Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Sept. 22, 1994, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Attorneys Argue Over Admissibility Of Defen aanf s Statement (Continued From Page 1-A) said. "He told Frank, 'They know the tnith. You better tell them every thing.'" After that, Frank Ford told a dif ferent story. Moser testified that he allowed him to give an uninterrupt ed account of his actions on the night of Nov. 28. Tnen the investiga tor went back over the story with Ford, stopping him to ask questions while making six pages of notes. The contents of Ford's statement were not revealed in court Monday. Judge Thompson was cxpected to announce Wednesday whether he will allow the pages, marked "State's Exhibit 1," into evidence during the trial. Investigators have said they be lieve it was Ford who Fired the fatal bullet into Davis's back after he was dragged from his car by three of the ten who met him outside his trailer. The other murder suspects are ac cused of beating and kicking Davis as he struggled on the ground. One of the men allegedly hit Davis in the head with a machete. It is not known whether Ford will be called to testify in his defense. But his court-appointed lawyers Michael Ramos and James Payne are expected to call an expert psy chiatrist to testify that Ford was in capable of understanding what he was doing on the night of Davis's murder. In a motion filed April 20. the de fense claimed Ford "had consumed a half a gallon of liquor, smoked some "rock" (cocaine) and smoked approximately a half ounce of mari juana" on the night in question. The attorneys say Ford was "intoxicated to the extent that his ability to form the specific intent to commit the crime of First degree murder was im paired to the extent that (Ford) was not able to appreciate the criminality of his conduct." To support their claim, the de fense plans to call Dr. John WarTen, described as "an expert clinical psy chologist." the motion states. A total of 225 people have been summoned to appear as prospective jurors in the trial, which is expected to last three weeks. Testimony is not likely to begin until next week. Meanwhile, the last of what pros ecutors call the "peripheral players" in the Davis murder, agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge and will receive no active jail time in ex change for testimony against Ford and two others murder suspects. Jeremy Javon Smith, 17, of Tobes Road, Bolivia, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit as sault with a deadly weapon inflict ing serious injury. Assistant District Attorney Lee Bollinger said Tuesday. Smith was charged with conspira cy, accessory after the fact to the felony of robbery with a dangerous weapon, aiding and abetting an as sault with a deadly weapon with in tent to kill inflicting serious injury, first-degree kidnapping and conspir acy to commit kidnapping. Others who admitted their in volvement in the murder and agreed to testify against Ford include Nich olas Lavoir Smith, 17, Kevin Ken yatta Mitchell, 18, Victor Conway Randolph, 22, Anthony Alex Smith, 19, and Archie Lee Williams Jr., 17, all of Bolivia, and Jessica Lucille Stancil, 17, of Ocean Isle Beach. Also facing murder charges in the killing are Byron Henry Knowles, 25, of Wilmington and Terrance LaQuinn Jones, 19, of Randolph ville Road, Bolivia. Knowles al legedly fled the country and is be lieved to be in the Bahamas. Jones is being held in Brunswick County Jail without bond. SBI AGENT Kelly Moser explains the questioning that led Frank Lenail Ford to confess to his involvement in the killing of Charles Wayne "Butch" Davis last November. Moser testified at a pre-trial hearing Monday morning. Teachers' Group Endorses Six School Board, Two Commissioner Hopefuls BY SUSAN USHER Six of 10 candidates for school board and two of 10 candidates for county commissioner have won endorsement of the Brunswick County Association of Educators. Meeting Sept 13 association representatives approved the recom mendations of the group's Political Action Committee for Education (PACE). Candidates in four of five school board races earned endorsements, with dual endorsements for the District 4 and District 5 seats. Endorsements were as follows: juvenile services officer Olaf "Bud" Thorsen Democrat, District 1; retired educator Clara Carter, Democrat, District 2; both retired educator Pat Brown, Republican, and CP&L em ployee Bryant Pergcrson, Democrat, District 4; and Federal Paper Board Co. employee and incumbent school board member Yvonne Bright, Republican, and parent activist Glenda Browning, Democrat, District S. Nine out of 10 school board candidates participated in the Sept 12 forum at Brunswick Community College. District 2 Republican candi date Eugene Hewett, who didn't participate, was not endorsed. Neither were Republican