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Volume XCV, No. 251
(252) 436-2700
www.hendersondispatch.com
By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer
AP photo/SHAWN ROCCO, pool
McQueen Campbell is sworn in as he takes the stand during the state Board of Elections hearing on Monday in Raleigh. The board is gathering information on possible campaign violations by former Gov. Mike Easley and the state Democratic Party.
Ally accuses Easley McQueen Campbell says ex-gov asked him to file false campaign flight reports By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press Writer
RALEIGH — Former Gov. Mike Easley’s political ally testified Monday that scores of campaignrelated flights went unreported and he turned in false air travel invoices to get reimbursed by Easley’s campaign for repairs he arranged for the governor’s home. McQueen Campbell, the former trustee board chairman at North Carolina State University, told the State Board of Elections that Easley asked him in 2004 to take care of some water damages and other repairs at the governor’s home in Raleigh, which he rented to someone else while living in the Executive Mansion. Campbell, the first witness to the Board of Elections in its public hearing investigating The Mike Easley Committee and the state Democratic Party, testified he paid for the repairs, valued at about $11,000. Easley suggested Campbell would be reimbursed with campaign funds and to use some unreported flights to pay them, Campbell testified. “He asked if there were unbilled flights,” Campbell
told elections board Chairman Larry Leake, who questioned Campbell as to what he believe Easley wanted him to do. Campbell responded: “For me to bill the campaign for unbilled flights to uncover those amounts.” Campbell said he filed two invoices through his aircraft company for undesignated flights, totaling a little more than $11,000. The campaign paid his company for them, according to campaign records. He also testified that he flew Easley around on his aircraft for eight years and listed the value of campaign-related flights over five years at $87,895. The unreported flights and alleged falsified repair payments through the campaign would appear to be campaign finance law violations. But Easley’s personal attorney, Thomas Hicks of Wilmington, challenged Campbell’s testimony under crossexamination. Hicks painted Easley as a busy chief executive who had little involvement in his day-to-day campaign finances and questioned why Campbell didn’t file invoices to seek reimbursements for actual flights that Campbell piloted
Mike Easley between October 1999 and October 2004. “He never told you to file a false invoice to this committee, did he?” Hicks asked Campbell. “Not specifically, but I understood what he meant,” Campbell responded. During a break, Hicks told reporters that the exgovernor would have never authorized Campbell to submit a false invoice. “If I was doing work for somebody and spending money and had to pay for my gas and my insurance I’d sure send an invoice,” Hicks said. “The governor wouldn’t do anything intentionally to violate any of the election law.”
Today
South Granville group did damage at Granville Central STEM — Four 17-yearold boys are out on bond after being arrested for allegedly vandalizing Granville Central High School on Sunday morning, Granville County Sheriff Brin Wilkins said. “They spray-painted the front of the building, some of the school buses, a driver’s ed car, the football field and turned over the bleachers at the football field and sprayed the scoreboard,” Wilkins said. Charged are: James Beverly Boone, of 602 Driftwood Circle, Creedmoor; Seydric Laquan Heser, of 2810 Clifton
Ave., also in Creedmoor; Daniel Johnson, of 1212 Arnhem Lane, also in Creedmoor; and Anthony Lee Byrd, of 1569 Appaloosa Trail, which is a Franklinton address. Boone, Heser and Byrd are accused of two counts of vandalism and one count of trespassing, while Johnson is accused of one count of vandalism and one count of trespassing. Bond for Boone, Heser and Byrd was each set at $3,000. Bond for Johnson was set at $5,000. All four face trial on Nov. 25. Wilkins said a deputy who was patrolling the area pulled onto the school grounds and saw a car at the gate, got out, felt the
hood, which was warm, and began checking. “And they took off running, but we caught them,” Wilkins said. “They just said it started as a prank and it got out of hand.” County Schools Superintendent Tim Farley called the boys’ alleged action “reprehensible,” but praised the Granville Central High staff for the cleanup. All four boys attend the South Granville high schools, Farley said. An attempt to obtain information from the South Granville administration about the status of the four boys was unsuccessful. Contact the writer at bwest@ hendersondispatch.com.
