The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina (2024)

September 14, 2006

Publication:

The News and Observeri

Location:

Raleigh, North Carolina

Issue Date:

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Page:

6

Extracted Article Text (OCR)

THURSDAY SEP THURSDAY THE NEWS 11A I 1 1 STATE EDITION A SEPTEMSER 14 2006 TO REACH US: Capitol editor Bill Krueger (919) 8294522 bkruegernewsobservercom WAIWIIPMAWANWW li ft rl I IC own for Hou QArA Realtors support one 171) The NC tors views St Stiller as a trier its interests But that has sociation's ne UNDER THE DOME NC POLITICS GOVERNMENT as a proven leai in mailboxes in County distri( received pho Dameron The politica mention in th efilis that it was the interests ol It's called the fiance It is a I TAKE The NC views Stiller as a friend its interests But that hasn't new THE DOME NC POLITICS GOVERNMENT as a proven leader in mailboxes in County district received phone Dameron The political mention in the enlis that it was the interests of It's called the It is a TAKE tary of Progress Energy Service Company Before that he served as a senior assistant for policy and legal affairs for Easley Easley also reappointed Bryan Beatty state secretary of crime control and public safety to the commission One vacancy remains on the nine-member panel Vernon a-hominy Vernon Robinson's campaign is on fire literally A truck carrying yard signs for the GOP candidate in the 13th Congressional District caught fire last week in Winston-Salem destroying many of the 7000 signs according to his campaign Two staff members in the truck were uninjured We were able to salvage some of the signs from the fire as well as all of our bumper stickers" said Robinson who is challenging ment that war chest with a 527? We feel like residents of North Carolina need to be able to get information on issues of importance to them and be able to identify leaders who can make a difference" Kent said Why Dameron? He's a real estate agent who has served on the association's board of directors Kent disputed that the goal of the 527 is to help certain candidates win election None of the information the 527 put out asked residents to vote for Dameron Kent declined to say how much the alliance spent on fliers and phone banks Federal law prevents such groups from directly helping candidates get elected They are supposed to stick to issues-oriented information Stiller said the alliance is walking a fine line in that regard but he doesn't plan to file a complaint "I may be just stuck with the rules Stiller said New lottery chairman Progress Energy executive John McArthur is the new chairman of the state lot tery commis- sion McArthur a :1 former aide to Gov Mike Easley takes over for former Glaxo Inc chief Ak Charles McArthur Sanders who takes over announced his from Charles resignation this Sanders week after a year in charge of launching the state's lottery Sanders had said all along that he would serve only one year Easley named McArthur as chairman on Wednesday McArthur is senior vice president of corporate relations general counsel and corporate secre ented organization known as a 527" after a tax code provision Stiller a two-term Republican is a bit perturbed Stiller says he has voted for the interests of real estate agents nearly all the time and now they are trying to oust him his constituents being able to figure out who is pulling the strings "I just wish they would say that the Realtors are trying to run Brunswick County" said Stiller an attorney The Greensboro-based association started the political group last month according to papers filed with the Internal Revenue Service They list the association's chief operating officer William De Priest and its lobbyist Timothy Kent as contacts The association boasts the largest political action committee in the state its most recent campaign finance report showed roughly $750000 on hand So why would it need to aug Association of Realtors state Rep Bonner and supporter of stopped the association's political group from promotUNDER ing his oppo- nent as the November election approaches In the past few weeks fliers hailing Democrat Al lan Dameron have popped up Stiller's Brunswick Residents have calls praising group makes no fliers and phone formed to promote real estate agents NC Homeowners Alliance nonprofit issue-on A BOOK REPEAT TAKE A BOOK 3 charged in death of disabled man r'r 11 ii i ''1 I 1 i 'A i 1 1 1 i 0 i 1 'k 1 1 I t''' '11WIlbeen r''' 1 I i i r- 47''''' olowtomvomoor "1 rt 4 ''l 41 t'' 1 1 1 '4- i 1 -1 i' i''- 4 l''' 1 ''''i i- I 4 t'4' e' ''4 ta 87- 1- 'i '''1 4 4 ''4 -''f'''''' i -40 0 i 7 i i i 1 csrovi------ -7- 12)Z 1 :7 7- '777'7' --1 i '1'P -4V "ril ''A- it )0 ---z--- -i 11 1 4 A i I l' A A Ill 1 ''''f'' 1 k'' A er-'''''''' '4 -Ar'4' 7 y-' I': r4--'' '41'41-1 'r 1 i -vi' l' '41 0 i 1 5 -if 4- 'S s'i Democratic US Rep Brad Miller "Hopefully my supporters will still take a sign that is char-broiled However the lives of my staff are more important than any yard sign" Recognition for general Maj Gen William Ingram Jr adjutant general of the NC National Guard has received the Legion of Merit award a top military decoration that recognizes