The Daily Dispatch - Wednesday, December 2, 2009 by The Daily Dispatch

CMYK Granville Little Theatre to present ‘Willy Wonka Jr.’ Our Hometown, Page 2A

N.C. utility to shut down 11 older coal plants Business & Farm, Page 5A

Washington, home of intellectual hyprocrisy

REAL

Opinion, Page 8A KVA’s Tyler Overby gathers in a rebound in Spartans’ game against Lighthouse Christian.

Holiday Helpings

Vikings surge past Eagles

Good Taste, Page 1C

Sports, Page 1B

Sports 1B

from Bobby Flay

WEDNESDAY, December 2, 2009

Volume XCV, No. 282

(252) 436-2700

www.hendersondispatch.com

50 cents

Granville Father mulls wrongful death suit teacher Says son was ill, not drunk, should have been taken to hospital, not to jail indicted By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer

Child pornography on his computer, authorities charge By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

OXFORD — Suspended Northern Granville Middle School teacher Larry Wayne Morgan has been indicted for 10 counts of felony thirddegree sexual exploitation of a minor. The grand jury met on Monday and the true bills were made Morgan public on Tuesday morning. Morgan, 43, of 105 Seaman St., on Oct. 19 turned himself in at the Oxford Police Department after a probe by police and the State Bureau of Investigation. Law enforcement officers had received

Both the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and Benny Perry Jr. are waiting for information in connection with the death Friday morning of his son, Alphonso Perry. The father said Tuesday that he is contemplating filing a wrongful death suit against both Vance County and the City of Henderson, and has contacted a law firm. During an interview, Perry contended that his son was sick when Henderson Police officers found him lying in a ditch along Ham-

ilton Street early Friday morning, and should have immediately been taken to a hospital instead of the Vance County Jail. The younger Perry was pronounced dead in the emergency room at Maria Parham Medical Center after being transported from the jail for treatment of an apparent illness. Sheriff Peter White said Tuesday that Perry was in a drunken state when police found him, and when he arrived at the jail. An autopsy should reveal why Perry died and a related toxycology report should indicate any amounts of alcohol or other drugs found in Perry’s body, White explained.

In a press release issued Monday, the Sheriff said Perry was not under arrest, but was brought to the jail by police officers because he was intoxicated. Emergency Medical Services was called around 1:25 a.m. on Friday, White said, after Perry began showing signs of breathing difficulty while changing from soaking wet street clothes into the jail jumpsuit. It had been raining, and there had been water in the ditch where Perry had been lying, the Sheriff added. He said Perry was not placed in any cell during his brief time at the jail.

indicted for wife’s murder By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

Voting for the allocation were Mayor Pro Tem and Public Safety Committee Chairman Howard Herring and Commissioners Paul Kiesow, Chance Wilkinson and Bob Williford. Voting no were Cantley and Commissioners Steve Powell and Bob Shope. Donham on July 23 told a joint session of four commission committees that he would be off for a week, but that he and Police Chief and Acting Fire Chief John Wolford had obtained a preliminary copy of the study and would sit down and discuss any errors or inaccuracies they found in the approximately 190-page document and ask the association to make the corrections. The newspaper asked Donham at the time when he wanted to

OXFORD — Scott Morris has been indicted for first-degree murder of his wife, Kelly Currin Morris, and the burning of the couple’s residence. The grand jury met on Monday and the true bills were made public on Tuesday morning. Scott Morris, 35, of 113 W. Church St., Creedmoor, was booked and jailed without bond on Nov. 17. A deputy court clerk told the newspaper Morris that, with the case now moved from District Court to Superior Court, a court date will not be set until sometime in January. In another development on Tuesday, a foreclosure sale was set for the burned home, which is located at 3220 Tump Wilkins Road southeast of Stem. The sale will be at 10 a.m. on Jan. 5 outside the Superior Court Clerk’s Office. An affidavit filed with the court by Wells Fargo Bank said Scott Morris has defaulted on his payments, with the last payment made having been for the period ending on Sept. 30, 2008. The affidavits said the current principal balance is $219,906 plus interest at a rate of 6.13 percent each year from the last payment made, along with any other charges and costs. Wells Fargo Bank cited as evidence a note signed on Feb. 20, 2007, by Scott Morris, promising to pay a sum of $224,000 plus interest to the lender, American Home Mortgage, which later filed for bankruptcy protection. Additionally, Wells Fargo Bank cited as evidence the deed signed by Scott Morris and Kelly Currin

Please see STUDY, page 7A

Please see MORRIS, page 3A

Index

Weather Today Rain likely

High: 60 Low: 60

Thursday Partly cloudy

High: 64 Low: 36

Details, 3A

Deaths

Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE

Members of the Greater Little Zion Holy Church choir lead those in attendance in singing “Joy to the World” during the Light the Night ceremony on Garnett Street Tuesday night. Mayor Pete O’Geary welcomed the crowd and remarks were heard from City Manager Ray Griffin and Jason Stewardson, chairman of the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission. The choir from Room at the Cross Pentecostal Holiness Church also performed “Silent Night” while Rev. Brenda Peace read scripture and Rev. Mary Emma Evans opened the ceremony with a prayer. The event was sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission.

What’s in Oxford public safety study? Panel to answer $40,000 question By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer

OXFORD — Residents will have the chance to learn of the findings of a $40,000 study of public safety. The City Commission’s Public Safety & Litigation Committee is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. Dec. 17 to discuss the report prepared by the International City/County Management Association. The session will be in the engineering conference room, which is located on the second floor of City Hall, 300 Williamsboro St. Obituaries, 3-4A The study has been a subject of controversy, as evidenced by the commission’s 4-3 vote Oct. 13 for a budget amendment to pay a final $4,000 amount owed when the document is ready. Commissioner Walter Cantley

Creedmoor Annie E. Allen, 84 Margree Winston, 74 Durham Ernest Tapp, 78 Henderson Rachel A. Best, 92 Catherine C. Caloz Lee Anne Dorr, 64 Patricia W. Gardner, 62 Gene A. Harris, 61 Jimmie L. Johnson Jr., 60 Lucy W. Marrow, 94

Contact the writer at awheless@hendersondispatch.com.

Light the Night in Downtown Henderson Morris

Please see TEACHER, page 7A

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

According to Benny Perry, his son had left their home on Mulberry Street about 7 o’clock on Thanksgiving night to visit a friend who lived on Hamilton Street. The friend’s mother reported to 911 early Friday morning that Alphonso Perry was lying in the ditch in front of her house and appeared to be drunk, Benny Perry said he was told by an investigator with the Sheriff’s Office. The detective didn’t contact him at home until Saturday, Perry added.

prior to the vote unsuccessfully called for his fellow commissioners to stop this “nonsense” until the board received a full length, unedited report. City Manager Mark Donham told the commissioners the reason for the allocation was because two $18,000 payments were made to the association in Fiscal Year 2008-09 and the $4,000 had to be shifted to this fiscal year so the association can be paid when the document is open for viewing by the commissioners and the public. “The final report has not been submitted,” Donham told the commissioners. “We’re still working on drafts.” And Donham said, “We feel that it’s in the best interest of the city to make sure that we have a full and complete report before we make it public.”

