State administrator leaves amid controversy, planned student protest
Friday, Feb. 29, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
The director of the N.C. School for the Deaf abruptly stepped down Thursday afternoon amid controversy over a protest students had planned at the school earlier this week.
The state announced that Linda Lindsey would be stepping down from the institution's top post while officials from the Office of Education Services were discussing a situation that took place on campus Sunday, said Lori Walston, Education Services spokeswoman.
Walston did not know many details about the planned protest, which apparently never took place, but said school staff met with concerned students Sunday evening. One issue, she said, was complaints about communication with administrators.
Lindsey, who is not fluent in American Sign Language but has taken classes, is aided by an interpreter when she speaks with students, Walston said.
Lindsey, has led the Morganton school since August 2004, and will remain in the position until an interim director takes over April 1, Walston said. She is not leaving the state system, Walston said, and will take a job with Education Services in Raleigh, the same division that oversees the school.
The School for the Deaf, established in 1894, is one of two state institutions for the deaf and hearing impaired and serves day and boarding students ages five to 21.
Before coming to the school, Lindsey worked with the state Department of Health and Human Services in the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to a DHHS press release. Lindsey, who has a master's and a doctorate in education from N.C. State University, worked in education and management of residential services programs for children for several years before coming to the school.
Janet McDaniel, the school's principal, will take over as interim director beginning April 1 while the state launches a national search for a new director, Walston said.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/28/08
Man held on murder, assault charges
Darrell Wayne Buchanan's ex-wife's boyfriend was killed
Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Newland man is facing murder and assault charges after a nearly 14-hour search and standoff in the Blue Ridge Mountains ended Wednesday.
Darrell Wayne Buchanan, 47, was charged Wednesday with murder and could face other felony charges, including kidnapping and assault on an officer with a deadly weapon.
His ex-wife's boyfriend, 49-year-old Thurman Ray Hudson, was killed Tuesday night in a dispute that later led to an overnight standoff at Hudson's Jonas Ridge home.
It all started shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday, said Burke County sheriff's Maj. David Pendley, when a Burke deputy responded to a domestic dispute at Hudson's home.
Burke County asked for assistance from Avery County, and Avery sheriff's Sgt. Mike Ellenburg arrived first, Pendley said.
Lola Mae Carpenter Buchanan flagged Ellenburg down as she drove from the home in a Jeep. Darrell Buchanan was sitting in the passenger seat, Pendley said.
Authorities said the woman screamed that her ex-husband was going to kill her and would try to injure Ellenburg.
Ellenburg told authorities he then saw the man point the rifle at him. He drove away from the Jeep and heard a shot. When he turned around to pursue the Jeep, he told authorities he saw the man get out and fire several shots at the patrol car.
Ellenburg was not hit, but received minor injuries when bullets shattered the windows. The Jeep, meanwhile, returned to the mobile home, Pendley said.
That's when Burke Deputy Scott Bray arrived, Pendley said. Authorities got closer and saw Hudson's 11-year-old twin boys screaming in the front yard. Their father, pronounced dead a short time later, was lying nearby, authorities said.
The man jumped out of the Jeep, Pendley said, and ran behind the home.
Authorities were not sure if the man had gone into the home or into the woods, so SWAT team members from Burke and Avery counties, Hickory and other municipalities surrounded the area.
After several hours, they got the man in the home on the phone, Pendley said, and by 11:50 a.m. Wednesday persuaded him to come out.
Buchanan was treated for at least one bullet wound in his left arm, Pendley said. Burke Sheriff John McDevitt said in a press release that investigators "know that it didn't come from any law enforcement officers."
Darrell Buchanan was being held in a Burke County jail Wednesday.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Newland man is facing murder and assault charges after a nearly 14-hour search and standoff in the Blue Ridge Mountains ended Wednesday.
Darrell Wayne Buchanan, 47, was charged Wednesday with murder and could face other felony charges, including kidnapping and assault on an officer with a deadly weapon.
His ex-wife's boyfriend, 49-year-old Thurman Ray Hudson, was killed Tuesday night in a dispute that later led to an overnight standoff at Hudson's Jonas Ridge home.
It all started shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday, said Burke County sheriff's Maj. David Pendley, when a Burke deputy responded to a domestic dispute at Hudson's home.
Burke County asked for assistance from Avery County, and Avery sheriff's Sgt. Mike Ellenburg arrived first, Pendley said.
Lola Mae Carpenter Buchanan flagged Ellenburg down as she drove from the home in a Jeep. Darrell Buchanan was sitting in the passenger seat, Pendley said.
Authorities said the woman screamed that her ex-husband was going to kill her and would try to injure Ellenburg.
Ellenburg told authorities he then saw the man point the rifle at him. He drove away from the Jeep and heard a shot. When he turned around to pursue the Jeep, he told authorities he saw the man get out and fire several shots at the patrol car.
Ellenburg was not hit, but received minor injuries when bullets shattered the windows. The Jeep, meanwhile, returned to the mobile home, Pendley said.
That's when Burke Deputy Scott Bray arrived, Pendley said. Authorities got closer and saw Hudson's 11-year-old twin boys screaming in the front yard. Their father, pronounced dead a short time later, was lying nearby, authorities said.
The man jumped out of the Jeep, Pendley said, and ran behind the home.
Authorities were not sure if the man had gone into the home or into the woods, so SWAT team members from Burke and Avery counties, Hickory and other municipalities surrounded the area.
After several hours, they got the man in the home on the phone, Pendley said, and by 11:50 a.m. Wednesday persuaded him to come out.
Buchanan was treated for at least one bullet wound in his left arm, Pendley said. Burke Sheriff John McDevitt said in a press release that investigators "know that it didn't come from any law enforcement officers."
Darrell Buchanan was being held in a Burke County jail Wednesday.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/27/08
Man accused of rape makes 1st court appearance
Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
HICKORY A Hickory man charged with several felonies, including a rape from three weeks ago, made his first appearance in court Tuesday.
Hickory police charged Floyd Lee Bonds, 43, Monday night with first-degree rape, first-degree attempted burglary, kidnapping and assault inflicting serious injury, said Capt. Thurman Whisnant.
Bonds was charged in connection with a Feb. 2 rape at a northwest Hickory home. Police said a man pried open the side door of the house and sexually assaulted a woman who was there alone.
Authorities spoke to Bonds and several other people of interest in the days following the assault, Whisnant said, but did not file charges until Monday evening when the State Bureau of Investigation returned evidence linking him to the crimes.
Police have no indication that the woman knew the man who assaulted her, Whisnant said, and cases of rape by a stranger are rare in Hickory.
Bonds was being held Tuesday at the Catawba County jail on a $250,000 secured bond.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
HICKORY A Hickory man charged with several felonies, including a rape from three weeks ago, made his first appearance in court Tuesday.
Hickory police charged Floyd Lee Bonds, 43, Monday night with first-degree rape, first-degree attempted burglary, kidnapping and assault inflicting serious injury, said Capt. Thurman Whisnant.
Bonds was charged in connection with a Feb. 2 rape at a northwest Hickory home. Police said a man pried open the side door of the house and sexually assaulted a woman who was there alone.
Authorities spoke to Bonds and several other people of interest in the days following the assault, Whisnant said, but did not file charges until Monday evening when the State Bureau of Investigation returned evidence linking him to the crimes.
Police have no indication that the woman knew the man who assaulted her, Whisnant said, and cases of rape by a stranger are rare in Hickory.
Bonds was being held Tuesday at the Catawba County jail on a $250,000 secured bond.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/26/08
Broughton seeks to win back funding
Reviews are next step to regain ability to bill Medicare, Medicaid
Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Officials at Broughton Hospital, one of the state's four mental health facilities, said Monday they are ready for inspectors to return and reinstate federal funding.
