The Daily Dispatch - Wednesday, January 13, 2010 by The Daily Dispatch

CMYK Oxford boy, 17, charged in thefts from vehicles Local & State, Page 8A

Eat Smart, Move More Weight Loss Challenge Local News, Page 9A

When good athletes behave badly Opinion, Page 10A Norlina’s Tyler Jackson puts up a shot in first half against Trinity. Sports, Page 1B

Kiffin leaves Tennessee coaching job for USC

Set a

Sports, Page 1B

Healthy Table

Good Taste, Page 1C

WEDNESDAY, January 13, 2010

Volume XCV, No. 11

(252) 436-2700

School break-in costly Damage caused more than value of items taken By DISPATCH STAFF

A break-in discovered Monday at Henderson Middle School, 219 Charles St., caused more damage than the value of items taken. According to a Henderson Police Department report, the break-in at the cafeteria was discovered at 6:28 a.m. Taken in the break-in were $200 in cash and miscellaneous food items. The report detailed the damage: • $400, window pane. • $200, window frames. • $1,000, two metal door frames. • $1,000, metal freezer door. • $200, two alarm panels. Police reported that they seized a chain, scissors, leather gloves and a food item. However, the report did not say whether the culprits brought the items with them or that they belonged to the school. A phone call to the police for more information was not returned by press time. Send comments to news@ hendersondispatch.com.

Index Our Hometown . . . . . 2A Business & Farm. . . . 5A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . 10A Light Side . . . . . . . . 11A Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-4B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 2C Classifieds. . . . . . . 3-5C

Weather Today Sunny day

High: 47 Low: 23

Thursday Ditto day

High: 53 Low: 27

Deaths Garner Annie L. Tew, 73 Henderson James A. Vincent, 90 Oxford Leonard A. Norman, 77

Obituaries, 4A

50 cents

Go north, east with school construction Speaker says board should not invest in half the county and neglect the other half By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer

Vance County Schools should concentrate “any future new construction in the northern/eastern part of the city and county,” one speaker at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting said. The speaker, Andrea Harris, a member of the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission, expressed hope that “we are not moving in the direction of

investing in one half of the county and neglecting the people in the other half.” She said previous spending for new elementary school construction has included: • $4.3 million for Zeb Vance. • $4.4 million for Aycock. • $4.3 million for Dabney. • $12.9 million for Clarke, which is scheduled to open on Garrett Road in August. According to Harris, the low-income elementary student

population is: • 99 percent at Carver. • 98 percent at New Hope. • 96 percent at L.B. Yancey. • 93 percent at Clark Street. Harris asked the board members to “give some attention” to capital improvements for the old Eaton-Johnson Elementary School building. In other business at the Monday night meeting, Jennifer Hall, president of the Vance County Association of Educators, asked

everyone to read with a child for half an hour on March 2 in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday anniversary. Members of the school board were invited to participate in Read Across America events on that day at the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library. They were also asked to visit schools that week. Also on Monday night, two Please see SCHOOL, page 4A

City adds committees for new year By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

joining with the county to expand the number of Community Watch organizations in the area. Danny Wright, chairman of the Vance County Board of Commissioners, said that the best way to defeat crime is to prevent crime. “No one knows more about a community than the people who live there,” he said. Chief Keith Sidwell said 911 is

The Henderson City Council on Monday approved committee leaders and members for this two-year term. The council also organized additional committees from individual panels into what is called the Committee of the Whole. In addition to the budgeting and financing functions, the 2007-09 council informally evolved the Committee of the Whole concept to include other committee functions such as public utilities, public works, the keeping of municipal records, as well as legislative and community development matters. The council will now meet as the Committee of the Whole for subjects related to those areas at the time of council work sessions or at the time of any council special meetings. Mayor Pete O’Geary will continue chairing the Committee of the Whole. Four previous council committees will remain in place as individual panels: City/Vance County Intergovernmental Relations; Public Safety; Human Resources; and Land Planning & Development.

Please see WATCH, page 4A

Please see COMMITTEES, page 3A

Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE

Sheriff Peter White, Crime Stoppers chairman Rev. Frank Sossamon and Police Chief Keith Sidwell look on as Vance County commission chairman Danny Wright and Henderson Mayor Pete O’Geary sign resolutions making 2010 The Year of Community Watch during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

‘Year of Community Watch’ begins By DAVID IRVINE Daily Dispatch Writer

On Tuesday, community leaders designated 2010 The Year of Community Watch in Henderson and Vance County. Meeting in the Vance County Commissioners’ meeting room, representatives of the city, the county, law enforcement, Crime Stoppers and other citizens’ organizations laid out the purpose and plans for the

special designation. In introductory comments, Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers President Frank Sossamon emphasized the importance of citizen involvement with law enforcement officers to prevent crime. He added that Community Watch organizations not only help prevent crime but also enrich their communities. Henderson Mayor Pete O’Geary expressed his pleasure in

Car break-ins at community college target GPS devices By DISPATCH STAFF

Details, 3A

www.hendersondispatch.com

Thieves Monday night navigated their way into two vehicles parked at Vance-Granville Community College and stole GPS units. According to Vance County Sheriff’s Office reports: • Mark Carlton Griffin, 48, of 1629 Tally Ho Road, Oxford, reported that a Garmin navigation unit was stolen from his 2002 Pontiac. The unit was valued at $300. Damage to a driver-side window was estimated at $300. The crime occurred about 8:40. • Benjamin Thomas Pula, 22, of 234 Patriots Pointe Drive,

Hillsborough, also reported that a Garmin GPS unit was stolen from his 1998 Honda about 8:30 p.m. A Kenwood AM/FM/CD player valued at $400 was also taken. Damage to a driver-side window was estimated at $250. VGCC President Randy Parker said Tuesday that the college believes the break-ins were isolated events targeting GPS units since other items in the vehicles were not taken. Even so, he said staff and students would be cautioned about leaving items in plain sight in their vehicles. Send comments to news@hendersondispatch.com.

Crossroads royalty

Daily Dispatch/EARL KING

Crossroads Christian School finally crowned its homecoming king and queen Monday night following a boys’ basketball game with Norlina Christian School. Reigning are Elizabeth McAuslan and Jacob Campbell. The ceremony had been planned for Jan. 8 but was cancelled because of inclement weather.

The Daily Dispatch

Mark It Down Today

Our Hometown

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Garden Club helps MPMC go green

King holiday celebration — Vance-Granville Community College (VGCC) will hold a special program celebrating the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day at 11 a.m. in the Civic Center on VGCC’s main campus in Vance County. Four VGCC students will deliver speeches entitled, “What the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Means to Me.” Inspirational music will be provided by a choir consisting of VGCC students, faculty and staff. Admission is free, and the public is invited. Attendees are asked to bring a non-perishable food item, which will be donated to help area senior citizens. Every attendee who brings a food item will be entered into a drawing for a door prize.

Kathy Caudle, director of Volunteer/Guest Services for Maria Parham Medical Center (front right) accepts a donation of a green potted plant from Allison Roberson of the Outdoor Garden Club. The plant will be displayed in the lobby area of the front entrance of the hospital. Behind Caudle and Roberson are additional members of the club.

Thursday Tobacco referendum — Tobacco growers may vote in the Tobacco Associates Export Promotion Referendum from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the local offices of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service. The Warren County office is located at 158 Rafters Lane, Warrenton; the Vance County office is located at 305 Young St., Henderson; and the Granville County office is located at 208 Wall St., Oxford. Chess Club — The Henderson/Vance Chess Club, affiliated with the U. S. Chess Federation, meets at the First United Methodist Church from 6 to 9:30 p.m. All are welcome, adults and youths, novice or experienced. For more information, call Rudy Abate at 438-4459 (days) or 738-0375 (evenings). Livestock show information — The Four County (Franklin, Granville, Vance & Warren) 4-H Junior Livestock Show and Sale informational meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Franklin County Extension Center, Annex Meeting Room, 103 S. Bickett Blvd., Louisburg. The meeting is mandatory for new and returning 2010 show participants. Call the 4-H agent at your county cooperative extension office for more information: Vance County, (252) 438-8188; Franklin County, (919) 496-3344; Granville County, (919) 603-1350; and Warren County, (252) 257-3640. Lions Club — The Henderson Lions Club will hold a meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Henderson Country Club. The guest speaker will be Dr. Dennis Meyers from Care Chiropractic. The Lions Club mission is to help the hearing and visually impaired. If you have questions or would like to become a new member, please contact Randy Oxendine at oxendine@nc.rr.com.

On-Line Calendar An on-line calendar of community events is available on our website at hendersondispatch.com. We invite you to post your upcoming events on the website calendar. To post an event, just click on the word “Calendar” in the gray bar at the top of the home page and follow the instructions for posting an event. If you would also like your event considered for publication in the daily “Mark It Down” calendar that appears on this page, please also submit the information via e-mail to communitynews@hendersondispatch.com.

