The Daily Dispatch - Wednesday, October 14, 2009 by The Daily Dispatch

CMYK Feral cats: Humane solution seen Local News, Page 4A

Mental health group seeking help from Perdue for programs State & Nation, Page 7A

Northern, Southern volleyball tie, 3-3

Good Taste, Page 1C

Sports, Page 1B WEDNESDAY, October 14, 2009

Volume XCV, No. 240

(252) 436-2700

www.hendersondispatch.com

Decision on vote recount

Hughes arrested in e-mail threats Vance Commissioner faces allegation in Craven County court By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer

Vance County Commissioner Scott Hughes was arrested in Henderson Oct. 10 on a Craven County misdemeanor warrant charging him with communicating e-mail threats to a Havelock man. Hughes — who became a commissioner by defeating incumbent Tommy Hester in November of 2006 — did not return a telephone Hughes call from The Daily Dispatch. Neither did Russell Railnear, who took out the one-count warrant against Hughes on Sept. 21. According to a spokesman for the Havelock Police Department, Railnear told officers that he had met Hughes’ estranged wife “at school.” Railnear also mentioned to police, the spokesman said, that Hughes found out and put several threatening messages on his (the alleged victim’s) Face Book page. Hughes, 34, of 309 Please see HUGHES, page 3A

Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE

People visit booths of area merchants and agencies during Expo 2009 at Vance-Granville Community College’s Civic Center Tuesday afternoon. The event was organized by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County and the VGCC Small Business Center.

Good crowd, fewer vendors at Expo Sluggish economy takes toll on exhibitors, an organizer says By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer

While attendance was good at Business Expo 19 Tuesday, vendor participation was down to about 40, according to Dianne Finch, executive of the Small Business Center which was one of the sponsors. The others were the chambers of commerce in Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin counties. Finch attributed the low number of exhibitors to the country’s sluggish economy. She said it is the type of business climate that requires more exposure by merchants, not less. About 800 people came to the event which was held in VanceGranville Community College’s Civic Center. Finch recalled that 38 vendors showed up at one of the Expo’s in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s.

Our Hometown . . . . . 2A Business & Farm. . . . 5A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . 8A Light Side . . . . . . . . . 9A Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-4B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 2C Classifieds. . . . . . . 3-5C

Weather Today Cold

High: 53 Low: 40

Thursday Colder

High: 47 Low: 40

Details, 3A

Deaths Henderson Gallie N. Twisdale, 88

Obituaries, 4A

In contrast, there were 80 exhibitors and about 1,000 people at the 2003 session. Last year, the numbers were 63 vendors and as many as 800 attendees. “Next year will be our 20th,” Finch said. “I’ll be optimistic and hope the economy will turn around by then.” Finch said, “A lot of vendors come here so people can put a face with their business.” One of those is the School of Graphic Arts at the Masonic Home For Children in Oxford. The manager, Eddie Dickerson, is an alumni who lived there from 1955 to 1969. He explained that the school offers vocational training to youngsters who work in the business’ graphic design and press operations. “This is our fifth year at Expo,” said Dickerson, who credited the

2006 event with helping land Altech Industries of Creedmoor, “one of our biggest customers.” The company manufacturers bucket trucks for clients such as Progress Energy. Yancey Hines Photography of Henderson showed off its portrait and commercial work to passersby Tuesday. The owner’s wife, Nancy Hines, said her husband photographed weddings in the 1970s. He started up the business again, she said, after retiring from Vance County Schools with about 30 years of service. All of the time was spent as the assistant principal at either Northern Vance or Southern Vance High School. Since this was the company’s first year at Expo, Nancy Hines was asked whether operating the Please see EXPO, page 3A

Henderson among traffic safety leaders 15 North Carolina cities to be honored today by AAA Foundation From STAFF REPORTS

Index

50 cents

Henderson is among 15 North Carolina cities that will be honored today for their leadership in traffic safety, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety said Tuesday. The cities will be awarded in three population categories — less than 10,000, between 10,000 and 30,000; and more than 30,000. One city in each category will be named Traffic Safety Community of the Year based on crash statistics, number of law enforcement officers per capita, presence of a formal traffic safety program and existence of a special traffic division. The announcements will be made in Durham at a luncheon at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. It is the seventh year the Foundation has identified the safest communities and 8 of the 15 are repeat winners.

Grand Prize winners will be announced for the first time at the luncheon. The foundation examined these categories to find cities that actively pursue ways to enhance highway safety and make a strong commitment with extra law enforcement on the city’s roads. The number of crashes was a statistical standard used to see how successful cities are using these factors. The University of North Carolina-Charlotte provided the statistical analysis. The top five North Carolina cities in each category are the following: Population greater than 30,000: Wilson, Huntersville, Apex, Cary and High Point. Population between 10,00030,000: Wake Forest, Kinston, Kings Mountain, Henderson and Pinehurst.

Population less than 10,000: Topsail Beach, Littleton, Marion, Granite Quarry and Highlands. “North Carolina had more than 1,400 deaths on the roads in 2008,” said Crosby. “We want to recognize communities that work hard and are successful in reducing traffic crashes.” The Traffic Safety Foundation is supported by contributions from AAA Carolinas and its members to provide information and resources to educate the public on traffic safety and positively influence behavior to improve safety on North and South Carolina roads. Speakers for the luncheon are Darrell Jernigan from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program and Tom Crosby, president of AAA Carolina’s Traffic Safety Foundation. Send comments to news@hendersondispatch.com.

Polite gunman takes money, says ‘thank you’ By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer

A “very polite” gunman who wore a Halloween mask and said “Thank you” after he got the cash Monday night, robbed JJ’s Fish & Chicken at 1202 E. Andrews Ave. According to Detective Lt. C.O. Pulley of the Henderson Police Department, the thief entered

the restaurant through a side door about 6:45 p.m., pointed a handgun at the owner and said, “I want your money.” The owner told The Daily Dispatch that he opened the register and complied after telling the man not to hurt anyone. Two employees and a customer were also in the store at the time of the holdup.

Pulley said the suspect was described as black, 5-foot-9, weighing 215 pounds, and wearing blue jeans, as well as a blue shirt under “a button-up shirt.” Asked if the gunman could be the same person who tried unsuccessfully several hours earlier on Monday to hold up Hardee’s Please see GUNMAN, page 3A

Wilkerson requested review of Ward 4 contest with Daye By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

Ward 4 At Large City Council candidate Ranger Wilkerson has called for a recount of his Oct. 6 loss to incumbent George Daye, but the Vance County Board of Elections has the final say. Board Chairman Jim Kearney told the Dispatch on Tuesday evening that the plan is to first tell Wilkerson of the board’s decision before the decision is published by the newspaper. Kearney said the board’s hope is to inform Wilkerson Wilkerson today. “And then we’ll make it public,” Kearney said. Kearney, when asked by the Dispatch whether the board reached a conclusion on Tuesday, Daye said, “I think we did. And we want to check a couple of things and make sure we are totally in compliance with the law.” Wilkerson on Monday requested the recount. County Elections Director Faye Gill said a canvassing of the votes Tuesday showed Daye with 983 to Wilkerson’s 931. State law says a defeated candidate has the right to demand a recount if the difference between the votes for the defeated candidate and the votes for the prevailing candidate is not more than 1 percent of the total votes cast. And Gill noted the difference in Wilkerson’s case is more than 2 percent. Please see RECOUNT, page 3A

Submitted photo

Wanted Authorities need help solving an armed robbery that occurred Sunday at Providence Grocery, 4626 Old N.C. 75, Oxford. They are looking for the person in the photo in connection with the crime. Anyone with any information about this crime is urged to contact Granville County Crime Stoppers at (919) 693-3100. Crime Stoppers can offer up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for such actions.

