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THOMASVILLE
Tuesday, December 28,2010
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THOMASVILLE, NCI
Year - No. 35 50 Cents
WWW. tvilletimes. com
North Carolina
retains seats
in House of
Representatives
BYERINWILTGEN
Staff Writer
After months of hard
work, the U.S. Census
Bureau announced pre
liminary data, declaring
the nation’s population
continues to grow.
In information released
Dec. 21, at the National
Press Club in Washington,
D.C., staff revealed that
the U.S. currently boasts
a resident population of
about 308.7 million, a 9.7
percent increase over the
2000 amount of around
281.4 million and up from
the roughly 92.2 million
recorded in 1910.
North Carolina report-'
ed a population of about
9.5 million, an 18.5 per
cent change from the 2000
Census and up from the
roughly 2.2 million peo
ple in 1910. Though a sig
nificant change between
census years. North-Car
olina’s growth was not
enough to gam an extra
seat in the U.S. House of
Representatives.
“This marks the 23rd
time since 1790, when
we were just 3.9 mUllon
people, that all residents
of the United States have
come together to count
themselves and, thus,
made possible a critical
step in our democracy,”
said Census Bureau Di
rector Robert Groves.
“If we track the growth
of 50 states, even reflect
ing populations of terri
tories that later became
states, we see a decade of
remarkable growth.”
The resident popula
tion counts the total num
ber of people living in the
50 states and the District
of Columbia. In Febru
ary, the Census Bureau
will begin releasing de
mographic and local data
to states.
See SEATS, Page 4
TIMES PHOTO/ERIN WILTGEN
Five-year-old Eva Beck slides down a snowy hill Monday afternoon as Chair City residents dug themselves out
from a Christmas storm over the weekend.
BY ELIOT DUKE
Staff Writer
Saturday night’s snow may have been a little late
for Christmas but it was just in tune to wreak hav
oc on area roads.
Much of ThomasviUe’s roads were in fairly good
shape Monday afternoon following a Christmas
weather event that dumped up to six inches of
snow throughout the Chair City Road crews had to
cut their holiday weekend short for a long day at
the office Sunday.
“We had a couple of different crews on call for
snow plowing,” Morgan Huffman, city public ser
vices director, said. “Overall, I think things went
pretty well. So far, I have not heard of any prob
lems.”
With many of the city’s main arteries cleared off,
the threat of black ice has become top priority. Huff
man said there are shaded areas throughout Thom-
asvlUe that could pose a problem for motorists, and
there’s a likelihood of more patches of black ice
forming as the temperature outside drops.
“Everything is pretty much thawed out except for
some of the spots with shade,” said Huffman. “In
some of those areas, we’re probably going to have
black ice m the morning and overnight. I definitely
think we wUl see some re-freezing overnight. The
last I heard, the temperature was going to get down
into the 20s, so people need to be very cautious dur
ing the night and into the morning.”
Dwayne Condrey assistant director with David
son County 911 communications, said there were
more than 200 calls for service over the weekend
that were directly related to the weather. Condrey’s
office received 141 calls for property damage, 91 for
accidents with possible Injuries and 53 stranded
vehicles. Saturday night’s storm was different in
that it affected a wide area, Condrey added.
“Our peak tune for calls was around Sunday
morning,” Condrey said. “It’s usually Interstate
85 taking the worst of it when something like that
starts but this was everywhere. So far, [Monday]
has been good.”
As snow starts to melt, Condrey cautions motor
ists to be extra^careful when it comes to black ice.
“I’m sure we’re going to have it because a lot of
the backroads and even some of the main roads
still have ice,” said Condrey “When the snow starts
melting and the water starts running, it might
freeze back over again.”
Unlike two weeks ago, Condrey felt like citizens
did a fairly good job staying off the roads Sunday
which went a long way to limiting the amount of
calls for service.
“Usually, after the first one, we start slowing down
See SNOW, Page 6
Grice warns
against drunk
driving on
New Year's
BYERINWILTGEN
Staff Writer
It’s that time of year
again.
As 2010 winds down, as
the clock approaches that
magical, tune between
one decade and the next,
folks aU across the coun
try wlU clink glasses of
champagne, throw con
fetti and great the new
year.
But with celebration
comes danger, and Da
vidson County Sheriff’s
Department and Thomas-
vUle Police Department
once again wUl move out
in full force to keep citi
zens safe from themselves
and others on Dec, 31.
According to a report
released by the National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHT-
SA) in 2007, drunk-driv
ing related fatal crashes
increase dramatically
around Christmas and
New Year’s Eve. About 36
driving fatalities occur
on average in America
every day, but m the last
two weeks of the year
that number rises to 45
deaths dally and spikes to
54 on New Year’s Eve.
“It’s just an extremely
dangerous time of the
year,” said Davidson
County Sheriff David
Grice. “We are going to
have plenty of officers
out there.”
Drunk driving acts as a
major factor m traffic fa
talities any time of year,
but with more people out
drinking to celebrate the
turn of the calendar, the
risks Increase substan
tially on Dec. 31. i
Grice recommends that
groups designate a driver
before leaving the house
and emphasizes that that
Individual remain com-
See WARNS, Page 4
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Funeral home reaches out to grieving families
BY ELIOT DUKE
Staff Writer
Today's Weather
Sunny, 42/20
Scott Kramer knows aU-too-
weU how difficult the holiday
season can be for people who
have lost a loved one.
Kramer, funeral director at
ThomasviUe Funeral Home on
Randolph Street, lost his father
nine years ago and admits there
are stiU days, though not as fre
quent, where he thinks a lot
about his dad.
“You never really blow your
nose and get over it,” Kramer,
said. “It’s a very difficult pro
cess.”
This is the story for many peo
ple who have suffered the loss
of a family member this tune
of year. Christmas can be a very
difficult holiday for grieving
family members, and Kramer
understands that as much as
anyone, having seen it often over
the years.
“Holidays are kind of bitter
sweet,” said Kramer. “It’s so dif
ficult on the holidays, especially
Christmas, being it’s the culmi
nation of the year, for families
to try and get over the hump on
things.”
Some funeral homes hold can
dlelight vigils or read the names
of the recently departed over the
holidays, but Kramer chooses to
go m a different direction. Ear
lier this month, he held an open
house at ThomasviUe Funeral
Home where family members
came for a catered dinner and a
chance to be with others who are
experiencing the feelings they
are.
“What 1 try and do is teU them
that everything is going to be
See FAMILIES, Page 6
TIMES PHOTO/ERIN WILTGEN
Scott Kramer, funeral director at ThomasviUe Funeral Home, looks at a
Christmas ornament that honors the recently departed.
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