Police Arrests Teens
(Continued From Page 1-A)
ccnncction with recent vending
machinc break-ins at Occan Isle
and Shallotte.
Both teens were also charged
with one count each of misde
meanor breaking and entering in
connection with a Jan. 8 break-in at
Sally's Surf Shop. Todd said noth
ing was stolen because an alarm
went off and apparently scared the
suspects away.
The two juveniles arrested were
charged in connection with thef: of
the two newspaper racks and the
vending machinc break-ins.
Pritchard said officers had been
on the lookout for the suspects for
about three days before charges
were filed. He said the department
had a description of the vehicle
used in the crimes.
Todd said the four suspect* were
arrested last Thursday at 10:40 p.m.
after allegedly breaking into a
vending machinc at The Winds.
Occan Isle Beach Sgt. James Stew
art assisted Todd with the arrests.
Following the arrests, Benton
and Bowers were taken to Bruns
wick County Jail where they were
held under S2.000 bond. Benton
was released from jail Friday, but
Bowers remained in custody Mon
day afternoon.
The Filing of charges following
the theft of a newspaper rack owned
by The Brunswick Beacon was a
first, according to Publisher Edward
Swcatt.
"We've had towns to recover or
find racks before, but this is the first
police department to arrest someone
in connection with the theft of one
of our racks," he said. "It's sort of
historic in my mind."
Sweau said the weekly newspa
per has three to five circulation
racks stolen and many others bro
ken into each year. To discourage
theft, the rack taken from Ocean
Isle Beach Shop had been embed
ded in a 120-pound slab of concrete
and attached to a nearby post with
cable.
Police Chief Curt Pritchard said
he recovered the newspaper racks
last Friday around 2:30 a.m The
damaged racks were found on the
island side of the AUantic Intra
coastal Waterway in an isolated
spot off Shallottc Boulevard.
He said the suspects apparently
dumped the heavy racks over a sea
wall to hide them. "The racks got
wet, but I don't think they ever
were submerged," said Pritchard.
Officer Todd said the suspects got
approximately 57 out o< The Bruns
wick Beacon rack coin box, S9 from
the USA Today rack and SI. 10 out
of the last vending machine broken
into. "It wasn't worth the crime," he
said.
Finance Officer Dismissed
(Continued From Page 1-A)
she said is required by the IRS.
However, Kaufbold said that the
school hoard attorney and board
chairman recommended against the
change and that the auditor had not
recommended it. In checking with
five other superintendents, Kauf
hold said none were following the
practice recommended.
He also noted that Shappell had
sought, and was denied, reclassifi
cation to assistant superintendent
for financial operations.
Shappell also said the superinten
dent had purchased, with "school
money" 40 pound cakes for staff
gift-giving; Kaufhold said the mon
ey was taken ? and appropriately ?
from the central office miscella
neous fund which is also used for
flowers, after-hour staff meals and
the like.
And while Shappell said that all
invoices "turned over to her on
time" were kept current, Kaufhold
said that staff is currently finding
"many bills thai have not been
paid" under her administration and
that have since been paid. "We arc a
solvent school system and there is
no excuse for not paying our bills,"
he said.
Citing tl."? turn-around of business
officc affairs during her tenure,
Shappcll asserted the superinten
dent "really has no conception of
what I did in keeping the Finance
Department running." However,
Kaufhold said he should share cred
it for the turn-around since the rele
vant reports were prepared jointly
by the two.
Kaufhold said that Shappcll
would be paid through the 16th, in
cluding sick leave taken, but that
the check would not be released un
. ; i Arr./?A u.u. ? j o Ann ? ? ?
Hi v/itivv acjo aiiu in sciiuvji
equipment Shappcll kept at her
home are relumed as well as per
sonal access codes to computer
software. , . _
a\\ VHBMHHMHHMHVi1 ' ** * '
STAFf PHOTO iY DOUG RUTTER
Goodbye , Christmas Tree
Jenna Quigley of Sunset Beach bids a fond farewell to her family's
Christnuis tree Saturday as she and her father, Joe, add it to those
lined up behind sand fence on the beach. Jenna's mother, Debbie,
videotaped the two dragging the tree to the beach, where it will
help rebuild dunes wiped out last September in Hurricane Hugo.