Girl Scout cookies on sale throughout area until mid-March Local Girl Scouts are taking orders for their annual cookie sale now through March 14. The price per box is $3.50 and all of the proceeds generated from the Cookie Sale Program stay within the girls’ local area and the 41-county North Carolina Coastal Pines Council. In 2009, Girl Scout troops in the Coastal Pines Council earned more than $1.3 million in proceeds, an average of just over $1,000 per troop. Girl Scouts in central and eastern North Carolina hope to sell 2.6 million boxes of cookies in 2010. Some special features of this year’s campaign include the following: • Back by popular demand is the “Buy 5” promotion. Customers who purchase five or more boxes of Girl Scout cookies in a single purchase can enter their names in a drawing to win a year’s supply of free Girl Scout cookies from the North Carolina Coastal Pines Council. Six winners will be selected and will be announced in May. • For the first time, Girl Scout cookies can be ordered online. Girls can send e-mail messages to friends and

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family who can order cookies by replying to the e-mail message. • During the weekend of Super Bowl XLIV (Feb. 5-7), Girl Scout cookies will be sold at thousands of cookie booths throughout central and eastern North Carolina. If you did not have a Girl Scout visit your home or ask you via e-mail to purchase cookies, you can visit cookie booths outside of your local businesses on the weekends from Feb. 13 through March 14. To find a booth location near you, please visit the cookie booth locator at: www.nccoastalpines.org. • For the sixth consecutive year, local Girl Scouts will be participating in Operation Cookie Drop. Customers can make donations from now through March 14 and the donations will be used to purchase cookies to ship overseas to military personnel from Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and the North Carolina branch of Give2TheTroops based in Greenville, N.C. Since the program first started, more than 221,000 boxes have been shipped to U.S. troops.

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Granville County Museums 2 Adjacent Locations in Oxford, NC Events at the Granville County Historical Society Museums “Glimpses of Granville” now showing at the Harris Exhibit Hall, 1 Museum Lane, Oxford, NC Wed-Fri 10 - 4, Sat. 11 - 3

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happy new year auction 117 Homer St., Henderson, NC antiques ~ collectibles ~ Furniture Tools, great box lots, quality household goods 10% Buyer’s Premium for Cash or Check NEEd moNEy faST? Call uS Today estate Liquidations, by the piece or collection! (252) 738-2427 or (919) 961-3731 auctioneer: Steve Brigandi, NCal #8559

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From Page One

The Daily Dispatch

FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR HENDERSON TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

Council members serve beyond city duties By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

Sunny

Clear

Sunny

47º

23º

53º 27º

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Mostly Sunny

Mostly Cloudy

Scat'd Rain

55º 33º

50º 33º

40º 35º

Almanac

Sun and Moon

Temperature

Sunrise today . . . . . Sunset tonight . . . . Moonrise today . . . Moonset today . . . . Sunrise tomorrow . Sunset tomorrow . . Moonrise tomorrow Moonset tomorrow .

Raleigh -Durham through 6 p.m. yest. High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Normal High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Normal Low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Record High . . . . . . . . .74 in 2005 Record Low . . . . . . . . . .6 in 1981

.7:24 .5:20 .6:17 .3:58 .7:24 .5:21 .6:59 .4:56

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

Moon Phases

Precipitation Yesterday . . . . . . . . . Month to date . . . . . . Normal month to date Year to date . . . . . . . . Normal year to date .

... ... .. ... ...

. . . . .

.0.00" .0.05" .1.51" .0.05" .1.51"

New 1/15

Full 1/30

First 1/23

Last 2/5

Lake Levels Elevation in feet above sea level. Data as of 7 a.m. yesterday. Lake Gaston Kerr

24-Hr. Lake Capacity Yest. Change Jordan 240 216.1 0.0 Neuse Falls 264 251.6 0.0

24-Hr. Capacity Yest. Change 203 199.5 -0.1 320 303.5 -0.6

Regional Weather Henderson 47/23

Winston-Salem Durham 48/24 48/24 Asheville 47/19

Rocky Mt. 48/24

Greensboro 47/24 Raleigh 48/25 Charlotte 48/23

Fayetteville 49/26

Regional Cities Today

Today

Thu.

City

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx City

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx

Asheville Boone Burlington Chapel Hill Chattanooga Danville Durham Elizabeth City Elizabethton Fayetteville Goldsboro Greensboro Greenville Havelock Hendersonville

47/19 44/20 47/23 48/23 48/24 48/20 48/24 43/27 43/19 49/26 48/27 47/24 47/27 47/26 48/21

47/23 48/26 48/26 50/25 50/30 45/29 42/31 46/25 48/25 44/24 47/25 48/24 48/22 50/28 48/24

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

55/23 52/24 54/27 55/28 54/26 54/25 55/27 49/33 49/22 56/30 56/31 53/28 55/34 55/36 55/22

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

High Point Jacksonville Kinston Lumberton Myrtle Beach Morehead City Nags Head New Bern Raleigh Richmond Roanoke Rapids Rocky Mount Sanford Wilmington Winston-Salem

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

54/28 56/35 56/34 58/29 57/34 53/40 46/38 54/36 56/28 50/28 54/29 56/28 56/27 57/33 53/28

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

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

Today’s National Map 110s 100s 90s 80s 70s 60s 50s 40s 30s 20s 10s 0s

L L H

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

Cold Front

Stationary Front

Warm Front

Low Pressure

High Pressure

Yesterday’s National Extremes High: 82° in Anaheim, Calif. Low: -17° in Kremmling, Colo.

XII I

II III

VIII VII VI

IV V

X IX

XII

VII

II III

VIII

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position with the city, is a Henderson representative to the local Economic Development Partnership. Inscoe and Councilwoman Brenda Peace also will be representatives to the partnership. Councilman George Daye and Inscoe served as representatives to the partnership from 2008-09. Davis will remain assigned to firefighters’ supplemental retirement matters, while Rainey will be assigned to regional transportation matters, replacing O’Geary. O’Geary, by virtue of his position with the city, is Henderson’s representative to the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission, the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce board and the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park.

Daye also will be a Henderson representative to the Industrial Park, replacing Councilwoman Brenda Peace. Councilwoman Mary Emma Evans will be assigned to matters regarding the proposed highspeed rail line. Planning Director Erris Dunston at the start of 2008 had been solely assigned that duty. Additionally, the council on Monday evening approved having a sergeant at arms, with Police Chief Keith Sidwell or his designee to serve in that position. Evans, a minister, will continue serving as chaplain, and Peace, also a minister, will continue serving as assistant chaplain.

Elissa Yount, also was defeated in October 2007.

Contact the writer at bwest@ hendersondispatch.com.

COMMITTEES, from page one A new, fifth committee — Council Boards and Commissions — has been formed to work with City Clerk Pam Glover to streamline the process of soliciting applications from citizens to serve on council-appointed boards and commissions. The council approved the committee appointments and system Monday evening. Additionally, O’Geary said that he and Mayor Pro Tem Lonnie Davis decided to have vice chairs for each of the four individual committees. O’Geary said the plan is for the chair of each committee to move up the next year to chair of that respective committee, affording council members a greater chance of serving in a leadership role. “It’s something different that we wanted to try, so we hope it’s going to work very well,” O’Geary said. Of the four individual panels: O’Geary will chair the Intergovernmental Relations Committee and Davis will be the committee’s vice chairman. New Councilwoman Sara Coffey, along with Councilwoman Brenda Peace, will serve as committee members. Of the other existing individual panels, the committee chairs remain the same. Davis is chairman of Public Safety. Coffey will be the committee’s vice chairwoman and Councilmen Garry Daeke and George Daye also will serve on the committee. Daye and Councilwoman Mary Emma Evans served on Public Safety from 2008-09. Evans is chairwoman of Human Resources. Rainey will be the committee’s vice chairman and Coffey and Daye also will serve on the committee. Rainey and now-former Councilman Bernard Alston served on Human Resources from 2008-09. Coffey defeated Alston in the Oct. 6 election. Rainey is chairman of Land Planning & Development. Daeke will be the committee’s vice chairman and Councilman Michael Inscoe and Davis also will serve on the committee. Davis and Inscoe served on Land Planning & Development from 2008-09. Daeke will chair Boards and Commissions. Evans will be the committee’s vice chairwoman and O’Geary and Peace also

will serve on the committee. The committee system started undergoing changes in January 2008. Thennew Mayor O’Geary at the time said he believed the work of what had been the council’s Finance and Intergovernmental Relations (FAIR) Committee was too important to place on just a segment of the council. Instead, the mayor and all eight of the council members were given a say in overseeing the details of municipal finances. The FAIR Committee had been chaired by then-Councilwoman Lynn Harper, who was defeated in the October 2007 election. The other FAIR Committee members — thenCouncilmen Bobby Gupton and Ranger Wilkerson — also were defeated in the October 2007 election. A fourth council member,

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While Henderson elected officials will be serving on municipal committees for this two-year term, they have to serve in leadership roles beyond the City Council chambers. Councilman Michael Inscoe will continue chairing Kerr Lake Regional Water System Advisory Board meetings into 2011. The regional water system board usually meets monthly. The regional water system’s partners are Henderson, Oxford and Warren County. Councilman Garry Daeke additionally will serve as Henderson’s representative on the regional water system board, replacing Mayor Pete O’Geary. During regional water system board meetings,

Henderson Assistant City Manager Frank Frazier and Water Plant Manager Christy Lipscomb provide updates about the system. Inscoe was reappointed by the rest of the council on Monday evening and Daeke was appointed the same evening. Among Henderson elected officials’ other duties starting this week: New Councilwoman Sara Coffey and Mayor Pro Tem Lonnie Davis will be representing Henderson on the Henderson-Vance 911 Board. Davis and Inscoe served as representatives on the board from 2008-09. O’Geary will continue serving as Henderson’s representative to the KerrTar Regional Council of Governments. O’Geary, by virtue of his

