CMYK Community Band gets standing ‘O’
President vows to thwart terrorists
Northern Vance suffers first loss
Our Hometown, Page 2A
Nation/World, Page 7A
Sports, Page 1B TUESDAY, December 29, 2009
Volume XCV, No. 303
(252) 436-2700
Warren EDC mum on new director By DAVID IRVINE Daily Dispatch Writer
WARRENTON – The Warren County Economic Development Commission met on Monday to consider candidates for the position of executive director of economic development for the county. After calling the meeting to order and determining that a quorum was present, Chairman Ernest Fleming accepted a motion to go into closed session to discuss personnel matters. When the commission returned to open session, a motion was made to recommend “the candidate we agreed on” to the Warren County Board of Commissioners to be the county’s new executive director of economic development. The Daily Dispatch requested the name of the person recommended and was told that the commission had decided not to make it public until it is presented to the county commissioners since they, not the EDC, have the hiring authority. The commission’s recommendation will be presented to the Warren County Board of Commissioners at the monthly meeting on Jan. 4. The executive director’s position has been empty since January 2009 when John Church left to take a similar post in FuquayVarina. Church had been director for four years. Peggy Richardson, a longtime EDC employee, has served as interim director since Church’s departure. Contact the writer at dirvine@hendersondispatch.com.
www.hendersondispatch.com
By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
Dispatch Photo/AL WHELESS
Army PFC Ashley Benson, a 2009 Western Vance High School graduate fresh from basic training and cooking school, poses with a poster at the Armed Forces recruiting station on Beckford Drive.
Western Vance graduate turns life around, prepares for assignment in Afghanistan By AL WHELESS Daily Dispatch Writer
Back with her family in Henderson while on Christmas leave from the U.S. Army, PFC Ashley Benson described herself as bored. “I’m ready to go,” said the 2009 Western Vance High School graduate who has been doing some hometown recruiting there for Uncle Sam, as well as at Southern Vance and Northern Vance. “When I wake up real early in the morning, everybody is sleeping,” Benson lamented Monday during an interview. “There’s no soldiers running downstairs, breaking their necks to get to formation,” she explained while sitting in
one of the Armed Services Recruiting offices on Beckford Drive. “When I was in basic and in AIT (Advanced Infantry Training), the sergeants were always saying to me: ‘Clean your weapon. Clean your weapon,’” Benson recalled. “Now I miss cleaning my weapon. There’s nothing to do.” That could soon change, since she plans to report to her next military home — Fort Knox, Ky. — on Jan. 5. Trained as a cook, it’s possible that Benson could be cranking out biscuits in Afghanistan as early as March or April if her unit — whichever one that turns out to be — is scheduled to go. At this point, however, her immediate future in
uniform is only cut in “jello.” Asked about the prospect of being in a war-torn neighborhood where some of the people have guns and are less than friendly, Benson replied: “I have fear of the unknown, but I’m not scared or terrified because I trust the training I’ve had.” Her mother, her two sisters and her brother are glad Benson joined the Army, but they’re also worried about Afghanistan. When Benson showed up in uniform at Southern Vance — where she got into a lot of fights and was expelled before later enrolling at Western Vance — some of the students she had left behind were blown away by what they saw and heard. Please see SERVE, page 3A
Luke Horton, former editor of the DeSoto Times-Tribune newspaper in Mississippi, has been named editor of The Daily Dispatch. Horton, an award-winning writer and photographer, previously served as news editor of the Natchez Democrat and Star-Herald newspapers in Mississippi. The Decatur, Miss., native, is a graduate of Mississippi State University. He and wife Lauren are the parents of a 3-year-old
son, Ethan, and 7-monthold daughter, Beverly. The family resides in Henderson. “It’s a privilege to work at a community newspaper with such a rich history,” Horton said about assuming his new role. “I look forward to getting to know and working with people in the community.” Horton comes to Henderson from a family-owned 12,000-circulation thriceweekly newspaper, noted James Edwards, Daily
Index
Deaths
Our Hometown . . . . . 2A Obituaries . . . . . . 4A, 5A Business . . . . . . . . . . 6A Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . 8A Light Side . . . . . . . . . 9A Sports. . . . . . . . . 1B-4B Comics . . . . . . . . . . . 5B Classifieds. . . . . . 6B-8B
Creedmoor Ronald Anderson Jr., 45 Franklinton Ferebee G. Preddy, 80 Henderson Boyd C. Edwards Jr., 77 Ernest L. Glasscock, 74 Minden, La. Ruth L. King, 89 Oxford Claire G. Hester, 96 Joe D. Hunt, 91 James C. Minor, 75 William Pettiford George Royster Jr., 74 Kenneth S. Washington, 56 Stem Wayne H. Frazier, 61 Virginia James M. Miles, 59 Wilson Johnny Blackwell, 73
Henderson man charged with stealing backhoe
Weather Today Sunny
High: 41 Low: 21
Wednesday Partly Cloudy
High: 42 Low: 33
Details, 3A
50 cents
Police probe A call to ‘serve’ fatal shooting in Granville
Horton assumes duties as editor of Dispatch
Luke Horton
A Henderson man who has been charged by Raleigh police with stealing an $80,000 backhoe has faced similar charges in Vance County. Christopher Neil Clopton, 43, of 1281 Cheatham Mabry Road, was arrested and charged with one count of felony larceny, WRAL-TV and The News & Observer reported today. He is accused of stealing the Caterpillar backhoe from the S.T. Wooten Construction Company on Saturday. Clopton and two others Obituaries, 4A were charged in August 2006 with stealing about $250,000 worth of equipment and materials from a number of new construction sites in Vance, Granville and Wake counties over a period of three months. Backhoes worth $50,000 each
Dispatch publisher, in making the announcement on Monday. “Horton has been praised by those with whom he worked for understanding what readers want and what readers need from their newspaper and giving that to them,” Edwards said. “He has a real love for community journalism that will benefit our readers and our community.”
