Island Hopping
asunset Beach indictments , page 10- A
DOcean isle board undecided, 10- A
QHolden Beach height limit up? 11-A
Whale Of A Tale
Read It this week In the off
shore fishing report on the
fishing page , 11-B.
THE BP'
.11 IMlli
HOAG & SONS BOOK BINDERY
12/31/99
PO BOX 162
SPR I NSF'ORT MI 49284
Twenty-ninth Year, Number 23
What's On TV?
The program listings for both cable
television services are on pages 6-B and
7-B this week.
?19?1 THE BRUNSWICK KACON
Shollotte, North Carolina, Thursday, April 11, 1991
25< Per Copy
36 Pages, 3 Sections
FINAL FIGURE DEPENDS ON STATF
Schools Asking
For $7.89 Million
BY SUSAN USHKR
BrunswicK County Schools will
ask for a "conservative" 6.65 per
cent increase in operating funds
from the county for the coming year
while leaving the way open to ask
for more help in the event of severe
state funding cuts.
"We can live with this increase
knowing a supplement could be
added depending on what the state
does," Rudi Fallon, director of fi
nance, told Brunswick County
Board of Education members
Monday night at Bolivia
Elementary School.
'This is the minimum request we
need to keep things running. This is
a conservative request in light of
what other county systems are re
questing."
The state is still trying to identify
additional cuts to make in this
year's budget as well as in next
year's.
If necessary, she said, the board
could also dip into its fund balance,
restored to a healthy level now after
several lean years. "But that's not a
practice we would want to continue
because it would deplete it," she
warned.
The school board turns in a re
quest today to the Brunswick
County Commissioners for nearly
S7.28 million in property tax rev
enues to cover day-to-day operating
costs, up from 56.82 million this
year.
The board also will ask for anoth
er $623,825 toward its capital out
lay budget of S7.46 million for con
struction, vehicles and equipment.
The balance of the capital outlay
budget would come from a project
ed S3. 28 million in new half-cent
sales tax revenues plus funds car
ried over from this year.
Mrs. Fallon is projecting a total
1991-92 budget of S31 million,
most of it in state funds. Of the to
tal, $6.82 million would come from
half-cent sales tax collections held
by the county for the schools' use
and S7.89 million from county ad
valorem tax revenues.
Superintendent P.R. Hankins said
the budget request reflects the sys
tem's goals of providing students
with additional computer studies
and other advanced programming,
as well as remedial and support ser
vices.
The local budget includes $3.44
million for instructional programs
teachers. That figure includes addi
tion of three resource teachers and a
diagnostician in the exceptional
children's program and $250,000 in
state money for purchase of new
textbooks and readers. It also in
cludes a second sociai worker, with
the hope of the state funding a third,
and a third psychologist. Associate
Superintendent William Harrison
said the idea is to place a student
support team in each of the three at
tendance districts.
Supplements Covered
Included in the budget are funds
to put teachers back on track in the
third year of a plan in which their
supplements are increased S179 a
year for four years. Supplements
were frozen this year because of
budgetary concerns.
The board also voted, on a mo
(See SCHOOLS, PAGE 2-A)
Murder Suspect Still At Large
Brunswick County sheriff's
deputies are still searching for an
Ash teen wanted in connection with
the shooting death of his brother.
A warrant has been issued charg
ing Harold Allen Graham, 18, of
Route 1, Ash, with murder.
Graham's brother. Lacy Franklin
Graham, 28, of the same residence,
was shot twice in the head along
State Road 1300 (Ash-Little River
Road) on March 30. He died about
24 hours later in New Hanover
Regional Medical Center.
Sheriff's Ll Donnell Marlow
said Monday that deputies are still
searching the Ash area for the sus
pect.
Immediately following the shoot
ing, a search began of a large wood
ed area along the Waccamaw River
in southern Brunswick County. An
investigation failed to determine a
motive for the shooting.
Graham also faces a charge of as
sault with a deadly weapon inflict
ing serious injury stemming from an
Oct. 8, 1990 shooting that injured a
Shallotte Middle School student in
the leg. He had been shot with a
.22 -caliber rifle.
A Brunswick County grand jury
indicted Graham on that charge in
February.
Crime Stoppers Offers
Cash Awards For Tips
Starting this week, anyone who calls the Brunswick
County Sheriff's Department with information leading to the
arrest or conviction of a criminal will receive a cash award.