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Local News

The Daily Dispatch

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

WATCH, from page one law enforcement’s strongest tool and added that Community Watch, Crime Stoppers and Church Watch are essential ingredients in preventing crime. Sheriff Peter White said that crime prevention cannot be done by law enforcement alone. “We have to look out for each other,” he said. Mayor O’Geary and Commissioner Wright then signed parallel resolutions adopted by their two governmental bodies. Both resolutions designate 2010 as the Year of Community Watch and call for the establishment of a Henderson-Vance County Community Watch Association. An organizational meeting focusing on a county-wide association will be held in the Maria Parham Medical Center auditorium at 7 p.m. on Jan. 28. Representatives

Deaths

of the various neighborhood Community Watch organizations are invited to attend. The meeting will give community watch leaders a chance to share ideas and develop strategies to connect Community Watches in every part of the city and county. “With everyone working together, we can make our community a safer and better place to live and raise a family,” Sossamon said. “We can reduce crime, keep our youth off the streets and in the classroom, become a friendlier community and create the kind of atmosphere that will attract people, industry and business to the place we call home.” Vance County currently has seven active Community Watch programs serving Ruin Creek Road, Spring Valley, West Hills/

West Creek/158 Bypass, Kittrell, Watkins, Hunt Stone and Cobble Stone. Henderson has 16 Community Watch groups serving Pinkston Street, Flint Hill, Old West End, Lehman Street, Spring Woods Apartments, Courtyard and Woods Apartments, Pine Ranes, Sterling Park Apartments, Highland Avenue, West Henderson, Highland Green Apartments, North Henderson Heights Apartments, Oak Hill Apartments, The Links, Lula’s Landing Apartments and Lincoln Heights Apartments. Linking these groups and establishing new ones can help citizens and law enforcement officers reduce crime while building community relationships, leaders said. Contact the writer at dirvine@ hendersondispatch.com.

SCHOOL, from page one parents — Sylvia Raye of Kittrell and Felicia Ricks of Henderson — complained to the board about problems with the varsity and JV boys’ basketball programs at Southern Vance High School. The after-school study

hall for the players is not used for studying, according to Raye. She said there is no assistant coach for either program. “The kids should be academically taken care of, not just athletically,” Raye

told the board members. “It looks like nobody cares about the basketball programs. It shouldn’t be just running,” she told the baord Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.

DELIVERY SERVICE

OXFORD — Leonard A. Norman, 77, of 5187 Forestview Hight Road, died Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010, at Granville Medical Center. He received his education in the Granville County school system and was a member of Penn Avenue Baptist Church where he served in numerous capacities. He also enjoyed fishing and hunting. Survivors include his wife, Gennie W. Norman of the home; three sons, Rodney Norman of Oxford, Erik Wilkerson of Charlotte and Michael Wright of Henderson; three sisters, Delores Mallory, Mildred Boyd and Willie Ruth Rodgers, all of Oxford; a brother, Thomas Norman of Oxford; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday at the Betts and Son Funeral Home Chapel by the Rev. Willie S. Darby. Burial will follow in the New Light Church cemetery. The viewing will be today from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Betts and Son Funeral Home. The family will receive

Annie L. Tew GARNER — Annie Lou Tew, 73, died Monday at Wake Med. A native of Johnston County, she was the daughter of the late Artimis and Flonnie Holland. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at Bryan-Lee Funeral Chapel in Garner. Burial will be in the Plainview Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Angier. Surviving are a sister, Margie Howard of Angier; and a brother, Glen Holland of Angier. The family will be at

James A. Vincent HENDERSON — James A. Vincent, 90, died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010, at Maria Parham Medical Center. He was a resident of 485 Vincent Hoyle Road. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Williams Funeral Home of Henderson.

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Kids are Special Valentines! Parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, light up the lives of the children you love with our special “Love to the Little Ones” Kids Photo Valentines. It’s a sweet surprise they’ll remember all year.

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Deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 2nd, 5:00PM. Valentines will be published in the Sunday, Feb. 14th issue of The Daily Dispatch. HURRY!! Deadline is 5 p.m., Feb. 2nd P.O. Box 908 • 304 S. Chestnut St.

Business & Farm

The Daily Dispatch

ConAgra pays N.C. fines for plant blast violations By EMERY P. DALESIO Associated Press Writer

RALEIGH â&#x20AC;&#x201D; ConAgra Foods Inc. has agreed to pay $106,440 for workplace safety violations at a snack foods plant where four workers died after a natural gas explosion last summer, state regulators said Tuesday. The fines are 21 percent less than the penalties originally assessed last month. Most of the citations against ConAgra Foods involved either failing to provide safety information or for generally failing to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards at its Slim Jim production plant in Garner, south of Raleigh. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are fully committed to providing as safe a work environment as possible and making sure that this type of accident never occurs again,â&#x20AC;? ConAgra said in a statement. ConAgra is based in Omaha, Neb. The state Labor Department last month also cited

room tried to light a natural gas-fired water heater before the blast. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The contractor removed the pressure gauge on the 3/8-inch pilot line and opened the supply valve multiple times that allowed a pressurized air mixture containing natural gas to be released in an enclosed room that contained ignition sources including unclassified electrical equipment such as motors and circuit panels,â&#x20AC;? the Labor Departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s citation said. Three workers were killed and more than 70 required hospital treatment after the June 9 explosion in the packaging area caused part of the roof to collapse. A worker for Energy Systems Analysts became the fourth fatality when he died in November after suffering severe burns in the blast. The Labor Department also opened inspections of 14 other companies after the blast, but none were cited for workplace violations.

Energy Systems Analysts, a subcontractor ConAgra hired to install a water heater, for similar violations with a total penalty amount of $58,100. Those citations and fines are still pending. Hickory-based Energy Systems Analysts referred a call seeking comment to its attorney, who did not respond Tuesday. ConAgra agreed to change its safety and health procedures as part of its settlement. The company agreed to hold pre-construction conferences with contractors to anticipate health and safety hazards and review plant health and safety policies. ConAgra said it would also check the safety compliance records of contractors before they are hired. ConAgra waived its right to further contest the citations or penalties. The settlement also includes revised language that drops references to ConAgra management being present as a contractor working in a plant pump

Fed adopts new rules to protect credit card users from sudden interest rate hikes

Area

A DAY ON WALL STREET

Stocks

11,000

January 12, 2010

Dow Jones industrials

10,000

Listed below are representative interdealer quotations at approximately 4 p.m. Tuesday from the National Association of Securities Dealers. Prices do not include retail mark-up, mark-down or commission.

9,000 8,000

-36.73 10,627.26

Pct. change from previous: -0.34%

High 10,663.08

7,000

Low 10,568.84

January 12, 2010

2,400

Nasdaq composite

2,200 2,000 1,800 1,600

-30.10 2,282.31

High 2,298.85

Pct. change from previous: -1.3%

January 12, 2010

-10.76 S

High 1,143.81

Pct. change from previous: -0.94%

1,400

Low 2,272.70

Standard & Poorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 500 1,136.22

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

1,200 1,100 1,000 900 800 700 600

Low 1,131.77

SOURCE: SunGard

MARKET ROUNDUP 011210: Market

charts show Dow,M S&P 500, and Currencies & etals

Nasdaq; stand-alone; 2c x 4 1/2 inches; 96 mm x 114 mm; staff Aluminum - $1.0522 per lb., London Metal NEW YORK (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Key currency exEditors: All figures as of: 5:25:04 PM EST Exch. change rates Tuesday: NOTE: Figures reflect market fluctuations after not match other AP content close; Coppermay -$3.4834 Cathode full plate, LME. Dollar vs: ExchgRate PvsDay Copper $3.3375 N.Y. Merc spot Tue Lead - $2573.00 metric ton, London Metal Yen 90.99 92.07 Exch. Euro $1.4497 $1.4519 Zinc - $1.1695 per lb., London Metal Exch. Pound $1.6179 $1.6099 Gold - $1151.25 Handy & Harman (only Swiss franc 1.0179 1.0158 daily quote). Canadian dollar 1.0381 1.0331 Gold - $1128.90 troy oz., NY Merc spot Mexican peso 12.7170 12.6680 Tue. Metal Price PvsDay Silver - $18.475 Handy & Harman (only NY Merc Gold $1128.90 $1150.70 daily quote). Silver - $18.243 troy oz., N.Y. Merc spot NY HSBC Bank US $1127.00 $1152.00 NY Merc Silver $18.243 $18.683Â Tue. Platinum -$1589.00 troy oz., N.Y. (contract). Nonferrous Platinum -$1573.90 troy oz., N.Y. Merc spot NEW YORK (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Spot nonferrous metal Tue. n.q.-not quoted, n.a.-not available r-revised prices Tuesday:

ACS ATT Ball Corp. BankAmerica BB&T Coca-Cola CVS Duke Energy Exxon Ford General Elec. Home Depot IBM Johnson & Johnson Kennametal Krispy Kreme Louisiana Pacific Lowes Lucent Tech. Pepsico Phillip Morris Procter & Gamble Progress Energy RF Micro Dev Royal Bk Can RJR Tobacco Revlon Sprint Sun Trust Universal Verizon Comm. Vulcan Wal-Mart Wells Fargo Wendyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Establis Delhaize

61.73 26.96 51.72 16.36 27.43 56.88 33.56 17.03 69.95 11.87 16.77 27.98 130.51 64.56 28.53 2.99 7.26 23.33 3.61 61.55 20.15 60.89 38.66 4.54 53.24 53.15 16.68 3.90 22.45 48.28 31.91 52.08 54.73 28.08 4.42 77.59

