Aug. 31, 2008
By Taylor K. Vecsey and Marcie Young
New York Post
A pair of Long Islanders went toe-to-toe with a gator yesterday.
Lucky for them, the critter was a 33-inch toddler.
Ron Settino, a 63-year-old retiree from Franklin Square, said he'd spotted the American alligator dozens of times in a Hewlett pond since March.
Settino got a hand from fishing buddy, 20-year-old Jared Baglietto.
The duo wrapped some black electrical tape around the animal's jaw until wildlife officials could arrive.
All content © THE NEW YORK POST and may not be republished without permission.
8/24/08
Text marks the spat for Obama fans
3 a.m. news a very rude awakening
Aug. 24, 2008
By Ginger Adams Otis and Marcie Young
New York Post
OMG . . . It's 3 a.m. R U awake?
Maceo Brown wasn't.
The 25-year-old from Harlem was jolted out of a deep sleep in the wee hours yesterday by a text message from Barack Obama telling him that Joe Biden was his vice-presidential pick.
"It was the first time I've been upset with Obama in a long time, because he woke me up," Brown said yesterday.
"I got up and spent a lot of time on the computer - and I could have spent that time sleeping!" Brown joked.
He added that he's an avid Obama supporter and had been hoping to hear the news before it reached the mainstream media.
Jennifer Miles, 47, was also roused by Obama's late-night message, but she wanted the heads-up.
"I had the phone under my pillow waiting for the text," the interior designer from Harlem said.
"It's not usually there," she said.
The Obama camp isn't talking about when it decided to roll out its text and e-mail messages - but it failed in its goal to reach supporters before it hit the mainstream media.
"My feeling is that they had to speed things up by a few hours once it started to leak around midnight that it was Biden," said a source close to the Obama camp. "They were ready to go, but probably would have preferred to do it a little later."
Benjamin Cook was awake in Illinois when his text came in around 2:45 a.m.
At the time, he was waiting for a friend to keep him posted.
"My first reaction when I read the text was, what in the world is [Obama] doing sending out a text in the middle of the night?"
He assumed Obama was having fun with Hillary Rodham Clinton's infamous "red phone" ad that asked voters who should be in the White House for a 3 a.m. emergency.
"It seems like sort of a slam to Clinton. I don't know what that's going to do for party unity, but it's pretty funny," Cook said.
All content © THE NEW YORK POST and may not be republished without permission.
Aug. 24, 2008
By Ginger Adams Otis and Marcie Young
New York Post
OMG . . . It's 3 a.m. R U awake?
Maceo Brown wasn't.
The 25-year-old from Harlem was jolted out of a deep sleep in the wee hours yesterday by a text message from Barack Obama telling him that Joe Biden was his vice-presidential pick.
"It was the first time I've been upset with Obama in a long time, because he woke me up," Brown said yesterday.
"I got up and spent a lot of time on the computer - and I could have spent that time sleeping!" Brown joked.
He added that he's an avid Obama supporter and had been hoping to hear the news before it reached the mainstream media.
Jennifer Miles, 47, was also roused by Obama's late-night message, but she wanted the heads-up.
"I had the phone under my pillow waiting for the text," the interior designer from Harlem said.
"It's not usually there," she said.
The Obama camp isn't talking about when it decided to roll out its text and e-mail messages - but it failed in its goal to reach supporters before it hit the mainstream media.
"My feeling is that they had to speed things up by a few hours once it started to leak around midnight that it was Biden," said a source close to the Obama camp. "They were ready to go, but probably would have preferred to do it a little later."
Benjamin Cook was awake in Illinois when his text came in around 2:45 a.m.
At the time, he was waiting for a friend to keep him posted.
"My first reaction when I read the text was, what in the world is [Obama] doing sending out a text in the middle of the night?"
He assumed Obama was having fun with Hillary Rodham Clinton's infamous "red phone" ad that asked voters who should be in the White House for a 3 a.m. emergency.