Our Hometown

The Daily Dispatch

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Mark It Down Today Clean-Up Henderson — The Clean-Up Henderson Committee meets at 8 a.m. at the City Operations Center. The public is invited to attend. Lake Gaston Association — The Lake Gaston Association will hold its monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. at the Lake Gaston Baptist Church on Route 903, one mile north of Eaton Ferry Bridge, near Littleton. Guest speaker will be Paul (Skip) Stam, minority leader of the N.C. House of Representatives, who will talk about some of the issues on which he has taken a strong stance such as clean water, quality education, illegal immigration and less government. The meeting is open to members and non-members. For further information, call (252) 586-6577 or toll free 1-888-586-6577. Grant workshop — A free workshop for those interested in applying for grant funding through Teens With Power, a program of the Vance County Community Foundation, will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, 414 S. Garnett Street in Henderson. The workshop will allow applicants to ask questions about the application and talk about their ideas for projects. Register by e-mailing jlawson@nccommunityfoundation.org or calling 1-800-201-9533. Joint replacement surgery class — Rehabilitation Services at Maria Parham Medical Center is offering a free before-surgery class for those who have elected to have joint replacement surgery. The class will be held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the classroom at the hospital and is offered to anyone who has elected to have shoulder, knee or hip replacement surgery, even if the surgery is performed at another hospital. For more information, call Ben Soyden at (252) 436-1235. Redevelopment Commission — The City of Henderson’s Redevelopment Commission will meet at 10 a.m. in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, 134 Rose Ave.

Thursday

Shriners’ meeting — The Henderson Shrine Club meets at 6:30 p.m. at the Henderson Masonic Lodge #229, 401 Brodie Road, Henderson. Dinner will be served, followed by the business meeting. School naming — The Public Facilities Naming Committee of the Vance County Board of Education has scheduled a public hearing at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of E.M. Rollins Elementary School, 1600 S. Garnett St., to solicit public opinions regarding the proposed names for the new elementary school now under construction. The public is invited to attend. Christmas event — “Holiday On Vance Square,” presented annually by the Vance County Arts Council, will be held at 6 p.m. at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center. Admission is free, but donations will be appreciated. The event is sponsored by the Vance County Arts Council, members and friends of the arts, and the N.C. Arts Council. Genealogical society meeting — The Granville County Genealogical Society will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Granville County Commissioner’s meeting room, 145 Williamsboro St. in Oxford. The topic of the program will be “Granville Colonies in Other States.” Mark Pace, N.C. Room specialist for the Richard H. Thornton Library, will present the program. Pace has actively pursued a passion for genealogy and local history. During his research, he noted areas in several states, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and others, that were populated with familiar Granville County names. In his presentation, he will discuss some of his findings. The public is invited to attend. 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). Childbirth classes — Prepared childbirth education classes are held at Granville Medical Center, 1010 College St., in Oxford, every Thursday night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the first floor conference room. Women who are scheduled to deliver their babies at any hospital are welcome to attend. To register for the classes, call the Childbirth Education Department at (919) 690-3208. Water district meeting — A Vance County Water District sign-up meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Aycock Elementary School, 305 Cary Chapel Road, in the cafeteria. The purpose of the meeting is to provide an opportunity to sign up and pay the early signup/connection fee of $125 as answer technical questions.

Friday

The cast of “Willy Wonka Jr.” will take the stage tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. for the first of three performances.

Granville Little Theatre to present ‘Willy Wonka Jr.’ starting tomorrow timeless story of the world famous candy man and his quest to find an heir comes to life in this stage adaptation. Featured are all the great songs like “The Candyman,” “I Want It Now,” and all the “Oompa Loompa” songs, including a real-life “Oompa

Granville Little Theatre is proud to present its’ children’s play, “Willy Wonka Jr.,” featuring 46 children from all over Granville and Vance counties. The play is based on the beloved book, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl. Dahl’s

Members of the Northern Vance High School Key Club are seeking donations for their second annual Christmas Store to provide new toys and other gifts to needy children in Vance County. The Key Club will conduct the Christmas Store event in the cafeteria at Northern Vance High School on Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Key Club members are working with the Vance County Department of Social Services to identify needy children to receive the new toys and gifts. Once children are identified, their parents are invited to attend the Christmas Store and purchase items for their children for Christmas at a very low price. At last year’s event, approximately 100 local children received new

toys and gifts through the Christmas Store. Jeff Arthurs, a member of the faculty at Northern Vance High School, is working with students in the school’s Key Club to plan the Christmas Store. He says that eligible families are being screened by Jackie Wilson at the Department of Social Services. Families wishing to be included in the Christmas Store toy and gift

distribution should contact Wilson by calling (252) 4925001. Anyone interested in donating new toys, gifts or money for needy children through the Christmas Store may send or bring their donations to Arthurs at Northern Vance High School, 293 Warrenton Road, Henderson, NC, 27537. Arthurs can be reached by telephone at (252) 492-6041.

Final Cherry Hill concert of the year set for this Sunday A two-piano concert featuring Marjorie Mitchell and Daniel Steinert is planned for Sunday at Cherry Hill, a preserved mid-19th century plantation home located on N.C. 58 in the Warren County community of Inez. Admission is $8 per person and tickets will be available at the door. The performance will begin at 3 p.m. The concert program will include music by Mozart, Brahms and Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Mitchell has delighted both critics and audiences throughout Eastern and Western Europe, the United

States, the near East, Canada, Central America and Mexico, appearing as a soloist with major orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic and the National Symphony. She has been a regular performer on the BBC and has recorded for a number of labels. Steinert, who was a Louisburg College assistant professor of music from 1986 to 1993, recently returned to North Carolina when he was named director of music and organist at Christ United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill. He had spent several

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years as director of music ministries at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Appleton. Steinert completed his doctorate in choral/orchestral conducting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro two years after leaving Louisburg College. Their performance is the last

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$5 for seniors/children. The play is presented through the generosity of Drs. Cleary, Spears, and Drake, DDS, P.A., and The Granville Arts Council. For more information or directions, go to www. granvilleittletheatre.com or call (919) 482-0777.

Key Club members plan Christmas Store

Holiday Collars Now Available

Embers concert — The Embers will return to Henderson to perform their family-oriented, sit-down Christmas concert, “Christmas with The Embers,” featuring holiday songs and costumes, at 7 p.m. at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center. Tickets are $15 for adults, children (12 and younger), $10. For more information or tickets, contact the chamber at (252) 438-8414 or info@hendersonvance.org. Lighting of the Greens — The Oxford Lighting of the Greens will be held at 4 p.m. in the central business district, followed by the Christmas parade at 6:30 p.m. Tree lighting — The Creedmoor Tree Lighting Ceremony at Lake Rogers will be held at 7 p.m. Blood drive — Maria Parham Medical Center and the American Red Cross will sponsor a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the classroom and the auditorium of the hospital. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins will be taken. Donors need to be at least 17 years old, in good health and weigh at least 110 pounds. Call Lee Anne Peoples at (252) 436-1116 or email her at peoplesl@mphosp.org to schedule an appointment. Flu clinic — The health departments in Vance and Granville counties will be holding H1N1 flu clinics on Friday afternoons from 1-4 p.m., except for Dec. 25, while supplies last. The vaccine is free. American Legion — The American Legion Post 60 will meet at 6:30 in the Legion Hut. All members are requested to attend. Art du Jour — Art du Jour, 209 E. Nash St., Louisburg, will be hosting a celebration dedicated to its members from 5:308:30 p.m. Come experience a holiday performance by young guitar students led by instructor Alicia Ellers. Peggy Harris will follow with joyful songs of the season. Craig Kassan’s works are still featured along with holiday crafts by members. Refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend. For more information, please call (919) 496-1650.

Loompa.” All performances of “Willy Wonka Jr.” are at the Oxford City Hall Auditorium, with three shows this weekend: tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults,

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From Page One

The Daily Dispatch

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Deaths

FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR HENDERSON TODAY

TONIGHT

THURSDAY

Rain Likely

Partly Cloudy

60º

64º 36º

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Partly Cloudy

Mostly Sunny

52º 33º

44º 25º

49º 31º

Almanac

Sun and Moon

Temperature

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

Raleigh -Durham through 6 p.m. yest. High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Normal High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Normal Low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Record High . . . . . . . . .76 in 1991 Record Low . . . . . . . . .11 in 1976

.7:07 .4:59 .5:15 .7:35 .7:08 .4:59 .6:23 .8:39

a.m. p.m. p.m. a.m. a.m. p.m. p.m. a.m.

