PRIMARY OPPONENTS FILE AGAINST WARREN. BAXTER
Soles, Taylor, Spivey: 18th Senate Primary Ballot Is Familiar
B\ Sl'SW liSIIKK doesn't want to sec Ihc knowledge ;iikI expcricncc she's Middle School and has served as a Boiling Spring lion centered on corruption in Columbus County.
Soles. Taylor. Spivey. gained in office unused. I .akes town commissioner. charges of vote-buying, perjury and conspiracy against
No. it's not deja vu. It's a repeat of the 1992 Baxter faces a primary challenge from retired Ixslie Collier of Long Beach filed as a candidate for Soles were dismissed for lack of evidence.
Democratic primary ballot for the INth District state Brunswick County Sheriff's Department civil officer the District 3 commissioner's seat held by Wavland Today Soles, 59, serves as deputy president pro tern
Senate seat held by R.C Soles Jr. of Tabor City. I.iston llawesof Ash. Verecn. of the Senate, making him third in command of the
Primary races also developed this week for some Russ, owner/operator of a local childcare center. With three Democrats and two Republicans seeking Senate, behind 1.1. Gov. Dennis Wicker, president, and
Democrats seeking election to the Brunswick County laces a primary challenge from former Brunswick nomination from District 5 for commissioner, primaries Sen. Marc Basnight, deputy president. Before election
Board C:;rr;rr!ir.f.ioner the Brunswick County County srhonl board member and music educator for both parties are assured. to the Senate in 1977, Soles served four two-year terms
Board of Fducation Cieorge Wilson of Supply. Individuals have until noon Monday, Feb. 7, to tile in the North Carolina House, iic is foimci iliaiiiiuin of
Brunsw ick County Board of Education Chairman Democratic primaries are now assured in three con- as candidates in the May 5 primary. the Senate Judiciary Committee, has served on the
Donna Baxter of Boiling Spring 1 akes is one of two in- tests lor county commissioner and a Republican prima- Columbus. Bladen. Brunswick and parts of New Agriculture Committee every term, and was appointed
cumbenls on the school board lo file lor election in Ihc ry in one. Hanover comprise the IXih District, which state Sen. co-chairman by Basnight of the stale's standing Crime
past week She wants lo retain her District 4 seat for a Democrat Randy Stanley of Shallottc filed for the Soles has represented since ll>77 and wants to repre- Commission.
third term, while Pollx Russ of Shallottc is seeking District I commissioners' scat held by board Chairman sent for another two years Soles announced Monday One of his primary opponents. Ron lavlor of
nomination to a second term. Both are Democrats Don Warren, while Democrat Tom Simmons of Boiling that he planned to file Wednesday. Feb. 2. in Hlizabcthtown and llolden Beach, also was caught up
"I had to do a lot of talking with people and thinking Spring Likes filed again as a candidate lor the District Whitcvillc. in Color.
before I decided lo file." said Baxter. "I think it's ini- 4 seat held by Torn Rabon of Winnabow. Both Warren Soles' Senate career has steadily advanced, suffering Taylor was the youngest member in the slate House
portant to continue the changes we have made and lo and Rabon are seeking re-election. a setback only with his indictment and subsequent ac- of Representatives when he was elected at age 23. But
keep the momentum we now have going." She said she Simmons is assistant principal of South Brunswick quittal in 1983 in Colcor. In that undercover investiga- (See PRIMARY KLKCTION, Page 2-A)
ivH'c & bONb BOOK" E'
:'0 BOX 162
:;PRIN'jPORT mi 4.:
Thirty-Second Year, Number 14 91994 THI MUNSWlCK BEACON Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, February 3, 1994 50C Per Copy 36 Pages, 3 Sections, Plus Inserts
Citizens Turn Out To See
Sunset Bridge Options
BY SUSAN liSHKK
More than U>0 people came Tuesday night to look at
alternatives for either replacing ?>r improving the Sunset
Beach Bridge.
Unlike at past bridge meetings, most were looking for
relief?something other than the existing bridge.
