(Bniu West Craven Highlights /Vpk'j From Aloiifi Tlir Honks Of'l'lo' Aimisi- tUtONAl »WSSMVS VOLUME 12 NO. 29 JULY 27, 1989 JMNCEBOROjJJWTHCARWJN^ PHONE 244-0780 OR 946-2144 (UPSP 412-110) 25 CENTS SIX PAGES Two Arrested In Death Of Woman Found Outside Vanceboro By Rachel Brown Hackney Special to the West Craven Highlights TRENTON — One of two sus pects arrested in connection with the death of a Trenton woman who disappeared from New Bern on Hianksgi ving morning last year has been released on $40»0(K) secured bond, the Jones County SherifTs De partment reported this week. ' ~ The other suspect remained in the Craven County Jail under a $20,000 secured bond, a sheiiffs de partment spokesman said. Dennis Ray Gaskins, 28, of 303 Armstrong Ave., New Bern, and Tracey M. Baysden, 30, of Ri^s Road in Alliance, both were arrested on the morning of July 19 in connec tion with the death of Sandra Cheryl Poy, whose body was recovered from Swift Creek near Vanceboro on Dec. 22. Gaskins, who was released on bond July 21 following a first ap pearance in Jones County District Court, has been charged irith man slaughter. Ms. Baysden has been charged with accessory after the fact of mnnslaughter. Both are scheduled to appear in Jones District Court on Aug. 4 for a preliminary hearing before Judge Robert L. Warren, a spokesman in the Jones Clerk of Court’s office told The Jones Post this week. Miss Poy, 37, of Route 2, Trenton, last was seen alive early on the morning of Nov. 24,1988, when her sister, Jan Poy, watched her drive away with an unidentified person from the parking lot of the Sheraton Hotel and Marino in New Bern. Both women had been at the Shera ton lounge for several hours. Miss Po/s clothed body was dis covered four weeks later in Swift Creek near Spruill's Landing by a Kinston duck hunter. The autopsy report showed that she had a blood alcohol level that would have been the equivalent of .09 on a breathalyzer test, but all the other toxicology tests performed on the body had been negative. Miss Poy also was taking *thyroid medication and nerve pills,* according to the autopsy report, at the time of her death. In March, Detective Mike Rice with the Craven County Sheriffs Department had told news media that authorities hod determined from the evidence in the case that Miss Poy might not have been mur dered, but that someone might have concealed her death to prevent any incrimination on their part. *I didn't think she'd associate Weyerhaeuser Faces Lawsuit Over Accident Widow Seeks Damages — For Death Of Husband By Greg Stroud Staff Writer Weyerhauser has been accused in a lawsuit with negligence in the death of Lonice E. Thomas Jr. who was killed in an industrial accident at the company's New Bern plant May 17, 1988. The suit, filed by Thomas' widow, Maria Thomas, seeks in excess of $10,000 in damages, but does not specify an amount. Itrequestsajury trial. It was filed in Craven County Superior Court earlier this month. Thomas was employed by Weyer hauser os a plant maintenance worker at the New Bern plant. Also named as defendants in the suit are John Krofchick and Spencer Adsit. Krofchick was the bleach plant supervisor at the time of the accident and Adsit was the plant en gineer responsible for maintenance at the time of the accident. The accident occurred when a chlorine tank used in the paper bleaching process malfunctioned and erupted near its base. Thomas was killed when the 90-foot high tank released a 450-ton flood of liq uified pulp and the sodium hypo chlorite solution being used to bleach the wood. Two others sus tained serious ii\jurie8 and perma nent damage. One still sits in a coma. Thomas was the only fatality. Part of the suit states: ^Thomas was immediately engulfed by tons of liquifled pulp which flowed from the ruptured area. The rupture caused a h^e approximately five (5) feet by seven (7) feet in size. A wave of pulp wood crushed Mr. Thomas and sev eral other workers. The magnitude and force of the flowing pulp prop elled M**. Thomas and the crew into I- stationary piping and equipment at great speed, causing grievous bodily irtjuries. The flow of pulp reached a height of six feet above the concrete floor of the bleach plant.” The suit contends Thomas was unable to free himself because of the weight and density of the pulp moss and suffocated. The suit alleges that Weyer hauser was aware of the tank's con dition and that the external walls of the tank were weak prior to the acci dent, but did not take proper actions to see that the tank was safe. In Fe bruary of 1988, the walls were so thin that one worker actually punched a hole in the side of the tank with a putty knife