Moon Phases

Precipitation Yesterday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00" Month to date . . . . . . . . . . . .0.00" Normal month to date . . . . .0.10" Year to date . . . . . . . . . . . . .34.34" Normal year to date . . . . . .40.11"

Full 12/2

New 12/16

Last 12/8

First 12/24

Lake Levels Elevation in feet above sea level. Data as of 7 a.m. yesterday. Lake Gaston Kerr

24-Hr. Lake Capacity Yest. Change Jordan 240 217.3 -0.3 Neuse Falls 264 252.1 -0.3

24-Hr. Capacity Yest. Change 203 199.8 +0.1 320 303.4 -0.6

Regional Weather Henderson 60/60

Winston-Salem Durham 61/60 57/54 Asheville 51/42

Rocky Mt. 62/62

Greensboro 58/55 Raleigh 61/61 Charlotte 55/51

Fayetteville 64/62

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

Cape Hatteras 66/61

Wilmington 68/61

Today

Thu.

City

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx City

Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx

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

51/42 50/40 59/57 61/60 55/42 57/51 61/60 66/60 53/43 64/62 65/64 58/55 67/60 68/61 50/43

59/55 69/61 68/60 65/58 67/60 67/63 65/59 68/61 61/61 60/56 60/60 62/62 62/60 68/61 57/54

ra ra ra ra sh ra ra ra sh ra ra ra sh sh ra

52/29 45/28 61/36 63/36 49/34 62/33 63/36 71/41 44/31 66/40 67/40 60/36 68/40 69/42 52/31

sh sh s pc pc sh pc sh mc pc pc s sh sh pc

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

ra sh sh ra ra sh sh sh ra ra ra ra ra ra ra

60/36 69/41 68/40 65/39 66/44 69/46 66/50 69/41 64/37 65/38 65/37 66/38 65/37 67/42 59/35

s sh sh sh sh sh t sh pc pc pc pc pc sh s

Weather (Wx): cl/cloudy; pc/partly cloudy; ra/rain; rs/rain & snow; s/sunny; sh/showers; sn/snow; t/thunderstorms; w/windy

Morris and recorded on Feb. 22, 2007. Kelly Currin Morris disappeared on Sept. 3, 2008. The next day, the house was on fire and her 2005 Honda Accord was found approximately a mile away at a future subdivision, with her cell phone, pocketbook and other personal belongings still inside the car. Authorities on Nov. 16 found the remains of Kelly Currin Morris off Sam Moss Hayes Road. District Attorney Sam

Currin has not said whether he will seek the death penalty. The first SBI documents were made public in late September 2008 and they showed statements by Scott Morris about the vanishing of Kelly Currin Morris were inconsistent. The SBI in documents additionally said that Scott Morris and Kelly Currin Morris had marital problems and that sources specifically said the couple had separated before and had discussed divorcing.

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Please see DEATHS, page 4A

Kelly Currin Morris was 28 when authorities declared her missing. She had one daughter by another man and one daughter by Scott Morris. Senior District Judge Daniel Finch temporarily granted custody of Kelly Currin Morris’ and Scott Morris’ daughter to Kelly Currin Morris’ father, Pat ay yd r e Ev

Currin, and stepmother, Juanita Currin. Another hearing in the matter is scheduled for Jan. 7. Contact the writer at bwest@ hendersondispatch.com.

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Stationary Front

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Cold Front

DURHAM — Ernest Tapp, 78, died Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, following several months of declining health. He was the son of the late Cora Lee Leak. He was born in Durham and was a resident at Murdoch Developmental Center. He enjoyed playing harmonica, attending worship services, singing and listening to traditional gospel music. He was preceded in death by his brother, Willie Atkins. He is survived by a sister, Mary Frances Atkins of Brooklyn, N.Y. A Celebration of Life service is planned for Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the Murdoch Center Chapel with Chaplain Willis Herman officiating. Local announcements are by Wright Funeral Home of Oxford.

died Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, at her home. She was the daughter of the late Hudie Smith and Clara Waller Smith. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday at Rock Spring United Church of Christ by the Rev. Viola Johnson. Burial will be in the church cemetery. She is survived by a husband, John Winston; two daughters, Jacquelyn Smith of Creedmoor and Sabrina Ragland of Butner; three sons, Donald Estes and Randolph Estes, both of Creedmoor, and Harold Estes of Haymaker, Va.; three stepdaughters, Elouise Turner of Durham, and Rena Winston and Carol Woods, both of Atlanta, Ga.; 14 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. The family will receive visitors Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Rock Spring Baptist Church. The viewing will begin Thursday at 10 a.m. at Wright Funeral Home in Oxford. Arrangements are by Wright Funeral Home.

MORRIS, from page one

Today’s National Map 110s 100s 90s 80s 70s 60s 50s 40s 30s 20s 10s 0s

Paid Obituary

Ernest Tapp

ay yd

Today

HENDERSON — Gene Arthur Harris, 61, of 313 Manor Lane, Henderson, died Nov. 28, 2009, at his home. He was the son of the late George Turner and Arlene Satterwhite Harris. He was a former employee of Parkway Homes. Funeral services were held at Island Creek Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Marshall Neathery and the Rev. William Wagner. Burial was in the church cemetery. He is survived by his companion, Rose B. Stienbarger of the home; two daughters: Gina H. Anderson of Kittrell and Kendall N. Harris of the home; two sons: Clinton K. Harris and Christian T. Harris of Henderson; seven grandchildren: Clinton K. Harris Jr., Natalie N. Harris, Michael Clayton Jr., and Julia Eatmon, all of Hen-

derson, and Tyler, Angel and Hunter Anderson of Kittrell; and three greatgrandchildren: Destiny Harris, Leah Harris and Catherine Hedgepeth, all of Henderson. Survivors also include four sisters: Marie Adcock, Judy Pendergrass, Juanita Patton and Debbie Milton, all of Henderson, and four brothers: George Harris, Fred Harris, Robert Harris and Tony Harris, all of Henderson. He was preceded in death by his late wife, Judy Short Harris; a daughter, Catherine Elaine Clayton; a grandson, Michael Clayton III; and a sister, Rose Gail Harris. Serving as active pallbearers were Mike Clayton, Michael Clayton Jr., Frank Woods, Eric Stainback, Edward Stancil and Jeff Hedgepeth. Funeral arrangements were by Flowers Funeral Home.

er Ev

Regional Cities

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Low Pressure

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High Pressure

Yesterday’s National Extremes High: 82° in Fort Myers, Fla. Low: -7° in West Yellowstone, Mont.