exceptional conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievement Easley presented the award this week in recognition of his leadership while the North Carolina National Guard's 30th Heavy Separate Brigade deployed to the Middle East By staff writer Dan Kane Andrew Curliss and Rob Christensen Kane can be reached at 829-4861 or dkanenewsobservercom 'When they found him he was unconscious and they found the residence completely ransacked' It JOHN MAID ROWAN SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT Allen II 24 of Rockwell and Greg Devon Sims 20 of Salisbury on Monday They too face murder charges Phipps Allen and Sims were in the Rowan County Detention Center Tuesday without bond Deputies arrested a fourth man Tuesday afternoon but had not released his name Sifford said the investigation is still open and deputies could make other arrests Sheriff's investigators said Moose was left injured for more than a day A lifelong friend Joel Fespennan of New London found Moose and called the sheriffs department When deputies arrived Moose had several head injuries and what appeared to be a stab wound in his side Sifford said "When they found him he was unconscious and they found the residence had been completely ransacked" Sifford said Electronic equipment jewelry a Colt 38-caliber handgun and $750 were missing Sifford said paper makes over records The law firm's position drew a string of skeptical rapid-fire questions from a three-judge panel "Your files aren't they inherently the town's files? They've paid for the work" Judge Barbara Jackson said David Ferrell a Vandeventer Black lawyer in Raleigh pointed to language in the state public records law that says communication between attorneys and the public agency that hired them can be kept confidential for three years Hugh Stevens a lawyer representing the newspaper urged the judges to consider the entire law which gives the public the right to see virtually any document a government body generates The newspaper began reviewing Kitty Hawk's legal costs in May 2004 after the town board voted to add $100000 to its legal budget The law firm and the town eventually provided more than 400 pages of financial information but much information about the hours worked by the attorneys and the nature of the work performed was blacked out The newspaper later expanded its request for documents to include land purchases engineering and surveying related to oceanfront properties condemned by the town A local judge reviewed the documents in private and ruled that most of the contents of the disputed records should be made public 1 At the New Bern-Craven County Public Library Linda Nooney helps pack and box books for storage The staff was clearing shelves ahead of a $375000 renovation that includes new flooring at the entrance and new carpet throughout NEW BERN SUN JOURNAL PHOTO BY BYRON HOLLAND Emerald Isle agrees to buy pier PUT IT IN BOX using head 'No I'm not insane well not exactly just extreme' GRACE RUSSOt SOLDIER'S WIFE need at least that much to pay for food drinks and entertainment for the 300 soldiers in her husband's unit when they return "Anyone can do a yard sale or a bake sale Car washes have BY SHARIF DURHAMS THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER ROCKWELL Three Rowan County men were charged with murder and a fourth man was arrested Tuesday in connection with the death of a disabled man who was robbed beaten with the blades of a ceiling fan and left in bis home for more than a day authorities said Investigators said the suspects assaulted the victim Edward Wayne Moose 68 during a robbery Sept 5 at his home along US 52 near Rockwell The suspects left only to return later in the day and take more items a sheriff's department spokesman said Investigators think Moose lay injured in the house during the second robbery sheriffs department Lt John Sifford said Moose was taken to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte but never regained consciousness Sifford said Moose was taken off Life support and died late Monday Chris Phipps 25 of Rockwell was charged last week with assault with a deadly weapon in connection with Moose's death That charge were changed to murder on Tuesday Deputies said Moose was beaten during the robbery with metal fan blades torn from the ceiling of his house After questioning Phipps sheriff's deputies arrested Jimmie Outer Banks case in court BY EMERY DAUM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH A small Outer Banks newspaper argued before the state Court of Appeals on Wednesday that it is entitled to see the bills law firms submit for local government work as well as other contracts with private businesses A lower court judge ruled last year that the Outer Banks Sentinel a biweekly newspaper should be allowed to review a law firm's records as it tried to understand why the town of Kitty Hawk was spending heavily to condemn oceanfront property The town of about 3000 year-round residents spent more than $1 million in legal fees from 2003 to 2005 editor Sandy Semans said Lawyers working for the law firm Vandeventer Black were hired to serve as Kitty Hawk's town attorneys The newspaper said that means