"It seems like sort of a slam to Clinton. I don't know what that's going to do for party unity, but it's pretty funny," Cook said.
All content © THE NEW YORK POST and may not be republished without permission.
5/8/08
Falls through skylights injure 2 officers
Police saw a ladder, suspected a break-in
May 8, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Two police officers in Catawba County were injured early Wednesday morning, one seriously, when they fell through a roof.
The Longview officers were looking into what they thought was a break-in just after 4 a.m. at E.L. Hilts & Co., a roofing equipment and tools company. They had noticed an unlocked gate and a ladder leading to the roof, said Longview Police Chief Cecil Rogers.
One officer scaled the ladder first and fell through the roof while the other officer looked around the outside of the building, Rogers said. When the second officer couldn't get in touch with his colleague, he climbed onto the roof to look for him, Rogers said.
Two fiberglass-like skylights had been painted over with a sealant that matched the color of the roof, Rogers said, and when the officers stepped on the patches, the skylights gave way.
The first officer, Sgt. Michael Ford, fell about 20 feet to the ground. He received serious head injuries and was airlifted to Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem where he was listed in critical condition Wednesday night.
The second officer, Abelardo Maldonado, landed on a stairwell banister and was not seriously hurt.
Maldonado, who has been with Longview for more than two years, was treated and released at a Hickory hospital.
Police learned later that an employee who had been working on the roof had left the gate unlocked and a ladder leaning against the building.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
May 8, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Two police officers in Catawba County were injured early Wednesday morning, one seriously, when they fell through a roof.
The Longview officers were looking into what they thought was a break-in just after 4 a.m. at E.L. Hilts & Co., a roofing equipment and tools company. They had noticed an unlocked gate and a ladder leading to the roof, said Longview Police Chief Cecil Rogers.
One officer scaled the ladder first and fell through the roof while the other officer looked around the outside of the building, Rogers said. When the second officer couldn't get in touch with his colleague, he climbed onto the roof to look for him, Rogers said.
Two fiberglass-like skylights had been painted over with a sealant that matched the color of the roof, Rogers said, and when the officers stepped on the patches, the skylights gave way.
The first officer, Sgt. Michael Ford, fell about 20 feet to the ground. He received serious head injuries and was airlifted to Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem where he was listed in critical condition Wednesday night.
The second officer, Abelardo Maldonado, landed on a stairwell banister and was not seriously hurt.
Maldonado, who has been with Longview for more than two years, was treated and released at a Hickory hospital.
Police learned later that an employee who had been working on the roof had left the gate unlocked and a ladder leaning against the building.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
5/7/08
Property taxes an issue in several counties' races
Wed., May 7, 2008
By Marcie Young and Hannah Mitchell
Charlotte Observer Staff Writers
Caldwell County
A 22.2 percent hike in property taxes cost two Caldwell County commissioners their seats Tuesday during the GOP primary.
Incumbents John Thuss and Faye Higgins were defeated by challengers Clay Bollinger, Ben Griffin and Rob Bratcher. Three other Republican challengers - Bill Oxford, Arnold Wilson and Steven Fekete - did not secure enough votes in unofficial returns to win the party's nomination.
Bollinger received 4,251 votes, Griffin 3,648 and Bratcher received 3,442 votes, followed by Oxford with 2,015, Thuss with 1,497, Higgins with 1,452; Wilson with 1,297 and Fekete with 649.
The winners of the Republican primary will go on to face Barbara Weiller, Randy Church and L.C. Coonse, the top vote-getting Democrats for one of three open seats. Those candidates defeated Jerry Cecil Coffey and Timothy Shore for their party's nomination.
Weiller received 5,133 votes, Church 5,013 and Coonse 4,499.
Challengers also said current commissioners have made bad decisions, citing new county building construction, giving large companies tax breaks and the budget-planning process.