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Local News

The Daily Dispatch

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Deaths Rachel A. Best HENDERSON — Rachel Geneva Ayscue Best, age 92, a resident of 4540 US 1/Hwy. 158 North, died Monday, November 30, 2009, at her home. Born in Franklin County on May 26, 1917, she was the daughter of the late Peter Thomas Ayscue and Jodie Hamm Ayscue, and was the widow of William Howard Best, Sr. Mrs. Best was retired from the former Leggett’s Department Store, and was a homemaker and a member of Brookston Presbyterian Church. Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the J.M. White Funeral Home Chapel by the Rev. Barry Stallings. Burial will follow in Sunset Gardens. She is survived by one son, William Howard Best, Jr., and wife, Janet, of Henderson; one daughter, Kathy B. Jones and husband, Randal, of Henderson; her sister-inlaw, Evelyn A. Woodward of Schenectady, N.Y.; five grandchildren, Glenn Best and wife, Jenni, of Coatesville, Pa., Sherry B. Rosch and husband, Bob, of Boyton, Va., Buddy Vaughan and wife, Tonya, Christina Jackson and husband, Eli, and stepson, Chase Jones, all of Henderson; eight greatgrandchildren, MaKenzie Vaughan, Tyler Hayes,

Annie E. Allen HENDERSON — Annie Elizabeth Allen, 84, of 319 E. Lyon St., died Monday, Nov. 30, 2009, at 404 Cozart St. She was the daughter of the late Johnny Allen and Annie Richmond Allen. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at Wright Funeral Home Chapel by the Revs. Brenda Timberlake, Timothy Timberlake and John Gooch. Burial will be in Carolina Memorial Gardens. She is survived by a daughter, Margie Satterwhite; and two grandchildren. The family will receive visitors Friday from 7-8 p.m. at Wright Funeral Home in Oxford, where

the viewing will begin Friday at 11 a.m. Arrangements are by Wright Funeral Home.

was an administrative officer, and was a member of Aversboro Baptist Church in Garner. She was also an active member of Woodman of the World. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Floyd Funeral Chapel in Lumberton by the Rev. Dr. Harvey Whaley. Burial will follow in the Walters Family Cemetery in Lumberton. She is survived by her husband, Charles Lewis Gardner of the home; two sons, Troy Brisson of Lumberton and Tracey Brisson of Garner; a brother, Marvin Earl Walters of Broken Arrow, Okla.; and three grandchildren. The family will receive friends Friday from 12:30 until 1:45 p.m. at Floyd Funeral Chapel, and at her home at 488 Club Pond Road today and Thursday. Serving as active pallbearers will be Tracey Brisson, Roger Parker, Jimmy Thorndyke, Sammy Thorndyke, Donald Thorndyke and Bobby Scott Gardner. Serving as honorary pallbearers will all members of the Lumberton Rescue Unit. Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions may be made to the Lumberton Rescue Unit, 2391 Roberts Ave., Lumberton, N.C. 28358. The body will be taken from J.M. White Funeral Home to Floyd Funeral Chapel in Lumberton for funeral services. Local arrangements are by J.M. White Funeral Home.

Patricia W. Gardner

Jimmy L. Johnson Jr.

HENDERSON — Patricia Walters Gardner, 62, of 488 Club Pond Road, died Monday, Nov. 30, 2009, at Blue Ridge Health Care in Raleigh. Born in Lumberton on May 14, 1947, she was the daughter of the late Marvin Walters and Mabel Sutton Walters. She was retired from the Wake County Sheriff’s Department where she

HENDERSON — Jimmy Lee Johnson Jr., 60, of 2750 Glebe Road, died Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, at Duke Medical Center. He was born in Vance County and was the son of the late

Matthew Vaughan, Tory Vaughan, Taylor Jackson, Justin Best, Josh Best, and McKenna Best; and two step-grandchildren, Christian and Jessica. She was preceded in death by her siblings, Mamie Lou Ayscue, Staley Thomas Ayscue, Lonie May Ayscue Adcock, Otha Henry Ayscue, Arthur Lewis Ayscue, Millard Brinkley Ayscue, Ruth Louise Ayscue Rushton, Ollie Newell Ayscue, and Beatrice Virginia Ayscue Booth. The family will receive friends today from 7 until 8:30 p.m. at J.M. White Funeral Home. At other times they will be at the home of Bill and Janet Best at 323 West Creek Road. Serving as active pallbearers will be Russell Dillard, George Wheller Pegram Jr., Greg Renn, Scott Renn, and William Nelson Vaughan III. Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions may be made to Community Home Health and Hospice, 1242 Dabney Drive, Henderson, N.C. 27536. The family would like to thank her nurses, Dolly Strickland, Mary Ann Lunsford, Lynette Tilley, and her aide, Debbie Minor. Arrangements are by J.M. White Funeral Home. Paid Obituary

Jimmie Sr. and Almeral Brodie Johnson. He was educated in the Vance County public schools and was a graduate of the former Henderson Institute. He attended Johnson C. Smith University and then enlisted in the United States Air Force where he was stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and served a tour of duty in Vietnam. He also attended Shaw University. He was the former pastor of St. Matthew Baptist Church in Oxford, and was founder and pastor of A Touch of Faith Ministries in Henderson. Until his death, he also served as associate minister of Spring Street Baptist Church. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Spring Street Missionary Baptist Church by the Rev. Terry Yancey. Burial will follow in Flat Creek Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Sarah Bullock Johnson of the home; two daughters, Sandra Johnson Jones and Brandi Johnson, both of Charlotte; two grandchildren; and a sister, Lucy LaVerne Johnson-Pruden of Durham. The family will receive friends at the residence and the body will be on view today from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. and at the church one hour before the service. Arrangements are by Davis-Royster Funeral Service.

sister, Jean Lusted and husband, Carl, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Nancy Dorr; and her brother, Billy Dorr. A memorial service will be held at a later date in San Jose, Calif. Her sister Jean will receive friends at her home at 102 Fernwood Creek Court on Thursday, December 3rd, from 3 until 5 p.m. Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church, 114 Church St., Henderson, N.C. 27536; the Daniels Memorial United Methodist Church, 2803 E. Ashe Street, Goldsboro, N.C. 27533; or to a charity of one’s choice. The family would like to thank all of the staff at Maria Parham Medical Center and Rehab Center, as well as UNC Hospital for the excellent care she received. Arrangements are by J.M. White Funeral Home.

Lee Anne Dorr HENDERSON — Lee Anne Dorr, age 64, a resident of 102 Fernwood Creek Court, died Saturday, November 28, 2009, at UNC Hospital from a massive stroke and complications of a heart attack. Born on September 17, 1945, she was the daughter of the late Leslie Kenneth Dorr and Mabel Daniels Dorr. She was a 1963 graduate of Henderson High School and graduated in 1967 from Guilford College. Lee Anne had lived in California for 24 years, returning to Henderson in May to assist in the care of her recently deceased father. She is survived by one daughter Heather Diana and husband, Joseph, of San Jose, Calif.; one granddaughter, Shyama of San Jose, Calif.; one

Paid Obituary

and Garrett C. Caloz; her sisters Alice Durkee and Beth Eldridge; her nephews, William Cali, Norris Eldridge, Nicholas Durkee, and dear friends, Sandra Foster and Virginia Young. All friends and family are invited to attend services at Liberty Christian Church, Henderson, on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 1 p.m. Though flowers are welcome, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association.

Catherine Cali Caloz HENDERSON — Catherine Cali Caloz entered into eternal life Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, at Mariah Parham Hospital, Henderson, after a fierce battle with diabetes. Catherine, also known a Cassy, was preceded in death by her parents, William and Marion Cali, and her brother, William Cali, all formerly of Cranberry Lake, N.J. Surviving are her sons, Alfred L. Caloz III

Lucy W. Marrow HENDERSON — Lucy W. Marrow, 94, of 419 Morris Wilson Road, died Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, at Granville Medical Center. Arrangements are by Wright Funeral Home of Oxford.