The Daily Dispatch

Our Hometown

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Mark It Down Today Volunteer book sale — Maria Parham Medical Center’s Volunteer Services Department will sponsor a “Books are Fun” sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the John T. Church classroom. Book sale — The Friends of the Library organization for the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library in Henderson is collecting used books for its annual book sale from 9 a.m. to noon. Do not bring Readers Digest Condensed Books, textbooks, magazines or encyclopedias. Used books can be delivered to the former Super 10 location across from Supply Line Country Market on Raleigh Road. Domestic violence — A domestic violence question-andanswer session will be hosted by Vance County Social Services and the Heart’s Haven Domestic Violence Shelter from 10 a.m. to noon in the lobby of the Vance County Social Services building at 350 Ruin Creek Road, Henderson. Boho the Clown will be present to entertain children. Please contact Cassandra Hart at (252) 492-5001, ext. 283, for more information. Vance heritage book — A meeting about the Vance County Heritage Book-2010 will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Miss Lou’s Quilting Studio, 4735 Raleigh Road, Henderson. The public is invited to attend. For more information, call Mark at (252) 438-4001 or (919) 693-1121. Oxford Farmers’ Market — The Oxford Farmers’ Market, located on the corner of McClanahan and Lanier streets across from the police station in Oxford, is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursday Weed and Seed — The Weed and Seed Steering Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Henderson City Council chambers of City Hall, 134 Rose Ave. Human relations commission — The City of Henderson’s Human Relations Commission will meet at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, 134 Rose Ave. Meet Me In The Street — The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor its third and final “Meet Me in the Street” concert for the 2009 series from 5:30-8:30 p.m. along Breckenridge Street in downtown Henderson. The concert is free and open to the public. The featured band will be The Embers. The event was rescheduled after rain caused cancellation of the event in September. Blood drive — The American Red Cross will be hosting a blood drive at M.R. Williams Co. from 1-5:30 pm. For more information about local blood drives or to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please contact Twanna Jones, Granville-Vance Branch Manager at (252) 438-4813 or (919) 693-6550 or email JonesTJ@usa.redcross.org. Heritage society — The Heritage Society of Franklin County will hold its regular monthly meeting at noon, October 15 at the Murphy House Restaurant in Louisburg. Everyone that has an interest in the heritage and genealogy of Franklin County is urged to attend. For further information regarding the meeting, contact Joe Pearce, (919) 496-3321; Maylon Cooke, (919) 556-4213; or Annette Goyette, (252) 492-3820. March/rally — A Stomp Out Drugs and Violence March is planned for 4 p.m. in Oxford, beginning at the rear of the National Guard Armory. Participants are asked to assemble by 3:45 p.m. The event is being sponsored by the Oxford Housing Authority, the Granville County Schools and various other local agencies. The march will end at the City of Oxford Gymnasium with speakers and presentations from youth groups. Afterwards, games and educational activities are planned on the football field and in the gymnasium. For more information, call (919) 693-6936. 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). Community watch — The West Hills/West Creek/158 ByPass Community Watch will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Maria Parham Medical Center auditorium. Sheriff Peter White will be the guest speaker. All neighbors are encouraged to attend. AARP meeting — The Vance County Chapter of AARP will meet at 2 p.m. at the Vance County Senior Center, 126 S. Garnett St. The executive board will meet at 1:30 p.m. Members are asked to bring canned meats and other non-perishable food items for the group’s ACTS project.

Friday

Pencils and notebooks and pens .... oh my! Second-grade students at E.M. Rollins Elementary School join Principal Dean Thomas (standing at left, back row) in accepting school supplies from E.T. Newby of the Vance County Schools’ Purchasing and Distribution Center. The supplies were collected through the annual school supply donation drive. Newby delivered the donated school supplies on Oct. 9. Thomas and his students were happy to accept the supplies, which were collected during late August and early September through the donation drive coordinated by the Vance County United Way Volunteer Center and the school system. Newby delivered hundreds of donated school supply items to all 16 local public schools. Guidance counselors and teachers at each of the schools are working together to ensure that the supplies go to students whose families cannot afford to purchase the basic school supplies they need.

Senior center plans trip to state fair The Vance County Senior Center is coordinating a trip to the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Tuesday is the Senior Citizen Fun Festival at the state fair with free breakfast from Bojangles

and beach music entertainment at Dorton Arena from 9-11 a.m. Cost of the trip is $9 and due at registration. Admission at the fair gates is free to those 65 and older. There is limited space and reservations are on

The kick-off for this year’s Vance County United Way campaign has been delayed due to a forecast for rain on Friday. Organizers had planned a celebration Friday featuring a lunch of hot dogs and

hamburgers. Events have been rescheduled for next Friday, Oct. 23, with the kick-off events at 11 a.m. with lunch served until 1:30 p.m. All donations collected during the kick-off event

Correction An article in this past Saturday’s paper inadvertently listed the wrong date for the next meeting of the Senior Circle at Plank Chapel United Methodist

Church. The meeting will be held Oct. 21 at 10 a.m., not tomorrow, as previously published. There will be a featured speaker from Lincare Medical Supplies.

Uptown Building Cleaners Commercial and Residential Janitorial Services www.uptownbuildingcleaners.com (252) 492-0015 We Will Clean Any Building Buildings That We Service:

Factories/Warehouses Schools Motels/Hotels Banks Supermarkets Car Dealerships

Nursing Homes Churches Mult-Tenant Facilities Preschools/Daycares Houses

Cleaning That We Perform:

Dusting Bathroom Sanitizing Kitchen Cleaning Replenishing Soaps & Paper Supplies Floor Care

Trash Removal General Cleaning

Business Offices Medical Offices Hospitals Retail Stores Construction Sites

Interior Window Washing 1st Floor Exterior Window Washing Vacumming Sweeping Mopping

Lumineers & Zoom! Whitening

ACCEPTIN G MOST INSURANC ES

215 CHARLES ROLLINS ROAD • HENDERSON ACROSS FROM THE MEDICAL PLAZA HOURS: TUES. & THURS. 8AM-5PM • WED. & FRI. 7AM-4PM

252-492-7563

YARD AND BAKE SALE

Gillburg United Methodist Church Hwy 39 South, Henderson

Saturday, Oct. 17th • 7 A.M. - 2 P.M. Baked Goods & Lots of Great Yard Sale Items Full Buffet Style Breakfast

600

Vegetable & Vegetable Beef Soup Eat in or Take Out (Available by the Bowl, Pint or Quart)

252-492-8155 Money raised will help families at Thanksgiving & Christmas

Sponsored by: UMW & the Youth Group

Carolina Lanes

BOWL FREE!

agencies will have information available at the kickoff about the assistance they give local folks.

Marketplace Cinema

Marketplace Shopping Center

438-9060

COUPLES RETREAT (PG13) MON-THUR: 5:10 & 7:20PM

ZOMBIELAND

and get 1 FREE Game of Bowling! 1 coupon per person 1 coupon per day Must present Coupon! Exp. 11/08/09

(R)

MON-THUR: 5:15 & 7:15PM

FAME

Present this Coupon

(PG) MON-THUR: 7:20PM

SURROGATES

(PG13) MON-THUR: 5:05 & 7:05PM

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (PG) MON-THUR: 5:00 & 7:00PM

TYLER PERRY’S

492-1112

I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF (PG13) MON-THUR: 5:15 & 7:30PM

CritiC’s ChoiCe CHERI (R)

Services Coming Soon: Clean Carpet Strip/Wax Floors Buff/Polish Floors

MON-FRI: 10/12-10/16/09 @ 5:00PM SAT & SUN: 10/17-10/18/09 @ 1:00PM

www.marketplacecinemas.com

Call me for information on: • Individual Plans • Medicare Supplement Insurance • Dental Plans for Individuals • Health Savings Accounts

da’s

Melin

3rd Annual

Pink Party

Monday, Oct. 19th

Weight loss group — TOWN (Take Off Weight Now), a non-profit weight loss group, will meet at Aycock Recreation Center at 11:30 a.m. Everyone is invited to attend.

Now Offering

will go toward the United Way’s campaign to raise its 2009-2010 goal of $215,000 to assist 19 agencies in Vance and Warren counties. Many of these

No Contracts Required For Commercial or Residential Services Licensed, Insured and Bonded

debbie@cmiins.com

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

at approximately 4 p.m. Participants must park in the public parking lot on Chestnut Street and meet the bus at the senior center. For more information, call the center at (252) 430-0257.

