Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / Aug. 13, 1987, edition 1 / Page 1
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"" r* - ial supplement for a look at Madison County schools. RE CO eople Of Our Communities Since 1901 _ psr* i 1 1 . ?? ? . Thursday, August 13, 1967 ''i>r >?>;<? ir-?' i ? * I ? so j V i 7 'it' V ; ? V-y V K,-' ? ? > ??< 7 * Tfl ?, ?. # " 'j; ,?* SBI Charges Eight With Election Fraud By STEVE FERGUSON Stan Writer Eight Madison County residents have been charged with election fraud following a State Bureau of In vestigation probe into the November 1986 election, said District Attorney J. Thomas Rusher. Rusher called the probe "the most intense and appropriate election law investigation which has occurred anywhere in North Carolina." Agents were present "en masse" in Madison County on election day, he said. The indictments were returned by a grand jury Aug 3, but were sealed by judge's order. Charged with felony violations were: J ? Fronia Gunter of Guntertown, an elections officer - Five separate in dictments claim she signed a registration application for someone else, recorded someone's party af filiation against their wishes and ob tained absentee ballots of people of which she was not a near relative nor legal guardian. ? Mertie Shelton Ford of Shelton Laurel - Four indictments claim she marked ballots in Grady Ford's and David Ford's names. ? James Joe Shelton of Shelton Laurel, a notary public and teacher at Laurel Elementary - Two indict ments say he did not administer oaths of absentee voters to Grady Ford and David Ford after claiming to have done so. ? Johnny Payne of Spring Creek - An indictment claims he promised in October to pay James Roberts for his vote. ? Carly Gunter of Guntertown - An indictment claims he signed Barbara Ingle's voter's registration applica tion without authority to do so. ? Zennie Tino of Hot Springs - An indictment claims she delivered an absentee vote of Dora Mae Ricker, a person of which she was not a near relative nor legal guardian. ? Howard Tino of Hot Springs - An indictment claims he delivered an absentee vote of Dora Mae Ricker, a person of which he wu not a near relative nor legal guardian. ? Lloyd Fowler of Walnut, a deputized county dispatcher - An in dictment claims he delivered an absentee vote of Wiley Massey, a per son of which he was not a near relative nor legal guardian. All eight defendants are to appear in Superior Court Aug. 24. Madison County Sheriff Dedrick Brown said Fowler's charge of delivering an absentee ballot was the lesser of the eight charges. "The SBI said Fowler's charge was the least of the eight," Brown said. "Besides that, it's not true. They won't give absentee ballots to anyone outside of the immediate family of the voter." Brown said he believed Fowler's charge would be dismissed. James Baker, chairman of the Madison County Board of Education and an assistant district attorney in the 24th Judicial District, had no com ment on what impact the indictment against Shelton would have on his employment as a teacher. "As chairman of the Board of Education, but also in my capacity with the District Attorney's Office, I feel I should have no comment at this time," Baker said. Brown said all those indicted were Democrats, but said he didn't feel the SBI investigation was politically bias ed. More indictments are expected, said Rusher. The SBI probe didn't focus on vote buying or selling since the federal government has an ongo ing investigation with Project West Vote, Rusher said. "We have concentrated on allega tions of intimidation and irregularity in the use of absentee balloting." Despite the indictments. Rusher said "I am confident that Madison County's election was substantially honest. I would imagine that similar investigations occurring in other counties would yield similar ir regularities." : 400 Jam Quarry Hearing By BILL STUDENC Editor More than 400 people jammed into the gymnasium at Flat Creek Elementary School last Thursday, most of them to voice their opposition to a proposed rock quarry In their community. The public hearing was called by the Land Management Division of the N.C. Department of Natural Resources and Community Develop ment to listen to comments concern ing plans by Vulcan Mat*f?al? Co. to develop a granite mine in a large field off of U S. 19-23 just north of Weaver ville. State officials called the public hearing after nearly 1,000 residents signed petitions in opposition to the location of the quarry. Ronald Howell, an Asheville at torney working for the quarry op ponents, had attempted to convince state officials to postpone the hearing because he said Vulcan had not pro perly documented its request for a surface mining permit. But NRCD decided that the hearing would proceed as scheduled, and what had been billed as "North Bun combe versus Vulcan" shaped up as some 400 angry residents versus a handful of Vulcan spokesmen. NRCD officials must now decide whether to issue the permit to Vulcan. A decision is expected within the next month. At last week's bearing, residents continued to contend that the quarry, if approved by the state, would con taminate surface and ground water in Flat Creek -Continued on back page r sncvc raouaoN photo Gotta Dime? Madison County residents helped the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation raise $4,500 in last week's county "Jail Break," In which Jailhfeds "arrested" hy off-duty officers had to raise bail before being released. Money raised as bail was donated to the March of Dimes. Above, News Record office manager Brenda Parker thumbs through the phone book, looking for someone to bail her out of Jail. Mars Hill Mayor Won't Seek A Second Term V7 " 1 Prom Staff Report* Only one of the current members of the Mara Hill Board of Aldermen has filed for re-election, leaving the races for mayor and aldermen wide open to challenge!