I PROGRESS SENTINEL
P|l. XXXXIV NO. 34 USPS 162-860 KENANSVILLE. NC 28349 AUGUST23^79 12 PAGES THIS WEEK 10 CENTS PLUS TAX
Ipriver Charged With DUI
Chemical Truck Hits Bridge
S' By Emily Killette
K
HI tractor truck pulling a
containerized trailer over
Turned eight miles south of
^?tansville at the Island
Hpek Bridge last Tuesday
?nd spilled sodium bi
chromate dry, an industrial
Kemical, onto the sides of
?be road and into the creek.
The accident occurred
lortly after 5 p.m.. Officer
IcCorquodale reported that
arlos Manuel Hernandez of
irginia Beach, Va., was
riving the 1974 tractor truck
jrth on N.C. 11 at about
5-50 miles an hour when the
ehicle malfunctioned
causing the truck to hit the
bridge and overturn.
Hernandez was not seriously
injured. Upon further inves
tigation, Hernandez was
charged with driving under
the influence of alcohol and
was taken to the Duplin
County Jail and put under a
$200 bond. He was released
the next day after relatives
paid his bond.
The tractor truck is owned
by Thomas Hayter of Vir
ginia Beach and leased
through Sea Wheels Truck
Rentals.
Hernandez was hauling 90
50-gallon barrels of sodium
bichromate dry, which is
used to chrome-plate metal
and in industrial dyeing
operations. The chemical
was being shipped from the
Diamond Shamrock Co. of
Castle Hayne to Norfolk. Va.,
where the containerized
trailer was to be loaded and
shipped to China.
According to Ron West,
employee relations director
at Diamond Shamrock Co.,
the chemical was a mild
dilution of sodium bichro
mate and would not harm the
fish in Island Creek. How
ever, fire departments from
Rose Hill, Greenevers and
Wallace worked almost the
entire next day adding water
to the creek to further dilute
the chemical. The chemical
was washed off the road and
onto the sides where the dirt
containing the chemical was
removed and transported to
the Diamond Shamrock Co.
for treatment. According to
West, the dirt will be treated
with hydrochloric acid which 1
will neutralize the sodium ,
bichromate.
Hiram Brinson. director of
emergency services in
Duplin County, said new dirt
would be brought in by the i
state to replace the con
taminated soil.
According to Brinson, a
team of about 20 men from
the Duplin County Emer
gency Services; Rose Hill,
Wallace and Greenevers Fire
Departments; Wallace Res
cue; and Duplin Civil Pre-'
paredness worked all night
and into the next day clean
ing the site of the accident.
Along with the team of 20
Duplin workers were repre
sentatives from the Environ
mental Protection Agency
and the Natural Resources
Department in Wilmington.
Also present were 10 Dia
mond Shamrock Co. em
ployees.
"Water samples were
taken by the EPA but they
don't expect any problems
with the creek water being
contaminated," West said.
He explained that the chemi
cal was highly visible even in
small quantities, but that
there would be neMattger io
the envjkofttnent. Tie added
that the biggest problem
with the chemical spill was
cleaning it up.
!Commissioners Vote
To Pay Medicaid Bills
Tlic Board of Commis
ioners appropriated
37,124.97 Monday to pay its
verdue May and June
Medicaid bills.
The bills exceeded the
Budget for Medicaid because
>f a change in the state's
.pportionment of Medicaid
ptween counties . and the
'ate.
However, the budget calls
tsial year, an increase of 10
percent over la si year. The
state demanded the county
^appropriate $261,267 as its
share of 1979-80 fiscal year
Medicaid costs.
The Board took no action
Bo increase the appropria
tion.
Chairman William J.
tostin*said the county does
not have the nearly $100,000
more the stale wants. He
said the tax rate has already
been set. He said the state is
asking for an increase of 48
percent from the 1978-79
fudge!.
Duplin was one of 17
counties in the state that had
I''.en no action to pay the
additional Medicaid charges
for the 1978-79 fiscal year.
