CMYK Donations needed for Haitians
Body found in makeshift Oxford grave
Duke v. NCSU, UNC v. Wake Forest
Opinion, Page 8A
Local & Nation, Page 10A
Sports, Page 1B THURSDAY, January, 21, 2010
Volume XCVI, No. 17
(252) 436-2700
DA will seek death penalty Scott Morris charged with slaying wife By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
OXFORD — Granville County District Attorney Sam Currin is seeking the death penalty against Scott Morris in connection with the slaying of Morris’ wife, Kelly Currin Morris. Currin declined comment Wednesday, but said a Rule 24 hearing still has to be held. A Rule 24 hearing is one in which the prosecution Morris is required to say in open court whether or not the state is going to seek the death penalty in a firstdegree murder case. Currin filed a Jan. 11 notice with the Superior Court saying there is sufficient evidence to support the death penalty in the case. Judge Howard Manning signed a notice the same day telling Scott Morris that, at 12:10 p.m. this coming Wednesday or at a subsequent time as soon as possible, he will be required to appear for the Rule 24 hearing. Currin said that he does not know whether the defense will be ready for the Rule 24 hearing this coming Wednesday and Please see MORRIS, page 3A
Index Our Hometown . . . . . 2A Business & Farm. . . . 5A Light Side . . . . . . . . . 6A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . 8A Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-4B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 5B Classifieds. . . . . . . 6-8B
Weather Today Rain likely
High: 41 Low: 35
Friday Rain likely
High: 42 Low: 33
Details, 3A
Deaths Brooklyn, N.Y. Dorothy R. Green Butner Wanda S. Leach, 84 Durham Eugene A. Thorne, 96 Henderson Gracie A. Abbott, 97 Warrenton Perry A. Faulkner Jr., 67 Lucille H. Thompson, 88
Obituaries, 4A
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Lie detector tests in missing money probe Tax office bank bag containted thousands; persons of interest questioned By DAVID IRVINE Daily Dispatch Writer
The Vance County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday was continuing its investigation into the disappearance of a bank deposit bag from the Vance County Tax Office in late December. As much as $6,000 to $7,000 in cash was in the bag, with several thousand more in checks, according to county officials. County officials have declined to comment further on the situation, citing the need for confidentiality
during an ongoing investigation. On Tuesday, County Manager Jerry Ayscue issued a press release on the matter but refused to elaborate further. Cynthia Lloyd, assistant tax administrator for the county, said she had been instructed not to comment. Sgt. Joseph Ferguson with the sheriff’s department is leading the investigation. Late Wednesday afternoon, he said that sheriff personnel are questioning and administering polygraph tests to persons of interest. He declined to
give the number of persons. When asked for a copy of the incident report, Ferguson said that no report has been written, since it has not been determined whether the deposit bag was stolen or simply lost. While records of an investigation are not public records, North Carolina General Statute 132-1.4 (c) (1) states that the following information shall be public records: “The time, date, location, and nature of a violation or apparent violation of the law reported to a public law enforcement agency.”
As of press time Wednesday, the sheriff’s department had not provided that information to the newspaper. According to Amanda Martin, legal advisor for the North Carolina Press Association, the public should be given access to that information whether an incident report exists or not. “Wherever that information exists, you have a right to that information,” Martin said. Contact the writer at dirvine@hendersondispatch.com.
Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE
Getting I-85 up to speed Signs such as these on Interstate 85 from near the N.C. 39/Downtown Henderson interchange to the Vance County-Granville County line will become a memory with the completion of a $26 million restoration project. The N.C. Department of Transportation said Wednesday that the temporary 55 mph speed limit is anticipated to be lifted today, meaning motorists will again be able to drive 65 mph through the northwestern part of the city and into the western part of Vance County.
Offer raised for Southerland tract State lawmaker bids four times on city land By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
State Rep. Bill Faison has taken the lead in the bidding for the city-owned Southerland’s Mill Pond tract. Faison, D-Orange and who is an attorney, submitted a counteroffer of $170,940 on Jan. 12. The counteroffer put him ahead of a $162,800 counteroffer submitted Faison Dec. 29 by Robert Southerland, a former city councilman whose family previously owned the land, which is at the southeastern part of Vance County. The deadline is Tuesday for another counteroffer, City Clerk
Pam Glover said. The city acquired the Southerland’s Mill Pond tract in 1952 for $51,000. The Southerland’s Mill Pond site was a former water supply reservoir for the city, with city-owned land across the road from the pond having once been proposed as a site for a wastewater treatment plant. Henderson’s water supply presently comes from the John H. Kerr Reservoir and Henderson’s water reclamation facility is off N.C. 39 north of Interstate 85. The council approved a resolution July 27 stating the city’s intent to sell the Southerland’s Mill Pond tract, with Garry Daeke casting the lone no vote. Daeke dissented about the municipal government selling land at $8,000 less than what the city paid more than a half-century ago. Daeke was referring to Southerland, who made the first offer at $43,000. At that time, City Attorney Please see OFFER, page 3A
The bidders:
• Robert Southerland — $43,000 • Former Councilwoman Elissa Yount — $50,000 • Bier Haus — $55,000 • Yount — $60,000 • Southerland — $63,500 • Bier Haus — $70,000 • Henderson attorney Randall Cloninger — $73,500 • State Rep. Bill Faison, who also is an attorney — $90,000 • Cloninger — $95,000 • Faison — $105,000 • Cloninger — $110,300 • Faison — $120,000 • Southerland — $127,000 • Faison — $140,000 • Southerland — $147,050 • Faison — $155,000 • Southerland — $162,800 • Faison — $170,940 Editor’s note: Paul Harris is a managing member of Bier Haus. Harris is president of the Budweiser distributorship, which is off Warrenton Road, and Bier Haus, which is a limited liability company, owns the distributorship building.
Arson, ‘unexplained’ fire investigated By DISPATCH STAFF
Vance County authorities are investigating two fires, one of which is believed to be an arson. Two mobile home units at 135 Hunter Road were destroyed Tuesday night by a fire that was reported about 10:07, according to Fire Marshal Harold Henrich. He said the units were being stripped and were unoccupied.
He said the fire is arson and is being investigated by his office and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office. A fire Sunday night caused about $1,000 damage at a home at 349 Stagecoach Road, Henrich said. The fire, reported at 7 p.m., burned five curtains, two mattresses and a package of paper towels.
Henrich said that four people were home at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported. The origin of the fire is “unexplained,” according to a sheriff’s report. Henrich said the State Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation. Send comments to news@hendersondispatch.com.
Lumpkins won’t seek re-election Commissioner has also served on school board By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
OXFORD — Granville County Commissioner James Lumpkins has decided not to campaign for another four-year term in office, meaning he will be closing the book on nearly three decades of public service. “I don’t really have any good reason that I could give you why I’m not going to seek re-election,” other Lumpkins than having been a county commissioner since 1998 and having been on the County Board of Education from 197896, Lumpkins said Wednesday afternoon. Lumpkins additionally served as the school board chairman from 1988-96. But, Lumpkins said he had to ask himself, “Is this really what I want to do? Do I want to do something else? Do I want to have some free time to do some other things? And I can answer yes to that. I’ve got two wonderful grandchildren and two sons and Please see LUMPKINS, page 3A