10/31/06

Poll shows GOP candidates have an edge over challengers

Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

HICKORY A week before the Nov. 7 election, Catawba County GOP candidates are leading their Democratic challengers by substantial margins, a poll shows.

The survey was conducted by Lenoir-Rhyne College political science professor Lowell Ashman and some of his students.

The pollsters called 300 randomly sampled Catawba County residents between Oct. 10 and Oct. 23 and asked participants for information about their household income and level of education. But they did not ask respondents about party affiliation, voter registration or citizenship.

Lyndon Helton, a Democrat running for the N.C. Senate District 42 seat, said the lack of information about the respondents diminished the survey's value.

"I have a hard time putting so much stock in a poll that could have had illegal aliens on the phone or people who can't vote," he said.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Among the results:

Six-term Sheriff David Huffman was favored by 48 percent of the respondents in his bid for re-election. Challenger Steve Hunt, a Democrat, was favored by 34 percent. Eighteen percent were undecided.

Incumbent N.C. Sen. Austin Allran was favored by 48 percent to Helton's 34 percent. Eighteen percent were undecided.

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10/29/06

Huffman in tight fight

24-YEAR INCUMBENT CATAWBA SHERIFF FACING 30-YEAR POLICE VETERAN

Sunday, October 29, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

A 24-year GOP incumbent sheriff in one of the state's sturdiest Republican strongholds is facing a formidable Democratic challenger at the polls this year.

But both candidates say this race isn't about politics.


Republican David Huffman, who has run the Catawba County Sheriff's Office since 1982, is characterizing the race as a face-off between two experienced law enforcement officers with very different resumes.
"This particular race is looking at the individuals, and what the individuals can do, rather than the issues," he said.

Steve Hunt, Huffman's challenger and a retired 30-year veteran of the Hickory Police Department, is new to politics and says Huffman has done a good job for the past six terms, but the agency needs revitalization.

"We need a new direction," he said. "We can't police the way we policed 30 years ago."

Huffman, however, said his office continually adapts to new trends in crime and that his long tenure hasn't left law enforcement stale. He touts an array of programs geared toward helping the elderly and handicapped and highlighted one that monitors sex offenders.

"We're constantly bringing new and innovative programs," he said. "As things change, you have to change with it."

While Huffman said he thinks highly of his opponent, he says that Hunt's three decades as a police officer won't necessarily translate into automatic success in the Sheriff's Office.

"I'm not sure he'd be able to hit the ground running, and that comes with the territory," he said.

First, Huffman said, there's the issue of connections in Washington. His tenure as sheriff has left him with a long list of links to the federal government that he said has helped him secure millions of dollars in grants.

Huffman is chairman of the Homeland Security Intelligence Team, which monitors information on local, state and federal terrorism activity, and said making connections is critical to the sheriff's job.

"Contacts that you make through life don't happen overnight," he said.

But Hunt isn't worried about building connections. He began representing Catawba County in Washington more than a year ago, when he was assigned to the Department of Homeland Security's intelligence subcommittee.

He has been meeting with the committee's National Council of Readiness and Preparedness, he said, to make sure that ideas conceived at the federal level will work in the county, as well.

Hunt, who teaches criminal justice at the Catawba Valley Community College, is focusing on accreditation, he said, and is encouraging deputies take regular refresher courses and pursue advanced degrees.

"I want to raise the professional bar, and I want employees of the Sheriff's Office to come with me," he said.

Officers who excel in training and show outstanding performance will be promoted, he said, which he hopes will inspire others in the department to do the same.

"Standards, standards, standards are a big deal to me," he said.

Hunt said he's heard concerns that he'll clean house, but he says he promises not to make massive cuts in staff and will see the department's veteran personnel as valuable resources.

He also said he'd like to build a multi-lingual staff, emphasize advocacy projects, including a victim's assistance program and a defensive driving course for teens, and encourage law enforcement to train residents to recognize and help decrease crime.

While Hunt has said that community watch plans can be beneficial, he worries the programs are often crisis-driven. Instead, he said, he will encourage residents to take responsibility in their communities and work with law enforcement to stop crime before it begins.

"We want to decrease the opportunity for crime," Hunt said at a Nov. 10 candidates' forum.

Although Huffman enjoys the advantage of being an incumbent, he has been weakened by a recent bitter races.

A messy, but close, 2002 battle for a seat in the 10th congressional district against Patrick McHenry left him disenchanted with politics, he said. An expensive and equally ruthless primary in May against Mike Ledford ended closely, with Huffman receiving only 140 more votes than his opponent and $359 in his campaign fund.

Now, as one of the North Carolina's longest-serving sheriffs, Huffman has vowed this race will be his last.

Looking back on his first race in 1982, Huffman recalls that then-incumbent Dale Johnson was well-liked. County residents, however, elected Huffman with nearly 51 percent of the vote, according to the Catawba County Board of Elections.

"People at that time saw a need for change in Catawba County," Huffman said.

Now, Hunt is hoping the same logic will work for him.

Fundraising

Since Jan. 1, David Huffman had raised $30,865.59, according to the most recent campaign finance reports, filed in July. The report shows $30,506.51 in expenditures. Steve Hunt had raised $23,708.55 since the beginning of 2006 and spent $18,527.93. The Board of Elections requires candidates file updated campaign finance reports by Oct. 31.


David Huffman

Party: Republican.

Age: 61.

Birthplace: Catawba County.

Occupation: Catawba County sheriff.

Elected offices
: Catawba County sheriff, 1982-present; Catawba County commissioner, 1987-1982.

Family: Wife, Diane Huffman; daughters, Tammy West, Dawn Wagstaff, Dana Green and Tina Starnes.

Education: Associate's degree in machining and knitting-fixing, Catawba Valley Community College, 1964.

Religious/civic involvement: Deacon at Woodlawn Baptist Church; member of Catawba County Shriners and International Shriners.

Why running: To continue to serve the people of Catawba County with the best law enforcement available. To live and work in accordance with high ethical standards. To serve with integrity and respect. To treat all people fairly while safeguarding their rights. To ensure that everyone I meet receives conscientious service. To provide continuous training to our officers so they may constantly improve themselves and the Sheriff's Office.

What are the top issues facing the Catawba County Sheriff's Office?


Construction of the new detention facility and overcrowding in the jail; homeland security; local and state funding; adapting to changes that come with growth in the county, including preventing gang activity, drug problems; and diversity issues.


