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THOMASVILLE Don’t forget Mother’s Day Sunday! Saturday, May 8, 2010
Minister LaShonda Crawford discusses the power of depression. See RELIGION, Page A8
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TPS reading initiative receives recognition
Election Board dismisses petition
BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer
BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer LEXINGTON — The issue of whether or not a convicted felon can run for sheriff will have to wait for another day. Davidson County Board of Elections voted to dismiss the petition that former sherHege iff Gerald Hege is not qualified to run for office as moot Friday morning at a hearing in the Davidson County Governmental Center. Following Tuesday’s primary election results, where Hege finished a distant second to incumbent sheriff David Grice, the BOE voted to dismiss the challenge due to the fact Hege no longer is a candidate. “It is my belief at this time that, as stated, we were presented with a challenge to a candidate,” board member Jon Myers said at the hearing. “Based on Tuesday results, as Mr. Hege is no longer a candidate, it is my contention that the issue is moot.” While board members resolved the candidacy issue, they elected not to proceed with a hearing on whether Hege, a convicted felon, can be in the care, custody or control of firearms. Protesters claimed that Hege should not be allowed to run for sheriff on those grounds, and ar-
See BOARD, Page A6
vidson County cared for its first patient. “They spent years trying to birth it,” Owen said. “It was out of their professional concern and their care and their love for our county and our folks here that they wanted to make this happen.” Hospice of Davidson County celebrated that birth this past week, honoring its 25th anniversary with a series of activities and an anniversary dinner. “Twenty-five years in business in a community is a long time,” said Lisa Hathaway, Hospice’s chief executive officer. “We really are considered a hometown hospice.” The dinner reception, held
An reading initiative five years in the making at Thomasville Primary School received state recognition this week. TPS was named an Exemplary Reading First School of North Carolina by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), becoming one of 24 schools across the state to receive such an award. TPS will receive $5,000 to be used for purchasing more books for the school. “TPS is being recognized for meeting the exemplary criteria of a Reading First school,” Mike Ingram, Thomasville City Schools’ Technology and Reading First Director, said. “This is the culmination of a five-year grant and this goes to show what a great job and hard work all our teaches who have been a part of this have done over the course of the program.” Five years ago, TPS was awarded more than $2 million for the Reading First initiative, a program that is designed to ensure all children are at or above reading level by the third grade. This year, every third, fourth and fifth grade student in TCS reached Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Reading First is a bi-product of the No Child Left Behind Act. In order to receive the grant, the DPI considers a school’s history, growth and trajectory of improved student achievement in reading. This year’s fifth graders are
See HOSPICE, Page A6
See TPS, Page A6
COURTESY PHOTO
Former patient Max Nixon is flanked by Hospice of Davidson County staff members at his birthday party at the recently opened Bruce and Henry Etta Hinkle House.
Resting in Dignity Hospice of Davidson County celebrates 25 year anniversary BY ERIN WILTGEN Staff Writer It began based on an ideal, the dream to further improve health care. In a time when hospices were starting to spring up all across the nation, a small group of doctors, nurses and citizens put their heads together, researching end-of-life care at various facilities in the county. “They recognized that folks in Davidson County and folks that were experiencing death in the ecumenical settings, in the hospital settings, really didn’t have a lot of resources that were collaborative,” said Laura Owen, director of communications and development at Hospice in Davidson County.
‘It was out of their professional concern and their care and their love our county and our folks here that they wanted to make this happen.’ — Laura Owen Hospice of Davidson County The group — Dr. David Smith, Dr. Lee Jessup, Dr. Lee Dukes, Lois Jean Query and nurse Diane Crouse — spent 1982-84 setting the groundwork for a new hospice in the Triad. In 1984, the Hospice officially formed as an agency and was approved by the state. In 1985, Hospice of Da-
Langfitt honored for service BY ERIN WILTGEN Staff Writer
COURTESY PHOTO
Thomasville City Beautification Chair Carol Brown resents outgoing committee member Butch Langfitt with a print of the Big Chair.
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After living in the community for more than 10 years, Butch Langfitt decided to step out of the box and do something in return — he joined the Thomasville Beautification Committee. “I had been living in Thomasville since 1983,” he said. “That had been a really good experience. When I had the opportunity to give something back — and I also thought I had some skills in the area that the Beautification Committee needs — I took advantage and signed
up.” Langfitt — whose real name is Silas — signed on in 1992, and now, 18 years later, he has stepped down. “We wanted to do something to honor him,” said Carol Brown, director of the committee. “He’s very dedicated in his job. He was very thorough. I would pick on him and say he kept me on my toes.” To celebrate Langfitt’s departure from the committee, Brown presented the former secretary treasurer with a picture of the Big Chair and a plaque thanking him for his service.
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“He’s the type if he likes you, you’ve got a friend for life,” Brown said. “I understand him and his wife have been contributors to different things in the community and the community college. They’re both dedicated as far as being entrepreneur-type people.” Brown calls the extent of Langfitt’s commitment and his staunch dedication to the committee admirable, saying it expresses a lot about his personality. “He made time for all of that in his retirement years,”
See SERVICE, Page A6
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