from now on,” said Jake Schmidt, an analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council. The draft, drawn up by Michael Zammit Cutajar of Malta, said global emissions of greenhouse gases should peak “as soon as possible.” But controlling carbon emissions should be subordinate to the effort to wipe out poverty and develop the economies of the world’s poorest nations, it said. It called for new funding in the next three years by wealthy countries to help poor countries adapt to a changing climate, but mentioned no figures. And it made no specific proposals on long-term help for developing countries. “That’s the gaping hole,” said Antonio Hill, of Oxfam International. In his blunt remarks, China’s Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said he was “shocked” by U.S. climate envoy Todd Stern’s comments that Beijing shouldn’t expect any American climate aid money. “I don’t want to say the gentleman is ignorant,” He told reporters. “I think he lacks common sense where he made such a comment vis a vis funds for China. Either lack of common sense or extremely irresponsible.” In China’s view, the U.S. and other rich countries have a heavy historical responsibility to cut emissions and any climate deal should take into account a country’s

development level. China is grouped with the developing nations at the talks. But Stern said the U.S. doesn’t consider China one of the neediest countries when it comes to giving those nations financial aid. “I don’t envision public funds — certainly not from the United States going to China,” he said Wednesday. “China to its great credit has a dynamic economy, and sits on some $2 trillion in reserves. So we don’t think China would be the first candidate for public funding.” The Chinese official said China wasn’t asking for money, but suggested the U.S. and China had different responsibilities in dealing with global warming. In downtown Copenhagen, police detained 75 people in the first street protests linked to the conference. About 200 people rallied in the area where corporate CEOs were meeting to discuss the role of business in global warming. The protesters broke into small groups, banging drums and shouting, “Mind your business. This is our climate!” There were no reports of violence. Police spokesman Henrik Moeller Nielsen said 20 of those detained were released and at least six still in custody face arraignment on preliminary charges of vandalism. A much bigger demonstration is expected Saturday. In Brussels, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the EU commitment of $3.6 billion a year until 2012 “puts Europe in a leadership role in Copenhagen.” The figure was reached after two days of tough talks during which eastern EU countries — still lagging in their own development and further battered by the global economic downturn, resisted pressure to chip in. In the end, all 27 EU nations agreed to donate, but about 20 percent is coming from Britain, France and Germany.

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In ‘BOGO’ we trust

JILLCATALDO CATALDO JILL

When I teach coupon classes, one of the audience’s favorite lessons are what I call the “best-kept secrets” of couponing. These are the secrets that help push your savings potential to the maximum! Today I’ll share with you one of the best and most exciting ways to get groceries and other products for free. (And isn’t that what we all want? Who doesn’t love free stuff?) Secret #1: Coupons for “One Free Item” You may be surprised how many coupons for free products exist! You can regularly find coupons for free items in newspaper inserts, on the Internet or even in the stores you regularly shop. These are some of the easiest and most fun coupons to use! Recently, our newspaper inserts had coupons for one free loaf of a brand-name bread, a free single-serving beverage and a free air freshener. There’s nothing better than getting something for free with little or no effort. Or is there? You may be surprised to learn that running right to the store with a coupon for a free item isn’t necessarily the best way to use these types of coupons. When I get one of these coupons I file it away and then I watch the sales. If my store features this item in a “Buy One, Get One Free” (BOGO) sale, that’s when I redeem the coupon for the free item... because I will then get two of that item for free instead of one! Why does this work? I’ll give you an example. I have a coupon for a free bag of frozen vegetables. The coupon states that it has a value of up to $1.99, which is what the store will receive when they redeem the coupon. That’s also the normal price of the vegetables. But when the store puts the vegetables on sale BOGO, they’re selling two bags for $1.99. If I walk in and buy two bags and pay cash, I’ll pay $1.99 and get two, right? The same thing happens when I use my coupon for one free bag of vegetables. The coupon covers the $1.99 cost of the first bag, and the second bag is free. This is all part of playing the coupon game. Getting one item for free is good, but getting two items for free is even better! Now, if my coupon gets close to the expiration date, of course I will redeem it and get my free product. But it often pays to play the waiting game, as the BOGO sales will play out in your favor more often than not. Over the course of the past few months, I kept track of the coupons for free items that I accumulated: 38 in all. I held all of them and watched closely, matching them to BOGO sales over that time period. During that time frame, 31 of the items went on sale BOGO. By playing the waiting game, I was able to get 62 free items with those 31 coupons! And with the remaining seven coupons, of course, I still got those seven items for free, too. This truly is the best way to use coupons for one free item. You’re getting two... for the price of none! Next week I’ll share another best-kept coupon secret with you.

— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009

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

DECEMBER 12 DSH DTV 7:00

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

BROADCAST STATIONS

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

3 4 7 13 2 12 6 8 97 10

3 4 7 9 13 16 21 33 40 62

Without Rudolph Christmas 48 Hours News Without Ath Griffi Chro } ›››› It’s a Wonderful Life (‘46) News Saturday Night Live Scene Insi Rudolph Christmas 48 Hours News WSSL Trax Pant Ent. Tonight } ››› The Polar Express Castle Å News :35 CSI: NY Anat For Jeop } ››› The Polar Express Castle Å News Paid Housewives Jeru His Joyful Os Home Gospel Van Gaither Sp. Studio Christmas Two Two Cops Cops Most Wanted News Wanda Sykes Sit Paid Welk Stars: Through-Yrs Great Performances Å Austin City Payne Payne Childrn-Hosp } ›› Pitch Black (‘00) Hollywood TMZ (N) Å Cohen Best of Pledge Pledg Doo Wop 50 Å Fam Fam CSI: NY Å CSI: NY Å News Office CSI: Miami CSI: Miami

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

Criminal Criminal Criminal Criminal CSI: Miami Criminal } ››› New Jack City } ›› State Property 2 Icons } Young Cesar (‘07) Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj Dave C. Peters Chris Rock: Bigger Wil Newsroom Camp. Brown Larry King Newsroom Camp. Brown Larry King Ghost Lab Ghost Lab Ghost Lab Ghost Lab Ghost Lab Ghost Lab SportsCenter Heisman 30 for 30 (N) SportsCenter Heisman College Basketball College Basketball Rodeo: Wrangler FOX Report Huckabee Glenn Beck Geraldo Jour Watch Red Eye NHL Hockey Post Game Final Re Final World Poker X-Men: Last } ››› Live Free or Die Hard (‘07) Sunny Leag Damages Mira Film } ››› Mrs. Doubtfire (‘93) Å } ››› Mrs. Doubtfire (‘93) Å Christmas } Christmas in Canaan (‘09) :02 } Christmas in Canaan Christmas For House Lee-Surprise Color Color House House House House Color Color Marvels Ancient Aliens Å Biblical Disasters Å Aliens } › Holiday Affair (‘96) } Holiday Switch (‘07) Å } Holiday Switch (‘07) Å Christmas iCarly Jack The iCarly Lopez Lopez Nanny Nanny Nanny Nanny UFC Spike-Video-Awards 2009 Spike-Video-Awards 2009 Spike-Game } Ice Twisters (‘09) } Annihilation Earth (‘09) Disaster Zone: Volcano › Mr. Deeds } ››› Blades of Glory Talladega Nights: Road Trip Lion-Wintr Mouse-Roared Mouse-Moon Father of the Bride Fa Dateline Dateline Ghost Interv. Ghost Interv. Dateline Ghost Interv. ›› Con Air } The Bourne Supremacy } ››› War of the Worlds (‘05) Da Bak Hero Titans Bat Satur Jus King King Boon Boon Boon Bleac College College College 3 Spot Phen Brawl FIGHTZONE Law/Ord SVU Law/Ord SVU Law/Ord SVU Law/Ord SVU Law/Ord SVU Law CI Bones Å } ›› Star Trek Generations (‘94) Star Trek Star Trek Gen

8651 8182 8181 8650 8180 8192 8183 8190 8184 8185

CABLE CHANNELS

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

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

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

PREMIUM CHANNELS

MAX ENC HBO SHO STARZ

510 520 500 540 530

310 340 300 318 350

512 526 501 537 520

Get Smart › What Happens in Vegas } ›› Inkheart (‘09) Å Life Sin Animal House } ››› Mrs. Doubtfire :10 } My Cousin Vinny (‘92) Running Man Rock & Roll } ›› Body of Lies (‘08) Boxing In NFL Dexter Boxing: Bradley vs. Peterson } Day of the Dead :15 } ›› Made of Honor Confess-Shop The House Bunny Dark

