STATE: ConAgra to close Garner Slim Jim plant • Page 7A
The Sanford Herald THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010
SANFORDHERALD.COM • 50 CENTS
QUICKREAD
LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS
HEALTH CARE
District gets glowing review Lee County recommended for ‘district accreditation’ through SACS council By CAITLIN MULLEN cmullen@sanfordherald.com
PRESIDENT WANTS ‘UP OR DOWN’ VOTE President Barack Obama urged Congress Wednesday to vote “up or down” on sweeping health care legislation in the next few weeks Page 8A
SANFORD — Lee County Schools was recommended Wednesday for district accreditation by a national review council. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement gave the district a positive review
during the oral report given Wednesday at the Heins Education Building by the quality assurance review team, which consists of a panel of educators. “This district has gone over and beyond the call of duty,” said team chairwoman Patricia Golding. The quality assurance review team spent Sunday
through Wednesday in Lee County evaluating the school district by interviewing teachers, students, parents and administrators, observing classes and examining documents. The review examines all elements of the district, including processes, depart-
See Schools, Page 6A
WHAT DOES IT MEAN? n The accreditation, given by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, is like an audit where an outside panel evaluates a school district through interviews and other measures and make note of strengths and weaknesses.
WINTER WEATHER RETURNS
LEE COUNTY
A March for the penguins
Students again have school on Saturday From staff reports
ASHLEY GARNER/The Sanford Herald
Trey Spivey, 16, puts the finishing touches on a snow man on Wednesday after Lee County was hit with its third snowfall of the year, a storm that forced officials to close area schools for the day.
After forecasts called for an inch, Lee County hit with 4 inches of wet, heavy snow Tuesday night leaving thousands without power By CAITLIN MULLEN cmullen@sanfordherald.com
SANFORD — March has come in like a lion in Lee County. After close to four inches of heavy, wet snow were dumped on the county Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, thousands of residents were left without power. Jeff Brooks, spokesperson for Progress Energy Carolinas, said 5,375 customers were without power at about 10 a.m. Wednesday and about 2,500 still experienced power outages as of about 4 p.m. Brooks said 15,000 people in the county lost power due to the snowstorm and noted that Chatham, Harnett,
Vol. 80, No. 51 Serving Lee, Chatham, Harnett and Moore counties in the heart of North Carolina
SPRING NEARS Warmer temperatures the next few days should melt any remaining snow fairly quickly. Henes said to expect “closer to near normal temps” over the weekend, with sunshine and highs in the 50s and 60s. Highs Monday are expected to approach the 70-degree mark.
Sampson and Lee counties were hit the hardest. Most customers saw their power return during the day Wednesday and Brooks expected all customers to have power restored by midnight Thursday. By late afternoon Wednesday, many of the outages
HAPPENING TODAY n The Chatham County Center of Cooperative Extension will offer an introduction to food gardening from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Auditorium, lower level of the Agriculture Building, 45 South St., Pittsboro. Please call the Chatham County Center at (919) 5428202 to pre-register.
“I’m about tired of (the snow). Three times is enough.”
SANFORD — For the second time in the past month, Lee County Schools will make up today’s missed school day this Saturday. Superintendent Jeff Moss said he likes to “make (missed days) up as we go” and keep things consistent with the make-up days. The district decided at 5 a.m. Wednesday to cancel classes for the day after Sanford received more-thanexpected snowfall, leaving roads wet, slushy and dangerously slick. Power outages were widespread Wednesday, and several accidents were reported in the county. All schools on the traditional calendar will begin at their regular start times Saturday. The elementary schools will release at noon, middle schools and Bragg Street Academy will get out at 12:15 p.m. and all high schools will release at 12:30 p.m. Sharon Spence, public information officer with Lee County Schools, said school will be held as regularly scheduled Thursday. Chatham County Schools will operate on a two-hour delay Thursday, due to inclement weather conditions. Bus routes will also run on a two-hour delay.
— Brian Carlyle — Carlyle Maintenance Service
were confined to two or three homes here and there, Brooks said. Brooks said Progress Energy brought in extra help from outside the area to restore power. The main cause of the large number of outages came from wet snow piled on tree limbs that have seen several storms this season. “Limbs on lines is a pri-
See Snow, Page 6A
ECONOMY SNOW SLOWED RECOVERY
Bailey Spivey, 11, enjoys a cool treat on Wednesday after snow hit Sanford on Tuesday.
The economy is growing slowly, but snowstorms crimped activity along the East Coast last month, according to a Federal Reserve report. The Fed’s Beige Book survey, released Wednesday, showed that the nation’s recovery is managing to plod ahead though not at a strong enough pace to persuade companies to ramp up hiring. Page 10A
High: 48 Low: 27
INDEX
More Weather, Page 10A
OBITUARIES
SCOTT MOONEYHAM
Sanford: John Carter, 78; Pauline Dorsett, 88; Buck Gaines, 62; Tony Sizemore Carthage: Walter Brower, 73 Lillington: Jeffery Brownlee, 44
A fight raging between the activists and gill netters has some caught in the net
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Abby, Graham, Bridge, Sudoku............................. 6B Classifieds ....................... 8B Comics, Crosswords.......... 7B Community calendar .......... 2A Horoscope ........................ 6B Obituaries......................... 5A Opinion ............................ 4A Scoreboard ....................... 4B