Steve Hunt

Party: Democrat

Age: 51

Birthplace
: Catawba County.

Occupation: Criminal justice instructor at Catawba Valley Community College.

Elected offices
: None.

Family: Wife, Sarah Hunt; sons Steven and William; daughter, Muriel.

Education: Associate's degree in criminal justice, Western Piedmont Community College, 1996; bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Lees-McRae College, 2001.

Religious/civic involvement: Deacon at Mt. Zion Baptist Church; past president and current member of the Sunrise Rotary Club; former cooperate board member at the YMCA; former member of the Boys and Girls Club; former board member at the Salvation Army; former board member for Corporate Christian Ministries; Local Bank board member.

Why running: It's time for a change in leadership. I can take the Catawba County Sheriff's Office to the next level, professionally. With the crimes facing law enforcement in the 21st century, the leader must be trained an well-educated in the field of criminal justice.

What are the top issues facing the Catawba County Sheriff's Office?

The main issues facing the Sheriff's Office are not unique to only that department. Law enforcement agencies across the country are facing problems with drugs, cyber crime and crimes committed by violent gangs.



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10/28/06

School bus driver charged after 3-vehicle wreck on N.C. 127

Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

A school bus driver was cited Friday after his bus, carrying three children, was involved in a three-vehicle wreck near Hickory, according to the N.C. Highway Patrol.

A student who had been on the bus was treated for minor injuries. The driver of a car involved in the wreck was hospitalized; her injuries were not life-threatening, Trooper J. Swagger said.

Swagger said the bus was headed north on N.C. 127 when a truck ahead of it slowed to make a turn. The bus slid when the driver attempted to slow and hit a car in front of it, which then hit a truck, Swagger said.

The bus driver, 53-year-old Kenneth Atkinson of Hickory, was charged with failing to reduce speed to avoid a collision.

The bus was carrying students from Catawba Valley High School.

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Employees stop working in dispute at Case Farms plant

Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

More than 125 workers at a Morganton poultry plant abandoned their jobs Friday morning but refused to leave the factory in a dispute over a new policy and working conditions.

Employees at Case Farms, a chicken processing plant, refused to continue working after being told about a new policy that would charge workers a fee for using more than three pairs of rubber gloves on each shift, said Francisco Risso, director of the Western North Carolina Workers Center in Morganton.

The center helps low-income workers, mainly immigrants.

Workers said they were told they would be required to pay 75 cents for each set of gloves over the three-pair limit, Risso said.

"That was sort of the straw that broke the camel's back," he said.

Risso said workers have expressed long-standing concerns with wages, health conditions and safety at the factory.

Case Farms representatives did not return several calls.

The strike affected only one department at Case Farms, which employs more than 500 workers in Morganton.

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10/27/06

No charges planned in investigation

EXPLORER FUNDS REPAID; DISTRICT ATTORNEY WON'T TAKE CRIMINAL ACTION

Friday, October 27, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

District Attorney Jay Gaither has decided not to take criminal action against the wife of a Hickory police officer who has repaid $101.50 investigators say she took from the department's Explorer program.

The decision came after Gaither reviewed a police investigation that looked into allegations that withdrawals made with the Explorer credit card were improper, said Hickory Police Chief Floyd Lucas.

Gaither's office will not take criminal action because the adviser repaid $101.50 for the one withdrawal deemed "inappropriate" by investigators and resigned from the program, Lucas said.


Lucas said the investigation began in May, when Sgt. Bob Winters, who supervises the department's community service unit, was reviewing Explorer bank statements and noticed numerous cash withdrawals made with a credit card issued to the program.

Lucas said police investigators found that Celeste Crump, the program's volunteer adviser and wife of veteran officer Danny Crump, had made several withdrawals with the credit card. Police investigated whether 11 of them benefited the program.

Neither Celeste Crump nor Danny Crump returned repeated messages left for them at the police department.

Lucas said a $101.50 withdrawal from an automatic cash machine in Myrtle Beach was an "inappropriate action" because the card was used to withdraw money that was not used for the Explorer program.

Crump told investigators that the credit card issued for Explorer-related purchases looked similar to her personal card, and she used it by mistake, Lucas said.

Gaither said money withdrawn in the 11 transactions totaled about $500.

The 10 other transactions were not deemed inappropriate because investigators could not conclude that the cash withdrawals were not Explorer-related purchases, Lucas said.

Gaither said Crump also told investigators that she advanced her own money to the Explorers and made withdrawals with the program's credit card to reimburse her expenses.

Investigators also questioned Danny Crump, who advised the Explorer group with his wife. Crump said he did not know about the transactions, Lucas said, and passed a polygraph test about the missing funds.

The police department completed its internal investigation within 10 days, and the results of the investigation were passed on to Gaither's office, Lucas said.

On Sept. 21, the district attorney notified the police department that Celeste Crump would not be charged, Lucas said.

Gaither said his office would not take criminal action because Crump had repaid the funds, and the investigation showed the withdrawal was a mistake.

Lucas and Gaither said Crump did not receive preferential treatment because her husband is an officer. "This wasn't treated any different than any other government, city or private individual would have been treated," Gaither said.

Danny and Celeste Crump have resigned as advisers to the Explorer program, Lucas said, but Danny Crump remains with the Hickory police as a patrol officer.

Lucas said the Explorer program, which exposes teenagers to careers in law enforcement, is sponsored by the Hickory police but does not receive taxpayer money. The funds taken, he said, came primarily from dues paid by Explorer members.



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10/26/06

No charges for man who said he aimed at squirrel, hit teen

Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

Authorities will not press charges against a man who shot a teenager while trying to shoot a squirrel.

Casey Miller, 17, told authorities he was walking through Burke County woods Saturday with a friend when he heard the crack of a rifle. He said he heard another shot a second later and felt stinging in his right leg and buttocks, said Sgt. Alan Cobb of the Burke County Sheriff's Office.

Miller told officers he yelled, "I believe you shot me," and asked the shooter to stop firing, Cobb said.

Ted West, 58, of Valdese told authorities he was following squirrels through the scope of his .22-caliber rifle from a window in his nearby home and didn't see Miller, Cobb said.

West took Miller to Valdese Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released Saturday evening, Cobb said.

