CMYK Granville Superior Court Clerk Averette to run again From Page One, Page 3A
N.C. court backs video poker ban Public Records, Page 6A
Supreme Court to settle ‘life’ inmates dispute State, Page 10A UNC’S Tyler Zeller dunks in win over Marshall, 98-61.
Bobcats snap losing streak, defeat Pistons
SWEET CELEBRATIONS Good Taste, Page 1C
Sports, Page 1B
Sports, Page 1B
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2009
Volume XCV, No. 300
(252) 436-2700
Credit card use fraud, police say
www.hendersondispatch.com
on new plan for schools Parents asked for input on proposed redistricting plan By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer
Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE
Vance County Sheriff’s deputies investigate an incident near the parking lot of N-A Minute Shoppe at the intersection of N.C. 39 South and Vicksboro Road Tuesday afternoon.
Bystander saw man in handcuffs being led to a patrol car By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer
Sheriff Peter White said a man was shot in the leg Tuesday afternoon in an area between the N-A Minute Shoppe and a store next door on N.C. 39 South in Vance County.
The victim was taken to Maria Parham Medical Center for treatment of a wound that White said did not appear to be life-threatening. The location of the incident was near the intersection with Vicksboro Road. A bystander said she saw law
enforcement officers put a man in handcuffs and walk him to a car. The Sheriff declined to give other details, saying that investigators were still trying to piece together what had happened. Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.
Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.
Index
Former J.F. Webb principal returns, will lead Central
Weather Today High: 48 Low: 28
Thursday Partly cloudy
Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE
Scene from First United Methodist Church’s live nativity Tuesday night. This year is the church’s 25th anniversary of presenting a live nativity. To view or purchase photos, visit us on the Web at www.hendersondispatch.com.
Church presents live Nativity for 25th year ‘This is our outreach and gift to the community at Christmas’
High: 47 Low: 32
Details, 3A
Deaths Durham Rodney R. Daniel, 30 William E. James, 57 Henderson Charlie B. Basket Velma C. Wilson, 87 St. Cloud, Fla. Marcia D. Bronson, 60 Woodbridge, Va. Michael D. King, 53
Obituaries, 4A
A Vance County School Board committee wants written comments from parents whose children would be affected by the proposed redistricting plan. The students go to Clark Street, Aycock, Zeb Vance and L.B. Yancey elementary schools. “We want people to have a chance to weigh in on that (the plan),” Ruth Hartness, chairwoman of the Building and Grounds Committee, said Tuesday. All of the children from the old Clark Street School — which is going to be closed at the end of the current school year — and some from the other three facilities will be assigned next year to the $13 million elementary school under construction on Garrett Road. The comments can be dropped off Jan. 4-15 with the principals of those four schools during their hours of operation, according to Hartness. Through that time period, she added, copies of the redistricting map under consideration will be displayed in the hallways of Clark Street, Aycock, Zeb Vance and Please see COMMENT, page 3A
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Man wounded in shooting Comment
By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer
Investigators are asking the public to help identify a man wanted for making numerous fraudulent credit card transactions in Henderson. Police circulated a photo Tuesday of the suspect, who was described as: white, late 20s or early 30s, brown hair, 5-foot11 to 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, Suspect with a tattoo on the upper part of his right forearm, near the elbow. The man is believed to frequent the Henderson, Oxford and South Hill, Va. areas. According to police, he might be in the company of another man in a black, 1990s Ford Taurus or Mercury Sable. Anyone with information concerning their whereabouts is asked to contact the Henderson Police Department at (252) 438-4141 or Crime Stoppers at (252) 492-1925. All callers will remain anonymous.
By LINDA GUPTON Dispatch Features Editor
For many of the families who are members of First United Methodist Church in Henderson, the church’s annual live Nativity scene is as much a part of their Christmas tradition as wrapping gifts and putting up the Christmas tree. This year, the church family celebrates the 25th anniversary of its annual production, which began last night and continues tonight and Christmas Eve from 6-7:20 p.m. on the front steps of the church, located on S. Garnett Street. A total of 144 members of the congregation don robes, take up their staffs, and participate each
year in the retelling of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger in Bethlehem, said Jack Richardson, who has headed up the effort for the past 15 years. Many more work behind the scenes to bring the production together. The sets, props and costumes have evolved over the years, Richardson said, “but the essence of what we do has remained the same. For each family that takes part, this is an important part of their Christmas celebration.” First Methodist’s live Nativity celebration began in 1985, inspired by a similar live Nativity scene that has been staged for many years at Centenary United Methodist Church in New Bern. Mary Helen Jones, a member
of First Methodist, in addition to Angie Hall, the church’s program director at the time, had both attended the church in New Bern and had fond memories of the annual event there. Jones grew up in the New Bern church and couldn’t remember a Christmas that didn’t include the live Nativity production as part of her family’s tradition. “Angie mentioned to me one day at church that she thought it would be a great ministry to begin (at First Methodist),” said Jones. Hall suggested that Jones’ husband, Jim, would be just the person to be chairman of the annual event, a post that Jim Jones held for the first ten years of the Please see NATIVITY, page 3A
By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
OXFORD — Roy Winslow, who was principal of J.F. Webb High School before leaving more than two years ago for Orange County, will be returning to the Granville County Schools System, this time as principal of Granville Central High School. Winslow is replacing Bill Graham, who is retiring effective Jan. 14 because of health issues in his family, School District Associate Superintendent Allan Jordan told the newspaper. The County Board of Education on Monday approved the hiring of Winslow, who will start Feb. 1. Graham’s decision to step aside and the naming of Winslow as his replacement additionally means Granville Central High will have its third principal since the school opened in August 2007 off Sanders Road near Stem. “Not a good situation,” Jordan said Tuesday. “It’s not good to change principals every year, particularly in a new school. So, we’re looking for stability, we’re Please see PRINCIPAL, page 3A