Energy use in Carolinas sets record CHARLOTTE (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Customers of Duke Energy in the Carolinas have set a record for winter electricity demand as prolonged freezing temperatures prompted residents to use more energy to heat their homes. The Charlotte-based utility says it generated 17,282 megawatt-hours of electricity between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Monday. That topped a previous winter

demand record of 16,968 megawatt hours on Feb. 5, 2009. Duke Energy President Brett Carter says the record shows providers need to make sure customers have a wide array of energy resources available

when demand escalates. On Monday, Raleighbased Progress Energy said its Carolinas customers set a winter demand record, using more than 12,500 megawatt-hours of electricity during the same time frame.

balances faster and more The new rules also will cheaply, he said. And, due ban â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with a few excepdates will be the same tions â&#x20AC;&#x201D; increasing the Happy witH your medicare plan? rate on existing credit card every month, eliminating WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; January 1, 2010 - March 31, 2010 confusing cut-off times for balances. For instance, The Federal Reserve on payments, he added. is Open Enrollment (OEP) if a customer is behind Tuesday issued sweeping The Fed wrote the rules new rules to better protect more than 60 days on a OEP allows us to offer you a change in to carry out provisions payment, the rate on the Americans from sudden of legislation passed by your health plan or the Beneficiaries may existing balance can be hikes in interest rates on Congress and signed into boosted. credit cards. choose to return to Original Medicare. law by President Barack Credit card companies The new rules, which Obama last year. Other We have plans with no or low monthly premiums. take effect on Feb. 22, gen- also will be required to ob- provisions of that law are tain a customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consent erally bar rate increases 919-690-1558 (office) or 919-691-5200 (cell). slated to go into effect before charging fees on during the first year after Thank you, later this year. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! exceed ! Jim Mink. transactions that an account is opened. !"#$%#$&'($")&#*"+'' ' ' ' ''',-./'0*"1)"'2$3$14'5*63' ' After the''',-./'0*"1)"'2$3$14'5*63' their credit limits and will first year, ''''''''''''?'@$9)%'1*"#A'*B'CDB*"3'E6":' 7$138'796":;'<=7>' ' ' ''''''''''''?'@$9)%'1*"#A'*B'CDB*"3'E6":' forbid companies from companies must provide ! issuing credit cards to customers with a 45-day people under the age of 21 notice before bumping Best storage Value In the area unless they â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or a parent up rates.Some lenders Standard and Climate Controlled Storage or other co-signer â&#x20AC;&#x201D; have ! pushed through ! have Interior sizes from 6 ft x 9 ft to 12 ft x 50 ft 10 ft x 8 ft Roll Up Doors the ability to make the rate increases ahead of Boat, Camper and RV Parking Available required payments. the new rules. That irked '( *Limited Time Offer* #$%&')()*+%$,'!-./01/.-23!! !"#$%& "#$%&')()*+%$,'!-./01/.-23!! Payments will be aplawmakers in Congress Pay Only $1 For First Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rent! ! ! 523 S. Chestnut St. Henderson, NC 27536 plied to highest interestwho had wanted to speed Call For More Details (252) 492-8715 â&#x20AC;˘ (866) 761-8311 rate balances first, helping up implementation of the (252) 436-2424 robertdavis@davisdisability.com www.davisdisability.com customers pay off their Fedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rules. $%&')()*+%$,'!/.-210.-23) *+,%-(."#$%&')()*+%$,'!/.-210.-23) Visit us online at www.kerrlakestorage.com By JEANNINE AVERSA AP Economics Writer

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The Daily Dispatch

Income Tax Update

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Buying a home or making green home improvements? Make sure you don’t miss out on these tax credits (ARA) — A wide range of tax law changes over the last year will result in considerable savings for millions of Americans on their 2009 federal tax returns. Homebuyers and homeowners have some of the most to gain from the changes. Understanding the qualifications for home-related credits can be confusing and intimidating. Jessi Dolmage, spokeswoman for 2nd Story Software, the makers of TaxACT, breaks them down. “If you’ve never owned or haven’t owned a principal residence during the three years prior to the purchase date, you may qualify for the first-time homebuyer credit. The purchase date must fall after April 8, 2009, and before May 1, 2010, with closing to take place before July 1, 2010. It’s equal to 10 percent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of $8,000. You only have to repay the money if the home ceases to be your primary residence or is sold within three years of purchase,” says Dolmage. Property cannot be acquired from a relative, and married taxpayers must both qualify as first-time homebuy-

Are you buying a home for the first time? Or perhaps making green improvments to an existing residence? If so, you may qualify for special tax credits. ers if filing jointly. The credit can be claimed on a 2009 return or an amended 2008 return. The Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 extended the credit’s closing date from Nov. 30, 2009, to April 30, 2010, and added rules for homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009, including: • You must be at least 18 on the purchase date (only one spouse must be 18)

and cannot be claimed as a dependent. • Purchase price cannot exceed $800,000. • If the sale doesn’t close by April 30, 2010, you may still qualify if there’s a binding contract to purchase by that date. The sale must close before July 1, 2010, and the credit cannot be claimed before the closing date. Purchase date and modified adjusted gross income

(MAGI) determine credit phase out. If the purchase date was before Nov. 7, 2009, full credit is available to those with an MAGI up to $75,000 ($150,000 for joint filers). If you have an MAGI between $75,000 and $95,000 ($150,000 and $170,000 for joint filers), you’re eligible for reduced credit. Higher incomes do not qualify. If the purchase date is after Nov. 6, 2009, full credit is available to those with

an MAGI of up to $125,000 ($225,000 for joint filers). If your MAGI falls between $125,000 and $145,000 ($225,000 and $245,000 for joint filers), you could receive a reduced credit. Higher incomes don’t qualify. “Current homeowners looking for a different or new home may also qualify for the first-time homebuyer credit,” Dolmage said. “The Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act modified the credit to allow for up to $6,500 if you purchase a replacement home before April 30, 2010. You must have lived in the same principal residence for a five-consecutive-year period during the eight-year period that ends on the purchase date of the replacement home.” In addition: • You must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence after Nov. 6, 2009, and before May 1, 2010, and close on it before July 1, 2010. • The credit phases out for those with an MAGI between $125,000 and $145,000 ($225,000 and $245,000 for joint filers). • 2009 purchases must be claimed on a 2009 return; 2010 purchases can be

claimed on a 2009 or 2010 return. All homeowners can claim tax credits for green improvements. The Residential Energy Property Credit is worth 30 percent, up to $1,500, for improvements such as adding insulation or installing energy-efficient windows, doors, or heating and air conditioning systems. Bigger improvements involving alternative energy equipment, like solar hot water heaters, geothermal heat pumps and wind turbines, can be claimed under the Residential Energy Efficiency Property Credit. This credit is equal to 30 percent of the cost of the qualified property, with no limit on the maximum amount of the credit available. New tax laws also include breaks for children, college expenses, new vehicles, unemployment and several other areas. Information about all 2009 tax law changes can be found at www.IRS.gov. “You can see exactly how the changes will affect your 2009 taxes with TaxACT Free Federal Edition,” Dolmage added. “With TaxACT, all taxpayers can prepare, print and e-file their IRS return for free. Go to www.TaxACT.com to get started.”

New year ushers in numerous changes for U.S. taxpayers In 2009, numerous new and expanded deductions and credits came into being for a broad cross-section of taxpayers. Following is a summary of some of the key changes taxpayers will find when they start preparing their 2009 federal income tax returns.

New vehicle purchase incentive New car buyers can deduct the state or local sales or excise taxes paid on the purchase of new cars, light trucks, motor homes and motorcycles. There is no limit on the number of vehicles that may be purchased, and eligible taxpayers may claim the deduction for taxes paid on multiple purchases. However, the deduction is limited to the tax on up to $49,500 of the purchase price of each qualifying new vehicle. Qualifying new vehicles must have been purchased, not leased, after Feb. 16, 2009, and before Jan. 1, 2010. Taxpayers who buy a new vehicle may deduct state or local fees or taxes that are similar to a sales tax whether or not their state imposes a sales tax. To qualify, the fees or taxes must be assessed on the purchase of the vehicle and must be based on the vehicle’s sales price or as a per-unit fee. The amount of the deduction is reduced for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income is between $125,000 and $135,000 for individual filers and between $250,000 and $260,000 for joint filers. This deduction is available regardless of whether a taxpayer itemizes deductions on Schedule A. Itemizers claim the deduction on either Line 5 or Line 7 of Schedule A. See the Schedule A instructions for details. Non-itemizers claim the deduction on new Schedule L, Standard Deduction for Certain Filers.

Tax credits for low/ moderate income workers More workers and working families are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). In particular, expanded benefits are now available for those with three or more qualifying children and married couples. The EITC helps taxpayers whose incomes are below certain income thresholds, which in 2009 rise to: • $48,279 for families with

three or more qualifying children • $45,295 for those with two or more children • $40,463 for people with one child • $18,440 for those with no children One in six taxpayers can claim the EITC, which, unlike most tax breaks, is refundable, meaning that individuals can get it even if they owe no tax and even if no tax is withheld from their paychecks. In addition, the earned income formula for the additional child tax credit is revised for tax years 2009 and 2010. As a result, more low and moderate income families qualify for the full $1,000 child tax credit.

