First Forest Fire
Claims 100 Acres
Pram Staff Reports
The first forest fire of the spring
burned out of control in the nigged
Little Laurel section of Madison
County for nearly a day before being
contained by firefighters early Wed
nesday.
The fire ? caused by a downed
power line, fed by dry timberland and
fanned by high winds ? claimed an
estimated 100 acres of land before
firefighters could bring the blaze
under control.
Most of the burned land is privately
owned, although several acres of the
Pisgah National Forest were charred
by the fire, according to forest service
officials at the scene.
The fire was still burning Wed
nesday afternoon, and crews from the
U.S. Forest Service, N.C. Forest Ser
vice and Madison County fire de
partments remained in the Little
Laurel area Wednesday afternoon.
"We can't officially call it contained
until after we complete the burn-out
operation," said Ron Lintz, deputy re
source assistant with the U.S. Forest
Service. "We've still got some hollows
that are burning."
About 100 firefighters responded to
the blaze, including helicopter crews,
three airplane tankers and a bulldozer
unit, according to officials. Some 35
remained at the scene early Wed
nesday afternoon.
Forest Ranger Tony Webb,
stationed in Madison County, said the
fire began from electrical sparks
caused when a tree fell across an elec
trical power line Tuesday morning.
"A white pine fell on a power line,
and the wind just fanned it," Webb
said. "We've estimated that just over
100 acres have been burned."
Ranger Bill Leatherwood got the
fire call at 10:50 a.m. Tuesday, and
-Continued on back page
'Copters Battle Blaze
PHOTOS BY LOU ZELLER
Helicopter crews helped fight a forest fire in
Madison County on Tuesday, dumping large
buckets of water on the "hot spots." Above,
workers fill the buckets with water while the
helicopter pilot readies for takeoff. Left, the
helicopter leaves with its load. About 100 ac
res, including land in the Pisgah National
Forest, burned before firefighters could bring
the blaze under control.
Hot Springs Chief Of Police Disappears
By BILL 8TUDENC
Editor
John Barrett, controversial police
chief of Hot Springs, left town unan
nounced last Wednesday, leaving
municipal officials scratching their
heads about the unexpected disap
pearance of the town's highest rank
ing law enforcement officer.
"He Just left and said he would
never be back," Hot Springs Mayor
Kenny Ramsey said. "I have no idea
why. I didn't have the least idea this
was coming."
Town officials say that Barrett ap
parently left town - and the state of
North Carolina - with another
woman.
"He left with another individual of
the female persuasion for parts
unknown," said Officer Terry Lee
Getman. "We've had no phone calls.
He didn't notify anyone. He just up
and took off. Whether it's permanent
or not, we don't know."
Getman will serve as acting police
chief until the Hot Springs Board of
Aldermen can meat- to discuss the
vacancy. ?-'I*-,,
The disappearance of Barrett
comes as the N.C. State Bureau of In
vestigation was wrapping up an in
vestigation of a New Year's Eve acci
dent involving Barrett and Hot Spr
ings' only police car.
SBI agents had been in Hot Springs
during the past month to look into
allegations that Barrett may have
been intoxicated when he and former
Madison County Commissioner
Virginia Anderson crashed shortly
after midnight Jan. 1. The police car
'He just left and said he would never be back. I have no idea
why. I didn't have the least idea this was coming. '
- v ?Hat Springs Mayor Kenny Ramsey
was declared a total loss.
Barrett had repeatedly contended
that he had not been drinking prior to
the accident, and said that he was in
pursuit of an unidentified speeding
vehicle at the time of the crash.
But some Hot Springs residents say
that Barrett had been seen at two
New Year's parties prior to the acci
dent. Other residents said Barrett
was not in pursuit of anyone, but was
driving up and down the street, siren
blaring, to ring in the New Year.
Barrett said those residents ap
parently had a grudge against him
for a traffic ticket or other similar
situation.
J. Thomas Rusher, district at
torney for the 24th Judicial District,
in January asked the N.C. Attorney
General's Office to look into those
allegations. Rusher said someone
without a tie to county politics should
handle the investigation.
