Thursday, February 11, 2010, Forest City, N.C.

A proper tributeNorth Carolina retired Tyler Hansbrough’s No. 50 jersey during Wednesday night’s game with Duke

Page 7

50¢

Edwards’ sex tapes given to court — Page 3

More snow hits Mid-Atlantic region

Page 10

Low: $2.47High: $2.71Avg.: $2.59

NATION

GAS PRICES

SPORTS

Clemson takes down Florida State Wednesday

Page 8

DEATHS

WEATHER

Forest CityTeri SeayLaura BaxterDwight Nations

Page 5

Today, sunny. Tonight, partly cloudy.

Complete forecast, Page 10

Vol. 42, No. 36

Classifieds. . . 14-15Sports . . . . . . . . 7-9County scene . . . .6Opinion. . . . . . . . .4

INSIDE

High

45Low

24

Now on the Web: www.thedigitalcourier.com

Sports

By LARRY DALEDaily Courier Staff Writer

RUTHERFORDTON — A 911 caller on May 28, 2005, identi-fied Jack Martin, the defendant in a murder trial under way in Superior Court, as the assailant in a Chimney Rock shooting case.

Phillip Chiasson, a witness Wednesday in the trial, told the 911 operator that Martin was the one who had attacked two men at an apartment complex, and when he was asked how, Chiasson replied, “he shot ’em.”

The tape of Chiasson’s call to 911 was played for jurors Wednesday.

Martin is charged with second-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the trial. Jonathan Lehi Moore died at the scene, and Philip Salks and Chiasson were wounded.

Martin was convicted on those charges in 2007, but a retrial was ordered because the North Carolina Court of Appeals found an error in the first trial.

Chiasson also told the 911 operator, “This guy killed two people,” and, “he argued with them and he started shoot-ing.” Salks was wounded in the shootings, but did not die.

Before the jury was allowed to hear the tape, it was played for Martin and his defense attor-ney, Kent Brown. The lawyer asked to hear it because “it may

Please see Trial, Page 2

By JEAN GORDONDaily Courier Staff Writer

FOREST CITY — Downed trees and power lines put nearly 1,000 people in Rutherford County without power Wednesday. Late in the afternoon, Duke Energy crews were still working to erect new lines and poles to restore power to residences and busi-nesses in west Rutherford County. Rutherford Electric Membership Corp. reported 95 power outages at about 3:45 p.m. and Duke Energy had more than 840 custom-ers without power at the same time.

Rutherford Hospital lost its electricity for more than 2 1/2 hours and switched to auxilia-ry power. Surgeries were being performed when the power

Please see Winds, Page 6

A DOT employee fights the wind while directing traffic around a bridge construc-tion sight in Lake Lure Wednesday afternoon.

Jean Gordon/Daily CourierWind gusts up to 60 miles per hour in areas of the county sent power lines, transformers and trees to the ground Wednesday morning. This transformer and lines came down with a tree on Maple Creek Road fell near the N. Washington Street intersection in Rutherfordton.

See related story, Page 16By SCOTT BAUGHMANDaily Courier Staff Writer

FOREST CITY — With more than 300,000 Toyota vehicles being recalled worldwide, the Japanese auto maker has seen an impact on sales with a 16 per-cent decline in January. But local dealers aren’t too worried about the effect.

“We occasionally have some Toyotas and I’ve got a couple right now in our used cars,” said Paul Deck, owner of the McCurry-Deck family of dealerships. “It is on people’s mind about the recall.”

Rutherford County doesn’t have a Toyota dealership, but models show up at used car lots occasionally.

“Thus far, it hasn’t seemed to have any effect on us,” said Shawn Moore of

Moore’s Auto Sales in Forest City. “The main thing is it is effecting Toyota direct-ly. At this point in time, we don’t have anything on our lot that would fall within those issues. Anytime you get any nega-tive publicity it doesn’t help.”

The most recent recall is a voluntary safety recall on approximately 133,000

Please see Toyota, Page 6

Toyota recall is having an impact locally

Jack Keller was inside his home off U.S. 64/74 Wednesday afternoon when this large tree fell onto his car and the front of his home. He was not injured.

Jean Gordon/ Daily Courier

Victim testifies in trial

Winds fell trees, power lines

Jean Gordon/ Daily Courier

By SCOTT BAUGHMANDaily Courier Staff Writer

FOREST CITY — The National Tea Party Convention in Nashville was held Feb. 4 through 6, but none of the local members of the R9.12 group attended the meeting.

Keynote speaker, former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin said, “America is ready for another revolution” during her speech. And while the local tea party might agree, they heard about the speech after the fact.

“In general, as a strong pro-ponent for freedom of assembly and speech, I am happy that the event this past weekend was organized and well attended, at least from what I was able to read about it,” said local tea party organizer Zoran Naskov. “I have no concerns that con-ventions like the one this past weekend will do any harm, as they do provide a place for like-minded conservatives to gather, encourage each other and share ideas on how to best get back

Please see Skip, Page 6

Tea Party locals skip convention

1/front

2 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010

LocaL

be prejudicial to the jury.”After hearing the tape, he

objected to the jury hearing it, but Judge Mark Powell overruled the objection.

Jurors also saw a vid-eotaped Chiasson walk-through of the crime scene with Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Detective, Jeff Hamrick, days after the shooting.

Chiasson testified Wednesday about his recol-lections of the shooting.

Chiasson said he moved to North Carolina from Maine, and had been living at 919 Main St. in Chimney Rock for four or five months prior to the shooting incident. He said he is in construction, doing carpentry work.

Chiasson, Salks and Moore had all worked together at one job site, and Salks and Chiasson were longtime friends.

Martin joined the three men on that Labor Day weekend at Chiasson’s apart-ment to play cards and drink, something they fre-quently did.

When District Attorney Brad Greenway asked Chiasson about his relation-ship with Martin, Chiasson said, “We had our moments.” When asked what he meant by that, Chiasson said they had argued and Martin had once punched him.

On the evening of May 27, the four men played cards for a while. The girlfriend of Chiasson, Samantha Carr, had gone to bed.

At some time during the evening, Chiasson testified, he and Salks left the room for a few minutes. Chiasson said shortly after he went into the bathroom at the apartment, he heard Moore and Martin yelling at each other. When he returned to the room, he said, they were “wrestling around.” During the altercation, the men fell into a television and broke a fish tank.

Salks returned to the room, Chiasson said, and together they pulled the combatants apart.

Martin reportedly was told to leave the apartment, and he did. Salks and Chiasson began cleaning up the apart-ment, Chiasson said, and Moore sat down on a couch.

With Salks outside the apartment and Moore still sitting on the couch, the wit-ness continued, he heard three or four shots and ducked behind a nearby couch as a bullet grazed his shoulder and the back of his head.

Chiasson said he then saw Martin standing there with a gun and jumped over the couch to try to take the gun away from Martin.

Chiasson said the two men ended up on the floor wres-tling for the gun. At that time, Chiasson testified, Martin was saying to him, “It’s over Phillip. It’s over.” He said he did not know what Martin meant.

Chiasson said he was able to take the gun away from Martin. He said he stood up, kicked Martin in the head, ran out the door and dumped the gun in an empty trash can, and called 911.

He testified that Martin got in his vehicle and left the scene, but returned shortly thereafter. Chiasson said because he did not know if Martin had another weapon, he jumped into the nearby river to wait for the police to arrive.

Chiasson also testified that

he didn’t own a gun while he lived at 919 Main St., and he did not believe Salks owned a gun.

He said he showed officers where he had thrown the gun used in the shooting. Chiasson said the only time he had touched the gun was when he took it from Martin and when he threw it in the trash can. He added that the officers at the scene did not test his hands for gunpowder residue.

Brown began his cross-examination of Chiasson shortly before the trial day ended Wednesday.

Brown asked Chiasson about the spelling of his name. When Chiasson spelled it, Brown said there were also N.C. driver’s licens-es that show the spelling as Chaisson and as Chasson, the spelling he gave the 911 operator. Chiasson said he had never had a North Carolina driver’s license.

Brown also asked Chiasson about time in Vermont in 2001. Chiasson said he was on probation for distribution of LSD. And when Brown asked about various times that Chiasson had gone back and forth between North Carolina and places in the North. Chiasson said, “I’m trying to remember the best I can,” and at another time, “I guess. You know better than I do.”

Brown also pointed out that Chiasson knew Officer Robert Owens, one of the first officers to arrive on the crime scene. Owens, who

was working with the Lake Lure Police Department in 2005, had arrested Chiasson on a driving while impaired charge in April 2005.

Brown asked Chiasson about a written statement that said he heard three shots and later statements, including in testimony Wednesday, that Chiasson heard three or four shots. Chiasson said he has always contended he heard three or four shots.

Under questioning by Brown, Chiasson said he did not see Martin shoot anybody, and he did not see Martin enter the room where the two struggled.

In earlier testimony Wednesday, Lori Morris, a crime scene investigator with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office in 2005, said she arrived on the crime scene at about 4 a.m. May 28.

She said the RCSO had the responsibility of making photos, collecting physical evidence and making sketch-es, while the State Bureau of Investigation, which had been called in to help, was to prepare the written crime scene report.

Morris said as she helped RCSO Sgt. Bruce Greene and two SBI agents search Martin’s apartment, she found a box of .38-caliber ammunition in a Ziploc plas-tic bag under a bathroom sink. She said the ammuni-tion was located when she reached into a hole in the Sheetrock near a water heat-er under the sink. No gun was found, she added.

She also said she conducted fingerprint dusting on the cartridge box, but found no fingerprints.

The plastic bag in which the ammunition was offered as evidence Wednesday apparently was not the same baggie in which the ammuni-tion was shown in an earlier picture. After jurors had left for lunch, the plastic bag was taped to show where there had been a hole in the bag.

After the lunch break,

a Ziploc bag was brought to the courtroom that had been dusted for prints. But because neither the plastic bag nor the brown paper bag in which it was brought in contained any identifying information, the plastic bag was not admitted into evi-dence.

The court day began with a motion by the defense to suppress the evidence found at Martin’s apartment using a search warrant obtained by Cpl. Mark Duncan of the RCSO on May 28, 2005. The motion was heard outside the presence of the jury.

Defense attorney Brown said it was a “vague, ambigu-ous search warrant” and therefore was not a valid search warrant. He said details on where the search would be conducted were lacking, and he said there was no probable cause to search Martin’s apartment.

He cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision and a North Carolina Court of Appeals decision in asking to have the evidence suppressed.

But DA Greenway offered two Court of Appeals cases which said “reasonable cer-tainty” about a location to be searched was all that is required. And he added that there was probable cause because Chiasson had identi-fied Martin as the shooter.

Judge Powell denied the motion to suppress.

The trial resumes today at 9:30 a.m.

Contact Dale via e-mail at ldale@thedigitalcourier.com

TrialContinued from Page 1

At some time during the evening, Chiasson testified, he and Salks left the room for a few minutes. Chiasson said shortly after he went into the bathroom at the apartment, he heard Moore and Martin yelling at each other. When he returned to the room, he said, they were “wrestling around.” During the alterca-tion, the men fell into a television and broke a fish tank.

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The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010 — 3

state

RALEIGH (AP) — Attorneys for a convicted murderer seeking freedom sought Wednesday to show that a state expert omitted crucial test results that helped unfairly sentence the man to life in prison.

Tom Bevel, a blood spatter expert, told a three-judge panel hearing the case of Greg Taylor that the evidence used to convict Taylor in 1993 was incomplete.

He said the first tests of sub-stances on parts of Taylor’s sport utility vehicle tested positive for blood. But second tests used to confirm initial results came back negative and were not made public, said Bevel, an associate professor at the University of Central Oklahoma who analyzed the lab notes of Duane Deaver, a State Bureau of Investigation agent.

“You report what the results are, positive or negative,” Bevel said. “If you get a negative, you cannot say you have blood.”

The testimony on the second day of a sometimes emotional hearing during which the judg-es are being asked to consider whether to exonerate Taylor, who was sentenced to life for the murder of a prostitute in Raleigh and has always insisted he is innocent. The panel is meet-ing at the behest of the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission, a state-run agency that believes his claim has merit.

Meanwhile Wednesday, a law-yer who argued against Deaver’s testimony in a different case

told The Associated Press that the agent’s work should be ques-tioned.

“Deaver is really a loose can-non. He should not be testify-ing,” said Diane Savage, a crimi-nal defense attorney who repre-sented former death row inmate George Goode and successful had his sentence vacated. “He says whatever he wants to say.”

In a federal court order issued last year in the Goode case, a federal judge said Deaver’s tes-timony was faulty because he led a 1993 jury to believe that he found blood, when he had only conducted a preliminary test that indicated the possibility it was present.

“A reasonable consideration of the record demonstrates the State, through Agent Deaver, presented misleading evidence about the testing done on peti-tioner’s boots being conclusive for the presence of blood,” U.S. District Judge Malcolm Howard wrote in his order, which vacat-ed Goode’s sentence because of ineffective counsel at trial.

Noelle Talley, a spokeswoman for the state Attorney General’s office that oversees the SBI, declined to comment on Deaver’s work, citing the pending Taylor case. She said he no longer works as an SBI blood spatter expert and now has the title of criminal specialist in the investigation and training support division.

Deaver did not immediately return a phone message left Wednesday night at a number

listed in his name.Also Wednesday, Gregg

McCrary, a crime scene expert and former FBI agent, testified that investigators exhibited “tun-nel vision and a rush to judg-ment” in the case.

McCrary also said he doubted that Taylor could have commit-ted the crime without getting blood on his clothes or in his car.

Earlier in the day, Taylor took the stand for day two of cross-examination by Wake County Assistant District Attorney Tom Ford , who prosecuted him at trial. Ford questioned differ-ences between Taylor’s current testimony and his previous state-ments to police and attorneys.

Discrepancies included how much money Taylor had with him and what sort of tattoo a woman had. Taylor, who says he used to be addicted to crack, admitted his memory dif-fered, but insisted he didn’t kill Jacquetta Thomas, a prostitute whose body was found on a deserted cul-de-sac in 1991.

Ford has argued that Taylor and a friend, Johnny Beck, picked up Thomas that night and then killed her when she refused to perform a sex act. On Wednesday, Ford insisted Thomas was in the backseat of Taylor’s white Nissan Pathfinder that night and they went to the cul-de-sac because they didn’t want to take her home.

“That woman nor anybody else was in the backseat,” Taylor replied.

Power lines spark and burn along Hobbs Road while a Greensboro firefighter talks with a Greensboro police officer blocking traffic after high winds caused a tree to fall on the lines in Greensboro on Wednesday, Powerful winds buffeting North Carolina has closed schools early and forced boats to tie up at dock. The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued a blizzard warning for mountain counties in western North Carolina, lead-ing school districts to close early. Forecasters predicted snowfall of up to 10 inches in some mountain communi-ties, along with wind chills dropping to below zero.

Associated PressVideotapes purportedly showing two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards engaged in extramarital sex are turned over to the court during a court hearing at the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough Wednesday,

HILLSBOROUGH (AP) — A former aide to John Edwards turned over the now infamous sex tape to a judge Wednesday, then faced tough questions from attorneys for the ex-presidential candidate’s mistress who were frustrated with his changing story about where the tapes had been kept.