while trying to remove surface rust, according to the suit. The incident was reported to plant ofHcials at that time. The tank had just been reacti vated after a two-week shutdown for maintenance. Krofchick and Adsit acknow ledged that they were aware of the deterioration prior to the accident occurring, said the suit. The suit said the deteriorated conditions of the tank 'were readily observable ans speciflcally known by and dis cussed among each of the defen dants and other management and corporate officials of Weyerhaeuser.” Govemmentofflcials from the Oc cupational Safety and Health Admi nistration (OSHA) cited Weyer hauser for safety violations and for 'failure to provide an adequate in spection of the tower to see that it was in a safe end servicable condi tion, resulting in a workplace imper iled by a recognized hazard wMch could cause death or serious harm to employees.” The company was fined $500, which it paid without contest. 'In a report prepared by OSHA, officials of Weyerhaeuser admitted they were aware of the grossly de teriorated condition of the tanks, but misled OSHA investigators con cerning the full extent of such know ledge,” said the suit. Weyerhauser and the other de fendants are accused in the suit of intentional, willful, wanton and re ckless conduct which resulted in wrongful death. As of yet, the complaint has not Lost in his work Donnie Little, yes that’s him hidden among the tobacco leaves, finds a little relief from the heat and sweltering sun frt>m the shade offered by the big leaves and equipment overhead. Little was busy at work Tuesday morning working an area tobacco field. Tobacco workers dot many fields as they harvest one of the state’s top crops. Farmers are hoping the green See WEYERHAEUSER, Page 6 on the fields will translate to green for their bank accounts. with no auch thing as that,- her father, Randolph Foy, said earlier this week. Investigator Denise Harris with the New Bern Police Deportment said in an interview that she and other low enforcement agents *had a lot of speculation- during the in vestigation. No arrests could be mode, she said, ‘till we could get someone who knew something who See FOY, Page 6 Deputy Attacked At Store Craven County law enforcement offleers were joined by Beaufort County deputy sheriffs, Chocowin- ity police, Ktt County deputies and N.C. Highway Patrol offleers in a three-county search Friday for a Vanceboro man after a Craven County deputy was injured in a fight. The man. Prince Lee Whitley, was still at large last night, a spokesman for the Craven County Sheriffs Department said. Craven County Sheriff Pete Bland could not be reached for comment this morning. Whitley was not in Craven County jail this morning, a spokes man said. For almost four hours Friday af ternoon, local law enforcementoflic- ersblocked U.S. 17 and N.C. 33 near the Craven County and Beaufort Couny line, Beaufort County Sheriff Nelson Sheppard said Friday. Craven County deputies asked for help about 12:90 p.m. Friday looking for a red Ford Mustang G.T. reportedly driven by Whitley, Shep pard and a spokesman for Craven County said. The search was.called off about 4:30 p.m, local low enforcement offi cials said. Whitley was being sought in con nection with iiduries to Craven County SherifTs Deputy Willie Mor ris who was taken to Pitt County Memorial Hospital for back irguries he received in a fight, a Craven County spokesman said. Morris was taken to the hospital by helicopter and was released late Friday, a spokesman for the hospi tal said Saturday. The deputy apparently went to a house to serve an outstanding war rant for nonsupport, the Craven County spokesman said. Morris fol lowed a man, who left the house, to a convenience store in Vanceboro, the Craven County spokesman said. At the convenience store, the man reportedly fought with Morris and left in the red Mustang with a fe male passenger. A Craven County woman, Allison Hogans was charged Friday afternoon with as sault on a law enforcement officer, the spokesman said. The car was found Monday in Washington by Washington police. County School Bus Situation Said Good By Greg Stroud Staff Writer approximately 700,000 North '’'Carolina public school students will ride 121 million miles to school dur ing the 1989-90 school year, and for the second year their drivers will all be 18 or older. Last year. North Carolina fielded an all-adult bus driver corps for the first time and faced some driver shortages at the start of the school year. A ruling by the U.S. Depart ment of Labor required the state to hire only drivers 18 or older. For the 1989-90 school year, most systems are expected to hove little