Looming clouds push back United Way kick-off

Debbie Kinton Authorized Agent (252) 438-2635

Kirby Ransom, DMD Dentistry

a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested may come by the senior center, located at 126 S. Garnett St., between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to register for the trip. The bus will depart at 7:30 a.m. and return

5:00pm - 7:00pm

ICHIBAR JAPANESE RESTAURANT Dine In & Take Out 901 S. Beckford, Dr. Suite I, Henderson, NC 27536 Tel.: 252-438-7070/7068 Fax: 252-438-7068 Tue.-Thurs.: 11:00am-10:00pm Fri. & Sat.: 11am-11:00pm Sunday: 12:00noon-9:30pm Monday Closed We are located in Henderson Market Place

Bring in Coupon and receive

10% OFF Dinner Eat in or Take Out

Good For Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday Only! Not Valid with Other Discount. Expire Date: 1/31/10

Merle Norman in Oxford would like to invite you to help raise money for cancer. As always, it’s a great cause and a great party!!!

20% of the profit goes to local patients in need. Remember the rules...If you..Wear Pink • Bring A Friend Show Support (wear clothing or jewelry) • Be Ready To Have A Good Time • You can earn Merle BUCKS (worth $1.00 each) • Wine and hors d’oeuvres • Door prizes every 15 minutes (must be present)

128 Hillsboro Street Oxford, NC 27565 Phone: (919) 693-6500 Independently owned and operated Melinda Pritchett/Beauty Consultant/Studio Owner

50% OFF All Halloween Merchandise

• 38 x 84’’ Silhouette Curtain Panels

• 60 x 60 ‘’ Table Toppers • 60 x 84’’ Tablecloths • 80’’ Mantle Runner • 90’’ Mantle Scarf • 72’’ Table Runner • Window Accents • 20’’ & 30’’ Round Dollies Factory Outlet Store

204 W. Industry Drive, Oxford, NC Regular Store Hours: Mon-Fri 9AM-5:30PM Sat 9AM-5pm Ph: 919-693-2191 email: store@macralace.com

Gift Will B Come B Daily

From Page One

The Daily Dispatch

NATIONAL WEATHER

Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. Seattle 57/48

Billings 46/36

Minneapolis 45/33

Detroit 48/36

New York 55/44

Chicago 48/40 Denver 64/42

San Francisco 69/58 Los Angeles 72/60

Atlanta 62/52

El Paso 88/62

Fairbanks 41/29

Houston 90/76

-0s

Miami 90/78

Honolulu 85/71

Anchorage 51/41

-10s

Washington 56/43

Kansas City 50/42

Hilo 82/67

Juneau 42/27

10s

20s

30s

40s

Showers Rain T-storms Snow Flurries

50s

60s

70s

Ice

80s

90s

100s

110s

Stationary front

Cold front

Warm front

FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR HENDERSON TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

47°

40°

53°

40°

Colder with rain

Rain

Cloudy, a little rain; cold

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

47°

57°

59°

39°

41°

35°

Breezy and cold with rain

Clouds break for sun; warmer

Low clouds and cool

ALMANAC

SUN AND MOON

Temperature

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

Raleigh-Durham through 6 p.m. yest. High .................................................... 77° Low ..................................................... 52° Normal high ........................................ 73° Normal low ......................................... 49° Record high ............................ 89° in 1954 Record low .............................. 31° in 1988

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows

WinstonSalem

Asheville

First

Full

Last

Oct 18

Oct 25

Nov 2

Nov 9

Henderson

Greensboro

53/40

Rocky Mt.

52/44

52/39

52/40

50/44

Durham

Raleigh

51/40

Charlotte

53/42

7:20 a.m. 6:39 p.m. 3:18 a.m. 4:27 p.m. 7:21 a.m. 6:37 p.m. 4:27 a.m. 4:56 p.m.

New

REGIONAL WEATHER

52/46

Cape Hatteras

Fayetteville

66/57

57/46

LAKE LEVELS

Wilmington

66/52

Elevation in feet above sea level. Data as of 7 a.m. yesterday. 24-Hr. Lake Capacity Yest. Change Gaston 203 199.75 -0.10 Kerr 320 293.55 +0.10

24-Hr. Capacity Yest. Change 240 212.88 +0.02 264 247.99 -0.01

Lake Jordan Neuse Falls

REGIONAL CITIES Today

Thu.

Today

Thu.

City

Hi Lo W Hi Lo W

City

Hi Lo W Hi Lo W

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

50 48 52 53 61 52 51 60 54 57 61 52 53 62 52

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

52 64 60 58 62 64 62 62 52 54 55 52 53 66 52

44 42 41 41 56 39 40 50 42 46 45 39 45 55 41

r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r

51 43 46 42 58 46 47 53 54 47 47 46 57 56 49

43 r 37 r 40 r 37 r 52 r 38 r 38 r 49 r 42 r 44 r 40 r 38 r 44 sh 52 r 43 r

40 51 46 47 53 56 58 51 46 41 42 44 42 52 40

r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r

RECOUNT, from page one A board of elections may order what is called a discretionary recount, Kearney said. “That’s what we’re checking, yes,” Kearney said when asked by the Dispatch about this point, noting he has talked with the state elections officials and noting he and his fellow Vance County board members additionally check for precedents elsewhere. “At this point, it’s a local board issue,” Kearney said. Daye, when reached by the Dispatch, said his position is Wilkerson has a right to contest the results. “I’m just going on about business until I find out what’s what,” Daye said. Wilkerson, a former Henderson fire chief, had held the Ward 4 At Large position until being

46 53 53 51 60 59 59 53 48 44 44 50 48 54 46

38 48 43 43 50 53 58 49 40 37 39 43 40 48 37

r sh r r sh sh r r r r r r r sh r

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice

No Excuse Early Voting results. When the Dispatch received the final numbers from elections officials — before the newspaper had the other four precincts broken out — the newspaper posted the final results and went about securing the precinct-by-precinct numbers for a spreadsheet format. The problem was when the Dispatch received results from the four other precincts, the spreadsheets did not correspond with the totals being given out by elections officials. And the focus shifted to the contest for the Ward 4 At Large seat because elections officials had Daye defeating Wilkerson by 47 votes, while the Dispatch’s spreadsheet appeared to show Wilkerson to be the winner. The Dispatch tele-

phoned elections officials, who said they were rerunning the numbers, and the newspaper pulled back from saying Daye was the winner to instead saying the Ward 4 At Large contest was too close to call. In a follow-up call by the Dispatch, elections officials said the earlier numbers first posted for absentee and One Stop ballots had been “rolled into” the seven precincts participating in the election, meaning the spreadsheets counted some numbers twice. On follow-up checking with elections officials, the Dispatch found that the newspaper’s first three reporting precincts did not include these “rolled over” votes but the final reports from those precincts did.

Velvet Satterwhite, a visitor to Expo, rather than an exhibitor, is the owner of The Grooming Box on Partin Street in Henderson. “I’ve been coming here every year since the first one,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve missed more than one or two. I like to see other businesses in our county, as well as those

from surrounding areas.” There are a lot of services to the community that people don’t know about unless they visit the event, Satterwhite added. “I usually mark my calender when Expo is going to be, and I take the afternoon off to come here.”

Contact the writer at bwest@ hendersondispatch.com.

booth in the Civic Center was worth it. “It looks like we’ve made a lot of contacts with people here today,” she replied. George Ritchie, president of the Downtown Oxford Economic Development Commission, was standing behind a display of all kinds of products available from the merchants the organization

represents. He said the reason for participating in Expo was “to be out and be seen. Hopefully, we’ll get a variety of folks from the counties around here, and they’ll come shop in downtown Oxford.” His philosophy, Ritchie explained, “is to spread advertising out as far as you can to get the most benefit.”

GUNMAN, from page one on Dabney Drive, Pulley replied: “We’re looking into the possibility.” That suspect was described as a black male, 5-foot-8 and 150 to 160 pounds, wearing a Halloween skeleton mask and braided hair, with a red shirt and blue jeans. The investigation was continuing Tuesday. JJ’s Fish & Chicken was robbed at gunpoint on

June 18 by a suspect who ended up on the losing end of a foot-chase when he was arrested by a Henderson Police officer responding to a 911 report. Investigators said the officer managed to recover the stolen money and the handgun used in the holdup. Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.