On top of that, Andrew Young said Elizabeth Edwards has threatened to sue him for contribut-ing to the downfall of their marriage.

Young’s attorneys turned over several items to be placed under seal, including an original video-tape marked “special” that purportedly shows John Edwards in a sexual encounter with mistress Rielle Hunter. Young also turned over a copy of the tape.

The former Edwards confidant struggled to answer why he said last week that the only copies of the sex tape he had access to were in an Atlanta lockbox. He testified Wednesday that he also had a copy of the tape elsewhere and that he recently showed the video to ABC News in preparation for an interview.

“That is disturbing to me, and it’s not a comfort to our client,” said Alan Duncan, an attorney for Hunter, who has said Young invaded her privacy by keeping the video and photographs of her.

Young conceded he had made some errors in his sworn statement but said he has tried his best to detail the location of items Hunter is seeking.

“I answered as honestly as I could,” he testified.Young said after the hearing that Elizabeth

Edwards has threatened an “alienation of affec-tion” lawsuit against him.

North Carolina is among about a half-dozen states that allows a person to sue a third party for contributing to the breakup of a marriage. Jilted spouses typically use the remedy to seek money from their partner’s lover.

“We have some very powerful people coming after us,” Young said. “Are we scared? Absolutely.”

A spokeswoman and an attorney for Elizabeth Edwards declined to comment. Young said he’s going to fight to prove that he and his family are not liars.

Young initially claimed to be the father of Hunter’s child and helped hide her from media and Elizabeth Edwards during the 2008 White House campaign. He detailed in his book the rise and fall of his former boss and the lengths Edwards went to to hide his affair and the child he had with Hunter.

Young said he found the sex tape in a home he rented for Hunter and that he kept it to corrobo-rate his story.

WIND DAMAGE

Court now has alleged sex tape

Expert questions whether SBI agent’s case work was complete

RALEIGH (AP) — A federal judge set a ten-tative April start date Wednesday for the cor-ruption trial of an ex-aide to former North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley, saying prompt resolution was in the best interests of Ruffin Poole and the govern-ment.

District Judge Terrence Boyle laid out a schedule for the trial to begin the week of April 26 during a hear-ing attended by Poole, his defense attorney and lawyers for the govern-ment.

Earlier this week, Poole defense attorney Joe Zeszotarski wrote in a motion that he would prefer an August start date because of the mountain of govern-ment evidence he has to go through, combined with responsibilities for other clients. But Boyle sought to pace the case more quickly than even the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which had sug-gested a May 17 start.

Trial date is set for Easley aide

3/

7th AnnuAl SportSmen BAnquetand Gametasting Dinner

(Bar-B-Que Main Course)

liberty Baptist Church

Speaker: Bobby RichardsonFormer New York Yankee & Teammate to Yoggi Berra,

Roger Maris & Mickey Mantle

tickets $9: Availalbe at Butler’s Jewelry & Loan, Smith’s Drugs, Toney’s Gun Shop, Sportman’s Supply,

Sandy Run Baptist Association, Liberty Church, Lifestyle Wellness and Spa, and Alliance Insurance

Attendance Limited to First 500Door Prizes include Marlin 30-06

Feb. 20th at 6:00 pm

SAVE THE

DATE!Your weekly guide to what’s coming up in Rutherford County!

4 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010

■ A daily forum for opinion, commentary and editorials on the news that affects us all.

Jodi V. Brookshire/ publisherSteven E. Parham/ executive editor

601 Oak Street, P.O. Box 1149,Forest City, N.C. 28043Phone: 245-6431 Fax: 248-2790E-mail: dailycourier@thedigitalcourier.com

Rutherford County’s Airport Authority has been at the cen-ter of several controversies —

some real and some not — over the past couple of years,

Along the way, the Authority’s mem-bers have not helped their case with the way they have handled some situations.

If Monday’s meeting is any indica-tion, perhaps the Authority has learned from its mistakes and is stepping up to handle its business in a professional manner.

The first good sign was when they awarded a contract to deal with tree issues to a local company which has committed to working with property owners to make the tree cutting as painless as possible and to keep the cutting to a minimum.

The second good move was the agree-ment to begin negotiations with an established, successful company — one with area connections — to take over as the airports fixed-base operator.

During the months of controversy and debate surrounding the airport, some pushed the idea that the airport was an extravagance the county did not need. Nothing could be further from the truth. A viable, thriving airport is important to the county’s future.

What has been lacking is good com-munication between the Authority and the public. We hope that has changed.

Our Views

Airport board may be on track

Our readers’ viewsAsks why the rush to judgment now?

To the editor:It’s beyond me how anyone,

be it Independent, Liberal, Republican or Democrat could ever dream that a new com-mander in chief, be it a Democrat who believes in change, or a Republican who wants to stay the course even is the course has not worked in eight years, could get America out of this eight-year mess in one year, is unbelievable.

I lost my job five years ago. I didn’t give our commander in chief at that time a year to create me a job. I gave him four years. Yes, we stayed the course. And yes, we Americans lost even more jobs.

America, do we want to still stay the course with the Republican Party — which does not want to work with the Democratic Party, has (from what I’ve seen) no idea what to do and has had no idea what to do for eight years, except to fol-low the Republican leader.

America, don’t fear change, but cherish it, because it is well past due.

Zale CoffeyEllenboro

Says court deserves slams for ruling

To the editor:Even if he was presumed to

have violated protocol when he chastised the Supreme Court during his State of the Union address, President Obama deserves accolades from his con-stituents.

Even if it were at a dinner party, Americans of any political persuasion should condemn the court for putting our elections on the auction block.

Politicians have always been susceptible to the seductions of lobbyists both during their elec-tion campaigns and while serving in the offices to which they have been elected. But the Supreme

Court, having disallowed his-toric restraints, has made carte blanche the buying of political candidates by special or moneyed interests.

Constituents have been increas-ingly under the impression that campaign financing has been vital to campaign success.

Now the Supreme Court, by rendering a decision allowing wholesale financing of campaign advertising, will have made this impression a virtual certitude.

This writer is contemplating the notion of showing up at his poll to vote only for candidates of whatever party whose candi-dacy he is convinced is unsal-able. He henceforth will refrain from voting essentially — though indirectly — for capitalistic plu-tocrats.

Sam AyersRutherfordton

Says dental clinic not about jobs, but service

To the editor:After reading the letter from

Mr Jason Ward, I had to remind myself that it was about a dental clinic.

It dealt more with the loss or gain of a dozen jobs than it did with the dental clinic.

I do not believe the dental clinic

is at all about the employment rate. It is about providing service for folks who do not have it now. Every dentist in the county may accept medicaid patients, but I know of only three.

I do know there are many chil-dren and adults in the county why need dental care, and have no insurance, no job and no money.

We need someone to take care of medicaid patients. Some den-tist may loose a patient or two, but the dental clinic is all about providing dental care for medic-aid patients; it is not supposed to be about the improvement or hurting the economy.

Mr. Ward’s letter reminds me a bit of Rush Limbaugh’s comment after going to a hospital in Fla.

He said he could now vouch that there is nothing wrong with medical care in this country.

I can vouch that there is noth-ing wrong with dental care. I am looked after well, and treated so much better than I deserve. But I am not speaking for everyone in the county.

Why so many people object to medical and dental care for peo-ple who can not help themselves is beyond my comprehension.

Ray CrawfordRutherfordton

Love takes a lot of work, but it is worth the effortHave you had love on the

brain this week? It’s hard not to, especially if you’ve been in any grocery store, phar-macy or other retailer.

The holiday that celebrates all things romantic is just around the corner now, and on Sunday, you’ll be able to read some remarkable love stories of people right here in Rutherford County.

When I solicited love stories a few weeks back through Facebook, I imme-diately got a response from an old friend. She told me of a couple who’d met in high school and fallen in love, gotten married and started their lives together.

And then her mother died, and the girl’s world was shat-

tered. But her man stood by her side, taking in her young-er sister without question or hesitation.

As the couple and sister created a different kind of family, the girl learned she was pregnant, adding a baby to the mix.

Now, five years later, and through many tears, the couple are preparing for younger sis to graduate from college and for baby boy – in

just another year – to start kindergarten.

As I read this story, I real-ized she was describing my own life, and my eyes filled up with tears.

As a ‘tween and teen, I thought “love” meant find-ing the perfect guy, falling in love and living happily ever after. And truthfully, that is what love should be about. But I never considered the bumps in the road and all the details between falling in love and sustaining in love.

When my grandfather died in October, the preacher at his funeral talked of how you couldn’t separate the names Mal and Nell (my grandmother’s name). They were married for 60 years

and when you are with some-one that long, well, you really become one.

I’ve never asked my grand-mother, but I’m sure if I did, she’d say that although she loved my grandpa, that their lives weren’t always easy. Both worked very hard for many years, raising four chil-dren and dealing with the day to day details of life. But no matter how hard it got, they survived. And I have no doubt that they loved each other as much in those final days together as they did in the very beginning of their love story.

Love takes a lot of work. A whole lot of work. Stephen and I joked many times that surviving our first year of

marriage was a remarkable milestone. Maybe it is for any couple.

Love isn’t easy and often it isn’t pretty. But when you find the one who will stand by your side when your world is falling apart, who will be there during those midnight feedings of a newborn, who will listen to you rant and rave about mundane details and still find you attractive even when you’ve been sick or just given birth .... that’s love worth keeping.

I leave you with this: Love is patient, love is kind. And love is always worth the risk.

Contact Flynn via e-mail at afly-nn@thedigitalcourier.com.

Allison Flynn

Total Mom Sense

4/

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010 — 5

local/obituaries/state

Teri SeayTeri Joan Seay, 47, of Forest

City, died Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010 at Carolina Specialty Hospital in Charlotte.

She is survived by her par-ents, Dean R. Stacey and Joan Cooksey Stacey; one stepbrother, Perry Stacey, and one stepsister, Rhonda Lynch, all of Rutherfordton.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Long Branch Baptist Church in Rutherfordton. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. The Rev. Jerry Ruppe will officiate. Interment will follow in the Sunset Memorial Park, Spartanburg, S.C.

Crowe’s Mortuary and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Online condolences www.crowemortuary.com.

Laura BaxterLaura Ann Wingo Baxter,

55, of Forest City, died Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010 at Rutherford Hospital.

Arrangements are incom-plete and will be announced by Ulysses D. Miller Funeral Service.

Dwight NationsThe funeral service for

Dwight D. Nations of Forest City, has been changed to 2 p.m. Thursday in the chapel of Crisp Funeral Home, 669 Hwy. 19 south, Bryson City, due to inclement weather.

Mark RosenthalLOS ANGELES (AP) —

Mark Rosenthal, a sports lawyer who represented the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Angels, the Atlanta Braves, the Texas Rangers and other sports teams in arbitration, has died. He was 61.

Rosenthal worked with the firm of Jeffer, Mangels, Butler and Marmaro for 24 years and chaired its National Sports Law Group.

Rosenthal represented the Dodgers in a successful arbitration with pitcher Eric Gagne and a 2008 arbitra-tion for the Angels against Francisco Rodriguez.

Rosenthal, who collected baseball cards as a child, was a graduate of the University of Michigan law school.

Charlie Wilson DALLAS (AP) — Charlie

Wilson, the former congress-man from Texas whose fund-ing of Afghanistan’s resis-tance to the Soviet Union was chronicled in the movie and book “Charlie Wilson’s War,” died Wednesday. He was 76.

Wilson died at Memorial Medical Center-Lufkin after he started having difficulty breathing while attending a meeting in the eastern Texas town where he lived, said hospital spokeswoman Yana Ogletree.

Wilson represented the 2nd District in east Texas in the U.S. House from 1973 to 1996 and was known in Washington as “Good Time Charlie” for his reputation as

a hard-drinking womanizer. He once called former con-gresswoman Pat Schroeder “Babycakes,” and tried to take a beauty queen with him on a government trip to Afghanistan.

Actor Tom Hanks por-trayed Wilson in the 2007 movie about Wilson’s efforts to arm Afghan mujahedeen during Afghanistan’s war against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Wilson, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, helped secure money for weapons, plunging the U.S. into a risky venture against the world’s other superpower.

In an interview with The Associated Press after the book was published in 2003, he said he wasn’t worried about details of his wild side being portrayed.

“I would remind you that I was not married at the time. I’m in a different place than I was in at the time and I don’t apologize about that,” Wilson said.

In 2007, Wilson had a heart transplant at a Houston hospital. Doctors had told Wilson, who suf-fered from cardiomyopa-thy, a disease that causes an enlarged and weakened heart, that he would likely die without a transplant.

Wilson, a Democrat, was considered a progressive but also a defense hawk. He had acknowledged some respon-sibility for Afghanistan becoming a safe haven for al-Qaida after the Soviets retreated and the U.S. with-drew its support.

The Soviets spent a decade battling the determined and generously financed muja-hedeen before pulling the Red Army from Afghanistan in 1989.

Mike Vickers, who as a CIA agent in 1984 played a key role in the clandestine effort to arm the Afghan rebels, said Wilson played a part in the Soviet Union’s collapse, which happened just two years after its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Carl BraunNEW YORK (AP) — Carl

Braun, who was chosen for five consecutive All-Star games as a member of the New York Knicks, died Wednesday of natural causes. He was 82.

Braun died in Florida, the team said. He is the second former Knicks star to die in a week. Hall of Famer Dick McGuire, Braun’s teammate, passed away last Wednesday.

Braun was an All-Star from 1953-57 — he missed the 1956 game because of injury — and retired as the team’s career scoring leader with 10,449 points. He’s still in fifth place on the career list behind Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed and Allan Houston.

Born on Sept. 25, 1927, in Brooklyn, Braun also spent two seasons as the Knicks’ player/coach before ending his career in 1961-62 with the NBA champion Boston Celtics.

Obituaries

Deaths

Two brothers hurt in auto accident

FOREST CITY — Two brothers were transported to Rutherford Hospital Wednesday after they were in a truck crash off Union Road, Rutherfordton. Scott McPherson, 18, was enroute to R-S Central High School driving a 1985 Nissan pick-up truck when he ran off the right side of the road over corrected, traveled off the left side of the road, and flipped over. The truck came to a rest on its top.

His brother Alan McPherson was a passenger and was pinned in for about 45 minutes.

Both were taken to the hos-pital where they were treated for injuries and released.

North Carolina Highway Patrolman D.R. Walker investigated the accident. He charged McPherson with exceeding a safe speed for conditions.

Sheriff’s Departmentn The Rutherford County

Sheriff’s Department responded to 115 E-911 calls Tuesday. n Sarah Ruth Epley

reported a larceny from a motor vehicle and aggravated assault. Items stolen included Epley’s driver’s license, wal-let, checkbook and debit card and Hollister perfume. Items stolen were valued at $80. n Anthony Donald

Tavernia reported criminal damage to property/vandal-ism to a mailbox. Damage to the mailbox was valued at $30.

Rutherfordtonn The Rutherfordton Police

Department responded to 42 E-911 calls Tuesday.