they are required to produce bills showing how much they charged the town as well as contracts the law firm signed with surveyors appraisers and engineers to work on the condemnations Semans said The law firm said documents related to its work for the town including bills specifying how it spent the town's money are not public records under state law because they are a private entity Releasing that information would reveal the attorneys' strategy on legal matters and harm the pubk the firm said Goals are better price is $3 million which the town hopes to secure from the water beach access NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund The agreement also calls for FROM STAFF REPORTS Mid-Atlantic to renovate the pier The fate of Bogue Inlet Pier house and construct at its ex-has been decided pense a parking deck with 170 The town of Emerald Isle public parking spaces to replace Board of Commissioners on the existing Bogue Inlet Pier Tuesday approved a deal to ac- parking lot The existing parking quire Bogue Inlet Pier from lot will be dug up to remove the Town and Mid-Atlantic Real Es- storm water outialls in a move to tate and Development of Raleigh improve water quality The parka group that currently has about ing deck will be owned and op18 acres of property around the erated by the town in conjuncpier under contract tion with the pier and pier house Under the agreement the town The town in turn will reconwill purchase an approximately struct Bogue Inlet Drive to create 150-foot wide by 800-foot long a pedestrian-friendly entry from strip of oceanfront that currently NC 58 to the renovated pier includes three ocean storm water house the focal point of the area outfalls that drain into the At- now known as "Village East" 'antic Ocean as well as a small "The town is extremely pleased tract of land under and adjacent to announce this agreement as to the existing Bogue Inlet Pier we believe it is a major victory for house and an additional 09-acre water quality public beach actract of land located approxi- cess and the preservation of the mately 500 feet north of Bogue ocean fishing piers in Emerald Inlet Pier The total purchase Isle and North Carolina" Mayor Art Schools stated in a news re- tion in early 2007 The town's lease goal would be to reopen Bogrue The town has been working Inlet Pier in March 2007 and on a plan to turn the pier pier complete renovations and other house and parking deck over to improvements in a way that the NC Aquariums which keeps the pier open to the public would operate as a satellite fa- next year cility of the NC Aquarium at The uncertain fate of Bogue Pine Knoll Shores Inlet Pier prompted about 7500 people to sign an online petition Deal depends on funds earlier this year encouraging the town to save the pier from de-Emerald Isle recently amended velopment its grant application to the NC "Since the best things in life Clean Water Management Trust are supposed to be free please do Fund to request $3 million to ac- not destroy the only pier in Emerquire the three tracts of land aid Isle!" wrote Angela Keel of Tuesday's agreement is contin- Swansboro "Many will have agent upon the town receiving tie need to even cross the Emerthat grant according to town aid Isle bridge if you destroy this manager Frank Rush important and romantic land-The trust fund board is ex- mark" pected to make final grant fund- Most of the online petition ing decisions at their meetings signers were from North Car-Nov 12 and Nov 13 olina but there are signers from If the Clean Water Manage- Oklahoma Texas and Colorado ment Trust Fund grant is ap- Many complained that losing the proved and Mid-Atlantic's over- pier would mean loss of access for all purchase is finalized the town people who don't own boats or expects to close on the acquisi- beach houses to pay for homecoming Sarge's wife THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FAYETTEVILLE A soldier's wife is offering advertising space on her scalp to the highest bidder hoping to raise enough money to give him and his unit a proper welcome home Grace Russo says that for at least 8500 she'll let a company put its logo or slogan on her shaved head for up to five months For $100000 she'll even let them make it permanent with a tattoo Her goal though is to raise at least $2500 She she will been done I'm sick of seeing them" Russo said Russo 31 has advertised her offer on the online auction Web site eBay with some conditions: no anti-military slogans and no bashing of the United States "No I'm not insane well not exactly just extreme" Russo writes in her eBay ad titled "Buy My Head for America" The command staff of her husband's unit didn't like Russo's proposal so she deleted any mention of the unit from the ad Russo's husband Staff Sgt James Russo deployed six months ago with an Army engineering unit based at Fort Bragg She said he wasn't surprised when she e-mailed him a link to the eBay link "Sometimes I wonder what is going on in your head" he wrote back As of Wednesday afternoon more than 1600 people had viewed Russo's site but no one had bid on her offer The auction ends at 8 am Sunday.

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