Broughton has gone without Medicaid and Medicare funding since August, when the federal government decided to halt payments amid concerns over a patient death and another patient injury.
The state responded to the cuts - about $1 million a month - by sending a team of doctors and administrators to the Morganton facility to identify and fix problems, reorganize clinical staff and retrain every employee, from housekeepers to doctors.
Now, Broughton officials are asking that the federal government review the hospital's progress and allow it to bill Medicare and Medicaid, said Director Art Robarge. About 98 percent of the hospital's annual, third-party insurance revenue comes from such funding.
Since August, a team of state doctors and consultants has been working at Broughton to correct problems and improve care. They've focused, Robarge said, on finding ways to reduce the physical restriction of patients, revamping policies about patient falls and infection control, and reorganizing staff to ensure better clinical supervision.
"We've gone back to the drawing board, read the standards and (drawn) out a plan to make sure it's appropriate for Broughton Hospital," he said. "(We want to make sure) that what folks are doing here is in compliance with those standards."
Broughton has also been recovering from a series of hits since August, including threats that it could lose its accreditation and a shake-up in leadership when Seth Hunt was dismissed as director and Robarge, who led the hospital from 1986 to 1989, took over.
Robarge said he sent a letter Friday to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, asking that inspectors visit the hospital soon and assess changes the hospital has made.
If everything goes as anticipated, Robarge said, inspectors should make their initial visit to the hospital within two to four weeks. On the first visit, Robarge said, inspectors will evaluate how staff members handle aggressive patients and how they keep those situations from escalating.
The February 2007 death of 27-year-old Anthony Lowery, who died of cardiac arrhythmia after a staff member sat on his torso while trying to restrain him, was one of two incidents that led the federal government to stop Medicaid and Medicare payments.
Situations where staff members have had to physically restrain patients, Robarge said, have dropped 40 percent to 60 percent since last year.
"There has been a tremendous effort to become creative at all levels and use restrictive methods only when absolutely necessary," he said.
If Broughton passes the first inspection, which Robarge said is likely, inspectors will come back to the hospital again within 30 days to make sure it is meeting other standards set by the federal government.
Even if Broughton meets all the federal government's standards during the initial and follow-up inspections, Robarge said it will still take at least an additional 45 to 75 days before Medicaid and Medicare funding is reinstated.
Broughton serves about 4,000 patients each year from the state's 37 westernmost counties and has about 1,200 employees and a $77 million budget.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Officials at Broughton Hospital, one of the state's four mental health facilities, said Monday they are ready for inspectors to return and reinstate federal funding.
Broughton has gone without Medicaid and Medicare funding since August, when the federal government decided to halt payments amid concerns over a patient death and another patient injury.
The state responded to the cuts - about $1 million a month - by sending a team of doctors and administrators to the Morganton facility to identify and fix problems, reorganize clinical staff and retrain every employee, from housekeepers to doctors.
Now, Broughton officials are asking that the federal government review the hospital's progress and allow it to bill Medicare and Medicaid, said Director Art Robarge. About 98 percent of the hospital's annual, third-party insurance revenue comes from such funding.
Since August, a team of state doctors and consultants has been working at Broughton to correct problems and improve care. They've focused, Robarge said, on finding ways to reduce the physical restriction of patients, revamping policies about patient falls and infection control, and reorganizing staff to ensure better clinical supervision.
"We've gone back to the drawing board, read the standards and (drawn) out a plan to make sure it's appropriate for Broughton Hospital," he said. "(We want to make sure) that what folks are doing here is in compliance with those standards."
Broughton has also been recovering from a series of hits since August, including threats that it could lose its accreditation and a shake-up in leadership when Seth Hunt was dismissed as director and Robarge, who led the hospital from 1986 to 1989, took over.
Robarge said he sent a letter Friday to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, asking that inspectors visit the hospital soon and assess changes the hospital has made.
If everything goes as anticipated, Robarge said, inspectors should make their initial visit to the hospital within two to four weeks. On the first visit, Robarge said, inspectors will evaluate how staff members handle aggressive patients and how they keep those situations from escalating.
The February 2007 death of 27-year-old Anthony Lowery, who died of cardiac arrhythmia after a staff member sat on his torso while trying to restrain him, was one of two incidents that led the federal government to stop Medicaid and Medicare payments.
Situations where staff members have had to physically restrain patients, Robarge said, have dropped 40 percent to 60 percent since last year.
"There has been a tremendous effort to become creative at all levels and use restrictive methods only when absolutely necessary," he said.
If Broughton passes the first inspection, which Robarge said is likely, inspectors will come back to the hospital again within 30 days to make sure it is meeting other standards set by the federal government.
Even if Broughton meets all the federal government's standards during the initial and follow-up inspections, Robarge said it will still take at least an additional 45 to 75 days before Medicaid and Medicare funding is reinstated.
Broughton serves about 4,000 patients each year from the state's 37 westernmost counties and has about 1,200 employees and a $77 million budget.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/24/08
Book too raw for school?
Burke board member objects to novel 'Kite Runner'
Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Forty years ago, it was "The Catcher in the Rye."
Today, in Burke County, it's the fictional story of two boys growing up in pre-Taliban Afghanistan.
"The Kite Runner," a New York Times bestselling book taught earlier this year to a Freedom High School honors class, has drawn recent criticism from at least one member of the Burke County school board because of a scene of male rape and use of profanities.
Board member Tracy Norman last week asked that the novel be pulled from the county's public school system curriculum because she believes the content is inappropriate for high schoolers.
"We have a responsibility to the students in our system," Norman said. "I don't think it's the public schools' place to be the one exposing them to this."
But others, including parents and at least one other board member, said banning "The Kite Runner" because it describes a scene of sexual violence, alludes to molestation and includes profanities could compromise the students' educational experiences.
"It's not about vulgarity or the rape scene that's depicted," said board member Buddy Armour. "It's a look into the culture, and there's value there. Our kids need to know a little bit about the world, and it's not all pretty and lovely."
Cultural education
The book, which was adapted as a movie in 2007, was taught earlier this semester to a 10th-grade world literature class at Freedom High and was picked as one of four books meant to teach the honors students about other parts of the world, said Randal Garrison, the head of the school's English department.
"Our curriculum was just updated to try to do a good job at acknowledging other groups of people and cultures," he said. "We have a well-recognized canon. It's not just about teaching Greek and Roman (literature)."
Norman's recommendation last week to pull the book from the county's educational curriculum wasn't honored by the school board, which opted instead to rely on the system's challenge procedure.
The policy, instated in late 2006, allows parents and members of the community to file official complaints about material they think may not be appropriate for underage students, said Superintendent David Burleson.
Once a challenge is made, he said, a media advisory committee of teachers, parents and students will review the complaint and content and decide whether the material should be barred from the curriculum.
But the decision, Burleson said, cannot be made by just one person.
"Where do you draw the line? That's a fair and valid question," Burleson said. "You draw the line based on your community make-up and what the community expects that's why we have the advisory committee."
About the book
"The Kite Runner," which was meant to be taught this year by three teachers at Freedom, gives a cultural and historical account of Afghanistan from the late 1970s through the Soviet invasion and into the Taliban regime.
The book will not be read by any other classes until the issue is resolved, Burleson said.
Norman, who was contacted by a parent with concerns about the rape scene, said the book's story line is strong, but she worries that teenagers are being forced into reading content that's too mature for a high-school setting.
There must be other ways, she said, to teach students about other cultures without depending on scenes of sexual abuse and books with foul language.
"Does the benefit outweigh the exposure? I don't think it does," she said. "Anything in our school curriculum that has foul language and these issues (doesn't) belong in the classroom."
But Tony Matthews, who has a 10th-grade daughter at Patton High School and is the pastor at North Morganton United Methodist Church, said literature is a powerful tool for teaching lessons about the world.