"Most of the comments I have heard were not 'I want
to keep the bridge we have.' hut were looking at alterna
tives," said Julie Hunkins. project manager with the
N.C". Department of Transportation's Planning and
linvironmental Branch. "I still heard a lot of comments
preferring a mid-level bascule."
In addition to improving or rehabilitating the existing
|M>ntoon bridge, alternatives presented Tuesday at
Joncs/Byrd Pavilion hv the state Department of
Transportation and consulting engineers Cireiner Inc. in
cluded a choice of a 15-foot or 30-foot drawbridge (bas
cule) or a 65-foot fixed span. One of each has been
mapped on corridors east and west of the existing bridge
corridor as well as through its center.
Businessman Cireg Gore, who lives on the island, said
lit favors whichever alternative ' provides the most relief
in the shortest time."
"I plan to live here the rest of my life, but I would like
to be able to go and come as I need to and want to," he
said. "Safety should he the first concern. If the choice is
what we have or a high-rise, I would have to choose a
high rise."
(See BRUK;*:, Page 2-A)
The Alternatives
Cost Relocation
Bridge Type: (Millions) Impact*
LOW-LEVEL (15')
East Corridor $22.98 No B/1 R
Center Corridor $19.35 3B/No R
West Corridor $21.79 NoB/NoR
MID-LEVEL (30)
East Corridor $23.65 No B/1 R
Center Corridor $21.03 3B/No R
West Corridor $21.86 No B/NoR
HIGH-LEVEL (65')
East Corridor $16.58 NoB/1R
Center Corridor $14.34 3B/3R
West Corridor $16.58 NoB/1R
* B=Businesses/R=Residenceo
~ ~~ ~~ STAf F PHOTO~BY ERIC CARISON
BRl XSWICK Detectives Gene Caison (left) and Billy Hughes restrain Alden Griffith, who nas one of
two men arrested after a reported shooting ineident at the home of Deputy I A. Ronald llewett Friday
evening.
FALSE ALARM?
Two Arrested After Gunshots
Reported At Deputy's Home
BY ERIC CARLSON
Was it gunfire? Or just a backfire?
1'hat's what the State Bureau of Investigation has
been trying to determine since three loud bangs from a
passing car sent a Brunswick Cminty Sheriff's Deputy
and his family running for cover and sparked a multi
agency car chase and manhunt that led to two arrests
I riday night.
But no weapon has been found. Neither of the two
suspects has been charged with a shooting. And the SIM
has confirmed the driver's claim thai his car has a ten
dency to backfire. Detective Captain Phil Perry said
Monday.
Which may explain some but not all?of what hap
pened on llolden Beach Road shortly before dusk
Friday.
I.t. Hon.ild Hewctt, who is the county's Drug Abuse
Resistance l.ducation otticer and a candidate tor slier ii t.
Wife .!!ld his (wo i-hilitrcn
talking with Iwo local school touchers at around 5:15
p.m.
Tliey saw a small beige Chevrolet approach and slow
down in front of the llewett home. I'erry said. As it
passed, the Hewetts and other witnesses said they heard
three loud reports and ran for cover.
Thinking that the sounds were gunshots, llewett
jumped into his sheriff's department van. switched on
the blue light and siren and attempted to stop the car,
I'errv said. Hut instead of pulling over, the driver accel
erated and tied down lloldcn Beach Road.
llewett radioed for assistance and was joined in the
chase by other sheriff's deputies and a N.C. Marine
fisheries officer who was in the area.
The suspect vehicle eventually ran through a yard off
Oxpen Road, crashed through a fence and came to rest
in a grassy clearing in the woods behind the county's
soiid waste convenience site. Both occupants jumped
(See (iHNFIRK. I'aue 2-A)
'NOTA CRIME QF VENGEANCE/ SON SAVS
Former Brunswick Pastor Killed
In Burglary Of Costa Rican Home
BY SUSAN USIIKR I uldy and Cox.
