RFP Staff
♦ Video: Rowan County Commissioners Meeting at 6 P.M. on Monday, October 19th:
http://rowancountync.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=556
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Video: Rowan County Commissioners Meeting at 6 P.M. on Monday October 19th
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Jesse Raymon “Trey” Hoshall, III, Former Scotch-Irish Fire Department Chief, Charged with Alleged Embezzlement Last Thursday
RFP Staff
♦ Jesse Raymon “Trey” Hoshall, III, 38, former Scotch-Irish Fire Department Chief,was charged last Thursday with allegedly embezzling over $19,000 between July 2010 and May 2012 when he was an active chief.
During the two year period of alleged embezzlement Hoshall was said to have used his fire department credit card on multiple occasions for the purchase of personal items. This past September 20th the Scotch-Irish Fire Department Board were alerted about the Chief’s alleged questionable purchases. In the ensuing investigation of the credit card’s transaction history, it appeared Hoshall allegedly used the card on a number of occasions for unlawful personal use. Shortly thereafter the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and their investigation got underway.
On October 15th Hoshall was arrested by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Department and charged with embezzlement of property received by virtue of office or employment (felony).
Under a $10,000 secured bond, Hoshall was detained in the Rowan County Detention and was released on bail.
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Spencer Voted Unanimously to Send the SOG Opinion to Salisbury and Salisbury-Rowan Utilities. No Fibrant Along Our SRU Easements
RFP Staff
♦ The Spencer Board of Aldermen at a recent meeting unanimously voted to forward the School of Government’s (SOG) opinion to the City of Salisbury and Salisbury-Rowan Utilities as the Town’s position on the water and sewer easements. Spencer objects to the City of Salisbury running telecommunications (Fibrant) along its water and sewer easements. To have a better understanding of Spencer’s position read the Town Manager’s Report below and Spencer’s Contract with Salisbury-Rowan Utilities from October 2000.
Scroll to Board Guidance Requested (easements):
Town Manager Report: https://app.box.com/s/hgq8b7ikbm0sgply9ycjdsfg0fn9ayhb
Salisbury-Rowan Utilities contract from October 2000, where “paragraph 9” seems to be a covenant to not do what Salisbury has been doing.
Spencer Salisbury-Rowan Utility Contract: https://app.box.com/s/z0cskichu9yk0coqlmyvg832ire1i129
Fibrant workers ripping rotted Fibrant fiber optic cable out of the ground:
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Chris “Dr. Machete” Lewis Terrorizes Downtown Salisbury N.C. by Allegedly Dancing Wildly with Machetes. Busted on the Square!
RFP Staff
♦ Tuesday morning the quiet and ghostly stillness of a near empty Downtown Salisbury was jerked to a state of hyper-alertness. The few shopkeepers and a pedestrian were swept up by the terrifying sight of a man dancing wildly with a pair of machetes waving over his head. Adhering to the beat of an “unseen” drum, a man in soiled clothing called out to a passerby a safe distance away on East Innes and North Main. “It’s my thing–my passion. I won’t bring you no harm.”
The passerby wasn’t so sure as he kept moving on, hoping the man across the street wouldn’t breach the distance between them. The machete man’s eyes glazed over. Had he missed an important round of medication or climbed a fence somewhere to rejoin human society? Several times the machete man flipped the machetes high in the air and missed snatching them. The steel blades clanged on concrete. “My bad!”
Later the machete man was identified as Chris “Dr. Machete” Lewis, 31, of Tad Lane in Salisbury.
A police car rolled up by the square and the officer climbed out. Lewis knew the big curtain was about to be drawn across his “stage”. He politely laid his machetes down and smiled awkwardly at the policeman. The show was over.
No Charges were filed.
Perhaps Dr. Machete could perform his machete dance at a Friday Night Out? Under the right circumstances, say a shrink with a tranquilizer dart gun, the audience might better appreciate the high-octane sideshow. Salisbury has talent. Salisbury is indeed “the Place”. A “show” could happen anytime here and you could get sucked into it.
The June 4th RFP article about Chris Lewis’s previous arrest for machete dancing:
“Just after midnight Thursday, the Salisbury Police received a dispatch that someone was cavorting with unseen forces in the McDonald’s Parking lot on East Innes. When the police arrived, they saw Chris Lewis, 31, of Ted Lane in Salisbury dancing up a storm.
Lewis appeared to feel crowded as the police surrounded him at McDonalds. At first he cooperated, placing a machete, with a taped handle, on the asphalt. When the officers moved to search him, Lewis abruptly lit out across East Innes, dodging traffic to get over to Big Lots. Minutes later Lewis was surrounded again and appeared less agitated as officers spoke quietly with him.
In the process of searching Lewis, the police found a Lorcin .25-caliber handgun, a novelty pocketknife, and a gram of pot.
