Group will sanction races at Tri-County
Move is expectde to be a draw for fans and driver and boost speedway's 'credibility fcator'
Sunday, March 30, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
HUDSON -- NASCAR is back in Caldwell County.
On Friday, a couple dozen drivers will line up at the Tri-County Motor Speedway, start their engines and launch the first NASCAR-sanctioned race the track has seen since 2000.
"This is going to be great," said Scott Hatton, who has been going to Tri-County races since the track opened in 1985. "Great for the drivers, great for the fans. Just great."
The speedway's 2008 season starts Friday, and this year brings to Hudson the prestige and allure of NASCAR, which recently sanctioned the 0.4-mile paved track as part of its short-course racing family.
"These tracks bring a level of competition and excitement to the fans that have become synonymous with NASCAR's short-track racing," said George Silbermann, managing director of NASCAR racing operations, in February.
Tri-County joins 59 other speedways across the country and six others in the state as a NASCAR-sanctioned short-course track. But it isn't the first time that Tri-County, which seats about 3,000 in the bleachers and several hundred more in trackside parking, has been part of the elite.
In 1986, in its second season, the speedway became the state's only NASCAR-sanctioned dirt track. Though it had sporadic NASCAR affiliation in its more than two-decade history, the track hasn't been part of the national association since 2000, said speedway General Manager Joe Lewandoski.
And the name recognition of NASCAR, he said, brings more authority.
"Everyone knows about NASCAR, and when you say you're NASCAR affiliated, that goes a long way," he said. "It brings a real credibility factor."
But Lewandoski is hoping it will bring more fans, too.
With three tracks - Tri-County, Antioch and Hickory - within 25 miles of each other and the bigger races televised throughout the season, it's tough to get people out to the track every Friday, he said.
"It's a challenge to get the NASCAR couch potato to come out and see real racing," Lewandoski said. "But if you're a big fan and you haven't seen a race at Tri-County or (the Hickory Motor Speedway), you need to get out there."
Now, with its NASCAR association, drivers who race at Tri-County will be eligible to compete for state and national championships in addition to the individual track titles.
If drivers do well, they could be looking at a $14,000 prize for a state title, $25,000 for the national title and $3,000 for titles at Tri-County and the Hickory Motor Speedway, which is also a NASCAR-sanctioned track.
And for Hatton, who led a crew at Tri-County for 15 years and is teaching his 3-year-old son everything he knows about the sport, bringing the prestige of NASCAR back is exciting.
"I've seen a lot of big names come through Tri-County (when it's been affiliated with) NASCAR," he said. "If you can tell someone you won at a NASCAR-sanctioned track, well that just means more."
Want to go?
NASCAR-sanctioned races at the Tri-County Motor Speedway begin Friday and run Friday nights though Sept. 5. The front gate and trackside parking open at 6 p.m., qualifying races start at 7 p.m. and the featured races begin at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for children ages 4-15 and free for children under 4. Family passes cost $25 and include admission for two adults and up to three kids.
Tri-County Motor Speedway is at 4405 Hickory Nut Ridge Road in Hudson. Details: call 828-726-6600 or visit www.tricountymotorspeed way.com.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
3/26/08
Hospital gets federal inspection
Medicaid, Medicare reinstatement at stake
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Federal inspectors Tuesday made a surprise visit to Broughton Hospital to do a complete review of the facility and its operations and possibly reinstate Medicaid and Medicare funding, state officials said.
Broughton has gone without Medicaid and Medicare funding since August, when the federal government halted payments amid concerns over a patient death and another patient injury.
If the Morganton hospital, one of the state's four mental-health facilities, passes inspection this week, funding could be reinstated within a few weeks, said Mark Van Sciver, spokesman for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
The cuts have cost Broughton about $1 million a month.
Van Sciver said state officials should know by Friday whether inspectors recommend reinstating Medicaid and Medicare funding. The federal inspection is expected to last the whole week.
Since August, a team of state doctors and consultants has been working at the hospital to identify and fix problems, reorganize clinical staff and retrain every employee, from housekeepers to doctors.
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.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Federal inspectors Tuesday made a surprise visit to Broughton Hospital to do a complete review of the facility and its operations and possibly reinstate Medicaid and Medicare funding, state officials said.