problem employing the drivers they need ac cording to Norfleet Gardner, De partment of Public Instruction transportation director. One more change is slated for the bus driver program within the next two years, if passed bv the General Assembly. Drivers will probably be required to hold a commercial Class B license and be over 21 years of age instead of 18. At the present, any adult driver with a license in good standing and who has been issued a School Bus Driver Certificate can operate a school bus. The Craven County school sys tem reports that the driver situation Billy Eutsler. *We are very proud of our system. The new adult drivers are proving to be very valuable to us. This past year the accident rate dropped 50 percent from the previous one. We don't want to speak prematurely, but the prospects are promising for a great year ahead,” said Eutsler. A total of 13,200 buses and driv ers will be needed to transport North Carolina children this year. Craven County accounts for 167 buses and transports around 8,500 children daily. The crucial need school systems have now, says Gardner, is substi tute drivers. Because of the diffi culty involved in attracting people to be substitutes, many school sys tems, including Ctaven County, rely on employees in other positions such as teacher assistants, cafeteria workers and others to act as drivers. 'School systems need a list of peo ple who could fill in when a bus driver is sick or has jury duty or for some other reason cannot work for one day,” Gardner said. Persons interested in becoming a school bus driver or substitute should contact the board of educa tion at 638-2139 or contact the prin cipal of a nearby school. Training re quired Includes a full day of class- School Doors Open Aug. 31 In County NightfUght Lm SchwsHter Jr. photo should run smoothly, according to County Transportation Director, Although the moon may have looked a little wobbly to the pilot of this plane last week, it was the hazy skies caused by hot and humid weather that caused the effect. The pilot Just happened to be flying on the 20th anniversary of man’s Hrst steps on the moon. Wonder if the pilot remembered the his- toric step in flight, less than 76 years after the first plane See BUSES, Page 5 flew at Kitty Hawk? By Greg Stroud Staff Writer Even though it seems summer has just begun, in less than a month, students across the state will return to the classroom. Classes in Craven County will be gin on August 31 for grades 1-12. Kindergarten students vdll begin either August 31 or September 4, de pending on what school and class the student is assigned to. Parents will receive a notice from the school principal as to which date their kin dergarten children will need to re port to class. Most school children feel some what anxious about returning to the classroom in the fall, say school ofli- cials. This nervousness is likely to increase if the child is entering a new school or making the transition from elementary to middle school or from middle school to high school, said the officials. Whether your child awaits the first morning bell with eager antici pation or overwhelming dread, the first few days are likely to be stress ful adjusting or readjusting to the structured schoolroom environment. Parents can help toreducebnek to school stress, according to the North Carolina Department of Public In struction. To reduce back to school stress, parents can help with nn en couraging attitude andby establish ing clear expectations for their children. It isalsoa good idea to take children to school ahead of time to walk around the halls, go into their classroomCs) and meet their teacherfs). Tbis will make the child more familiar with his surround ings and will help him feel more at ease during those first few days of school. If a child has become accustomed to sleeping lato during the summer, getting up on time may be some what of a problem for them and can cause a harsh experience for both parent and child. This problem can be avoided if parents enforce earlier bedtimes and awakening times dur ing the summer as the new school year approaches. A child must have sufficient rest ond sleep to be alert in school. It is important that they get upin time to eat a good breakfast and not feel rushed to get to class on time. For new kindergarteners, going to school for the first time marks a real milestone in their lives. For many children, this will be the first time they have had an opportunity to be independent from 'mommy and daddy.” For many children, starting school can be a very scaiy feeling. Encouragement and nur- See SCHOOLS, Page 6

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