Costin said lie was not
against Medicaid, but he
tclicves these payments
Itould not come out of
property taxes, but out of
(talc funds. He noted the
state claims it is providing
residents a tax break, but all
it is really doing is passing
costs from the state to the
bounties.
State Sen. Harold Hardi
son said he agreed with the
idea of the state taking over
more of the Medicaid pay
ments. He said he didn't
know if the $5 million sug
gested at the N.C. Associa
tion of County Commis
sioners last week would be
sufficient.
H. M. Price of Rose Hill
and Earl Hatcher of Kenans
ville. members of Duplin
General Hospital Board of
Trustees, asked the Board
for a piece of property in
front of the north wing of the
hospital. The property in
question measures 100 by
447 feel. It is now part af the
Kenansville J~lementary
School property. The school
will he abandoned when the
new school, now under con
struction, opens this winter.
^ te liosnital board members
said thev hope to put up an
office building on the site for
physicians' offices. The
com/hjsioners voted to turn
lltiv j!c over to the hospital
after the school no longer
needs it.
A motion by Franklin Wil
liams to eliminate the
present planning board and
appoint a new one with two
members from each commis
sioner's district was ap
proved. The present
planning board has IS
members, some of whom will
be reappointed, according to
commission members. The
motion also specified the
Duplin Development C?fa
mission be a part of the
planning board.
New Trial Expected
For Former Deputy
The trial of George Wil
liams. former deputy sheriff,
charged with larceny, was
declared a mistrial Friday.
Judge Richard B. Alls
brook threw out the case
against Williams, accused of
stealing two items front a
furniture store, following the
dismissal of two jurors.
Allsbrook dismissed one
juror for talking with a trial
?? lawyer during a recess in the
trial in Superior Court. The
judge dismissed another
juror Friday for riding to the
courthouse with a state wit
ness.
Bruce Robinson, an at
torney for Williams, asked
for the mistrial. In granting
the request. Allsbrook said
both the defense and prose
cution's cases had been
damaged.
District Attorney Dewey
Hudson is expected to file a
motion to change the location
of the new trial. In an earlier
trial in District Court. Wil
liams was found guilty of the
Iwo larceny counts. He
appealed to Superior Court.
He had been charged with
taking a radio power booster
May 5 and mounting brack
ets May 9th from Buck
Whaley's Store on NC II
near Wallace.
Williams said he was
working undercover to catch
a thief and that lie took the
items to see if the man would
approach him. He later of
fered to pay for the items,
according to District Court
records.
Williams had served in the
Sheriff's Department 12
years. He was suspended
with pay pending trial. Fol
lowing the conviction, his
pay was slopped.
Appeal For Local
Industry In Wallace
Special efforts to locate an
industry in an available
building at Wallace were
outlined for the North Caro
lina industrial development
staff in Raleigh. John H.
Gurganus. Jr.. of the Duplin
Development Commission:
Graham A. Phillips. Jr..
State Economic Development
board member from Wallace;
Ed Dunn of Davidson &
Jones. Inc. of Raleigh: and
Julian Ford of Carolina
Power & Light Co. made the i
presentation. '
The 40.000 sq. ft. building ?
south of Wallace was con- '
structed by David & Jones 1
with support front the Indus
trial Corporation of Wallace, t
State Department of Com- a
mercc and Coastal Plains
Regional Commission.
"We consider the facility
n Wallace the premier site in
lie basic building program
icross the state." said Jack
Stewart of the N.C. Depart
ment of Commerce.
The building is on a
3-acre site served by water
nd sewer.
Liberty Cart Attendance
Hurt By Gas Crisis
THE LIBERTY CART.
Duplin County's outdoor his
torical drama, closed its
fourth season earlier this
month with a 20 percent drop
in attendance from last year.
Production personnel blamed
the decrease on the gas crisis
and continuing inclement
weather.
Tliev noted, however, that
decreases of up to 32-35
percent in attendance were
common at many other area
tourist attractions.
More than 4.000 persons
attended this year's produc
tion. which raflB"om June 29
to August 5 with an average
nightly attendance of 189.