Spindalen The Spindale Police

Department responded to 27

E-911 calls Tuesday.

Lake Luren The Lake Lure Police

Department responded to three E-911 calls Tuesday.

Forest Cityn The Forest City Police

Department responded to 68 E-911 calls Tuesday.

n An employee of Rivercrest Reality reported an incident of breaking and entering and damage to property. The incident occurred at Plaza Drive.n An employee of Farmers

Furniture reported an inci-dent of breaking and enter-ing into a motor vehicle and damage to property.

n Brad Jenkins, of Ellenboro, reported an inci-dent of damage to property.n Heather Fortune, of

Forest City, reported an inci-dent of damage to property.n Hardin’s Drugstore and

Sherry Dotson reported an incident of obtaining prop-erty by false pretense and larceny of medication.n Shelba Splawn of Forest

City reported an incident of vandalism to a mailbox.n Sandra White of

Rutherfordton reported an incident of vandalism to two mailboxes.

Arrestsn Mathew McGinnis, 26,

of McDade Road in Forest City was arrested for driving while impaired, driving while license revoked and resist, obstruct and/or delay an officer. He received a $4,000 secured bond. (FCPD)

n Jameson Christopher Lancaster, 25, of 333 Tryon Rd., Rutherfordton, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, open container after consuming alcohol and a violation of a local ordinance for littering

a beer or wine container and released on $3,000 bond. (RPD)n Thomas Delaney

Duncan, 25, of 985 Water St., Bostic, was charged with felony probation violation, trafficking opium or heroin and resisting a public officer and released on a $6,000 bond. (RCSD)n Davis Michael Cassidy,

24, of 246 Tryon Rd., Rutherfordton, was charged with manufacturing mari-juana, possession of drug paraphernalia, assault on a female and communicat-ing threats and was released after a 48 hour hold. (RPD)n Regina Cheryl

Thompson, 43, of 181 Wagon Trail, Rutherfordton, was charged with violating the conditions of release and released on a $5,000 bond. (RCSD)n Dustin Vernon Lawter,

27, of 161 Jonestown Rd., Forest City, was charged with driving while license revoked and released on a $1,000 bond. (RCSD)n Landon Dillard Boone,

50, of 376 Old WAGY Rd., Forest City, was charged with assault and battery and released on a $1,000 bond. (RCSD)

EMS/Rescuen The Rutherford County

EMS responded to 29 E-911 calls Tuesday.

n The Volunteer Life Saving and Rescue, Hickory Nut Gorge EMS and Rutherford County Rescue responded to two E-911 call Tuesday.

Fire Callsn Forest City firefighters

responded to a motor vehicle accident.n Rutherfordton firefight-

ers responded to a gas leak.n Spindale firefighters

responded to a motor vehicle accident.

Police Notes

ON THE JOB

Toboggan-clad Randy Brown hammers through concrete for the installation of a new Wachovia ATM machine at the Tri-City Mall off Oak Street in Forest City. Brown of Jacksonville, Fla. said routinely he would have the new ATM machine oper-ating in just a day or so but because of three feet of con-crete, the installation process will be more time consuming. Wachovia is also replacing its ATM machine at its branch off W. Main Street in Forest City and that job should be com-pleted soon.

Jean Gordon/ Daily Courier

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The heads of Realtor asso-ciations in North Carolina’s three largest metropolitan areas want to change a rule requiring buyer’s agents to disclose compensation they might receive when a home is sold.

The Charlotte Observer reported the groups in

Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh will ask the North Carolina Real Estate Commission on Wednesday to drop the disclosure rule.

Real Estate Commission legal services director Tom Miller says the proposed change could again leave some home buyers in the

dark about hidden bonuses that could lead agents to show one home over another.

The disclosure rule being challenged involves tell-ing the home buyer not only what the buyer’s agent would receive if the property is sold, but the total compensa-tion the real estate company would collect.

Realtors object to fee disclosure

5/

Shirley Bradley Hardin

Mrs. Shirley Bradley Hardin, 75, of Cherry Mountain Street, Forest City, died Monday, Feb. 8, 2010 at Hospice House, Forest City. She was the widow of George Hardin, and daughter of the late Barney and Rulleen Ray Bradley. She is survived by three sons, Michael Hardin and his wife, Brenda of Ellenboro, Randy Hardin and his wife, Wilma of Harris, and Barry Hardin and his wife, Kim of Rutherfordton; a companion, Robert Frank Branch of Forest City; a brother, James Bradley of Ellenboro; thirteen grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. The funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 at Oak Grove United Methodist Church. Rev. David Hawkins will officiate. Burial wil follow in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 7 PM until 9 PM Thursday at Washburn & Dorsey Funeral Home. Friends may sign the online guest book at:www.washburndorsey.com.

Paid obit.

THE DAILY COURIER

Published Tuesday through Sunday mornings by Paxton Media Group LLC dba The Daily Courier USPS 204-920 Periodical Postage paid in Forest City, NC.Company Address: 601 Oak St., P.O. Box 1149, Forest City, NC 28043.Phone: (828) 245-6431Fax: (828) 248-2790Subscription rates: Single copy, daily 50¢ / Sunday $1.50. Home delivery $11.75 per month, $35.25 for three months, $70.50 for six months, $129 per year. In county rates by mail payable in advance are: $13.38 for one month, $40.14 for three months, $80.27 for six months, $160.54 per year. Outside county: $14.55 for one month, $43.64 for three months, $87.28 for six months, $174.56 per year. College students for school year subscription, $75.The Digital Courier, $6.50 a month for non-subscribers to The Daily Courier. Payment may be made at the website: www.thedigitalcourier.comThe Daily Courier is not responsible for advance subscription payments made to carriers, all of who are inde-pendent contractors.

on the road the U.S. is intended to be on.”

Naskov and his wife, Jennifer, helped set up the tea parties on the lawn in front of Rutherford County Courthouse last year.

“I think it is a mistake to take what happened last year during the Tea Party rallies, and convert it into an organized political party,” Jennifer said. “It will only dilute the pace of the conservative movement, and thus make the return of the country to its founding principles somewhat more complicated.”

A mother of two, Jennifer and her children helped make protest signs and even took some of their handiwork to national tea parties in Washington last year. But she said that perspective also helped her decide not to attend the national con-vention — which drew criticism from some tea party organizers for being just too expensive to attend.

“Considering the financial strain

families are in, I believe a $500 atten-dance fee would be better used in a local election, supporting conservative candidates who will be the first step in returning fiscal and constitutional sanity back to our governments,” Jennifer said.

Admission was $549 for access to the entire three-day gathering or $349 just to hear Palin’s speech after a dinner of lobster and steak at the sprawling Gaylord Opryland resort. The cost led to criticism from even some activists that it runs counter to the coalition’s image and could pre-clude people from attending.

“I don’t see Jennifer, myself or the Rutherford 9.12 group being a part of any national tea party, group, orga-nization or any other entity,” Zoran added. “The movement ignited at the local level all over the country, and trying to consolidate it into a national movement with centralized organiza-tion and leadership is a failure and a complete misinterpretation of the people who attended the Tea Parties last year.”

Contact Baughman via e-mail at sbaugh-man@thedigitalcourier.com.

6 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010

Calendar/loCal

went out and were completed using the generators. Other surgeries scheduled for later Wednesday were delayed until power was restored, said one person waiting for surgery.

The annual Rutherford Hospital Auxiliary jewelry sale proceeded as planned and those attending the sale early used flashlights to shop. The jewelry sale continues today and Friday.

Wind gusts up an estimated 60 MPH were reported in Rutherfordton and in the Hickory Nut Gorge com-munity. At the Broad River Water Plant off Union Road, Rutherfordton, winds were estimated to be 20-30 MPH, said Brad Boris, plant superin-tendent.

“Our flag sure is getting a workout,” Boris said.

Roger Hollifield, emergency man-agement coordinator said most of the downed power lines and trees occurred in the western area of the county Wednesday morning, but by late Wednesday, trees and power lines were falling in other areas including, Forest City, Caroleen and Shiloh.

Howling winds through the Hickory Nut Gorge created an eerie sound

down Main Street, Chimney Rock. A few Chimney Rock firefighters were called to assist with a power line fire created as Duke Energy employees were actually trimming trees.

Traffic controllers at the site of new bridge construction on US 64-74 at Lake Lure had a difficult time con-trolling traffic flags and the stop signs.

The Village was vacant of shop-pers as most stores remained closed because of the high winds and cold temperatures.

Chimney Rock Park was also closed due to the weather.

A large tree at Jack Keller’s home off U.S. 64/74 fell across his yard and hit the front of his home causing damage to his home and a car parked in the front yard. Keller was at home when the tree fell and said he thought the noise was of a tree falling in a yard across the road. He was surprised it was his own tree. He was not injured.

Keller has lived in the house 78 years and said there have been worse wind gusts than Wednesday.

Fire departments, traffic and crime control volunteers responded to weather related situations all day.

Contact Gordon via e-mail at jgordon@the-digitalcourier.com.

red CrossBlood drives schedule: Feb. 16 — Chase Middle School, 2 to 7 p.m., contact Trudy Jackson at 247-1043 for an appointment; Feb. 19 — Campfield Baptist Church, Ellenboro community, 4 to 8:30 p.m., all 245-5878 for an appointment;Feb. 22 — Red Cross Chapter House, 838 Oakland Road, Forest City, 2 to 6:30 p.m., call 287-5917 for an appointment;All presenting donors (in February) will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a $1, 000 gift card. For more information call 1-800-448-3543 or visit RedCrossBlood.org.

Schools/studentsOpen house: East Rutherford High School; Thursday, Feb. 11, 5 to 7:30 p.m.; an opportunity for parents to meet teachers; information ses-sions for parents of ROPE eligible students in the commons area at 5:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.; informa-tion on new online course; CTE will showcase student work in various areas celebrating Career Technical Education Month.

Information Night: Chase High School will hold a Registration Information Night on Thursday, Feb. 18; Elective Fair from 6 to 7 p.m., featuring various course and club offerings; beginning at 7 in the auditorium, speakers will explain graduation requirements, online course offerings, ICC Concurrent Enrollment and Huskins courses, graduation project requirements, the McNair Program and more; all rising 9th - 12th graders and their parents encouraged to attend; reg-istration is the week of March 1.

Health/educationAging seminar: “Dealing with the Most Troublesome Dementia Symptoms”; Tuesday, Feb. 16, 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Life Enrichment Center Adult Day Care, 103 T.R. Harris Dr., Shelby; free sitter service for those who care for a person with dementia, reservation required; call 704-484-0405 for information.

Meetings/otherAnnual meeting: Sunday, Feb. 14, 2 p.m., Sandy Mush Volunteer Fire Department.

Annual membership meeting: Saturday, Feb. 20, 3:30 p.m., Union Mills Learning Center, 6495 Hudlow Road, Union Mills; all UMLC members and prospective members welcome; call 287-2191 for information.

MiscellaneousLow-cost rabies clinic: Saturday, Feb. 13, noon to 1 p.m.; Thunder Road Animal Hospital; $10 cash, one-year rabies; $12 cash, three-year rabies; other discounted vac-cines available; call 286-0033.

RCT auditions: Rutherford Community Theatre will hold audi-tions for the musical “Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming,” Feb. 15 and 17, 7 p.m., at Union Mills Learning Center auditorium; roles for 4 males and 3 females; Les Beale, director; anyone interested in any aspect of live theater is wel-come; for more information call 287-4809 or visit website www.rutherfordcommunitytheatre.org.

Play/supper: Saturday, Feb. 20, Union Mills Learning Center audi-torium; “Stand for Freedom,” a play on the American Revolutionary War, begins at 6 p.m.; cast of approximately 50 homeschool chil-dren ages 5-16; spaghetti supper 4:30 to 6 p.m.; adults $6; children under 12, $4; all you can eat.

FundraisersMarch of Dimes: The Birth Place at Rutherford Hospital will sell orange twists and donut holes from Davis Donut House on Thursday, Feb. 18; $2.50 per dozen (delivered); to place an order call 286-7260; order by Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Yard sale: Feb. 11-13, begins at 8 a.m., each day at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, Forest City; baked goods will also be sold; proceeds go toward mission projects.

Country ham supper: Saturday, Feb. 13, from 4 to 8 p.m., at Duncan’s Creek Presbyterian Church, 1658 Duncan’s Creek Road, Ellenboro.

Barbecue supper: Saturday, Feb. 13, begins at 4 p.m., Bethel Baptist Church, Ellenboro; adult paltes $9; ages 6-12, $4; under 6 free; take outs available; proceeds for interna-tional missions.

religion Revival: Feb. 14-17, with Jason Camp and family; Fellowship Holiness Church, 405 Deviney St., Spindale; Sunday services 11 a.m., and 6 p.m.; MTW 7 nightly.

Special service: Sunday, Feb. 14, 3 p.m., Union Hill AME Zion Church, 461 Ferguson Ridge Road, Union Mills; program entitled, “THE SEVEN UPS”; seven speakers; topics include Caught-Up, Stand-Up, Look-Up, Speak-Up, Pray-Up, Grow-Up, and Take-Up.

2010 Model Year Prius vehicles and 14,500 Lexus Division 2010 HS 250h vehicles to update software in the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system (ABS). No other Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles are involved in this recall, but in January the company announced a recall of several other models to fix a problem with the gas pedal getting stuck under the driver’s floormat.

“The Pontiac Vibe is a car that was made for GM by Toyota and it was affected by (the accelerator recall),” Deck said. “We’ve not seen any of the conditions that have been talked about with the Vibe, but it is included with the recall. As soon as there is a campaign that is out for us to get the cars in and check them, we will do so. It is something every manufacturer goes through and it looks like Toyota has not really realized the seriousness of this until now. We will make an announcement as to when people can bring in their Pontiac Vibes.”

The Prius recall is related only to the ABS and a software glitch that will delay braking pressure for up to one second. At 65 miles per hour, the Prius can travel 88 feet in that one second it takes the brakes to kick in.

“We’re committed to doing every-thing we can – as fast as we can – to restore consumer trust in Toyota, and these recalls are part of this effort,” said Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer, Toyota Motor Sales, on Toyota’s Web site.

Toyota has responded to owner concerns with a running production change for 2010 Prius that was intro-duced last month, improving the ABS system’s response time, as well as the system’s overall sensitivity to tire slippage. The production change for the HS 250h is planned for later this month.

“It will probably help GM, Nissan, Honda and the others,” Moore added. “It probably will affect the resale value of Toyotas for a short period of time but I think Toyota will do the right thing and come back on top. We only have about two or three Toyotas on the lot.”

Moore’s analysis is in line with January sales numbers for Ford and GM. Ford saw an uptick of 25 per-cent, General Motors was up by 14 percent and Nissan’s sales rose by 16 percent.

The recall will allow Toyota deal-ers to perform the software update on 2010 Prius vehicles sold prior to this running production change. Only Prius vehicles produced since May 2009 and all HS 250h vehicles are subject to this recall. First- and second-generation Prius vehicles use a different ABS system and are not involved in this campaign.