HUGHES, from page one

surprised by the charge, is not guilty and will be acquitted. He writes that the charge will not hinder his ability to represent Vance County as a Commissioner. Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com

Quality Eye Care With a Personal Touch

per month The Daily Dispatch

Dr. Robert F. Allen Optometrist

Call 436-2800

Missing Thurman Thomas statue apparently in Canada ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — A missing half-ton chain-saw carving of former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas is apparently in Canada. Orchard Park police say an Ontario man called the organization that owns the carving Tuesday. He said he and some friends rescued it after seeing people trying to burn it. The 8 1/2-foot statue disappeared from a parking lot across from Ralph Wilson stadium sometime

ay yd r e Ev

after Sunday’s Bills game against the Browns. The statue was unveiled before Sunday’s game and is one of dozens made from trees toppled in a 2006 snowstorm. Proceeds from a fundraising project called Carvings for a Cause go toward new trees. Contact our Classified Department about placing a HAPPY AD for your Special Someone - 436-2810

DRUMSTICK SPECIAL

3 pc Leg Snack

$ 99

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Yowland Road, was released from custody under $300 unsecured bond. He is scheduled to appear at a hearing on the charge on Nov. 5 in Craven County District Court. In a posting on the Web site Home in Henderson signed by Scott Hughes, the writer says he was

Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.

er Ev

Home delivery ONLY

defeated by Daye in a 2007 contest in which four of the eight members of the then-council were voted out of office. And Wilkerson, when asked by the Dispatch on Tuesday about why he requested for a recount, cited what he called the “irregularities” as the results were being aired in radio broadcasts after the polls closed Oct. 6, a reference to conflicting reports about the numbers. “I mean, half of Henderson thought I had won and then it changed,” Wilkerson said. “I just feel like, to make everybody happy, they should put ‘em all back in that one bin and see what happens.” Prior to the final tally from the County Board of Elections, the Dispatch had received only three of the seven precincts plus the absentee and One Stop

EXPO, from page one

Moon Phases

Precipitation 24 hours through 6 p.m. yest. ......... 0.07” Month to date .................................. 0.33” Normal month to date ..................... 1.46” Year to date ................................... 26.66” Normal year to date ...................... 35.32”

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

(includes 1 side, biscuit and Drink)

Freshly Prepared To Order! 444 Dabney Dr. Henderson 492-4040

Cookin’ Up Down Home Cookin’ ®

Good Food • Good Service • Fair Price

“We Welcome Call In Orders” Sun-Thurs 11-9, Fri-Sat 11-10

492-9559 1904 Graham Ave. (Next door to The Silo Restaurant)

XII I

II III

VIII VII VI

IV V

X IX

XII

VII

II III

VIII

Annual Fruit Sale

Est. Aug. 12, 1914 304 S. Chestnut St. P.O. Box 908 Henderson, N.C. 27536

Held by the Southern Vance High School Band October 1st - November 17th

The Daily Dispatch (USPS 239-940) is published Tuesday through Sunday mornings, except Dec. 25, by Henderson Newspapers Inc. Periodicals postage paid at Henderson, North Carolina, 27536.

Contact: Susan Wheeler @ 438-3785 after 3:00 pm for more information

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Local News

The Daily Dispatch

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Feral cats: Humane solution seen Activists bring national focus to furry problem By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer

When National Feral Cat Day rolls with the dawn across Vance on Thursday, the hopefully helpful event will probably go unnoticed by its furry beneficiaries, who will be more interested in hunting down groceries. No census yet exists to count the numbers of the four-legged fugitives who stay busy living their lives according to their own rules, and not becoming guests at the County-run Animal Inn, where few check out. Activist Margaret Peck wants the country-wide observance to focus locally on what she sees as the humane solution to the over-population of cats in general. The answer is trap/spay or neuter/release, she told the Board of Commissioners at the August meeting , and its Animal Advisory Committee on Sept. 15. Her objective is to stop

Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE

A stray cat sits near two beds placed at the end of a dumpster at the manned trash site on Gun Club Road in this September 2008 file photo. the killing of all animals at the shelter. When Peck brought up the possibility of getting financial help from the County to establish more colonies where feral cats could live safely, the committee didn’t give her the answer she wanted. In essence, Chairman Rudy Abate told Peck it would be up to her to come up with a suitable plan, including the money, property and support of other activists that would be needed to make it work.

If that happens, he added, the committee would consider making some kind of recommendation to the Board of Commissioners, which would have the final say in granting or denying permission. Also at the committee meeting, Animal Control Chief Alex Hargrove said he would have no problem with Peck’s suggestion to release already-spayed/ neutered feral cats to willing property-owners who allow colonies on their land.

Cats who qualify have a clipped ear to prove it. According to Hargrove, State regulations require cats to be kept three days before they can be euthanized. However, he told the committee that the shelter often keeps cats up to 10 days, if they are considered to be adoptable. National Feral Car Day was established by Alley Cat Allies, whose Web site address is alleycat.org.

Deaths Gallie N. Twisdale HENDERSON — Gallie Norwood Twisdale, 88, a former resident of the Townsville Community, died Monday, Oct. 12, 2009, at Maria Parham Medical Center. Born on June 17, 1921, in Vance County, she was the daughter of the late Jacob Riggan Norwood and Annie Roberson Norwood. She was a lifelong member of Tabernacle United Methodist Church. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in the J.M. White Funeral Home Chapel by the Rev. Mark Clark. She is survived by a son, Stan Twisdale of Bull-

ock; a stepson, Lawrence Twisdale of Henderson; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Coleman Twisdale, eight brothers and three sisters. The family will receive friends Thursday from 12:30 until 1:45 p.m. at J.M. White Funeral Home. At other times they will be at the home of Stan and Barbara Twisdale at 4556 Buckhorn Spring Road, Bullock. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Tabernacle United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 100 Townsville, N.C. 27584. Arrangements are by J.M. White Funeral Home.

Remains found in vehicle submerged off Beaufort

BEAUFORT (AP) — A sports utility vehicle that disappeared in 2005 at the same time as its driver has been found in waters off Beaufort with the remains of a body in it. Multiple media outlets reported Tuesday that a recreational diver found the 1998 Jeep Cherokee in Gallants Channel. Contact the writer at awheAuthorities said the less@hendersondispatch.com. Jeep and its Virginia license plate matched the description of a vehicle driven by George Edward Quinn, who has been missspecific time, except to say, ing since Feb. 5, 2005. Authorities said Quinn “It will probably be the who was reported missing first of the year or so.” On the Net: http://gran- after a break-up with his girlfriend. villenc.govoffice2.com/ Chief Detective Jason Wank of the Carteret Contact the writer at bwest@ County Sheriff’s Departhendersondispatch.com.

ment has worked on the case since the beginning. He says he hopes deputies will be able to bring closure to Quinn’s family, who have been notified of the finding. DNA testing still must be performed.

Granville Web site open for business service is critical and always strive to constantly improve our efforts,” the site reads. “This Web site is not meant to decrease our interaction with the public. It is meant to enhance it. Please let us know how we can continue to improve this Web site and provide you the information you need.” And the new site is designed to be updated individually by each county department. Internet users had continued seeing the red words “Under Construction” when clicking onto the future site. And users had to instead navigate back to the old site to see most of the county’s basic information. Alligood, when asked by the Dispatch in August when the new site would

By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

OXFORD — The long wait for Granville County residents and users of Cyberspace is over: The county’s new Web site is open for business. County Manager Brian Alligood on Monday passed the word via e-mails to the press about the launching of the new site, which has a red-white-and-gray scheme with the county seal and photographs of the landmarkcounty courthouse and the surrounding countryside. “We recognize that many people use the Internet to research and find information,” the site reads. “Our goal is to use this Web site to help provide that point of access.” “We believe customer

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be ready, said his understanding was sometime in September. Alligood was asked by this reporter as far back as autumn 2007 when the new site would be completed. Alligood did not give a

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United Way of Vance County

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

1020 S. Garnett St. • Henderson, NC 27536

Skip Satterwhite

Account Executive

Phone: 252-438-8165 Account Executive Fax: 252-438-6640

Phone: 252-438-8165 • Fax: 252-438-6640

skipsatterwhite@ncol.net Cell: 919-522-3825 www.westerinsurance.com

skipsatterwhite@ncol.net • www.westerinsurance.com

. Garnett St. • Henderson, NC 27536



Skip Satterwhite Account Executive

 

ne: 252-438-8165 • Fax: 252-438-6640 Cell: 919-522-3825

hite@ncol.net • www.westerinsurance.com  

  

Shown from left at the ribbon cutting for the new location of the United Way of Vance County are, from left, first row: Teresa Wimbrow, Girl Scout membership director; Nancy Gray, executive director, United Way; Mike Rainey, president, United Way; Henderson Mayor Pete O’Geary; Dan Brummitt, chairman of the Vance County Board of Commissioners; second row, Cassius Brock and George Fowler, United Way board members; Phil Lakernick, member of the Volunteer Center Advisory Board; Lee Anne Peoples and Argretta R. Johen, United Way board members; and Jennifer Sawyer, United Way administrative assistant; third row, Twanna Jones, Volunteer Center board member; Gwen Williams, Terri Hedrick and Donna Stearns, United Way board members; Charisse Lassiter of Watkins Development Company; and Dee Moss of Rose Oil Co.; fourth row, Jason Stewardson, United Way board; Linwood Martin, Volunteer Center board; and Tommy Haithcock and John Suther, United Way board members.