Alexander County
Alexander County chose Democratic and Republican commissioner nominees in Tuesday's primaries to advance to the November election.
Glenn Deal Jr. and Danny Price won the Democratic primary, defeating Lisa Rudisill Bradley, Scott Mitchell and Cody Teague. Deal received 2,612 votes, Price 2,173, Mitchell 1,119 , Bradley 964 and Teague 719.
In the Republican primary, newcomer Ryan Mayberry and incumbent Larry Yoder defeated incumbent William Hammer and newcomer Eric Bumgarner. Mayberry received 1,415 votes and Yoder got 1,353 votes, followed by Hammer with 1,239 votes and Bumgarner with 1,017 votes.
Candidates from both parties criticized the incumbents, saying the property tax rate is too high and spending on some projects unnecessary.
Burke County
Two Republican incumbents in Burke County and a retired law enforcement officer and farmer secured the party's nomination for the county board of commissioners in the general election in November.
With all but one precinct reporting, incumbents Maynard Taylor and Jack Carroll and retired Burke County deputy Gene Huffman defeated challenger Johnnie Carswell.
In the Democratic primary, Bruce Hawkins Sr., Steven Smith and Angela Deal defeated Leonard Ray and J. Pascal.
Deal withdrew from the race last week, but election officials said they could not remove her name because the ballot had already been printed. It was not clear Tuesday night who would be the party's third pick for the general election.
Candidates are vying for one of three open seats. Challengers from both parties have said recruiting industry and finding ways to replenish jobs in an area once controlled by furniture and hosiery factories are paramount.
Catawba County
Incumbents Barbara Beatty and Dan Hunsucker easily defeated challengers in Tuesday's GOP Catawba County commissioner primary.
Beatty and Hunsucker defeated challengers Jack Beach and Phillip Parlier to advance to the November general election, when they face Democrat George McClellan.
The challengers criticized the incumbents for raising the property tax rate last year. The increase came in a property tax revaluation year, creating a double-whammy effect. But the incumbents said they would keep the tax rate stable since voters approved a quarter-cent increase in the sales tax to help pay for services.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Marcie Young and Hannah Mitchell
Charlotte Observer Staff Writers
Caldwell County
A 22.2 percent hike in property taxes cost two Caldwell County commissioners their seats Tuesday during the GOP primary.
Incumbents John Thuss and Faye Higgins were defeated by challengers Clay Bollinger, Ben Griffin and Rob Bratcher. Three other Republican challengers - Bill Oxford, Arnold Wilson and Steven Fekete - did not secure enough votes in unofficial returns to win the party's nomination.
Bollinger received 4,251 votes, Griffin 3,648 and Bratcher received 3,442 votes, followed by Oxford with 2,015, Thuss with 1,497, Higgins with 1,452; Wilson with 1,297 and Fekete with 649.
The winners of the Republican primary will go on to face Barbara Weiller, Randy Church and L.C. Coonse, the top vote-getting Democrats for one of three open seats. Those candidates defeated Jerry Cecil Coffey and Timothy Shore for their party's nomination.
Weiller received 5,133 votes, Church 5,013 and Coonse 4,499.
Challengers also said current commissioners have made bad decisions, citing new county building construction, giving large companies tax breaks and the budget-planning process.
Alexander County
Alexander County chose Democratic and Republican commissioner nominees in Tuesday's primaries to advance to the November election.
Glenn Deal Jr. and Danny Price won the Democratic primary, defeating Lisa Rudisill Bradley, Scott Mitchell and Cody Teague. Deal received 2,612 votes, Price 2,173, Mitchell 1,119 , Bradley 964 and Teague 719.
In the Republican primary, newcomer Ryan Mayberry and incumbent Larry Yoder defeated incumbent William Hammer and newcomer Eric Bumgarner. Mayberry received 1,415 votes and Yoder got 1,353 votes, followed by Hammer with 1,239 votes and Bumgarner with 1,017 votes.