Standard deduction increase Nearly two out of three taxpayers choose to take the standard deduction rather than itemizing deductions such as mortgage interest and charitable contributions. The basic standard deduction is: • $11,400 for married couples filing a joint return and qualifying widows and widowers, a $500 increase compared with 2008. • $5,700 for singles and married individuals filing separate returns, up $250. • $8,350 for heads of household, up $350. • Higher amounts apply to blind people and senior citizens. The standard deduction is often reduced for a taxpayer who qualifies as someone else’s dependent. In addition, eligible taxpayers can further increase their standard deduction by any of the following three deductions: • State or local real estate taxes paid in 2009. • A net disaster loss reported on Form 4684. • State or local sales or excise taxes on the purchase of a qualifying new motor vehicle. Use new Schedule L, Standard Deduction for Certain Filers, to claim these additional deductions.

AMT exemption increased For tax year 2009, Congress raised the alternative minimum tax exemption to the following levels: • $70,950 for a married couple filing a joint return and qualifying widows and widowers, up from $69,950 in 2008.

• $35,475 for a married person filing separately, up from $34,975. • $46,700 for singles and heads of household, up from $46,200. Under current law, these exemption amounts will drop to $45,000, $22,500 and $33,750, respectively, in 2010.

Education tax credit More parents and students can use a federal education credit to offset part of the cost of college under the new American Opportunity Credit. This credit modifies the existing Hope credit for tax years 2009 and 2010, making it available to a broader range of taxpayers. Income guidelines are expanded and required course materials are added to the list of qualified expenses. Many of those eligible will qualify for the maximum annual credit of $2,500 per student. In many cases, the American Opportunity Credit offers greater tax savings than existing education tax breaks. Here are some of its key features: Tuition, related fees and required course materials, such as books, generally qualify. In the past, books usually were not eligible for education-related credits and deductions. The credit is equal to 100 percent of the first $2,000 spent and 25 percent of the next $2,000. That means the full $2,500 credit may be

available to a taxpayer who pays $4,000 or more in qualified expenses for an eligible student. The full credit is available for taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is $80,000 or less ($160,000 or less for filers of a joint return). The credit is reduced or eliminated for taxpayers with incomes above these levels. These income limits are higher than under the existing Hope and lifetime learning credits. Forty percent of the American opportunity credit is refundable. This means that even people who owe no tax can get an annual payment of the credit of up to $1,000 for each eligible student. Existing education-related credits and deductions do not provide a benefit to people who owe no tax. The refundable portion of the credit is not available to any student whose investment income is taxed, or may be taxed, at the parent’s rate, commonly referred to as the kiddie tax. Though most taxpayers who pay for post-secondary education qualify for the American Opportunity Credit, some do not. The limitations include a married person filing a separate return, regardless of income; joint filers whose MAGI is $180,000 or more; and, finally, single taxpayers, heads of household and some widows and widowers whose MAGI is $90,000 or more. There are some postsecondary education expenses

that do not qualify for the American Opportunity Credit. They include expenses paid for a student who, as of the beginning of the tax year, has already completed the first four years of college. That’s because the credit is only allowed for the first four years of a post-secondary education. Students with more than four years of post-secondary education still qualify for the lifetime learning credit and the tuition and fees deduction.

Other changes The standard mileage rate for business use of a car, van, pick-up or panel truck is 55 cents for each mile driven. The standard mileage rate for the cost of operating a vehicle for medical reasons or as part of a deductible move is 24 cents per mile. The rate for using a car to provide services to charitable organizations is set by law and remains at 14 cents a mile. The value of each personal and dependency exemption is $3,650, up $150 from 2008. Most taxpayers can take personal exemptions for themselves and an additional exemption for each eligible dependent. This is one of more than three dozen individual and business tax provisions that are adjusted each year

to keep pace with inflation. A complete rundown of these changes can be found in 2009 Inflation Adjustments Widen Tax Brackets, Change Tax Benefits. The amount of taxable investment income a child can have without it being taxed at the parent’s rate is $1,900, up $100 from 2008. For details, see IRS Form 8615. There are several modifications to the definition of a qualifying child. For example, the child must be younger than the taxpayer, unless the child is totally and permanently disabled. These changes affect who can claim various tax benefits including the dependency exemption, child tax credit, credit for child and dependent care expenses, head of household filing status and the EITC. A $3,500 or $4,500 voucher or payment made for such a voucher under the CARS “cash for clunkers” program is not taxable to the consumer buying or leasing a new car. Unemployment benefits up to $2,400 received in 2009 are tax free for unemployed workers. Every person who receives unemployment benefits can exclude the first $2,400 of these benefits on their return. Unemployment benefit amounts over $2,400 are taxed.

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Income Tax Update

The Daily Dispatch

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Simple precautions help deter identity theft during tax season (ARA) — Identity theft affected 10 million Americans last year, an increase of 22 percent from the previous year, according to Javelin Strategy and Research. Those numbers make identity theft one of the nation’s fastest growing crimes. Although it’s important to protect your identity throughout the year, tax season is one time that identity thieves are out in full force, looking to take advantage of Americans not safeguarding their personal information. And even as the IRS believes that online tax filing will increase 20 percent in 2010, Americans still collect paperwork during the year that contains personal information that can be the equivalent to gold for identity thieves. “Seasoned identity thieves are on the prowl during tax season and looking for unassuming victims,” says Jay Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “Whether filing online or through regular mail, everyone still needs to be aware of safe filing practices and the procedures for protecting against identity theft this time of year.” One important step to protect confidential information is to properly store and destroy all paper documents

containing sensitive information that you no longer need. Shredding is the single most effective way to ensure that this type of paperwork is destroyed into unidentifiable pieces. By using a cross-cut shredder such as Fellowes PS-79Ci, paper documents are nearly impossible to piece back together. The PS-79Ci also features Fellowes’ Jam Proof technology, which calculates the amount of paper being fed into the shredder and stops a paper jam before it occurs. “Knowing and understanding the right procedures to protect yourself during tax season is the most important step to safeguarding confidential information this time of year,” says Nancy Heaton, senior global marketing manager at Fellowes, Inc., the leading shredder manufacturer. “Shredding all sensitive paperwork you no longer need is an easy and effective way to ensure that your personal information remains just that.” In addition to shredding, the following tax filing tips will help ensure that your confidential information is protected:

Filing taxes by mail • Regularly check the mailbox for W-2 forms and other documents containing

Try wrapping your forms in an extra sheet of paper to disguise the contents of the envelope. • Keep tax paperwork and other documents in a safe and accessible place, such as a fireproof box in your home.

Filing taxes online

Shredding sensitive paper documents you no longer need is an important step to help protect your identity during tax season. sensitive information that arrive by mail. If you don’t receive these documents by Feb. 15, contact the IRS for assistance at (800) 8291040 as missing forms may be an indication that an

identity thief went through your mail. • Send completed tax returns from a locked mailbox or the post office. If mailing from home, do not put the mailbox flag up. This only

alerts identity thieves that there may be an outgoing check in the mail. • Make sure tax forms, backup documents and enclosed checks are not visible from the outside.

• Choose a tax filing service you are familiar with. The IRS provides a list of approved companies at www. irs.gov/efile. • Make sure personal computers are protected with updated firewall and secure software systems, which contain antivirus and antispyware programs. • If you are storing important tax-related documents on your computer, change your passwords frequently between December and April. • Ensure that every Web site you are using during taxfiling season is encrypted to protect personal information when transmitted. • Shred any backup documents once you’ve filed your taxes online. For additional identity theft prevention tips and information on how long to keep financial records, visit www. fellowes.com or check with your tax professional.

Five ways to save time and money when figuring out your taxes (ARA) — The typical taxpayer is expected to spend more than three business days and more than $200 completing his or her tax return. “That’s too much time and too much money,” says Gary Lundberg, product management director for CompleteTax (www.CompleteTax. com), an online income tax preparation program. “The good news is, there are a few easy things people can do that will help them save time and money doing their taxes, as well as make sure they get the biggest refund they’re due.” As people get ready to file their 2009 tax returns, there are a few things they can do to save time and money. • Make sure you’re prepared. Having a few key items available when you start your taxes will save a lot of time. These include: 1. Your tax return from 2008. 2. Social Security numbers for you, your spouse and children. 3. All W-2s (wage and tax withheld form for 2009 supplied by your employer), 1099s (statements on investment income provided by your financial services institutions), mortgage interest statements and other statements related to income. 4. All statements related to expenses that you will be claiming on your tax return. 5. The routing numbers and account numbers for the accounts in which you want to directly deposit your tax refund. • Use an online tax program. One advantages of using an online tax program is that many of the items you need to start your taxes, like your prior year’s return, can be stored by the program. So, you don’t have to waste time

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hunting down information every year. More than 32 million people filed their tax returns from their home computers during 2009, up nearly 20 percent from the prior year, according to Internal Revenue Service data. That number is likely to continue to increase as more people realize the benefits involved. Using the right on-line tax program makes it a lot easier and faster for people to finish their tax return with no need to go to the store or download a program onto their computer. On-line tax programs also are a lot more accurate. In fact, the IRS reports that an electronically prepared and filed return has an error rate of less than one percent, compared to an error rate of about 20 percent for a paper prepared return. • Free file if you can. Depending upon how complicated your taxes are, you may be able to prepare and e-file your tax return absolutely free. For example, if you don’t need to itemize and only have a few simple requirements — such as claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit — you may be able to use a