“As part of the quality improve-ment program announced by Toyota President Akio Toyoda last week, our company is undertaking a top to bot-tom review to ensure that our vehi-cles meet our own high standards of safety and reliability, now and for the future,” Lentz added. “We are taking steps to implement more stringent quality control across the company, to investigate customer complaints more aggressively and to respond more quickly to any safety issues we identify.”

Toyota Models affected by the accel-erator recall: 2005-2010 Avalon; 2009-2010 RAV4; 2007-2010 Camry; 2008-2010 Sequoia; 2009-2010 Corolla; 2005-2010 Tacoma; 2008-2010 Highlander; 2007-2010 Tundra; 2009-2010 Matrix; 2009-2010 VENZA; 2004-2009 Prius.

The braking recall affects only the 2010 Prius and the Lexus HS 250h.

Contact Baughman via e-mail at sbaugh-man@thedigitalcourier.com.

WindsContinued from Page 1

AdministrationJodi V. Brookshire/publisher . . . . . . . . . . .209Steven E. Parham/executive editor . . . . . .210Lori Spurling/ advertising director . . . . . . .224Pam Dixon/ ad production coordinator . . . 231Anthony Rollins/ circulation director . . . . .206

NewsroomScott Bowers, sports editor . . . . . . . . . . . . .213Jean Gordon, features editor . . . . . . . . . . . .211Abbe Byers, lifestyles editor . . . . . . . . . . . . .215Allison Flynn, editor/reporter . . . . . . . . . . . .218Garrett Byers, photography . . . . . . . . . . . . .212Scott Baughman, reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216Larry Dale, reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217Bobbie Greene, typesetting . . . . . . . . . . . . .220Virginia Rucker, contributing editor

Circulation

David Cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208Virle Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208

Business officeJessica Higgins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202Cindy White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200

AdvertisingChrissy Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226Jill Hasty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227Jessica Hendrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228

ClassifiedErika Meyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205

MaintenanceGary Hardin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222

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Phone: 245-6431 Fax: 248-2790 www.thedigitalcourier.comE-mail: dailycourier@thedigitalcourier .com

Jean Gordon/Daily CourierDuke Energy’s Mike Blakey works from the bucket, restoring power to Rutherfordton residents late Wednesday.

SkipContinued from Page 1

ToyotaContinued from Page 1

6/

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010 — 7

Inside

Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . Page .8Clemson . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page .8NASCAR . . . . . . . . . . . . Page .9

On TV

Local Sports

GWU .returns .home .for .key .VMI .game

BOILING SPRINGS — Gardner-Webb, coming off its hottest shooting performance of the season, will look to cre-ate some space in the league standings on Thursday night when it hosts VMI at 7 p.m., in Paul Porter Arena.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs (7-16, 4-9 Big South) hold a one-game lead over the Keydets (8-15, 3-10 Big South) in the league standings for the eighth and final spot in the upcoming Advance Auto Parts Big South Conference Tournament.

A win by Gardner-Webb would give the Runnin’ Bulldogs a season sweep of VMI — which GWU defeat-ed 92-84 earlier this year in Lexington, Va. — and create a two-game cushion for the ‘Dogs in the race for the Big South Tournament.

Rutgers .suspends .Stringer .for .a .game .

NEW YORK (AP) — Rutgers suspended Hall of Fame wom-en’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer on Tuesday for one game for misusing practice players.

Stringer will miss the Scarlet Knights’ game against Seton Hall on Wednesday. She is third among women’s coach-es on the all-time victories list with 838 wins and was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last September.

Stringer violated an NCAA bylaw which states that man-agers may not participate as practice players with the insti-tution’s team if they are not eli-gible student-athletes.

Bobcats’ .Raymond .Felton .out

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Charlotte Bobcats point guard Raymond Felton missed the game Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a sprained right ankle.

Felton, who hit the game-winning shot Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards, was first injured in practice on Monday. Felton received treatment on Wednesday, but never took the floor to shoot around and was ruled out an hour before tip-off.

The fifth-year guard has started every game for the Bobcats this season and has shot a career-best 45.3 percent. Felton’s 8.6 assists per contest against Minnesota is his high-est average against any team.

BASKETBALL5 p.m. TJCA at Victory Christian

11:30 a.m. (ESPN2) NASCAR Racing Nationwide Series: Camping World 300, Final Practice. 7 p.m. (ESPN) (ESPN2) Col-lege Basketball Teams TBA. 7 p.m. (FSS) Women’s College Basketball Georgia at Ken-tucky. 8 p.m. (TNT) NBA Basketball Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers. 9 p.m. (ESPN) (ESPN2) Col-lege Basketball Teams TBA. 10:30 p.m. (FSS) College Basketball Oregon at Arizona. 10:30 p.m. (TNT) NBA Bas-ketball San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets. 11 p.m. (ESPN2) College Bas-ketball St. Mary’s at Gonzaga.

Back in early 2006, I walked into Coach Brad LeVine’s office at East Rutherford, following another disas-trous loss, and found the boy’s basket-ball coach staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head.

“We’re not very good, are we?” said LeVine. I was positive the query was rhetorical, so I didn’t bother with a response.

The Cavaliers once-proud basket-ball program had fallen on very hard times, following a June 2005 gradu-ation that seemingly took every able-bodied basketball player with it.

Now, almost four years to the day, I walked into the gym at East Rutherford to find a packed house, a real sense of enthusiasm and opti-mism, and, yes, a very fine basketball team.

It has been said that basketball teams need four things — size, speed, smarts and hearts. East has three of those, and the missing ingredient — size — can be compensated for.

“Sure, it bothers me,” said LeVine, on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after dispatching Shelby for the second time in the 2009-10 season. “As we get on

down the road it is one of those things that you know you will encounter.

“We tried to see more size — that was the reason I wanted that matchup with Veritas at the MLK tournament. But, if we stay out of foul trouble and continue to rebound, like we are capa-ble of, well, we can overcome some of that.”

The Cavs sit at 19-1, the lone blem-ish a 65-60 loss in Lawndale to Burns, and with a win Friday at Chase they will hold the top spot in the South Mountain Conference. This will be very important for playoff seeding and possible home games (as many as three to four).

The big question: How far can they go?

This remains a young team with just

three seniors and, of those, only cen-ter Ricky Wilkerson is a starter. But, Mikhail Baxter and Ramone Snow, the remaining East seniors, are piv-otal role players that make nightly impacts.

LeVine told me on Wednesday that he has spoken to his charges about the team’s 2009 playoff loss at Madison. LeVine hopes the pain, the tears, and the finality of that loss are still fresh in the minds of his young players.

He doesn’t need to remind them about 2006. He is still trying to for-get. So am I.

Sainted: I know only one real Saints’ fan — Dan Bearden, of Rutherfordton. Dan, congrats, your team earned it and they deserve it.

Now, about Randy Tucker. Longtime Saints fan Tucker, report-

edly fresh from surgery to repair a back he injured while cheering on his Saints, called a friend of mine and reported that he was very relieved that New Orleans had won the big game.

In all seriousness, get well soon Randy. I’m going to have to buy you a “Who Dat,” t-shirt.

All good things to those who wait

Scott .Bowers

Off The Wall

Two .Shades .Of .Blue

North Carolina coach Roy Williams, right, talks with former player Tyler Hansbrough, left, before North Carolina’s NCAA college basketball game against Duke in Chapel Hill, Wednesday. North Carolina was to retire Hansbrough’s number in a halftime ceremony.

Associated PressDuke’s Mile Plumlee (21) grabs a rebound over North Carolina’s Marcus Gunyard during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, Wednesday.

Associated Press

n The Duke-North Carolina game was not final at press time. Please visit: www.thedigitalcourier.com for game story.

Duke’s Jon Scheyer (30) shoots over North Carolina’s Marcus Ginyard (1) during the first half in an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, Wednesday

Associated Press

7/

8 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010

sports

BASKETBALLNational Basketball Association

EASTERN CONFERENCEEast Division

W L Pct GBBoston 32 17 .653 —Toronto 28 23 .549 5Philadelphia 20 31 .392 13New York 19 32 .373 14New Jersey 4 47 .078 29

Southeast Division W L Pct GBOrlando 35 17 .673 —Atlanta 33 17 .660 1Charlotte 25 25 .500 9Miami 25 27 .481 10Washington 17 33 .340 17

Central Division W L Pct GBCleveland 42 11 .792 —Chicago 25 25 .500 15½Milwaukee 23 27 .460 17½Detroit 18 32 .360 22½Indiana 18 34 .346 23½

WESTERN CONFERENCESouthwest Division

W L Pct GBDallas 32 20 .615 —San Antonio 29 21 .580 2Houston 27 24 .529 4½New Orleans 27 25 .519 5Memphis 26 25 .510 5½

Northwest Division W L Pct GBDenver 35 17 .673 —Utah 32 18 .640 2Oklahoma City 30 21 .588 4½Portland 30 24 .556 6Minnesota 13 39 .250 22

Pacific Division W L Pct GBL.A. Lakers 40 13 .755 —Phoenix 31 21 .596 8½L.A. Clippers 21 30 .412 18Sacramento 17 34 .333 22Golden State 13 37 .260 25½

Tuesday’s GamesCharlotte 94, Washington 92Chicago 109, Indiana 101Cleveland 104, New Jersey 97Philadelphia 119, Minnesota 97Miami 99, Houston 66Sacramento 118, New York 114, OTDetroit 93, Milwaukee 81Atlanta 108, Memphis 94Denver 127, Dallas 91Oklahoma City 89, Portland 77Utah 109, L.A. Clippers 99Wednesday’s GamesMiami 94, Atlanta 76Toronto 104, Philadelphia 93Sacramento at Detroit, lateMilwaukee at New Jersey, lateOrlando at Chicago, lateCharlotte at Minnesota, lateBoston at New Orleans, lateL.A. Lakers at Utah, latePortland at Phoenix, lateL.A. Clippers at Golden State, lateThursday’s GamesOrlando at Cleveland, 8 p.m.

San Antonio at Denver, 10:30 p.m.

Atlantic Coast Conferne(prior to Wednesday’s games)

Conf All Duke (8) 7-2 19-4 Maryland 6-2 16-6 Wake Forest 7-3 17-5 Virginia Tech 5-3 18-4 Virginia 5-3 14-7 Georgia Tech (20) 5-4 17-6 Florida St. 5-4 17-6 Clemson 4-5 16-7 Boston Coll. 3-7 12-12 North Carolina 2-6 13-10 Miami (FL) 2-7 16-7 N.C. State 2-7 14-10

HOCKEYNational Hockey League

EASTERN CONFERENCEEast Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GANew Jersey 58 36 20 2 74 153 134Pittsburgh 59 35 22 2 72 187 171Philadelphia 57 29 25 3 61 167 154N.Y. Rangers 59 26 26 7 59 152 163N.Y. Islanders 59 24 27 8 56 150 183

Northeast Division GP W L OT Pts GF GAOttawa 60 34 22 4 72 167 167Buffalo 58 32 18 8 72 160 147Montreal 60 28 26 6 62 154 162Boston 58 25 22 11 61 141 148Toronto 60 19 30 11 49 162 204

Southeast Division GP W L OT Pts GF GAWashington 59 41 12 6 88 234 161Tampa Bay 58 26 21 11 63 150 167Atlanta 57 25 24 8 58 172 183Florida 59 24 26 9 57 153 171Carolina 59 22 30 7 51 159 189

WESTERN CONFERENCECentral Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GAChicago 59 39 15 5 83 189 138Nashville 58 31 22 5 67 162 164Detroit 59 27 21 11 65 153 160St. Louis 60 26 25 9 61 155 169Columbus 60 24 27 9 57 156 194

Northwest Division GP W L OT Pts GF GAVancouver 58 35 21 2 72 185 143Colorado 58 33 19 6 72 172 151Calgary 60 29 22 9 67 152 152Minnesota 58 29 25 4 62 161 170Edmonton 58 18 34 6 42 145 199

Pacific Division GP W L OT Pts GF GASan Jose 59 39 11 9 87 200 145Phoenix 60 36 19 5 77 163 151Los Angeles 59 36 20 3 75 180 163Dallas 59 26 21 12 64 169 185Anaheim 59 28 24 7 63 166 181

Tuesday’s GamesBoston 3, Buffalo 2, SON.Y. Islanders 4, Nashville 3, SOSt. Louis 4, Detroit 3, SOChicago 4, Dallas 3, SOCarolina 4, Florida 1

Ottawa 3, Calgary 2Tampa Bay 3, Vancouver 1Wednesday’s GamesPhiladelphia 3, New Jersey 2Nashville 2, N.Y. Rangers 1Columbus 3, San Jose 0Washington at Montreal, lateN.Y. Islanders at Pittsburgh, latePhoenix at Minnesota, lateAtlanta at Colorado, lateEdmonton at Anaheim, lateThursday’s GamesWashington at Ottawa, 7 p.m.Buffalo at Carolina, 7 p.m.Boston at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.Vancouver at Florida, 7:30 p.m.San Jose at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.Dallas at Calgary, 9:30 p.m.Edmonton at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

TRANSACTIONSWednesday’s Sports Transactions

BASEBALLAmerican League

BOSTON RED SOX—Claimed RHP Gaby Hernandez off waivers from Seattle.SEATTLE MARINERS—Agreed to terms with RHP Jesus Colome on a minor league contract. Assigned RHP Yusmeiro Petit outright to Tacoma (PCL).

National LeagueSAN FRANCISCO GIANTS—Agreed to terms with RHP Todd Wellemeyer on a minor league contract.

American AssociationEL PASO DIABLOS—Signed LHP Israel Chirino.SIOUX FALLS CANARIES—Signed C Joe Dempsey, INF Tim Hutting and INF Brandon Sing.SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CAPTAINS—Signed RHP Jason Herman and OF Bryan Sabatella.

FOOTBALLNational Football League

BUFFALO BILLS—Named Doug Whaley assis-tant general manager/director of pro personnel.HOUSTON TEXANS—Signed coach Gary Kubiak to a contract extension through the 2012 season.

HOCKEYNational Hockey League

CAROLINA HURRICANES—Announced they have purchased the Albany River Rats (AHL) and will move them to Charlotte next season.NEW YORK RANGERS—Recalled D Corey Potter from Hartford (AHL).

American Hockey LeagueSAN ANTONIO RAMPAGE—Recalled C Justin Bernhardt and F Andrew Orpik from Las Vegas (ECHL).

SOCCERMajor League Soccer

TORONTO FC—Acquired D Ty Harden from Colorado for a 2011 third-round draft pick.

COLLEGEFLORIDA SOUTHERN—Named Brian Imperiale womens assistant volleyball coach.GREAT FALLS—Named Dick Lyman rodeo coach.SOUTHERN ILLINOIS—Announced C Nick Evans has left the men’s basketball team.SYRACUSE—Named Tyrone Wheatley running backs coach.

Scoreboard

By CHARLES ODUMAP Sports Writer

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves appear inter-ested in adding Johnny Damon to the top of their lineup.

The Braves have made an offer to the free-agent outfielder, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because no agreement had been reached.

Atlanta’s offer is believed to be for one year and include deferred money. Damon’s agent, Scott Boras, has said he is seeking at least a two-year deal.