Lewis was arrested and charged with 2 counts of carrying a concealed weapon (misdemeanor), 1 count of simple possession of marijuana (misdemeanor), and a 1 count of resist/obstruct/and delaying an officer (misdemeanor)
Placed under a $2,500 secured bond, Lewis is currently in the Rowan County Detention Center.”
Chris Lewis’s previous record:
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NEW: Rowan County, N.C. Sheriff’s Office MOST WANTED LIST
Rowan County Sheriff’s Office
♦ Rowan County, N.C. Sheriff’s Office MOST WANTED LIST:
http://ossip2c.rowancountync.gov/p2c/mostwanted.aspx
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2 Letters-to-the-Editor: Re: Lutheran Services Carolinas Stands Ready to Resettle Syrian Refugees
**Any personal views or “Letters-to-the-Editors” expressed on The Rowan Free Press are the writers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Rowan Free Press or other contributors.**
Annette Hall, Salisbury, N.C.
♦ Well, well, well. What a great way to increase the unemployment and poverty (and crime) rates in cities and towns like Salisbury, while at the same time enriching the coffers of the Lutheran church (as well as the Catholic, Baptist, and others) by way of the taxpayers’ pockets. Those organizations get the VAST majority of their social-services funding from government. Lots of taxpayer money to be spent to build huge bureaucratic staffs to carry out their “mission.” To make matters worse, Ted Goins doesn’t seem to recognize the potential of ISIS infiltration, nor do any of the other “give us taxpayer money so we can do God’s work” people and organizations who are clamoring for the refugee gravy-train money, courtesy of the taxpayers. Granted, there are some deserving people in the massive group of refugees who may pose no danger and who could prove to be productive citizens in the long run, but just like making soup, if you add a little salt, it makes it delicious; if you add the whole box, it makes it inedible.
http://mobile.wnd.com/2014/07/religious-charities-profit-from-open-borders/
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Rick Johnson, Rowan County, N.C., USAF Ret.
In Response to the article titled, “Lutheran Services Carolinas Stands Ready to Resettle Syrian Refugees.”
There is a possibility that I am the only person receiving this email who has lived and worked in the Middle East with refugees. (Operation Provide Comfort)
With that being said, the move to import the Syrian refugees is a disaster of Biblical proportions in the making.
Consider this from the Washington Examiner.
Britain’s prime minister is being warned that two out of every 100 refugees coming from Syria could be fanatics trained by the Islamic State.
The warning came from Elias Bousaab, Lebanon’s education minister, during a meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron in the U.K. on Sunday, the Daily Mail reported.
The terror army is sending jihadists “under cover” to attack other nations, Bousaab said. Since Britain has promised to accept 20,000 refugees by 2020, Bousaab’s estimate would mean 400 of them are radicalized, the paper reported.
“It’s a very dangerous situation and the world should wake up and do something about that,” he was quoted as saying. “ISIS will not stop at the border with Lebanon, before you know it ISIS will be in Europe.”
The UK Indepdent estimates 1 in 50 will be embedded terrorist fighters.
Here is a small part of the article. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/1-in-50-syrian-refugees-in-europe-could-be-an-isis-jihadist-minister-warns-david-cameron-10501249.html
Elias Bou Saab, the country’s education minister, suggested as many as two per cent of refugees from Syria may be jihadis sent by the so-called Islamic State.
Mr Saab said he had no firm information on terrorist infiltration of refugees, but said his “gut feeling” told him it was happening.
Asked if Isis could be sending militants under the guise of being refugees, Mr Saab said: “Yes, they bring some people, the smugglers. They organise groups and send them out.”
Groups were arriving from Syria which looked different to usual refugees, he said: “They are all dressed with something unified, uniform, vests”.
Mr Saab’s comments follow warnings from Pope Francis and Ukip leader Nigel Farage that Islamic State fighters could enter Europe hidden among the large numbers of refugees and migrants.
The Pope told Portuguese radio station Radio Renascença: “The truth is that just 400 kilometres from Sicily there is an incredibly cruel terrorist group. So there is a danger of infiltration, this is true.”
As a world super power, are we to turn a blind eye to their problem? No, I do not believe so. However, we should be working to help them in their own home areas.
Unfortunately, part of the solution would be mean the total destruction of ISIS / ISIL or whatever they morph into.
There is something to be said for a scorched earth policy.
The “refugees” who will be settled here will not be vetted. Most, if not all, will come without documentation. In Turkey there is a HUGE black market which deals with fraudulent paperwork. You can purchase all the papers you need to create a new identity in the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”
Christian morals do mandate that we help the poor and the suffering. However, they do not call for national suicide.