Daughter loses her mom’s letters Dear Abby: I am nearly 50, and learned when I was in my early 30s that I was adopted. I became engaged to a man my adoptive mother did not like. When I told her the news, her response was, “Do what you want — you aren’t ours anyway!” I was devastated. I didn’t realize it was literally true until years later, when several of my cousins confirmed it. Since then, I have located my birth family, although my birth mother died long ago. I asked my adoptive mother (who was and still is “Mom” to me) to please send me all the documents she had relating to the adoption, as well as some letters she mentioned that my birth mother had sent in later years saying she was thinking about me and hoping I was well. Mom told me she had thrown them all out! I was devastated all over again. Mom says I’m overly sensitive, that the papers were worthless trash and were hers to dispose of. Over the years she had promised several times to show them to me but never did. Now she claims I knew all along that I was adopted and just wanted to find a better mom. Abby, am I being ridiculous? I still have a hole in my heart because I’ll never speak to my birth mom, although my siblings have filled in a

Dear Abby Abigail van Buren

lot for me. I was able to get my birth certificate and some other papers, but would have loved to have read the letters my birth mom wrote asking about me. I haven’t spoken to Mom since, and I’m waiting on your verdict now. —Janet Dear Janet: Your feelings are not “ridiculous.” It was cruel of your adoptive mother to promise to share your birth mother’s letters with you and then to destroy them. She may have done it because she was deeply insecure about whether she would measure up in your eyes if you saw them. Her comment at the time of your engagement was also cruel in light of the fact that you had no clue that you were adopted when she said it. Was this woman EVER a loving and supportive parent? If so, then try to forgive her. But from my perspective, “Mom” has some glaring personality flaws, and whether you speak to her is strictly up to you.

Cause of nosebleeds undiscovered Dear Dr. Gott: I am writing due to my concern over my son’s frequent nosebleeds. He has had them nearly all of his life. Otherwise, he is a healthy 14-year-old. We recently saw his pediatrician and an ear-nose-and-throat specialist to have some tests done to make sure that there are no blood problems or tumors in his nose and sinus cavity. Everything was found to be normal, so we went ahead and had his nose cauterized, which I was told might fix the problem, but there was no guarantee. Unfortunately, the procedure didn’t work and appears to have made the bleeds worse. My son now has nosebleeds in the middle of the night and more than once during the day. They have become a nuisance to both of us, especially since he will be graduating from junior high soon and is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech. We were told to rub petroleum jelly in his nasal passages, spray saline in

PUZZLE

Ask Dr. Gott Dr. Peter M. Gott

his nose, and place a humidifier in his room in order to keep his sinuses moist. We have done this, but with no success. Dear Reader: There are two types of nosebleeds. The first is anterior, which makes up more than 90 percent of cases. This variety is usually caused when blood vessels on the nasal septum rupture. They are normally easy to control. The second is posterior, which tend to occur more often in older people. They are typically caused when an artery in the back of the nose ruptures. They are often complicated and may require hospitalization in order to bring the bleeding under control.

IN THE STARS

Your Birthday, Dec. 12;

Having lots of friends and contacts has always been important to you, and this emphasis will not change in the year ahead. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) - Rather than attempting to force things to happen, relax. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) - You could prove that brains are more powerful than money. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) - Unbeknownst to you, you have a friend arranging something. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) - A positive, upbeat attitude will work wonders and serve as a source of inspiration. ARIES (March 21-April 19) - With all that you have to offer, there isn’t anyone or any group that wouldn’t want you to join. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) - No one is more skillful than you at garnering bountiful benefits. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) - Recipients of your past intellectual participation may attempt to get on your team once again. CANCER (June 21-July 22) - This is a perfect day to explain yourself to someone who is having a hard time understanding you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) - The more you apply your mental prowess to a matter, the luckier you are. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) - This is an especially good day to get together with friends and celebrate. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) - Financial negotiations are very favorable for you, so go ahead and get as much Christmas shopping done as possible. Chances are you’ll find great deals. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) - Find things to do today that utilize your dexterity and mobility, both mentally and physically. You’re quick on your feet and with your brain.

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009 — 15 The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, SATURDAY, December 12, 2009 — 15

