CMYK City man arrested on drug charges
Raiders beat Bunn, 3-0
Parade of Homes
Local News, Page 4A
Sports, Page 1B
Special Section Inside Today THURSDAY, September 17, 2009
Volume XCV, No. 218
(252) 436-2700
www.hendersondispatch.com
50 cents
Local man arrested in bank job
HUD funds will rehab housing
Tip in Raleigh heist leads authorities to Henderson
COG pitches idea of home ownership by public employees
From STAFF REPORTS
RALEIGH — Police here said Wednesday they had arrested a Henderson man in connection with the Sept. 9 robbery of the SunTrust Bank at 5135 N. New Hope Road in Raleigh. Authorities say a tip from the public led to Wilbert Lewis Davis, 38, as the suspect possibly pictured in two bank security camera images that were released Davis as part of the investigation. Police at the time of the robbery said a man — about 5-foot-8 and 200 pounds — walked into the bank and left with stolen cash. The suspect was wearing a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey and had tattoos on both arms. Phone numbers for the Raleigh Police Department Detective Division and Raleigh Crime Stoppers were included with the news release in order to solicit tips from the public. Davis was briefly an employee of The Daily Dispatch in Henderson, bundling papers for delivery drivers. He left the job without notice prior to the date of the alleged robbery.
By GLENN CRAVEN Daily Dispatch Editor
An untold number of Vance County homes will be bought, rehabilitated and resold under a program being administered by the Kerr-Tar Regional Daily Dispatch/GLENN CRAVEN Council of Governments. And, those homes will This Toyota Camry driven by Roger Allen Gallagher of 177 Huff Road struck pedestrian Robert L. Foster, 66, of 1161 Morgan frequently be marketed to Road on Wednesday evening when Foster reportedly emerged from a line of stopped cars in the southbound lane of Raleigh public employees. Road and stepped into the northbound lane without warning. Both men were taken to Maria Parham Medical Center, with That was the message Foster transferred to Duke University Hospital in critical condition. delivered by Timothy Baynes, executive director of the COG, when he addressed Vance County Board of Education members on Monday night. Baynes said that $2.1 milwhite late-model Toyota lion in federal “neighborCamry driven by Roger hood stabilization” funding Allen Gallagher, 40, of 177 was granted by the federal Huff Road. department of Housing Two witnesses viewing and Urban Development the accident from different vantage points each told for use in Vance County to other observers at the scene improve the community by that Gallagher “never had rehabbing homes. By GLENN CRAVEN a chance” to hit the brakes Vance was the only Daily Dispatch Editor in the Camry and avoid county to qualify for the Foster. Indeed, the Camry program among the five A Henderson man left no skid marks or other served by the COG. Other was being transported to evidence of braking as Galcounties in the served Duke University Hospilagher upon colliding with region include Franklin, tal Wednesday night in Foster veered into the ditch Warren, Granville and critical condition after he on the northbound side of Person. Baynes said a apparently stepped into a the road and came to a stop complex formula weighing lane of traffic on Raleigh against a culvert. factors such as the number Road without looking and Gallagher was also of abandoned homes and was struck by a car. transported by ambulance the number of homes lost The accident took place to foreclosure was used at 5:21 p.m. in the vicinity to Maria Parham, where he to determine a county’s of C&P Body Shop at 3268 was still undergoing treatment Wednesday evening. eligibility for the program, Raleigh Road. In a phone call to a reporter which was initiated last Trooper B.E. Pulliam of Pulliam said he had spoken fall as part of the federal the North Carolina State with Gallagher, who apSend comments to news@ “Housing and Economic Highway Patrol identified peared to be in stable condihendersondispatch.com. Recovery Act of 2008.” the pedestrian as Robert Daily Dispatch/GLENN CRAVEN tion although more tests The COG had asked for L. Foster, 66, of 1161 were planned. more money, but is eager Morgan Road. Pulliam An orange spray-painted circle and the word “HEAD” mark Upon impact Foster’s said Foster was initially to proceed with the fundwhere the body of pedestrian Robert L. Foster landed after body dented the car’s fender being struck 60 to 70 feet farther south down Raleigh Road treated at Maria Parham ing it has, Baynes told the board. on Wednesday evening by the white Toyota Camry in the Our Hometown . . . . . 2A Medical Center in Hender- and smashed its windshield. One observer said son but was being trans“We’re looking to try to background. Business & Farm. . . . 