The new Crime Stoppers program began Tuesday. Its 24
hour number is 253-4797.
The caller's identity will remain anonymous, said Lt.
David Crocker of the narcotics division.
"We need citizens' reports," Crocker said. "We've always
worked with the public before and we want to continue to do
this."
An answering machine will record callers' messages
when detectives are not in the office.
Crocker said he hopes the cash awards will induce citi
zens to come forward with information about all types of
crimes including break-ins, drug offenses or deaths.
"I anticipate the majority may be drug-related," Crocker
said. "But if it's not, that's okay. The criminal division will
step in and help with the investigations."
? - . . . s*
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG RUTTER
RECENT EROSION blamed on a bulkhead at Surf side Pavilion has forced H olden Beach officials lo close the ends of two streets and
one public beach walkway.
Holden Beach Plans Meeting On Pavilion Seawall
BY DOUG RUTTER
Holden Beach officials plan to meet soon
with the owners of Surfsidc Pavilion to talk
about a bulkhead that's been blamed for recent
erosion damage to two public streets and a
beach walkway.
A March 29 storm eroded land on both sides
of the concrete seawall that protects the ocean
front business. Water washed around the bulk
head, damaging parts of Ferry Road and
Holden Street on either side of the pavilion.
"It's a classic example of why you don't
build bulkheads on the ocean," Commissioner
Bob Buck said at Monday's town meeting.
Interim Town Manager Diane Clark said the
southern ends of both streets have been closed
to car traffic. The town also closed the public
beach access off Ferry Road. The one at Holden
Street is still open.
"It is a major problem and it's going to get
worse," Buck said. "It's going to cost big bucks
to do anything."
As of Tuesday, Mrs. Clark said a meeting
date had not been set. Brothers Alan and Lyn
Holden own the pavilion.
"The pavilion's sitting out there pretty much
in the ocean," Mayor John Tandy said Tuesday.
"We need to sit down with the owners and
what they plan to do."
Buck said the bulkhead was constructed
about six or seven years ago. The town con
tributed 58,000 to the cost because the seawall
was built to protect the two public streets as
well as the private business.
"The idea was well-meaning," Mayor Tandy
said. "We wanted to get the public to the beach."
GORE SAYS EVIDENCE INSUFFICIENT
DA Will Not File Charges In School Probe
District Attorney Rex Gore says
he will not bring criminal charges
against former school board Chair
man Dorothy worth or anyone else
in connection with the selection of
the superintendent of schools.
After board member Robert
Slockett aired allegations about the
steps followed in selecting R R.
Hankins as superintendent, the board
asked for an investigation to clear up
any questions about his hiring.
'"ITiere is insufficient evidence to
justify prosecution," Gore told the
school board Monday night. Gore is
district attorney
for the 13th
Judicial T istrict,
which includes
Brunswick, Col
umbus and Bla
den counties.
Gore said two
SBI agents and
a sheriff's de
tective actively
investigated the
case thoroughly, producing a report
nearly one inch thick. "Any name of
someone with information regarding
the selection process was inter
viewed," said the district attorney.
"Before this matter was referred to
me for investigation I had read in the
paper about allegations made; suppo
sitions offered; and conclusions
reached by some of the board," said
Gore in a prepared statement. "We
have looked into it all. We've spent
enormous manpower and energy on
this case. I have concluded that my
work is now done. There will be no
prosecutions."
Several months after Hankins had
been hired by the board and his con
tract signed, Slockett alleged that
former Chairman Dorothy Worth
had reniged on 2 pledge to support
one of the four finalists for the post.
He claimed she had agreed to
support Barbara Rogers if Rogers
would fire the assistant superinten
dent of operations and hire Mrs.
Worth's husband. Randy, a former
school system employee.
However, according to Slockett,
Rogers refused the proposal and in
doing so iosi her chance at the post.
After announcing support for
Rogers in closed session, Slockett
said Mrs. Worth changed her mind
and in open session cast the decid
ing vote for Hankins.
He alleged Mrs. Worth had also
tried, apparently without success, to
work a deal with certain community
leaders to pressure Hankins into hir
ing her husband if Hankins got the
superin tendency.
Mrs. Rogers has since filed a
complaint against the board with the
Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, claiming she was not
chosen for the post because she is a
woman. Mrs. Rogers is principal of
East Wake High School.
Hankins, who was named super
intendent on Sept. 10, was acting
superintendent at that time and has
worked for the Brunswick County
Schools for more than 30 years,
most of that lime as a central office
administrator.
