CMYK Church Watch speaker from crime panel
Webb comes from behind to win
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Special Section Inside FRIDAY, August 21, 2009
Volume XCV, No. 195
(252) 436-2700
www.hendersondispatch.com
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Pair charged by Feds once arrested here
Granville man killed in dispute over dog
By GLENN CRAVEN Daily Dispatch Editor
Stem man, 62, dies at hospital from gunshot
Two of nine indicted by a federal grand jury for their alleged roles in a multi-state theft ring suspected in “hundreds” of Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE burglaries apparently were By WILLIAM F. WEST captured at gunpoint by a Daily Dispatch Writer Vance County homeowner Boys’ and Girls’ Club counselor Kelcey Vaughan watches as, from left, Ausha’neek Wanearly a year ago, arrested verly, Tyree Green, Andréa Foster, Jazznau’Keemiah Harris and Nyasha Miller stuff and seal STEM — The Granville envelopes containing newsletters for parents during the last day of the summer program for by sheriff’s officers on that County Sheriff’s Departday, and then released, Eaton-Johnson Middle School students on Aug. 14. ment is investigating a with one of them allegedly Thursday evening shooting carrying on his criminal that took the life of a man. ways for several more Jimmy Champion, 62, months after gaining his died as a result of being freedom. struck in the abdomen by a Tommy Lee Lilly, known discharge from a handgun, to be 25 years old, and Sheriff Brin Wilkins told James Dean Goss Hartis, the Dispatch shortly after whose age was not released 8 p.m. in the indictment, were But it’s an opportunity she said. Otis Perry, 30, was decaught in the Vance County that’s about to come to an The Boys’ and Girls’ tained in connection with home of then-37-year-old end unless the community Club of North Central the shooting, which hapJeff Null of 531 S. Lynreaches out to help. North Carolina received pened outside of a house off nbank Road on Sept. 11, “We have just been funding through the state Little Pond Road, Wilkins 2008. Null reportedly held SOS (Support Our Stubooming with kids this said. dents) juvenile delinquency the men at bay with a firesummer,” said Susan “They were arguing arm until law enforcement prevention program to Whitten, acting executive By LINDA GUPTON about a dog in the yard, a arrived. support the summer club director for the Boys’ and Dispatch Features Editor dog running loose,” Wilkins After their arrests here, activities for the middle Girls’ Club of North Censaid. one or both men apparently school students, Whitten tral North Carolina. “But On a recent weekday afThe Dispatch started said. But those funds were made bond and were let we’ve lost our funding for ternoon, more than 30 kids hearing emergency radio cut as of July 1 because of go, as the federal indictthe middle school program from Eaton-Johnson Middle traffic at approximately 7 the statewide budget woes ment accuses Lilly of being to continue.” School were laughing and p.m. affecting government-fund- involved in at least nine To be able to continue joking with each other as Little Pond Road is just burglaries that took place ed services on all levels. to offer a program at off Sanders Road and near they worked around tables in other communities, on The local organization the Interstate 85 overpass at the Gateway Community Eaton-Johnson this fall, dates after he was arrested was able to come up with Whitten said the organiCenter, decorating tote of Sanders. in Vance County. enough funds from its zation needs immediate bags. Wilkins said Champion Because firearms were budget to finish out the donations of $30,000 from As members of the local was rushed to a Durham stolen in many of the summer session, but there businesses and individuals Boys’ and Girls’ Club, the hospital. crimes, and possessing is no funding for continuin the local community. group of middle schoolers a stolen gun is a federal Additional funds to ing the program this fall has enjoyed a summer filled Contact the writer at bwest@ offense, local charges have continue the middle-school at Eaton-Johnson Middle with activities, field trips hendersondispatch.com. been dismissed and federal program next year will be School. and learning opportunities charges filed. raised during the organiWhile the local Boys’ designed to keep them off Vance County was not zation’s annual fall fundthe streets and focused on Please see CLUB, page 3A mentioned as prominently raising drive in October, staying out of trouble. in court documents as were Our Hometown . . . . . 2A five other North CaroBusiness & Farm. . . . 5A lina counties — Cabarrus, Moore, Randolph, Rowan Light Side . . . . . . . . . 7A and Stanly. But the local Opinion . . . . . . . . . . 10A crime committed by Lilly Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-4B and Hartis, who do not hail Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 5B from this area, is menClassifieds. . . . . . . 