A memorial service was to be held Wednesday at I'he two men who entered baddy's room were
Brunswick Funeral Service in Shallotte for a former armed with a machete and a handgun. As the men
Brunswick County pastor shot to death last Thursday who entered Cox's room began dragging her from that
during Ihe burglary ol his Costa Rican home. room into l addy's, she began screaming. In an appar
I lie Rev, Nedo I addy. known to Ins local follow- ent attempt to subdue her father, the other two men
ers .is "Pastor Ned." was he aten. cut and then shot at beat him in the face and cut his arms and legs in sev
close range by intruders who broke into his home at er.il places with the machete.
approximately 2:3(1 a m U.S. (.astern l ime and as- "He must have tried to tend ott the machete from
saulted both I addy and Ins grown daughter, l.yncll the rest of his body with his arms and legs." Ihe pas
Cox. tor's son said.
I'he Beacon spoke by telephone to baddy's son "When they apparently couldn't subdue him, he
Frank in Costa Kh .i, where other members of the im- was shot at point-blank range, at a distance of 20 me
mcdiatc family had gathered. teis or about 50 feet, in the center of his chest Me died
"Four intruders pried the bars from off a small instantly."
room ai die ic.u of the lious.. and broke the g!.:'.s i'he men then forced Cox to show them through the
panes from a small window," he said, reconstructing residence and locale cash, jewelry and other items, he
the incident based on information provided by ( "ox s.iiil "They took a lot of stuff, including Ihe handgun
and local polite my lather kept in Ihe house but never got a chance to
I'he men apparently separated immediately and si use
iiuillaruously entered the two bedrooms occupied hy (See MINISTER, Page 2-A)
STAFF PHOTOS BY ERIC CARLSON
S(tT. LISA MASSEY(above)
faces questioning from Attorney
James Payne, defending .Wen
Jersey prosecutor Francis
Hermes (far right).
NJ Prosecutor Has Tables Turned In DWI Trial
BY KR K' CARl.SON
A New Jersey municipal prosecu
tor. whit irequcuiiy (luisues easts
against drunk drivers in his state,
found the North Carolina justice
system equally strict this week as he
appeared in Brunswick County
District Court to face a charge of
driving while impaired hy alcohol.
Francis Hermes. 4X, of Basking
Kidge, N.J.. is a prosecutor for the
nearby township of Bridgewater. He
thought he w.is in South ( arolina
last April 14 when Sunset Beach
Police Sgt. I.isa Massey stopped
him .it 4:25 a.m. on suspicion of dri
ving while impaired hy alcohol, the
officer testified Monday.
She said she observed the gold
Jaguar Hermes was driving cross the
center line of N.C. 17') four times in
less than a hall mile She said he
stumbled getting out ol the car and
nearly tell while taking a roadside
sobriety test.
After transporting him to Bolivia
for a blood alcohol test, Massey tes
tified that Hermes asked to s|K-ak
with Brunswick County District
Attorney Kex liore. Aitiiough u was
just after 5 a.m., she said she placed
the call and handed Hermes the
phone.
Massey testified that she heard
Hermes say he had just been arrest
ed by a South Carolina State
l'rt>oper. So she interrupted and toid
?in?? m was a Sunset Beach
and that he had been arrested in
North Carolina.
"He said, 'No wonder I couldn't
find the Myrtle Beach airport,'"
Massey testified. She said she heard
Hermes tell his fellow prosecutor he
would "appreciate any help he could
give him."
After speaking with Gore, Massey
testified that she followed through
with the test. At that time. North
Carolina considered a person's dri
ving ability to lx* impaired when
blood alcohol reached .1(1 of a per
cent. ("hat threshold has since been
reduced to .(IS.
Massey testified that Hermes told
her he was familiar with the breath
test for alcohol and was working in
New Jersey to get his state's thresh
old lowered to .OS.
She testilied (hat she administered
the test twice, Both times, the
Intoxilizer showed Hermes had a
blood alcohol content o! .15 percent.
"It was my opinion th.it both his
incntal and physical faculties were
impaired," Massey testified.
After four hours on the witness
stand, Massey left the stand I'uesday
morning in a trial that began
Monday afternoon. Despite aggrcs
sive cross-examination, defense al
ien ney James Payne was unable t<>
prevent the breath test and other
damaging testimony from being en
tered into evidence.
As Massey stepped down.
Assistant District Attorney Rick
(See NJ PROSECUTOR, Page 2
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