CMYK Gunshot wounds not life-threatening to man Local News, Page 4A
Solving the teen pregnancy rate problem Opinion, Page 8A
Few men show up at new shelter Local & World, Page 10A Northern Vance’s Brandon Hargrove hits a layup in win over Cardinal Gibbons.
Maria Parham Healthbeat — Inside Today
Sports, Page 1B
Saucy Spark to Everyday Meals
A publication of Maria Parham Medical Center and The Daily Dispatch
Good Taste, Page 1C
WEDNESDAY, January 20, 2010
Volume XCVI, No. 16
(252) 436-2700
www.hendersondispatch.com
Arrests Navy’s Sea Chanters to perform on drugs charges By DISPATCH STAFF
Two women have been arrested by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office Vice/Narcotics Unit on numerous drugs charges. Ethel Parham Champion, 58, of 7527 N.C. 39 North Lot 2 has been charged with: • Trafficking in opiates. • Possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver marijuana. • Possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver Clonzapam. • Possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver Percocet. • Felony manufacture of marijuana. • Conspiracy to sell and deliver marijuana. • Felony maintaining a dwelling for keeping and selling marijuana. • Possession of drug paraphernalia. Champion is being held on $95,500 bond pending a Feb. 15 court date. Stephanie Dawn Wilson Please see ARRESTS, page 3A
Index Our Hometown . . . . . 2A Business & Farm. . . . 5A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . 8A Light Side . . . . . . . . . 9A Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-4B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 2C Classifieds. . . . . . . 3-5C
Weather Today Mostly cloudy
50 cents
County money missing
Tax office bank bag contained thousands in cash By DAVID IRVINE Daily Dispatch Writer
Submitted photo
The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, the official chorus of the United States Navy, will perform Thursday, Feb. 18, at Vance-Granville Community College. The concert, which is free, is hosted by The Daily Dispatch and the college.
CONCERT BY THE OFFICIAL CHORUS OF THE NAVY IS FREE By DISPATCH STAFF
The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, the official chorus of the United States Navy, is coming to the Tri-County for a free concert on Thursday, Feb. 18. The group’s visit to Henderson is being hosted by The Daily Dispatch and Vance-Granville Community College. The Sea Chanters will present the free concert at 7:30 p.m. in the VGCC Civic Center. One of the nation’s preeminent professional choral ensembles, the Sea Chanters chorus has played a vital role in the history of our country. The group performed at the inauguration of President Barack Obama a year ago. They have appeared at the Kennedy Center Honors and with the National
More about the Sea Chanters at Extra online.
Symphony Orchestra for the nationally telecast “National Memorial Day Concerts” at the U.S. Capitol, as well as on “Larry King Live,” “CBS This Morning” and at the premier of the motion picture “Pearl Harbor.” Their concert in Henderson is free, but tickets are required. Tickets are available by sending a self‑addressed, stamped envelope to: U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters Concert; c/o The Daily Dispatch, P.O. Box 908, Henderson N.C. 27536. Please limit your request for tickets to six. Any unclaimed seats will be available to non‑ticket holders just prior to concert
time. Ticket requests should be submitted by Monday, Feb. 15. The ensemble has comforted the nation in times of mourning, such as the memorial services for former President Ford and the astronauts of the space shuttle Columbia, and for the Presidential wreath laying ceremony at the crash site of United Airlines flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. At the National Day of Prayer in Washington’s National Cathedral after the events of 9/11, their performance of “Amazing Grace” inspired all in attendance and an international television audience. During their 2008 spring tour, the Sea Chanters performed in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir under the direction of Mack Wilberg, Please see CHANTERS, page 4A
A deposit bag containing thousands of dollars in checks and cash is missing from the Vance County Tax Office. The county released a statement Tuesday that reads: “The Vance County Sheriff’s Office is engaged in an ongoing investigation of a report of a missing bank deposit bag with receipts from a county office. Public funds are required by law to be deposited daily, and the contents of the missing bag were prepared accordingly for deposit into a local bank. Additional security measures have been implemented.” County Commissioner Danny Wright said the deposit bag was determined to be missing shortly before Christmas, prompting an internal investigation. Wright said as much as $6,000 to $7,000 in cash was in the bag, with several thousand more in checks. Vance County Manager Jerry Ayscue declined to elaborate on the press release while the incident is under investigation. Anyone with information regarding the missing deposit bag and its contents is urged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office at (252) 738-2200. Contact the writer at dirvine@hendersondispatch.com.
Grand jury declines to indict officer
High: 57 Low: 39
Thursday Rain likely
High: 43 Low: 37
By DISPATCH STAFF
Details, 3A
Deaths Henderson Gracie A. Abbott, 97 Shelia Alston-Morrow Samaria G. Kearney, infant Ervin H. Stallings Jr., 60 Raleigh Larry D. Hargrove, 43 Warrenton Emma Alston, 65
Obituaries, 4A
Good news! The Daily Dispatch is printed on recycled paper.
Help for Haiti
Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE
The Vance County Missionary Union is sponsoring a community relief effort for Haiti which began Tuesday and runs through Saturday at St. James Missionary Baptist Church on Oxford Road. Drop-off times for water and first aid supplies are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Woodruff Trucking donated a trailer for the supplies while M.R. Williams Inc. has given the group use of a pallet jack and pallets to load supplies for transport. The group will hold a close out event on Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. featuring gospel singing and praise dancers from area churches. Local merchants wanting to donate food and drinks for the event should contact Carolyn Taylor at (252) 425-4238, Feraldine Simmons at (252) 767-0300 or Ella Wortham at (252) 767-3803. Related pictures, page 10A.
OXFORD — The Granville County grand jury declined to indict a federal correctional officer in connection with a fatal shooting outside a Butner restaurant, published reports said Tuesday. District Attorney Sam Currin said Dec. 30 that — based on what Butner Public Safety had told him — he would ask the grand jury to consider issuing a true bill saying Uriah Metcalf must answer to the court on a charge of voluntary manslaughter resulting from the early morning Dec. 27 death of Ronald Dewey Anderson Jr. Metcalf and another federal correctional officer, Gwynn Basinger, were leaving the Taste of Fuji Japanese Grill, which is off the Interstate 85/N.C. 56 Please see INDICT, page 4A