The Sheriff's Office and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, which confiscated the rifle and investigated the shooting, decided the shooting was accidental and do not plan to press charges against West, Cobb said.

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10/25/06

Familiar lineup on ballot

INCUMBENT MCDEVITT, EPLEY FACE OFF AGAIN FOR BURKE SHERIFF

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

MORGANTON -- A two-term incumbent and a former sheriff are repeating Burke County election history. Again.

Democratic Sheriff John McDevitt and Republican Richard Epley are running against each other for the third time since McDevitt took the election, and the job, from then-incumbent Epley, in 1998.

Both candidates have said they want to focus on the issues this year and that they don't want a repeat of the last two races, where campaign spending and animosity reached all-time highs.


"Everyone says they want to keep it clean," McDevitt said. "What can be said that hasn't already been said?"

Said Epley: "It's been nasty, and it's been dirty, and I don't want to put my family through that."

In 1998, the candidates spent a combined $100,000 on campaigning - a Burke County record - and Epley lost the election with 49 percent of the vote to McDevitt's 51 percent.

Epley immediately announced his plans for a rematch in 2002, a race that cost the candidates about $200,000, doubling the price tag from the previous race. McDevitt defeated Epley with 53 percent of the vote.

This year, Epley said he's going to concentrate more on making contact with voters than raising money. So far, he's run a considerably less expensive campaign.

According to the most recent campaign finance reports, filed on June 27, Epley had raised $1,754.90 since Jan. 1. The report shows $1,115.97 in expenditures. Epley said he has raised about $10,000 more since then.

McDevitt, meanwhile, had raised $72,226.95 since Jan. 1, 2003 and had spent $53,467.71, according to a report submitted July 7.

*

What they're saying

Since losing the race in 1998, Epley has built a successful private police and security company in Morganton. The experience, he said, has allowed him to work with county residents on a grassroots level.

He wants to see more cooperation between other law enforcement agencies and the Sheriff's Office, better response time and more attention crimes such as drug dealing, larceny and breaking and entering.

Epley also said he plans to combat illegal immigration by securing grants that would provide officers the training to identify and detain illegal immigrants.

"Terrorists can get in here just like they can anywhere else," he said.

McDevitt said he's paying attention to all those things and encourages voters to look at his eight years in office.

"I stand on my record," he said. "It speaks for itself."

McDevitt, a 31-year law enforcement veteran, touts his officer-training program and effectiveness of officers in the Rutherford College and Hildebran satellite offices.

He lists accolades his office has won, including an award from the International Narcotics Enforcement Officer's Association for a federal drug investigation.

Collaboration between the Sheriff's Office and state and federal agencies was nonexistent when Epley left office, McDevitt said. Now, he said, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms work out of the same building.

"It's the best it's ever been, without a doubt," McDevitt said.

Not true, said Epley. He said he had established good working relationships with state and federal agencies, including the Department of Social Services and the SBI, and said all agencies he worked with had an open invitation to use desk space within the Sheriff's Office.

"We had people from all over the country that we had been working with," he said. "I don't know where (McDevitt) got this idea that he has better federal working relationships that I did."

*

What others are saying

Voters are used to seeing McDevitt and Epley's names on the ballot, but Warren Daniel, chairman of the Burke County Republican Party, said he doesn't think all voters have already decided who they'll pick at the polls.

If Epley is successful in getting his message to voters, Daniel said, residents will see a man who is committed to law enforcement and the people in the county. "It's not about Richard Epley, it's about Burke County."

Arthur Davis of Morganton, a lifelong Democrat, said he'll support Epley if he wins but is impressed with McDevitt, particularly his commitment to fighting drug-related crime and his community involvement.

"You don't have to run around and make him do his job," he said. "He'll get up and go (to a crime scene) even if the middle of the night."


Richard Epley

Party: Republican

Age: 50 Birthplace: Burke County

Occupation: CEO of United Special Police and Security

Elected offices: Burke County sheriff, 1994-1998

Family:
Wife, Sandra R. Epley; sons Nicholas and Dillion; daughter, Jessica

Education: Associate's degree in police science, Western Piedmont Community College, 1984; bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Gardner Webb University, 1986

Religious/civic involvement: Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church; Valdese Rotary Club; Marine Corps League; member of the Catawba Valley Masonic Lodge; former chairman of the Burke County Republican Party

Why running: To confront drug-related crime more aggressively, bring positive change to the sheriff's department and better response time within the county. The budget has increased but there has been no growth in the number of officers answering calls for service, and I'd like to see better service to Burke County residents.

What are the top issues facing the Burke County Sheriff's Office?

The top three issues facing the sheriff's office are immigration, methantheline and property crime.


John McDevitt

Party: Democrat

Age: 51 Birthplace: Blue Ridge, Ga.

Occupation
: Burke County sheriff

Elected offices: Burke County sheriff, 1998-present

Family: Wife, Cathy Cooper McDevitt; sons Thomas and John; daughter, Caitlin

Education: Associate's degree in police science, Western Piedmont Community College, 1975

Religious/civic involvement: N.C. Sheriff's Association; National Sheriff's Association; National Drug Enforcement Committee; president of Blue Ridge Police Executives; Burke County Law Enforcement Retirees; Fraternal Order of Police; Smoky Mountain Police Executives; Burke County Homeland Security, board member of Burke County Criminal Justice Advisory Board; executive member of the Piedmont Council of Boy Scouts; board member of the Western Piedmont Community College Criminal Justice Advisory Board; member Oak Hill Methodist Church; Oak Hill Ruritan Club; Table Rock Shooters; Morganton Men's Club

Why running: To continue professional and credible law enforcement services to all the residents of Burke County. The sheriff should be the emissary of goodwill between all law enforcement agencies, and cooperation between the agencies in Burke County is at an all-time high. During the past eight years as sheriff, I have been able to acquire more than $2.7 million in federal grants, state grants and alternative funding, and I would like to continue these various programs.

What are the top issues facing the Burke County Sheriff's Office?

The top three issues facing the sheriff's office are salaries, manpower and vehicles.


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School's security beefed up after antique gun is found

Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

Security at a Catawba County high school will be increased after the discovery Tuesday of an unloaded, antique pistol in an unassigned locker.

Officials at Bunker Hill High School received an anonymous tip Tuesday morning that a gun was being stored in a locker, said Maj. Coy Reid of the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities monitored the locker from a nearby classroom for several hours, Reid said, but no student tried to open the locker.