"The point of the book was to show the horrors of living under an oppressive regime such as the Taliban," Matthews said. "Getting a set of facts on a piece of paper is a way to sterilize the problem. A character in a book becomes someone you're familiar with and you bond with. By telling the story in a piece of fiction it makes the horrors more real."
High school students are not naive, he said, and are capable of handling difficult material, especially when they are guided through it by a trained and professional teacher.
The concern, Norman said, is not only with "The Kite Runner" but with all books that use profane language and include graphic sex scenes and other potentially offensive material.
But Armour said what Norman is proposing borders on censorship. If "The Kite Runner" is banned from Burke schools, he said, other material will likely also be forced from the curriculum.
"If you start tossing out the books that might be offensive, you won't have anything left," he said.
What's happening at other schools
The Hickory and Newton-Conover school systems and Alexander, Caldwell and Catawba counties have similar procedures for banning books, although none have had challenges in recent years.
Catawba County Schools approved "The Kite Runner" last year, said spokeswoman Carleen Crawford, and it is being taught to at least one advanced English class. Caldwell County is considering adding the book to its curriculum next year, said spokeswoman Libby Brown.
Staff Writer Jen Aronoff contributed
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Forty years ago, it was "The Catcher in the Rye."
Today, in Burke County, it's the fictional story of two boys growing up in pre-Taliban Afghanistan.
"The Kite Runner," a New York Times bestselling book taught earlier this year to a Freedom High School honors class, has drawn recent criticism from at least one member of the Burke County school board because of a scene of male rape and use of profanities.
Board member Tracy Norman last week asked that the novel be pulled from the county's public school system curriculum because she believes the content is inappropriate for high schoolers.
"We have a responsibility to the students in our system," Norman said. "I don't think it's the public schools' place to be the one exposing them to this."
But others, including parents and at least one other board member, said banning "The Kite Runner" because it describes a scene of sexual violence, alludes to molestation and includes profanities could compromise the students' educational experiences.
"It's not about vulgarity or the rape scene that's depicted," said board member Buddy Armour. "It's a look into the culture, and there's value there. Our kids need to know a little bit about the world, and it's not all pretty and lovely."
Cultural education
The book, which was adapted as a movie in 2007, was taught earlier this semester to a 10th-grade world literature class at Freedom High and was picked as one of four books meant to teach the honors students about other parts of the world, said Randal Garrison, the head of the school's English department.
"Our curriculum was just updated to try to do a good job at acknowledging other groups of people and cultures," he said. "We have a well-recognized canon. It's not just about teaching Greek and Roman (literature)."
Norman's recommendation last week to pull the book from the county's educational curriculum wasn't honored by the school board, which opted instead to rely on the system's challenge procedure.
The policy, instated in late 2006, allows parents and members of the community to file official complaints about material they think may not be appropriate for underage students, said Superintendent David Burleson.
Once a challenge is made, he said, a media advisory committee of teachers, parents and students will review the complaint and content and decide whether the material should be barred from the curriculum.
But the decision, Burleson said, cannot be made by just one person.
"Where do you draw the line? That's a fair and valid question," Burleson said. "You draw the line based on your community make-up and what the community expects that's why we have the advisory committee."
About the book
"The Kite Runner," which was meant to be taught this year by three teachers at Freedom, gives a cultural and historical account of Afghanistan from the late 1970s through the Soviet invasion and into the Taliban regime.
The book will not be read by any other classes until the issue is resolved, Burleson said.
Norman, who was contacted by a parent with concerns about the rape scene, said the book's story line is strong, but she worries that teenagers are being forced into reading content that's too mature for a high-school setting.
There must be other ways, she said, to teach students about other cultures without depending on scenes of sexual abuse and books with foul language.
"Does the benefit outweigh the exposure? I don't think it does," she said. "Anything in our school curriculum that has foul language and these issues (doesn't) belong in the classroom."
But Tony Matthews, who has a 10th-grade daughter at Patton High School and is the pastor at North Morganton United Methodist Church, said literature is a powerful tool for teaching lessons about the world.
"The point of the book was to show the horrors of living under an oppressive regime such as the Taliban," Matthews said. "Getting a set of facts on a piece of paper is a way to sterilize the problem. A character in a book becomes someone you're familiar with and you bond with. By telling the story in a piece of fiction it makes the horrors more real."
High school students are not naive, he said, and are capable of handling difficult material, especially when they are guided through it by a trained and professional teacher.
The concern, Norman said, is not only with "The Kite Runner" but with all books that use profane language and include graphic sex scenes and other potentially offensive material.
But Armour said what Norman is proposing borders on censorship. If "The Kite Runner" is banned from Burke schools, he said, other material will likely also be forced from the curriculum.
"If you start tossing out the books that might be offensive, you won't have anything left," he said.
What's happening at other schools
The Hickory and Newton-Conover school systems and Alexander, Caldwell and Catawba counties have similar procedures for banning books, although none have had challenges in recent years.
Catawba County Schools approved "The Kite Runner" last year, said spokeswoman Carleen Crawford, and it is being taught to at least one advanced English class. Caldwell County is considering adding the book to its curriculum next year, said spokeswoman Libby Brown.
Staff Writer Jen Aronoff contributed
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/22/08
BBB warns of scam on mystery shoppers
Letter asks you to wire money to Canada
Friday, Feb. 22, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
The Better Business Bureau Thursday warned of a company enlisting mystery shoppers and encouraging them to wire money to Canada for which they are not repaid.
The company, Bargain Shoppers Express, is sending checks to people across the country using the home address of an elderly Hickory woman and is asking them to be mystery shoppers, said Janet Hart, spokeswoman for the BBB of Southern Piedmont. The checks later bounce, she said.
Since Jan. 30, the BBB has received nearly 300 inquiries and eight complaints from people who say they have received checks, Hart said.
Company representatives reached at three different phone numbers in Ontario, Canada, answered calls from the Observer Thursday, but the calls disconnected when they were asked about the warning.
The checks, usually written for $4,770, appear to have been sent to several hundred people nationwide and arrive with instructions on how to evaluate four businesses, Hart said.
Each shopper is asked to spend a small amount of money at the stores and wire about $2,000 to individuals in Canada though Moneygram and Western Union, Hart said.
Within a few days of wiring the money, Hart said, the checks bounce, forcing shoppers to repay thousands of dollars.
The Hickory address, which belongs to a woman not involved in the scam, appears to have been randomly selected, Hart said.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Friday, Feb. 22, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
The Better Business Bureau Thursday warned of a company enlisting mystery shoppers and encouraging them to wire money to Canada for which they are not repaid.
The company, Bargain Shoppers Express, is sending checks to people across the country using the home address of an elderly Hickory woman and is asking them to be mystery shoppers, said Janet Hart, spokeswoman for the BBB of Southern Piedmont. The checks later bounce, she said.
Since Jan. 30, the BBB has received nearly 300 inquiries and eight complaints from people who say they have received checks, Hart said.
Company representatives reached at three different phone numbers in Ontario, Canada, answered calls from the Observer Thursday, but the calls disconnected when they were asked about the warning.
The checks, usually written for $4,770, appear to have been sent to several hundred people nationwide and arrive with instructions on how to evaluate four businesses, Hart said.
Each shopper is asked to spend a small amount of money at the stores and wire about $2,000 to individuals in Canada though Moneygram and Western Union, Hart said.
Within a few days of wiring the money, Hart said, the checks bounce, forcing shoppers to repay thousands of dollars.
The Hickory address, which belongs to a woman not involved in the scam, appears to have been randomly selected, Hart said.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/21/08
Grandfather accidentally backs over, kills 2-year-old grandson
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
An Alexander County toddler died Wednesday after his grandfather accidentally ran over the child with his truck, authorities said.
The 2-year-old boy was staying at his grandparents' home about four miles northwest of Taylorsville Wednesday afternoon, said Alexander County Sheriff Hayden Bentley.