The Quigleys moved to Sunset Beach from New Jersey lastAugusL
I I
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SWF PHOTO BY RAHN ADAMS
AN ACCIDENTAL FIRE burned through the roof of Shallotte Alderman Jody Simmons' residence
on Pender Street Sunday afternoon.
Weekend Blaze Guts Dwelling
An accidcntal weekend Fire gutted
the home of a Shallouc alderman,
according to Shallotte Police. There
were no injuries.
A report on file at the police
department indicates that Shallouc
Volunteer Fire Department was dis
patched to the Jody Simmons rcsi
^An/<A ?? Dai?/Ia* C P
UVIIW UH 1 V4IUVI vJ U CVl JUIIUUT Ol
12:20 p.m. Civielown VFD also
responded.
Police Sgt. C.B. Yager said Sim
mons and his family were not home
at the time of the blaze, which was
spoued by a passer-by, Shallouc
Mayor Jerry Jones. The mayor lives
nearby on Columbus Street.
Yager, the First public safety offi
cer to arrive on the scene, said he
initially observed smoke boiling
from under the eaves of the single
story, cedar-siding house, then saw
the fire begin to burn through the
roof.
'There wasn't much they (fin
fighters) could do," Yager told the
Beacon. "They got there a minute
after I did."
He said fircfighting efforts lasted
n? Knnr ' I ~i%r% Kltfn umr mi>Ar
UtA/Ul an I IWUI . * ? tv t_? nuo til ? vo
tigated by Shallotte Fire Chief Tim
Carter. County Fire Marshal Cccil
Logan was not called to the fire
scene, because Carter determined
that no foul play was involved, said
Yager.
He said the blaze apparently start
ed from an electrical short, since the
fire appeared to have originated at a
circuit breaker box. The house was
a total loss from fire, smoke and
water damage.
Simmons said Monday he was
getting ready to watch a football
game at a friend's house when the
Fire was reported. He added that fire
officials initially notified Mrs. Sim
mons, who was visiting a relative
early Sunday afternoon.
A!uiGu?m u'iC shell of uiv huUdt
withstood the blaze, few of the fam
ily's belongings inside the structure
were salvageable after the fire.
"What the smoke didn't get, the
water did," Simmons noted.
He indicated that the couplc and
their five-year-old child moved into
a house at Shallottc Point Sunday.
"We have had 50 offers (of help),"
he said. "People have been very
generous, and we appreciate every
one of them."
Drug Tax Gets No Takers
(Continued From Page 1-A)
fines, as is required by state drug
trafficking laws. A sentencing
judge can lower or do away with a
defendant's fine, if the individual is
found to have provided "substantial
assistance" to investigators.
"I like the idea that if we can't get
them one way, we'll get them
another way," Brunswick County
Narcotics Squad Lt. David Crocker
said last week. Still, Crocker said
he had a "wait-and-see attitude"
about whether or not the new law
will be effective here.
County Narcotics Agent Pam
Hunt commented, "I am definitely
for it, and I don't know of anybody
who wouldn't be for it except drug
dealers, because this Is another way
(of fighting drug trafficking). But I
think it should have been done a lot
sooner."
Wolak noted that one former
drug-trafficking defendant. Dale
Vamam of Supply, pleaded guilty in
1988 to charges involving five kilo
grams of cocaine. If the drug tax
had been in effect then, for
instance, Varnam might have owed
$1 million in taxes alone.
While no one had inquired about
the tax in Brunswick County as of
Friday, 100 individuals had picked
up applications to buy drug tax
stamps elsewhere in the state, said
Raines. "We don't really expect
anyone to come in," he noted,
adding that the three different drug
tax stamps may be popular with
avid stamp collectors, though.
Raines indicated that he suspects
most drug dealers probably won't
buy tax stamps until after they are
arrested with drugs in iheir posses
sion. According to the law, the drug
? ui~ ...:?!?;?% a q
UlA IO pajUUIV TTIUIill TU UU1J
afier the dealer acquires a non-tax
paid controlled substance or coun
terfeit controlled substance," not
counting Saturdays, Sundays and
legal state holidays.
If the tax isn't paid within 48
hours, the delinquent dealer ' will
have to pay the tax as well as a
penally equal to the tax and interest.
The dealer must then make immedi
ate payment or face having his per
sonal property seized by the rev
enue department.
Also, violators of the drug tax
law can be charged with a felony
offense punishable by up to five
years in prison.