I would encourage you to read the following articles before you open the door to the refugees.
http://www.infowars.com/feminists-mute-on-muslim-rape-epidemic-sweeping-europe/
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5195/sweden-rape
http://fjordman.blogspot.com/2005/02/muslim-rape-epidemic-in-sweden-and.html
Rick Johnson
USAF (Ret)
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Early Voting for All Rowan County Municipal Elections Begins Thursday October 22nd at the Rowan Public Library in Salisbury, N.C.
RFP Staff
♦ Early Voting for All Rowan County Municipal Elections Begins Thursday October 22nd at the Rowan Public Library in Salisbury, N.C. on the 200 Block of West Fisher Street. The Polling area can be accessed from the rear parking lot on the Church Street side. Signs will guide you to the door.
The polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. on weekdays until October 30th. The polls will also be open on October 24th (Saturday) October 31st (Saturday) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. October 31st is the final day to vote in the Rowan County Municipal Elections.
If you are a Rowan County resident and voting in the Kannapolis City Council Election, you can vote at the Rowan Public Library in Salisbury during early voting.
Same day voter registration is allowed during early voting unless a court ruling in Winston-Salem changes the rules.
Absentee voting is currently going on. The final day to request an absentee application is on October the 27th. All absentee applications should be postmarked by November 3rd or they will not be counted.
http://rowanfreepress.com/rowan-county-municipal-elections-candidates-updated-daily/
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Gus Andrews and Steve Mensing at Coldest Bowl Game in History: The 1963 Liberty Bowl in Philadelphia
English: Crowd at Municipal Stadium in South Philadelphia for a visit of Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, October 22, 1927. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ Congratulations to Gus Andrews for being the top choice of the Rowan County Republican Party for the Rowan County Board of Elections Chairman. I figure this is as good time as any to trot out the December 2013 Rowan Free Press Article: “Gus Andrews and Steve Mensing at Coldest Bowl Game in History: The 1963 Liberty Bowl in Philadelphia.” (below)
Yesterday afternoon I sat in the warmth of my living room and watched the Philadelphia Eagles battling the Detroit Lions in a snowstorm in Philadelphia. By game’s end, some 8 inches of snow fell. It was an odd experience seeing a punted ball come to a dead-stop in the snow or a running back turning the corner and leaving a white plume behind like a downhill skier. What a game–the Eagles came from behind, scoring 28 points in the final quarter with an incredible performance by running back LeSean McCoy. This gifted athlete, somewhat stymied by the Lion defense in the first half, seemed to defy physics with long cutback runs, eating up large chunks of what appeared like Yukon real estate. At a break in the 4th quarter I poured myself a cup of hot coffee to warm up. I became so engrossed in the game I lost contact with my actual surroundings (A climatically controlled 68 degrees) and felt a vicarious chill, watching the teams surge back and forth in the Philadelphia snow.
Somewhere in that magnificent snowbound 4th quarter I recalled the bitter cold of the 1963 Liberty Bowl played in Philadelphia. Deep in my memory’s backroom records and now mostly elicited by cold surroundings and football games, I experience flashbacks to a bitterly cold (19 degrees) December day spent in Philadelphia’s 102,000 seat Municipal Stadium. Allegedly 8,309 other fans were in attendance, but likely far less showed due to the elements and the outer limits of football fan dedication.
My mother asked me the morning of the game: “Stephen, Do you really want to go? It’s supposed to drop to around 19 degrees today and be windy. Do you know the signs of frostbite?”
“Really don’t worry. If it’s too cold I’ll take the subway back early. I’d really like to see these teams.”
She was puzzled by her 17 year old son’s odd dedication to football either playing it in high school or attending a bowl game in bitterly cold weather.
Municipal Stadium was indeed freezing that day made so by a relentless 17 mile-an-hour wind whipping across the Delaware River and through the neighboring the Naval shipyard with its gray “mothball” fleet. The old Municipal Stadium was not built for football–it was designed as an Olympic track and field stadium. It offered zero protection from the elements, making it particularly unsuitable for hard winter winds surging across the Delaware.
Municipal Stadium owned quite a sports history. It was the scene of the famous Jack Dempsey–Gene Tunney (1926) heavyweight boxing championship where Tunney lifted Dempsey’s title. Several decades later Rocky Marciano fought “Jersey Joe” Walcott here (1952) for the Heavyweight Championship. For years the stadium was the home of the Army–Navy football games. In 1964 the stadium’s name changed to JFK Stadium in honor of our late President.
You’ve no doubt heard the expression: “small world”. Sometimes its said in regard to two people meeting and noting they share some commonality or both knew the same person. This is where Gus Andrews, a former county commissioner, and I enter the picture. During his 2012 campaign for county commissioner we shared a “small world” moment: The coldest bowl game in college football history–the 1963 Liberty Bowl in Philadelphia. Gus participated as a fullback and kicking specialist for N.C. State and I as a high school kid and young fan trying to stay warm in the windswept stands.
