CMYK Easley lawyer makes unusual request
Obama considers scaling down afghan war
Southern eliminated from playoffs
From Page One, Page 3A
Nation, Page 12A
Sports, Page 1B FRIDAY, October 30, 2009
Volume XCV, No. 254
(252) 436-2700
www.hendersondispatch.com
50 cents
Saturday Statistically: Few will make way to Vance early vote last day Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission retreat
By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer
In Warrenton, five vie for three town commission seats By DAVID IRVINE Daily Dispatch Writer
WARRENTON — Candidates for municipal offices in Warren County are on the ballot for the election to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Warren County Board of Elections Director Debbie Formyduval reminds voters that they have one last chance to cast early ballots — between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. tomorrow. In the Warrenton mayoral race, Marc Steer is challenging incumbent Walter Gardner. Five candidates are vying for three town commissioner positions. Julius (Jules) Banzet III and Mary Lang Hunter currently hold commissioner’s seats. Hunter, who was appointed to fill an empty position, is running for re-election for the first time. Robert Davie, E. T. (Ted) Malone Jr. and William (Bill) Miller are challenging for positions on the town board. Incumbent Rob Evans faces Carroll Harris in the mayoral race in Macon. Six candidates are competing for five commissioner positions, including incumbents J. W. Beddingfield, David Harris, Allen Hobgood, Glenn R. Riggan and Wanda Thompson and challenger Benny Hilliard. Mayor Dwight Pearce is unopposed in his bid for rePlease see VOTING, page 3A
Index Our Hometown . . . . . 2A Business & Farm. . . . 5A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . 10A Light Side . . . . . . . . 13A Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-5B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 6B Classifieds. . . . . . . 7-9B
Weather Today
While Wake County’s population is expected to grow 62 percent from 2008-2013, other shares of the expected 275,256 new people could include: • Vance — .2 percent. • Warren — 0 percent. • Granville — 2 percent. • Franklin — 2 percent. • Person — .4 percent. • Durham — 8 percent.
• Orange — 1 percent. • Chatham — 3 percent. A lot of local shakers and movers intent on bringing jobs, prosperity and a better quality of life to Vance got to see an economically dull statistical portrait of the county Tuesday. It showed what industrial and business site-seekers across the country can see — and the impressions they could get — by pulling up Vance County on their computers without even setting
their feet on the ground in Henderson, the Hub site, the industrial park and other areas. “Vance County’s basic assets are good, but not distinctive,” said Bo Carson, vice-president of research for the Research Triangle Regional Partnership. Carson brought both current and futuristic figures with him in the form of a Power Point presentation on the first day of the Vance-Henderson Economic Development Commission’s two-
day retreat. “We’re home to 13 counties,” he explained to a lot of representatives of community stake-holders, as well as members of the EDC, the City Council and the county’s Board of Commissioners. “I handle all projects that come into the region,” Carson said. County population growth annually over the last five years included:
Arrests on drug charges From STAFF REPORTS
Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE
A line of inflatable horse-drawn hearses sits behind rows of tombstones on the lawn of Steve Vandall and Neal Carroll’s home on Gholson Avenue Wednesday night.
Here’s a house that’s really decorated By ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE Dispatch Photo Editor
Looking for a house that’s really decorated for Halloween? Take a drive along Gholson Avenue to see the home of Neal Carroll and Steve Vandall. Their lawn is covered in tombstones, webs, inflatable hearses, a skeletal organist and even a witch stationed by the front door. Don’t stay too long getting your Halloween candy, or a bat with red eyes may swoop down from the top of the porch and bite you. “It took us most of the day last Sunday to decorate the majority of the yard,” said Carroll during a short interview Thursday morning. “We still aren’t finished, we have been adding a few things every day since.” Carroll and Vandall have lived on Gholson Avenue for more than 10 years. They started building their bounty of decorations over the last few years but didn’t display them on a major scale until last year. “We usually would have had the decorations up sooner,” explained Carroll, “but we are a week behind because of a trip and bouts with the flu.” “Neighbors started asking if we
Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE
Lighted skeleton heads line the walkway up to the door of Steve Vandall and Neal Carroll’s house on Gholson Avenue Wednesday night. The eyes of the witch light up at the first sound of visitors at the door. were even going to decorate this year.” They have gotten really good responses from those around them and the community. A few neighbors even asked if they could help with performing scares and tricks on Halloween night. According to Carroll, the display will be visible Friday and Saturday nights, including handing out candy and treats during regular trick-or-treating hours Saturday. The display will go dark after Halloween night, as Carroll and Vandall will take their decorations down and put them in storage until next year.
