DELAYED DECISION: City postpones hearing on market district. 1B
CHOMP IT UP: High Point’s women shock Florida. 1D
50 Cents Daily $1 Sundays
Officials approve Unilin jobs waiver BY PAT KIMBROUGH ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
In 2004, Thomasville, Davidson County and the state agreed to a total of $14 million in incentives.
ager for the organization. “A 5 cent drop is largely attributed to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar.” Travel predictions also may be affected by severe winter weather. Snow that fell on Dec. 18 potentially could alter travelers’ plans or have “lingering effects on travel and road conditions,” according to the organization. The N.C. Department of Transportation warns travelers who are following Interstate 40 west of Asheville near the Tennessee border to allow for extra time. The interstate remains closed in both directions between exit 20 and exit 421 after a rock slide in the fall. The detour is 53 miles long and an additional 45 minutes to an hour driving time, the DOT reports. Air travel also is expected to fall in the state, dropping 5.9 percent with 138,000 passengers.
the city for a given year if Davidson County’s unemployment rate has been at or above 10 percent in the last six months. Unilin officials initially planned to have a work force of about 400 at its $80 million Cloniger Drive plant at this point but instead have about half that number of employees. According to Unilin, its industry has been especially hard-hit by the recession, and the company has taken cost-cutting measures but will not be able to meet the job-creation goals for this year in its agreement with the city. “Unilin did meet their investment target. This is a very good move to do this, in light of what’s happened with the economy,” said Councilman Raleigh York Jr. “They have been a good employer, and we have to do what we can to keep them.” In 2004, Thomasville, Davidson County and the state agreed to a total of $14 million in incentives to secure Unilin’s location in the city. The city has made incentive payments to the company each of the past three years. Officials pointed out that the incentives aren’t a give-
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OFFICIALS, 2A
SONNY HEDGECOCK | HPE
Jimmy Lee fills up at Danny’s Country Store on High Point-Wallburg Road in Davidson County.
AAA predicts decline this week despite dip in gas prices HIGH POINT – Fewer travelers will make the journey home for the holidays this year, or more people will be staying at home for Christmas, depending on which way you look at it. Holiday road travel is expected to decrease 4.7 percent this season with 3 million North Carolinians driving more than 50 miles, according to AAA Carolinas. The automotive organization attributes the decline to an aboveaverage unemployment rate and gas prices that are about $1 more per gallon than last year. “Our current economic conditions and future uncertainty are key components of travel expectations this year,” said CEO and president of AAA Carolinas Dave Parsons in a statement. “The state’s economy is not recover-
The average price per gallon in High Point is expected to be $2.48 during the holidays. per gallon in High Point is expected to be $2.48 during the holiday season, compared with $2.54 last week. AAA reported Monday that the High Point area had the lowest average in the state. Gas in High Point was $1.60 per gallon last year. “We’ve seen a nickel drop in a week which is a fairly big drop, especially as stable as prices have been in the last month,” said Brendan Byrnes, public relations man-
Rain has become too much of a good thing Before you read...
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Third in a three-part series.
BY DAVID NIVENS ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
TRIAD – Will drought become a distant memory? By mid-December, no county in the Tarheel State was experiencing drought or abnormally dry conditions for the first time in nearly three years, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Above average rainfall helped replenish streams, rivers and reservoirs to normal and above-normal levels across the Triad. The last time North Carolina experienced normal conditions was
Jan. 30, 2007, according to the monitor. During most of the past three years, parts of the state have experienced condiON THE FARM tions ranging from abnorAgriculture mally dry to in the Triad exceptional ■■■ drought. The state recorded its worst drought in the summer, fall and winter of 2007. The past month has been unusually wet across North Carolina. The state climatologist at N.C. State University reported that the one-month period ending Dec. 9 was the wettest for many areas.
125th year No. 356 www.hpe.com High Point, N.C.
THOMASVILLE – The Thomasville City Council on Monday unanimously approved waiving the jobcreation requirements of an economic development incentives contract with a flooring manufacturer after the company reported it has not met goals for hiring. Unilin Flooring requested an amendment to the contract that would do away with job and wage requirements in order to receive incentive payments from
ing as quickly as we hoped.” While gas prices are raised from this time last year, motorists are getting a small break compared to recent weeks. The average price
December 22, 2009
FATAL SHOOTING: High Point police investigate homicide. 1B
Christmas travel no holiday
BY PAM HAYNES ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
TUESDAY
WEATHER
SERIES BREAKOUTS
Maps: The drought map can be found at www.ncdrought.org
SUNDAY: Experts predict upswing in agriculture industry; though things getting better, dairy farmer still struggles
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“With all the rain, the ground is saturated now,” said Troy Coggins, director of the Davidson County Agricultural Cooperative Extension office. “It has been too wet this fall to get to the soybeans,” said dairy farmer Les Crouse of Denton, who planted 20 acres. “The beans are wet too. This is late for a harvest.” In the Triad, the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped more than 5 inches of rain to help raise the rain gauge by mid-December to 42 inches, an inch above normal
YOUR COMMUNITY. YOUR NEWSPAPER.
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MONDAY: Several N.C. crops have record year TODAY: Is drought just a distant memory?
rainfall. Early 2010 should be drought-free. “But going into next year we need some sunshine,” Coggins said. “We need to dry out the soil.” dnivens@hpe.com | 888-3626
WHO’S NEWS
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NewBridge Bank appointed Eric Morrison as the area executive in its Lexington, High Point and Thomasville markets. Morrison, a senior vice president, will be based at NewBridge Bank’s office at 38 W. First Ave. in Lexington. He was previously the commercial banking manager in Lexington.
INSIDE
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HOLIDAY HELPERS: Fundraiser to give boost to High Point Museum. 1C OBITUARIES
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Kate Bivens, 76 Ruth Brooks, 87 Thomas Cashatt, 88 Dorothy Farrington, 98 Carolyn Fulper, 71 Harley Gaultney, 72 Donnie Jones, 63 Melissa Logan, 77 Pat Long, 68 Joyce Maready, 68 Thomas Morrison, 94 Kenneth Niblock, 87 Morell Rogers, 93 Ruby Parks, 86 Fannie Saunders, 102 Obituaries, 2-3B
WEATHER
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Mostly sunny High 48, Low 27 6D
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