The 36-year-old Damon hit .286 with 24 hom-ers for the New York Yankees last season and likely would bat leadoff for the Braves.

Atlanta added another former Yankees outfielder in December when it acquired Melky Cabrera in a five-player deal that sent right-hander Javier Vazquez to the World Series champions.

Nate McLouth is set as Atlanta’s starter in center field, and is the probable leadoff hitter if the team does not add Damon or another outfielder. Matt Diaz is expected to get most of the playing time at one corner outfield spot.

Braves manager Bobby Cox said last week he envisions Cabrera playing all three outfield spots and possibly sharing a position with Diaz.

Cox said the team is prepared to give 20-year-old outfield prospect Jason Heyward a chance to win a starting job in right field. Heyward made only a brief appearance at Triple-A last season and has fewer than 200 at-bats above Class A.

“Well, there’s no reason not to give him a crack at making it,” Cox said. “If he is too young, that’s fine, too. He can spend some time in Triple-A. But if we think he’s ready and he can help us, then let’s go.”

Heyward (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) has the power potential the Braves need in their outfield. He was voted baseball’s top prospect by Baseball America after hitting .323 with 17 homers and 63 RBIs at three minor league stops in 2009.

“If he makes the team, he’s playing — lefties, righties, everybody,” Cox said.

The Braves’ willingness to give Heyward an opportunity could keep them from engaging in a bidding war for Damon. According to reports, Detroit and Tampa Bay also have interest.

Boras did not return a call to The Associated Press on Wednesday. Braves general manager Frank Wren had no comment on Damon.

Associated PressNew York Yankees’ Johnny Damon follows through on his two-run RBI single during the fourth inning of Game 6 of the American League Championship baseball series in New York in this Oct. 25, 2009, file photo.

Damon headed to the Braves?

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Chris Paul says his left knee injury could be a “blessing in disguise” for the New Orleans Hornets.

Paul says the injury happened at a fortuitous time because the All-Star break falls during his rehabil-itation. In the meantime, Paul says key role players will get more action and develop better chemistry until he comes back for the stretch run.

Paul had surgery to repair a meniscus tear last week. He says he expects to be out three to five more weeks.

Paul says Hornets could improve while he’s out

Associated PressClemson’s Jerai Grant dunks during the first half of an NCAA men’s college basketball game against Florida State at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, S.C., on Wednesday.

Career highs lead Clemson past Noles

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — David Potter and Andre Young each had career highs of 19 points as Clemson ended a four-game losing streak to Florida State with a 77-67 victory Wednesday night.

The Tigers (17-7, 5-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) had come in having lost four of five this season, the one-time ACC contenders in danger of falling even further out of the muddled league chase.

Instead, Potter and Young’s outside shooting proved the difference against the taller, stronger front line of Florida State (17-7, 5-5). The two com-bined for seven of Clemson’s eight 3-pointers.

Pebble offers sneak preview of US OpenDOUG FERGUSONAP Golf Writer

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Just taking a scenic stroll around Pebble Beach makes it obvious the U.S. Open will be here this summer.

Not because of who’s here, but what’s not.The rock is gone.While not the most famous landmark in golf, the

white, knee-high rock has been part of the eighth fairway at Pebble Beach for years. Because the tee shot is uphill to a blind fairway, it was positioned at the top of the hill to serve as a target.

But with the U.S. Open four months away, the target has changed.

“It’s not really in a good line anymore,” Adam Scott said Wednesday. He hasn’t been to Pebble Beach since 1999 when he lost in the first round of the U.S. Amateur, and Scott noticed it was missing right away.

The fairway used to be plenty wide, stretching from inside the cart path on the left to the water hazard — also known as the Pacific Ocean — to the right. The USGA already is defining the fair-way widths, so the rough now juts in some 25 yards from the left.

Tim Petrovic found that out the hard way. He hit what appeared to be a suitable drive on the eighth hole, only to climb the hill and see his ball in the rough.

“The fairway used to be all the way to that fence,” he said, pointing to an enclosed concession area. “Yeah, this is different.”

That’s not the only change this week.The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am gets

under way on Thursday with a different rotation of courses and some new faces.

Several players decided to sign up this year to get acquainted with a U.S. Open course, such as Scott, Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia, who last played Pebble in 2001 with his sister as his amateur part-ner.

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sports

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson’s quest for a fifth straight NASCAR championship will begin in a backup car.

Johnson was involved in the lat-est wreck at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday, doing enough damage that crew chief Chad Knaus decided to scrap the primary car for Sunday’s season-open-ing race.

“I was just riding along and thought everything was fine, and the next thing you know, I was in the mid-dle of it,” Johnson said.

Joey Logano also got caught up in the accident during the second practice at Daytona International Speedway. Mike Bliss triggered it when he lost control of his car coming out of a turn. Bliss turned sideways, seemingly got tapped by Derrick Cope, then shot across the track and rammed into Logano.

Logano also was forced into a backup car. Kyle Busch weaved through the wreckage and avoided any dam-age.

The two practice ses-sions had several other harrowing moments.

Clint Bowyer started a three-car accident in the first session when he cut a tire, hit the wall and collected David Reutimann and 1990 Daytona 500 champion Derrick Cope. Bowyer and Reutimann went to backup cars.

Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. nar-rowly avoided wrecks

in the second session. Waltrip spun and drove through the infield grass, but managed to not hit anything. Earnhardt got a little sideways after getting bumped from behind by Denny Hamlin, but Junior got the car straightened out at 190 mph.

Earnhardt said over his radio that Hamlin “doesn’t know how to bump draft.”

Johnson wrecks during Daytona practice

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)—Michael Waltrip says the Daytona 500 may not be his last race, after all.

Waltrip says he is close to lin-ing up a sponsorship deal to run April’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. He is stepping away from full-time racing to concentrate on being a team owner, but was hoping to still compete in some events.

When sponsorship didn’t materialize, Waltrip came to Speedweeks believing Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 would be his last race.

Waltrip has three wins at Daytona—two in the 500—and one at Talladega.

He must first earn a spot in the Dayton 500 field in one of Thursday’s qualifying races.

Patrick will debut in Daytona race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)—Danica Patrick has taken the next step in her stock car racing education, staying out of trouble and learning as much as she can in her first NASCAR Nationwide series practice at Daytona International Speedway.

Patrick’s crew chief, Tony Eury Jr., says she was comfortable in the car Wednesday and did a good job handling the jump from ARCA to Nationwide.

After finishing sixth in the Daytona ARCA race on Saturday, Patrick is preparing to make her Nationwide race debut Saturday.

Patrick finished 26th on the speed chart. Eury said practice speeds aren’t particularly impor-tant at Daytona because they don’t indicate how fast the car will be in the race.

NASCAR fighting for television viewers

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP)—As NASCAR’s biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500

isn’t used to being the attention-starved kid turning back flips in the corner and yelling, “Look at me!”

This year, they might want to have Carl Edwards on call.

With mainstream sports fans still talking about the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl win and the Winter Olympics kicking off on Friday, there’s a chance Sunday’s race could be overlooked by the casual fans NASCAR typically hopes to draw to its big event.

NASCAR already was con-cerned with a recent decline in at-track attendance and sagging television ratings, and took steps to add excitement this season.

They’ve authorized a bigger restrictor plate to add horsepow-er at Daytona and done away with regulations on aggressive, bumper-banging “bump draft-ing.”

And when it comes to govern-ing drivers’ behavior, NASCAR officials claim they have a new attitude: Have at it, boys.

Waltrip not ready to call it quits

Associated PressNASCAR driver Michael Waltrip walks to his garage at the beginning of auto racing practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Wednesday.

Associated PressLindsey Vonn reacts after skiing off the course, during the first run of a Women’s World Cup Giant slalom ski race, in Are, Sweden in this Dec. 12, 2009, file photo.

Vonn questions whether she will race at Olympics

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Lindsey Vonn is worried a badly bruised right shin will keep her out of the Vancouver Olympics, a startling announcement so close to the start of an event shaping up as a showcase for the U.S. skiing star.

Vonn revealed Wednesday that she was injured in a slalom training run Feb. 2 during pre-Olympic practice in Austria. It was her first trip down the slopes of what was supposed to be three days of practice.

“I’m sitting here today questioning whether, you know, I’ll be even able to ski,” Vonn said at a news conference. “I have to play it by ear.”

As a two-time reigning overall World Cup cham-pion, the 25-year-old who lives and trains in Vail, Colo., has been considered a contender to win mul-tiple medals.

Asked whether she could be forced to sit out alto-gether, Vonn replied: “Yeah, that’s a possibility.”

She hasn’t skied since getting hurt and said it’s even been painful to simply put on a pair of ski boots in her hotel room to test the leg. Vonn said the bruising covers about a 6-inch swath of her lower right leg — starting from where the top of a boot rests against her body — but she refused to get any X-rays to check whether she broke a bone because she didn’t want to know.

“It’s probably the worst place that you can have an injury, because you’re constantly pushing against your boot, and there’s no way around it,” Vonn said.

She described her mindset as “very emotional, very scared. Not the positive way you want to be starting the Olympics.”

The first women’s Alpine race is the super-com-bined on Sunday. Vonn said she figures she will know a lot more about her status for the Olympics once she takes a run down the slope at Whistler Mountain. The first official training run for wom-en is Thursday.

Vonn is slated to compete in all five women’s Alpine events and has been widely seen as the favorite to win gold medals in the speed events: downhill and super-G.

She is no stranger to injuries — or to ignoring them on the slopes.

“I’ve dealt with a lot of injuries in the past, and I’ve always been able to persevere,” Vonn said Wednesday. “I hope I’m able to push through the pain and I’m able to still ski OK. I won’t really know until tomorrow, when I actually get on skis.”

Defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson races through Turn 1 dur-ing auto racing practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Friday, Feb. 5, 2010.

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — While Brett Favre is mulling his decision about next season, fans in Minnesota are using a unique form of persuasion.

Two different messages of appreciation and hope that Favre will return to the Minnesota Vikings in 2010 have been posted on billboards near his home in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Some fans started a Facebook group that has grown to more than 120,000 people. Group creator Jay Tappe says the idea was to give Favre a proper send-off after his first season in Minnesota, since the Vikings played their last game on the road.

Twin Cities sports radio station KFAN put up the other billboard in Hattiesburg.

Vikings fans use billboard for Favre

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Weather/NatioN

Associated PressA man uses a snow shovel to shield snow from his face while walking down a nor-mally busy street in Baltimore during a winter storm Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Worst win-ter ever? The second blizzard in less than a week buried the most popu-lous stretch of the East Coast under nearly a foot of snow Wednesday, breaking records for the snowiest winter and demoralizing millions of people still trying to dig out from the previous storm.

Conditions in the nation’s capital were so bad that even plows were advised to get off the roads, and fore-casters were eyeing a third storm that could be brewing for next week.

For many families, the first storm was a fun weekend diversion. People even went skiing past Washington’s monuments. But Wednesday’s bliz-zard quickly became a serious safety concern. The Pennsylvania gover-nor shut down some highways and warned that people who drove were risking their lives.

Old-timers talk about a storm that blew through Washington in 1922, collapsing the roof on the Knickerbocker theater and killing more than 90 people. Their great-great-grandchildren will be able to describe the back-to-back blizzards of 2010, which were not nearly as deadly but set records for the snowi-est winters ever in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Up to 16 inches fell in parts of western Maryland. Reagan National Airport outside Washington had nearly 10 inches by 2 p.m., and Baltimore got nearly a foot. That was on top of totals up to 3 feet in some places from the weekend storm.

“I have never in my lifetime seen or heard anything quite like this,” said D.C. Fire Chief Dennis L. Rubin, who was born and raised in the District.

The previous records for snowi-est winters were 62.5 inches in Baltimore in 1995-96; 54.4 inches in Washington in 1898-99; and 65.5 inches in Philadelphia in 1995-96.

On Wednesday, Baltimore had 72.3 inches so far this winter, the Washington area had 54.9 inches and Philadelphia had 70.3 inches.

Heavy snow also fell in New York and New Jersey. Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, and New York City’s 1.1 million schoolchildren enjoyed only their third snow day in six years. The Washington area’s two airports had no flights coming or

going Wednesday.The streets of downtown Philadel-

phia, which was close to setting its own snow record, were nearly vacant as people heeded the mayor’s advice to stay home.

Entrance ramps to closed high-ways were blockaded, and the Pennsylvania National Guard had Humvees stocked with food and blankets ready to help anyone who got stuck. Earlier in the day, about 25 vehicles were involved in two sepa-rate pileups on snowy Interstate 80 in central Pennsylvania. One man was killed and 18 people injured.

Two other people were killed when their snowmobile struck a mov-ing vehicle at an intersection in Lancaster, Pa. Michigan authorities said the storm contributed to at least four traffic deaths there.

In Virginia, where some areas had snow totals exceeding 30 inches from the two storms, winds were howling at 50 mph and temperatures were plunging. Gov. Bob McDonnell urged people to stay indoors.

Utility customers in western Pennsylvania said about 30,000 peo-ple were without power. Some never got it back after the last storm.

Glenn Harvey, 59, who has a lung problem and needs oxygen, had been staying at a Red Cross shelter in Bentleyville, Pa., since Saturday.

Firefighters brought him there after the storm knocked out power to his house Friday night. His wife stayed home with their dog, where she’s using a kerosene heater to keep warm.

In Washington, officials announced that federal agencies would stay closed for a fourth straight day Thursday. The longest weather-relat-ed government shutdown ever was in 1996, when employees did not have to go to work for a full week.

A Caribou Coffee shop in the capi-tal was standing-room-only. Most people pecked away at laptop com-puters as snow fell steadily outside.

“Can’t get to the office, but the work still needs to get done,” said attorney Christopher Erckert.

Driving conditions got so bad that officials in Washington and some nearby suburbs pulled plows off the roads.

Snow easily breaks Mid-Atlantic records

CHICAGO (AP) — Ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich pleaded not guilty Wednesday to revised federal corruption charges and challenged prosecutors to allow jurors to hear all of the FBI’s recordings of his telephone conversations.

Sounding unusually combative after the hearing, Blagojevich told reporters he would not ask Judge James B. Zagel to prevent jurors from hearing FBI wiretaps in which prosecutors say he schemed to sell or trade President Obama’s former Senate seat.

Man held hostagesOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police

arrested a man suspected of hold-ing hostages at gunpoint in a south-central Nebraska bank Wednesday and a local television station said he was a former employee who was recently fired for making threats against the station.

No shots or injuries were reported during the nearly three-hour stand-off at the Wells Fargo bank branch in downtown Kearney. Police said they recovered a shotgun and machete from the scene.

Two principals shotKNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) —

An elementary school teacher is accused of shooting and wounding the principal and assistant princi-pal at his school Wednesday about an hour after the children were dis-missed because of snow.

Police charged Mark Stephen Foster, 48, of Clinton, with two

counts of attempted first-degree murder after the shooting at Inskip Elementary School. The school Web site identifies Foster as a fourth-grade teacher.

University of Tennessee Medical Center officials said Principal Elisa Luna was in critical condition and Assistant Principal Amy Brace was in stable condition Wednesday afternoon.