Although only one perfor
mance at the Kenan Amphi
theatre was canceled be
cause of rain, organizers said
the threat of rain on many
nights depressed audience
figures.
"We arc pleased with the
reception and the reviews it
received." said Rich Boyd,
general manager and
director. "Our only com
plaint was the length, which
will be definitely cut for the
1980 season."
"I am disappointed that
more people did not enjoy
the show. We have someth
ing to be proud of and to
show the rest of the area.
CHEMICAL SPILL - The Rose Hill Fire Department
continues to wash sodium bichlormalc dry from the Island
Creek bridge Wednesday after an accident the night
before when a truck overturned and spilled 90 barrels of
the chemical. Workers removed the dirt from the roadside
which had been contaminated with the chemical and
hauled water which they added to island Creek to dilute
the effects of the chemical.
Public Invited To
Hospital Dedication
The public is invited to
attend the dedication of the
new Intensive/Coronary
Care Building at Duplin
General Hospital in Kenans
ville on Sunday. August 26 at
8 p.m.
Immediately upon con
clusion of the program, tours
of the unit will be conducted
until 5 p.m.
The new addition ^Ra ides
9 intensive/coronar^'i re
single patient rooms
related support facilit
The new unit is designed,
equipped and staffed to care
for critically ill patients and
seriously ill cardiac patients
with monitoring equipment
located at the bedside and at
the central nursing station.
Visual access will be con
tinuous from any point in the
nurses' station. Medical
direction for the unit is
provided by Dr. Edward Lee
Boyctte. who also serves as
Chief of the Medical Staff.
Duplin General Hospital
had its beginning November
6. 1951 when the citizens
voted in a special election to
authorize the issuance of
county hospital bonds for
funds to erect and equip a
50-bed hospital. In 1955. the
stale granted a charter to 17
citizens to incorporate Duplin
General Hospital. The formal
dedication was held Feb
ruary 27. 1955. and on March
4. the same year, the hospital
admitted its first patient.
In 1971 a major expansion
project was completed which
provided additional beds and
services bringing it to its
present operating comple
ment of 92 beds with space to
accommodate an additional
15 beds for the future.
The hospital is owned by
the County. It is a non-profit
institution governed by a
board of trustees who are
appointed by the Boanf^ of
Commissioners. The Board
of Trustees serves without
pay. Duplin General is li
censed by the state and is
approved by the joint com
mission op accreditation of
hospitals, and is a member of
the American Hospital Asso
ciation and N.C. Hospital
Association, according to
Richard E. Harrell,
Administrator.
Road Closed
The Division of Highways
of the N.C. Department of
Transportation has closed SR
1501 to through traffic for
approximately 2 weeks, ac
cording to Division Engineer
Ted Funderburk.
The road, located south of
the Cape Fear River, has
been closed since August 14
and the closing is expected to
last through Tuesday,
August 28.
Maintenance crews are re
placing the pipeline 1.3 miles
north on SR 1519. Traffic is
being detoured over local
roads.
W.C. Casteen, bridge
supervisor, said that every
effort is being made to
complete the project as soon
as possible to minimize any
inconvenience to the public.
DUPLIN TIMES/
DUPLIN TODAY
?DEADLINES
NEWS - MONDAY
12 O'CLOCK NOON
ADVERTISING
MONDAY - 3 O'CLOCK
Law Requires Educable Mentally Retarded To Pass Competency Test
By Emily Klllette
An Educable Mentally Re
tarded student seldom has an
Education expectancy of the
fifth grade level, while the
competency test is a sixth to
ninth grade level test, com
mented Duplin County
school officials Lynda Dav,
Director of Exceptional Chil
dren's Programs, and Gary
Sanderson, Assistant Super
intendent of Secondary Edu
cation.
The 1980 high school
graduates will be required to
pass the competency* test in
order to receive 2 diploma,
and those not p- ,sing will
receive a certificate of at
tendance. In 1979, Duplin
County had 28 EMR students
taking the test and only two
passed, with two cither stu
- ' . ? * ? ' v
denfs passing one of the two
parts of the test.