The locker was not assigned when school started in August, he said.

Authorities do not have any suspects, Reid said.

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10/24/06

Man who admitted killing woman gets more than 9 years

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

A Caldwell County man who admitted killing his girlfriend two years ago will serve more than 9 years in prison.

A Superior Court judge in Lenoir on Monday sentenced Bryan Keith Hoyle, 35, to a minimum of 114 months, or more than nine years, and a maximum of 12 years, said Lt. Chris Brackett of the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office.

Hoyle admitted to the Sept. 24, 2004, slaying of 27-year-old Elizabeth Christina Runion and pleaded guilty to a second murder charge, Brackett said.

Runion disappeared in late September 2004. Her body was found wrapped in a blanket and partially covered by brush eight months later near Globe Road in northern Caldwell County, Brackett said.

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10/20/06

The Dart: What would the walls say if they could talk?

HOME OF FORMER SLAVE STILL STANDS

Friday, October 20, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

STARTOWN -- The skeleton of a rusted mattress leans in the corner of the antiquated wood cabin. Upstairs, two dressers haphazardly stand in the middle of the master bedroom, the drawers strewn across the floor.

The tin roof, built with the house in the late 1800s and preserved to near perfection, has kept out the rain, the snow and summer's harsh sunlight for more than 100 years.

Now, it catches golden and orange leaves falling from the trees in this thickly wooded plot of land less than a mile off Joe Johnson Road in Catawba County, where The Dart hit last week.


But for more than 100 years, the roof - and the house it covers - have stood, witnessing the changes that have marked those years.

Jim Saine, a banker from Startown, started buying land in the neighborhood, including the cabin, because it was easily accessible to his wife's job in Newton and his job in Charlotte. He moved to a house across the street from the cabin 14 years ago.

"I've often wondered about the stories this house could tell," he said. He already knows many of the stories:

Former slave Octavia Shuford, who was born Octavia Powell in Catawba County 19 months after the Civil War erupted, bought the 18-acre property from J.E. Johnson in two separate purchases in 1905 and 1914, according the original deeds.

One portion of the property, about 10 acres, was sold to Octavia for $150, Saine said. The property markers, the deeds show, began "at a dead and down locust on the east bank of a branch" on one tract and at "a dead black oak" on the other.

Octavia's parents plucked cotton on nearby land, and even after the war had ended, she continued to pick the crops with her husband and their children for decades, said granddaughter-in-law Sarah Shuford of Hickory.

Octavia and her husband, Albert Shuford, were in their 20s when they began building their wooden home not long after they got married, Sarah Shuford said. They chopped trees from the woods and carried water from the nearby spring.

"How in the heck did they have the knowledge to build a house like that at their age?" she said.

As the Shuford family grew, they expanded the original two-room structure into a four-room cabin, which included the kitchen. Electricity came after the end of World War II, Saine said.

Sarah Shuford, 84, remembers "Mother Octave" cooking grand meals in the kitchen, many of which she would share with neighbors and friends.

After dinner, she said, the family would gather in the parlor and would dance as Gracie, one of Octavia's seven children, would play the pump organ.

"Some of them would be barefooted and would have to wash their feet before they'd go to bed because their feet got so dirty from dancing," she recalled.

As the children got older, they began to leave Catawba County for jobs elsewhere in the county, Shuford said. Some stayed nearby, but opted for more modern homes than the cabin.

So, when Octavia died on Nov. 20, 1946, she left behind a cabin full of her things and a lot of memories. Shuford and Saine said no one has lived in the house since then, but thick and tattered canvas curtains still hang from the kitchen windows. The carcasses of an old refrigerator, rusted tin cans and a metal stove stand nearby.

"I don't know what a Victor Junior is," Saine said of the pastel white and blue stove standing in the middle of the room, "but it looks like it's in pretty good shape."

Saine said he thinks it's incredible that the cabin is so well-preserved after more than 100 years of wear-and-tear and six decades of abandonment.

He walks around the cabin, pointing out the stone chimney climbing the side of the building. Saine found some extra pieces of rock, he said, and is saving the slabs in case he chooses to restore the cabin after he retires.

Shuford said she hopes he does. "I'd love to see it like it was one more time."


The Point of the Dart


The idea behind the Dart is simple: We're looking for the kind of news the media don't usually report. We throw a dart at a map of one of the counties in the Catawba Valley, and we'll write about what's happening at that spot. We hope this feature will bring out stories that too often are ignored and will help you meet some of your neighbors in the region.




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Police say 85-year-old was killed after driving wrong way

Friday, Oct. 20, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

LENOIR A man was killed Wednesday after he drove his pickup truck into oncoming traffic in Lenoir, police said.

Richard Harris Graham, 85, of Lenoir turned out of the driveway from his Harper Avenue office shortly after 5 p.m. and into the path of a Ford Explorer, said Lenoir police officer David Ingle. Graham died before officers arrived, Ingle said.

The driver of the Explorer, 21-year-old Sheena Dean Nelson of Lenoir, was treated and released from Caldwell Memorial Hospital on Wednesday. Police are still investigating the wreck.

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10/18/06

Incumbent, challenger for sheriff have debate

HARRIS STRESSES DRUG FIGHT; CLARK EMPHASIZES COMMUNITY POLICING

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

LENOIR -- The bright yellow "Reelect Gary Clark" signs and the patriotic red, white and blue "Elect Terry Harris Sheriff" posters have dotted Caldwell County roads for months.

But with Election Day just three weeks away, the candidates for sheriff debated for the first time at a Monday night forum hosted by the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce.

Clark, the Republican incumbent sheriff returning to the polls for a shot at another four years, and Harris, the former Granite Falls police chief, faced off during the nine-question debate at the Broyhill Civic Center.


While both candidates agreed on the general characteristics necessary for a good sheriff - integrity, honesty and financial accountability - their opinions on drug crime and community policing differed.

Clark, who has touted his tough stance on drug dealers, argued that nearly 80 percent of all crime in the county can be attributed to illegal drug use, particularly methamphetamine use.

"Meth is slowly decreasing," he said. "(But) we need to continue to look at that problem in our county."

Harris, meanwhile, said focusing too intently on narcotics arrests doesn't always allow deputies enough time to respond to other crimes, such as larceny and breaking and entering.

