Ledford grapplers put hold on East, 52-30.
Coming Tuesday
THOMASVILLE
Look for pictures from the annual Charity Motorcycle Ride to Baptist Children’s Homes.
Times
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Saturday, December 5, 2009
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Murder suspect hangs self from tree BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer
A Winston-Salem man on the run after killing his estranged wife early Friday morning was found hanging from a tree hours later in Northern Davidson County as a result of an apparent murder/suicide. Davidson County Sheriff ’s Office discovered the body of Cory Dewayne
Gaither, 32, dangling from a tree limb at the intersection of Friendship Church Road and Chrisonya Lane, approximately a quarter mile from Highway 150, at around 7:30 a.m. after receiving multiple calls from passing motorists who spotted the grizzly scene. According to police, Gaither climbed the tree, tied an extension cord around his neck and a limb and
jumped. “The tree he tied the extension cord to was probably eight to 10 feet off the ground,” Sheriff David Grice said. “His feet were touching the ground. People can still hang themselves with their feet touching the ground. What happens is their carotid artery gets cut off and they basically suffocate.” Earlier in the morn-
ing, Winston-Salem Police Department issued a look-out for Gaither to surrounding law enforcement agencies just hours before his body was found. According to WSPD Capt. David Clayton, Cory Gaither was a suspect in the death of his estranged wife, Allison Gaither, 30, who was found stabbed to death in a neighbor’s yard behind her home at 2040
Ardmore Village Lane in Winston-Salem. The couple had a history of domestic violence and Allison had just taken out a court ordered 50-B — a type of restraining order — against her husband earlier in the week, making it illegal for Cory to have any contact with her. “Shortly after 5:30 a.m., we received a call and dispatched officers to the
2000 block of Ardmore Village Lane in regards to an assault on a female,” said Clayton. “Upon the officers arrival, they located the victim lying outside in a neighbor’s backyard. Paramedics responded and rendered aid, but the victim died at the scene.” Clayton said WSPD officers investigated the
See MURDER, Page A9
Yard sale to raise funds for area youths
LDE named ‘Signature School of the Triad’
BY KARISSA MINN
BY ELIOT DUKE
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Youth volunteers for the High Point-Thomasville Chapter of the American Red Cross are having a yard sale from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. today, in order to raise money for a trip to a national conference. The sale will be held at the Red Cross Chapter House, located at on 815 Phillips Ave. in High Point.The proceeds are being used to send some of the youth to the 2010 National Youth Institute, a two-and-a-half day conference that provides participants with training, networking, opportunities and learning experiences. Amy Stroud, director of program operations at the High Point-Thomasville Chapter, said that the organization took a group of youth last year, and is trying to raise money to take another group this year. “They get to meet other Red Cross youth from across the country and network, and they learn more about the Red Cross and how to build their leadership skills to better themselves,” Stroud said. “They actually set goals while they’re there for what they want to accomplish with their youth club when they get back to their chapters.” Stroud said that when some furniture companies were getting ready for this fall’s market event, they needed to get rid of furniture from the last market that had not been sold, so they called the Red Cross. The organization decided to ask the community to donate household items as well, and create a yard
See YOUTHS, Page A9
COURTESY PHOTO
From left, Cooperative Community Ministries volunteers Jo Jones, Robin Beck, Letha Holbert and Peggy Sparks prepare gifts donated to the ‘Adopt a Child for Christmas’ program.
Donations bring hope for the holidays BY KARISSA MINN Staff Writer Not all of Santa’s helpers live at the North Pole. Right here in Thomasville, Cooperative Community Ministry is helping to bring Christmas cheer to local families in need. As a part of CCM’s “Adopt a Child for Christmas” program, participants help buy clothes, toys and books for children up to 18 years
old who are not employed. Executive Director Aurelia Sink said that CCM works with other agencies to make sure that they are not duplicating services. “We took applications in October and November, and now different groups, churches and individuals are ‘adopting’ children now,” Sink said. “They will be bringing the gifts back in here from Dec. 14 through Dec. 17.
Then, volunteers and staff here will call families and tell them that their Christmas is here, and they can come and pick it up.” Donations to the Thomasville Times and Thomasville Parks and Recreation Community Food Challenge will help CCM continue its programs. Other recipients of this year’s food drive include Fairgrove Family Resource Cen-
See HOPE, Page A4
Suspect in armed robberies nabbed in D.C. BY ELIOT DUKE Staff Writer A man wanted for robbing three area banks, including one in Thomasville, was arrested Thursday some 400 miles from the scene of his crimes. Kelvin James Crosby, 28, of High Point, was taken into custody in Washington D.C. during a traffic stop and is currently waiting extradition back to North Carolina, ending a month-long search for the man who robbed
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a Taylor Avenue home as the Members Credit Union his address. on Lines Street, as well as “The only thing detwo other banks in High tectives said was it was Point and Winston-Salem. personal document,” MyPrior to his Chair City ers said of the evidence heist, Crosby held up a Crosby left behind. “Evbank in High Point, but ery time I ask detectives the suspect left a piece of vital information at the Crosby what it was they just grin at me, laugh and say you scene, allowing police to wouldn’t believe it if I told make a positive identification. Lt. Steve Myers with High you.” HPPD obtained warrants for Point Police Department said he didn’t know why Crosby was Crosby for common law robbery. up north but the suspect listed
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Thomasville, North Carolina • Your Town. Your Times.
This year has already been a good one for Liberty Drive Elementary. Not only did LDE make its Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) after coming up short in recent years, the school also made growth, meaning all its students are moving successfully forward from one grade to the next. Feats like this don’t happen by accident and require total effort from an entire school working together for one common cause. One local organization has taken notice to LDE’s accomplishments and recognized the school with a special honor. Piedmont Triad Educational Consortium (PTEC) named LDE a recipient of the “Signature School of the Triad” award Friday morning for making significant improvement in the past 12 months. PTEC is a collaboration of 15 public school districts and 17 higher education institutions in central North Carolina that chooses one school from each district as its annual award winner. LDE represented Thomasville City Schools. “This is a great honor for our school,” LDE principal Benjie Brown said. “It illustrates the amount of effort and hard work our staff has put into trying to help each individual child. We put an emphasis on trying to individualize education for each child to be successful. We are making strides in the right direction and this award signifies that for our school.” PTEC Executive Director Larry Coble presented
See SCHOOL, Page A9
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