Paid Obituary Please see DEATHS, page 3A

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The Daily Dispatch

November auto sales fight for gains amid job worries By DEE-ANN DURBIN and TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writers

DETROIT — U.S. auto sales struggled to gain ground in November and big improvements aren’t expected until people stop worrying about losing their jobs. Sales last month were mostly stable, but even higher incentives couldn’t push the needle much beyond last November’s dismal lows, when a credit freeze and the financial meltdown kept car buyers at home. One strength was sales of fuel-efficiency cars and crossovers, which are as roomy as SUVs but are built on lower car frames, bolstering fuel economy. Last month’s big winner, again, was South Korea’s Hyundai, which posted double-digit sales growth. Sales at the top three U.S. sellers — General Motors, Ford and Toyota — held steady, while Chrysler struggled for another month. The auto market is recovering from a historic

drop in sales that began last year. Sales in October were unchanged from a year ago. Carmakers continued to rely on discounts and other incentive spending to sell cars and trucks last month. Sales incentives rose two percent in November to $2,713 per vehicle, according to the auto Web site Edmunds.com. General Motors said its sales fell two percent in November, though sales of its core Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC brands rose. Ford’s sales were essentially flat compared to last November, at 122,846, although sales of its crossovers rose 26 percent and car sales rose 14 percent. Trucks and SUVs saw double-digit declines. Ford’s hybrid sales increased 73 percent, to 2,361, as buyers gravitated toward gas sippers. The Ford Fusion sedan, which leads the midsize category in fuel-efficiency at 34 miles per gallon, posted a 54-percent increase from last November, shattering its previous record for full-year sales. Toyota said its U.S. sales

rose 2.6 percent to 133,700. Hyundai sales soared 46 percent on the back of its topselling Sonata sedan. Honda’s U.S. sales fell 2.9 percent in November on slower sales of small cars like the Fit and the Civic. Chrysler said it sold only 63,560 vehicles last month, a decline of 25 percent, and it announced an array of sales incentives including zero percent financing and cash rebates designed to draw buyers into its showrooms. Chrysler said that despite the decrease, its market share rose to 8.4 percent from 7.9 percent in October, a sign that consumer confidence in the company is building after it released its five-year business plan earlier this month. Last November, U.S. car and light truck sales fell to a 26-year low of 743,606, according to Ward’s AutoInfoBank. Sales tumbled even lower in January and February before climbing steadily through the spring and summer.

Business Wire N.C. utility to shut down 11 older coal plants RALEIGH (AP) — Progress Energy says it will close 11 coal-burning power plants in North Carolina that don’t have scrubbers by 2017. The Raleigh electric utility said Tuesday the units near Wilmington, Moncure, Lumberton and Goldsboro represent about 30 percent of the company’s power generation from coal. The plan was prompted by state regulators ordering the company to provide retirement plans for the coal-burning plants that lack scrubbers to reduce emissions. The request was part of the state Utilities Commission’s approval in October of Progress Energy’s plan to build a massive power

plant fueled by cleaner natural gas near Goldsboro. Some plants to be closed are more than 50 years old. The announcement does not effect a coal-fired plant near Hartsville, S.C.

Fed charges: N.C. poultry plant wouldn’t slow down RAEFORD (AP) — A federal indictment says a North Carolina poultry processor charged with discharging untreated wastewater that may have included turkey blood and body parts wouldn’t slow its processes. A federal grand jury

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A DAY ON WALL STREET

Stocks

11,000

Dec. 1, 2009

Dow Jones industrials

10,000

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.

9,000 8,000

+126.74 A

10,471.58

Pct. change from previous: +1.23%

High 10,501.28

7,000

Low 10,343.44

Dec. 1, 2009

2,400

Nasdaq composite

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

+31.21 2,175.81

High 2,182.24

Pct. change from previous: +1.46%

Low 2,162.23

Dec. 1, 2009

Standard & Poor’s 500 +13.22 1,108.85

High 1,112.28

Pct. change from previous: +1.21%

1,400

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

Low 1,098.89

SOURCE: SunGard

MARKET ROUNDUP 120109: 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 - $.9098 per lb., London Metal NEW YORK (AP) — Key currency exEditors: All figures as of: 5:25:09 PM EST Exch. change rates Tuesday: NOTE: Figures reflect market fluctuations after not match other AP content close; Coppermay -$3.0906 Cathode full plate, LME. Dollar vs: ExchgRate PvsDay Copper $3.2035 N.Y. Merc spot Tue. Lead - $2289.50 metric ton, London Metal Yen 86.65 86.29 Exch. Euro $1.5096 $1.4993 Zinc - $1.0096 per lb., London Metal Exch. Pound $1.6641 $1.6424 Gold - $1192.50 Handy & Harman (only Swiss franc 0.9990 1.0061 daily quote). Canadian dollar 1.0438 1.0570 Gold - $1199.10 troy oz., NY Merc spot Mexican peso 12.8570 12.9170 Tue. Silver - $19.170 Handy & Harman (only Metal Price PvsDay NY Merc Gold $1199.10 $1181.10 daily quote). Silver - $19.180 troy oz., N.Y. Merc spot NY HSBC Bank US $1199.00 $1177.00 NY Merc Silver $19.180 $18.495 Tue. Platinum -$1475.00 troy oz., N.Y. (contract). Platinum -$1486.60 troy oz., N.Y. Merc spot Nonferrous NEW YORK (AP) — Spot nonferrous metal Tue. n.q.-not quoted, n.a.-not available r-revised prices Tuesday:

& 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

55.86 27.18 49.62 15.90 25.60 58.08 31.18 17.11 76.04 8.88 16.17 28.00 127.94 63.51 23.02 3.20 6.31 22.58 3.44 63.87 19.07 62.91 39.60 4.68 55.01 50.84 18.50 3.78 23.20 43.46 32.34 48.58 54.75 27.99 4.20 78.50

Ark. landline company: Takeover of N.C. firm final LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Telephone landline provider Windstream Corp. says its acquisition of a North Carolina firm with 23,000 access lines has been completed. The purchase of Lexcom Inc. of Lexington, N.C., for approximately $141 million was announced

Sept. 9, and a Windstream news release said it was completed Tuesday. The access lines acquired in the transaction

also include about 9,000 high-speed Internet customers and about 12,000 cable TV customers, the news release said.

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indictment released Tuesday says the treatment system at the House of Raeford processing plant couldn’t handle the 1 million gallons of wastewater produced daily. The indictment says at least 14 times in 2005 and 2006 House of Raeford Farms and plant manager Gregory Steenblock knowingly pumped untreated water into Raeford’s sewage plant. The company says it and its employees are innocent. The company processes chickens and turkeys in eight plants in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and Michigan.

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The Daily Dispatch

VANCE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

• Natasha Dixon Parker, 40, of 3659 Raleigh Road Apt. 2 was arrested Dec. 1. Misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon. No bond Court date Dec. 14. • Terrence Terrill Baker, 31, of 113 Evans Road was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 30. Misdemeanor failure to appear. Secured bond set at $500. Court date Dec. 10. • Donnie James Hollingsworth, 30, of 1546 Yellowskin Road, Autryville, was arrested Nov. 30. Misdemeanor failure to appear on charges of simple worthless check, driving while license revoked. fail to heed light or siren, flee/elude arrest and driving left of center. Secured bond set at $3,200. Court date Dec. 28. • Quinton Davis, 22, of 1215 Gun Club Road was arrested Nov. 30. Misdemeanor injury to personal property. Unsecured bond set at $500. Court date Dec. 27. • Damien Travante Jones, 23, of 882B Old Rail Road, Camden, S.C., was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 30. Failure to appear. Secured bond set at $500. Court date Dec. 8. • Lee Hawley, 23, of 125 Brame Road was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 30. Misdemeanor failure to appear, 2 counts. Cash bond was set at $200. No court date listed. • Lonnie Demon Yancey, 26, of 1628 Stewart Ave. was arrested Nov. 30. Misdemeanor simple affray. Unsecured bond set at $500. Court date Dec. 15. • Alonzo Durham, 19, of 269 Faulkner Drive was arrested Nov. 27. Misdemeanor domestic protective order violation. No bond. Court date Dec. 29. • Sandra Lynn Pitchford, 40, of 1465 Newton Dairy Road Lot 24 was served with an order for arrest. Misdemeanor failure to appear in Granville on charges of reckless driving to endanger, fictitious information to an officer, driving while license revoked, fictitious/cancelled/revoked registration card/tag. Secured bond was set at $2,000. Court date Dec. 14. • Christopher C. Lloyd, 19, of 5395 Hwy. 158 Business was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 28. Misdemeanor failure to appear. Simple worthless check. Bond was set at $100. Court date Dec. 29. • Salvador Ramos-Silva, 29, of 275 Bowman Lane was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 27. Misdemeanor failure to appear. Secured bond set at $1,000. Court date Dec. 28. • Kevin Anthony Thorpe,