"It is hard to put an exact
grade level on the compe
tency test, but I would say it
is somewhere between the
sixth and ninth grade." San
derson said.
"The EMR students
almost never have an edu
cation expectancy of above
the fifth grade, and there are
very few who reach as high
as that," Mrs. Day said.
"But the real question is
what effect will not having a
diploma have upon the EMR
students. The doors that will
be closed, which would have
originally been opened if the
child had a high schodl
diploma. There are countless
jobs that require a diploma
before you can even apply,"
r S&3fertt
she commented.
Even with the copy of the
students' transcript and
competency test scores,
which will be required with
each diploma or certificate in
1980. students may have
trouble finding jobs. Many
employers are not going to
be able to translate the test
scores, so the student may
have scored high on the
particular skill required for
the job. and the employer
would never know, the offi
cials commented.
"We are concerned about
the EMR students, and we
are going to do the be?t we
cui .f* provide help so as
many of these children as
possible can pass the compe
tently test." Sanderson con
tinucd. "Parents can request
their child not have to take
the competency test, but this
would automatically forfeit
that child's diploma and
instead, a certificate of at
tendance would be re
ceived.
"We provide remedial
help for students whom we
foresee will have difficulty
with the test, and for those"
who fail the test the first
time." Sanderson said.
However, there are certain
modifications of the compe
tency test which aid the low
functioning child. One is the
large print books without a
score sheet where small dots
are marked to' indicate the
correct answer. According to
Mrs. Day. students who have
with their motor
response have difficulty with
the small print in the test
books and the score sheets
with small color-in answer
blocks. Also, there are audio- I
cassettes which have the t
questions recorded and a i
special teacher helps the '
child complete the test. "
"The audio and visually ?
impaired children are not t
having problems with the s
test, it is the EMR stu- r
dents." Mrs D:.\ said. "The I
EMR studcnis are condi c
tinned to failure. They are s
the ones who have been held t
back in the same grade year c*
after year and they are really
not expecting to pass." f
"Last spring, students d
who were not EMR students V
and did not pass the cotnpe- b
teney test, showed more out- o
fcV-T ? ? wjMSHs fte ^ JeteSfcafttf
ward emotional concern than
the EMR students.-" Sander
son continued. "I don't know
what June will bring when it
becomes mandatory to pass
ilie competency test in order
o receive a diploma, so the
trauma will probably hit this
>pring. We have some EMR
itudents who passed this
car. I mean, just because a
.tudent is EMR doesn't
ttean he can't pass the test.
Jut the real question is. what
loors will be closed to the
.tudenls with only the cer
ificate of attendance?" San
lerson said.
Alternatives to the certi
icates of attendance were
liscusscd by the officials,
'ocational programs such as
rick-laying, auto mechanics
r carpentry were mentioned
as alternatives. An EMR
student could enter these
programs and receive a cer
tificate of a vocational skill.
The present educational
system scores students in
their report cards on voca
tional courses, which enables
them to go to a technical
institute and begin training
in the vocational skill at the
level completed in high
school.
Last year, about 94% of
the students in the state who
took the competency test
passed. Of the students who
failed one or both parts of the
tests, almost half were ex
ceptional children. Over
3,000 exceptional children
took the test. Of the excep
tional students taking the
r -- ?. . - - \ .*vTrv.,v-r..vi'
test. 1,400 passed, or about
46%. However, the EMR
students had the most
trouble, and only 506 of the
1.900 passed, or about 17%.
According to the 1977 law,
no provisions were made to
exempt children with limited
learning abilities from the
competency test, and the
child still receive a diploma.
A public hearing will be held
August 25th in Asheville to
receive input front concerned
citizens about EMR students
and the competency test. Dr.
James Gallagher, chairman
of the competency testing,
said in a recent news release.
Both Mrs. Day and San
derson expressed hope that,
similar meetings would
spread throughout the state.