hopeful Rozell Hewett of District 1 and Democrat Billy Carter and Republican Beth Osiek of District 3. Candidates fielded ques tions reflecting educators' special concerns, from discipline measures now in use in the schools and teacher tenure and personnel policies to site-based management and local funding of the schools. Among the criteria considered in endorsements were candidates' commitment to education, past record, electability and answers to ques tions posed at the forum. In each race, one or both candidates could be endorsed, or none, said PACE Chairman Christy Judah, a guidance coun selor at Shallotte Middle Scho9l. To her knowledge this is the first time BCAE has endorsed opposing candidates. ''We're breaking new ground to make dual endorsements," she said. Two challengers ? and no incumbents ? won the teachers' endorse ment tor election to the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners. The group endorsed only District 2 Democrat Alfooza Roach and District 3 Republican Leslie Collier. Both participated in the candidates' forum, along with challenger Bill Sue, Democrat, District 5, and Chairman Eton Warren, District 1 incumbent and Democrat In addition to its political action committee, BCAE, a professional organization for teachers, is active cm other fronts, according to spokesman Kathleen Thompson, a Sooth Brunswick High School teacher. The local chapter recently voted to send six interested teachers to a fall instruction workshop on the state testing program and national board certification, to send a $100 donation to the Georgia Association of Education disaster relief fond, and to donate a tree for a reading gar den at Union Elementary School in memory of the late Martha Russ, who taught second grade. Schools Cautious After SMS Student Says Gun Pointed (Continued From Page 1-A) the main entrance. Guidance person nel already monitoring the front hall are now watching outside the build ing, and hall monitors are on duty as in the past. Several parents have volunteered to serve as silent sentinels, parking their vehicles in unobtrusive loca tions to monitor the grounds. In the afternoons 13 to 14 teach ers are already on bus duty while their students hoard buses Home. "We believe we're handling it properly," said Robinson. "We're trying not to get the community up at arms, but providing extra security measures. With our society as it is today, we have to be as pro-active as THE BRUNSWKXftKACON Established Nov. 1, 1962 Telephone 754-6890 Published Every Thursday At 4709 Main Street Shallrrfte NT 984*0 SUBSCRIPTION RATES IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY One Year $10.36 Six Months $5.55 EI ,SE WHERE IN NORTH CAROLINA One Year $14.86 Six Months $7.90 ELSEWHERE IN U SA. One Year $15.95 Six Months $8.35 Second class postage paid at Shallotte, N.C. 28459. USPS 777 780. Postmaster, send address changes to: P.O. Box 2558, Shallotte, N.C 28459-2558 we can." Friday morning students were re minded to use ilic proper doors when arriving at school. Students whose parents drop them off at school on the circle drive are to en ter through the main entrance and students arriving by bus are to enter through the end door at the bus area. While fire regulations don't allow the school to tppn fhp door locked, students are not to use the middle front door that leads directly into a section of classrooms, said Rob inson. Robinson said staff members are being supportive of the girl who re ported the incident. "The rumors are what we'll have to help her with," she said. Normal Weather Is In Forecast Normal temperatures and rainfall amounts are expected over the next few days in Brunswick County as the season officially changes from r_ ii JUUUIIVI IU toil. Shallotte Point meteorologist Jackson Canady said Tuesday tem peratures will range from the mid 60s at night to the mid-80s during the day. The area should receive about three-quarters of an inch of rain in the next week. For the period Sept. 13-19, Canady reported that the average nightly low temperature was 66 de grees and the daily average high was 86 degrees. The daily average of 76 degrees was about normal for this time of year. The maximum high reading dur ing the period was 90 degrees on Sept. 16, and the minimum low was 59 degrees on the 1 3th. Canady said he measured 1.39 inches of rain. Volunteers Sweep Brunswick Beaches BY DOUG R UTTER Brunswick County beaches are a lot cleaner this week thanks to the efforts of hundreds of vol unteers who gave up their Saturday morning to take part in Big Sweep. Coordinators at Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach and Holden Beach reported that approxi mately 400 people helped pick up cigarette butts, aluminum cans, plastic bottles and other litter. Folks also bagged debris Saturday at Long Beach, Yaupon Beach, Caswell Beach, Southport