THE WCC volume 6 no. t Cdmmiimty Cblli^^ February 22^1995 Hoop action page 4 SGA^s first Santa's Wonderland pages 10-11 % % Introducing Rachel Nelson page 15 % Writing Center adds personnel page 19 Tornado affects some students By CATHY SNOVEL, AMY NORRIS, and CAROLINE DAVIS The tornado that hit Wayne County on January 14 left a trail of destruction from the Pricetown Fire District to Kinston and Highway 70 area near La Grange. Two WCC students, Robin Cortes and Cathy Snovel, saw their homes and land very nearly destroyed in the tornado. The mobile home Cortes and her children were living in toppled off its foundation and ripped apart. She and her family were lucky to escape with only a few bumps and scratches. Cortes said, "We were asleep, but the loud roar awoke us as it hit the trailer." ICC stodeot and *Toiceā€¯ reporter Cathy Saovel saapped this sceie of toraado daiage oa Loag leary load aear her hoie. Snovel said that sections of mobile homes and houses were spread across about 30 acres. She said high winds blew shingles off her residence on Highway 55. Then the winds picked up and pulled apart a 12 x 36 storage barn/horse stable. The posts of this building had been cemeted 2 feet into the ground when it was built. Nearly every part of the storage building was strewn across 15 acres of open field. The Snovels found 2x6 rafters in the middle of a turkey range about 1200 feet across a field. The tornado furrowed a ditch a foot deep, 3 feet wide, and 15 feet long across their property. Debbie Harris, rescue person and Director of EMS, Fire Services, and Law Enforcement at WCC in Continuing Education, said the effects were "unreal." "The damage is unimaginable; to think of losing all one's possessions, even a life, in such a short time boggles the mind." Fire fighter Kevin Flora was alerted around 12:35 a.m. "I heard the tornado as I got the call on my scanner," said Flora. The fire call location was Zion Church Road. "Trailers were rocking, and doors were gone everywhere in the trailer park," said Flora. According to Flora the big mess occurred after the tornado when the area had to be cleaned up. "Farmers ended up looking for their farms in the woods," said Flora. Employees honored at Christmas party Three WCC employees were selected by their peers as Employees-of- the-Year for 1994. They were recognized at the annual Christmas Party for faculty and staff with $500 checks and plaques. continued page 17 Dr. lilsoa presats Martia Peters ' fith a plaqaeud check apoa his receiriag the Eiployee-of-the- lear aaard for the Operational ud laiatenuce staff ihile Board of Trastees chair Bea Balken looks on. PIOTO: lUCOU simii