Guards watched beatingSEATTLE (AP) — Three unarmed

security guards stood by and watched last month as a 15-year-old girl was punched, knocked to the ground, kicked in the head and robbed in a downtown Seattle bus tunnel.

The guards’ actions during the brutal attack — captured on sur-veillance video — have prompted a review of the policy that unarmed, civilian guards call police and not try to stop fights or crimes.

Nation Today

Blagojevich pleads not guilty

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The Daily Courier Weather

Moon Phases

Almanac

North Carolina Forecast

Today’s National Map

New2/13

First2/21

Full2/28

Last3/7

Today

SunnyPrecip Chance: 0%

45º

Tonight

Partly CloudyPrecip Chance: 10%

24º

Friday

Partly CloudyPrecip Chance: 10%

45º 28º

Saturday

Partly CloudyPrecip Chance: 10%

43º 23º

Sunday

Mostly SunnyPrecip Chance: 5%

42º 25º

Monday

Mostly SunnyPrecip Chance: 5%

43º 22º

Sun and Moon

Local UV Index

Sunrise today . . . . .7:18 a.m.Sunset tonight . . . . .6:06 p.m.Moonrise today . . . .5:48 a.m.Moonset today . . . . .4:05 p.m.

TemperaturesHigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Normal High . . . . . . . . . . . .53Normal Low . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Precipitation24 hrs through 7 a.m. yest. .0.00"Month to date . . . . . . . . .3.15"Year to date . . . . . . . . .10.06"

Barometric PressureHigh yesterday . . . . . . .30.06"

Relative HumidityHigh yesterday . . . . . . . .100%

City Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx

Asheville . . . . . . .37/20 s 40/25 pcCape Hatteras . . .43/29 s 42/35 sCharlotte . . . . . . .46/25 s 47/28 sFayetteville . . . . .47/25 s 45/27 sGreensboro . . . . .42/21 s 42/25 sGreenville . . . . . .43/23 s 42/28 sHickory . . . . . . . . . .43/23 s 45/27 sJacksonville . . . .45/23 s 45/28 sKitty Hawk . . . . . .40/28 s 40/34 sNew Bern . . . . . .44/24 s 43/28 sRaleigh . . . . . . . .45/23 s 43/26 sSouthern Pines . .46/25 s 45/27 sWilmington . . . . .46/25 s 48/29 sWinston-Salem . .41/21 s 41/25 s

Around Our State

Across Our Nation

Weather (Wx): cl/cloudy; pc/partly cloudy;ra/rain; rs/rain & snow; s/sunny; sh/showers;

sn/snow; t/thunderstorms; w/windy

Today Friday

City Hi/Lo Wx Hi/Lo Wx

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Today Friday

Cold Front Stationary Front Warm Front Low Pressure High Pressure

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This map shows high temperatures,type of precipitation expected andlocation of frontal systems at noon.

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3 50 - 2 4 6 8 107 9 11+

0-2: Low, 3-5: Moderate, 6-7: High, 8-10: Very High, 11+: Extreme Exposure

Statistics provided by BroadRiver Water Authority through7 a.m. yesterday.

Elizabeth City43/23

Greenville43/23

Wilmington46/25

Greensboro42/21

Raleigh45/23

Charlotte46/25

Forest City45/24

Fayetteville47/25

Kinston44/24

Durham44/22

Asheville37/20

Winston-Salem41/21

Shown is today’s weather.Temperatures are today’s highsand tonight’s lows.

Weather

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010 — 11

business/finance

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans backed off from their holiday spending pace in January, but retail sales rose for a third month in a row compared with a year earlier, largely because of higher gas prices, according to figures released Wednesday.

Analysts expect the modest spending pace to improve in coming months, though it will be far from robust as high unemployment and tight cred-it show little sign of disappearing.

Including goods from food to clothing to gaso-line — but excluding cars — U.S. retail sales rose 3.6 percent from January 2009, according to MasterCard Advisor’s SpendingPulse, which esti-mates spending in all forms including cash.

That increase followed a 4.8 percent gain in December and a 2.1 percent gain in November, according to SpendingPulse.

Excluding both gas and auto sales, retail sales rose 0.3 percent in January, 2.1 percent in December and 0.2 percent in November compared with a year earlier. The year-over-year figures are not seasonally adjusted.

“Consumers are not going back to their caves, but they are not spending aggressively, either,” said Kamalesh Rao, director of economic research for MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse.

With consumer spending — including major items like health care — accounting for 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, according to the govern-ment, economists watch it closely for clues on what lies ahead.

There have been some positive signs.The Commerce Department said Wednesday that

U.S. trade deficit soared to a larger-than-expected $40.18 billion in December, the biggest imbal-ance in 12 months. The wider deficit reflected a rebounding economy that is pushing up demand for oil and other imports.

Friday’s report from the Federal Reserve on consumer borrowing showed that Americans borrowed less for an 11th consecutive month in December, paying off credit cards while increasing borrowing for cars and other big-ticket items such as education.

That mixed picture fuels some hope that Americans may start spending more, a key element for economic recovery. But the record 11-month decline in borrowing shows consumers are still cautious about or unable to get credit.

“We are starting to see consumers buying a wider variety of products. This is positive,” said Richard D. Hastings, a consumer strategist with Global Hunter Securities, citing such products as appli-ances — small and big — clothing and footwear. Those had been hit hard in the recession.

He noted that shoppers’ move to cut their debt is bolstering their net worth and will eventually mean a pickup in spending, which he believes will happen by summer.

SpendingPulse’s month-to-month figures — which are seasonally adjusted and include gasoline but exclude autos — show January’s sales rising 2.8 percent from December’s, which fell 1.9 percent from November’s. November’s sales rose 1.1 percent from October.

Editor’s note: An occasional look at the promises of government officials and how well they are kept.

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHERAssociated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — It sounds great: A big jobs bill that would hand President Barack Obama a badly needed victory and please Republicans with tax cuts at the same time. But there’s a prob-lem: It won’t create many jobs.

Even the Obama administra-tion acknowledges the legisla-tion’s centerpiece — a tax cut for businesses that hire unemployed workers — would work only on the margins.

As for the bill’s effectiveness, tax experts and business lead-ers said companies are unlikely to hire workers just to receive a tax break. Before businesses start hiring, they need increased demand for their products, more work for their employees and more revenue to pay those work-ers.

“We’re skeptical that it’s going to be a big job creator,” said Bill Rys, tax counsel for the National Federation of Independent Business. “There’s certainly nothing wrong with giving a tax break to a business that’s hired a new worker, especially in these tough times. But in terms of being an incentive to hire a lot of workers, we’re skeptical.”

Rick Klahsen, a tax expert at the accounting firm RSM McGladrey, said his clients need to see business pick up before they can hire more workers.

“If demand were increased,

they are saying it will take care of itself because I will then have the motivation to go out and hire new employees,” Klahsen said.

The bipartisan Senate plan would absolve companies of hav-ing to pay a 6.2 percent Social Security tax on the wages tax for the balance of 2010 for any workers they hire who had been unemployed for at least 60 days.

A company could save a maxi-mum of $6,621 if it hired an unemployed worker after the bill is enacted and paid that worker at least $106,800 — the maxi-mum amount of wages subject to Social Security taxes — by the end of the year. The company could get an additional $1,000 on its 2011 tax return if it kept the new worker for at least a full year.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office recently conclud-ed that reducing Social Security taxes for companies that add workers would be among the most efficient ways for the gov-ernment to create jobs. However, in showing how difficult it is to create jobs through tax policy, CBO estimates that such a tax break would generate only eight to 18 full-time jobs per $1 mil-lion in tax breaks.

The Senate proposal is esti-mated to cost about $10 billion, which would add 80,000 to 180,000 jobs over the course of a year, a tiny fraction of the 8.4 million jobs the U.S. economy has lost since the beginning of the recession in 2007.

Nonetheless, supporters say it is cheaper, simpler and less vul-

nerable to abuse than Obama’s plan, which would give a $5,000 tax credit for each new worker that employers hire and cost $33 billion.

Either way, Obama and law-makers in both parties still could claim tangible accomplishments in addressing high joblessness and the inability of Republicans and Democrats to work togeth-er so solve problems, both top issues among voters early in 2010 midterm election season.

Democratic leaders had origi-nally hoped to pass the bill this week, before record snowfalls effectively shut down Congress and much of the rest of the fed-eral government in the nation’s capital. Final action now may not come until March.

In addition to a tax break for hiring workers, the Senate pack-age would extend unemployment payments for people without jobs for more than six months as well as subsidies to help the jobless continue paying premiums for health insurance they had been getting through their former employers.

It also would extend through 2010 about $33 billion in popu-lar tax breaks that expired at the end of 2009, including an income tax deduction for sales and property taxes and a busi-ness tax credit for research and development.

Those tax cuts make Republicans willing participants in the bill, despite skepticism in both parties that it will produce an abundance of jobs.

Associated PressVice President Joe Biden, far left, takes his seat in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday before the start of a meeting between President Barack Obama and bipartisan House and Senate lead-ers to discuss the economy and jobs. From left are, Biden, House Minority Leader of John Boehner of Ohio, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif.ornia the president, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Jobs bill will not cure all ills

Consumers slowed down spending pace

11/

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STOCKS OF LOCAL INTERESTYTD

Name Div Yld PE Last Chg%ChgYTD

Name Div Yld PE Last Chg %ChgAT&T Inc 1.68 6.7 12 25.12 -.14 -10.4Amazon ... ... 58 117.36 -.67 -12.8ArvMerit ... ... ... 9.40 -.28 -15.9BB&T Cp .60 2.2 23 27.37 +.17 +7.9BkofAm .04 .3 ... 14.67 +.20 -2.6BerkHa A ... ... 34111550.00-150.00 +12.4Cisco ... ... 23 23.76 -.13 -.8Delhaize 2.01 2.6 ... 76.74 -.09 ...Dell Inc ... ... 19 13.75 +.20 -4.2DukeEngy .96 5.9 14 16.22 -.10 -5.8ExxonMbl 1.68 2.6 16 64.85 -.35 -4.9FamilyDlr .62 2.0 15 31.37 -.23 +12.7FifthThird .04 .3 16 11.69 +.22 +19.9FCtzBA 1.20 .7 16 171.87 +1.87 +4.8GenElec .40 2.5 15 15.69 +.09 +3.7GoldmanS 1.40 .9 7 153.63 +1.14 -9.0Google ... ... 26 534.45 -2.00 -13.8KrispKrm ... ... ... 3.00 -.03 +1.7

LeggPlat 1.04 5.6 25 18.51 -.15 -9.3

Lowes .36 1.7 18 21.80 -.04 -6.8

Microsoft .52 1.9 15 27.99 -.02 -8.2

PPG 2.16 3.6 21 59.75 +.59 +2.1

ParkerHan 1.00 1.8 32 55.55 -.20 +3.1

ProgrssEn 2.48 6.5 13 37.93 -.26 -7.5

RedHat ... ... 66 27.19 -.22 -12.0

RoyalBk g 2.00 ... ... 51.48 +1.04 -3.9

SaraLee .44 3.4 11 12.93 +.28 +6.2

SonicAut ... ... ... 9.32 +.06 -10.3

SonocoP 1.08 3.8 20 28.48 +1.26 -2.6

SpectraEn 1.00 4.8 16 20.64 -.13 +.6

SpeedM .36 2.2 ... 16.44 -.06 -6.7

Timken .36 1.5 ... 23.70 -.17 ...

UPS B 1.88 3.3 26 57.07 -.34 -.5

WalMart 1.09 2.0 15 53.24 -.01 -.4

STOCK MARKET INDEXES

MUTUAL FUNDS

DAILY DOW JONES

10,729.89 6,469.95 Dow Industrials 10,038.38 -20.26 -.20 -3.74 +26.444,265.61 2,134.21 Dow Transportation 3,856.14 -13.74 -.35 -5.94 +28.24

408.57 288.66 Dow Utilities 367.44 -2.05 -.55 -7.68 -.547,471.31 4,181.75 NYSE Composite 6,819.12 -16.04 -.23 -5.09 +29.821,908.81 1,234.81 Amex Market Value 1,786.24 -7.13 -.40 -2.12 +27.302,326.28 1,265.52 Nasdaq Composite 2,147.87 -3.00 -.14 -5.34 +40.341,150.45 666.79 S&P 500 1,068.13 -2.39 -.22 -4.21 +28.11

755.91 397.97 S&P MidCap 700.59 -.45 -.06 -3.59 +38.2111,941.95 6,772.29 Wilshire 5000 11,084.29 -23.59 -.21 -4.02 +31.33

649.15 342.59 Russell 2000 595.82 +.66 +.11 -4.73 +33.01

52-Week Net YTD 12-moHigh Low Name Last Chg %Chg %Chg %Chg

THE MARKET IN REVIEW

PIMCO TotRetIs CI 120,690 10.92 +0.5 +13.9/C +7.0/A NL 5,000,000American Funds GrthAmA m LG 62,872 25.99 -7.5 +32.9/C +2.2/B 5.75 250Vanguard TotStIdx LB 57,210 26.37 -6.6 +34.1/B +0.4/B NL 3,000American Funds CapIncBuA m IH 56,411 46.03 -5.3 +23.8/C +3.0/C 5.75 250Fidelity Contra LG 54,252 55.29 -6.6 +30.0/D +3.7/A NL 2,500American Funds CpWldGrIA m WS 53,325 31.69 -9.4 +35.6/C +4.6/A 5.75 250American Funds IncAmerA m MA 48,112 15.01 -4.5 +29.1/B +2.2/B 5.75 250American Funds InvCoAmA m LB 46,864 24.75 -7.0 +29.8/D +0.9/B 5.75 250Vanguard 500Inv LB 46,604 98.53 -6.6 +32.2/C -0.3/C NL 3,000Vanguard InstIdx LB 43,152 97.88 -6.6 +32.3/C -0.2/C NL 5,000,000Dodge & Cox Stock LV 39,228 93.22 -6.2 +41.9/A -1.1/C NL 2,500American Funds EurPacGrA m FB 38,266 35.59 -9.9 +39.9/B +6.3/A 5.75 250American Funds WAMutInvA m LV 37,278 23.73 -5.4 +26.1/D -0.4/C 5.75 250Dodge & Cox IntlStk FV 35,646 29.98 -9.0 +56.1/A +4.1/A NL 2,500American Funds NewPerspA m WS 31,178 24.14 -8.0 +37.8/C +4.9/A 5.75 250PIMCO TotRetAdm b CI 31,078 10.92 +0.5 +13.6/C +6.7/A NL 5,000,000Fidelity DivrIntl d FG 29,974 26.00 -9.6 +36.1/D +2.4/D NL 2,500American Funds FnInvA m LB 29,675 31.15 -7.5 +34.4/B +3.2/A 5.75 250FrankTemp-Franklin Income A m CA 29,617 1.99 -5.1 +33.4/A +3.2/B 4.25 1,000American Funds BalA m MA 29,215 15.95 -3.6 +25.6/C +1.8/C 5.75 250Vanguard Welltn MA 27,900 28.08 -4.6 +24.8/C +4.2/A NL 10,000American Funds BondA m CI 27,514 11.91 +0.4 +15.9/B +2.5/E 3.75 250Vanguard 500Adml LB 27,342 98.54 -6.6 +32.3/C -0.2/C NL 100,000Vanguard TotStIAdm LB 27,014 26.37 -6.7 +34.2/B +0.5/B NL 100,000Fidelity GrowCo LG 26,376 65.47 -7.5 +36.2/B +4.3/A NL 2,500Vanguard TotIntl d FB 25,013 13.44 -10.0 +43.6/A +3.9/B NL 3,000PIMCO TotRetA m CI 24,642 10.92 +0.5 +13.4/C +6.5/A 3.75 1,000Vanguard InstPlus LB 24,167 97.89 -6.6 +32.3/C -0.1/C NL 200,000,000T Rowe Price EqtyInc LV 15,084 20.21 -7.0 +38.3/A 0.0/B NL 2,500Hartford CapAprA m LB 9,451 29.39 -7.4 +46.4/A +2.9/A 5.50 1,000Pioneer PioneerA m LB 4,142 34.23 -6.7 +28.9/D +0.5/B 5.75 1,000Goldman Sachs ShDuGovA m GS 1,487 10.37 +0.3 +3.9/B +4.8/A 1.50 1,000Alliance Bernstein GrowIncA m LV 1,193 2.85 -5.3 +21.7/E -2.5/E 4.25 2,500DWS-Scudder REstA m SR 408 12.80 -7.6 +49.7/C -0.4/B 5.75 1,000Hartford GrowthL m LG 176 14.23 -8.6 +29.6/D -0.3/D 4.75 0

Total Assets Total Return/Rank Pct Min InitName Obj ($Mlns) NAV 4-wk 12-mo 5-year Load Invt

CA -Conservative Allocation, CI -Intermediate-Term Bond, ES -Europe Stock, FB -Foreign Large Blend, FG -Foreign LargeGrowth, FV -ForeignLarge Value, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA -Moderate Allocation, MB -Mid-Cap Blend, MV -Mid-Cap Value, SH -Specialty-heath, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs.others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.