Both he and Chairman Donna
Baxter expressed relief at the district
attorney's announcement Monday.
"I'm very relieved it is finished,"
said Mrs. Baxter. "I never thought
he (Gore) would find anything. I
didn't see any concrete proof and
never thought there was evidence of
anything. He found no indications
of criminal intent and I am very
happy about that.
With the investigation behind it,
she said, "1 hope this board will go
on to the things we ran for."
Insurance Probe Continues
In an unrelated matter. Gore said
he "has no timetable" for deciding
what action to take, if any, regard
ing an investigation into handling of
the school system's health insurance
program.
The state attorney general's office
has turned over to him files of infor
mation concerning improper health
insurance payments made for or by
former employees of the school sys
tem who were no longer eligible for
the coverage and payments made to
them.
School finance records and a spe
cial study by auditors found that at
least 30 former employees were re
ceiving either coverage and/or ben
efits for which they were no longer
eligible.
Under the stale's health insurance
plan, which is administered by Blue
Cross/Blue Shield, former employ
ees have the option of requesting
continuation of coverage for an addi
tional 18 months, but they are to be
billed individually and pay their own
premiums plus an extra 2 percent.
At least one former employee.
Randy Worth, husband of former
school board Chairman Dorothy
Worth, stayed on the active employ
ee list and continued receiving ben
efits for five years after he left the
school system in 1985.
Jewel McCumbce, the former
payroll supervisor who handled
group insurance for the school sys
tem, was suspended without pay on
Nov. 2. She appealed that decision to
the board. The board upheld the
staff's action, but left it to Superin
tendent P.R. Hankins to decide
whether to reinstate Mrs. McCumbce
once the investigation is completed.
School officials cited Mrs. Mc
Cumbee's failure to make deposits
on a timely basis and failure to han
dle the group insurance claims and
premiums appropriately.
In turn, Mrs. McCumbce has con
tended that juggling too many re
sponsibilities and the lack of clear
guidelines in her job description
caused the breakdown in procedures
that led to the errors.
The school board spent $45,000
this fiscal year on its regular audit
and studies of the health and dental
insurance programs and administra
tors' travel and telephone records.
Driver Charged With Manslaughter After Passenger Dies In Accident
A Calabash man died early Sunday when
the car in which he was riding ran off a road
west of Shallotte and struck a ditch culvert
The driver of the car has been charged with
manslaughter.
Robart Lendell Pugh, 28, of Old
Georgetown Road was killed around 1:15
a.m. in the single car accident, reported
State Trooper R.L. Murray.
He became the third person killed in
Brunswick County highway accidents this
year. Through the end of April last year,
four people died on Brunswick County
roads, said Highway Patrol Spokesperson
Ruby Oakley.
Pugh was a passenger in a 1982 Nissan
that ran off of RPR 1335 (Big Neck Road)
about 6.2 miles west of ShalkMfe.
The driver of the car, Wilbur Corneal
Vaught Jr., 2 1 , of Shallotte has been charged
with manslaughter, said Ms. Oakley on
Tuesday.
According to Murray's report, Vaught was
traveling north on RPR 1335 when his car
ran off the road on the left, traveled down a
ditchbank and struck a drain culvert. Pugh
was a passenger in the front seat.
Vaught and two passengers in the back
scat, Valorie Jenrette, 19, and Terrence
Jenrette, 17, both of Shallotte, were trans
ported to The Brunswick Hospital in Supply
by the Shallotte Volunteer Rescue Squad.
They were each later transported to New
Hanover Regional Medical Center in
Wilmington with serious injuries.
According to the his report, Murray stal
ed that alcohol was involved in the accident
and that the driver had traveled left of cen
ter and was exceeding a safe speed, Ms.
Oakley said.
Damage was estimated at S700 to the car,
which landed in a front yard.
In another accident early Saturday, a
driver was charged with driving left of cen
ter after he fell asleep and ran into a ditch.
John Duncan Stewart Jr., 17, of
Laurinburg, was traveling on U.S. 17 about
3.5 miles south of Shallotte around 6:30
a.m. when his 1989 Ford ran offf the left
side of the road and struck a ditch culvert.
State Trooper B.C. Jones charged Stewart
with driving left of center. Stewart and two
passengers each received class B injuries,
serious but not incapacitatine.
(See DR1VKR, Page 2-A)