"We cannot get caught up in just enforcing drug laws," he said.

Harris also emphasized the value of community policing, which encourages officers to live in the same community where they work, and said he would require all deputies to live within Caldwell County.

He said the policy would not only help lower crime rates but likely reduce turnover in the Sheriff's Office as well.

Although Clark did not disagree with the idea of community policing, he does not require deputies to live in the county and said finding qualified officers is his staffing priority.

"We need to look for the best people irregardless of where they're from," he said.

The debate lasted more than an hour, but many of the more than 150 county residents gathered at the forum said they knew beforehand which candidate will get their vote next month.

Lenoir resident Jerry "Whitey" McCall said it is Clark's emphasis on drug-related crime during his first term that he thinks has singled out the Republican as the strongest candidate.

"We don't want to back-up to where we were four years ago," McCall said. "We want to go forward."

Harris supporter David Seagle, also of Lenoir, said he thinks the Democrat's community policing plan gives him the extra edge.

"He's going to bring back employees that live in Caldwell County and keep the money here," he said.



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Dad won't be charged in death, authorities say

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

Authorities do not plan to file charges against a Burke County man who ran over and killed his 3-year-old son Saturday.

Mark McCloud was pulling his pickup truck out of his driveway Saturday morning, when his son, Hunter McCloud, ran to say hello to his father, said Detective Jody Price of the Burke County Sheriff's Office.

McCloud told deputies he saw his three sons, including Hunter, playing beside their trailer home before checking his rearview and sideview mirrors and backing up, Price said.
McCloud then heard another son scream and stopped the truck, Price said. He found Hunter lying beneath the vehicle.

Price said Hunter died at Grace Hospital about 1:30 p.m.



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Man missing from care center shows up in sheriff's yard

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

A missing man wandered into the Burke County sheriff's yard Monday as deputies searched for him nearby.

Officers began looking for Calvin Lowery, 56, of Mecklenburg County not long after he disappeared Sunday evening from Morganton's McAlpine Adult Care Center, a psychiatric facility where he was being treated, said Sheriff John McDevitt.

McDevitt joined the search Monday morning and went home to change clothes around 3 p.m. He had been home only a few minutes, he said, when his daughter told him there was a strange man in the driveway.

McDevitt said he instructed Lowery to stop approaching the house and lie down. When Lowery ignored the sheriff's commands, McDevitt said he used pepper spray to subdue him.

"He's from Charlotte, so he didn't know who I am," McDevitt said. "For him to show up at my house is kind of unusual."

Lowery was uninjured, McDevitt said.

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Father won't be charged in death of child, authorities say

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

Authorities do not plan to file charges against a Burke County man who accidentally ran over and killed his 3-year-old son Saturday.

Mark McCloud was pulling his pickup truck out of his driveway Saturday morning, when his son, Hunter McCloud, ran to say hello to his father, said Detective Jody Price of the Burke County Sheriff's Office.

"The little boy was a daddy's boy and ran to get into the truck," Price said.

McCloud told deputies he saw his three sons, including Hunter, playing beside their trailer home before checking his rearview and sideview mirrors and backing up, Price said.

McCloud then heard his other son scream and stopped the truck, Price said. He found Hunter lying beneath the vehicle.

Price said deputies were on the scene as paramedics gave the child CPR. He said Hunter died at Grace Hospital about 1:30 p.m.

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Connelly Springs man charged in stabbing in vehicle

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

A Burke County man was stabbed early Tuesday morning, and another man was charged in the incident.

Randy Fender of Drexel was stabbed in the chest with a knife about 2 a.m. after getting into an argument while driving with another man, according to a press release from the Burke County Sheriff's Office.

Robert Camara Harris, 30, of Connelly Springs, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and inflicting serious bodily injury, the press release said.

Deputies initially responded to Grace Hospital in Morganton, where Fender, 52, was being treated, according to the Sheriff's Office release. Fender was expected to recover, the release said.

Fender, who was driving, told deputies that his passenger led him to a deserted portion of Butler Hill Road, according to the release. Fender said he and the passenger began to argue and he asked the passenger to get out of the vehicle, authorities said.

According to the release, Fender said the passenger then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the right side of his chest.

Burke County sheriff deputies and officers from the Drexel Police Department found Harris about 30 minutes later on Zion Road near Drexel, not far from where Fender said he was stabbed. Harris was in a car that had been reported stolen in Drexel, the release said.

Harris was being held Tuesday at the Burke County jail on a $2,500 bond.

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10/17/06

Police officer who killed a man in September back on the job

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

An officer who shot and killed a man in Hickory last month is returning to work this week, authorities said.

Officer Melissa Hildebrand, 33, will work her first shift with the Hickory Police Department on Wednesday after being on administrative leave with pay since Sept. 22, said Capt. Clyde Deal.

The State Bureau of Investigation completed its investigation last week, Deal said, and has passed its findings onto the district attorney's office. Deal said he could not reveal the results of the investigation.

Hildebrand shot and killed Garry Wayne McCloud, 51, on Sept. 21 after responding to a domestic violence call at the Ridgeview apartment complex in southeast Hickory, said Maj. Tom Adkins of the Hickory Police Department.

McCloud was within five feet of Hildebrand and ignoring commands to stay back when Hildebrand pulled the trigger, Adkins said. Backup officers were on the way to the apartment when McCloud was shot, he said.

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10/14/06

Dog put down after killing rabid skunk in 6th rabies case of year

Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

Officials in Catawba County have confirmed the county's sixth rabies case this year after a dog killed a skunk this week.

The dog's owner contacted animal control officers on Oct. 7 after discovering the pet had attacked and killed a skunk on the owner's property in Claremont, said animal services manager Joaine McKeel.

The skunk was sent to the state health lab in Raleigh, where technicians confirmed Wednesday it had rabies, McKeel said. The dog's rabies vaccination expired in April, and its owner decided to euthanize the animal, she said.

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10/13/06

Hopefuls face queries

HICKORY FORUM GIVES STATE, LOCAL CANDIDATES A CHANCE TO ADDRESS ISSUES

Friday, October 13, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

HICKORY-- The Catawba County races are starting to get more interesting as local and state candidates begin answering questions about the changes they'll make if they are elected.

Eighteen candidates from seven races gathered Tuesday at a forum, paired with the Hickory Business Expo, to answer questions from the Catawba Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters.