6-9B tioned as “overt act C” in Count One of the 12-page, the same size, as well as all, without local attracBy DAVID IRVINE 15-count federal indictsome larger ones, Vance tions to travelers. Daily Dispatch Writer ment. County looks anything but Those travelers also According to a report Today anemic. Tourism contributed generated tax revenues by narrative filed on Sept. 11, The fortunate location more than $40 million what they spent in Vance 2008, by Det. R.D. Ayof Vance County, astride to the economy of Vance County. Their spending Humid scue of the Vance County Interstate 85 and borderCounty during 2008. triggered $2.28 million in High: 94 ing Kerr Lake, as well as That is just one conclustate sales and excise tax- Sheriff’s Office, Ayscue had Low: 68 responded to the Null resilocal efforts to stimulate sion reached by the North es and taxes on personal tourism have helped the Carolina Division of Tourand corporate income and dence on a home invasion Saturday call at 10:14 a.m. Ayscue’s ism in its annual summary county economically. $1.3 million in local sales report said that dispatchers More than 310 jobs in of the impact of travel and and property taxes. As a advised him he would find Vance County are directly tourism on the state. result, each local resident T-storms the suspects “near the back attributable to travel and Vance County’s tourism was relieved of $82.30 in High: 86 of the house in the bedroom tourism, resulting in a numbers may seem small taxes. Low: 67 with the owner of the house $5.9 million payroll during when compared to giants These figures may holding them at gunpoint.” 2008. That’s money that like Mecklenburg, Wake actually underestimate Details, 3A and Guilford counties. But would have been spent Please see ARRESTED, page 3A Please see TOURISM, page 3A elsewhere, or not spent at compared to counties of
Club’s after-school program in jeopardy without funding Leaders look to community for donations
Index
Tourism adds $40 million to Vance economy in '08
Weather
Deaths
Henderson Thomas E. Harris, 65 Ollie V. Roberson, 68 Bettie E. Wright, 96 Manson Mark Elam, 42 Warrenton Mary L. Davis, 101 Clarence M. Kersey, 83
Theft ring stole more than 100 firearms By GLENN CRAVEN Daily Dispatch Editor
At a lengthy press conference in Albemarle Thursday, federal authorities detailed the findings of a grand jury indictment accusing nine individuals — and “divers other persons” — in a multi-state theft ring that might have committed “hundreds” of burglaries and stolen more than $750,000 in merchandise, including more than 100 firearms. Two of the nine individuals accused in the indictment were arrested in September of last year after being held at gunpoint by a Vance County homeowner, a crime mentioned in court documents. But after their apparent release here, at least one of the men allegedly continued to be involved in the theft ring. (See related story.) The press conference was organized by Zebedee T. Graham, special agent with the Charlotte Division of the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and Anna Mills Wagoner, United States attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. The federal indictment accuses the group, and others whose identities remain unknown, of taking part in a sophisticated burglary ring in which surveillance equipment was used to case the homes and property of potential victims. The indictment most prominently mentions five North Carolina counties as locations of the crimes — Cabarrus, Moore, Randolph, Rowan and Stanly — but Please see THEFT, page 9A
Gravestone find a mystery for Henderson man By DAVID IRVINE Daily Dispatch Writer
Ronald Eugene Peace was burying his dog last SaturObituaries, 4A day night when he found evidence that he wasn’t the first person to use the area as a cemetery. His dog, Rocky, had died after being hit by a car in front of the family’s house at 146 East Parker St. Peace started digging a grave for Rocky on the edge Good news! of a wooded area behind the The Daily Dispatch is printed house. on recycled paper. When he had dug down a
foot or two, “I hit something hard,” he says. He removed the hard object and then a second object — two pieces of a gravestone. Carved into the stone were letters that appear to be “Aunt - - cky” (“Becky”?) and below that “1800 - 1890.” There are no other obvious signs of a cemetery in that wooded area behind his house, but Peace says he intends to explore further. He also plans to ask his landlord if he knows about an ancient cemetery on the land.
Peace, who works at Iams pet food manufacturer, lives in the East Parker Street house with his wife Jackie and their four children. Peace said he grew up in Granville County and has lived in Henderson for 21 years. This is the first hint he has seen that a cemetery may have occupied the land behind his house. But it may be that Rocky now rests in good company. Contact the writer at dirvine@ hendersondispatch.com.
Daily Dispatch/DAVID IRVINE
Fragments of the gravestone found by Ronald Peace appear to be engraved with “Aunt Becky, 1800-1890”.