HOMECOMING TONIGHT Coming off bye week, Lee County faces tough Tri-9 foe at home PAGE 1B
The Sanford Herald FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2010
SANFORDHERALD.COM • 50 CENTS
LEE COUNTY
TEEN PREGNANCY RATE TAKES A NOSEDIVE County drops from 8th to 20th in state as rate falls from 90.8 to 72.1; state sees record lows By ALEXA MILAN amilan@sanfordherald.com
SANFORD — Lee County has the 20th highest teen pregnancy rate among North Carolina’s 100 counties, but its numbers dropped considerably from 2008 to 2009, according to a report from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Lee ranked eighth in the
state in the state in 2008 with a rate of 90.8 pregnancies per 1,000 girls ages 15-19. The numbers for 2009 show a considerable drop to 72.1. The 2009 pregnancy rate among black teens in Lee County was consistent with the 2008 rate, but rates among white teens and Hispanic teens dropped. The new numbers are good news to Brittany McBryde, adolescent pregnancy preven-
LEE COUNTY’S NUMBERS Pregnancy data for Lee County girls, ages 15-19 Total: 174 White: 112 Black: 57 Hispanic: 50
2008 Rate: 90.8 Rate: 78.9 Rate: 125 Rate: 163.9
tion program coordinator at the Lee County Coalition for Families. “I’m excited to see that the
PITTSBORO
Total: 145 White: 85 Black: 55 Hispanic: 39
2009 Rate: 72.1 Rate: 56.7 Rate: 130.6 Rate: 107.7
trend is going down in the county,” McBryde said, “and I’m grateful that the opportunity of working with other
agencies has led to the numbers falling.” Statewide, the teen pregnancy rate in North Carolina dropped 4.4 percent in 2009 from 58.6 to 56. The 2009 rate is a record low for the state. All age and racial categories saw decreases in 2009, as did all but 37 counties. Abortion rates also dropped.
See Pregnancy, Page 8A
NORTH CAROLINA STATE FAIR
Governor to restrict government regulations Perdue announces ‘common sense’ initiative while at Pittsboro school By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press Writer
PITTSBORO — Gov. Beverly Perdue said Thursday she’ll restrict new rules issued by North Carolina state agencies to carry out state or federal laws, a move she said will prevent bureaucracy from trumping common sense. In a news conference at a Chatham County elementary school, Perdue tried to push her administration’s theme of “setting government Perdue straight” by ordering Cabinet-level agencies to avoid creating new regulations unless they’re absolutely necessary or protect the health and safety of citizens. The Democratic governor also said her administration would embark on an annual review of current regulations and initiated a Web page to accept comment on rules. Her executive order taps into a common thread heard from chamber of commerce luncheons to the stands of high school football games — government regulates too much or the wrong way. “If you hate it and it doesn’t work in your mind, let us review it and if there’s no purpose, we’ll get rid of it or we’ll fix it,” Perdue said behind Perry Harrison Elementary School in Pittsboro. “This is a chance
See Governor, Page 8A
Vol. 80, No. 246 Serving Lee, Chatham, Harnett and Moore counties in the heart of North Carolina
Submitted photo
Sanford potter Kenneth Neilsen (right) readies a piece of pottery for sale under the Pottery Expo tent at the North Carolina State Fair.
Promote with pottery Sanford, Seagrove potters well represented at North Carolina State Fair By R.V. HIGHT
INSIDE
hight@sanfordherald.com
RALEIGH — At the North Carolina State Fair, near the stately Dorton Arena, sits a huge tent with a large sign on top that proclaims: “The N.C. State Fair Pottery Expo.” Just under the main heading are the words “great gifts ... huge selection.” Stepping into the Pottery Expo, with lights hanging from the ceiling, are beautiful pottery displays. People can browse the pottery from approximately three dozen potters and make purchases. And right in the heart of it all is Sanford and the other communities that make up the area’s rich pottery tradition. “The agriculture department contacted us after they
HAPPENING TODAY Fundraiser for Haven of Lee County, sponsored by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, at 6:30 p.m. at Ron’s Barn (Dutch meal). All donations received will go to Haven of Lee County to help fight domestic violence. CALENDAR, PAGE 2A
Lee County is well represented at this year’s North Carolina State Fair, from pound cake bakers to rabbit show presenters. Page 6A
Crowds wander in and out of the North Carolina State Fair’s Pottery Expo, which features several artists from the Seagrove and Sanford area. heard about the big success of the Sanford Pottery Festival,” local pottery promoter Don Hudson said from the Fair Thursday. “They asked if we
would be interested in creating something there.” Hudson said he conferred with Richard Gillson, creator of the Seagrove Pottery Festi-
High: 71 Low: 38
val, and agreed that the State Fair display would be a vehicle to advertise both the Sanford and Seagrove pottery festivals. “We think it’s a great forum to promote Sanford and Lee County,” Hudson said of the State Fair display, which is open during the fair from Oct. 14-24. Hudson believes the exhibit will draw close to a hundred thousand people this year.
See Pottery, Page 6A
INDEX
More Weather, Page 14A
OBITUARIES
MICHAEL GERSON
Sanford: Douglas Barnette, 59; Lawrence Perry, 83; Edward Tickle Cameron: James Cameron, 53
A closer look at the separation of church and state and the 2010 election
Page 4A
Abby, Graham, Bridge, Sudoku............................. 7B Classifieds ..................... 11B Comics, Crosswords.......... 8B Community calendar .......... 2A Horoscope ........................ 7B Obituaries......................... 7A Opinion ............................ 4A Scoreboard ....................... 4B