The United Way of Vance County has moved to a new location in order to better serve the needs of citizens in Vance and Warren counties. The location at 212 Dabney Drive - across from the Central Fire Station - will provide visibility to the community and is centrally located. The United Way of Vance County is a nonprofit organization that through donations from the community provides health and human services to citizens of Vance and Warren counties. In operation since June 15, 1969, the United Way of Vance County can be reached by telephone at (252) 492-8392 and by e-mail at unitedwayvance@vance.net.

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 

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Helping Our Community Move Forward

The Daily Dispatch

Business & Farm

Senate committee approves Baucus health care plan By ERICA WERNER Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — With support from a lone Republican, a key Senate committee Tuesday approved a middleof-the-road health care plan that moves President Barack Obama’s goal of wider and affordable coverage a giant step closer to becoming law. Maine Republican Olympia Snowe said she was laying aside misgivings for now and voting to advance the bill, a sweeping $829-billon, 10-year health care remake that would help most Americans get coverage without creating a new government insurance plan. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., called his bill “a commonsense, balanced solution.” Health care legislation is expected to be on the Senate floor the week after next, said a spokesman for Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. But it won’t be the Baucus bill. Reid will combine the Finance version with a more liberal proposal from the health committee — with unpredictable results. The vote in the Finance Committee was 14-9, with Snowe joining all 13 Democrats in support. In a sign of long political battles ahead, every other Republican voted against it. The ultimate fate of the legislation hinges on how lawmakers decide dozens of unresolved issues, from letting government sell insurance to abortion coverage. Even some senators who voted for the Baucus bill said they have concerns it will deliver on providing access to affordable coverage for all. The Baucus plan would,

for the first time, require most Americans to purchase insurance and it also aims to hold down spiraling medical costs over the long term. Questions persist about whether it would truly provide access to affordable coverage, particularly for self employed people with solid middle class incomes. The Finance Committee’s top Republican, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, gave voice to the GOP’s concerns about the bill, saying it was “moving on a slippery slope to more and more government control of health care.” The committee approval marked a personal victory for Baucus. Four other congressional committees finished their work before August, and for months all eyes had been on the Finance panel, whose moderate makeup most closely resembles the Senate as a whole. The committee’s centrist legislation is also seen as the best building block for a compromise plan that could find favor on the Senate floor. One of the biggest unanswered questions is whether the legislation would slow punishing increases in the nation’s health care costs, particularly for the majority who now have coverage through employers. The insurance industry insists it would shift new costs onto those who have coverage. Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf, under questioning by Republican senators, acknowledged that the bill’s total impact on the nation’s health care costs is still unknown. The CBO has been able to establish that

Poplar Creek Baptist Church 1371 Poplar Creek Road

Homecoming and Revival October 18th - 21st Homecoming 9:45am Sunday School 10:45am Special Music 11:00am The Rev. Michael Currin

Area

A DAY ON WALL STREET

Dow Jones industrials

9,000

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.

8,000 7,000

-14.74

the legislation would reduce federal government deficits, but Elmendorf said his staff has not had time to evaluate its effects on privately insured people. Government programs pay about half the nation’s annual $2.5 trillion health care tab. Once the Finance Committee has acted, the dealmaking can begin in earnest with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., working with White House staff, Baucus and others to blend the Finance bill with a more liberal version passed by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Baucus’ bill includes consumer protections such as limits on copays and deductibles and relies on federal subsidies to help lower-income families purchase coverage. Insurance companies would have to take all comers, and people could shop for insurance within new state marketplaces called exchanges.

Stocks

10,000

Oct. 13, 2009

9,871.06

Pct. change from previous: -0.15%

High 9,895.09

6,000

Low 9,815.06

Oct. 13, 2009

2,400

Nasdaq composite

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

+0.75 2,139.89

High 2,146.35

Pct. change from previous: +0.04%

Standard & Poor’s 500 -3.00 J

Pct. change from previous: -0.28%

High 1,075.30

1,400

Low 2,128.44

Oct. 13, 2009

1,073.19

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

Low 1,066.71

SOURCE: SunGard

MARKET ROUNDUP 101309: Market charts show Dow, S&P 500, and urrencies etals Nasdaq; stand-alone; 2c x 4 1/2 inches; 96 mm x 114 mm; staff Aluminum - $.8681 per lb., London Metal NEW YORK (AP) — Key currency exEditors: 5:25:06 PM EST change rates Tuesday: All figures as of: Exch. close; Coppermay -$2.8282 Cathode full plate, U.S. NOTE: Figures reflect market fluctuations after not match other AP content destinations. Dollar vs: ExchgRate PvsDay Copper $2.7860 N.Y. Merc spot Tue. Yen 89.76 89.84 Lead - $2262.00 metric ton, London Metal Euro $1.4829 $1.4776 Exch. Pound $1.5901 $1.5786 Zinc - $0.9345 per lb., delivered. Swiss franc 1.0230 1.0271 Gold - $1057.50 Handy & Harman (only Canadian dollar 1.0337 1.0357 daily quote). Mexican peso 13.1620 13.2210 Gold - $1064.20 troy oz., NY Merc spot Tue. Metal Price PvsDay Silver - $17.850 Handy & Harman (only daily quote). NY Merc Gold $1064.20 $1056.70 Silver - $17.825 troy oz., N.Y. Merc spot Tue. NY HSBC Bank US $1065.00 $1056.00 NY Merc Silver $17.825 $17.805 Mercury - $550.00 per 76 lb flask, N.Y. Platinum -$1359.00 troy oz., N.Y. (contract). Platinum -$1352.80 troy oz., N.Y. Merc spot Nonferrous Tue. NEW YORK (AP) — Spot nonferrous metal n.q.-not quoted, n.a.-not available r-revised prices Tuesday:

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

& M

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 Wendy’s Establis Delhaize

51.65 25.90 51.68 17.81 27.77 54.80 36.72 15.61 70.26 7.62 16.39 27.53 127.02 61.01 23.98 3.54 7.04 21.45 4.74 60.60 18.06 57.26 37.59 4.72 53.27 48.86 5.35 3.41 22.01 43.24 29.02 51.55 50.34 30.06 4.71 72.00

Video Conception

Shown from left at the ribbon cutting for Video Conception are Susan Rogers of Chick-fil-A, a Chamber ambassador; Henderson Mayor Pro-tem Lonnie Davis Jr.; Cornell Sanders, owner of Video Conception; Diane Finch, director of the Small Business Center at Vance-Granville Community College; Eddie Wright, vice-chairman of the Vance County Board of Commissioners; and Cheryl Elman of Crafts on Wheels, Inc. & 100 Years of Flight, Chamber ambassador.

Video Conception is a full service video production company specializing in wedding videography, birthday parties, reunions and special events, according to the owner Cornell Sanders. The company recently joined the HendersonVance Chamber of Commerce and staged a ribbon cutting. Video Conception also does short films and produces advertising commercials for businesses. With on-location production, their finished products are formatted to DVD or VHS, as needed. The company can be found online at www.videoconception. com. Sanders can be reached by telephone at 828-290-5115 or by e-mail at contactus@videoconception.com. Recently located to Henderson, the company has been in business for more than 10 years.

Covered dish meal following Worship Revival October 18th - 21st 7:00pm The Rev. Michael Currin

Helping Our Community Move Forward Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce

Rescheduled

Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce

Can You Smell a Natural Gas Leak? Natural gas is actually odorless and colorless. We add an unpleasant odorant so you can smell it. Natural gas is one of the cleanest and safest energy sources available, but leaks can occur in rare instances.