NYSE6,819.12 -16.04

AMEX1,786.24 -7.13

NASDAQ2,147.87 -3.00

STOCK EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS

Stock Footnotes: g = Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars. h = Does not meet continued-listing standards.lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within thelast year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants. Mutual Fund Footnotes: b = Fee covering market costs is paid from fund assets. d = Deferred sales charge, or redemption fee.f = front load (sales charges). m = Multiple fees are charged. NA = not available. p = previous day’s net asset value. s = fundsplit shares during the week. x = fund paid a distribution during the week.Gainers and Losers must be worth at least $2 to belisted in tables at left. Most Actives must be worth at least $1. Volume in hundreds of shares. Source: The Associated Press.Sales figures are unofficial.

dd dd ddGAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

Volume

Name Vol (00) Last ChgPwShs QQQ809220 43.02 -.09MicronT 649306 8.54 -.54Intel 555383 19.69 +.04Cisco 497783 23.76 -.13Microsoft 473576 27.99 -.02ETrade 439441 1.45 -.05Oracle 398272 23.11 -.40BrcdeCm 370693 6.60 +.31Yahoo 362333 14.80 -.27ActivsBliz 360670 10.10 +.05

MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE)

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last Chg %ChgOpenTabl n30.66 +5.67 +22.7Biocryst 7.39 +1.14 +18.2drugstre 3.20 +.45 +16.4OvrldStr rs 2.23 +.31 +16.1MetaFincl 21.00 +2.81 +15.4Athersys 3.29 +.41 +14.2Aware 2.75 +.34 +14.1Deltek 7.85 +.95 +13.8Lionbrdg 2.99 +.35 +13.3DJSP wt 3.64 +.42 +13.0

Name Last Chg %ChgAmtech 8.15 -2.03 -19.9Isis 8.98 -2.06 -18.7ParkBcp 5.42 -1.08 -16.6DNB Fncl 4.69 -.82 -14.9AtlSthnF 2.92 -.45 -13.4SecNtl lf 3.07 -.38 -11.0CelsiusH 3.80 -.44 -10.4Golfsmith 2.43 -.28 -10.3SevenArt lf 2.16 -.24 -10.0AlliancB 2.36 -.25 -9.7

DIARYAdvanced 1,284Declined 1,312Unchanged 159Total issues 2,755New Highs 30New Lows 26

1,983,206,143Volume

Name Vol (00) Last ChgRentech 59172 1.01 -.17PacAsiaP n 30702 3.87 -.58NthgtM g 28875 2.69 +.02AtlasAcq 25271 9.85 +.30NovaGld g 25271 5.73 -.17Taseko 21743 4.15 -.06GoldStr g 20262 3.03 -.01BPW Acq 17582 10.02 +.02NwGold g 13951 4.33 -.02NA Pall g 13579 3.67 -.03

MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE)

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last Chg %ChgWinnerM n 6.89 +.78 +12.8Neuralstem 2.14 +.23 +12.2MexcoEn 9.19 +.90 +10.9TriValley 2.00 +.17 +9.3PionDrill 8.40 +.55 +7.0TelInstEl 7.60 +.50 +7.0LGL Grp 4.30 +.25 +6.2NthnO&G 12.07 +.63 +5.5SwGA Fn 13.38 +.70 +5.5Contango 50.45 +2.60 +5.4

Name Last Chg %ChgPacAsiaP n 3.87 -.58 -13.0ReadyMix 2.11 -.17 -7.5ImpacM n 4.01 -.30 -7.0CmtyBT un 3.16 -.22 -6.5SinoHub n 3.87 -.26 -6.3MastechH 3.99 -.26 -6.2SuprmInd 2.81 -.19 -6.2EngySvc un 3.10 -.20 -6.1AdcareH wt 2.05 -.10 -4.7OrienPap n10.19 -.47 -4.4

DIARYAdvanced 237Declined 247Unchanged 44Total issues 528New Highs 9New Lows 4

Name Vol (00) Last ChgSprintNex 2433224 3.36 -.29Citigrp 2278543 3.20 +.02S&P500ETF2200074107.01 -.21BkofAm 1729265 14.67 +.20SPDR Fncl 1245078 13.91 +.11iShEMkts 823194 37.93 -.10DirFBear rs 794085 20.80 -.47FordM 720076 10.94 -.21GenElec 679189 15.69 +.09Pfizer 588831 17.74 -.14

MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE)

GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)

LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)

Name Last Chg %ChgHeckmn un 9.00 +1.92 +27.1NatFnPrt 10.81 +1.94 +21.9AIntlGp rs 26.92 +3.78 +16.3E-TrcEngy 15.46 +1.61 +11.6L-1 Ident 8.15 +.78 +10.6FurnBrds 4.55 +.41 +9.9K-Sea 9.55 +.75 +8.5SantFn pfC26.42 +2.02 +8.3AffilMgrs 67.52 +5.07 +8.1GaylrdEnt 21.20 +1.50 +7.6

Name Last Chg %ChgMS DJ11 10.37 -1.73 -14.3DeanFds 15.19 -2.45 -13.9WausauPap 8.08 -.84 -9.4AccoBrds 6.48 -.66 -9.2NY Times 10.62 -1.05 -9.0KV PhmA lf 2.76 -.27 -8.9DoralFncl 3.16 -.29 -8.4SprintNex 3.36 -.29 -7.9PennVaGP 15.44 -1.26 -7.5ScrippsNet 40.58 -3.18 -7.3

DIARYAdvanced 1,536Declined 1,515Unchanged 117Total issues 3,168New Highs 49New Lows 10

4,315,151,572Volume 103,208,347

8,800

9,200

9,600

10,000

10,400

10,800

A FS O N D J

9,800

10,060

10,320Dow Jones industrialsClose: 10,038.38Change: -20.26 (-0.2%)

10 DAYS

retiring soon? let’s talk.HAVE YOU REVIEWED YOUR LIFE INSURANCE LATELY?

12 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010

NatioN/world

By SETH BORENSTEINAP Science Writer

WASHINGTON — A steady drip of unsettling errors is exposing what sci-entists are calling “the weak-er link” in the Nobel Peace Prize-winning series of inter-national reports on global warming.

The flaws — and the ero-sion they’ve caused in pub-lic confidence — have some scientists calling for dras-tic changes in how future United Nations climate reports are done. A push for reform being published in Thursday’s issue of a pres-tigious scientific journal comes on top of a grow-ing clamor for the resigna-tion of the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The work of the climate change panel, or IPCC, is often portrayed as one mas-sive tome. But it really is four separate reports on different aspects of global warming, written months apart by dis-tinct groups of scientists.

No errors have surfaced in the first and most well-known of the reports, which said the physics of a warm-ing atmosphere and rising seas is man-made and incon-trovertible. So far, four mis-takes have been discovered in the second report, which attempts to translate what global warming might mean to daily lives around the world.

“A lot of stuff in there was just not very good,” said Kevin Trenberth, head of cli-mate analysis at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and a lead author of the first report. “A chronic problem is that on the whole area of impacts, getting into the realm of social science, it is a softer science. The facts are not as good.”

It’s been a dismal winter for climate scientists after the high point of winning the 2007 Nobel, along with for-mer Vice President Al Gore, for championing efforts to curb global warming and documenting its effects.

n In November, stolen pri-vate e-mails from a British

university climate center embarrassed a number of scientists for their efforts to stonewall climate skeptics. The researchers were found to have violated Britain’s Freedom of Information laws.

n In December, the much anticipated climate sum-mit of world leaders in Copenhagen failed to pro-duce a meaningful mandato-ry agreement to curb green-house gases.

n Climate legislation in the United States, considered key to any significant prog-ress in slowing global warm-ing, is stalled.

n Some Republican U.S. senators, climate skeptics and British newspapers have called for Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC, to resign. They contend he has financial conflicts of interest involving his role with the climate panel and a green-energy foundation he set up.

n And in recent weeks, a batch of mistakes have been uncovered in the second of the four climate research reports produced in 2007.

That second report — which examines current effects of global warming and forecasts future ones on people, plants, animals and society — at times relied on government reports or even advocacy group reports instead of peer-reviewed

research. Scientists say that’s because there is less hard data on global warming’s effects.

Nine different experts told The Associated Press that the second report — because of the nature of what it examines — doesn’t rely on standards as high or lit-erature as deep as the more quoted first report. And they say cite communica-tion problems between lead authors of different reports so it is harder to spot errors.

The end result is that the document on the effects of climate change promotes the worst of nightmares and engages in purpose-ful hyping, said longtime skeptic John Christy of the University of Alabama, Huntsville.

David King, Britain’s for-mer chief scientific adviser who once lectured at the University of East Anglia, home to the climate center where scientist e-mails were hacked said that scandal laid bare the weaknesses in the IPCC. In a telephone inter-view, he said those who chal-lenged the IPCC’s assessment “are seen to be rocking the boat, and this in my view is extremely unfortunate.”

Scientists — including top U.S. government officials — argue that the bulk of the reports are sound.

The problems found in the

IPCC 2007 reports so far are mostly embarrassing:

n In the Asian chapter, five errors in a single entry on glaciers in Himalayas say those glaciers would disap-pear by 2035 — hundreds of years earlier than other information suggests — with no research backing it up. It used an advocacy group as a source. It also erroneously said the Himalayan glaciers were melting faster than oth-er glaciers.

n A sentence in the chapter on Europe says 55 percent of the Netherlands is below sea level, when it’s really about half that amount.

n A section in the Africa chapter that talks about northern African agriculture says climate change and nor-mal variability could reduce crop yields. But it gets over-simplified in later summa-ries so that lower projected crop yields are blamed solely on climate change.

n There’s been a longstand-ing dispute about weather extremes and economics. The second report says that there are more weather disasters than before because of cli-mate change and that it is costing more. The debate continues over whether it is fair to say increased disas-ter costs are due to global warming or other societal factors such as increased development in hurricane prone areas.

Scientists say the nature of the science and the demands of governments for a local-ized tally of climate change effects and projections of future ones make the sec-ond report a bit more prone to mistakes than the first report. Regional research is more often done by gov-ernments or environmental groups; using that work is allowed by IPCC rules even if it is seen as less rigor-ous than traditional peer-reviewed research, said Martin Parry, chairman in charge of the report on cli-mate effects.

The second report includes chapters on each region, which governments want to be mostly written by local experts, some of whom may not have the science creden-tials of other report authors. That’s where at least three of the errors were found.

In Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature, four IPCC authors call for reform, including Christy, who sug-gests the outright dumping of the panel itself in favor of an effort modeled after Wikipedia, the online ency-clopedia. A fifth author, writing in Nature, argues the IPCC rules are fine but need to be better enforced.

In response, Chris Field of Stanford University, the new head of the second report team, said that he welcomes the scrutiny and vows strict-er enforcement of rules to check sources to eliminate errors in future reports; those are to be produced by the IPCC starting in 2013.

Many IPCC scientists say it’s impressive that so far only four errors have been found in 986 pages of the second report, with the over-whelming majority of the findings correct and well-supported.

However, former IPCC Chairman Bob Watson said, “We cannot take that atti-tude. Any mistakes do allow skeptics to have a field day and to use it to undermine public confidence, private sector confidence, govern-ment confidence in the IPCC.”

Scientists seek better way to do climate report

Associated PressThe U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) head Rajendra Pachauri, left, and Thirteenth Finance Commission Chairman Vijay Kelkar look on at a press conference in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Jan. 21.

12/

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SHOE by Chris Cassat and Gary Brookins

BROOM-HILDA by Russell Myers

ARLO AND JANIS by Jimmy Johnson

THE GRIZZWELLS by Bill Schoor

DILBERT by Scott Adams

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Dear Dr. Gott: Do you have an archive online or otherwise of past columns? In the past month or two, I think you had a column entry that discussed the condition known as trigger finger. In the past two weeks, my husband has had a flare-up of this condition. He is 47, and his 78-year-old mother also suffers with trigger finger.

Any advice or experience from you or my fellow readers/writers would be welcomed. Thank you.

Dear Reader: As you are aware, trigger finger is a condition in which a finger joint catches in a bent posi-tion. The joint appears as though the person has pulled the trigger of a gun. When the finger unlocks, it pops back suddenly, as if releas-ing that trigger, thus the name. Accompanying pain can often be controlled by icing and splinting or over-the-counter Advil, Aleve, Motrin and similar products. When OTCs fail to provide satisfactory

results, it’s time to consult a physi-cian to determine the next step, which might be a cortisone injec-tion or surgical release under local anesthesia. Now, for the second part of your inquiry. I have been hold-ing on to your letter for a number of months, awaiting my entry into the 21st century. I must confess yet again that I’ve been rather proud all these years to be a member of the Lead Pencil Club and a tech-nophobe. Medicine is my field of expertise, not machinery. After what has seemed like an excessively long period of preparation, I am pleased to announce that my column is now available at AskDrGottMD.com.

Gott enters the 21st century

Dear Abby: My husband, “Kent,” and I enjoy entertaining. We often throw birthday parties for friends, as well as holiday parties and dinners and barbecues during the summer. The problem is, whenever we receive an invitation to attend a gathering at someone else’s home, Kent responds with, “Ask them to come here.” I think this is rude because our friends are just reciprocating.