BUTNER — Authorities are continuing to investigate a weekend shooting that claimed the life of a 45-year-old man at a restaurant parking lot and involved two federal correctional officers. Ronald Dewey Anderson Jr. was fatally struck by the gunfire after an altercation started inside the Taste of Fuji Japanese Grill off the Interstate 85/N.C. 56 interchange. The pair of correctional officers, Gwynn Basinger, 36, and Uriah Metcalf, 30, were leaving the restaurant and were followed by Anderson and another man, Warren Owen, 44, Butner Public Safety said. The gunfire subsequently started, according to law enforcement. No one has been charged with Anderson’s death, but Owen is charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Dispatch Photo/William F. West Butner Public Flowers mark where Ronald Dewey AnderSafety Capt. son Jr. died in a shooting Sunday morning Donna Grissom outside the Taste of Fuji Japanese Grill off told the newsthe Interstate 85/N.C. 56 interchange. paper Monday afternoon that results of the probe would be turned over to District Attorney Sam Currin’s office, which will decide whether there would be additional charges. Grissom said she could not go into details, including about how many times Anderson was shot and in what parts of the body he was hit. “We’re following all the leads,” Grissom said. Owen told television station WRAL for a story Monday evening that Anderson loved his wife, two daughters and stepson, would never hurt anyone and saved a friend’s life with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). “He was just a great, all-around person,” Owen said. The station said Owen and other witnesses the station tried to speak with were asked by law enforcement not to discuss specifics. “All I know is that I just saw the gunfire and I wanted them to stop firing,” Owen said. Please see POLICE PROBE, page 3A
Crawford will seek another term in 2010 By WILLIAM F. WEST Daily Dispatch Writer
OXFORD — State Rep. Jim Crawford is seeking rePlease see EDITOR, page 3A election to a two-year term because of his seniority in Raleigh. Crawford, 72, D-Granville, who is a businessman in Henderson, serves as one of the chairs of the powerful House Appropriations along with siding, lumber, Committee. “They’re eight, appliances, shingles, nail guns, windows and doors were but I’m the most experienced among the stolen items, most chair,” Crawford said. “I’m just in a real good poof which were recovered. sition to help our folks. And Vance County detectives to tell you the truth, I’m old said that at the time Clopton enough to quit,” Crawford worked as a carpenter for said, laughing at his latter Prestigious Housing. remark. Triangle media reports “But, I feel like the folks indicated Clopton was held in have elected me and kept the Wake County jail Sunday me there and got me to this under a $50,000 bond awaitposition. And I have a little ing a court appearance on obligation to the people,” Monday. The victims in 2006 Crawford said. included Kimball Roofing, The primary election is First Home Builders and set for May 4, with the genBuilder Tony Hirst in Vance County, Belmonte Business in eral election to be Nov. 2. Crawford, a former Navy Oxford, Denmark Construclieutenant, served on the Oxtion Co. in Youngsville. ford City Commission from 1965-69. Send comments on this In 1982, Crawford won report to news@hendersondiselection to the state House. patch.com.
Five years later, he announced his candidacy for the state’s No. 2 elected position, but he withdrew Crawford from the contest in early 1988 for lack of funds. Although Crawford pulled out of running for lieutenant governor, he did so in time to qualify to seek re-election to the state House. In 1992, Crawford again announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor, but Democrat Dennis Wicker would win and would be reelected in 1996. Out of office, Wicker has been perhaps better known as an at-times guest on the weekly political television talk show NC Spin. Crawford’s House seat was won in 1992 by Oxford native Richard Moore. In 1994, the telegenic Moore made an unsuccessful run for Congress, opening the door for Crawford to win election back to the state House. Please see CRAWFORD, page 3A