Broughton has gone without Medicaid and Medicare funding since August, when the federal government halted payments amid concerns over a patient death and another patient injury.
If the Morganton hospital, one of the state's four mental-health facilities, passes inspection this week, funding could be reinstated within a few weeks, said Mark Van Sciver, spokesman for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
The cuts have cost Broughton about $1 million a month.
Van Sciver said state officials should know by Friday whether inspectors recommend reinstating Medicaid and Medicare funding. The federal inspection is expected to last the whole week.
Since August, a team of state doctors and consultants has been working at the hospital to identify and fix problems, reorganize clinical staff and retrain every employee, from housekeepers to doctors.
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.
Authorities identify 2 men slain during March 19 home invasion
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Authorities have identified two men killed last week during a botched home invasion in Hickory.
Thomas Devon England, 23, of Hickory and 19-year-old William Justin Terrell Parsons of Taylorsville were shot to death March 19 after they forced their way into a home on 33rd Avenue in northeast Hickory around 11 p.m., according to the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.
England and Parsons, who were found dressed in black, wearing masks and with handguns, were killed by the homeowner, authorities said.
A warrant was taken out Thursday to search the house. The District Attorney's Office hasn't decided whether to charge the homeowner.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Authorities have identified two men killed last week during a botched home invasion in Hickory.
Thomas Devon England, 23, of Hickory and 19-year-old William Justin Terrell Parsons of Taylorsville were shot to death March 19 after they forced their way into a home on 33rd Avenue in northeast Hickory around 11 p.m., according to the Catawba County Sheriff's Office.
England and Parsons, who were found dressed in black, wearing masks and with handguns, were killed by the homeowner, authorities said.
A warrant was taken out Thursday to search the house. The District Attorney's Office hasn't decided whether to charge the homeowner.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
3/23/08
Incentive package -- denied
First time in over decade Caldwell board has turned down an eligible firm's request
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
LENOIR --Caldwell County commissioners last week did something they've never done before. They denied an eligible incentive package.
It was the first time in more than a decade -- since the incentive plan was adopted -- that the board has said no to a company's request to get an economic development tax break.
And that, said rejected developer Hunt Shuford, just doesn't make sense.
"I am not happy with Caldwell County," said Shuford, a Hickory-based developer who is planning on building a 48,000-square-foot medical complex on U.S. 321 in Lenoir. "It's a very shortsighted decision on their part. ... and I've been pretty well slapped around."
Since 1997, commissioners have approved 48 incentive requests to return a portion of property taxes for companies and developers promising to add to the tax base or bring jobs to the county.
Shuford and partner David Looper's incentive application was denied by a 3-2 vote, with Republican commissioners Herb Greene and Faye Higgins in favor of approving the deal.
It was the first and only request to be rejected that met the county's guidelines, and Shuford and Looper say they don't understand why commissioners Ron Beane, John Thuss and Don Barrier decided against their specific project.
"We're confused," Looper said. "I just don't have an understanding as to why they would chose to reject our application (and accept others)."
Shuford and Looper pitched their plan to commissioners in August and asked that the board OK incentives that would help defray the cost of building a $10 million complex on geographically challenging land. The unexpected rocky conditions, Shuford said, tacked on an additional $350,000 to the project's cost.
Based on Caldwell's tax rate and the project's anticipated cost, a "tier two" incentive would have returned $49,492 to Shuford and Looper each year for four years, said Alan Wood, the county's senior development manager. The project, he said, met the guidelines necessary to be eligible for an incentive package.
But, in the months leading up to last week's vote, the plan to build a medical complex that would add physician offices and possibly an urgent care center drew criticism from officials at Caldwell Memorial Hospital, the county's largest healthcare facility.
At a December public hearing, hospital President Laura Easton told commissioners that other developers have shown interest in building similar facilities without the lure of a tax break.
"There would be so many people who would be happy to come in and partner and be involved with real estate development," she told commissioners. "Our belief is that ... you can do this without economic incentives."
Barrier, who served on the hospital board before becoming a commissioner in 2006, said he voted against the project because it seemed as though the medical center would be built regardless of receiving a tax break.