The child ran behind the truck as his grandfather was backing up and was hit, Bentley said. The boy died in the ambulance before he arrived at Frye Regional Hospital, he said.
Bentley would not release the names of the child or his grandfather because family was still being notified. He said no charges will be filed because it was "an obvious accident."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
An Alexander County toddler died Wednesday after his grandfather accidentally ran over the child with his truck, authorities said.
The 2-year-old boy was staying at his grandparents' home about four miles northwest of Taylorsville Wednesday afternoon, said Alexander County Sheriff Hayden Bentley.
The child ran behind the truck as his grandfather was backing up and was hit, Bentley said. The boy died in the ambulance before he arrived at Frye Regional Hospital, he said.
Bentley would not release the names of the child or his grandfather because family was still being notified. He said no charges will be filed because it was "an obvious accident."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/20/08
Newton couple face sex charges
Police: DSS uncovered offenses dating to 1970s
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Newton husband and wife are facing charges in felony sex allegations that date back more than 30 years, police said.
George Michael Kennedy, 58, faces three felony counts of indecent liberties, and his wife, Donna Reinhardt Kennedy, 53, was charged with two felony counts of aiding and abetting indecent liberties.
George Kennedy was charged with sexually abusing at least three female family members, the youngest of whom was 5, said Sgt. Tracey Cline of the Newton Police Department.
The abuse started in 1977, Cline said, and continued through 2007. The authorities began investigating the couple in November after the Department of Social Services passed along a report that a relative of the Kennedys had been sexually abused as a child, said Sgt. Tracey Cline of the Newton Police Department.
Cline would not say how the girls were related to the Kennedys but said the abuse ended with each girl "once they reached puberty," Cline said.
Donna Kennedy was charged, Cline said, because she knew about the abuse and did not go to the police.
The Kennedys were being held on bond Tuesday at the Catawba County jail and are scheduled to make their first court appearance Wednesday.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Newton husband and wife are facing charges in felony sex allegations that date back more than 30 years, police said.
George Michael Kennedy, 58, faces three felony counts of indecent liberties, and his wife, Donna Reinhardt Kennedy, 53, was charged with two felony counts of aiding and abetting indecent liberties.
George Kennedy was charged with sexually abusing at least three female family members, the youngest of whom was 5, said Sgt. Tracey Cline of the Newton Police Department.
The abuse started in 1977, Cline said, and continued through 2007. The authorities began investigating the couple in November after the Department of Social Services passed along a report that a relative of the Kennedys had been sexually abused as a child, said Sgt. Tracey Cline of the Newton Police Department.
Cline would not say how the girls were related to the Kennedys but said the abuse ended with each girl "once they reached puberty," Cline said.
Donna Kennedy was charged, Cline said, because she knew about the abuse and did not go to the police.
The Kennedys were being held on bond Tuesday at the Catawba County jail and are scheduled to make their first court appearance Wednesday.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Hickory High teacher charged
Allegations of taking indecent liberties with female JROTC student
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Hickory High School teacher who resigned last week amid allegations of sexual misconduct was charged Tuesday with taking indecent liberties with a student, police said.
Charles Allan Wilkins, 44, was charged with taking indecent liberties with one of his female JROTC students on school property, said Capt. Thurman Whisnant of the Hickory Police Department.
The incident, Whisnant said, happened on the Hickory High campus after members of the JROTC performed at a home basketball game. Whisnant would not discuss the case in detail but said investigators do not think Wilkins and the student had sexual intercourse.
Officials at the school learned about the incident Feb. 11 when students approached them with information about Wilkins and the student, Whisnant said.
Wilkins, who resigned Feb. 11, was hired as school's JROTC teacher in October. He had recently retired from the U.S. military and had not worked in a public school system, Whisnant said.
Police are still looking at Wilkins' history and are talking with students, but Whisnant said they think this is an isolated incident.
Wilkins was being held in the Catawba County jail Tuesday on a $25,000 bond and is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Hickory High School teacher who resigned last week amid allegations of sexual misconduct was charged Tuesday with taking indecent liberties with a student, police said.
Charles Allan Wilkins, 44, was charged with taking indecent liberties with one of his female JROTC students on school property, said Capt. Thurman Whisnant of the Hickory Police Department.
The incident, Whisnant said, happened on the Hickory High campus after members of the JROTC performed at a home basketball game. Whisnant would not discuss the case in detail but said investigators do not think Wilkins and the student had sexual intercourse.
Officials at the school learned about the incident Feb. 11 when students approached them with information about Wilkins and the student, Whisnant said.
Wilkins, who resigned Feb. 11, was hired as school's JROTC teacher in October. He had recently retired from the U.S. military and had not worked in a public school system, Whisnant said.
Police are still looking at Wilkins' history and are talking with students, but Whisnant said they think this is an isolated incident.
Wilkins was being held in the Catawba County jail Tuesday on a $25,000 bond and is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/17/08
Dissatisfied residents run for Caldwell seats
Nearly a dozen join incumbents in commissioners race; most cite 22% property tax hike
Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Rumblings of dissatisfaction with commissioners in Caldwell County have appeared for months on giant billboards along U.S. 321, on yard signs and on Internet discussion boards.
But last week, nearly a dozen Caldwell residents decided that simply complaining about the board's actions wasn't enough and decided to run for one of three open commission seats.
Challengers say they are frustrated with decisions made by commissioners in the last year, ranging from the county manager's salary to building renovations. Though they point to several recent missteps by the board, most challengers agree that the biggest reason they're running is this year's 22.2 percent hike in property taxes.
"That's too much at one time," said Clay B. Bollinger, a retired business owner from Hudson who filed on the first day. "They just have no business (increasing taxes) on people who are struggling already."
Eleven residents - including incumbents Faye Higgins and John Thuss - flooded the Caldwell County Board of Elections on Monday, the first day they were legally allowed to file for the May 6 primary, to join the race.
The surge is unusual, said elections Director Sandy Rich, but this year it wasn't a surprise. "We heard rumors that we were going to have a number of people coming in because of the tax increase," she said. "And sure enough, they came."
All but one candidate filed to run within the first hour and 15 minutes. Two more people have joined the race since, and Rich said she expects several more to file before the Feb. 29 deadline.
The top three vote-getters from each party will advance to the November general election. Commissioner Herb Greene's seat is also open. Greene, who helped facilitate bringing Google to Lenoir, has said he will not run.
"There's a lot of people signing up now because they think we've gone too far into the 21st century," Greene said, "and they'll like to take us back to the 20th century, when it was a little more comfortable."
Commissioners originally considered an 18.5 percent tax increase when they were working on the budget in June but said they were concerned that residents still struggling with unemployment and low wages might not have been able to handle the sharp hike.
Amid those worries, however, the board decided against the 18.5 percent hike and actually raised the increase even more - to 22.2 percent - to fund a $77.5 million operating budget.
Neither Thuss nor Higgins said they were surprised by the surge of residents deciding to run and acknowledged that the tax increase likely encouraged more people to join the race.
"The county is economically depressed," said Higgins, who voted against the tax increase, "and there's always going to be second-guessing on those decisions."
Thuss defended the increase, citing demands passed down from the federal and state governments and projects meant to bolster economic growth and provide educational opportunities in the county.
"The commissioners ... are obligated to do what is best based on a good, sound financial basis," he said. "You don't cut taxes to get votes. That's a political game, and that is irresponsible."
But the tax increase, challengers say, isn't the only reason they've decided to run.
One of the new candidates is Barbara Weiller, who previously served on the Caldwell County Board of Education, worked in banking for more than 20 years and spent another 20 years as an accountant. Commissioners, she said, have overlooked fiscal responsibility and failed to listen to residents' concerns about the economy and county spending.