More than 32 million people filed their tax returns from their home computers during 2009, up nearly 20 percent from the prior year. free on-line tax program. For example, CompleteTax offers a free version of its program and the IRS lists other providers participating in the Free File Alliance. If your tax situation is more complicated — for example, you have itemized deductions, investment income or you are a small business owner — you will want to make sure to purchase the online solution that is tailored to your needs. Good on-line tax programs for people with general tax needs are available for less than $20, even inves-

tors or small business owners who have more complicated returns can find solutions for less than $75. “Completing your tax returns does not need to be a drain on your wallet,” says Lundberg. • Maximize your credits and deductions. The average tax refund for 2008 was nearly $2,800. However, many taxpayers have the sinking feeling that they are not getting the tax breaks they should. In fact, according to an independent survey

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conducted by CompleteTax, two-thirds of 1,000 randomly surveyed taxpayers fear they may overlook tax breaks or make mistakes that could cost them in fines or penalties. “There are dozens of credits and deductions that people may have available to them. So it’s important to make sure that the tax program they’re using is geared to identify these,” says Lundberg. Some programs will also provide tools to help further ensure accuracy. For example, while millions of people donate clothing and household items to charities, few have any idea of the value. A tax program, such as CompleteTax, with a charitable donation calculator, provides an easy way for determining and documenting the fair market value of these items, helping you realize the greatest charitable contribution deductions you can. • E-file and use direct deposit. Electronically filing and using direct deposit

significantly increases how quickly taxpayers have access to their refund. Generally, e-filers can have their refund deposited directly into their accounts within a few days, compared to the weeks it takes to receive a mailed check. Certain tax programs also allow customers to split their refund and deposit it into three separate accounts. For example, you could deposit part in your checking account, part in your savings account and part directly into a tax-advantaged IRA account. “E-filing and direct deposit don’t cost you anything, but they can mean you have your refund faster so that it can start working for you - whether that’s paying off debt, buying something you want or saving for the future,” Lundberg says. Taxpayers can find more money-saving tips through CompleteTax news and tax alerts at www.CompleteTax. com.

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Local & State

The Daily Dispatch

Morehead City evacuation order lifted

HENDERSON POLICE DEPARTMENT

Containers of explosive damaged; roads around port reopened Arrests By KEVIN MAURER Associated Press Writer

MOREHEAD CITY — Officials lifted a voluntary evacuation order and opened roads late Tuesday around a busy North Carolina port that remained closed after a forklift operator accidentally punctured nine containers of the same explosive used in a Christmas Day airline bombing attempt. Workers were cleaning the spill of pentaerythritol tetranitrate. None of the highly explosive substance got into the adjacent water at the port of Morehead City, officials said. The port was expected to open this morning. Port police knew the shipment of PETN was coming from overseas and had extra security in place, Morehead

City Fire Chief Wes Lail said. He would not say where it came from or who imported the chemical. U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Mike Hvozda said the ship’s last port of call was in Spain, but he was not sure what city. No injuries were reported and officials did not count how many people left. PETN was part of a device authorities say a Nigerian man used to try to bring down a Detroit-bound Northwest flight on Christmas Day. It is often used in military explosives and found inside blasting caps. It is also the primary ingredient in detonating cords used for industrial explosions. A company called Maxam UEB of Bilboa, Spain, an explosives manufacturer, shipped the PETN, said Karen Fox, a spokeswoman

for the North Carolina State Ports Authority, but she did not know where in the U.S. it was headed. Morehead City Mayor Jerry Jones said the damage appeared to be an accident and there were no concerns about terrorism. He said a dock worker punctured the containers as he was unloading them. Lail said a small amount of PETN leaked out. He described the material as “slurry,” part liquid and part solid. Hvozda said the material was shipped in cardboard drums that were about two feet high and one foot in diameter. This is the first time in two years PETN has come into Morehead City, and the shipment was approved by the Coast Guard, Lail said.

• Waverly Cheatham, 41, of 522 S. Cooper Drive was arrested Jan. 11. Misdemeanor larceny. Unsecured bond was set at $1,500. Court date Feb. 23. • Jamar Harris, 29, of 814 Dorsey Ave. was served Jan. 11 with an order for arrest. Bond was set at $326. No court date listed. • Frank Junior Kingsberry, 21, of 650 Marshall St. was served Jan. 11 with an order for arrest. Failure to appear. Secured bond was set at $200. Court date Feb. 16. • Shronda Lavonne Stamper, 23, of 756 Southerland St. was arrested Jan. 8. Misdemeanor larceny. Secured bond was set at $300. Court date Feb. 9. • Torrey Terrance Person, 32, of 101 Kearney St. was served Jan. 11 with an order for arrest. Misdemeanor failure to appear. Secured bond was set at $500. Court date Feb. 28.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Oxford boy, 17, charged in thefts from vehicles By DISPATCH STAFF

OXFORD — A 17-yearold Oxford boy is being held on $20,000 bond at the Granville County Jail in connection with a police investigation of numerous reported breakings and enterings of motor vehicles the past three months, primarily at the north end of the city. Tevin Steed, of 804 Goshen St., is charged with one count each of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, felony larceny, possession of stolen goods, identity theft and attempted obtaining property by false pretense, police said. More counts of the same charges are pending an

additional investigation, police said. Steed, who was booked Monday, was identified initially by a local automatic teller machine camera when he attempted to use a stolen credit/debit card, police said. Police said the targeted vehicles were parked at local businesses and residential properties in the early evening hours, with the stolen items including purses, laptop computers, MP3 players and global positioning system units. Send comments to news at hendersondispatch.com.

If you miss your paper,

PLEASE CALL before 11:00 am — 436-2800

OFFICIAL BALLOT FOR THE 2009 “BEST OF VANCE COUNTY” 65. Best Golf Course Business _______________________ 66. Best Church Supplier Business _______________________ 67. Best Medical Wear Business _______________________

People 1. Best Contractor Name _________________________ 2. Best Electrician Name _________________________ 3. Best Pharmacist Name _________________________ 4. Best Doctor Name _________________________ 5. Best Nurse (RN, LPN) Name _________________________ Location________________________ 6. Best Medical Assistant (CNA, office assistant) Name _________________________ 7. Best Dentist Name _________________________ 8. Best Optometrist Name _________________________ 9. Best Insurance Agent Name _________________________ Business _______________________ 10. Best Waiter/Waitress Name _________________________ Restaurant ______________________ 11. Best Car Salesperson Name _________________________ 12. Best Hair Stylist Name _________________________ Salon __________________________ 13. Best Sales Team Business _______________________ 14. Best Auto Mechanic Name _________________________ Business _______________________ 15. Best Attorney Name _________________________ 16. Best Elected Official Name _________________________ 17. Best Real Estate Team Business _______________________ 18. Best Real Estate Agent Name _________________________ 19. Best Dental Hygienist Name _________________________ Office _________________________ 20. Best CPA Name _________________________ Firm __________________________ 21. Best Chiropractor Name _________________________ 22. Best Barber Name _________________________ 23. Best Veterinarian Name _________________________

Food & Drink

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

2009

Goods & Services 24. Best Restaurant Business _______________________ 25. Best Caterer Business _______________________ 26. Best Roofing Co. Business _______________________ 27. Best Sign Company Business _______________________ 28. Best Nursing Home Business _______________________ 29. Best Bank Bank __________________________ 30. Best Tires Business _______________________ 31. Best Clothes Business _______________________ 32. Best Body Shop Business _______________________ 33. Best Jewelry Store Business _______________________ 34. Best Pet Services Business _______________________ 35. Best Used Cars Business _______________________ 36. Best Dry Cleaner Business _______________________ 37. Best Hair Salon Business _______________________ 38. Best Furniture Store Business _______________________ 39. Best Pest Control Business _______________________ 40. Best Gas/Service Station Business _______________________ 41. Best New Cars Business _______________________ 42. Best Cosmetics Business _______________________ 43. Best Muffler Shop Business _______________________

44. Best Florist Business _______________________ 45. Best Home Improvement Company Business _______________________ 46. Best Nursery/Garden Center Business _______________________ 47. Best Car Wash/Detail Business _______________________ 48. Best Shippers Business _______________________ 49. Best Gift Shop Business _______________________ 50. Best Funeral Services Business _______________________ 51. Best Nail Salon Business _______________________ 52. Best Barber Shop Business _______________________ 53. Best Carpet Dealer Business _______________________ 54. Best Drug Store Business _______________________ 55. Best Manufactured Homes Business _______________________ 56. Best Plumbing Company Business _______________________ 57. Best Appliance Store Business _______________________ 58. Best Electronics Store Business _______________________ 59. Best Mattress Dealer Business _______________________ 60. Best Heating & Cooling Co. Business _______________________ 61. Best Preschool or Day Care Center Business _______________________ 62. Best Print Shop Business _______________________ 63. Best Internet Provider Business _______________________ 64. Best Wireless Store Business _______________________

68. Best Mexican Food Business _______________________ 69. Best Italian Food Business _______________________ 70. Best Chinese Food Business _______________________ 71. Best Cup of Coffee Restaurant or Store ________________ 72. Best Pancake and Waffles Restaurant ______________________ 73. Best Stew Restaurant or Deli _________________ 74. Best Hot Dogs Restaurant or Grill _________________ 75. Best Hamburgers Restaurant or Grill _________________ 76. Best Barbeque Restaurant ______________________ 77. Best Fried Chicken Restaurant ______________________ 78. Best Chicken Sandwich Restaurant ______________________ 79. Best Hushpuppies Restaurant ______________________ 80. Best Fast Food Restaurant or Grill _________________ 81. Best Salad Bar/Soup Restaurant or Grill _________________ 82. Best Buffet Restaurant or Deli _________________ 83. Best Pizza Restaurant or Delivery Service ________ 84. Best Steaks Restaurant ______________________ 85. Best Seafood Restaurant ______________________ 86. Best Iced Tea Restaurant or Grill _________________ 87. Best Ice Cream Location________________________ 88. Best Milkshakes Location________________________ 89. Best Desserts Restaurant, Deli or Bakery ___________ 90. Best “Southern Style” Meal Restaurant ______________________ 91. Best Home-Cooked Breakfast Business _______________________ 92. Best Chicken Tenders Business _______________________ 93. Best Fish Sandwich Business _______________________

RULES FOR ENTRY 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.