33, of 3263 Hwy. 158 Business was arrested Nov. 25. Failure to appear on charge of driving while license revoked. Secured bond set at $1,600. Court date Dec. 15. • Bryan Keith Reams, 46, of 77 Waters Edge Road was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 25. Failure to appear on charges of misdemeanor possession of unlawful game. Misdemeanor hunting from a state road. Secured bond set at $300. Court date Dec. 14. • Angela Eaton Waters, 38, of 985 Thomas Road was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 25. Failure to appear, 5 counts. Failure to wear a seat belt. Possession of fictitious/ revoked drivers license. Driving while license revoked. Operating a vehicle with no insurance. Driving a motor vehicle with no registration. Secured bond set at $1,000. Court date Dec. 28. • Brian Thomas, 20, of 1163 Eaves Ave. was arrested Nov. 26. Misdemeanor domestic assault on a female. No bond. Court date Dec. 15. • Whitney Reavis, 21, of 1163 Eaves Road was arrested Nov. 26. Misdemeanor communicating threats. Unsecured bond set at $300. Court date Dec. 15. • Jerome McDaniels, 41, no address listed, was arrested Nov. 25. Misdemeanor burglaryforcible entry. Misdemeanor criminal damage to property. Secured bond set at $1,000. Court date Jan. 4. • Jerone Terence Perry, 37, of 4576 Raleigh Road Lot 5 was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 25. Misdemeanor failure to appear in Franklin district court on child support. Cash bond set at $2,500. Court date Dec. 17. Misdemeanor failure to appear in Vance on traffic violations. Secured bond set at $2,000. • Eddie M. Person, 48, of 605 Highland Ave. was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 25. Misdemeanor child support. Cash bond set at $3,000. Court date Dec. 16. • Jackie Lealon Hargrove, 50, of 434 Whitten Ave. was served with an order for arrest

on Nov. 25. Misdemeanor failure to appear on charge of failure to comply with child support. Secured bond set at $1,000. No court date listed.

Arrests

• Donald Maurice Branch, 53, of 1103 N. Pinkston St. was arrested Nov. 30. Felony possession of crack cocaine. Misdemeanor possession of Larceny drug paraphernalia. Misdemeanor open container. Secured • Travis Richardson, 23, of 141 Cardinal Lane reported Nov. bond was set at $10,000. Court date Jan. 26. 27 the theft from the residence • Terrance Terril Baker, 31, of of a 12-gauge Mossberg pump 113 Evans Road was arrested. shotgun with camouflage Misdemeanor possession of valued at $150. • Brian Cummings, 37, of 271 marijuana. Misdemeanor driving Morgans Place reported Nov. 25 while consuming alcohol. Misdemeanor driving while license the theft of the following items revoked. and their values: 2 bikes, $300; • Tanya Lee Ryner, 46, of Makita drill, $175; Bosch drill, 561 McBorn St. was arrested $200; and Hilti drill, $175. Nov. 30. Misdemeanor failure • Charles Joe Smith Jr., to appear on shoplifting charge. 49, of 156 Twin Ponds Lane, Townsville, reported Nov. 25 the Secured bond was set at $600. Court date Dec. 15. theft from the residence of the • Lee Hawley, 22, of 422 following items and their values: Davis St. was served with an 32-inch silver Insignia, $500; Insignia surround system, $280; order for arrest on Nov. 30. Canon picture printer, $75; DVD/ Misdemeanor failure to appear. Secured bond was set at $600. VCR combination, $60; 26-inch Court date Dec. 29. Sanyo, $260; knife set, $50; • Mozelle Jones, 32, of lamp, $45; 6 sailboat/lighthouse 1465 Newton Dairy Road Lot figures, $30; clothes, $300; and 20 DVDs, $10. Damage to a front 49 was arrested. Misdemeanor shoplifting. Misdemeanor assault door estimated at $80. on a law enforcement officer. • Sherry Carter, 34, of 261 Secured bond was set at $800. Ragland Lane reported Nov. 26 Court date Dec. 29. the theft of 4 20-inch chrome • Cadarius Rhasha Caldwell, star design wheels valued at 19, of 722 Young Ave. was $2,500 and 4 20-inch tires valarrested Nov. 25. Misdemeanor ued at $600. failure to appear. Misdemeanor • Charles Smith, 69, of 63 driving while license revoked. No New Circle Lane reported Nov. bond. Court date Jan. 28. 27 the theft from the residence • Leshondra Michelle Crute, of .22 caliber rifle valued at $350. Damage to a gun lock estimated 24, of 1141 Booker St. was at $5. • Lynn Rodriguez, 44, of 2206 South Cokesbury Road reported Nov. 27 the theft of a Huskie/5000 red and black Monday-Friay, 9am-6pm Saturday 9am-1pm generator valued at $700.

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• Oscar Antonio-Lopez, 21, of 818 Southerland St. was arrested Nov. 28. Misdemeanor simple assault. Misdemeanor domestic violence order violation. Secured bond set at $1,500. Court date Jan. 26. In another report, subject was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor simple assault. Secured bond was set at $500. Court date Jan. 26. • Jason Jerome Kingsberry, 22, of 805 Bridgers St. was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 26. Failure to appear. Secured bond was set at $50. Court date Jan. 26. • Gary Bullock, 45, of 844 Lamb St. was arrested Nov. 27. Misdemeanor concealment of goods. Secured bond was set at $2,500. Court date Dec. 28. • Ralph Newman Mason Jr., 40, 2105 Woodland Road was arrested. Misdemeanor driving while impaired. Misdemeanor expired registration. Misdemeanor open container. Secured bond was set at $1,000. Court date Jan. 14. • Colonel Wortham, 56, of 621 E. Montgomery St. was arrested Nov. 27. Misdemeanor larceny. Secured bond was set at $2,000. Court date Dec. 28. • Darius Donzell Harris, 18, of 307 Zene St. was arrested Nov. 27. Misdemeanor hit/run fail to stop at scene. Secured bond was set at $400. Court date Jan. 19. In another report, subject was served with an order for arrest for failure to appear. Secured bond was set at $600. Court date Dec. 15.

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arrested Nov. 25. Misdemeanor shoplifting/larceny. Unsecured bond was set at $300. Court date Jan. 11. • Sandra Davis, 47, of 210 high St. was served with a criminal summons on Nov. 28. Misdemeanor failure to return rental property. No bond listed. Court date Jan. 14. • Bobbi Patrice Bradley, 28, of 111 S. Pinkston St. Apt. 37 was served with an order for arrest on Nov. 24. Misdemeanor failure to appear. Bond was set at $700. Court date Dec. 14. • Israel Gonzalez Valencia, 28, of 1251 Americal Road Lot 36 was arrested on Nov. 25. Misdemeanor domestic assault on a female. No bond. Court date Dec. 28. • Robert Kieth Rainey, 43, of 328 Winder St. was served with a criminal summons on Nov. 27. Misdemeanor communicating threats. No bond. Court date Dec. 8. • Lorenzo Alston, 19, of 844 Water St. was served with a citation on Nov. 28. Misdemeanor simple possession of marijuana. No bond listed. No court date listed. In another report, subject was served with orders for arrest for failure to appear. Secured bond was set at $1,600. Court date Dec. 8. • Gary Dean Talley, 53, of 1419 Peter Gill Road was arrested Nov. 22. Felony breaking and entering. Felony larceny. Felony possession of stolen goods. Secured bond set at $15,000. Court date was Nov. 30.