NATION

Gun laws become looser

Congress voices carp concerns

By ERIK SCHELZIG Associated Press Writer

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Members of Congress are demanding emergency action to prevent Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes and devastating their $7 billion fishery. Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Friday to close two locks near Chicago that could provide a pathway for the carp to reach Lake Michigan and eventually spread to the other Great Lakes. “I believe that temporarily sealing this waterway as we analyze the situation at hand and decide on a long-term management strategy is a reasonable course of action,” Gillibrand said in a letter to federal agencies working to limit the carp’s migration. Other lawmakers were seeking money for further steps, including more testing in areas where Asian carp DNA has been detected in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Calumet-Sag Channel. Both are part of a 300-mile linkage between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. Bighead and silver carp, both Asian species, have been moving up the waterway since escaping from Deep South fish farms and sewage lagoons in the 1970s. Recent DNA sampling suggests at least some may have gotten past an electrical barrier on the ship canal designed to halt their advance, and could be within 6 miles of the lake. Scientists say if they reach the lakes and multiply, they could outcompete native species for plankton and disrupt the food chain, decimating popular sport and commercial varieties such as salmon and whitefish. Army Corps officials told members of Congress on Thursday they needed $13.5 million during the 2010 fiscal year for immediate measures, said Rep. Dave Camp, a Michigan Republican. Those could include sealing off culverts, constructing berms and otherwise attempting to block off the Sanitary and Ship Canal from the nearby Des Plaines River, already infested with Asian carp. The Army Corps plans to construct a third segment of the electrical barrier and says it will consider long-term solutions that could include severing the link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin, as environmentalists have requested.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It’s been the year of the gun in Tennessee. In a flurry of legislative action, handgun owners won the right to take their weapons onto sports fields and playgrounds and, at least briefly, into bars. A change in leadership at the state Capitol helped open the doors to the gun-related bills and put Tennessee at the forefront of a largely unnoticed trend: In much of the country, it is getting easier to carry guns. A nationwide review by The Associated Press found that over the last two years, 24 states, mostly in the South and West, have passed 47 new laws loosening gun restrictions. Among other things, legislatures have allowed firearms to be carried in cars, made it illegal to ask job candidates whether they own a gun, and expanded agreements that make permits to carry handguns in one state valid in another. The trend is attributed in large part to a push by the National Rifle Association. The NRA, which for years has blocked attempts in Washington to tighten firearms laws, has ramped up its efforts at the state level to chip away at gun restrictions. “This is all a coordinated approach to respect that human, God-given right of self defense by law-abiding Americans,” says Chris W. Cox, the NRA’s chief lobbyist. “We’ll rest when all 50 states allow and respect the right of law-abiding people to defend themselves from criminal attack.” Among the recent gun-friendly laws: n Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Utah have made it illegal for businesses to bar their employees from storing guns in cars parked on company lots.

Associated Press

Adam Henderson shops for a shotgun at Guns and Leather, a firearms store and shooting range, in Greenbrier, Tenn. on Friday. A nationwide review by The Associated Press found that over the last two years, 24 states, mostly in the South and West, have passed 47 new laws loosening gun restrictions. n Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina and Virginia have made some or all handgun permit information confidential. n Montana, Arizona and Kansas have allowed handgun permits to be issued to people who have had their felony convictions expunged or their full civil rights restored. n Tennessee and Montana have passed laws that exempt weapons made and owned instate from federal restrictions. Tennessee is the home to Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, the maker of a .50-caliber shoulderfired rifle that the company says can shoot bullets up to five miles and is banned in California. The AP compiled the data on new laws from groups ranging from the Legal Community Against Violence, which advocates gun control, to the NRA. Public attitudes toward gun control have shifted strongly over the past 50 years, according to Gallup polling. In 1959,

60 percent of respondents said they favored a ban on handguns except for “police and other authorized persons.” Gallup’s most recent annual crime survey in October found 71 percent opposed such a ban. The NRA boasts that almost all states grant handgun permits to people with clean criminal and psychological records. In 1987, only 10 states did. Only Wisconsin, Illinois and the District of Columbia now prohibit the practice entirely. “The NRA has a stranglehold on a lot of state legislatures,” said Kristin Rand, legislative director the Violence Policy Center, a gun control group in Washington. “They basically have convinced lawmakers they can cost them their seats, even though there’s no real evidence to back that up.” Most of the states where the new laws were enacted have large rural populations, where support for gun rights tends to cross party lines.

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

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.

*4 line minimum on all ads

1 WEEK SPECIAL

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

FOR OUR WEEKLY SPECIAL POSTED EVERY SUNDAY IN THE CLASSIFIEDS!

YARD SALE SPECIAL

Run a 20 word yard sale ad Thurs., Fri., & Sat. for ONLY $20.