Signs of an indoor gas leak:

• an odor that smells like rotten eggs • unusual noises coming from your gas equipment

PRESENTED BY

Signs of an outdoor gas leak:

• dirt or debris being blown into the air • persistent bubbles from wet areas on the ground • vegetation over or near a pipeline appears discolored or dead

If you smell natural gas or notice any of these signs, leave the area immediately. DO NOT attempt to find the leak yourself. DO NOT turn on any electrical switches. DO NOT use the telephone in your home. Leave immediately, go to a nearby phone and call PSNC Energy at 1-877-776-2427. We’ll send someone right away to investigate.

www.psncenergy.com/gassafety

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Public Records

The Daily Dispatch

HENDERSON POLICE DEPARTMENT Arrests • Shelly Meade, 20, of 3110 Mt. Pleasant Road, Chase City, Va., was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor larceny. Bond was set at $300. Court date Oct. 26. • Romeo Fields, 66, of 406 S. Chestnut St. Apt. 304 was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor communicating threats. No bond. Court date Nov. 9. • Markquelle Davis, 17, of 90 Cousins Lane was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor larceny. No bond listed. Court date Dec. 1. • Anthony Scott Mitchell Jr., 19, of 43 Sunny Lane was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor larceny. No bond listed. Court date Dec. 1. • Clarence Hargrove Jr., 40, was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 12. Failure to appear on charge of driving while license revoked and show cause. Bond was set at $3,000. Court date Nov. 9. • Antonio Alfonzo Hart, 31, of 1034 Southwood Drive was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor driving while license revoked. Misdemeanor stop sign. Subject was held without bond on a domestic assault on a female warrant. Court date Dec. 1. • Anthony Taylor, 43, of 1647 Willow Lane was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor possession of marijuana. No bond listed. Court date Nov. 5. • Letosha Denise Fields, 27, of 111 S. Pinkston St. Apt. 14. was served with an order for ar-

VANCE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

rest on Oct. 12. Three charges of failure to appear. Bond was set at $3,200. Court date Nov. 5. • Alicia Henry, 34, of 757 David St. was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor failure to appear. Bond was set at $300. Court date Nov. 17. • Elijah Jefferson Jr., 29, of 274 Plum Nutty Road was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor failure to appear. Bond was set at $1,000. Court date Nov. 23. • Natasha Barzie, 28, of 409 E. Montgomery was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon. Misdemeanor second degree trespassing. Bond was set at $500. Court date Oct. 27.

Larceny • JJ Fish and Chicken, 1208 E. Andrews Ave. was robbed Oct. 12 by someone who walked into the business, demanded money and took $275. • Walmart, 200 N. Cooper Drive reported Oct. 12 the theft of a 32-inch Vizio flat panel TV valued at $399. • Harvey Major Jr., 59, of 306 Barnette Ave., Roxboro, N.C., reported Oct. 13 the theft of N.C. registration plate YRP-4714. • Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunity Inc. reported Oct. 12. the theft of 2 desktop computers valued at $800 each, a 17-inch flat screen monitor valued at $200, and a 22-inch flat screen monitor valued at $200

Judge orders runaway convert to return home ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Rifqa Bary, the teenager who ran away from Ohio to Florida because she feared being killed for converting from Islam to Christianity has been ordered back to her family in Ohio. Bary, 17, has been in foster care in Florida while her case was being reviewed.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The judge says he will turn over the case to an Ohio court in the next few weeks, but no order has been signed yet. After Bary ran away from home in July, a Florida Department of Law enforcement investigation found no credible threats to Bary.

Arrests • Chauncey Jefferson, 29, of 2370 Thomas Rod was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor assault on a female. Misdemeanor injury to real property. Misdemeanor injury to personal property. Communicating threats. Also served with an order for arrest for failure to appear on a charge of driving while impaired. No bond. Court date Nov. 9. • Cliston Sharrod Townes of 42 N.C. Hwy. 39S Loop Road #52 was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 12 on a misdemeanor larceny charge. Bond was set at $2,000. Court date Nov. 9. • Timothy Wayne Harp Jr., 27, of 1514 Old Epsom Road was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 12. Misdemeanor assault by pointing a gun. Misdemeanor communicating threats. Bond was set at $600. Court date Nov. 23. • Shanna Irene Milton, 33, was served with a criminal summons on Oct. 12. Assault by pointing a gun. No bond. Court date Nov. 10. • Stacy Williams, 38, of 920 David St. was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 12. Child support. Bond $5,000. Court date not listed. • Mildred R. Adcock, aka Renee Patton Adcock, 36, of 100 Phyllis Lane was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor communicating threats. Misdemeanor injury to personal property. Bond was set at $1,000. Court date Nov. 9. • Thomas Lozado, 37, of 97 Kirklen Lane was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 12. Bond was set at $2,000. Court date Nov. 2. • Cassidy Jo Ivey, 18, of 802 Arrow St. was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor simple assault. Written promise to appear. Court date Nov. 5. • Paul D. Collins, 21, of 2589 Beach Tree Trail was arrested Oct. 12. Misdemeanor second

degree trespassing. Misdemeanor harassing phone calls. Bond was set at $500. Court date Oct. 20. • Charles Harold Ayscue Jr. 30, of 458 N.C. 39 Loop Road was arrested Oct. 11. Misdemeanor assault on a female. Felony possession of marijuana. Bond was set at $25,000. Court date Nov. 3. • George Lee Bailey, 24, of 8022 Hart Crossroad, Stovall, was arrested Oct. 11. Misdemeanor larceny. Misdemeanor possession of stolen goods. Felony obtaining property under false pretense. Bond was set at $10,000. Court date Nov. 16. • Andrew Leonard, 44, of 2403 Tungsten Mind Road, Bullock, was arrested Oct. 10. Misdemeanor larceny. Bond was set at $300. Court date Oct. 26. • Heather Leigh Tant, 37, of 71 Dalton Lane was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 10. Failure to appear on a charge of driving while license revoked. No bond listed. Court date Oct. 23. • Kevin DeWayne Perry, 26, of 253 S. Beckford Drive Apt. F was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 10. Failure to appear. Bond was set at $5,000. Court date Nov. 17. • Ramon Ali-Ameem Williams, 28, of 1700 Hwy. 39N was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 10. Failure to appear. Bond was set at $500. No court date listed. • Maurois C. Jefferson, 25, of 1329 Thomas Road was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 10. Failure to appear on a charge of driving while license revoked. Bond was set at $800. Court date Oct. 22. • Stacy Williams, 38, of 920 David St. was arrested Oct. 10. Misdemeanor domestic violence protective order violation. No bond. Court date Oct. 20. • Leeandes Perry, 38, of 336

Foster Road Lot 5 was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 11. Misdemeanor failure to appear. Bond was set at $1,700. Court date Oct. 14. • Terri Louise Buffington, 50, of 3746 Vicksboro Road was arrested Oct. 11. Misdemeanor simple physical assault. No bond listed. Court date Nov. 12. • Frankie L. Robertson, 23, of 1213 Hight St. was served with an order for arrest on Oct. 10. Bond was set at $2,500. Court date Nov. 11. • Paul Daniel Collins, 21, of 2589 Beach Tree Trail, Kittrell, was arrested Oct. 10. Misdemeanor second degree trespassing. Misdemeanor harassing phone call, 2 counts. Misdemeanor domestic stalking. No bond. Court date Oct. 12.