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

STUDY, from page one positions being left vacant by Kiesow, Powell, Shope and Wilkinson with Ron Bullock, Danny Currin, Calvin “C.J.” Harris Jr. and Jackie Sergent. Woodlief and the four new commissioners will be sworn in Tuesday evening. The present Public Safety Committee has included Powell and Williford as members. The mayor can only cast tie-breaking votes, but has the power to decide which commissioners will chair what committees and which commissioners will serve on each committee. During Monday evening’s commission agenda meeting, the list of appointments to the future committees was on the agenda as part of the new business for this coming

present details in a formal manner before the commissioners and the citizens. Donham replied, “Probably what we’ll do is this: Probably we’ll spend August kind of going through committee and seeing how the committee wants to deal with it. And then probably in September we’ll bring something forward.” Donham, when asked by the newspaper in an Oct. 9 e-mail for an update, said, “It is looking like it will probably (be) released in December.” That additionally meant the study would not be made public until after the Nov. 3 municipal election. Mayor Al Woodlief was re-elected and voters filled the four commission

Tuesday’s meeting. “I didn’t know this was going to be on the handout tonight, but since it is, it’s there,” Woodlief told the commissioners and the audience, which included Bullock, Currin and Sergent. The problem was the agenda showed the majority of future committees with only two commissioners on them when normally each committee has three commissioners. And Kiesow was quick to point this out. Woodlief said, “I was asked that before the meeting started and I was under the impression that there was three members from the board. I’ll have to go back and look at that.” “Okay,” Kiesow said. Wilkinson, in addition-

TEACHER, from page one system nor with any other underage person. County Schools Associate Superintendent Allan Jordan, when contacted by the newspaper after Morgan was booked, said that, as soon as the school district heard the probe was occurring, “We immediately issued that suspension.” Jordan has said that he did so on Oct. 7 and emphasized that, “Our first obligation is to the children.” “And while we will certainly allow and guarantee all of the rights due to Mr. Morgan — and he is innocent until he is proven guilty — our options dictated to us that while the police investigated this

information that Morgan allegedly may have been in possession of computer files and discs depicting underage youths engaging in sexual acts. Discs and computer files, along with computer hard drives belonging to Morgan, were taken and analyzed at the SBI forensic laboratory, where an analysis allegedly supported the charges, police have said. North Granville Middle is located at 3144 Webb School Road just north of Oxford. Police have emphasized the probe did not conclude Morgan had engaged in any physical contact with any student of the Granville County Schools

matter that we suspend Mr. Morgan until they were finished with whatever legal processes they were going to go through,” Jordan has said. “And that’s what was done,” Jordan said. Morgan has remained free on $20,000 bond. Contact the writer at bwest@ hendersondispatch.com.

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ally noticing some of the future committees only having two commissioners, said, “That might just be a misprint.” The future Public Safety & Litigation Committee was listed as having Herring as chairman and Williford as a committee member, with Wolford to serve as a non-voting advisor. Various department heads are listed as advi-

sors to the future committees because the city will have four new commissioners, Woodlief said. “And usually they’re called in on meetings anyway, so that’s not really unusual. We just listed them,” Woodlief said of the department heads. Oxford’s mayor serves a two-year term and Oxford’s seven-member commission serves staggered four-year terms.

The commission majority on Jan. 13 gave Donham, who was hired in May 2008, the go-ahead for the study of public safety. Cantley cast the lone dissenting vote, citing concern about the impact on municipal finances. Shope was absent for personal reasons. Contact the writer at bwest@ hendersondispatch.com.

Introducing Friends & Family

DEALING WITH UNSIGHTLY BULGES Much the same way an inner-tube bladder can develop a bulge because of a weakening of its material structure, the clear front outer covering of the eye known as the cornea is also susceptible to unusual deformation. In this case, when the dome-shaped cornea becomes thin and develops a cone-like bulge, it adversely affects the way that light enters the eye and refracts. As a result, those affected by keratoconus (“cone-shaped cornea”) are likely to experience blurred and distorted vision, increased sensitivity to light and glare, and mild eye irritation. The rate of progression of the condition varies widely. While mild cases may be treated with corrective lenses and rigid contact lenses, more severe cases may require corneal transplants. Keratoconus usually affects both eyes but the two eyes often progress at different rates. Whatever your needs are in eye care, the entire staff at FOUR COUNTY EYE ASSOCIATES is trained to understand your needs and concerns, and we take pride in our work. We’re located at 451 Ruin Creek Road, Henderson Professional Plaza, Suite 204, where we want to provide you with a pleasant office experience, as well as the best possible eye care. Please call 492-8021 to schedule an appointment. We stress preventive eye health care for the entire family. P.S. Since one out of ten people with keratoconus have family members with the condition, genetics is thought to play some role in its development.

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Daily Meditation A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter. Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them. And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. Titus 3:10-14

Our Opinion

TEXT ing and driving: a deadly mix EDITOR’S NOTE: A handy glossary of texting terms appears at the bottom of this editorial today. Of course, your children will probably know everything we’re saying as we appear to “speak in code.” ?4U RU a driver who engages in D-W-T? If so, pull over. Tell the officer you’re sorry. Be thankful you didn’t have a wreck. And get your checkbook out. And we’re not JK! North Carolina’s new driving-while-texting ban that went into effect on Tuesday bars all drivers from text messaging or sending an e-mail with their cell phones while on a road or a highway – even if the car is idling at a stoplight. The new law builds upon legislation that was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly three years ago that made it illegal for young drivers to use a cell phone while driving as a way to reduce distractions on the road. The financial cost of breaking this new law? Violators could face a $100 fine plus $130 in court costs. The higher cost: serious injury or death. With 273 million cell phones now in use in the United States, the Florida Justice Association says the average cell user sends 357 texts a month. That average is skewed quite a bit, however, by the 18- to -24-year-old group that sends 790 texts a month on average. Distracted driving has become one of the most practiced deadly driving behaviors by motorists today, the AAA Carolinas says. AAA says 2,600 people have died in cell phone-texting related crashes. Drivers who use cell phones while driving have the same deficient motor skills as people with a 0.08 percent blood alcohol content. “Texting while driving is an increasingly popular activity, especially among young drivers unaware of the potential for instantaneous, disastrous results,” said Dave Parsons, a member of the AAA Carolinas Foundation for Traffic Safety and president and CEO of AAA Carolinas. The foundation intends to broadcast next year one of the most graphic 30-second traffic safety videos ever aired to create emotional awareness of the dangers of texting while driving. The tag line for their video: “You Drive, You Text, You Die.” AAA Carolinas’ tips for cell phone usage by motorists: • Never use a cell phone to text a message while driving. Texting is one of the worst distractions because it requires both physical and mental attention, taking away attention from watching the road. • Use a cell phone in a vehicle only when absolutely necessary. Any use of a cell phone while driving should be with a hands-free device. • Do not take your hands off the wheel to either answer or initiate a cell phone call. • Unexpected phone calls should go directly to voice mail. Pull off the road to check voice mail messages and return calls. As you saw from our Sunday edition, the North Carolina Highway Patrol is holding safety events at high schools, such as the one at Warren County High, where teenagers travel in golf carts and try to avoid traffic cones while being told to send a text message. Parents, law enforcement is doing its part to spread the word. It’s up to you to make sure that your children get this new law in their heads, understand the serious of the offense, and practice what you preach to them (and hopefully not what you do, should you be tempted to text and drive yourself!). DTRT! DNT D-W-T! This is not an LOL situation. Glossary: ?4U: question for you; RU: are you; D-W-T: driving while texting (we made this one up); JK: just kidding; DTRT: do the right thing; DNT: don’t; LOL: laugh out loud.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Revisiting Sammy Sosa: cosmetics or self-image? Please indulge me as I answer an e-mail from a guy named Dunbar. It says in part: “Your column on Sammy Sosa’s skin cream use is off base and sends a wrong message. The issue is the man’s character — not the color of his skin. Your column seemingly assumes he lightens his skin color out of shame and fails to recognize that he may simply be doing it out of vanity or his own sense of personal style. Plenty of fair-skinned people use skindarkening creams, sun baths, tanning beds for that purpose and the only criticism leveled at them is vanity and stupidity for ignoring skin cancer warnings. The same should hold for Sammy. “ ... I think I know what point you are trying to make and that is a laudable one. But your delivery was clumsy and it might come across to some as ‘methinks thee doth protest too much.’” Dear Dunbar: Thank you for writing. It’s always a treat to receive such a thoughtful dissent. Hope you don’t mind my using your e-mail as a vehicle for revisiting my recent column on Sosa, the once-black