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

Apartments

Homes

Mobile Homes

Broadway Apts in FC 1 & 2 BEDROOMS Stove & refrigerator. No pets! 429-1217

2 & 3BR Close to downtown Rfdtn. D/w, stove, refrig., w/d hook up. No pets! 287-0733

2BR Apt in Forest City near Ingles. $425/mo. Some utilities paid. Dep req. 287-4541

For Sale

For Rent

Classic & charming

Nice 2 Bedroom Townhouse Apt & 1 Bedroom Apt

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

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

Call 828-447-3233

across from Super 8 Motel in Spindale $385/mo. & $515/mo. Call 828-447-1989

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! ROSEDALE PHASE I APARTMENTS 121 Holly Lane Forest City, NC 28043 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”

Richmond Hill Senior Apts. in Rfdtn 1BR Units w/handicap accessible units avail. Sec 8 assistance avail. 287-2578 Hours: Mon., Tues., & Thurs. 7-3. TDD Relay 1-800-735-2962 Equal Housing Opportunity. Income Based Rent.

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

1BR/1BA Owner financing with down payment! Central heat & air, 2 out buildings. $32,000 Call 657-4430

Homes For Rent 2 & 3BR Homes for Rent in Spindale & FC. Must have ref’s. No pets! Call 287-6877 3BR/1BA on Arlington St. in FC. $500/mo. + $300 sec. dep. No pets! 1-877-629-7042

Furn. 2BR/1BA cabin in Lake Lure $680/mo. includes utilities & Dish TV 828-625-9253

Room Mates Wanted 2 Rooms Available for shared house in nice neighborhood $200/ mo., shared utility bills $100 dep. Ref’s. req. Call 828-447-9963

Mobile Homes For Rent

Large 3BR/1BA w/lg. yard in Rfdtn. $550/mo. 2BR/1BA w/laundry in Rfdtn. $400/mo. 625-5554

(2) Small 2BR in Pinewood Village. 1st months rent. No dep., no outside animals. $250/mo. 980-5288

Beautiful 2BR/1BA on 3.5 ac. on Hudlow Rd. Hdwd floors & carport. $500/mo. 704-376-8081

2BR/2BA on large lot in Rfdtn area. Refrig. & stove. $375/mo. + $300 dep. 286-4333

2BR & 3BR Stove, refrig., cable, lawn service & trash incld. $260-$350/mo. + dep. No cats! Long term only! Call 453-0078

or 429-8822 MUST SEE! Like new

3BR/2BA in Rfdtn. $650/mo. + securities. 748-0658 or 286-1982 2BR/2BA in nice area Stove, refrig. No Pets! $380/mo. + deposit Call 287-7043 2BR in Chase area $325/mo. + deposit. No pets! 828-223-1030 or 657-1828 after 6pm (2) 3BR/2BA on priv. road, full ac., quiet, wooded. Also, large camper accommodates 2 on priv. road, water & electric provided. Must be seen. Priced right! Call 245-8734

2 Bedroom Nice, clean, quiet place to live! $200/mo. + dep. Call 828-657-5974 Single wide Shiloh: 2BR/2BA No Pets! $425/mo. + $300 dep. 245-5703 or 286-8665

SELL OR RENT YOUR PROPERTY IN THE CLASSIFIEDS

Call to place your ad 245-6431 Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm

16 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, SATURDAY, December 12, 2009 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 FT position for a Marketing Coordinator

at Hospice of the Carolina Foothills. Position requires a minimum of a two year associate degree in Business, Marketing, Communications or related field, bachelor’s degree preferred, and a minimum of four years experience in customer service, sales, marketing, and/or public relations. Position requires excellent management skills, the ability to work well within a team and the ability to be innovative, flexible, creative & organized. Knowledge of the hospice philosophy, reimbursement and certification issues preferred. EOE. Please apply at: http://www.hocf.org

SUBSCRIPTIONS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!

Help Wanted

For Sale

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

King size bedroom suite, Kenmore washer/dryer, white baby crib. All like new. 248-1041 or 289-5980

LPC, CCS, LCAS or CSAC preferred.

Fax resumes to: 828-245-2548 Mountain Creek Baptist Church in Gilkey, NC is searching for a part time Youth Pastor. Send resume to: 710 Mountain Creek Rd., Rutherfordton, NC 28139 by 01/15/2010.