"That's a reward, not an incentive," he said. "I'm not of the mind that we need to give incentives whenever someone wants to build something."
But Greene, who helped mold the incentive plan in 1997, said he voted in favor of incentives for the medical complex because it would increase the county's tax base, which has been hard hit in recent years with the closing of several factories.
"Any time a project would increase the tax base, we've given the incentive," he said. "I was doing what I've done for 11 years by voting for what the whole incentive plan was meant to do."
Shuford said he is still planning on building the complex and hopes to break ground within four to six weeks.
"I'm very disappointed," he said. "But we will build that building and we will market it to the whole health-care industry. Hospitals, physicians, urgent care. Everything is on the table."
48 incentive packages passed
Until last week, Caldwell County commissioners had passed every incentive request -- 48 in all -- made since 1997 by companies and builders promising to add to the county's tax base or bring jobs to the area. The incentives, according to the county development office, are awarded for three to five years.
Incentive recipients include furniture factories, veterinary hospitals, commercial buildings, a recreation facility and a Lowe's home improvement store.
The Google and Vantage Foods incentive packages are not included in the count, said Senior Development Manager Alan Wood, because the companies made agreements with the county that exceed five years.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
LENOIR --Caldwell County commissioners last week did something they've never done before. They denied an eligible incentive package.
It was the first time in more than a decade -- since the incentive plan was adopted -- that the board has said no to a company's request to get an economic development tax break.
And that, said rejected developer Hunt Shuford, just doesn't make sense.
"I am not happy with Caldwell County," said Shuford, a Hickory-based developer who is planning on building a 48,000-square-foot medical complex on U.S. 321 in Lenoir. "It's a very shortsighted decision on their part. ... and I've been pretty well slapped around."
Since 1997, commissioners have approved 48 incentive requests to return a portion of property taxes for companies and developers promising to add to the tax base or bring jobs to the county.
Shuford and partner David Looper's incentive application was denied by a 3-2 vote, with Republican commissioners Herb Greene and Faye Higgins in favor of approving the deal.
It was the first and only request to be rejected that met the county's guidelines, and Shuford and Looper say they don't understand why commissioners Ron Beane, John Thuss and Don Barrier decided against their specific project.
"We're confused," Looper said. "I just don't have an understanding as to why they would chose to reject our application (and accept others)."
Shuford and Looper pitched their plan to commissioners in August and asked that the board OK incentives that would help defray the cost of building a $10 million complex on geographically challenging land. The unexpected rocky conditions, Shuford said, tacked on an additional $350,000 to the project's cost.
Based on Caldwell's tax rate and the project's anticipated cost, a "tier two" incentive would have returned $49,492 to Shuford and Looper each year for four years, said Alan Wood, the county's senior development manager. The project, he said, met the guidelines necessary to be eligible for an incentive package.
But, in the months leading up to last week's vote, the plan to build a medical complex that would add physician offices and possibly an urgent care center drew criticism from officials at Caldwell Memorial Hospital, the county's largest healthcare facility.
At a December public hearing, hospital President Laura Easton told commissioners that other developers have shown interest in building similar facilities without the lure of a tax break.
"There would be so many people who would be happy to come in and partner and be involved with real estate development," she told commissioners. "Our belief is that ... you can do this without economic incentives."
Barrier, who served on the hospital board before becoming a commissioner in 2006, said he voted against the project because it seemed as though the medical center would be built regardless of receiving a tax break.
"That's a reward, not an incentive," he said. "I'm not of the mind that we need to give incentives whenever someone wants to build something."
But Greene, who helped mold the incentive plan in 1997, said he voted in favor of incentives for the medical complex because it would increase the county's tax base, which has been hard hit in recent years with the closing of several factories.
"Any time a project would increase the tax base, we've given the incentive," he said. "I was doing what I've done for 11 years by voting for what the whole incentive plan was meant to do."
Shuford said he is still planning on building the complex and hopes to break ground within four to six weeks.
"I'm very disappointed," he said. "But we will build that building and we will market it to the whole health-care industry. Hospitals, physicians, urgent care. Everything is on the table."
48 incentive packages passed
Until last week, Caldwell County commissioners had passed every incentive request -- 48 in all -- made since 1997 by companies and builders promising to add to the county's tax base or bring jobs to the area. The incentives, according to the county development office, are awarded for three to five years.