former baseball star who now looks like a photo negative of himself, but that piece generated so many missives like yours that I thought doing so might be of value. I’m intrigued that you “think” you know what point I was Leonard trying to Pitts make. The Tribune Media fact that Services you have to guess, that it wasn’t starkly obvious to you, suggests that what we have here is a gulf between life experiences. It brings to mind a parable to the effect that the rabbit and the bear will never agree on how threatening is the dog. I’m going to assume — I apologize if I’m wrong — that you’re not black. I say that because I’ve not yet encountered a single African-American reader who did not know immediately what my point was. My white readers, though, were more likely to see me as chiding Sosa for what they regarded as a benign cosmetic

choice, such as when they color their hair, inject Botox in their faces or, yes, lie under the sun trying to get a tan. From where they sit, it’s the same when a black man lightens his skin. I’m here to tell you: it isn’t. I’d like you to do something for me. Go to YouTube and look up a movie: “A Girl Like Me,” directed by Kiri Davis. In the 7:15 it takes to watch, you may get a better understanding of the point I’m making. The centerpiece of the film is a recreation of the old “doll test” conducted by a black psychologist, Dr. Kenneth Clark, in the 1940s. Clark found that black children, asked to choose between otherwise identical black and white baby dolls which one is “nice” and which one is “bad,” overwhelmingly favored the white one. Davis found that nothing has changed, six decades later. Why is that the nice doll, the unseen researcher asks a little boy, “Because she’s white,” he replies, savoring the word like candy. Why does that one look bad, the researcher asks a girl, “Because it’s black,” the child says. Then the researcher asks this girl to indicate “the doll that looks like you.”

She jiggles the white doll, obviously wanting to choose it. And when she surrenders to reality and slides the black doll forward, it is with a deflated reluctance that sears you. I submit that what you see in that moment is not a cosmetic preference. Rather, it is distressing evidence of how early and how profoundly the self-image of black children is maimed. We are taught from birth in a thousand ways, big and small, to hate the darkness of our very skin. Some of us grow up to recognize and reject that brainwashing. But some of us are never able, no matter how many home runs they hit — or hit records they sell — to be at home in their God-given skin. I understand if you can’t understand. You and I discussing Sosa are like the bear and the rabbit discussing the dog. You see a cosmetic choice. I’m afraid I see something else entirely. (Leonard Pitts is a columnist for the Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla., 33132. Readers may contact him via e-mail at lpitts@ miamiherald.com.)

Washington, home of intellectual hypocrisy I think I’ve had my fill of moral hypocrisy. We routinely hear stories of evangelical ministers who “mentor” hookers at $500 an hour, “family values” politicians who like the cut of a congressional page’s jib, or senators who love to press the flesh, one bathroom stall at a time. And, given the times, we increasingly hear stories about progressive politicians and columnists who — gasp! — have bigger carbon footprints than they want the rest of us to have: CO2 emissions for me and not for thee! For shame. The press loves stories of moral hypocrisy. Catching a finger-wagging politician violating his or her own moral code warms the cockles of every reporter’s heart. Indeed, sometimes journalists confuse hypocrisy for the real crime. “If a politician murders his mother,” the late Washington Post editorial page editor Meg Greenfield once said, “the first response of the press ... will likely be not that it was a terrible thing to do, but rather that in a statement made six years before, he had gone on record as being opposed to matricide.” The crusade against moral hypocrisy necessarily hits conservatives harder, not because conservatives are more immoral but because they uphold morality more publicly, making them richer targets. The left aims much of its moralizing at

moralizing itself — “thou shalt not judge.” Meanwhile, the right focuses on the oldies but goodies — adultery, drug use, etc. I think we’re right to uphold a standard even if we sometimes fail to live up to it. What I don’t think we hear enough about is intellectual hypocrisy. What’s that? Well, if moral hypocrisy is saying what values people should live by while failing Jonah follow Goldberd to them Tribune Media yourself, Services intellectual hypocrisy is believing you are smart enough to run other peoples’ lives when you can barely run your own. I know many smart liberals for whom no idea is too complex, no concept or organizational flow chart too hard to grasp. They want government to take over this, run that, manage some other things, and in all cases put people exactly like them in charge of pretty much everything. Many are geniuses, with SAT scores so high you could get a bloody nose just looking at them. But you wouldn’t ask one to

run a car wash. The chairman of a small college’s English department thinks it’s obvious intellectuals should take over health care, but he can’t manage the class schedules of three professors or run a meeting without it coming to blows or tears. A pundit defends government intervention in almost every sphere of economic life, but he can’t figure out how to manage the interns or his checking account. The most famous story of an intellectual hypocrite getting his comeuppance is the tale of George McGovern and his inn. The senator, 1972 presidential nominee and college professor thought he could run a vast, technologically sophisticated nation with a diverse population and an entrepreneurial culture. Then, after leaving Washington, he bought an inn in Connecticut to while away his retirement years. For a guy as smart as him, running an inn should have been child’s play. But it went belly-up before the end of the year, with a contritely befuddled McGovern marveling at how much harder running a business was than he thought. Or consider Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), currently subject of a House ethics investigation. Rangel heads the Ways and Means Committee, which writes the tax code. He backs the imposition of an income tax surcharge on high earners to

pay for health care, calling it “the moral thing to do.” Yet he can’t seem to figure out how to file his own taxes properly or, perhaps, legally. Now, I also know lots of conservatives who are basket cases at everything other than reading and writing books and articles, giving speeches and thinking Big Thoughts (likewise, I know liberals who despise conservative moralizing about sex and religion who nonetheless live chaste, pious lives themselves). The point is that conservatives don’t presume to be smart enough to run everything, because conservative dogma takes it as an article of faith that no one can be that smart. Moral hypocrisy is still worth exposing, I guess. But we are living in a moment when revealing intellectual hypocrisy should take precedence. A J.P. Morgan chart reprinted on the “Enterprise Blog” shows that less than 10 percent of President Obama’s Cabinet has private-sector experience, the least of any Cabinet in a century. From the stimulus to health care reform and capand-trade, Washington is now run by people who think they know how to run everything, when in reality they can barely run anything. (You can write to Jonah Goldberg by e-mail at JonahsColumn@aol.com.)

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