The City Council on Monday evening unanimously approved lifting a stay on a demolition ordinance on the dilapidated former Beacon Light apartment complex, giving City Code Compliance Director Corey Williams full authority to bring the property in line with municipal regulations. Councilman Garry Daeke led the vote of the seven members present. Councilman Bernard Alston was absent from the meeting, which lasted approximately 1 1/2 hours. Daeke said the property owner, Sharif Abdelhalim, has not answered what has happened regarding insurance proceeds as a result of fires at the 318 Boddie St. location. Additionally, Councilman Michael Inscoe asked why Abdelhalim has not used the insurance money to raze the fire-damaged buildings. And Inscoe said Abdelhalim has shown no evidence of having secured financing to renovate the property and has not demonstrated he can provide a letter of credit to give the city as a resource should he default. Williams told the coun-
Dreary
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cil Abdelhalim intends to go to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, which will be meeting Nov. 3, to seek a variance and/or a special use permit. Williams said the local Technical Review Committee cited 21 matters needing addressing, including whether Abdelhalim has a hardship on the buildings, potential firewalls, sprinklers and individual meters. City Attorney John Zollicoffer said the Board of Adjustment has no authority to overrule the council, including on code enforcement or on the provision of homeownership spelled out in the paperwork. City Manager Ray Griffin pointed out the city has repeatedly asked Abdelhalim for a plan to redevelop the property. Griffin moments prior to the vote said this kind of puts Abdelhalim on notice with the words: “We’ve asked. We haven’t received. It’s time to move forward.” The HUD-sponsored low-income complex, which dates to 1973 and is located on the southeast side of the city, was closed in 2006 at the request of the previous council after the property had become notorious for crime and unsanitary conditions. Please see BEACON LIGHT, page 3A
Teen arrested for alleged assault, threats against SVHS personnel By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer
A 16-year-old girl was arrested Saturday on a charge of assaulting Assistant Principal Stephanie Ayscue inside Southern Vance High School on Aug. 27. The defendant — Chareshia Eaton of 1316 Lehman St. in Henderson — was also accused Saturday of threatening that same date to shoot Tannis Jenkins, a Southern Vance Please see EASLEY, page 3A employee. As for the assault
Teens arrested for trashing school Weather By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
50 cents
Property owner doesn’t meet council demands; demolition a possibility
Unemployment across the state remains quite high
Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.
City done waiting on Beacon Light
Jobless rate falls in area
Unemployment in September dropped in Vance, Warren and Granville — just as it did in 73 other of North Carolina’s 100 counties — according to the Employment Security commission. While the state rate of 10.7 percent in August dipped to 10.4 percent last month, welcomed local descents within the same time-frame were: • Vance — 13.3 percent to 13 percent. • Warren — 13.3 percent to 12.7 percent. • Granville — 10.4 percent to 10.2 percent. Also in September, as a result of the changes, those without jobs in the labor forces were: 2,580 of 19,867 in Vance; 1,011 of 7,931 in Warren; and 2,625 of 25,848 in Granville. Unemployment rates increased last month in 14 counties, and remained the same in 10. The state’s lowest rate was Currituck County at five percent, while the highest was Scotland County at 16.5 percent. A total of 45 counties were at or below North Carolina’s unemployment rate of 10.4 percent. “The global and national recession continues to affect our state,” said ESC Chairman Moses Carey Jr. “While 76 counties across North Carolina experienced an unemployment rate decrease, he explained, “we must remember that most of these same counties remain at a high rate.” Carey added that “We’re encouraged by some recent job announcements, but we are also aware of some continued layoffs. The ESC continues to help job-seekers connect with employers all across the state.”
Wednesday High: 72 Low: 55
Details, 3A
Deaths
Our Hometown . . . . . 2A Business & Farm. . . . 5A Nation & World . . . . . 7A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . 8A Light Side . . . . . . . . . 9A Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-6B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 7B Classifieds. . . . . . 8-10B
Butner
Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.
Man robbed by duo with gun By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer
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charge, Eaton is accused of putting both hands on Ayscue’s neck and pushing her into some lockers while the assistant principal was attempting to escort the girl to the school office. Both charges are misdemeanors. The two warrants were issued on Sept. 9. Eaton was given a custody release after her arrest. She is scheduled to appear in Vance County District Court on Nov. 16.
Maria H. Flores, 22 Durham David F. Taylor, 71 Henderson Bruce R. Lassiter, 47 Dorothy A. Roberson, 87 Marie R. Roberson, 84 Lucy P. Patterson, 95 Samuel J. Steagall, 39 Oxford David L. Adcock Sr., 82 Warrenton William G. Thompson Sr., 67
A 23-year-old Henderson resident told police he was robbed at gunpoint Friday night by one of two men who followed him for about a block after he left Star Grocery on Harriett Street. The victim, Brian Keith Salisbury of Walters Street, was not injured. He told investigators $12 was stolen from him during the incident which occurred about 8 p.m. in the 300 block of Old County Home Road. He described the thief with a handgun as being about 6-foot tall and in his 20s. The other man was older, said Salisbury. He said the pair wore dark clothes.
Obituaries, 4A Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.