Larceny • Clifton Ellington, 67, of 2001 Steward Farm Road reported Oct. 12. the theft from the residence of a gold and diamond right valued at $4,000, digital camera valued at $300 and an assortment of prescription pills, value not listed. Damage to a back door in the breaking and entering estimated at $300. • Nancy Lassiter Williams, 67, of Moody Road Lot 4 reported Oct. 12 the theft from 135 Hunter Road of a computer, refrigerator and copper wire, no values listed. • Susan Driver, 41, of 3172 Gilburg Road reported Oct. 12, the theft from the residence of a 6-foot pool table with wooden legs valued at $250, an X-Box valued at $300 and a Century gray and black safe, no valued listed. • Linda Carroll, 57, of 622 Finch Road reported Oct. 12 the theft from the residence of the following items and their values: Kodak Easy Share camera,

$125; gray camcorder, $350; Kodak digital camera, $125; variety of Avon jewelry, $200; ruby birthstone right with small dominos, $100; and an undetermined amount of cash. Damage to 2 molding strips in the forcible entry estimated at $50. • Cooks Chapel Methodist Church, 200 W. Center St. reported Oct. 9 the theft of 3 microphones valued at $200, cooler valued at $40, 2 speakers valued at $600, and a public address system, copier and paper towels, no values listed. Damage to a door and frame in the breaking and entering not estimated. • Linda Jean Davis, 38, of 1607 Nicholas St. reported Oct. 12 the theft of a burgundy 1998 Ford Taurus, no value listed. • Glinder Hawkins, 57, of 695 Carver School Road reported Oct. 11 the theft from the residence of a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver valued at $200 and a safety deposit box/safe, which was recovered, valued at $60. Damage to a bedroom window estimated at $200.

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State & Nation

The Daily Dispatch

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Mental health group seeking Navy moves to put women on subs help from Perdue for programs By PAULINE JELINEK and RUSS BYNUM Associated Press Writers

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press Writer

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s governor said the state has found $15 million to help the mentally ill, developmentally disabled and substance abusers just hours before advocates for those groups planned a news conference to criticize spending cuts.

Gov. Beverly Perdue said Tuesday that the state Department of Health and Human Services identified $15 million to help community services. A group of advocates called The Coalition planned a news conference Wednesday to ask Perdue to return the same amount, which she withheld from local mental health offices.

ST. MARYS, Ga. — Submariners sleep nine to a bunk room. There are four showers and seven toilets for the roughly 140 enlisted men. The passageways on board the vessel are so narrow that crew members can barely squeeze by each other without touching. And that’s on the roomiest submarines. The Navy is considering allowing women to serve aboard submarines for the first time, 16 years after bringing female sailors with soldiers at Fort Bragg. onto surface combat ships. The scheme would boost the Some sailors and wives soldiers’ housing allowance warn that putting men and gain U.S. citizenship for and women together in the women. extremely close quarters Two North Carolina-based underwater for weeks at a soldiers pleaded guilty earlier time is just asking for sexthis month to conspiracy to ual harassment cases and commit marriage fraud as wrecked marriages. But part of a plea agreement. supporters of the idea say it is a matter of fairness and equal opportunity, and what worked on ships can work in subs. alone. “There’s just a whole lot The report says the snakes could be an ecological threat to less privacy on board a subother parts of the U.S. as well. marine,” said retired Navy Capt. Mike McKinnon, Federal authorities in two commanding officer of the agencies asked for the study Kings Bay sub base near so they can determine how best to deal with the problem. St. Marys from 2004-07 They also will ask Perdue to find the money to block some of the $400 million in spending cuts for mental health this year and to call legislators back to Raleigh. Advocates say private and nonprofit treatment providers have quit offering some services because the state’s payment rates have been reduced.

Russian brothers in marriage scheme stay in jail RALEIGH (AP) — Two Russian brothers accused of arranging marriages between Russian women and Fort Bragg soldiers will stay in jail until trial next year. WRAL-TV reported Tuesday that U.S. District Court Judge Louise Wood Flanagan said “Sasha” Manin and Pavel

“Pasha” Manin are a flight risk, citing Pavel Manin’s reservation for an overseas flight the day he was arrested. The brothers, both Russian immigrants who served in the Army, are accused of collecting fees of $3,000 to $5,000 from women in exchange for arranging marriages

Report: Five giant snake species pose risks MIAMI (AP) — A U.S. Geological Survey report says five giant, nonnative snake species could pose high risk to wildlife, especially in Florida. The report released Tuesday analyzed nine types of boa, anaconda and python

snakes. The Burmese python and the boa constrictor are already reproducing in the wild in South Florida. Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 5, some 270 Burmese pythons were removed from Everglades National Park

Please join us for an Open House at Vance Charter School as we celebrate and reflect on the success and many accomplishments of the first ten years of our school Presentation by Founding Board Members, Principal, Current Board Members, Staff and Alumni Sunday, October 25, 2009 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm 1227 Dabney Drive Henderson, North Carolina 27536

and a former skipper of the submarine USS Kentucky. “But I think grown adults and professionally minded people can deal with those issues.” Over the past two weeks, top leaders at the Pentagon have said they are considering ending another in the dwindling number of military specialties reserved for men only. Officials said a decision could come soon, and women could be aboard subs by 2011. The Navy will have to work through a host of issues first. Would men and women get separate bathrooms and sleeping quarters, as is already done aboard surface ships? Would the process of integrating subs begin with female officers, followed by enlisted women? What would happen if a woman discovered at sea that she was pregnant? “If women can be on space shuttles and on surface ships, I think they ought to be able to work on submarines,” said Lisa Goins, who retired in February after a 20-year Navy career. She served aboard aircraft carriers and at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Key military leaders

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have already said they favor changing the policy that has allowed women on all surface ships since 1993 but still bans them from submarines. Women are allowed to serve on subs in a few countries, including Australia, Canada, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

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Opinion

The Daily Dispatch

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Editorial Board: James Edwards, Publisher Glenn Craven, Editor

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Daily Meditation The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. Proverbs 10:27

Our Opinion

C’mon, tough it out You couldn’t have told it from Tuesday’s weather, which was more like early September than the advent of winter. But a cold snap is coming. Our Accuweather forecast predicts a high temperature of only 53 today — and highs of 47 on both Thursday and Friday — with a cold rain falling each day. We don’t know about you, but a few more days of “Indian Summer” would be nice. Meanwhile, we know that the turning of the seasons — and boy, the next few days are sure gonna feel like the weather has turned on us — also often means a turning away of support from our local fall sports teams. Records aside, colder temps and the presence, or mere threat, of rain have a tendency to turn all but the heartiest fans — that is, parents and grandparents, siblings and a few other dedicated souls — into homebodies on game night. That isn’t true only of football, but also for the soccer teams and other outdoor sports, such as tennis and cross-country (which often are hard-pressed to draw fans not named “Mom and Dad” already). We encourage our readers to forget about the cold temperatures. Better yet, don’t put them out of your mind — embrace them. There’s something very special about bundling up on a Friday night and watching a spirited bunch of teenage boys in helmets, shoulder pads and school colors defending your hometown’s honor on the field of play. And the soccer kids, well, they’re hardly dressed for the cold at all. Surely you can put on a jacket and longjohns and take your place in the stands to cheer them on. So as the mercury dips, sending some scurrying home at sundown, don’t be one of them. Tough it out. Support the teams. Support your towns.

Quotable “We’ve got ourselves a real health care shooting war now. The industry has come to the conclusion that the way things are going in Congress, we’ll have a ... formula that will be disastrous for their business, so they can’t stand on the sidelines any longer.” — Robert Laszewski, former health insurance executive in a statement after insurance companies warned that health care legislation will drive up premiums for people who already have coverage. “This distorted report, written by this distorted committee, undermines Israel’s right to defend itself. This report encourages terrorism and threatens peace. Israel will not take risks for peace if it can’t defend itself.” — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in remarks during his speech at the opening of parliament’s winter session where he vowed never to allow Israeli leaders or soldiers to stand trial on war crimes charges over their actions during last winter’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip. “We assess that al-Qaida is in its weakest financial condition in several years, and that, as a result, its influence is waning.” — David Cohen, the Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for terrorist financing at a conference announcing that the Taliban are in much stronger financial shape than al-Qaida and rely on a wide range of criminal activities to pay for attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Driven to distraction “It wasn’t my fault. I glanced at my text message for only a second when the car in front of me hit me.” “How could the car in front of you hit you?” “The idiot stopped to let a dog cross the street — and dented my front bumper with his rear bumper. Yet the cops wrote me up for texting while driving!” “You speak of a spate of new distracted-driver laws that are emerging across America. The problem has become so pervasive, the federal government conducted a National Distracted Drivers Summit a few weeks ago.” “A summit for distracted driving?” “Yes, and with good reason. Last year, some 6,000 people were killed — and 515,000 injured — because of accidents caused by distracted drivers.” “Really?” “The fact is people are not good at multitasking while driving. Carnegie Mellon University found that talking on a cell phone reduces activity in the brain’s parietal lobe by 37 percent — which means you’re less able to focus on driving.” “You want to reduce activity in the parietal lobe, try driving while the wife keeps telling you