“We enjoy Halloween, and just wanted to give back to the community because a lot of people turn off their lights at Halloween,” said Carroll. Despite their community goodwill, Carroll and Vandall got an unhappy trick performed on them Tuesday night when one of their first inflatables went missing. “We had an eight-foot-tall pumpkin with three ghosts coming out of the top, stolen,” said Carroll. “But we’re not going to let it dampen our Halloween spirit.” Contact the writer at photo2@hendersondispatch.com.
Cloudy
High: 70 Low: 51
Saturday Warm
High: 80 Low: 60
Details, 3A
Deaths Durham Louise B. Tutor, 88 Kittrell Daylon R. Owens, 66 Lantana, Fla. Phyllis C. Weldon, 85 Warren County Eva E. Banks, 78
Obituaries, 4A
Please see RETREAT, page 4A
Strickland: Book goes behind scenes By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
OXFORD — Frank Strickland said he has published a book about Oxford’s government and politics because he wanted to record some of what has gone on “behind the scenes.” “It’s always nice to say a lot of good things about a town, but it’s important also to remember the bad things that happened in town and to ensure that history is not repeated over and over again,” said Strickland, who is conducting his third consecutive campaign for mayor. “We’ve had some serious problems in the Police Department, especially
Strickland
Powell
over the years, and, in my opinion, continue to have ‘em,” Strickland said. “And I think it’s important that people really know what happens.” Strickland, while making clear he has much to say in his publication about several persons, is particularly critical of Mayor Al Woodlief, Police Chief and Acting Fire Chief John Wolford and the previous city manager, Tommy Marrow.
Woodlief
Marrow
Woodlief could not be reached for comment Thursday. Marrow, who is presently manager of Butner’s government, also could not be reached for comment Thursday. On Thursday, this reporter offered Wolford a chance to comment after seeing Wolford park his car along Williamsboro Street and start walking across the street toward the rear entrance of the Granville County Court-
The Henderson Police Department Narcotics Unit has arrested two people on drug charges, Chief Keith L. Sidwell said Thursday night in a press release. David Lee Davis of 934 Elm St. was charged with possession with the intent to manufacture, sell and deliver marijuana, manufacture of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Davis’ bond was set at $20,000, with a hearing set for Dec. 21. According to police, Davis previously was convicted of three felonies for drug offenses. Syreea Gill of the same address was charged with the manufacture of marijuana. Gill’s bond was set at $5,000, with a hearing set for Dec. 21. The arrests followed the discovery of four pounds of marijuana and drug paraphernalia during a search of the Elm Street address. Police also had received complaints of drug activity in the area. Send comments to news@ hendersondispatch.com.
Bridge work will close Warren road By DAVID IRVINE Daily Dispatch Writer
WARRENTON – The North Carolina Department of Transportation has anhouse. nounced that bridge repair “I’m not going to answer will cause Otis Clark Road any questions about Mr. to be closed during the first Strickland,” Wolford said week of November. Motoras he continued walking. ists will be required to take Strickland has repeata detour. edly argued he believes Bridge maintenance on State Road 1641 (Otis Clark Woodlief lied to cover up Road) southeast of Warfor alleged misconduct by renton will close the road Wolford and has called for Woodlief’s resignation. to traffic in both directions from 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 2 And Strickland called for the ouster of Marrow when until 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 6. To avoid SR 1641 while Marrow was Oxford’s traveling south, motorists manager. are advised to follow SR Woodlief, a retired 1512 (Davis-Bugg Road) broadcaster, has been west, Rabbit Bottom Road mayor since 2001 and and SR 1630 (Inez-Arcola prior to that had been a Road) to reach the southern city commissioner since end of SR 1641. Northbound 1987. traffic should reverse that Strickland opposed route. Woodlief in a hard-hitting Contact the writer at dirvine@ Please see STRICKLAND, page 11A hendersondispatch.com.