and Bald Head Island as part of Big Sweep, an annual statewide cleanup of beaches, lakes and rivers. Organizers in the South Brunswick Islands said support this year was the best it's ever been. Estimates on the number of volunteers included 175 at Holden Beach, 150-plus at Ocean Isle and more than 100 at Sunset. "I was very, very excited and favorably im pressed by the turnout we had. It was biggest turnout we've ever had. All in all I think the re sults were great," said Sunset Beach coordinator Clete Waldmiller. "People came from near and far. There were lo cal residents from nearby communities. Sunset Beach residents and 25 kids from a fraternity at N.C. State in Raleigh." Volunteers collected about 15 bags of trash on the strand and another 10 bags elsewhere on the island. A half-dozen people picked up enough lit ter on Bird Island to fill two trash bags. "The beach was already in pretty good shape thanks to people who carry trash bags when they walk the beach on a daily basis." Waldmiller said. Waldmiller said the most common types of lit ter found Saturday were cans, diapers and ciga rette butts. "One thing I can safely say is there were 1(X) people here who would never throw a cigarette butt on the beach after what they saw Saturday," Waldmiller said. One of the more encouraging things Waldmiller noted was that volunteers only found two plastic six-pack rings. "That's way down from previous years," he said. Waldmiller said the Big Sweep was a commu nity effort, l^ocal merchants helped provide a hot dog roast after the cleanup, and town employees picked up full trash bags that were left beside the road. At Holden Beach, an estimated I7S volunteers turned out to clean up the strand, marshes, water way and other areas of the island. "It went really well. We had a big turnout," said Pat Sandifer, co-chairman of the Holden Beach Bcautification Club's Beach Sweep pro jects. "People really worked hard. We cleaned up ar eas that before have been passed over," she said "We had a lot of folks from the mainland come over. We had a lot of young people helping which I was glad to see." Common finds at Holden Beach included bot tles. cans, plastic bags, construction material and other debris that had been scattered on the island during recent storms. "Cigarette butts were just everywhere," Sandifer noted. Coordinators aren't sure how much litter was collected at Holden Beach because many people deposited their trash bags in dumpstcrs at the fish ing pier. Campground By the Sea and town recy cling station. "We gave out about 350 bags. Wc gave out everything wc had." Sandifer said The bcautification club is trying to organize a cleanup every six weeks. Sandifer said the next one will probably be held in early November after the N.C. Festival By The Sea Island Owner Wants Tax Value Change (Continued From Page 1-A) Plans drafted tor development of the island have evolved in answer ing regulators' questions about "what could happen to the island in the future" and in determining what "we would be allowed to do." Poag is in the second year of what he estimates will be a four-year per mitting process; so far no agency has either issued or denied a permit. Both state and federal agencies have said they will require a full en vironmental impact statement (E1S), at a cost Poag estimates will run $250,000 to 5350,000. He believes an assessment, which would cost about $10,000, is more appropriate. Poag said he thinks the agencies feel pressured to seek the EIS because of efforts by preservationists to block development of the island and to promote its public purchase and ac quisition. Asked if there was any intent by the state to "take" the island through condemnation, Poag icpiicd, "I think they arc effectively trying to do that through the permitting process. I'm sure we will have to face every ob stacle possible." Most recently Poag and Price's engineering and legal consultants have asked the Sunset Beach Town Council to amend the zoning of the island to allow a more cost-effec tive, higher-density development, up to 60 single-family residences, dou ble that now allowed. The Coastal Resources Commis sion recently endorsed Bird Island Preservation Society activists' nomi nation of the island as a coastal complex area of environmental con cern (AEC). A field evaluation has confirmed that the area qualifies for the special protection. The next step is for the Office of Coastal Management to develop proposed site-specific use standards and/or a management plan for the island. The CRC will receive the final report at its November meeting. Meanwhile Society representa tives have asked the N.C. Department of Environment. Health and Natural Resources to consider denying Price's application for a permit to build a bridge to the is land. a key clement in plans for de velopment of the island The basis