*. I Mars Hill Mayor Owen Tilson has chosen not to seek another term of office, citing "personal . matters" aa his chief reasons for not seeking re-election mcumoeni aiaernien tugusi. Jenkins and Grady Worley also 1 J ir-v 3 did not file for another term of of fice. Alderman John Chandler to the only current board member seeking another term Candidates for the mayor's posi tion are William E. "Billy" Powell lit and Joseph Godwin. Godwin, former psychology in structor at Mars Hill College, has lived in Mars Hill for 20 years and < said the mayor's rote c< ? both a learning and teaching ex perience -Continued on back page j Spending timt *itl hit r*?taurant, Ihe Trail Cafe, and wqrking ifith !( v away fi h time to work as 41 Madison Teachers Hired After 28-Hour Session By MARGARET A. STUDENC Staff Writer The Madison County Board of Education, after nearly 28 hours of discussion over five days last week, has compiled a list of personnel for the 1967-88 school year. Board Chairman Jim Baker said board members spent a great deal of time on personnel choices. "It is an extraordinarily com plicated thing for people who have not spent a great deal of time involved in the school system. I bad many ques tions, and other board members did too," Baker said. The lengthy dicussions, which began at last Monday 's regular board ?nd continued nightly until the wee hours of Saturday morning, gave the board an opportunity for a total review of the education system, Baker said. "We should profit from it in the long run," he said. Baker said that the hiring of school personnel won't take as long next year. The board selected teachers accor ding to the recommendation of the schools' principals. They are as follows: HOT SPRINGS ELEft|$PTARY Sharon Baker, Winnie HngHi) Em ma O. Davis, Shirley Franklin, Lynn Plemmons, Elizabeth Staude, Selmfe Wallin, Mattie R. Ramsey, and Ethel Kirkpatrick. ? . laCjrbl BLEMBNTARY ' Harvey Franklin, Lena Norton, Bar bara Ramsey, Betty Jane Ramsey, James L. Shelton, Kathy Shelton. Joyce Thomas, Rita Norton and Christa Wallin. MARSHALL PRIMARY Robena Adams, Norma Ball, Deborah Boone, Hilda Fisher, June Gahagan, Jean Hunter, Othella Ogle, Sandra Reeves, Donna Rice and Vickie Carver. MARSHALL ELEMENTARY Don Banks, Juanita Boone, Betty Bradley, Sandra Briggs, Tina Her nandez, Betty Hussain, Irene Met calf, Phyllis Moore, Judy Payne, Cathy Price, Rozella Ramsey, Billie J. Redmon, Steve Wallin, Kathryn Boone, Elmer Chandler and Randy -Continued on Page ( Mars Hill Gives Police Salaries Boost After Officer Resigns By STEVE FERGUSON Starr Writer Police salaries received a slight boost at a special meeting of the Mars Hill Board of Aldermen Monday night. The board agreed to raise starting pay to 912,000, up 9600. Two officers with experience had their salaries raised to 913,250, and Police Chief R.J. Cutshall received a 9500 boost in pay, up to 916,750. The raises were first seriously discussed at an Aug. 3 meeting of the board when Cutshall announced that yet another member of the Mars Hill police force would be leaving due to offers of better salary in neighboring towns. As a result, the board met Monday in a special meeting to ad dress the issue. Cutshall proposed greater in creases than those approved by the board. He submitted a budget that would keep total operating expenses unchanged for the department's 1987-88 fiscal year, but would raise salaries about 12 percent. His annual salary proposal included: ? $12,900 for two starting officers. ? $13,900 for an experienced officer on the fore. ? $14,500 for an assistant chief. ? $18,000 for the police chief. Cutshall, a 20-year veteran of police work, amended the budget allowing an increase in salaries by reducing travel allowances, automotive sup plies, and by not purchasing equip ment such as a new weapon and bullet-proof vests. The total police department budget of $98,824 remain ed unchanged in his proposal. Mayor Owen Tilson disagreed with Cutshall's proposal. "We already spend 24 percent of our budget on the police department," he said. "In a town with as little violence as we have, I don't think that's Justified.'' Former mayor William Powell was supportive of the proposal. "You can't hire a man at $11,400 and keep him more than a month or two," Pow?U said. Cutshall produced figures to com pare Mars Hill police salaries with other local departments. Starting salary in Woodfin for certified policemen is $13,600, in Weaverviile it is $14,000, and in Burnsville it is $12,000, he said. "We are paying well under what they start at." Weaveryille Mayor Faces Challenge Prom Staff Reports Weaverville Mayor Reese Laaher will face a challenge from currant town councilman David "Bud" Bell in his bid for re daction Incumbent coundlmen Bernard Koesters, Harold Payne and Kathleen Payne will also be seek ing re-dectioa in November's municioal balloting They will be challenged by newcomers Ronnie "Dutch" Davis, Brenda Murphy, Franklin D. Spears, Ann Williams and Bon Incumbent Alderman David i,,. ., , . ... ? ? ? . .. Lankford has not filed for re election. The deadline for filing for municipal elections was Friday. Lasher, 33, is only the second person to hold the title of mayor of Weaverville in the past 24 years. He defeated Marshall J. "Buster" West in IMS when longtime Mayor Lawrence Sprinkle stepped down from the office. Lasher listed three reasons why he is seeking a second term as Weaverville's mayor "I have a desire to see the pro jects that I have helped start com pleted. I also want to see us solve our water problems in Weaver viile. That's a long-term process that needs to be addressed, and it will take someone with foresight and planning abilities to do it," he said. "I also feel like I did everything I promised the people I would do in 1MB, and I want to continue that kind of reputation," he said Lasher said he would be running on his accomplishments, including the cleanup of Lake Louise, the support of a new shopping center and golf course, the establishment of a business roundtable and mer -Con tin aed on back page NMtteu Ward is seeking her Hcond tens of office, aft# deteaUng formet Mayor Bet( j|vild in the 1M5 elec i back on the \ b n m ; -: ent nvrudw tor the
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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Aug. 13, 1987, edition 1
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