This issue came up twice last week. When I asked Kent why he doesn’t like to go to our friends’ homes, he says he prefers to entertain in his own house. I don’t think it is good manners to ask a host to move the party to our home.

Incidentally, when we do go, Kent always enjoys himself, so it’s not social anxiety, and he’s definitely not shy. Would you tell me if I’m making too much of this? — Embarrassed

Dear Embarrassed: I don’t think so. While your husband’s impulse to host the party might seem gener-ous the first few times the offer is extended — after a while the burden of gratitude can hang heavy and destroy friendships. That’s why it is important for people to be able to reciprocate — and for others to allow them to.

Dear Abby: I have been dating a man for four years. I told him I am ready to end our relationship if he isn’t ready to get married within the

next year.Two months ago, he gave me a

beautiful 2 1/2-carat diamond ring and announced to family and friends that we are engaged. He has not discussed any wedding plans, but he says the wedding will be within the time frame I am asking for.

I went to a jeweler today to have the band on my ring enlarged a bit and was told that my stone is not a real diamond. Abby, this man owns his own business and is wealthy! He spends thousands on golf trips every year and just spent a great deal of money on high-end house furnish-ings.

My head is spinning. I am embar-rassed to tell anyone of this fraud. What is your take on this? Do I confront him? Am I fooling myself thinking that this man truly wants to marry me? — Dumbfounded

Dear Dumbfounded: My “take” on this is that your fiance was trying to pull a fast one. If he would behave this way about your engagement ring, what else would he be less than hon-est about in the future?

Man prefers to host instead of guest

Your Birthday, Feb. 11;

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ARIES (March 21-April 19) — Examine your think-ing and your goals before moving forward to see if they’re appropriate.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — If you’re looking to advance your position at work, talk to the powers-that-be.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — Some good old-fash-ioned logical thinking can be used to discover whether you’re productive.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) — You know how to use past experiences to your advantage.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Most people will find you an enjoyable companion, mostly because you know how to get them to talk.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — If you are merry and equitable in all social involvements, your good sportsmanship will make a lasting impression.

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Your ability to come up with fertile ideas that can produce big bucks is impressive. It won’t take much to dream up some-thing big, especially when challenged.

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IN THE STARSPUZZLE

Dr. Peter M. Gott

Ask Dr. Gott

Abigail van Buren

Dear Abby

13comics

14 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010

nation/world

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — In the days after the Haiti earthquake, Laura Silsby made a series of calls around the country to mobilize a trip to rescue orphaned children from the disaster.

She enlisted members of her Baptist church and told them she had all the neces-sary paperwork. She even found a Kentucky couple, Richard and Malinda Pickett, who had been try-ing to adopt three siblings from Haiti and told them she could get the children out.

The Picketts say they politely declined, figuring the youngsters were safe and would soon be evacuated to their new home.

“My wife told her that under no conditions should she try to move the kids — that would just interfere with our plans. But she called two more times, and the last time she called, on the 25th, she said she was getting on a flight and would like to pick up our kids,” Richard Pickett said. “My wife, for the third time, told her no way — stay away from them.”

A few days later, Silsby and nine other Americans were charged in Haiti with kid-napping for trying to take 33 children out of the country without proper documen-tation. The 10 defendants remain in jail in Haiti.

The Haitian and U.S. gov-ernments are investigating Silsby and her group, trying to determine why they were rounding up children, many of whom were not orphans. Silsby and her supporters

say they just wanted to save youngsters from the chaos, disease and uncertainty of quake-ravaged Haiti. Others, like the Picketts, aren’t con-vinced.

A closer look at Silsby shows that the adoption fiasco followed a certain pattern seen in her life. The 40-year-old businesswoman and mother of three has been known to make big promises and big plans that often give way to questionable behavior and legal action.

Court records show she has a habit of failing to pay employees, creditors and tax-es. In the last year alone she saw her home go into foreclo-sure and watched a number of legal proceedings against her and her business wend their way through Idaho’s courts.

All of this happened as she became highly passion-

ate about helping kids in the Dominican Republic, accord-ing to those who know her.

Silsby showed her knack for achievement early, earn-ing a high school diploma at 15, according to an old news release from her company. She went on to study busi-ness administration and accounting at Washington State University, graduating summa cum laude in 1991.

She took a job with Hewlett Packard in Boise, working for six years in financing and Internet marketing positions.

In 2000, Silsby and a man named James Hammons patented a method for creat-ing and operating a personal-ized Internet store. She used the method to found a com-pany that would do business under the name Avenue Me. The goal, Silsby told associ-ates, was to create an online

personalized shopping expe-rience for those too busy to dig through several stores or Web sites.

She hired Boise multi-media marketing company Wirestone to build her Web site, but soon stopped paying the bills, said Mark Salow, a former Wirestone manager. Wirestone ultimately sued after Silsby fell tens of thou-sands of dollars behind in paying for the work, Salow said.

“She was always telling us, ’We had this great meeting, and you’ll be paid soon,”’ Salow said. “There was always some investor that was going to come in and save the day.”

Those promises didn’t sway a judge, who ruled in Wirestone’s favor.

In 2004, Silsby filed for divorce from her husband, Terry Silsby. The divorce became final in 2007, but the two sides are still fight-ing in court.

In 2008, she bought a new-ly built five-bedroom home on a half-acre lot in Meridian — which the bank foreclosed on last December.

At the same time, several employees of her company — now called Personal Shopper after a trademark dispute — were filing claims against Silsby over unpaid wages. One former employee, Robin Oliver, said she was hired for $110,000 a year and sued after Silsby fell five pay-checks behind.

Oliver said Silsby kept telling her that new inves-tors had agreed to fund the

company, but the cash never showed up. Oliver’s attorney said Silsby claimed at various times that potential inves-tors included NBC, a private equity firm and a high-pow-ered public relations expert.

Silsby contended that Oliver drastically cut her own hours and was working ineffectively and had to be fired.

It is not clear if her money problems were related in any way to the adoption effort in Haiti, but the financial aspects of the trip will clearly be scrutinized during the investigation.

The Picketts said they were immediately suspicious of Silsby. The Kentucky couple didn’t need her help — the government had already given them permission to go pick up the children. But Silsby persisted, they said.

She showed up at the Compassion for All orphan-age in Haiti, asking to collect the Picketts’ three adopted children and claiming to be Malinda Pickett’s friend, according to Richard Pickett.

When the orphanage told her the children had been moved, Silsby went on to ask for any other kids she could have, Richard Pickett said. She paid a worker to take her to other orphanages in the region and translate for her.

“She asked for kids at each of the orphanages, and at the end of the day when no one would give her any, she cried,” Richard Pickett said. “Why would you cry after you see these kids are being taken care of?”

Haiti mission leader often fell short of promises

Associated PressIn this Feb. 8 file photo, Laura Silsby, one of the 10 Americans arrested while trying to bus children out of Haiti, exits a police car outside the court building in Port-au-Prince.

14/

14 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, THURSDAY, February 11, 2010

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT

Town of Lake Lure

The Lake Lure Board of Adjustment will hold its monthly meeting at the Town of Lake Lure Municipal Center, 2948 Memorial Highway, Lake Lure, North Carolina on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 1:00 p.m., or shortly thereafter, to consider the following:

(1) ZV-2010002, a request from Rob and Mary Ann Peffer for a variance from the minimum lot area, minimum shoreline length, and the minimum side yard setback as required by Section 92.040 of the Lake Lure Zoning Regulations. The property (Tax PIN 1628824) is located at 180/184 Ridge Road, Lake Lure, NC 28746.

(2) ZV-2010003, a request by Jayne Mann for a variance from the minimum lake front yard setback by Section 92.040 of the Lake Lure Zoning Regulations. The property (Tax PIN 1643268) is located at 114 Hummingbird Cove Road, Lake Lure, NC 28746.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Ancillary Executor of the estate of BETTY JO NELSON RADFORD of Rutherford County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of the said BETTYJO NELSON RADFORD to present them to the undersigned on or before the 11th day of May, 2010 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment.

This is the 11th day of February, 2010.

Tommy S. Radford, Ancillary Executor25 Alta Vista CircleTravelers Rest, SC 29690

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING LAKE STRUCTURE APPEALS BOARD

Town of Lake Lure

The Lake Lure Lake Structure Appeals Board will hold its monthly meeting at the Town of Lake Lure Municipal Center, 2948 Memorial Highway, Lake Lure, North Carolina on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 1:00 p.m., or shortly thereafter, to consider the following:

(1) LSA-2010001, a request from Lynn Price and Oakman Brothers, Inc., for a variance to allow reconstruction of a lake structure to encroach over a projected property line as restricted by section 94.06 (C)(4) of the Lake Structure Regulations. The properties (Tax PIN 230907 & 220610) are located at 327 & 321 North Shore Drive, Lake Lure, North Carolina.

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DEADLINES: New Ads, Cancellations & ChangesTuesday Edition.............Monday, 12pmWednesday Edition......Tuesday, 2pmThursday Edition......Wednesday, 2pmFriday Edition...............Thursday, 2pmSaturday Edition................Friday, 2pmSunday Edition......................Friday, 2pm

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YARD SALE SPECIALRun a 20 word yard sale ad Thurs.,

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Email: emeyer@thedigitalcourier.comIn person: 601 Oak St., Forest City

Contact Erika Meyer to place your ad!Call: 828-245-6431 Fax: 828-248-2790

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*Private party customers only! This special mustbe mentioned at the time of ad placement.

Valid 2/8/10 - 2/12/10

The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, THURSDAY, February 11, 2010 — 15

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16 — The Daily Courier, Forest City, NC, ThursDay, February 11, 2010

NatioN/world

An AP News AnalysisBy WALTER R. MEARSAP Special Correspondent

CHAPEL HILL — In the long, loud argument about President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, oppo-nents contend it would point toward a government take-over of the system. Democrats deny that. Now there’s evi-dence that it’s already hap-pening, inexorably, whatever the outcome on the stalled health care bill.

For the first time, govern-ment programs will account for more than half of U.S. health care spending by 2012, and that share will keep creeping upward, according to federal actuaries.

Federal and state govern-ment programs now cover an estimated 42 percent of health care costs. The num-ber jumps significantly in the first part of the decade, exceeding 50 percent by 2012, and then rises slowly toward the end of the decade, when it’s likely to reach 52 percent.

So after all the months of wrangling about the public option for health care cov-erage, it turns out not to be optional in the current sys-tem.

“I don’t know if anybody noticed that, for the first time this year, you saw more peo-ple getting health care from government than you did from the private sector; not because of anything we did, but because more and more people are losing their health care from their employ-ers. It’s becoming unafford-able,” Obama told report-ers Tuesday — with a bit of hyperbole.

The numbers make a com-pelling case for change and Obama is making anoth-er push for it. He’s called Republican and Democratic leaders to discuss health care with him on Feb. 25, all on

television. It amounts to a compromise offer built into a challenge to the Republicans, who held the party line against his health care bill with unanimous opposition in the Senate and only one GOP vote in the House.

Obama said he wants to “look at the Republican ideas that are out there.” But he is not offering to do what GOP leaders demand, as they have all along — scrap the current bill and start from scratch. The White House said he wants “comprehensive reform similar to the bills passed by the House and the Senate.”

That was at hand before the Democrats lost their filibus-ter-blocking 60th Senate vote in a special election upset in Massachusetts. Now they’ve got to find another way if health care changes are to pass.

Hence the president’s call for a conference with both sides plus health care experts to compare “their ideas, our ideas ... in a methodical way so the American people can see and compare.”

They also can see and com-pare the cost of doing nothing in the projections published this month by the journal Health Affairs, covering the increasing share of govern-ment spending on health care. That’s based on the impact of the recession and unemployment, Medicaid spending and the aging baby boomers who will turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare.

The report estimated national health care spend-ing at $2.5 trillion in 2009, or 17.3 percent of the economy after the sharpest one-year increase in 50 years.

By 2020, health spend-ing is expected to reach $4.5 trillion a year and account for about 20 percent of the economy.

Add to that the biggest tax

break the government offers, $155 billion in taxes spared on employer-paid health insurance premiums. That exemption benefits 162 mil-lion Americans, and even a hint of changing that stirs a political firestorm, as it has in the current debate about limiting the deduction so as to tax part of the premium on the highest-cost, so-called Cadillac health insurance plans.

Overall, those trends point to higher health care expens-es than any national budget can afford. But the case for change collides with the hard political lines already drawn on the issue.

Obama’s effort to bend them “and arrive at some agreements” to get biparti-san action on health care is a long shot. He told supporters that he never underestimated the problems and political risks of pushing health care reform.

“I knew this was hard,” he said. “You don’t think I got warnings?”

President Bill Clinton tried it, and paid. He couldn’t even get a vote on his bill, in a Democratic Congress. And the failed drive for universal health care hurt Democrats in the 1994 midterm elections in which Republicans won control of Congress.

Anything approaching a replay in the 2010 elections would push the issue off the table, despite the need for change to ward off unsus-tainable costs. About 30 years ago, House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill pro-nounced Social Security to be “the third rail of American politics” — perilous to touch. Eventually it was changed to control costs but only when the alternative was crisis.

Short of some kind of action this time, health care could become the new third rail.

Associated PressToyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda, speaks to reporters after meeting with Japan’s Transport Minister Seiji Maehara at he ministry in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday.

Government’s role in health care is already significant

Solon wants Toyota president to testify

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Republican on a House panel investigat-ing Toyota’s massive recalls called Wednesday for the company’s president to tes-tify before Congress later this month, seeking an “open exchange” before the American public.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said Toyota president Akio Toyoda should meet with lawmakers and testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Feb. 24. The automaker’s top executive and grandson of the com-pany’s founder has said he plans to travel to the United States soon to meet with American workers and deal-ers.

“There certainly is wide-spread interest from Capitol Hill and the American people to hear directly from him,” Issa said. He said he would ask Chairman Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y.,

who leads the committee, to invite Toyoda to participate in the hearing.

The hearing was scheduled for Wednesday but post-poned because of a snow-storm that blanketed the capital. Issa says the delayed hearing would give the com-mittee an opportunity to “provide a forum for both Mr. Toyoda and lawmakers to have an open exchange in front of the American people.”

Toyota has recalled nearly 8.5 million vehicles since November around the globe for problems that include floor mats that can entangle the gas pedal and gas ped-als that can stick, causing sudden acceleration. The recalls have drawn interest in Congress, where lawmak-ers are looking into how the company handled the recalls and whether the gov-ernment properly investigat-ed numerous complaints.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq has ordered hun-dreds of private secu-rity guards linked to Blackwater Worldwide to leave the country within seven days or face possible arrest on visa violations, the interior minister said Wednesday.

The order comes in the wake of a U.S. judge’s dismissal of criminal charges against five Blackwater guards who were accused in the September 2007 shoot-ing deaths of 17 Iraqis.

It applies to about 250 security contractors who worked for Blackwater in Iraq.

Iraq bars Blackwater linked guards

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