for their request is the CRC's previous designation of Mad Inlet as an "inlet hazard area" con sidered unstable for most develop ment because of its history of migra tion. "Structures" larger than 5,000 square feet cannot be built there The N.C. Coastal Federation, which is the umbrella organization lor the society, has estimated the proposed bridge would be 120,1**1 square feet. Brunswick County Tax Admin istrator Boyd Williamson said the board would probably discuss the request either this week or next. A decision will be given within two to four weeks. Brunswick Not Selected For 'Smart Start' Grant Brunswick County's Partnership For Children didn't make the fund ing cut Tuesday for a $1 million Smart Start grant. "Thousands of selfless hours by a lot of different people went into this. We are deeply saddened, but we're going to keep on plugging," said Chairperson Lorraine (Lori) Bates. "They said the applications were re ally strong this year. I don't know how we ranked." Though Bates had "had no doubt" Brunswick County would be select ed, a committee had drafted a con tingency plan of activity in the event the application wasn't funded. "TTiere are at least 30 things we can do without funding. It's just a matter of us prioritizing them," said Bates. That process could begin when the group's board of directors meets next on Oct. 5. The activities include compiling and circulating a directory of services available to children, preparing "kindergarten readiness kits" of summer learning activities to give to each youngster who registers for kindergarten in the spring, and continuing fund-raising and public education efforts. It was the second year the coali tion of parents, agency and commu nity groups had sought the state funding to improve services and ed ucational opportunities for young children in the county. TWelve applicants were chosen last year and another dozen this week by the N.C. Partnership For Children, (he organization that allo cates the state funds. Proposals were funded this year for Duplin, Durham, Person, Pasquotank, Nash Edgecombe, Lenoir-Greene, Cata wba, Forsyth, Chatham, Avery, Ashe and Wilkes partnerships. IN SHALLOTTE BRING HOME THEtBEACON On Sal* At AUCE rs ATEX GAS STATION THE BRUNSWICK BEACON COASTAL DRUGS eaSI uAic SuiiAne EXPRESS STOP FOOD LION HANDY HUGOS EXXON HOMESTYLE LAUNDRAMAT JOE'S BAR-B-OUE KERR DRUGS KIRBVS STEAK HOUSE MARGIE S RESTAURANT MINUTE MAN OCEAN PALMS EXXON PAWN USA POST OFFICE RESORT PLAZA SANDF1DDLER SCOTCHMAN SHADY PARK EXXON SHALLOTTE PLAZA STARVIN MARVIN TWIUGHT MOTEL WILSON'S SUPERMARKET JONES STORE Quick Action Is Sought On School Funds Appeal (Continued From Page I -A) submit the ease record and the coun ty's assignment of error to the ap peals court by Oct. 1 and their writ ten briefs by Oct. 15. They arc waiv ing the right to present oral argu ments to the three-judge panel that wiii be assigned to review the case. The agreement won't apply if ei ther party decides to appeal tlte pan el's decision to the N.C. Supreme Court. After Judge Thompson refused to set aside or reduce the July 2 K jury verdict, or to grant a new trial, Rnin<:wirk County Commissioners voted unanimously to appeal. The county claims the trial judge erred in not allowing the jury to consider the county's overall spending needs and ability to pay before reaching a deci sion on the binding controversy. The county had allocated S9.2 million as its share of the board of education's 194-94 budget of $43 million, a decision that prompted the school board to successfully take the commissioners to court seeking an other $4.6 million. Commissioners say the increase, if upheld on appeal, will require adding 10 cents to the county's property tax rate. While the funding dispute is on appeal, the county will provide the school system the same amount of money from local sources it had to operate on last year, $9.4 million. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRUNSWICK ^BEACON POST OFFICE BOX 2558 SHALLOTTE. NORTH CAROUNA 28459 NOTICE Reliable or consistent delivery cannot be guaranteed since this newspaper must rely on the U S Postal Service tor delivery We can only guarantee that your newspaper will be submitted to the post office in L Shallotte on Wednesday oflFelveek of publication, in time for dispatch to out-of-town addresses that day. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: Sr. Citizen in Diuiisnibn County CJ6 2C N.C. Sales Tax .38 Postage Charge 3.68 TOTAL 10.36 Elsewhere in North Carolina 06.30 U5.30 N.C. Sales Tax .38 .32 Postage Charge 8.18 8.18 TOTAL 148S 13.80 Outside North Carolina ?6.30 (J5.30 Postage Charge 9 fifi Q fis TOTAL 15.95 14.95 Complete And Return To Above Address Name Address City, State Zip
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 22, 1994, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75