Candidates from both parties criticized the incumbents, saying the property tax rate is too high and spending on some projects unnecessary.
Burke County
Two Republican incumbents in Burke County and a retired law enforcement officer and farmer secured the party's nomination for the county board of commissioners in the general election in November.
With all but one precinct reporting, incumbents Maynard Taylor and Jack Carroll and retired Burke County deputy Gene Huffman defeated challenger Johnnie Carswell.
In the Democratic primary, Bruce Hawkins Sr., Steven Smith and Angela Deal defeated Leonard Ray and J. Pascal.
Deal withdrew from the race last week, but election officials said they could not remove her name because the ballot had already been printed. It was not clear Tuesday night who would be the party's third pick for the general election.
Candidates are vying for one of three open seats. Challengers from both parties have said recruiting industry and finding ways to replenish jobs in an area once controlled by furniture and hosiery factories are paramount.
Catawba County
Incumbents Barbara Beatty and Dan Hunsucker easily defeated challengers in Tuesday's GOP Catawba County commissioner primary.
Beatty and Hunsucker defeated challengers Jack Beach and Phillip Parlier to advance to the November general election, when they face Democrat George McClellan.
The challengers criticized the incumbents for raising the property tax rate last year. The increase came in a property tax revaluation year, creating a double-whammy effect. But the incumbents said they would keep the tax rate stable since voters approved a quarter-cent increase in the sales tax to help pay for services.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Allran survives challenger in 42nd; In 44th, Democrat Cates beats political newcomer
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
By Hannah Mitchell and Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writers
Longtime Republican state Sen. Austin Allran survived a serious primary challenge Tuesday from Catawba County commissioner Kitty Barnes, moving toward another two-year term representing the 42nd District.
No Democrats were running.
With all but three precincts reporting, Allran led 65 percent to Barnes' 35 percent.
The 42nd covers Catawba County and part of Iredell.
The race turned testy early, with Barnes accusing Allran of breaking a no-taxes pledge because he supported hotel occupancy tax increases requested by local governments, and with Allran calling Barnes a liberal.
In the short campaign season, Barnes portrayed Allran as out of touch with constituents, ineffective, and unwilling to work with the Democratic power structure in Raleigh to help the district.
Allran, who has served in the senate for 22 years, countered that Barnes has stymied economic development in Catawba County by being too eager to raise taxes and said she has no experience in state lawmaking.
Allran said he wants to develop the district's economy by working to cut the state's corporate and personal income tax rates to stimulate business while decreasing spending on economic incentives used to lure big corporations.
Senate District 44
In the neighboring 44th District, which serves Burke and Caldwell counties, a former Burke County commissioner beat out a political newcomer for the Democratic party's nomination.
Based on partial results, Jim Cates, a former schoolteacher who served as a Burke County commissioner for seven years before stepping down in 1985, easily defeated former Marine officer and truck driver Danny Hefner of Lenoir.
Cates, 70, will face Republican incumbent Jim Jacumin of Rutherford College. Jacumin, 71, is seeking his third term.
With all but 12 precincts reporting, Cates received 65 percent versus Hefner's 35 percent.
Cates, who lives in Morganton, said bringing new industry, finding ways to conserve energy, education and health care are big issues, and that he's focusing on listening to voters' concerns rather than pinpointing specific issues.
Hefner, 42, said he would like to focus on bringing more jobs and a better economy to a region hit hard by the recent exodus of furniture jobs, finding ways to provide affordable health care and better benefits for teachers.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
By Hannah Mitchell and Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writers
Longtime Republican state Sen. Austin Allran survived a serious primary challenge Tuesday from Catawba County commissioner Kitty Barnes, moving toward another two-year term representing the 42nd District.
No Democrats were running.
With all but three precincts reporting, Allran led 65 percent to Barnes' 35 percent.