Candidates for the N.C. Senate and House faced questions about business development and raising funds for the N.C. Center for Engineering Technologies, which would house advanced engineering degree programs and technical training.
Local candidates, however, including those running for the board of commissioners and sheriff, answered questions about how they would make things run more smoothly within county lines.

*

Board of Commissioners

The 1-acre versus 2-acre debate continues. What are your thoughts? (The Catawba County Board of Commissioners is considering a countywide ordinance that, on about half the county's unincorporated land, would require lots of at least 2 acres for new subdivisions. Some people say the minimum lot size should be 1 acre.

Clement Geitner, Democrat: Calling the 2-acre plan "not right," Geitner said the proposed land-development code would increase sprawl and decrease the opportunity for much-needed affordable housing. He said 1-acre plots would be more appropriate.

Glen Barger, Republican: Barger said the proposed 2-acre minimum isn't necessary. He prefers the 1-acre minimum and wants to give owners the incentive to sell larger plots of land. "It's their life savings, in some cases," he said. "It's their 401k."

Kitty Barnes, Republican: Although Barnes said she supports the 1-acre minimum residential lot requirement, she said protecting the rural character of the county means a lot in a region that will see population growth in coming years.

Lynn Lail, Republican: Did not attend the forum but provided a written statement saying she prefers the 1-acre minimum.

*

Sheriff

It's unrealistic to expect to eradicate crime, but what steps should law officers take to educate the public and stop crimes before they start?

David Huffman, Republican: The 24-year incumbent touted new programs he has brought to the county, including a sexual offender alert program that will be announced within the next two weeks.

Huffman said neighborhood watch programs are critical to preventing crime and emphasized the importance of community policing, which allows deputies to work in one of four zones.

Steve Hunt, Democrat: The Hickory Police Department veteran urged residents to take responsibility and work with law enforcement to stop crime before it begins. "We want to decrease the opportunity for crime," he said.

Hunt said that while community watch plans are beneficial, the programs are often crisis-driven. He said he'd like law enforcement to work with and train residents to recognize and help decrease crime.


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10/11/06

Streetwise: Mable Jenkins has kept kids safe for 3 decades

SETTING HAS CHANGED, BUT 80-YEAR-OLD CROSSING GUARD'S MISSION IS THE SAME

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer


HICKORY -- Things have changed quite a bit since 80-year-old Mabel Jenkins started working as a crossing guard at Oakwood Elementary School more than 25 years ago.

There wasn't a stoplight back then, which Jenkins said made the job a little more treacherous. The pay wasn't much, either, but Jenkins took the job to supplement her income from cleaning homes.


And there were uniforms. Pressed slacks, crisp shirts and a cap.
"They were just like police uniforms," she said. "Even the hats."

Now, her daily attire as a part-time crossing guard includes white gloves and a matching hat of her choosing, a neon orange and yellow jersey provided by the Hickory Police Department and a portable stop sign to halt traffic.

They didn't have crossing guards 70 years ago, when Jenkins attended Ridgeview Elementary, the school at that time for Hickory's African American students.

Still, Jenkins said she was ready to tackle the job when she signed on to help kids cross Hickory's busier streets about 30 years ago. She moved to Oakwood after about five years.

"I'm responsible for these kids," she said. "I'm here to see your child gets across the street."

Sgt. Bob Winters, who oversees the Hickory Police Department's community services program, said no one has done the job as long as Jenkins, who returned to the job after knee surgery forced her into taking a few months off in 2004.

"Rain or shine, you can count on Mabel Jenkins," he said. "She really, really loves the kids."

Every day, Jenkins arrives at the corner of Fourth Street N.W. and Fourth Avenue N.W., 15 minutes before her morning and afternoon shifts to survey the intersection and get ready for the flood of elementary students to rush out of the school.

When the final bell rings and the younger kids start pouring out of the building and shouting hellos at their crossing guard, Jenkins, who never had children or grandchildren, smiles. "Here come all my babies."



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Man, 58, injured in Sept. 29 wreck still in critical condition

Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

A man who was injured in a Sept. 29 accident that also killed his wife remained in critical condition Tuesday at a Hickory hospital.

Investigators with the Hickory Police Department are working on reconstructing the wreck, which left 55-year-old Rena Moore dead and Jerry Moore, 58, in critical condition at Frye Regional Medical Center, said Capt. Clyde Deal.

Enrique Cardenas Zavala, 20, was charged with driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol while under 21, failing to stop at a red light and involuntary manslaughter.

Cardenas Zavala is being held at the Catawba County Jail without bond until his next court appearance on Oct. 19, Deal said. He could face additional charges pending the Police Department's investigation, Deal said.

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10/10/06

Teenager suspended, accused of having pistol on campus

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

School officials suspended a Hickory-area student Monday after a police officer discovered he was carrying an unloaded pistol on campus, authorities said.

The school resource officer at St. Stephens High School searched a male teenager Monday after students reported seeing him with a gun, said Maj. Coy Reid of the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.

The officer found an unloaded pistol in the teenager's backpack but did not find ammunition, he said.

School officials have suspended the student while authorities investigate the incident, Reid said.

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10/8/06

State investigating complaints on Caldwell Sheriff

CLARK DENIES CLAIMS AND CALLS THEM `RIDICULOUS'

Sunday, October 8, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

LENOIR -- An N.C. State Board of Elections official is investigating complaints about Caldwell County Sheriff Gary Clark's campaign spending reports and allegations that Clark has threatened Caldwell County residents.

Marshall Tutor, an elections board investigator, visited Caldwell County on Thursday and said he was investigating reports of irregular expenditures in Clark's campaign spending reports.

Tutor said he also was interviewing several people who say they were threatened and that Clark, or those acting for him, were behind the threats.


Clark denied the allegations and said they were "ridiculous, and a grandstanding attempt 30 days before the election." Clark, a Republican, is running for a second term against Democrat Terry Harris in the Nov. 7 election.

Tutor said he was looking at money raised and spent by Clark during this election and during his 2002 campaign, but he would give no details of the complaints.

Clark had raised $47,322.85 since Jan. 1, 2004, according to the most recent campaign finance reports, filed July 13. The report shows $44,029.12 in expenditures.

Tutor would not give details of the allegations that Clark had threatened some county residents. "Right now, it certainly is a he-said-she-said investigation," he said.