5A Foster was knocked high ferred to Duke. help stabilize (local) home Light Side . . . . . . . . . 7A road than the Camry rolled yet determined the identity values,” he said. Foster apparently was a into the air and that his Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . 9A passenger in a red Dodge before stopping. of the Dodge truck’s driver, body was thrown some 60 The funds cannot be Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-4B truck that was southbound to 70 feet down the roadway Another orange circle of who left the scene — report- used to help an existing Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 5B on Raleigh Road. The by the force of the collision. paint and the word “HEAD” edly headed to the hospital homeowner to avoid foreAn orange cone, and later a marked the location where to meet the ambulance that closure, Baynes noted. Classifieds. . . . . . . 6-9B truck stopped in a line of circle of orange spray paint traffic in the southbound Foster’s body had finally was carrying Foster — be“This is not foreclosure with the word “SHOE,” lanes and Foster got out landed, on the grass beside fore the investigating officer prevention,” he said. of the stationary Dodge, marked the location where the road, just a few feet arrived. Rather, the money will walked between stopped one tennis shoe worn by behind where the Camry be used to buy programToday vehicles, and stepped into Foster had finally come to a came to rest. Contact the editor at gcraqualified houses that have the path of a northbound stop, even farther down the Pulliam said he had not ven@hendersondispatch.com. gone into foreclosure or Rain likely are otherwise abandoned High: 75 or dilapidated, and to reLow: 60 habilitate that housing for resale. Remodeled homes Friday will be sold to qualified buyers as determined by week, with City Manager The matter was before Olshan Foundation, which By WILLIAM F. WEST a formula weighing family Ray Griffin saying, “It is the council on March 9, he said submitted a bid of D aily Dispatch Writer T-storm size vs. household income. expensive, but the buildbut at the Monday evening “a little over $12,000.” The High: 73 As an example, Baynes ing in and of itself is far council meeting, Assistant council on March 9 had More than $37,400 is Low: 64 said a Vance County family more expensive. And, so, City Manager Frank Fragiven consent to a budget going to have to be spent of four could have a housewe need to protect it, get zier said, “The company amendment of $12,000. on emergency repairs Details, 3A because of a shifting wall hold income of no more this wall repaired and that we had lined up to do Frazier said City Atthan $57,000 to qualify for shore it up.” the work actually came torney John Zollicoffer at Henderson’s municipal The repairs are going to back and stated they could was consulted because the the program. Operations Center at 900 Some buyers could be paid for from reserves not perform the work city had entered into the S. Beckford Drive. Henderson from utilities funds and under the contract.” The City Council gave Thornie Edwards, 93 Please see WALL, page 3A Please see HOUSING, page 3A with sales tax refunds. Frazier was referring to Lillian Jones, 94 the approval earlier this
Man hit by car in critical condition He stepped from between vehicles into lane of traffic
Index
Weather
Wall repair at Operations Center a $37,000 item
Deaths
Thomas P. Plummer, 85 Oxford William T. Looney, 40 Warrenton Janet K. Maynard, 66
Obituaries, 4A
The Daily Dispatch is printed on recycled paper.
Walmart has grand opening for new Oxford store By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
OXFORD — David Beck walked the floors of the new Oxford Walmart Supercenter, pushing a cart of items that included a television set. Beck was among the crowd of those who had gathered just inside the entrance to the su-
percenter on a rainy Wednesday morning, ready to begin buying merchandise after the grand opening. “It’s going to be very convenient for us and we’re planning to do a lot of shopping here,” Beck said, a reference to his living slightly more than four miles from the supercenter, which is located off U.S. 15 near the Interstate 85
interchange. “Everything is all nice and full,” said Eleanor Oakley, who had made her way to an aisle stocked with items for Halloween. “Yes,” Oakley said when asked by the Dispatch about whether she believes the supercenter is a feather in Oxford’s cap. “I like the way it looks on the outside,” Emma Williams said as
she began shopping. “The outside is very inviting. The colors are very warm.” Williams was referring to the earth-tone appearance of the building’s exterior, which is part of a corporate-wide revamping and upgrading called “Project Impact.” Please see WALMART, page 5A