Some of the decisions the board has made recently, including building a new $12.5 million home for the Department of Social Services and the Health Department, didn't rely enough on the input of residents, Weiller said.
"With the way our economy is and the high unemployment rates, that's not responsible," she said.
For Bollinger, who said he is running in a block with Ben Griffin and Rob Bratcher, the new DSS and Health Department building and other construction projects, including the courthouse and county offices renovations, are reflections that commissioners "aren't looking down the road."
"There's no long-range budget," he said. "They are just reacting from year to year."
Thuss, however, said commissioners have not only been looking at the budget beyond 2008, but are looking at ways to improve life in Caldwell.
"I do what I feel is best for the citizens of this county," he said. And if that is not what they want, I have an R.V. I'll get in and boogie out of here."
Who has filed?
Republicans
Clay B. Bollinger of Granite Falls
Rob Bratcher of Lenoir
Steven Fekete Jr. of Lenoir
Ben Griffin of Lenoir
Faye R. Higgins of Lenoir (i)
Bill Oxford of Lenoir
John W. Thuss of Lenoir (i)
Arnold Wilson of Granite Falls
Democrats
L.C. Coonse of Granite Falls
Randy Church of Lenoir
Jerry Cecil Coffey of Lenoir
Timothy Shore of Hudson
Barbara Weiller of Lenoir
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Rumblings of dissatisfaction with commissioners in Caldwell County have appeared for months on giant billboards along U.S. 321, on yard signs and on Internet discussion boards.
But last week, nearly a dozen Caldwell residents decided that simply complaining about the board's actions wasn't enough and decided to run for one of three open commission seats.
Challengers say they are frustrated with decisions made by commissioners in the last year, ranging from the county manager's salary to building renovations. Though they point to several recent missteps by the board, most challengers agree that the biggest reason they're running is this year's 22.2 percent hike in property taxes.
"That's too much at one time," said Clay B. Bollinger, a retired business owner from Hudson who filed on the first day. "They just have no business (increasing taxes) on people who are struggling already."
Eleven residents - including incumbents Faye Higgins and John Thuss - flooded the Caldwell County Board of Elections on Monday, the first day they were legally allowed to file for the May 6 primary, to join the race.
The surge is unusual, said elections Director Sandy Rich, but this year it wasn't a surprise. "We heard rumors that we were going to have a number of people coming in because of the tax increase," she said. "And sure enough, they came."
All but one candidate filed to run within the first hour and 15 minutes. Two more people have joined the race since, and Rich said she expects several more to file before the Feb. 29 deadline.
The top three vote-getters from each party will advance to the November general election. Commissioner Herb Greene's seat is also open. Greene, who helped facilitate bringing Google to Lenoir, has said he will not run.
"There's a lot of people signing up now because they think we've gone too far into the 21st century," Greene said, "and they'll like to take us back to the 20th century, when it was a little more comfortable."
Commissioners originally considered an 18.5 percent tax increase when they were working on the budget in June but said they were concerned that residents still struggling with unemployment and low wages might not have been able to handle the sharp hike.
Amid those worries, however, the board decided against the 18.5 percent hike and actually raised the increase even more - to 22.2 percent - to fund a $77.5 million operating budget.
Neither Thuss nor Higgins said they were surprised by the surge of residents deciding to run and acknowledged that the tax increase likely encouraged more people to join the race.
"The county is economically depressed," said Higgins, who voted against the tax increase, "and there's always going to be second-guessing on those decisions."
Thuss defended the increase, citing demands passed down from the federal and state governments and projects meant to bolster economic growth and provide educational opportunities in the county.
"The commissioners ... are obligated to do what is best based on a good, sound financial basis," he said. "You don't cut taxes to get votes. That's a political game, and that is irresponsible."
But the tax increase, challengers say, isn't the only reason they've decided to run.
One of the new candidates is Barbara Weiller, who previously served on the Caldwell County Board of Education, worked in banking for more than 20 years and spent another 20 years as an accountant. Commissioners, she said, have overlooked fiscal responsibility and failed to listen to residents' concerns about the economy and county spending.
Some of the decisions the board has made recently, including building a new $12.5 million home for the Department of Social Services and the Health Department, didn't rely enough on the input of residents, Weiller said.
"With the way our economy is and the high unemployment rates, that's not responsible," she said.
For Bollinger, who said he is running in a block with Ben Griffin and Rob Bratcher, the new DSS and Health Department building and other construction projects, including the courthouse and county offices renovations, are reflections that commissioners "aren't looking down the road."
"There's no long-range budget," he said. "They are just reacting from year to year."
Thuss, however, said commissioners have not only been looking at the budget beyond 2008, but are looking at ways to improve life in Caldwell.
"I do what I feel is best for the citizens of this county," he said. And if that is not what they want, I have an R.V. I'll get in and boogie out of here."
Who has filed?
Republicans
Clay B. Bollinger of Granite Falls
Rob Bratcher of Lenoir
Steven Fekete Jr. of Lenoir
Ben Griffin of Lenoir
Faye R. Higgins of Lenoir (i)
Bill Oxford of Lenoir
John W. Thuss of Lenoir (i)
Arnold Wilson of Granite Falls
Democrats
L.C. Coonse of Granite Falls
Randy Church of Lenoir
Jerry Cecil Coffey of Lenoir
Timothy Shore of Hudson
Barbara Weiller of Lenoir
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Leader of N.C. Hmong Association will step down
Yang to host radio show, publish newspapers
Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Tong Yang, who has led the United Hmong Association of N.C. for eight years, is stepping down from his post as executive director to host a local radio program and publish a bilingual Hmong newspaper.
Yang, 38, has acted as a liaison between the Hmong community in Western North Carolina and government and law enforcement and has helped foster cultural understanding of the Hmong, who fled Laos following the Vietnam War. About 15,000 Hmong settled in North Carolina since the late 1970s.
In the three decades since, they have been trying to make North Carolina their home without losing their Southeast Asian identity. In 2006, Yang and the association released a report identifying the social and cultural needs of their community, focusing on education, health care and relationships with law enforcement and other government agencies.
In addition to hosting "Hmong Talk" on WCXN 1170 AM in Hickory and publishing Hmong Journal, Yang will work as a consultant with Cultural Insights, a competency training firm in Winston-Salem.
Yang came to the United States in 1988, and in 1998 received a master's in business administration from Wayne State University in Detroit. His last day was Friday.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Tong Yang, who has led the United Hmong Association of N.C. for eight years, is stepping down from his post as executive director to host a local radio program and publish a bilingual Hmong newspaper.
Yang, 38, has acted as a liaison between the Hmong community in Western North Carolina and government and law enforcement and has helped foster cultural understanding of the Hmong, who fled Laos following the Vietnam War. About 15,000 Hmong settled in North Carolina since the late 1970s.
In the three decades since, they have been trying to make North Carolina their home without losing their Southeast Asian identity. In 2006, Yang and the association released a report identifying the social and cultural needs of their community, focusing on education, health care and relationships with law enforcement and other government agencies.
In addition to hosting "Hmong Talk" on WCXN 1170 AM in Hickory and publishing Hmong Journal, Yang will work as a consultant with Cultural Insights, a competency training firm in Winston-Salem.
Yang came to the United States in 1988, and in 1998 received a master's in business administration from Wayne State University in Detroit. His last day was Friday.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/13/08
Man charged with exposure after incident in Wal-Mart
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Burke County man was charged Tuesday with exposing himself in a Wal-Mart over the weekend, authorities said.
Phillip Wayne Black, 68, was arrested on a warrant charging him with indecent exposure.
About 7:15 p.m. Sunday, a woman shopping at the Hickory Wal-Mart saw a man in the store's electronics section with his pants unzipped, according to the Hickory Police Department. She said he was looking at two young girls and touching his genitals.