The board must see evidence of criminal activity before sending the results of the investigation to the local district attorney's office, he said.

"Trying to prove a threat is almost next to impossible," he said.

Tutor said the investigation is in a fact-gathering stage.

Clark called the complaints "preposterous" and blamed them on disgruntled ex-employees and family members.

Clark said he's willing to talk with people about the perceived threats and would cooperate with an investigation into the behavior of his officers.

Tutor said the board receives more calls in the weeks leading up to election day than during the rest of the year and noted that sheriff races tend to draw the most complaints.

"Sheriff races generate far more competition, animosity and problems than all the other races put together," he said.


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10/7/06

1 man killed, 2 injured in car-truck crash

VEHICLES COLLIDE AT INTERSECTION, SENDING CAR SPINNING INTO TREE

Saturday, October 7, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

A South Carolina man was killed and a Salisbury man suffered life-threatening injuries Friday after a car they were in collided with a pickup pulling a utility trailer, authorities said.

Timothy Whitaker, 25, of Salisbury was driving a Ford Mustang out of a Denver subdivision when it collided with the truck at Sagittarius Circle and Grassy Creek Road about 11:20 a.m., said N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper D.R. Lane.

The Mustang slid across the road and crashed into a tree about 90 feet away, Lane said. The impact spun the car around, he said, and it slammed into a tree.
The passenger in the Mustang, 27-year-old Devon W. Norton of South Carolina, was pronounced dead when the Denver Fire Department arrived minutes later, Lane said.

The impact of the wreck pinned Whitaker in the car, according to a news release issued by the Denver Fire Department, and he had to be pried out of the vehicle. Whitaker was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. His condition was not available.

The driver of the truck, 30-year-old David Young, was within a mile of his Denver home when the crash happened, Lane said. Young was taken to Lake Norman Regional Medical Center by ambulance and was released Friday afternoon, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Lane said no charges had been filed Friday.



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10/6/06

Common ground found on water

ALL CATAWBA VALLEY HOPEFULS OPPOSE INTERBASIN TRANSFER

Friday, October 6, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

HICKORY -- Water, it seems, it not a party-line issue.

The questions may have varied from immigration and gang violence to bioterrorism and farming, but one thing was clear when 14 candidates gathered at Catawba County Community College on Tuesday night - nobody is in favor of the interbasin transfer.

The transfer would allow the cities of Concord and Kannapolis to draw up to 36 million gallons a day from the Catawba and Yadkin rivers.
It has been hotly opposed by people in the Catawba Valley.

One candidate called the proposed transfer "stealing," while another said that protecting the region's water supply is paramount, even if halting the plan requires a lengthy and expensive court battle.

"No one should impede the progress of one area (to promote) another," said Democrat Ray Warren, who is challenging Republican incumbent Mark Hollo for an 88th District seat in the N.C. House of Representatives.

Austin Allran, a Republican seeking an 11th term in the N.C. Senate, said the water transfer wouldn't only affect the Catawba Valley but could damage the entire state's economy. "It must be stopped," he said.

All of the candidates said they oppose the transfer. While candidates running for the Catawba County Board of Commissioners, N.C. House of Representatives, N.C. Senate and Catawba County sheriff focused on regional issues during the forum, Richard Carsner and Patrick McHenry concentrated on illegal immigration and the energy crisis.

Carsner, a Democrat challenging incumbent McHenry for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, said protecting the U.S. border is critical, and he called for a federal identification program that would identify undocumented workers and hold employers accountable if they hired them.

While Carsner said the country depends on immigrants to fill temporary jobs, Republican McHenry said lawmakers need to find a way for "people to come to this country in a patriotic way."

McHenry said he promoted creating an online database of immigrants and supports a $1.2 billion plan to build a fence to block entry into the United States from the Mexican border.

Both men agreed that the energy crisis needs more attention. Carsner suggested that more emphasis be placed on solar and hydroelectric power, and McHenry said he'd look at pulling more oil from domestic sources to increase the energy supply.

Even with the disagreements, both men said Congress needs members that will fully represent the 10th District. "Common sense is missing now in Washington, D.C.," Carsner said.


Tune in

The candidates forum will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Charter Cable channel 3.


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10/4/06

Judge revokes bond in fatal DWI wreck

CARDENAS ZAVALA HELD FOR CRASH THAT KILLED HICKORY WOMAN, 55

Wednesday, October 4, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

A man charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of a Hickory woman over the weekend will remain in jail without bond until his next court appearance.

A District Court judge on Monday revoked the $50,000 bond for Enrique Cardenas Zavala, said Hickory police Capt. Clyde Deal. Cardenas Zavala, 20, will remain at the Catawba County jail until his next court appearance, on Oct. 19.


He was charged in a Friday accident that killed 55-year-old Rena Moore. A 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix he was driving ran a red light and crashed into the couple's pickup truck, police said.
Moore's husband, 58-year-old Jerry Moore, remained in critical condition Tuesday evening.

Cardenas Zavala has been charged with driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol while under 21, failing to stop at a red light and involuntary manslaughter. His blood-alcohol level was 0.13, Deal said. The legal limit is 0.08.

He could face additional charges, including second-degree murder, pending a police investigation, Deal said.

It was Cardenas Zavala's second DWI in less than 14 months. In August 2005, he was charged with DWI in Catawba County and served 30 days in jail and paid a fine after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving to endanger.



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10/3/06

Elusive larceny suspect arrested after injury in wreck

Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

Authorities arrested a Lenoir man Sunday who had eluded authorities since he checked himself out of a hospital last week.

Jeremy David Greene, 30, was found at a family member's home in Lenoir after the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office received an anonymous tip he was in the house, said Lt. Chris Brackett.

On Sept. 23, deputies tried to serve Greene with warrants charging him with misdemeanor larceny and failing to pay child support, said Capt. David Anderson. He jumped in a pickup and drove away, but wrecked. He was hospitalized at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem with broken ribs and an head injury.

But Greene signed himself out of the hospital on Sept. 26, Anderson said. Hospital security was supposed to notify the Caldwell Sheriff's Office before Greene was released, but did not. Investigators had been looking for Greene since he left the hospital.

In addition to the previous misdemeanor charges, Greene has been charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon and resisting authorities. He was being held on a combined bond of $61,870 at the Caldwell County jail.