The Attorney General's Office ap
pointed the SBI to conduct the in
vestigation, completed last week.
"Our investigation has been com
pleted," Charles Dunn, assistant
director of the SBI in Raleigh, said
Friday "The report is now being
drawn up. and it should go to the of
Uce et' the spwk! prosecutor in the
Attorney General's Office."
Hie Attorney General's Office will
then decide what action - if any - to
take.
The fact that Barrett has left town
should have no effect on the outcome
of the investigation, Dunn said.
"I don't know that it will have any
effect," he said. "The investigation
has been completed, and it will be up
to the special prosecutor as to what
action will (|e taken. That action can
be taken whether he (Barrett) is
there or not." W
Dunn would not speculate if any
charges against Barrett would stem
from the investigation. Bill Parrell,
the special prosecutor in the Attorney
General's Office, is out of the office
this week and could pot be reached
for comment.
Although Barrett's sudden depar
ture coincided with the completion of
the SBI investigation, Hot Springs of
ficials don't believe the investigation
had much to do with his disap
pearance.
"I wouldn't think so," Ramsey
said. "I don't really think it had much
to do with it."
"It (the investigation) may have
added to it," Getman said. "Whether
or not it had a real direct bearing, on
ly Mr. Barrett would know for sure,
-Continued on back page
Cindy Hess and her favorite dog, Sara
stand in front of the burned out trailer des
BILL STUDENC PHOTO
troyed by fire in an recent early morning
Maze.
Sparky The Wonder Dog?
Barking Dog Awakens Woman; Disaster Averted
ILL 8TVDKNC
Editor |
Hill DOW jokingly refers to her
Sara, as "Spark) he Jtfo ??
I tog.*
It's a fitting nickname. Sara may have helped avert
i Man HiU Fire Depart
[ v : : ""Tvir'V . ' iv/ v . U .
Although Fox isn t ready to give Sara a bronzed dog
biscuit for her heroics, Hess says that if her pet had
the March 14 Ore may have
trailer.
trailers and two howet an within SO
fMt<
' The most alarming thing about thfe whole siti
-K that I
Weaverville, Yancey, Marshall
Merchants Discuss Cooperation
By ANNE KITCHELL
Staff Writer
Prom Weaverville to Hot Springs,
businesses are banding together in an
attempt to keep retail dollars from
leaving the Madison-Yancey-North
Buncombe area.
The cooperative spirit between
communities is a sign of the re
juvenated interest local merchants
have in saving their investments, the
merchants say.
The Marshall Merchants' Associa
tion recently hosted representatives
from Yancey County and Weaverville
to discuss the possibility of pooling
resources in a joint effort to boost the
area's sluggish economy.
Weaverville Town Manager
Charles Home and Yancey County
Chamber of Commerce represen
tative Wanda Proffitt Joined the Mar
shall Merchants in a round-table
discussion concerning cooperative
economic development planning.
"We need to get some activities go
ing," Hornesaid. "Communities need
to take inventory and set their sights
on attainable goals."
Home suggested the Marshall mer
chants should concentrate on pro
moting the unique qualities of the
area.
"The drive to Marshall is
beautiful,'1 Home said. "Merchants
have to work together to find ways to
pull people into town and stop instead
of driving by."
Proffitt told the group that the
Yancey County Chamber of Com
merce has shown steady growth over
the past seven years. A major draw to
? '.a, ~
the area is an annual craft fair, which
brought in more than 173,000 to the
craft merchants alone.
Weaverville has recently formed it
own merchants association to pro
mote the North Buncombe area.
According to Gary West, Weaver
ville Merchants' Association vice
president, the goal of the group is to
relay to the people that the area
businesses are good and that people
don't have to drive to Ashe ville to
shop.
"There's a good life in Weaverville
and 1 believe in this community."
West said. "The merchants' associa
tion's purpose is to make the town a
better place to live, work and
recreate."
Continued an back page
Towns Asked To Help Fund
Countywide Dispatching System
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I ?? t^.?0Jf4B.,
now rode: study h\
the Madison County Board ot Com
mil ? ? ?- awl each of ire*
municipal g overling boards in
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