4. No mechanical reproductions of “answered ballots: will be accepted. 5. All answers must be applicable to Vance County for eligibility. 6. Send your completed entries to “The Best of Vance County” Retail Dept. P.O. Box 908, Henderson, N. C. 27536

7. Ballots must be received by January 25, 2010. 8. One entry per person. 9. Must be 18 years or older to participate. 10. Complete list of rules are available at The Daily Dispatch.

Name (Please Print) ________________________________________ Address____________________________ Telephone (Home) ______________________ (Day) _____________ Signature____________________________

CMYK

Local News

The Daily Dispatch

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

VANCE COUNTY SHEREIFF’S OFFICE Arrests

Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE

Eat Smart, Move More Weight Loss Challenge Beth Pendergrass looks down at her weight while weighing in Tuesday morning for the second annual Eat Smart, Move More challenge at Maria Parham Medical Center. Also pictured is Erin McIntyre, exercise specialist with the cardiac rehabilitation at the hospital. Pendergrass is part of the “Rad Chicks” team with Pam Gilliam, Terryl Woodlief and Jean Moseley. Teams of four adults in Granville and Vance Counties will work together to lose 10 pounds each between now and March 26. Successful teams and individuals will be eligible for drawings for $3,000 in gift cards donated by sponsors. Last year 1,044 participants weighed in with 60 percent weighing out at the end of the challenge. Total weight lost by those weighing out equaled 4,958 pounds. Anyone wishing to participate can still weigh in at the Granville County Health Department on Thursday from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and also on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or at the South Granville Medical Center today from 1 to 4 p.m., Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. Weigh-ins are also being held at Maria Parham Medical Center today from noon to 5 p.m., Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. The challenge is sponsored by Granville Medical Center, South Granville Medical Center, Maria Parham Medical Center, Granville County Health Department, Vance County Health Department and the Henderson Family YMCA.

Wester Insurance Agency 1020 S. Garnett St. • Henderson, NC 27536

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• Emily M. Marrow, 34, of 600 W. Andrews Ave. Apt. 16 was served Jan. 11 with order for arrest. Driving while license revoked and speeding. No bond listed. No court date listed. • Bryan Walker, 16, of 313 Pinewood Drive was arrested Jan. 11. Misdemeanor simple assault. Misdemeanor second degree trespassing. Custod release order. Court date Jan. 26. • Eric Bates, 23, of 1824 Clearview Drive was served Jan. 11 with an order for arrest. Misdemeanor failure to appear on charges of driving while license revoked and window tinting. Secured bond was set at $1,000. Court date Jan. 26. • James Cordell Bullock, 22, of 2490 N.C. Hwy 39 North was served Jan. 11 with an order for arrest. Misdemeanor failure to appear on charge of fail to comply with child supportl. Secured bond was set at $370. Court date Jan. 27. • Quentin Davis, 22, of 1215 Gun Club Road was arrested Jan. 11. Misdemeanor unauthorized use of a vehicle. Misdemeanor assault on a female. No bond. Court date Jan. 25. • Michael Cheatham, 42, of 439 Poplar St. was arrested Jan. 11. Misdemeanor child support, 3 charges. Cash bond was set at $1,750. Court date Jan. 27.

• William Keith Wade Jr., 29, of 1129 Pine Ridge Road was served Jan. 10 with an order for arrest. Misdemeanor failure to appear on charges of speeding and reckless driving/wanton disregard. Secured bond was set at $500. Court date Feb.18. • Vania Bullock, 18, of 90 Joes Lane was served Jan.10 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor worthless check. Bond was set at $40. Court date Jan. 25. • Michael Dailes, 29, of 911 Bridges St. was served Jan. 10 with an order for arrest. Misdemeanor failure to appear on charge of probation violation, 2 county. Secured bond was set at $25,000. No court date listed. • Gina Soloman, 44, of 260 Meadow Drive was served Jan. 10 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor failure to return rental property. Court date March 8. • Shereka Durham, 24, of 96 Irene Bullock Lane was arrested Jan.10. Misdemeanor simple assault. Misdemeanor assault on a child under 12. Unsecured bond was set at $500. Court date Feb. 8. • Carolyn Harris Jones, 59, of 1146 Cheatham Mabry Road was served Jan. 9 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor worthless check. Court date Jan. 26. • Nancy Williams, 67, of 194 Moody Road Lot 4 was served

Jan. 9 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor failure to return rental property. Court date Jan. 26. • Carla E. Allen, 42, of 1412 Allison Cooper Road was served Jan.9 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor simple worthless check. Court date Jan. 26. • John Vance, 44, of 500 Intake Lane was arrested Jan. 9. Misdemeanor failure to work after being paid. Secured bond was set at $1,500. Court date Feb. 2. • Jennah Nixon, 19, of 2851 U.S. 1/158 Hwy. was arrested Jan. 9. Misdemeanor simple assault. Misdemeanor communicating threats. Unsecured bond was set at $1,000. Court date Jan. 25. • Stephen R. Griffith, 48, of 94 Griffith Lane was served Jan. 9 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor worthless check. Court date Jan. 26. • Jamie Peck Janke, 52, of 92 Pollyanna Road was served Jan. 8 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor worthless check. Court date Jan. 26. • Lamar Joseph Thompson, 26, no address listed, was served Jan. 8 with an order for arrest. Driving while license revoked. Show cause. Cash bond was set at $100. Court date Jan. 25. • Juan Manuel Carreno, 31, of 3411 Raleigh Road Lot 9 was

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arrested Jan. 8. Misdemeanor injury to personal property. Unsecured bond was set at $500. Corut date Jan. 25. • Carolyn Laavern Hargrove, 44, of 88 Victory Lane was served Jan. 8 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor simple worthless check, 2 counts. Court date Jan. 26. • Crystal Pope, 48, of 137 Deerfield RUn was served Jan. 8 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor simple worthless check. Court date Jan. 26. • Sharon B. Moss, 51, of 137 Deer Hound Court was served Jan. 8 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor simple worthless check. Court date Jan. 26. • Sherry Walsh, 37, of 2957 Charlie Grissom Road, Kittrell, was served Jan. 8 with a criminal summons. Misdemeanor simple worthless check. Court date Jan. 26. • Sherry May Branch, 46, of 179 Catherine Weldon Lot 10 was arrested Jan. 8. Misdemeanor order for arrest, 2 counts. Secured bond was at $2,200. Court date Jan. 28. • James Duke, 42, of 519 Gillburg Road Lot 15 was served Jan. 8 with an order for arrest. Misdemeanor failure to appear on charges of driver not wearing a seatbelt and driving while license revoked. Secured bond was set at $500. Court date Feb. 22.

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Opinion

The Daily Dispatch

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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Editorial Board: James Edwards, Publisher • jedwards@hendersondispatch.com Luke Horton, Editor • lhorton@hendersondispatch.com Don Dulin, News Editor • ddulin@hendersondispatch.com 304 S. Chestnut St./P.O. Box 908 Henderson, N.C. 27536 PHONE: 436-2700/FAX: 430-0125

Daily Meditation Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22

Our Opinion

King’s life an inspiration The third Monday in January is a significant day in our nation’s history. The country will celebrate the birthday of a man who helped lead the modern civil rights movement. Through the 1950s, ‘60s and even today, Martin Luther King Jr. advanced the civil rights of members of his race. A brief bio of King from nobelprize.org: In 1954, King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the NAACP. In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In the 11-year period between 1957 and 1968, King appeared wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Ala., that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience, and inspiring his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” a manifesto of the Negro revolution. He also directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, “I Have a Dream.” He was arrested numerous times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure. At the age of 35, Martin Luther King Jr. was the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. It’s an impressive resume. The man had more than just dreams, he took action. Sadly, King’s life was cut short. On April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tenn., he was assassinated. No one will ever know what all King could have accomplished if his life hadn’t ended so early, but we can all see the fruits of his labor. Some will argue that our country has yet to achieve racial equality, and those arguments have merit. But without King, our nation might not have elected its first African-American president. Politics aside, it’s a monumental event in the history of our nation. It’s a testament to the work of King and others like him. Several events honoring King are scheduled throughout the area, starting with a celebration at 11 a.m. today in the Civic Center on Vance-Granville Community College’s main campus. Other events will take place later in the week and on Monday. Regardless of our race, religion, or political affiliations, King’s work has positively affected all of us. And that deserves a celebration.

Quotable “I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era.” Mark McGwire in a interview with The Associated Press after admitting that steroids and human growth hormone helped make him baseball’s home run king in 1998. “I continue to contend I have acted ethically, and it is particularly painful at this time of great personal trauma that I have to defend myself from an unfounded and mischievous allegation.” Northern Ireland’s First Minister Peter Robinson in remarks after saying he would step aside for a few weeks to answer questions about his wife’s romantic and financial dealings with a teenager.