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Man charged with false bomb threat to elementary school

Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer
Staff Writer

Authorities charged a man in Taylorsville on Monday with making a bomb threat to an elementary school in Alexander County.

Kenneth Hill, 36, was charged with making a false bomb threat and pleaded not guilty during his first appearance in District Court on Monday afternoon, said Alexander County Chief Deputy Chris Bowman.

Hill was being held in the Alexander County jail on a $25,000 secured bond.
Hill told deputies he was staying with his mother in Taylorsville and that he made the call from her house, Bowman said.

A secretary at Bethlehem Elementary School called the Sheriff's Office at 9:45 a.m. Monday to report that a bomb threat had been called in by telephone, Bowman said. The caller said a bomb would detonate there at 10 a.m.

The school was evacuated while authorities searched the building, Bowman said, but no bomb was found, and students were let back into the building shortly before noon.

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10/2/06

Search launched for body of man missing since '03

Monday, Oct. 2, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

Authorities in Burke County are launching a search today for the body of a man who has been missing since 2003.

A team of officers from the Burke County Sheriff's Office, the county rescue squad and the State Bureau of Investigation will scour 20 acres of land in the county for the body of Jackie Edward Orders of Morganton, said Detective Sgt. Robert Beall of the Burke County Sheriff's Office.

Two wells, and possibly a pond, will also be searched for human remains, Beall said. Crime-scene specialists, forensic anthropologists, a forensic pathologist and a standby biologist will assist.

Orders disappeared in November 2003 and authorities suspect foul play, Beall said.

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58-year-old still in critical condition after Hickory wreck

Monday, Oct. 2, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

A 58-year-old Hickory man remained in critical condition Sunday night, two days after a crash that killed his wife.

Jerry Moore was listed in critical but stable condition at Frye Regional Medical Center, according to a hospital spokeswoman. He was injured just before 10 p.m. Friday when the 1951 Chevrolet truck he and his wife were riding in was struck in downtown Hickory. His wife, Rena Moore, died.

The driver of the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix that hit them was not injured but the man was arrested in the case. Hickory police charged Enrique Cardenas Zavala, 20, of Hickory with driving while impaired, driving after consuming alcohol while under 21, failing to stop at a red light and involuntary manslaughter.

It was Cardenas Zavala's second DWI charge in less than 14 months. He was charged with DWI in Catawba County in August 2005 and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving to endanger. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined.

Cardenas Zavala remained in custody Sunday evening in lieu of a $50,000 bond. Additional details about him were not available Sunday.

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'She did not have the blues, she played the blues'

FRIENDS AND FAMILY REMEMBER MORE THAN JUST A MUSICAL ICON

Monday, October 2, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

MORGANTON— Three months ago, 93-year-old Etta Baker plucked strawberries from the garden behind her small white home in Burke County. She carried the berries into her kitchen, placing the red fruit beside the plums she was getting ready to can and turn into jams.

The year before, when her health began failing her, Baker was forced to abandon strumming on her acoustic guitar and focus instead on the banjo. But the things Baker loved - playing the blues, gardening and cooking - were hobbies she refused to give up, her children said.

"You should see her back porch," said daughter Doris Thomas of the peonies, black-eyed Susans and geraniums Baker tended to everyday. "You have to walk through flowers just to get to the door."
The world remembers Baker, who died Sept. 26, as a Piedmont blues legend whose unusual two-fingered picking style influenced Bob Dylan and Taj Mahal. But in Morganton, Baker is also remembered as a mother, a friend and a woman who quit a textile factory job to follow a dream.

Baker was born in the foothills of Caldwell County in 1913, and within three years she had learned to play the guitar.

Her father, musician "Medicine" Boone Reid, would place the instrument across his lap and pluck at the strings while a young Baker rested her body between his knees, daughter Joann Thomas remembers her mother saying. He'd teach Baker how to pick with her tiny fingers, and she'd mimic the way he strummed the strings.

"When he smiled, she knew she hit the right chord," Joann Thomas said.

It took 60 years, however, for Baker to take up music full time. She had raised nine children and was working at a Morganton factory when, one day in 1958, a professional musician suggested she change careers.

"This was on a Wednesday," Baker recalled in a 2005 interview. "I went in and told 'em I was quitting on Friday, and I did. I never did go back."

At Baker's funeral Sunday at the Morganton Municipal Auditorium, her family paid tribute to Baker with their own gospel and blues, including a song by her 12-year-old great-grandson.

Baker's talents have been recognized throughout the world. She toured in Europe, and the National Endowment for the Arts awarded her with top honors. But it was her positive attitude that grandson Steven Avery said was one of her true accomplishments.

"She did not have the blues, she played the blues," Avery said at the funeral. "The `happy blues,' she called it."


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10/1/06

Anti-war rally at park peaceful

DEMONSTRATION HELD A WEEK AFTER PROTESTERS CLASHED WITH POLICE

Sunday, October 1, 2006

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

CHARLOTTE — An afternoon rally held one week after police clashed with anti-war protesters uptown remained peaceful Saturday at Charlotte's Freedom Park.

Event organizers, including members of the Green Party and the Action Center for Justice, feared a repeat of last week's Human Rights Fest, where Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested six protesters at Trade and Tryon streets.

Police said last week's rally got out of control when protesters refused to follow orders, swore at officers and placed a burning newspaper near an officer's feet. Protesters said officers violated their First Amendment rights. At least one man was shocked with a Taser, and another protester, David Crane, said he suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung.
Organizers said Saturday's rally, which called for the impeachment of President Bush, attracted at least 50 more participants than last week's event, including some of those arrested.

Crane said he "wouldn't have missed this for the world."

Visible police presence was minimal Saturday, but C.W. McIver from the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department said plainclothes officers attended the event. He said the number of officers was higher than usual for such gatherings.

Jim Gronquist, an attorney for the Action Center for Justice, said he attended to observe police and protester actions.

"There's a disconnect for police between what's impolite and illegal speech," he said.

The Action Center for Justice will hold another anti-war rally at Trade and Tryon streets at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Planners said they tried to minimize confrontations Saturday by asking two punk rock bands not to use profanities during their performances, said Ken Davies, a Green Party organizer.

The first band violated the agreement, causing park officials to consider ending the event. After conversations with Davies, McIver decided to allow the second band to play but threatened to pull the sound if it happened again.



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