The woman told the girls to leave the area, police said, and contacted Wal-Mart security to call the police. Hickory police said they tried talking with Black at the store, but he would not talk about the incident and left.
Police later found evidence that allowed them to issue a warrant for Black's arrest, but they would not say what it was.
Black was picked up by Burke County deputies shortly after midnight Tuesday and charged by Hickory police.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Burke County man was charged Tuesday with exposing himself in a Wal-Mart over the weekend, authorities said.
Phillip Wayne Black, 68, was arrested on a warrant charging him with indecent exposure.
About 7:15 p.m. Sunday, a woman shopping at the Hickory Wal-Mart saw a man in the store's electronics section with his pants unzipped, according to the Hickory Police Department. She said he was looking at two young girls and touching his genitals.
The woman told the girls to leave the area, police said, and contacted Wal-Mart security to call the police. Hickory police said they tried talking with Black at the store, but he would not talk about the incident and left.
Police later found evidence that allowed them to issue a warrant for Black's arrest, but they would not say what it was.
Black was picked up by Burke County deputies shortly after midnight Tuesday and charged by Hickory police.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/10/08
Clinic expands hours of caring
New funding allows Good Samaritan to operate 5 days a week
Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Last week, for the first time, Doug Sharrow had an appointment at Burke County's free medical clinic.
The residual pain from a cancer-related surgery two years earlier had been getting worse, forcing Sharrow to the emergency room several times a year. And with the average hospital visit costing about $2,000, it didn't take long for Sharrow, who doesn't have health insurance, to build $34,000 in medical debt.
He had tried to get into the county's free Good Samaritan Clinic several times before, but the part-time facility only had enough funding to take in a few new patients a month, and Sharrow's name was never picked in the monthly drawing.
But on Monday, two weeks after the clinic expanded from fours hours a week to full time, Sharrow had an appointment. And for the first time in several years, it cost him nothing.
On Jan. 22, the Good Samaritan Clinic, a Christian-based, nonprofit organization, opened its doors full time to uninsured Burke County residents needing medical help and, in the past week, set up about 70 appointments with a new staff doctor and volunteer physicians, said office manager Katie Hayward.
Previously, she said, limited funding allowed the clinic, which receives private and public donations, to see only about three new patients a week, even though several dozen more had submitted applications. Now, doctors are seeing about three patients an hour.
"There are so many people that have such a large need and for many different reasons have fallen into situations where health care isn't available," Hayward said. "I've had two patients come in and tell me that before we went full time, they were just waiting to die."
But local and private grants, as well as several fundraisers, Hayward said, have allowed the adults-only clinic to secure enough funding to go from being open two nights a week to holding regular office hours Monday through Friday.
Dr. Tammy Boyd, the new full-time physician, has been volunteering at the clinic since she moved to Burke County in March 2005 and now works with a volunteer doctor, Dr. Robert Leo, during the week. Together, she said, they can see as many as 60 patients a day.
Patients qualify for long-term help at the clinic if they live in Burke County, meet certain income requirements and can show they do not have health insurance, veteran benefits, Medicaid or Medicare.
Exams, treatment and medications are free, and the clinic often refers patients to private medical specialists, such as cardiologists, in the community, said Boyd, a 2001 Eastern Carolina University medical school graduate who previously worked in a Morganton private practice.
When those services aren't free, she said, patients might have to qualify for charity assistance through the hospital or work out a payment plan.
About 90,000 people live in Burke County, and of those, more than 17,000 do not have any health insurance or other medical financial help, including Medicaid and Medicare, according to the county health department.
"It's a population that has been neglected and hasn't had the money to cover their health care," said Boyd.
"Many times they have chronic problems that have been ignored and now, they're getting the help they need."
Want to help?
The Good Samaritan Clinic needs volunteers to help with new patient screenings, as well as volunteer nurses and other medical professionals. If you want to donate something other than your time, the clinic is also asking for financial donations, copy and computer paper, legal-size envelopes, snacks for volunteers, paper plates and cups, plastic utensils and coffee filters.
For more information, contact office manager Katie Hayward. 305 W. Union St., Morganton 28655, 828-439-9948.
About the Good Samaritan Clinic
The clinic is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and holds evening hours from 5:30 until 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. All uninsured Burke County adults will be seen initially but are required to fill out an application, show identification and go through a screening with office staff beforehand, said office manager Katie Hayward.
After the first visit with a doctor, patients will be asked to verify their residency and income and provide proof that they are uninsured before they can become a permanent patient at the clinic.
For more information, call 828-439-9948.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Last week, for the first time, Doug Sharrow had an appointment at Burke County's free medical clinic.
The residual pain from a cancer-related surgery two years earlier had been getting worse, forcing Sharrow to the emergency room several times a year. And with the average hospital visit costing about $2,000, it didn't take long for Sharrow, who doesn't have health insurance, to build $34,000 in medical debt.
He had tried to get into the county's free Good Samaritan Clinic several times before, but the part-time facility only had enough funding to take in a few new patients a month, and Sharrow's name was never picked in the monthly drawing.
But on Monday, two weeks after the clinic expanded from fours hours a week to full time, Sharrow had an appointment. And for the first time in several years, it cost him nothing.
On Jan. 22, the Good Samaritan Clinic, a Christian-based, nonprofit organization, opened its doors full time to uninsured Burke County residents needing medical help and, in the past week, set up about 70 appointments with a new staff doctor and volunteer physicians, said office manager Katie Hayward.
Previously, she said, limited funding allowed the clinic, which receives private and public donations, to see only about three new patients a week, even though several dozen more had submitted applications. Now, doctors are seeing about three patients an hour.
"There are so many people that have such a large need and for many different reasons have fallen into situations where health care isn't available," Hayward said. "I've had two patients come in and tell me that before we went full time, they were just waiting to die."
But local and private grants, as well as several fundraisers, Hayward said, have allowed the adults-only clinic to secure enough funding to go from being open two nights a week to holding regular office hours Monday through Friday.
Dr. Tammy Boyd, the new full-time physician, has been volunteering at the clinic since she moved to Burke County in March 2005 and now works with a volunteer doctor, Dr. Robert Leo, during the week. Together, she said, they can see as many as 60 patients a day.
Patients qualify for long-term help at the clinic if they live in Burke County, meet certain income requirements and can show they do not have health insurance, veteran benefits, Medicaid or Medicare.
Exams, treatment and medications are free, and the clinic often refers patients to private medical specialists, such as cardiologists, in the community, said Boyd, a 2001 Eastern Carolina University medical school graduate who previously worked in a Morganton private practice.
When those services aren't free, she said, patients might have to qualify for charity assistance through the hospital or work out a payment plan.
About 90,000 people live in Burke County, and of those, more than 17,000 do not have any health insurance or other medical financial help, including Medicaid and Medicare, according to the county health department.
"It's a population that has been neglected and hasn't had the money to cover their health care," said Boyd.
"Many times they have chronic problems that have been ignored and now, they're getting the help they need."
Want to help?
The Good Samaritan Clinic needs volunteers to help with new patient screenings, as well as volunteer nurses and other medical professionals. If you want to donate something other than your time, the clinic is also asking for financial donations, copy and computer paper, legal-size envelopes, snacks for volunteers, paper plates and cups, plastic utensils and coffee filters.
For more information, contact office manager Katie Hayward. 305 W. Union St., Morganton 28655, 828-439-9948.
About the Good Samaritan Clinic
The clinic is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and holds evening hours from 5:30 until 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. All uninsured Burke County adults will be seen initially but are required to fill out an application, show identification and go through a screening with office staff beforehand, said office manager Katie Hayward.
After the first visit with a doctor, patients will be asked to verify their residency and income and provide proof that they are uninsured before they can become a permanent patient at the clinic.
For more information, call 828-439-9948.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/7/08
Burke OKs shift of mental services to Catawba
Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
MORGANTON -- Burke County commissioners Tuesday approved a formal plan for merging mental health services with Catawba County this summer.