Local Advertising Sales Commissions from $40-$100 per sale plus residuals. Call 286-0741 lv. msg. Searching for PT Minister of Music for adult and youth choirs. Send resume to: Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, 2676 Hudlow Rd., Forest City, NC 28043

New Reed & Barton Jewelry box Beautiful, mahogany. 1/2 priced at $140 828-248-2302 New Zhu Zhu Pets: Pipsqueak hamster & giant hamster funhouse $70 for both 287-9996 Power wheel chair Used once! Paid $5,000, will take $900 Call 657-6616 Two Chest of drawers $20 each, Bissell Upright Vacuum $15 Call 248-2255

Want To Buy I PAY CASH FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS Up to $10 per 100 ct. Call Frank 828-577-4197

NORTH CAROLINA, RUTHERFORD COUNTY NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 09 SP 474 Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by STEVE M CALYORE AND LISA M CALYORE, MARRIED TO EACH OTHER AND ERIC A LEVINE AND CATHERINE D LEVINE, MARRIED TO EACH OTHER to PRLAP, INC., Trustee(s), which was dated April 4, 2006 and recorded on April 4, 2006 in Book 893 at Page 302, Rutherford County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Brock & Scott, PLLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Rutherford County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on December 16, 2009 at 10:00AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Rutherford County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 147 as shown on survey by R.L. Greene, PLS entitled "Greyrock Subdivision Phase 1B as recorded in Plat Book 25 at Page 207, said plat being one of a series of plats recorded in Plat Book 25, Page 205 through 208 of the Rutherford County, NC Registry, reference to said recorded plats being made for a more particular description of said Lot 147. TOGETHER WITH AND SUBJECT TO all easements, restrictions and rights of ways of record and a non-exclusive appurtenant easement for ingress, egress and regress is conveyed over and upon all private subdivision roads for GreyRock at Lake Lure as shown on the above-described plats and the plats for Phase 1A as shown on plats recorded in Plat Book 25, at Pages 188 through 192 and to the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for GreyRock as recorded in Book 858, at Page 122 of the Rutherford County, NC Registry and also being recorded in Book 3827, page 764 of the Buncombe County, NC Registry. BEING a portion of that property conveyed to LR Buffalo Creek, LLC by deeds recorded in Deed Book 855, at Page 816 of the Rutherford County, NC Registry and as recorded in Deed Book 3793, at Page 665 of the Buncombe County, NC Registry. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as: Lot 147 on Winter Star Road at Greyrock Resort, Lake Lure, NC 28746 Third party purchasers must pay the excise tax, and the court costs of Forty-Five Cents (45¢) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) pursuant to NCGS 7A-308(a)(1). A cash deposit (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Steven M. Calyore and Wife, Lisa M. Calyore. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement upon 10 days’ written notice to the landlord. The notice shall also state that upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE, EXCEPT IN THE INSTANCE OF BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE BANKRUPTCY COURT OR HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED AS A RESULT OF A BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDING, THIS NOTICE IS GIVEN TO YOU PURSUANT TO STATUTORY REQUIREMENT AND FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND IS NOT INTENDED AS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT OR AS AN ACT TO COLLECT, ASSESS, OR RECOVER ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THE DEBT FROM YOU PERSONALLY. Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Jeremy B. Wilkins, NCSB No. 32346 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 FAX: (910) 392-8587 File No.: 09-20937-FC01

Want To Buy

Pets

Found

Yard Sales

10x10x6 or larger portable chain link pet kennel. 828-429-2483

Adorable Pit Bull/ Terrier pups 4 female, 1 male $50 ea. Good home only! 429-9176

Male PUPPY w/unique markings. 8 wks. old. Found 12/7 in Bostic area. Call Tammy to identify 828-748-8634

Big Sale Henrietta: 103 Hogpen Branch Rd. Sat. 7A-til Furniture, electronics, clothes, etc.

WILL BUY YOUR JUNK

Registered Toy Male Yorkie Puppy. Had shots and dewormed $450 245-5314

Cars & Trucks Pick up at your convenience!

Lost

Call 223-0277

HEARING AID in Forest City. Lost Saturday, Dec. 5th. Reward! 245-6979

Autos Buying JUNK CARS at reasonable rates! Will pay the best that can be paid based on current junk price. Call 828-447-4944 18” chrome Pasatti rims & tires, 5 lug Universal pattern. Like new! $600 Call 748-0174 or 248-1662

Pets Free to good homes 4 Kittens 8 wks. old, very sweet, cuddly & playful. Litter box trained. 828-582-6884 Free to a good home Pit Bull/Boxer mix Black & white, 7 wks. old. 828-980-4496 or 828-248-3057

Male Gray/silver Weimaraner 6mo. old, 30 lbs., red collar Lost 12/3 in Ellenboro, Soco Gap Rd. Call 429-0176 Black & tan med. size dog Lost 12/3 in Rfdtn on 108 & Pleasant Hill Church Rd. If found please call 288-8155 M German Shepherd/ chow mix Brown/black, long hair, has collar. Lost 11/12 FC/Caroleen area. Call 429-5103 M Black & white cat 2 1/2 yrs. old. Needs meds! Lost 11/13 on Freeman Rd. in Bostic. Call 828-748-1165

CALL TODAY!