The 42nd covers Catawba County and part of Iredell.
The race turned testy early, with Barnes accusing Allran of breaking a no-taxes pledge because he supported hotel occupancy tax increases requested by local governments, and with Allran calling Barnes a liberal.
In the short campaign season, Barnes portrayed Allran as out of touch with constituents, ineffective, and unwilling to work with the Democratic power structure in Raleigh to help the district.
Allran, who has served in the senate for 22 years, countered that Barnes has stymied economic development in Catawba County by being too eager to raise taxes and said she has no experience in state lawmaking.
Allran said he wants to develop the district's economy by working to cut the state's corporate and personal income tax rates to stimulate business while decreasing spending on economic incentives used to lure big corporations.
Senate District 44
In the neighboring 44th District, which serves Burke and Caldwell counties, a former Burke County commissioner beat out a political newcomer for the Democratic party's nomination.
Based on partial results, Jim Cates, a former schoolteacher who served as a Burke County commissioner for seven years before stepping down in 1985, easily defeated former Marine officer and truck driver Danny Hefner of Lenoir.
Cates, 70, will face Republican incumbent Jim Jacumin of Rutherford College. Jacumin, 71, is seeking his third term.
With all but 12 precincts reporting, Cates received 65 percent versus Hefner's 35 percent.
Cates, who lives in Morganton, said bringing new industry, finding ways to conserve energy, education and health care are big issues, and that he's focusing on listening to voters' concerns rather than pinpointing specific issues.
Hefner, 42, said he would like to focus on bringing more jobs and a better economy to a region hit hard by the recent exodus of furniture jobs, finding ways to provide affordable health care and better benefits for teachers.
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
5/4/08
Paid to train: recruits learn and earn
Chief says the process helps lure good officers
May 4, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
HICKORY - Anitra Maldonado was looking for a career change.
She had been working as a medical assistant for several years, but after returning from a stint in Kuwait with the Navy Reserves, the 31-year-old mother wanted to do something new.
Police work had always intrigued her, she said, but that required taking the basic law enforcement training course, which runs more than eight hours a day for four months. With three kids younger than 10, working a full-time job and being a full-time student just wasn't going to happen, she said.
But then, Maldonado heard that the Hickory Police Department was looking to recruit officers and would be willing to pay not just for the training course but a salary, too.
Maldonado applied - a lengthy process that includes a physical fitness test, drug screening, background check, polygraph and psychological assessment. When she graduates this month, she will already be a paid member of the Hickory police.
Covering the salaries for a select number of recruits to go through law enforcement training is one way the Hickory Police Department is expanding its applicant base in hopes of getting a more diverse pool of potential officers.
Five years ago, said Chief Tom Adkins, the Police Department was having a difficult time finding qualified applicants and needed an incentive to get people with life experience to join the force.
The problem, he said, is that those people often had families and couldn't afford to be out of work while they went through training.
So, in 2005, the Hickory Police Department decided to offer a full-time salary - reduced by 15 percent off the starting pay of about $30,000 a year - to one officer to go through the training and then join the force after graduation.
In the years since, Adkins said, the department has expanded the program and now pays for six recruits to go through training and guarantees them, if they do well, a job on patrol.
Capt. Jay Jackson, who oversees Hickory's Support Services division, said paying recruits a salary during training allows the department to be more competitive with other law enforcement agencies and encourages more qualified people to apply.
"When we open it up, we can get 60 applicants," he said. "And because of that ... we're finding people with college degrees who want to make a career change. This is the only way they could afford to do it."
The process starts with an intense physical fitness test to assess whether the applicant is able to do everything that would be required of a patrol officer.
If they can't pass the test - which includes running, sit-ups and pushups, among other things - they can't advance in the application process, said Sgt. Tom Freeman, who picks the recruits the Police Department will pay during training.
Maldonado was one of six recruits hired by the Hickory police at the beginning of the year and has since been taking the basic law enforcement classes at Western Piedmont Community College.
