Sports, page IB Classifieds, p. 3C Oak Is] 's most complete fe real estate properties INSIDE Volume 63/ Number 17 Southport, N.C. December 22,1993/50 cents Crime no longer child's play Lack of discipline, punishment is blamed By Holly Edwards Municipal Editor Gone are the days when the most serious offenses committed by "juvenile delinquents" were knocking down mailboxes, tearing up neighbors' gardens and egging cars. These relatively minor transgressions have now been replaced by frequent cases of breaking and entering, larceny, assault, even murder. Juvenile crime is escalating throughout the United States, and Brunswick County is no exception. "Juvenile crime is one of the biggest problems law enforcement is dealing with in the '90s, and will be for the rest of the century," said Long Beach police chief Danny Laughren. "Juveniles are committing more crimes, and they're committing more violent crimes." Long Beach police spend an increasing amount of time and energy investi gating and prosecuting break-ins, larcenies and acts of vandalism committed by young people underage 16. Laughren added that the problem is exacerbated by many local teens' use of LSD, crack and marijuana. Some youths are armed with knives and guns. "People think kids are just doing minor stuff, but kids are much more aggressive now,” he said. "Kids are committing adult crimes, but the punish ment for them is so much less serious." Laughren pointed out that six of nine people indicted this week in connection with the kidnap and murder of a Bolivia man were betw een the ages of 16 and 18. just one step over the line to adulthood in the eyes of the law. The group is accused of dragging the man from his car, shooting him in the back and then beating, kicking and striking him with a machete several time before he died. "Children grow up in violent homes, they have violence at school, violence on TV. It’s no wonder they grow up to be violent adults.1' Laughren said. "Some kids are really criminals in the making, and a slap on the hand isn’t going to work." Sheriffs department detective Nancy Simpson, who is in charge of juvenile investigations, blamed the rise in violent juvenile crime on drugs, particularly crack cocaine, and on a lack of parental guidance. As an example. Simpson said, that after closing in on a crack house in a Leland trailer park recently, she See Crime, page 7 1-73 route clear By Terry Pope County Editor A final version for Interstate 73 approved by state transportation offi cials Monday will loop it through Brunswick County. The state will recommend to fed eral authorities that 1-73 parallel N. C. 130after it leaves Whiteville and even tually connect to U.S. 17 just north of Calabash. From there it will travel past Myrtle Beach, S. C„ and south ward to Charleston. "I think it’ll be one of the biggest boosts to our area since we got elec tricity," said Odell Williamson of Ocean Isle Beach, Division 3 high way commissioner for the N. C. De partment of Transportation. ”1 was very happy with the deci sion. It's what this area needed. People wanting to go somewhere are looking to get on an interstate as quickly as possible." Williamson, appointed highway commissioner by Gov. Jim Hunt in May. says he has devoted long hours to lobby for the changed route. Ini tially, it was to streak across the state from Winston-Salem to Rockingham and head southward to Florence, S. C. A coalition of Myrtle Beach and Brunswick County residents and offi cials pushed for the road to come See Route, page 9 Christmas wreaths and lighted holly trees, along with decorated shop windows, set the tone for the Photo by Jim Harper holiday season as a peaceful dusk settles over downtown Southport. Misuse of assets widespread Schools employ would-be accuser in new position By Holly Edwards Municipal Editor A former contract em ployee of the Brunswick County school system came forward last week with alle gations of widespread mis . appropriation of property at the school warehouse, and subsequently was offered an other temporary contract po sition as "asset coordinator". This new position will in 'This concerns me greatly, but we’ve got to have a framework before we can do anything. We’re coming of age and we’ve got to be accountable. It’s em barrassing for the system....’ Donna Baxter School board chairman volve identifying and recording ail surplus school property and locating all unrecorded property. School board chairman Donna Baxter sakl superintendent Ralph Johnston has not yet established a salary for the position. She said . Johnston has authority to contract temporary employees without school board approval. Pam Dean was hired last summer to videotape school property to be used for the ex ceptional and handicapped children program, and said during that time she observed property moved in are! out of the warehouse without being recorded. She also said that some items, including a com puter, a television aid a yard tractor, were diverted to school employees for their personal :|| use. Dean told Southport pohce chief Bob Gray about the di Set Misuse, page 6 Board bogged down in rules on quarry site By Terry Pope County Editor County commissioners say they will continue to push for a ban on mines near the Brunswick nuclear power plant, despite legal threats from Martin Marietta Aggregates. A local ordinance to prohibit deep mines within five miles of the Caro lina Power and Light Co. nuclear facility north of Southport hit a snag Monday when county attorney Mike Ramos advised its specific wording would prohibit all mines, including minor permits for sand excavation. It passed a first reading last week, 4-1, with Jerry Jones dissenting. A special meeting has been set for De cember 29,6 p.m., to vote on a new version. County commissioners met in ex ecutive session for an hour Monday to discuss the mining company's reac tion to a local ordinance aimed at protecting the public safety. The State Port Pilot has obtained a copy of the letter sent Monday from Martin Marietta president Steve Zelnak Jr. to Don Warren, chairman of the Brunswick County Board of See Quarry, page 8 More improvement promised by CP&L By Jim Harper Staff Writer Carolina Power and Light Co. accepted a good report card from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last week with assurances that the company plans to do even better in running the Brunswick nuclear plant. "Our vision for Brunswick and all our nuclear plants is to be world class," said CP&L president William Cavanaugh III. "We define that as being in the top quartile for safety, operations and cost performance, and having a high level of employee satisfaction. "We ll strive to get Brunswick up to that level as quickly as possible. That's our game plan, and we're sticking to it." Cavanaugh’s remarks came at the Thursday S ALP (Systematic Assessment See CP&L, page 9 OUTSIDE Forecast The extended forecast calls for fair and cold weather for the Christ mas holiday. High temperatures are ex pected to be in the 40s Thursday through Sun day, with nighttime lows in the 20s. Merry Christmas! Tide table HIGH LOW THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23 3:32 aon. 9:37 ».m. 3:39 p.m. 9:50 p.m. Friday, December 24 4:12 a.m. 10:32 ».m. 4:32 p.m. 10:40 p.m. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25 5:01a.m. 11:23 a.m. 5:22 pan. 11:28 p.m. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26 5:49 a.m. im. 6:08 p.m. 12:11 pan. MONDAY, DECEMBER 27 6:35 a.m. 12:15 ton. 6:53 p.m. 12:55 pjn. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28 7:16 a.m. 12:58 a.m. 7:35 pm. 1:39 pan. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29 7:58 a.m. 1:41a.m. 8:17 p.m. 2£1 pan. The following adjuitmenu should be made: Bald Head bland, high -10, low -7; Caswell Beach, high -5, low -1; Southport, high +7, low -*-15; Yaupan Beach, high -32, low -45; Lockwood Folly Inlet, high -22, low -8. .

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