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

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

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

NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Co-Executor of the estate of THOMAS M. ROBBINS of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said THOMAS M. ROBBINS to present them to the undersigned on or before the 28th day of February 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 28th day of November, 2009. Tony M. Robbins, Co-Executor PO Box 550391 Gastonia, NC 28055 Sonja Robbins Ruppe, Co-Executor 118 McMurray Rd. Forest City, NC 28043

Sterling Silver Earing Found 12/4 in Bi-Lo parking lot. Call to describe 287-2055 Male Blue Tick Hound wearing collar. Found 12/2 Shiloh/ Holly Springs area Call 245-7368

LOST OR FOUND A PET? LOST OR FOUND AN ITEM? GIVING AWAY SOMETHING FOR FREE? Place an ad at no cost to you! Runs for 1 week! Call 245-6431 Mon.-Fri. 8AM-5PM Miscellaneous I WILL TAKE YOUR JUNK OR SCRAP METAL Call 287-5517

Yard Sales BIG Forest City 157 Hazelwood Dr. (off Butler Rd.) Saturday 7A-until Christmas, clothes, printer. Too much to mention! CHRISTMAS SALE Local Pottery by Diane Holland Fri. & Sat. 9A-5P Miller Rd. (off Hwy 108, 1 mi. from Hospital)

CRAFT SHOW & YARD SALE Rfdtn: 280 Debby Lane (off Poors Ford Rd.) Fri. & Sat. 7A-2P 289-1967

INDOOR CHRISTMAS/ YARD SALE Boiling Springs: 407 N. Main St. in shop bldg. (near Hamrick O’Shields, across from mexican restaurant, look for sale sign) Sat. 7A-til Christmas wreaths/ arrangements (great gifts) $20 & under, Christmas dishes (brand new in box) $5 for set of 4, some custom built furniture, 2 cherry sitting chairs w/floral pattern $20 ea., fireplace board w/duck painting $40, boys clothes 3T-4T (mostly winter) .50 each, household items, plum colored formal dress size 7/8 (worn once, very nice) $15, lg. mirrors and more!

MOVING Mooresboro: 135 Olive Drive (intersection of Hwy 120 and Business 74) Sat. 7A-until Baby, children, adult clothes, maternity, toys

MOVING SALE FC 234 Bentwood Dr. Sat. 7A-until Furniture, baby clothes, toys, men/women’s clothing, household items, bed, dresser and more! MULTI FAMILY Ellenboro: Corner of Glenn St. & Henrietta St. Saturday 8A-until Microwave, furniture, clothing and more! Rain date 12/19!

Find a deal!

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

NOTICE TO CREDITORS 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. Selena Cash, Executor PO Box 13 Cliffside, NC 28024

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

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

A TO Z, IT’S IN THE

CLASSIFIEDS!

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, SATURDAY, December 12, 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

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(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

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Sell through the Classifieds!

The Daily Courier 828-245-6431 to place your ad.

74 Bypass

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— The

Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, Saturday, December 12, 2009

world

Gates tells U.S. troops Iraq mission is critical By ANNE FLAHERTY Associated Press Writer

KIRKUK, Iraq — U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday that plans are on track to reduce American forces in Iraq next year and warned that neighboring Iran risks sanctions soon if it fails to cooperate on its controversial nuclear program. At a town hall meeting with about 300 soldiers and airmen at the Kirkuk airbase, Gates was asked whether political turmoil might threaten plans to send more American troops home after Iraq’s March elections. He said all indications are that Iraqi leaders were tired of war and wanted a unified country. The secretary also said significant international sanctions would be levied if Iran continues with its current nuclear program, and added that all options, including military action, must stay on the table. “I think that you are going to see some significant additional sanctions imposed by the international community,” Gates said. He cautioned that “any military action would only buy some time, maybe two or three years.” Gates said Iran’s provocations were bringing together the international community, including Russia and China, which have long been reluctant to punish Tehran but are now showing more willingness to con-

front the regime over its nuclear program. Iran insists its program is for civilian energy purposes. The secretary also told troops that Afghanistan will be a “tough fight” but that the security situation would improve as more troops arrive. Before departing Iraq Friday, Gates met with Massoud Barzani, president of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in the area’s capital, Irbil. Barzani recently lifted his objections to Iraq’s elections law. U.S. officials say the political agreement is critical to keeping the U.S. troop withdrawal schedule on track. Earlier, Gates met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad for about 45 minutes. Gates expressed his condolences for a wave of bombings that have claimed 127 lives and rattled the country’s government, and offered any assistance Iraq might need. The bombings have raised tough questions for al-Maliki about the ability of Iraq’s security forces ahead of next year’s planned withdrawal of U.S. combat troops. The U.S. says it plans to keep the bulk of its 120,000 forces in Iraq through the March 7 elections, but plans to leave the country entirely by December 2011. U.S. officials are nervous that following the nation’s March elections Iraqi officials will drag their heels in forming a unified government.