She graduates May 16, and by the end of the month will be patrolling Hickory's streets.
"It's a great opportunity for education and advancement," she said. "And that extra security of already having a job is nice, too."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
May 4, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
HICKORY - Anitra Maldonado was looking for a career change.
She had been working as a medical assistant for several years, but after returning from a stint in Kuwait with the Navy Reserves, the 31-year-old mother wanted to do something new.
Police work had always intrigued her, she said, but that required taking the basic law enforcement training course, which runs more than eight hours a day for four months. With three kids younger than 10, working a full-time job and being a full-time student just wasn't going to happen, she said.
But then, Maldonado heard that the Hickory Police Department was looking to recruit officers and would be willing to pay not just for the training course but a salary, too.
Maldonado applied - a lengthy process that includes a physical fitness test, drug screening, background check, polygraph and psychological assessment. When she graduates this month, she will already be a paid member of the Hickory police.
Covering the salaries for a select number of recruits to go through law enforcement training is one way the Hickory Police Department is expanding its applicant base in hopes of getting a more diverse pool of potential officers.
Five years ago, said Chief Tom Adkins, the Police Department was having a difficult time finding qualified applicants and needed an incentive to get people with life experience to join the force.
The problem, he said, is that those people often had families and couldn't afford to be out of work while they went through training.
So, in 2005, the Hickory Police Department decided to offer a full-time salary - reduced by 15 percent off the starting pay of about $30,000 a year - to one officer to go through the training and then join the force after graduation.
In the years since, Adkins said, the department has expanded the program and now pays for six recruits to go through training and guarantees them, if they do well, a job on patrol.
Capt. Jay Jackson, who oversees Hickory's Support Services division, said paying recruits a salary during training allows the department to be more competitive with other law enforcement agencies and encourages more qualified people to apply.
"When we open it up, we can get 60 applicants," he said. "And because of that ... we're finding people with college degrees who want to make a career change. This is the only way they could afford to do it."
The process starts with an intense physical fitness test to assess whether the applicant is able to do everything that would be required of a patrol officer.
If they can't pass the test - which includes running, sit-ups and pushups, among other things - they can't advance in the application process, said Sgt. Tom Freeman, who picks the recruits the Police Department will pay during training.
Maldonado was one of six recruits hired by the Hickory police at the beginning of the year and has since been taking the basic law enforcement classes at Western Piedmont Community College.
She graduates May 16, and by the end of the month will be patrolling Hickory's streets.
"It's a great opportunity for education and advancement," she said. "And that extra security of already having a job is nice, too."
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
Candidates take on taxes, jobs
Heated races in all corners of the Unifour build on voter and challenger frustration
May 4, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Seven big races are dominating the Catawba Valley political scene, and on Tuesday voters will pick their parties' nominees for the general election in November.
Dozens of candidates are vying for seats on boards of commissioners across the Unifour, and four others are competing in two N.C. Senate districts. U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry is also facing a Republican challenger, while two Democrats vie for their party's nomination for the House seat.
Here's your guide to help you prepare before casting that ballot.
Caldwell commissioners
Eight Republicans and five Democrats are vying to run for one of three open seats on the Caldwell County Board of Commissioners in one of the region's most heated races.
Challengers say they are frustrated with decisions made by commissioners in the past year, ranging from the county manager's salary to building renovations. Though they point to what they say are 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.
GOP incumbents Faye Higgins and John Thuss will face challengers Clay Bollinger, Rob Bratcher, Ben Griffin, Steven Fekete, Bill Oxford and Arnold Wilson.
Democrats Randy Church, Jerry Coffey, L.C. Coonse, Timothy Shore and Barbara Weiller are hoping to secure their party's nomination.
Catawba commissioners
Catawba County commissioners knew when they raised the property tax rate last year that the decision wouldn't sit well with some constituents.