The plan, which was formalized after several months of discussions between Burke and Catawba counties, outlines the strategy for combining mental health services, establishes bylaws and designates a governing structure for the new agency.
The board approved the plan 4-1 Tuesday, with commissioner Ruth Ann Suttle voting against it.
In March, commissioners voted to withdraw from Foothills Area Programs, the organization that administered mental health services in Burke and three other counties, and to merge with Catawba County's mental health agency.
Since then, representatives from each county have been meeting to talk about merger details, including budget, employee benefits and structure of the agency. The permanent merger is effective July 1.
Changes in state law last year required local mental health service agencies to serve populations of at least 200,000. The Burke-Catawba agency would serve about 241,000 people.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
MORGANTON -- Burke County commissioners Tuesday approved a formal plan for merging mental health services with Catawba County this summer.
The plan, which was formalized after several months of discussions between Burke and Catawba counties, outlines the strategy for combining mental health services, establishes bylaws and designates a governing structure for the new agency.
The board approved the plan 4-1 Tuesday, with commissioner Ruth Ann Suttle voting against it.
In March, commissioners voted to withdraw from Foothills Area Programs, the organization that administered mental health services in Burke and three other counties, and to merge with Catawba County's mental health agency.
Since then, representatives from each county have been meeting to talk about merger details, including budget, employee benefits and structure of the agency. The permanent merger is effective July 1.
Changes in state law last year required local mental health service agencies to serve populations of at least 200,000. The Burke-Catawba agency would serve about 241,000 people.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Sales tax on Burke ballot
Quarter-cent increase up for November vote may raise $1 million
Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
MORGANTON -- Burke County voters will vote in November on a quarter-cent sales tax increase to improve public water and stave off an increase in property taxes.
Burke commissioners agreed Tuesday to hold a sales-tax referendum on the ballot during the general election Nov. 4.
The decision passed 4-1, with Maynard Taylor voting against the referendum.
If approved, the sales tax increase could raise more than $1 million a year, which could be used to improve the county's public water infrastructure, said Commissioner Jack Carroll.
"We're talking about (putting this toward) a county project," he said. "If it's not passed, the only alternative we have ... to address this issue is property tax."
If voters don't pass the referendum, Carroll said, commissioners may later be forced to raise property taxes an additional 2 cents per $100 valuation.
Burke is the third county in the Catawba Valley to propose raising sales taxes since state lawmakers agreed to let counties include the measure on the ballot as a way to generate additional income.
Alexander County voters passed a similar referendum in January, and in November, Catawba County overwhelmingly approved a quarter-cent sales tax hike.
Commissioners decided to delay the vote until November, said Commission Chairman Wayne Abele, because they wanted to reach as many Burke residents as possible and are expecting more voters to participate in the general election than the May primary.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
MORGANTON -- Burke County voters will vote in November on a quarter-cent sales tax increase to improve public water and stave off an increase in property taxes.
Burke commissioners agreed Tuesday to hold a sales-tax referendum on the ballot during the general election Nov. 4.
The decision passed 4-1, with Maynard Taylor voting against the referendum.
If approved, the sales tax increase could raise more than $1 million a year, which could be used to improve the county's public water infrastructure, said Commissioner Jack Carroll.
"We're talking about (putting this toward) a county project," he said. "If it's not passed, the only alternative we have ... to address this issue is property tax."
If voters don't pass the referendum, Carroll said, commissioners may later be forced to raise property taxes an additional 2 cents per $100 valuation.
Burke is the third county in the Catawba Valley to propose raising sales taxes since state lawmakers agreed to let counties include the measure on the ballot as a way to generate additional income.
Alexander County voters passed a similar referendum in January, and in November, Catawba County overwhelmingly approved a quarter-cent sales tax hike.
Commissioners decided to delay the vote until November, said Commission Chairman Wayne Abele, because they wanted to reach as many Burke residents as possible and are expecting more voters to participate in the general election than the May primary.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/3/08
Residents fight planned call towers as view blockers
Officials say emergency communications system needs update for safety
Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
LENOIR -- A plan that would allow law enforcement and emergency workers to respond more quickly to calls is meeting strong opposition from some residents who don't want to see communication towers from their porches.
The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office has asked commissioners to finalize a plan to build a five-tower emergency communications system that would allow rescue workers and law enforcement to talk in even the most remote regions of the county.
As more people moved into isolated areas of the county, and trees and foliage have grown taller, emergency officials have encountered more problems reaching responders in those areas.
"Radio waves sometimes don't like to go around things," said Richard Jenkins, Sheriff's Office communications director. "And, now, there are fire departments out there that are only reaching about half of their (responders). This is not something we just choose to do - it's something we've needed to do for several years."
But the plan, which includes building a tower on St. Mark's Church Road near Blowing Rock, has received strong criticism from residents who say the proposed 195-foot structure would lessen property values and taint the view from their homes and from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
"We're promoting the high country as being a gateway to the mountains," Denise Drum, who lives on St. Mark's Church Road, said at last week's commissioners meeting. "Don't kill our golden egg with (putting) towers in our beautiful hiking areas."
About a dozen residents of the Blackberry community, where one of the towers would be built, asked commissioners to consider other options, including building more, smaller towers or building on top of the water tower in Blowing Rock instead.
Jenkins said planners and consultants from Motorola, the company building the towers, said the Blowing Rock water tower was the preferred option. But town officials did not support the proposal, so the county did not make a formal request.
They also exhausted several options for other sites, he said, and found that only a few that would allow the system to work properly.
The St. Mark's Church Road site, he said, would bring better coverage to the east and west sides of the county, including Happy Valley and Collettsville, which are surrounded by mountains and often get spotty transmission.
"It's the prime site that will cover both of those areas," he said. "I can't argue that we couldn't do this with smaller towers, but we would need 10 or 20 times the number of towers to (make this system work). It's just not practical to cover the county in dozens of 110-foot towers."
The five towers, some of which are already built, will be scattered throughout Caldwell, and three, including the St. Mark's Church Road tower, will be on private land leased by the county, Jenkins said. The towers need to be built high enough, Jenkins said, that signals can be sent between each structure and cover the entire county.
It would also allow the county to operate on the state's Viper system, which allows every county in North Carolina to communicate.
Commissioner John Thuss said he understand that nobody wants to see towers marking the county's landscape, he also said the need for emergency officials to communicate is paramount.
"This is about people's lives, whether it be tracking a criminal or getting someone to the hospital," he said. "This is not about cell phones and people being interrupted as they go up and down the mountain."
Previous battles
This isn't the first time Caldwell County commissioners have battled residents opposing 250-foot communications towers. In 1999, when residents argued that cell phone towers would taint the view from their Blowing Rock porches and lessen property values, the county froze construction and looked at regulations that would dictate cell phone tower height, as well as distance from property lines and other towers.
In 2000, after six months of heated debate with some residents, commissioners adopted an ordinance that required cell phone towers to be no taller than 110 feet and strongly encouraged "concealment" technology, which could include putting communication devices on top of steeples, water towers and flag poles and areas within a quarter-mile of a residential zone.
The proposed plan to build five emergency communication towers, commissioners said, is not meant to improve commercial cell phone service and, therefore, not bound by the 2000 ordinance.
Where are the towers?
Three of the five new towers have already been built: a 450-foot tower at the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office in Lenoir, a 270-foot tower on Hibriten Mountain, and one on top of the Granite Falls water tower, which reaches a total height of 150 feet.
The Sheriff's Office has also recommended the county build a 195-foot tower on St. Mark's Church Road and one on Butte Mountain, on Zack's Fork Road, that would not exceed 200 feet.