which way to turn.” “According to The New York Times, a Michigan professor found that when someone tries to multitask, important neural regions in the brain must switch back and forth. This Tom opens up opportuPurcell nities for Distributed by serious Cagle Cartoons mistakes behind the wheel.” “Look, I’m in sales and on the road a lot. I’ve gotten pretty good at talking, eating, texting and driving. It wasn’t my fault some idiot front-ended me.” “You’d think it would be simple common sense — that people would know better than to try to text and drive or take cell phone calls while they’re roaring down a highway at a high rate of speed — but that isn’t the case.” “But it’s not my fault the wife wants immediate answers when she texts me — as if the world is going to end if I don’t text her right away that I didn’t forget

the milk (even though I always forget it).” “You’d think there would be no need for laws and penalties to prevent distracted driving, but, unfortunately, there is.” “How so?” “Look, our roadways have changed significantly over the years. For starters, many of our cars are so comfortable and quiet, people forget they’re operating a two-ton hunk of steel. They’re able to zone out to music or yap on the phone, oblivious to the millions of things that could go wrong.” “But I invested a lot of dough in my sound system. It would be a waste not to blast the speakers!” “To make matters more challenging, there are lots more cars on the road. Americans own 2.3 cars per household. Thirty-five percent of American households own three or more cars.” “So we’re a rich country. What’s wrong with that?” “It only means that there are lots more drivers on the road — drivers of every age and experience level. We know, for instance, that teen drivers are distracted more easily than older drivers — especially when their peers

are in the car with them.” “The wife and I solved that problem. We got our daughter a ’76 Pacer. She never leaves the house.” “The point is, the more distracted drivers there are on the road, the greater the opportunity for accidents. And add to that challenge a mix of new technologies — cell phones, iPods, laptops, GPS devices — and you have a recipe for disaster.” “If you say so.” “Look, many people are wary of the government intervening in our lives, but there is wide agreement that this is one area where the government needs to intervene. Many states have implemented distracted driving laws and with good reason.” “I don’t think such laws should pertain to me. As I said, I’m very good at multitasking behind the wheel. Sure, I cut off other drivers now and then but even they praise me for my skills.” “They do?” “Why else would they give me the ‘You’re No. 1’ sign?” Visit Tom Purcell on the Web at www.TomPurcell.com or e-mail him at Purcell@caglecartoons. com.

Letters to the Editor Celebrate, don’t denigrate, Obama’s Nobel Prize To the editor: When I learned President Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I was delighted. I find my pride in the presidency reinstilled by Obama’s bearing, in how he represents us to the world, in what he is trying to accomplish for Americans against unrelenting opposition. Saturday morning (Oct. 10) there was your editorial. Our president receives a prestigious acknowledgment of his efforts to combat problems he inherited, both domestic and international, and your instinct is to criticize him. You couldn’t permit us a single day to celebrate. Apparently, you don’t feel we should be celebrating an honor that touches may have been cool and aloof, but and reflects on all of us as supporting him was a statement Americans. You criticize of passion, of self-image. He made him when he falters and you supporters feel good about them- criticize him even more when selves. “We are the ones we’ve he edges toward success. He been waiting for,” he said. “We is ripped for not succeeding are the change that we seek.” even though to succeed one Obama insisted that his must try and his efforts are rhetoric wasn’t “just words” but undeniable. something greater, more proPundits don’t need your found — certainly not the “bad help; their rant toward poetry” that Wilde and Kristol President Obama, regardattacked. But it was hard to find less of what he does, is like a the substance. “What’s troubling ceaseless high plains wind. about the campaign,” warned Although I do not always liberal historian Sean Wilentz, agree with your opinions, “is that it’s gone beyond hope I can accept your political and change to redemption.” leanings in return for a The campaign officially ended calmer, more disinterested last November, but Obama has analysis that will help guide spent much of his presidency me toward a thought-provokacting as if he hadn’t gotten ing mindfulness and a better the news. The problem is that understanding of issues Obama’s New Politics approach important to all of us. is great for a presidential When, however, your emocampaign, and it can even work tions overwhelm journalistic for a presidency — when times restraint, then I begin to are going well, as they were in feel my reactions no longer the 1990s. But when times are matter. tough, as they are now, AmeriIronically, President cans want decisions, action, Bush brooked no criticism, progress. preferring to label his critics That is certainly the case for as unpatriotic. Where your the president’s own political editorials should have been base, which seemed almost as as strident then in support annoyed with his Nobel Peace Prize as his opponents did. They of the necessity of criticism, your voice seemed comparawant to stop celebrating his tively muted. potential and start celebrating You imply President his accomplishments — which Obama was chosen for pomeans getting something more litical reasons as opposed to concrete than words on health merit. This is the same intercare, jobs, the war and, increaspretation offered by critical ingly, gay rights. And if that pundits who, for political spells the end of “New Politics,” reasons, criticize everything good riddance. he tries to do and break into Obama’s feelings are sincere applause when one of his and genuine, as Wilde and efforts fails. Kristol would say. But we are Can’t we as Americans at the point at which the gifted simply celebrate that one of poet must distinguish himself from the amateur. Is the poetry us, our President for gooda means to an actual end? Or is ness sake, is the winner of it all there is? the Nobel Peace Prize?

Rating Obama’s poetry “All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling,” Oscar Wilde once remarked. Irving Kristol took Wilde’s observation and ran with it. “The amateur’s feelings are sincere enough — why else should he be writing poetry? — but he takes the writing of poetry to be more important than the poem itself,” Kristol noted in his influential 1972 essay, “Symbolic Politics and Liberal Reform.” “For him, writing poetry is a kind of symbolic action, in which he liberates his most earnest sentiments, and it is in this impatient action and in this instant liberation that he seeks fulfillment.” The successful poet, meanwhile, understands that good poetry is ultimately not about the experience of the author but of the reader. “He understands that a plea of sincerity is of no account in the ultimate court of literary judgment, which will look at the poem itself and simply ask: Does it work? “It seems to me,” Kristol wrote, “that the politics of liberal reform, in recent years, shows many of the same characteristics as amateur poetry. It has been more concerned with the kind of symbolic action that gratifies the passions of the reformer than with the efficacy of the reforms themselves.” Kristol — who died last month, prompting me to reread him — dubbed this heart-onyour-sleeve approach the “New Politics,” and he lamented that it had taken over the Democratic Party. For Kristol, the “outstanding characteristic” of the New Politics was its “insistence on the overwhelming importance of revealing, in the public realm, one’s intense feelings — we must ‘care,’ we must ‘be concerned,’ we must be ‘committed.’ Unsurprisingly, this goes along with an immense indifference to consequences.”

During the 1990s, Bill Clinton represented the high-water mark of the New Politics. Clinton bit his lip, rheumied up his eyes on cue and conveyed a warm fog of empathy wherever he went. If in trouble, his first instinct wasn’t to defend results but to testify about how he’d been “working so Jonah hard.” In 2000, Goldberg his wife Tribune Media Hillary oneServices upped him as a master of the New Politics, winning a Senate seat as a carpetbagger by telling New Yorkers the only issue in the race was which candidate would be most concerned about the issues that concern New Yorkers. That same year, the New Politics became bipartisan. Contrary to claims from both its left-wing critics and right-wing fans, George W. Bush’s “compassionate conservatism” was not an alternative to Clinton’s feelyour-pain liberalism; it was a Republican version of it. Unlike his father, W. was obsessed with convincing voters, particularly swing voters, that he cared, that he was a “different kind of conservative.” When somebody hurts, he said, government has to move. By the end of his presidency, compassionate conservatism was in tatters. The left couldn’t spot any compassion; the right couldn’t identify much conservatism. But Bush succeeded in conjuring forth the greatest expression of the New Politics in living memory: Barack Obama. One thing was clear about Obama’s candidacy: It was all about the poetry of “genuine feeling.” He

You can write to Jonah Goldberg by e-mail at JonahsColumn@aol.com.

Robert J. McCarthy, Henderson

The Daily Dispatch

Dear Abby

News From The Light Side WEDNESDAY Morning / Early Afternoon 10/14/09

Today In History

Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton accused Senate Republicans of recklessness and irresponsibility for defeating the