The increase, which came in a tax revaluation year that raised most owners' property values, continues to be an issue as two commissioners run for re-election. Commissioners voted to raise the property tax rate 9 percent last year.
Incumbents Barbara Beatty and Dan Hunsucker are competing against challengers Jack Beach and Phillip Parlier for the Republican Party's nominations. The winners face Democrat George McClellan in the fall.
The current five-member board of commissioners is all Republican.
Burke commissioners
Four Republicans and four Democrats are seeking their parties' nominations to run for one of three open seats on the board, and all say recruiting industry and finding ways to replenish jobs in an area once controlled by furniture and hosiery factories are paramount.
Incumbents Maynard Taylor and Jack Carroll are facing two other Republicans, Johnnie Carswell and Gene Huffman, in Tuesday's primary. Republican commissioner Wesley Abele, elected in 2004, is not seeking a second term.
Democratic challengers - Bruce Hawkins Sr., Steven Smith, Leonard Ray and John Pascal - are also hoping to go on to the general election in November.
Alexander commissioners
Alexander County is seeing one of its most competitive elections in years as candidates in both major political parties seek two seats on the all-Republican board of county commissioners.
Incumbents William Hammer and Larry Yoder, both Republicans, are up against two Republican challengers, Eric Bumgarner and Ryan Mayberry.
Five Democrats are running in the primary: Lisa Rudisill Bradley, Glenn Deal Jr., Scott Mitchell, Danny Price and Cody Teague.
The top two vote-getters in each party advance to the November general election.
Republicans have dominated the board since 2002, when voters put Democrats out of power.
N.C. Senate District 42
Veteran state Sen. Austin Allran of Hickory is facing a serious challenge in Catawba County commissioners' Chairman Kitty Barnes of Terrell. While he has easily defeated foes of the past, this year's matchup is particularly competitive.
No Democrats filed to run, so the winner is headed for a two-year term representing District 42, which covers Catawba County and part of Iredell County.
Allran said his tenure proves he's represented his constituents' values and that they appreciate his conservatism, honesty, conviction and common-sense approach.
Barnes said she would provide vision and work with both parties to benefit the district's economy. Her record, she said, proves she can do that.
N.C. Senate District 44
The Democratic primary race for the 44th Senate District has a political newcomer who has spent three years preparing for a bid and a former commissioner who says his people skills make him the best pick.
Former Marine officer and truck driver Danny Hefner of Lenoir and retired schoolteacher and former Burke County commissioner Jim Cates of Morganton are vying for the Democratic nomination for the seat, which represents Burke and Caldwell counties.
The winner will face Republican Jim Jacumin, who is seeking his third term.
U.S. House, 10th District
A retired military judge is challenging U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry for the Republican party's nomination in the race for the 10th Congressional District seat.
Two Democrats, a retired businessman and an attorney, are also hoping to claim the seat.
Republican Lance Sigmon and McHenry are vying for their party's nomination, while Steve Ivester and Daniel Johnson seek the Democratic nod.
Sigmon is a retired military trial judge now in private law practice. Steve Ivester is a retired Hickory businessman and engineer, and Johnson is a former Navy ensign who made national headlines in 1999 after he lost his legs trying to save a fellow sailor.
-Staff Writer Hannah Mitchell contributed
All content © THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and may not be republished without permission.
May 4, 2008
By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer
Seven big races are dominating the Catawba Valley political scene, and on Tuesday voters will pick their parties' nominees for the general election in November.
Dozens of candidates are vying for seats on boards of commissioners across the Unifour, and four others are competing in two N.C. Senate districts. U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry is also facing a Republican challenger, while two Democrats vie for their party's nomination for the House seat.
Here's your guide to help you prepare before casting that ballot.
Caldwell commissioners
Eight Republicans and five Democrats are vying to run for one of three open seats on the Caldwell County Board of Commissioners in one of the region's most heated races.