Incentive recipients include furniture factories, veterinary hospitals, commercial buildings, a recreation facility and a Lowe's home improvement store.
The Google and Vantage Foods incentive packages are not included in the count, said Senior Development Manager Alan Wood, because the companies made agreements with the county that exceed five years.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Name change for Lenoir-Rhyne: College will become `University'
Move meant to reflect school's expansion goals
Sunday, March 23, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
It's time for Hickory to become a university town.
Lenoir-Rhyne College, the Catawba Valley's only four-year school, is growing, and along with adding new buildings and broadening its curriculum, the institution is getting a name change, too.
Come August, students at the small, 117-year-old liberal arts college will be attending Lenoir-Rhyne University.
The move, approved by the school's board of trustees last week, is a reflection of the institution's expanding mission to bring more educational programs and serve a larger constituency, said President Wayne Powell.
"We were focusing on what kind of agenda we could build to help the school progress," he said. "We wanted to create more programming and do it in the context of the things that we are really strong at, and the (suggestion) to change the name came after that."
The Lutheran school, a private and liberal arts college, is now in a transition phase as amendments to its bylaws and charters are made, Powell said. He expects the plan to be complete by the 2008-09 school year.
Powell said the school hasn't set a specific goal for adding courses and increasing enrollment, but thinks Lenoir-Rhyne will see about 10 new academic programs within five years.
The first, a master's track in sports management, is expected to start in the fall. Other programs, including a health care curriculum and expanded business, religious studies and education tracks, are to begin within a few years.
Lenoir-Rhyne is already planing a $50 million expansion to include a science complex, an overhaul of the student center and new and renovated housing.
"When you add programs, you add students and facilities and faculty," Powell said.
Currently, he said, 1,628 students are enrolled, but current campus amenities could accommodate about 2,500.
But the move isn't sitting well with everyone on campus.
Students and alumni are split on how it will affect the way people look at a school that has built a reputation on small classes and an intimate and close-knit campus community.
While some have argued that the changes could bring a new level of prestige, others worry that changing the college's name could alter its identity.
"I think it complicates and compromises the school's tradition and the mission," said 2006 graduate Silas Webb. "The word `college' is more indicative of the small, liberal arts environment. If (students) wanted to go to a bigger school, they would have. People pick (Lenoir-Rhyne) because of what it offers."
About 114 students and alumni have joined Webb's "Students for Lenoir-Rhyne College" on the networking Web site Facebook, and have been debating in the online forum.
"I just don't think the word `college' is limiting," Webb said. "My sense is that it can be a college and be a very rigorous academic environment."
But freshman Jacob Thie, who sat in on focus groups and staff meetings, likes the plan.
"They're looking to build on what we have now and not necessarily make Lenoir-Rhyne become a big university," he said.
Thie, who graduated from Bandys High School in 2007 and is studying outdoor personal and religious development, said he's looking forward to seeing more variety in the curriculum.
But he's looking forward to the name change, too, he said.
"If nothing else, `Lenoir-Rhyne University' just sounds better," Thie said. "The university name is just going to enhance any degree you have. I'd rather graduate from a university than a college any day."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
It's time for Hickory to become a university town.
Lenoir-Rhyne College, the Catawba Valley's only four-year school, is growing, and along with adding new buildings and broadening its curriculum, the institution is getting a name change, too.
Come August, students at the small, 117-year-old liberal arts college will be attending Lenoir-Rhyne University.
The move, approved by the school's board of trustees last week, is a reflection of the institution's expanding mission to bring more educational programs and serve a larger constituency, said President Wayne Powell.
"We were focusing on what kind of agenda we could build to help the school progress," he said. "We wanted to create more programming and do it in the context of the things that we are really strong at, and the (suggestion) to change the name came after that."
The Lutheran school, a private and liberal arts college, is now in a transition phase as amendments to its bylaws and charters are made, Powell said. He expects the plan to be complete by the 2008-09 school year.
Powell said the school hasn't set a specific goal for adding courses and increasing enrollment, but thinks Lenoir-Rhyne will see about 10 new academic programs within five years.
