out a spill. During the interview portion, Fakih was asked whether she thought birth control should be paid for by health insurance, and she said it should because it’s costly. “I believe that FAKIH birth control is just like every other medication even though it’s a controlled substance,” Fakih said. Fakih gets a one-year lease in a New York apartment along with other prizes.
Want to join? To find out more about the Knitting Together group at First United Church of Christ, contact Carolyn Cline, group member and church secretary, at 704633-2723. Anyone can join the group. Meetings are held at 1 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the church and last about two hours.
KNITTING FROM 1A
It’s not that he has nothing to offer. Until he lost his job in 2008, Marion had been working nonstop since he was 14. And he has five associate degrees. But all of that has not been enough to land a job, he said. “The job market scares me to death, which is the reason I’ve looked in other fields,” he said. “I’ve either got too much education and experience or not enough.” So Marion has gone back to school. This time, though, he’s not just looking for a job. He’s looking to fulfill a higher purpose as a minister. “It was a calling,” he said.
JOBS FROM 1A number of times and could bring 50 jobs here. “We know we’re one of very few finalists in North and South Carolina,” he said, noting the prospective company plans to increase the project further. Although projects are in the works, Van Geons said, growth will be moderate. “I believe we will have a stable increase in employment in the next few quarters,” he said. “But no matter how hard we’re working, we’re not going to see a full recovery anytime soon.” Van Geons said attracting new businesses boils down to “a combination of things.” And he adds that Rowan has “a number of attributes that are very powerful,” including its infrastructure and location. “Our central location is the best in the Southeast behind Atlanta,” he said. “People are looking for our water and sewer capacity, transportation system, interstate access and rail.” Even the vacant buildings left behind by business closings, he said, can be a tool for economic recruitment. “We have some really great sites, and due to the recession, this is a positive coming from a negative,” Van Geons said. And he said Rowan’s workforce also gives it an edge. “We have a very highly skilled and technically experienced workforce in and
people are getting some pleasure or some feeling of love from it. “But we get so much more than what we give.”
“My nephew nearly died, and I prayed to God to give me a direction, and he did. God called me to the ministry.” He will receive his bachelor’s degree in theology this month from Bible Missionary Baptist College. But in a harsh job market, even Marion’s calling hasn’t opened a door. He’s sent resumés to churches as far as Asheville, Charleston, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Atlanta. “I send out resumés everyday for churches,” he said. “But churches are looking for someone younger than I am and for people with more experience.” Marion hopes a master’s degree will help him secure a job doing what he loves and fulfill what he sees as his mis-
sion. He plans to begin work on his master’s this fall at Piedmont College of Theology. Meanwhile, he’s still looking for work. Marion said although he’s keeping himself busy with his studies, depression has started to set in. It’s affecting his health and his marriage. “In the last month, I’ve lost 20 pounds,” he said. “My wife says that my attitude has changed. She says I went from a sweet, kind gentleman to a grizzly bear.” He says if he doesn’t get a job offer soon, he’s afraid his health will get worse. “To sit at home and do nothing is about to drive me crazy,” he said. “You feel like a thrown-away citizen. ... I feel like I’m expendable.”
around Rowan County,” he said. “We have a powerful story of history of innovation — Food Lion, Cheerwine, Fiber to the Home, the N.C. Research Campus and Toyota Racing Development. These all show that we have that progressive mindset here. “We haven’t been stagnant. We are moving along and evolving.” Economic developers don’t just count on new companies
for job growth. Van Geons said he spends time helping established businesses succeed. “We are pursuing every possible avenue we can to help existing businesses here of any size,” he said. “Whether it’s helping get a story printed in a publication, a trade show, or identifying grants and loans, we’re doing everything we can to help them with the resources available.”
current and data from the U.S. Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, among others. Hogarth said it’s still too early to know what specific amounts of oil will make it to Florida, or what damage it might do to the sensitive Keys or beaches on Florida’s Atlantic coast. “This can’t be passed off as ‘it’s not going to be a problem,’ ” Hogarth said. “This is a very sensitive area. We are
concerned with what happens in the Florida Keys.” BP had previously said the tube, if successful, was expected to collect most of the oil gushing from the well. On Sunday, the company said it was too early to measure how much crude was collected. Crews will slowly ramp up how much oil the tube collects because they don’t want too much frigid seawater forming ice-like crystals that doomed previous efforts.
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FROM 1A
the community. “Anytime we see a need … we try to do what we can,” she said. “I enjoy what we do and it’s great knowing that
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SARAH CAMPBELL/SALISBURY POST
Sandy Wagoner shows off the prayer throws Knitting Together made for youth at First United Church of Christ to donate during an upcoming mission trip.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Oil company engineers on Sunday finally succeeded in keeping some of the oil gushing from a blown well out of the Gulf of Mexico, hooking up a mile-long tube to funnel the crude into a tanker ship after more than three weeks of failures. Millions of gallons of crude are already in the water, however, and researchers said the black ooze may have entered a major current that could carry it through the Florida Keys and around to the East Coast. BP PLC engineers remotely guiding robot submersibles had worked since Friday to place the tube into a 21-inch pipe nearly a mile below the sea. After several setbacks, the contraption was hooked up successfully and funneling oil to a tanker ship. The oil giant said it will take days to figure out how much oil its contraption is sucking up. The blown well has been leaking for more than three weeks, threatening sea life, commercial fishing and the coastal tourist industry from Louisiana to Florida. BP failed in several previous attempts to stop the leak, trying in vain to activate emergency valves and lowering a 100-ton container that got clogged with icy crystals. A researcher told the Associated Press on Sunday that computer models show the oil may have already seeped into a powerful water stream known as the loop current, which could propel it into the Atlantic Ocean. A boat is being sent next week to collect samples and learn more. William Hogarth, dean of the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science, said one model shows oil has already entered the current, while a second shows the oil is 3 miles from it — still dangerously close. The models are based on weather, ocean
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A 24-year-old brunette from Michigan recovered after nearly stumbling in her evening gown and beat out four blondes and 46 other women to take the 2010 Miss USA title Sunday. Rima Fakih of Dearborn, Mich., won the pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip after swimsuit, evening gown and interview competitions. When asked how she felt, she said, “Ask me after I’ve had a pizza.” Fakih nearly fell while finishing her walk in a long, strapless gown, but she made it with-
Mile-long tube begins funneling some crude oil to tanker ship
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Miss USA from Michigan
a good sense of self fulfillment all the things that you do for others,” she said. Although Wagoner humbly awards the success of the group to all of the members, the women seem to agree that she is the yarn that binds them together. “Sandy is our anchor,” Knitting Together member Marjorie Karabatsos said. Group member Mott Arey agrees. “Sandy is our coordinator,” she said. “It wouldn’t happen without her.” Wagoner said the group, which meets at 1 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at First United Church of Christ, will continue searching for projects to benefit
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