Challengers say they are frustrated with decisions made by commissioners in the past year, ranging from the county manager's salary to building renovations. Though they point to what they say are 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.
GOP incumbents Faye Higgins and John Thuss will face challengers Clay Bollinger, Rob Bratcher, Ben Griffin, Steven Fekete, Bill Oxford and Arnold Wilson.
Democrats Randy Church, Jerry Coffey, L.C. Coonse, Timothy Shore and Barbara Weiller are hoping to secure their party's nomination.
Catawba commissioners
Catawba County commissioners knew when they raised the property tax rate last year that the decision wouldn't sit well with some constituents.
The increase, which came in a tax revaluation year that raised most owners' property values, continues to be an issue as two commissioners run for re-election. Commissioners voted to raise the property tax rate 9 percent last year.
Incumbents Barbara Beatty and Dan Hunsucker are competing against challengers Jack Beach and Phillip Parlier for the Republican Party's nominations. The winners face Democrat George McClellan in the fall.
The current five-member board of commissioners is all Republican.
Burke commissioners
Four Republicans and four Democrats are seeking their parties' nominations to run for one of three open seats on the board, and all say recruiting industry and finding ways to replenish jobs in an area once controlled by furniture and hosiery factories are paramount.
Incumbents Maynard Taylor and Jack Carroll are facing two other Republicans, Johnnie Carswell and Gene Huffman, in Tuesday's primary. Republican commissioner Wesley Abele, elected in 2004, is not seeking a second term.
Democratic challengers - Bruce Hawkins Sr., Steven Smith, Leonard Ray and John Pascal - are also hoping to go on to the general election in November.
Alexander commissioners
Alexander County is seeing one of its most competitive elections in years as candidates in both major political parties seek two seats on the all-Republican board of county commissioners.
Incumbents William Hammer and Larry Yoder, both Republicans, are up against two Republican challengers, Eric Bumgarner and Ryan Mayberry.
Five Democrats are running in the primary: Lisa Rudisill Bradley, Glenn Deal Jr., Scott Mitchell, Danny Price and Cody Teague.
The top two vote-getters in each party advance to the November general election.
Republicans have dominated the board since 2002, when voters put Democrats out of power.
N.C. Senate District 42
Veteran state Sen. Austin Allran of Hickory is facing a serious challenge in Catawba County commissioners' Chairman Kitty Barnes of Terrell. While he has easily defeated foes of the past, this year's matchup is particularly competitive.
No Democrats filed to run, so the winner is headed for a two-year term representing District 42, which covers Catawba County and part of Iredell County.
Allran said his tenure proves he's represented his constituents' values and that they appreciate his conservatism, honesty, conviction and common-sense approach.
Barnes said she would provide vision and work with both parties to benefit the district's economy. Her record, she said, proves she can do that.
N.C. Senate District 44
The Democratic primary race for the 44th Senate District has a political newcomer who has spent three years preparing for a bid and a former commissioner who says his people skills make him the best pick.
Former Marine officer and truck driver Danny Hefner of Lenoir and retired schoolteacher and former Burke County commissioner Jim Cates of Morganton are vying for the Democratic nomination for the seat, which represents Burke and Caldwell counties.
The winner will face Republican Jim Jacumin, who is seeking his third term.
U.S. House, 10th District
A retired military judge is challenging U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry for the Republican party's nomination in the race for the 10th Congressional District seat.
Two Democrats, a retired businessman and an attorney, are also hoping to claim the seat.
Republican Lance Sigmon and McHenry are vying for their party's nomination, while Steve Ivester and Daniel Johnson seek the Democratic nod.
Sigmon is a retired military trial judge now in private law practice. Steve Ivester is a retired Hickory businessman and engineer, and Johnson is a former Navy ensign who made national headlines in 1999 after he lost his legs trying to save a fellow sailor.
-Staff Writer Hannah Mitchell contributed
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