Attorney Laura Slaughter www.kinglawoffices.com

CALL FOR INFORMATION ON THESE TOPICS & MORE!

(828) 286-3332

• Financial Assistance • Child or Spouse Abuse • Counseling • Health Care • Transportation • Food or Clothing Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Except Holidays

Baby’s 1st Christmas

2009

Associated Press

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates poses for a photo with US soldiers at an airbase near Kirkuk, 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday. Gates told American troops their mission in Iraq remains critical despite the nation’s focus on Afghanistan and that plans are on track to reduce forces next year

Afghan changes ‘needed’ By DEB RIECHMANN Associated Press Writer

KABUL — The top U.N. official in Afghanistan said Friday he will step down early next year after a rocky two-year tenure marked by a fraudmarred national election and a deadly Taliban attack on U.N. employees. The departure of Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide provides an opportunity to restructure the civilian side of the international mission as the Obama administration’s military strategy kicks into gear. The 60-year-old Eide, who oversees the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, said he will not renew his contract when it expires in March. He said he has asked U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to start searching for a replacement so the post would not be vacant like it was for two months before he started. Eide’s stewardship was tarnished by allegations from his American deputy, Peter Galbraith, that he was not bullish enough in curbing fraud in the August presidential election. President Hamid Karzai was declared the winner three months later after his last remaining challenger dropped out of a runoff. Eide said controversy over the election was not linked to his decision to leave. The U.N. mission also is still reeling from a pre-dawn assault Oct. 28 on a Kabul guesthouse where dozens of U.N. staffers lived. Five U.N. workers were among those killed in the attack, which prompted the U.N. to relocate hundreds of employees, some outside Afghanistan. In an interview with The Associated Press, Eide said he had

put forth a proposal that calls for better coordinating the civilian effort under the U.N. umbrella. It comes just after President Barack Obama announced he is sending 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Many of those troops, under the command of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, will be on the ground about the time Eide steps aside. “If we talk about a transition strategy, which we are with McChrystal’s theme, then we have to do the same on the civilian side,” Eide said. Eide said he feared the military buildup ordered by Obama will increase pressure for quick results from civilian aid projects to satisfy taxpayers in donor countries when what is needed is to build up Afghanistan’s ability to sustain itself. He said there is not enough expertise inside the U.N. system and that the civilian-military provincial reconstruction teams, or PRTs, were the most “uncoordinated part of the civilian effort.” “You have a number of PRTs that do their own things within provinces,” Eide said. “They do not cross provincial boundaries nor are they linked up to the Afghan government the way they should be.” Eide also lamented that while thousands of Afghan civil servants are being trained, it’s hard to persuade them to take local official positions paying only $60 to $70 a month. “They say ’Why should we?’ They don’t have cars. They don’t have offices,” Eide said. “They don’t have electricity. “They might have a monthly operating budget of $15 a month.” In Washington, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Eide had a productive partnership with the U.S.

Send us your

january BIrTHDayS to be included in our

Birthday Calendar

Miles Matthew Adkinson Parents: Rebecca & Mat Adkinson Birthdate: February 13, 2009

Send your name or your loved one’s name and birth date with One Dollar to be included in our

Only $15

BIrTHDay CalenDar to be published the first of January. Submit birthdays for January by December 28th

Please print clearly! The following information will appear with the photo.

Baby’s Name: Parent’s Name: Birthdate:

For Our Records We Need: Your Name: Mailing Address: Home #:

Send to: The Daily Courier Attn: Birthday Calendar 601 Oak Street Forest City, NC 28043 Name:

Daytime #:

Photos will be Published in a Special Advertisement on Thursday, December 24th. Deadline is 5pm, on Wednesday, December 16th.

Birth Date: your Name: Full address:

Please bring by or mail to:

The Daily Courier Attn: Baby’s 1st Christmas 601 Oak St. • Forest City, NC 28043

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