CMYK Creedmoor wants to build treatment plant
Fame bakes a new upper crust
Southern girls, boys fall to Smith
Business & Farm, Page 5A
Opinion, Page 8A
Sports, Page 1B THURSDAY, December 3, 2009
Volume XCV, No. 283
(252) 436-2700
www.hendersondispatch.com
50 cents
Police call for tips in homicide Shot in the back, Oxford man, 77, dies in surgery By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
OXFORD — The Police Department is asking for the public’s help in solving the case of the fatal Sunday evening shooting of 77-year-old Frank Branch. Police in a statement said that, at approximately 6:15 p.m., there was a knock on the door of Branch’s Raleigh Street residence and Branch opened the door and allowed persons in. Police said after Branch sat down in his recliner, shots rang out and Branch unsuccessfully attempted to get out of harm’s way. Branch was struck in the back, police said. Branch died while undergoing surgery after being flown to Duke University Medical Center by a Duke Life Flight helicopter. Anyone with any information about the shooting is urged to phone Granville County Crime Stoppers at (919) 693-3100. Crime Stoppers can pay up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the persons or persons involved in this crime.
Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE
The number “23” is painted on a street sign, left, on Perry Avenue near Dabney Drive Wednesday afternoon. A Do Not Enter sign with the letters “ymg” spray painted on it stands at the corner of Granite Street and South Garnett Street
Vandalism costs city plenty By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
Vandals have cost the city probably $4,000 in sign replacement costs since July, Public Works Director Linda Leyen said at a Wednesday morning meeting of the Clean Up Henderson Committee. “It’s all over town,” Leyen said of the presence of graffiti. “It’s terrible,” said Rochelle Moon, who keeps the committee’s meeting minutes. Horace Bullock, who doubles as a Planning Board member, said he saw graffiti on a stop sign along Alexander Avenue south and southeast of the city center, which prompted Leyen to add,
Henderson hit by rash of graffiti; some brazen vandals pulling up signs, throwing them in ditches “Apparently they went through (the) West End about three weeks ago now. And I think they painted every sign over there.” Additionally, persons are stealing street signs as fast as crews can put up replacements, Leyen said. And Leyen said the Public Works Department is considering installing cameras and motion sensors in certain areas of the city to try to catch the perpetrators in the act. In many instances, the perpetrators are leaving the sign poles intact, but in some instances, the
perpetrators are pulling up the poles and throwing them in ditches as far away as the opposite end of the city, Leyen said. And Leyen noted a mailman called about having found a sign in ditch while working a route. “But, some of ‘em are getting really brave,” Leyen said. “They’re pulling up stop signs and throwing ‘em in the ditches. And somebody is going to get killed.” “Yeah, that’s dangerous,” Committee Chairwoman Juanita Somerville said. And Somerville noted seeing
Index
Weather Today Partly cloudy
High: 62 Low: 36
Friday Partly cloudy
High: 53 Low: 35
Details, 3A
Deaths Clarksville, Va. Walter G. Appun, 87 Bonnie T. Ashworth, 59 Henderson James Mangum, 86 Cora J. Scott, 88 Macon Monica Donoughue, 66 Oxford Frank Branch, 77 Warren County Joey R. Silver, 45 Whitesville Eula Towns, 74
Please see VANDALISM, page 4A
Utility rate hike aimed at shortfall
Contact the writer at bwest@ hendersondispatch.com.
Our Hometown . . . . . 2A Business & Farm. . . . 5A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . 8A Light Side . . . . . . . . . 9A Sports. . . . . . . . . . 1-4B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 5B Classifieds. . . . . . . 6-8B
posts minus signs along Ranes Drive at the northeastern edge of the city. “That’s what I’m talking about,” Leyen said. “That’s what they’re taking, is the street name signs.” Leyen urged citizens who see damaged signs or sign-less posts to contact her department. Police Chief Keith Sidwell said anyone who sees persons with spray paint cans in their hands needs to call his department. “Certainly our officers are out and about and they take enforcement action when they can,” Sidwell said, adding he needs those who see and report such crimes to testify in court.
Daily Dispatch/ASHLEY STEVEN AYSCUE
Ready for Christmas
By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
This house on West Andrews Avenue near Whitten Avenue is all decked out for the Christmas season in this photo from Tuesday night.
Bern, where the Warren County representative will share the platform with state and national figures promoting tourism. Members of the Tourism Development Committee described the plan’s goals as they were projected on a screen in the fire station: • Warrenton Town Commissioner Mary Hunter described several tasks to achieve Goal 1 — “Develop a strong Tourism Program with clear objectives and well defined goals to increase the economic impact of tourism in Warren County.” • Mary Catherine Harris, a member of the Warren County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, narrated Goal 2 — “Achieve a Communication/Education Program for stakeholders in the tourism industry.” • Tom Peace, of Stellar Visuals Company, outlined needed actions to achieve Goal 3 — “Create a spe-
OXFORD — The present City Commission, in one of a list of last official acts Tuesday, will be voting for a utilities rate increase to be included in the next fiscal year budget. Departing Commissioner Chance Wilkinson at Monday’s commission agenda meeting said he is going to vote no because he does not believe the soon-to-be former commission should be approving an 11th hour action before new commissioners are sworn in. And Wilkinson said the final decision is going to be up to the soon-to-be new commission anyway. “So, it’s a waste of time to vote on it,” Wilkinson told reporters immediately afterward. The commission, meeting Nov. 10, voted to formally accept a report after Public Works Committee Chairman Paul Kiesow, under questioning from Wilkinson, specified a 17 percent hike for sewer fees and a five percent hike for water fees. In August and at the recommendation of the committee, the commission gave the go-ahead for a rate study by Raftelis Financial Consultants of Charlotte at a cost of $27,081, with City Manager Mark Donham having specified future infrastructure needs as one
Please see WARREN, page 4A
Please see UTILITY, page 3A
Warren strategic plan for tourism brands county as state’s ‘Jewel’ N.C. official impressed with effort, will use as model in other localities By DAVID IRVINE Daily Dispatch Writer
WARRENTON — “Warren County: The Jewel of North Carolina.” That is the new county brand proposed in the Warren County Tourism Strategic Plan. The plan was developed over the past 11 months by the Warren County Tourism Development Committee. Meeting in the Warrenton Rural Fire Department on Tuesday evening, Warren County tourism Obituaries, 4A stakeholders and members of the public viewed a Power Point presentation of the plan and heard oral commentary by tourism consultant Kay Thomas and members of the committee. Warren County Commissioner
Ernie Fleming explained the rationale behind the new brand, describing the many features of the county that form the facets of the Jewel — lakes, history, agriculture, culture, location, heritage and more. He pointed out that each facet of the Jewel offers opportunities to target tourism markets. The plan received immediate recognition and commendation from the state of North Carolina. Russ Haddad — Director of N.C. Tourism Development for the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film, and Sports Development — congratulated the Warren County Tourism Development Committee and said he would use the plan and the development process as a model for other county efforts. He then invited the group to send a representative to participate on a panel at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism, which will take place next March in New
Commissioners to finish terms with vote on increase