Over the years I have often had the pleasure of introducing my son to significant people as politically diverse as Barack Obama and Pat Buchanan. (Welcome to my world, kid.) He turned the tables on me one day in his early teens when he rushed across Washington’s Reagan National Airport to introduce himself to basketball star Gilbert Arenas. Years later I am still grateful to the rising Washington Wizards star for generously giving my son, whom he did not know, a few moments of encouragement amid the crush of airport hell. Yet memories of that pleasant moment, plus other reports I have heard of his charity work and mentoring of underprivileged kids, make it hard for me to understand Arenas’ recent slide from role model to butt of late-night jokes. The slide came when Arenas was indefinitely suspended and put under a criminal investigation for allegedly bringing as many as four handguns into his team’s locker room. The pre-Christmas incident was part of what Arenas called a prank that grew out of a dispute over a gambling debt with teammate Javaris Crittenton, who according to various reports, responded by pulling out a gun

of his own. Sounds like the O.K. Corral? No, it’s the National Basketball Association, where there has been a gun-related player suspension almost every year in the past decade. Arenas Clarence made matPage ters worse for himself Tribune Media at a game Services last week (Tuesday, Jan. 5) by mocking his own pending criminal investigation in front of the crowd and news cameras by flamboyantly firing his fingers like guns at his teammates. Cute. That little high-profile antic appears to have been the last straw for NBA Commissioner David Stern, who already was under pressure from the Rev. Al Sharpton to show Arenas no mercy. Yes, I know. A scolding from Sharpton for flamboyant recklessness is about as credible as a lecture on loyalty from Tiger Woods. Since his rise to fame in the 1980s as a promoter

of Tawana Brawley’s racially charged rape case that turned out to be a hoax, Sharpton has been known for rattling more social and political bridges than he’s built. But, as President Barack Obama dominates America’s left, Sharpton has shifted to the right. He recently appeared, for example, on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and other venues with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, still a conservative icon, to promote commonground “common sense” school reforms. More recently, the reverend is righteously steamed at wayward black athletes like Arenas, he wrote in a Washington Post op-ed, for becoming “billboards of violent and destructive behavior.” I understand. There’s no question that Arenas’ recklessness deserves to be penalized. But, I also have to ask, penalized for what? The NBA and various media commentators, including Sharpton, seem to be falling over themselves to punish Arenas not only for his mistakes but also as a scapegoat for other problems for which remedial action is long overdue. Arenas’ reputation resembles Michael Jordan’s more than Michael Vick’s. He’s a prankster, not a gangster. Yet he appears

to be catching more punishment from Stern than others have received for worse offenses. In September, for example, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West was arrested for three loaded weapons that were found in his vehicle during a traffic stop for reckless driving in Maryland. Yet, Stern did not suspend West. Where was Sharpton? He expresses “a keen sense of guilt that black leaders have not raised our voices more dramatically,” he wrote. “If the assailants in these incidents had been white, we would have been marching, but because this is same-race behavior, we shake our heads, say a few words and allow it to continue.” Other voices, like Dave Zirin, sports editor of The Nation, question whether black athletes deserve to be singled out. White athletes like Jared Allen, a Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman and noted gun enthusiast who “kills and eats things that would make a billy goat sick,” says Zirin, are praised as great sportsmen. True, but Allen also hasn’t been caught bringing his weapons into a locker room. Maybe we ask too much of athletes when we expect them to be models of good behavior, but at least they should try to avoid bad behavior.

Letter to the Editor Judging justices

Playing race-card ‘gotcha’ There is so much to enjoy about the Democrats’ Harry Reid problem, and yet I find the whole spectacle horribly depressing. First, let’s recap the bright side. The addlepated and vindictive Senate majority leader is under fire for saying — according to the new book “Game Change” — that Barack Obama would make a promising Democratic presidential contender because he’s “light-skinned” and can speak “Negro dialect” only when he wants to. He deserves the grief. Just last month, Reid insinuated that fellow senators standing in the way of “Obamacare” were carrying on the tradition of the racists who stood in the way of civil rights in the 1960s. That he’s been caught talking like one of those racists is a delicious irony. But irony is one thing. Scalphunting is another. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said over the weekend that Reid should step down from his leadership position because of his comments. For this we needed the first African-American head of the Republican Party? Steele is obviously right that there’s a double standard when it comes to such racial gaffes. A Republican says something stupidly offensive or offensively stupid about race and he must be destroyed, even if he apologizes like Henry in the snows of Canossa. But when a Democrat blunders the same way, the liberal establishment goes into overdrive explaining why it’s no big deal. But by demanding Reid’s resignation, Steele is making an idiotic, nasty and entirely cynical game bipartisan. Yes, there’s a double standard, but the point is that the standard used against conservatives is unfair, not that that unfair standard should be

used against Democrats as well. Whatever Steele’s other strengths and weaknesses may be, a major benefit of having a black leader for the GOP was, for me, that Republicans could have a more credible voice in attacking the unfairness of such race-driven scalp hunts. Jonah What will Goldberg Steele’s position be when Tribune Media some tired Services Republican hack politician accidentally says something Reid-like down the road? Shall the GOP, for consistency’s sake, demand he or she step down? The real, sad lesson of this episode is that we have somehow come to define racism as disagreeing with the Democratic Party or its African-American base. Reid’s defenders told Politico they’re planning to disseminate the NAACP voting score of Republicans who criticize Reid, as if voting against the NAACP is a test of your racial conscience. The Congressional Black Caucus says Reid’s comments are forgivable because he’s advancing the Democratic agenda. Translation: If you aren’t advancing the Democratic agenda and you slip up, prepare to be branded a racist and pelted off the public stage. Heck, you don’t really even have to slip up. We’ve spent much of the last year being told that “tea party” protesters are unforgivably racist for complaining about high taxes and deficits. But ruminating on Obama’s light skin and versatility with the “Negro dialect” is merely forgivably inappropriate.

Democrats have so completely mastered this practice and internalized their own heroic narrative, they are completely at home with their cognitive dissonance. For instance, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is reportedly one of Reid’s biggest defenders. Schumer won his Senate seat in 1998 in large part by insinuating that his opponent, Alfonse D’Amato, was an anti-Semite because D’Amato had allegedly dubbed Schumer a “putzhead” in a private meeting with Jewish supporters. The bittersweet irony is that racism is such a nonissue in U.S. politics today. Most of the “black agenda” is simply a throwback to the ethnic spoils game played by Italians, Germans, Jews and the Irish in previous generations. But we’ve absurdly elevated racial pork barrel into a test of one’s soul. It’s no more racist to oppose spending on the “digital divide” than it is anti-Irish to oppose pay increases for Boston firemen. No politicians in either party are calling for Jim Crow-style segregation or anything remotely like that. Instead, we have one party that, for the most part, says it wants special benefits for blacks and certain other minorities in order to compensate for past discrimination, and another party that, for the most part, wants to live up to the colorblind ideal found in the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s poetry about judging people by the content of their character. Both points of view are well intentioned. But only the Democratic position gets lacquered with a thick coating of self-serving sanctimony and the benefit of the doubt from the media. Alas, rather than discrediting this charade, the Reid affair is only reinforcing it. And that’s far worse than anything he said.

If you haven’t noticed, there is something amiss in the legal community. I have my opinion, what’s yours? It does seem recently that there have been several wealthy, highly educated men, and some women, well-thought of in their communities, family-oriented, some even God-fearing, who have for some reason run afoul of the law. Let me show you where I’m going. Frank Balance, John Carrington, Jim Black, Mike Nifong, Bill Clinton, Meg Scott Phipps to name a few. Ironically, sex still raises its ugly head, but this times it appears the elixir is even uglier. This time its just plain politics. Or, so it seems. We could look at country-wide, or nationwide, but for the sake of keystrokes, and postage, let’s stay closer to home. What would make N.C. judges who leave the bench, turn around and create such organizations as “Actual Innocence Commission,” “N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law,” or “Fairjudges.net,” which is an organization that raises money to sway voter support? Or, just for the sake of argument, “What would make a N.C. Democratic judge, who leaves office five years before his term is up, support a Republican judge who is the creator of the North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law?” The answer might be here. Legal advocates say: If it’s in the Constitution, it’s the law. But this is not the Constitution. The following is excerpted from a probably outdated N.CGS 7A-376, page 311, Article 30 titled Judicial Standards Commission: Assuming that a judge’s resignation has been or will be accepted by the governor, it does not deprive the Supreme Court of its jurisdiction over a proceeding for the removal of a judge for misconduct and conduct prejudicial to administration of justice ... nor is the case rendered moot by resignation. Daniel A. Young Henderson

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Today’s Birthdays: Country singer Liz Anderson is 80. Actress Frances Sternhagen is 80. TV personality Nick Clooney is 76. Comedian Rip Taylor is 76. Actor Billy Gray is 72. Actor Richard Moll is 67. Rock musician Trevor Rabin is 56. R&B musician Fred White is 55. Rock musician James Lomenzo (Megadeth) is 51. Actor Kevin Anderson is 50. Actress Julia LouisDreyfus is 49. Rock singer Graham “Suggs” McPherson (Madness) is 49. Country singer Trace Adkins is 48. Actress Penelope Ann Miller is 46. Actor Patrick Dempsey is 44. Actress Traci Bingham is 42. Actor Keith Coogan is 40. Actress Nicole Eggert is 38. Actor Orlando Bloom is 33.

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One year ago: President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, vowed during her Senate confirmation hearing to revitalize the mission of diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy. Obama’s choice to run the Treasury Department, Timothy Geithner, disclosed that he had failed to pay $34,000 in taxes from 2001 to 2004.

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