The first, a master's track in sports management, is expected to start in the fall. Other programs, including a health care curriculum and expanded business, religious studies and education tracks, are to begin within a few years.
Lenoir-Rhyne is already planing a $50 million expansion to include a science complex, an overhaul of the student center and new and renovated housing.
"When you add programs, you add students and facilities and faculty," Powell said.
Currently, he said, 1,628 students are enrolled, but current campus amenities could accommodate about 2,500.
But the move isn't sitting well with everyone on campus.
Students and alumni are split on how it will affect the way people look at a school that has built a reputation on small classes and an intimate and close-knit campus community.
While some have argued that the changes could bring a new level of prestige, others worry that changing the college's name could alter its identity.
"I think it complicates and compromises the school's tradition and the mission," said 2006 graduate Silas Webb. "The word `college' is more indicative of the small, liberal arts environment. If (students) wanted to go to a bigger school, they would have. People pick (Lenoir-Rhyne) because of what it offers."
About 114 students and alumni have joined Webb's "Students for Lenoir-Rhyne College" on the networking Web site Facebook, and have been debating in the online forum.
"I just don't think the word `college' is limiting," Webb said. "My sense is that it can be a college and be a very rigorous academic environment."
But freshman Jacob Thie, who sat in on focus groups and staff meetings, likes the plan.
"They're looking to build on what we have now and not necessarily make Lenoir-Rhyne become a big university," he said.
Thie, who graduated from Bandys High School in 2007 and is studying outdoor personal and religious development, said he's looking forward to seeing more variety in the curriculum.
But he's looking forward to the name change, too, he said.
"If nothing else, `Lenoir-Rhyne University' just sounds better," Thie said. "The university name is just going to enhance any degree you have. I'd rather graduate from a university than a college any day."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
3/7/08
Caregiver charged with murder after 2-year-old boy dies
Friday, March 7, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
The caregiver of a 2-year-old boy who died last week is now facing murder charges, Newton police said.
Armando Hernandez Martinez was charged Thursday in the killing of Ethan Miguel Gibbs, who died Feb. 28 after a day in critical condition, said Sgt. Tracey Cline of the Newton Police Department.
The boy, Cline said, had a fractured skull, swelling and bleeding of the brain and bruises and cuts across his body. He also had what appeared to be human bite marks on his body. Cline would not say where he had been bitten.
Before Ethan died, Martinez, 27, had been charged with felony child abuse after the Catawba County Department of Social Services reported the child's injuries to police.
Martinez, who is not related to Ethan, was being held without bond Thursday at the Catawba County jail.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
The caregiver of a 2-year-old boy who died last week is now facing murder charges, Newton police said.
Armando Hernandez Martinez was charged Thursday in the killing of Ethan Miguel Gibbs, who died Feb. 28 after a day in critical condition, said Sgt. Tracey Cline of the Newton Police Department.
The boy, Cline said, had a fractured skull, swelling and bleeding of the brain and bruises and cuts across his body. He also had what appeared to be human bite marks on his body. Cline would not say where he had been bitten.
Before Ethan died, Martinez, 27, had been charged with felony child abuse after the Catawba County Department of Social Services reported the child's injuries to police.
Martinez, who is not related to Ethan, was being held without bond Thursday at the Catawba County jail.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
TV show honors SWAT team member injured in standoff
Friday, March 7, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
The Burke County Sheriff's Office has long agreed that Martin Lawing is an all-star, but now he's getting some national credit too.
Lawing, a SWAT team member who was critically shot in a December standoff, has been nominated as one of "America's Most Wanted" All-Stars, which honor first responders who go above and beyond.
Lawing, a 31-year-old former Army Ranger, was shot in the neck Dec. 11 during a standoff and has since undergone several surgeries. Doctors are unsure if he'll walk again.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
The Burke County Sheriff's Office has long agreed that Martin Lawing is an all-star, but now he's getting some national credit too.
Lawing, a SWAT team member who was critically shot in a December standoff, has been nominated as one of "America's Most Wanted" All-Stars, which honor first responders who go above and beyond.
Lawing, a 31-year-old former Army Ranger, was shot in the neck Dec. 11 during a standoff and has since undergone several surgeries. Doctors are unsure if he'll walk again.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
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