LOST FINALE
HOW WILL IT END? Learn what The Herald has in store for Sunday’s finale • Page 2A
The Sanford Herald THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2010
QUICKREAD
SANFORDHERALD.COM • 50 CENTS
JOSH BRITT FUNERAL
SANFORD
Council tackles proposed budget
SPORTS
MUST-WIN GAMES HAVE JACKETS PLAYING WELL
City manager’s $40.5 million plan trims $800k
Lee County faces Broughton at 5 p.m. Friday on the road Page 1B
By BILLY BALL
GULF OIL SPILL
bball@sanfordherald.com
ASHLEY GARNER/The Sanford Herald
Lee County High Schoool student Dare Hincks (left) is comforted by Holden King before the funeral for classmate Josh Britt on Wednesday at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center.
INVENTORS SAY BP NOT HEARING SUGGESTIONS A suggestion box or publicity stunt? BP has received thousands of ideas from the public on how to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but some inventors are complaining that their efforts are getting ignored. Page 8A
ECONOMY INFLATION RATE FALLS, A BOON TO BORROWERS
Consumer prices fell in April for the first time in more than a year. The figures released Wednesday were welcome news for people who qualify for loans and want to take on more debt. But low rates hurt savers, especially those on fixed incomes. Page 10A
ENTERTAINMENT WALMART PULLING MILEY’S JEWELRY LINE Walmart said Wednesday it is pulling an entire line of Miley Cyrus-brand necklaces and bracelets from its shelves after tests performed for The Associated Press found the jewelry contained high levels of the toxic metal cadmium Page 9A
STATE N.C. SENATE AGREES ON TENTATIVE BUDGET The state Senate gave tentative approval Wednesday to a nearly $19 billion plan to run North Carolina state government for the coming year that largely gave public education a break from the worst cuts at the expense of health care and other programs Page 7A
Vol. 80, No. 117 Serving Lee, Chatham, Harnett and Moore counties in the heart of North Carolina
Healing begins More than 1,200 family, friends and classmates pack civic center for memorial service By BILLY LIGGETT bliggett@sanfordherald.com
SANFORD — Cecil Mack stood before one of the largest gatherings the Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center has ever seen Wednesday and recalled the day Josh Britt taught him how to “text.” The defensive coach for the Lee County Yellow Jackets’ varsity football squad known Britt around campus as “Coach Mock” (with an “O”), Mack said he and Britt chatted a lot by text messages after that, and he said he’ll never forget the last text he received from the smart, energetic 17-year-old junior. “Love you like a fat kid loves cake,” Mack said, causing more than a few smiles and laughs on an otherwise solemn day.
See Budget, Page 6A
CHATHAM
A standing-room only crowd of family and friends of Josh Britt watch as a photo slideshow of his life is shown. Britt, shown on the screen wearing the No. 9, was a well-known student and athlete at Lee County High School. More than 1,300 people — family, friends, classmates and strangers — packed the center and the hallway leading into it Wednesday to say good-bye to Britt, who was killed Friday night when his vehicle hit another car that was traveling south in a northbound lane on U.S. 1.
The other driver, 48-year-old Anthony Boswell of Sanford, was killed instantly as well. Police are still investigating the accident and whether or not Boswell was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
SANFORD — It all started so well. Knowing he was stepping into a minefield created by months of rumors and allegations concerning his predecessor, Eric Puryear quickly brushed aside the problems that plagued the Southern
HAPPENING TODAY n Sanford Elks Lodge 1679, located at 910 Carthage St., will host a barbecue chicken plate fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or as long as plates are available at $6 per plate. Call 776-7537 or 776-3660 for tickets. Delivery available for 10 plates minimum.
Lee Cavaliers in 2008 and was intent on placing his own stamp on the program. “Last year Puryear was last year,” Puryear said in his first meeting with the Cavaliers players and their
By BILLY BALL bball@sanfordherald.com
parents a few days after he was hired. “This is a new year. What’s happened has happened, and there will always be a story to tell about that. But all we’re going to worry about is where we’re going and what we’re trying to do, and that’s to start trying to build a foundation.”
See Puryear, Page 5A
See Water, Page 6A
See Funeral, Page 3A
Tumultuous year ended bitterly alexp@sanfordherald.com
Leaders say deal with 3M saving water for county PITTSBORO — Regional officials are touting an industrial project that could save hundreds of thousands of gallons of drinkable water at a plant just north of Lee County. The project, according to Chatham County leaders, will route treated wastewater from Pittsboro to the 3M plant near the Chatham and Lee County line. Plant operators will use the reclaimed water to cool a granule roofing product created at the 3M facility and suppress dust clouds that make up an irritating byproduct of the work. All told, the initiative is expected to save between 125,000 and 200,000 gallons of potable water used every day at the 3M
PURYEAR RESIGNS AT SOUTHERN LEE By ALEX PODLOGAR
SANFORD — Budget deliberations began in earnest for the Sanford City Council Wednesday. Officials huddled for more than two hours on a proposed $40.5 million spending plan put forth by City Manager Hal Hegwer last week. Hegwer’s budget trims more than $800,000 in general fund expenditures from the current fiscal year’s budget and includes no increase on the city’s 54-cent property tax rate. Council members were lukewarm to the budget Wednesday, expressing concern about rising spending in some departments. Councilman Samuel Gaskins pointed to expenditure increases in risk management,
High: 81 Low: 58
INDEX
More Weather, Page 10A
OBITUARIES
SCOTT MOONEYHAM
Sanford: Isaac Peterson Sr., 62 Bear Creek: Roy Barber, 81 Carthage: Lula Gibbons, 88; Jeffrey Myrick, 59 Chapel Hill: David Mote, 70
Gov. Perdue is looking for a few good men and women to file many state boards
Page 4A
Abby, Graham, Bridge, Sudoku............................. 6B Classifieds ....................... 8B Comics, Crosswords.......... 7B Community calendar .......... 2A Horoscope ........................ 6B Obituaries......................... 5A Opinion ............................ 4A Scoreboard ....................... 4B