The project will cost $6.5 million. Four of the towers would be owned by the county, and the Butte Mountain tower would be owned by the state, which will invest $1.1 million in the project in Caldwell County, Jenkins said.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
LENOIR -- A plan that would allow law enforcement and emergency workers to respond more quickly to calls is meeting strong opposition from some residents who don't want to see communication towers from their porches.
The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office has asked commissioners to finalize a plan to build a five-tower emergency communications system that would allow rescue workers and law enforcement to talk in even the most remote regions of the county.
As more people moved into isolated areas of the county, and trees and foliage have grown taller, emergency officials have encountered more problems reaching responders in those areas.
"Radio waves sometimes don't like to go around things," said Richard Jenkins, Sheriff's Office communications director. "And, now, there are fire departments out there that are only reaching about half of their (responders). This is not something we just choose to do - it's something we've needed to do for several years."
But the plan, which includes building a tower on St. Mark's Church Road near Blowing Rock, has received strong criticism from residents who say the proposed 195-foot structure would lessen property values and taint the view from their homes and from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
"We're promoting the high country as being a gateway to the mountains," Denise Drum, who lives on St. Mark's Church Road, said at last week's commissioners meeting. "Don't kill our golden egg with (putting) towers in our beautiful hiking areas."
About a dozen residents of the Blackberry community, where one of the towers would be built, asked commissioners to consider other options, including building more, smaller towers or building on top of the water tower in Blowing Rock instead.
Jenkins said planners and consultants from Motorola, the company building the towers, said the Blowing Rock water tower was the preferred option. But town officials did not support the proposal, so the county did not make a formal request.
They also exhausted several options for other sites, he said, and found that only a few that would allow the system to work properly.
The St. Mark's Church Road site, he said, would bring better coverage to the east and west sides of the county, including Happy Valley and Collettsville, which are surrounded by mountains and often get spotty transmission.
"It's the prime site that will cover both of those areas," he said. "I can't argue that we couldn't do this with smaller towers, but we would need 10 or 20 times the number of towers to (make this system work). It's just not practical to cover the county in dozens of 110-foot towers."
The five towers, some of which are already built, will be scattered throughout Caldwell, and three, including the St. Mark's Church Road tower, will be on private land leased by the county, Jenkins said. The towers need to be built high enough, Jenkins said, that signals can be sent between each structure and cover the entire county.
It would also allow the county to operate on the state's Viper system, which allows every county in North Carolina to communicate.
Commissioner John Thuss said he understand that nobody wants to see towers marking the county's landscape, he also said the need for emergency officials to communicate is paramount.
"This is about people's lives, whether it be tracking a criminal or getting someone to the hospital," he said. "This is not about cell phones and people being interrupted as they go up and down the mountain."
Previous battles
This isn't the first time Caldwell County commissioners have battled residents opposing 250-foot communications towers. In 1999, when residents argued that cell phone towers would taint the view from their Blowing Rock porches and lessen property values, the county froze construction and looked at regulations that would dictate cell phone tower height, as well as distance from property lines and other towers.
In 2000, after six months of heated debate with some residents, commissioners adopted an ordinance that required cell phone towers to be no taller than 110 feet and strongly encouraged "concealment" technology, which could include putting communication devices on top of steeples, water towers and flag poles and areas within a quarter-mile of a residential zone.
The proposed plan to build five emergency communication towers, commissioners said, is not meant to improve commercial cell phone service and, therefore, not bound by the 2000 ordinance.
Where are the towers?
Three of the five new towers have already been built: a 450-foot tower at the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office in Lenoir, a 270-foot tower on Hibriten Mountain, and one on top of the Granite Falls water tower, which reaches a total height of 150 feet.
The Sheriff's Office has also recommended the county build a 195-foot tower on St. Mark's Church Road and one on Butte Mountain, on Zack's Fork Road, that would not exceed 200 feet.
The project will cost $6.5 million. Four of the towers would be owned by the county, and the Butte Mountain tower would be owned by the state, which will invest $1.1 million in the project in Caldwell County, Jenkins said.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/2/08
Hickory merchant spots own stolen jewelry at his shop
Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Hickory store owner whose house was burglarized last week spotted his own property among some items a patron was trying to sell on Wednesday.
Ed Kanupp of Newton was in his shop, Goldsmith's jewelry repair in Hickory, on Wednesday, when a woman came in and tried to sell some gold and a few pieces of jewelry, Catawba County Sheriff's Office Maj. Coy Reid said.
Kanupp immediately recognized them as some of the items stolen from his house on Jan. 25 and set off a silent alarm, calling Hickory police to the door.
Police detained the woman, and a man waiting for her in a car outside, Reid said, and notified the sheriff's office, which was investigating the break-in at Kanupp's home.
The sheriff's office charged Christopher Garrett, 21, and Christina Belle Webb, 33, both of Hickory, with breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen property.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Hickory store owner whose house was burglarized last week spotted his own property among some items a patron was trying to sell on Wednesday.
Ed Kanupp of Newton was in his shop, Goldsmith's jewelry repair in Hickory, on Wednesday, when a woman came in and tried to sell some gold and a few pieces of jewelry, Catawba County Sheriff's Office Maj. Coy Reid said.
Kanupp immediately recognized them as some of the items stolen from his house on Jan. 25 and set off a silent alarm, calling Hickory police to the door.
Police detained the woman, and a man waiting for her in a car outside, Reid said, and notified the sheriff's office, which was investigating the break-in at Kanupp's home.
The sheriff's office charged Christopher Garrett, 21, and Christina Belle Webb, 33, both of Hickory, with breaking and entering, larceny and possession of stolen property.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
2/1/08
Trucking company president accused of bribing IRS agent
Friday, Feb. 1, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Hickory trucking company president has been charged with bribing an Internal Revenue Service agent to reduce his tax liability.
Dan Iosif Kalman Baciu, who is known as Dan Kalman, was arrested Wednesday at his Hickory home and charged with two counts of bribery and two counts of paying an illegal gratuity to an IRS agent, said Suellen Pierce of the U.S. Justice Department.
The sealed indictment was filed in Charlotte's U.S. District Court on Jan. 24.
The IRS performed an audit of 40-year-old Kalman Baciu's 2005 federal income tax return and his reporting of income at his company, DNK Trucking, according to the Justice Department.
The indictment claims Kalman Baciu, in his first meeting with IRS officials, handed an agent a cash-filled envelope, which she refused. In a subsequent meeting, the indictment alleges, Kalman Baciu handed the IRS agent an envelope with $10,000 cash in it to persuade her to reduce his tax liability by $55,000 for the 2005 tax year, according to the Justice Department.
Kalman Baciu could face up to 30 years in prison and a $500,000 fine if convicted on all counts.
He was released Thursday on a $50,000 bond, and his next court date has not be scheduled, Pierce said.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
A Hickory trucking company president has been charged with bribing an Internal Revenue Service agent to reduce his tax liability.
Dan Iosif Kalman Baciu, who is known as Dan Kalman, was arrested Wednesday at his Hickory home and charged with two counts of bribery and two counts of paying an illegal gratuity to an IRS agent, said Suellen Pierce of the U.S. Justice Department.
The sealed indictment was filed in Charlotte's U.S. District Court on Jan. 24.
The IRS performed an audit of 40-year-old Kalman Baciu's 2005 federal income tax return and his reporting of income at his company, DNK Trucking, according to the Justice Department.
The indictment claims Kalman Baciu, in his first meeting with IRS officials, handed an agent a cash-filled envelope, which she refused. In a subsequent meeting, the indictment alleges, Kalman Baciu handed the IRS agent an envelope with $10,000 cash in it to persuade her to reduce his tax liability by $55,000 for the 2005 tax year, according to the Justice Department.
Kalman Baciu could face up to 30 years in prison and a $500,000 fine if convicted on all counts.
He was released Thursday on a $50,000 bond, and his next court date has not be scheduled, Pierce said.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
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