The excise tax affects only indi
viduals who possess fairly large
quantities of drugs: at least 42.5
grams or 1 1/2 ounces of marijuana;
at least seven grams or one-quarter
ounce of other controlled sub
stances that are sold by weight,
such as cocaine; and 10 dosage
units of drugs ? such as crack co
caine ? that are not sold by weight
The tax is $3.50 per gram of mar
ijuana, translating to S 148.75 for 1
1/2 ounces; $200 per gram of
cocaine, translating to $1,400 for a
quarter ounce; and $400 per 10
dosage units of controlled sub
stances.
When a drug seizure is made by
law enforcement agencies, they
must report the seizure to the SBI,
who in turn reports it to the revenue
department. Local branches ? such
as Raines' office on N.C. 130
East ? are then notified of the
seizure, to check whether the excise
tax has been paid and collcct any
taxes that are owed.
Crocker 2nd Ms. Hunt s^id !hs?
Thursday that no drug seizures had
been made in Brunswick County
sincc the tax lav, went into effect
Jan. 1. "We intend to file oa every
seizure of any amount that is tax
able," Ms. Hunt said, later adding,
"I feel confident that we will not
run into any (controlled substance)
that has been (tax) paid."
As might be expected from a
drug agent, Crocker said the only
drawback he sees in the new law is
that dealers can buy tax stamps
without identifying themselves.
Stamps, which arc stored in Ra
leigh, can be applied for anony
mously at the local revenue office
or by mail.
"I think that (confidentiality) is
an aspect of it that's working
against us," Crocker said, "but if
there are any catches in it, maybe
they'll be caught and can be worked
out"
Also, according to the tax law,
any personal information obtained
by the revenue department is confi
dential and "cannot be disclosed or,
unless independently obtained, used
in a criminal prosecution" other
than one involving the drug tax
itself.
"We know it (drug dealing) is an
illegal activity," Raines said, "but
we're bound by the law not to
reveal any information. It's one of
those 'Catch-22' situations."
or * AA*rjT TnaniiiA /\a
OUH OCiMS i i nnUii'iu V/U.
Candlelight Cabinets by Aristokratt
BRUCE CONSTRUCTION
Ocean Isle Beach
Jim Suggs House
Seaside, NC
A SEA COAST TRADING
tStOkYOft 754-6630 ? 120 Blake St., Shallotte
'January Thaw'
Stalls Winter
The Shall otic area shouid see a
temporary break late this week in
what has been an abnormally cold
winter, according to Shallotte Point
meteorologist Jackson Canady.
Though this brief "January thaw"
should cause nighttime tempera
tures to average in the low 40s and
daytime temperatures in the low 60s
through the weekend, Canady ad
vised local residents "to keep coats
and shovels ready" for winter's re
turn.
Canady noted that the National
Weather Service's 30-day extended
forecast calls for slightly above av
erage temperatures in southeastern
North Carolina. However, Canady
said he believes the region will sec
more frozen precipitation this win
ter.
frccipitauon in the Siiaiioiie area
over the next several days shouid be
near normal at about one-half inch
of rain, he added.
For the period of Jan. 9 through
15, the daily average temperature
here was 46 degrees, which Canady
said was near normal.
The daily average high tempera
ture was 59 degrees, and the daily
average low temperature was 34 de
grees.
The maximum high temperature
during the period was 67 degrees on
Jan. 15. The minimum low tempera
ture was 25 degrees on Jan. 14.
Canady measured no rainfall dur
ing the seven-day period.
9
Hoiden Board To
Review Policies
A review of policy statements in
cluded in the town's 1985 land use
plan update is on the agenda for
tonight's (Thursday's) meeting of
the Hoiden Beach Planning and
Zoning Board.
Existing policies on marina de
velopment, development of sound
and estuarine islands, septic tank
suitability, public sewage system,
soiid waste disposal, transportation,
beach and water access and contigu
ous growth will be among those dis
cussed at the meeting, which starts
at 7 p.m. in town hall.
Hoiden Beach is in the process of
updating its CAMA Land Use Plan,
which includes policies used to
guide future development and
growth. A questionnaire will be
mailed to property owners next
week to gather input that will be in
corporated in policies in the land
use plan update.
CLASSIFIEDS
Good News
People Can Use
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Telephone 754-6890
Published Every Thursday
At 4709 Main Street
Shallotte, N.C. 28459
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and a friend
if s
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