I recall the moment Gus and I first chatted at the Republican meeting at the County Administration Building prior to the 2012 county commission election. We’d talked a minute or so when Gus said: “You sound like you’re from up North?”
“Philadelphia” I replied.
“I’ve been to Philly. First time was the Liberty Bowl. I played in it and boy it was cold.”
Suddenly I got swept away by an undertow of memories–very cold memories. “Was that in 1963?”
“That’s right.”
“Was it N.C. State and Mississippi State?”
“Why yes–how did you know?” The former county commissioner appeared puzzled by my football acumen. Perhaps it entered his mind that he crossed the trail of a football idiot savant?
“I was there Gus–it was the coldest freaking football bowl ever.”
Gus and I quickly warmed to the subject of the Liberty Bowl, somewhat like the survivors of the German 10th Army discussing Stalingrad’s oppressive Winter and looking at the upside. Both of us shared how absolutely bone-chilling cold it was that day in Municipal Stadium.
“I was wearing layers of clothing, sweaters, long-johns, double pairs of sweat socks and a heavyweight parka,” I said. “By midway in the 2nd quarter my face was numb and my toes were losing feeling. I tried drinking hot chocolate to keep warm–but its effects were short-lived. People were leaving the stands and going home before the half. I was jumping up and down to stay warm. My gloved hands were shaking when I held a cup.”
“Steve, it was real cold down on the field. The promoter Bud Dudley promised us a large sideline heater. It was large alright, but by kickoff it only radiated heat about a half inch out. Kicking a football in that weather hurt. My feet were numb. The stadium turf was rock hard. A lot of us were glad to get out and go back home to North Carolina. To make matters worse the car we rode back in had a busted heater. A small hole near the car door let air in. Couldn’t wait to get back down South. It was a cold ride all the way.”
I reminded Gus that after taking an attendance shellacking due to the cold, the Liberty Bowl promoter “Bud” Dudley decided to scuttle Philadelphia as a bowl venue and moved it to Atlantic City’s Convention Hall. This new indoor football bowl was called: “The Boardwalk Bowl.” The Atlantic City address was short-lived. It migrated to Memphis in 1965 and remained there ever since.
Whenever I meet up with Gus its usually in restaurants like D.J.’s and O’Charleys. Gus is a likeable guy and no one needs to pull teeth to make conversation with him. Another laudable fact is he isn’t a sore loser unlike some political folks who wear their shoulder chip badly.
The 1963 Liberty Bowl was unremarkable save for it’s record cold. It was mostly a defensive struggle played by two gritty teams and marred somewhat by Mississippi State’s penalties. The final was Mississippi State 16 to 12 over North Carolina State. The other noteworthy event, outside the stadium, was the Philadelphia NAACP protested the participation of Mississippi State at that time still a segregated university.
Yes–small world. And sometimes very cold.
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Chris “Dr. Machete” Lewis Stopped a 2nd Time Tuesday by Salisbury N.C. Police. Cited for Carrying a Concealed Weapon
RFP Staff
♦ Apparently attempting to top his spellbinding Tuesday morning dance routine while allegedly juggling a pair of machetes on the “Square” in Downtown Salisbury, Chris “Dr. Machete” Lewis added an axe and a sword to his one-man show and made a guest appearance at South Craige and West Marsh Streets in the West End. Fearful neighbors immediately summoned the police.
Apparently Lewis’s first warning earlier in the morning didn’t sink in. This time he was cited for carrying a concealed weapon for having a sword allegedly tucked in his trousers. While its doubtful this or any other citation would have much impact on Lewis or his rapid assent to stardom, perhaps the Salisbury Police, under Chief Rory Collins, might be better served arresting Dr. Machete and slapping him with the more fitting charge: “going armed to the terror of the public” before someone is actually harmed.
Rory you can turn the corner on Salisbury’s tidal wave of crime here!
Where and when will “Dr. Machete’s” next appearance be? Downtown Salisbury awaits.
Yesterday’s RFP article on Chris “Dr. Machete” Lewis:
THE THREE FACES OF DR. MACHETE:
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An Interview with Salisbury City Council Candidate Stephen Arthur (Part I)
Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ Steve Mensing: Today I’m interviewing Stephen Arthur a candidate for Salisbury’s City Council. From what I understand this is your first time running for public office. Stephen could you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Stephen Arthur: Steve, I pretty much grew up in Salisbury. My parents moved back to Salisbury when I was 7 years old and I’ve been here ever since. It’s pretty much a running joke around here that no matter where you go, you always end up back here. I’m an everyday working guy who holds down two jobs–I work at Romo’s Pizzaria Downtown and in the Food Lion warehouse. I work with a lot of really good people. Going back to college is in the near future. I’m running for city council. I have to pinch myself.
Steve Mensing: What motivates you to run for city council?
Stephen Arthur: I’ve thought long and hard about it. It felt like its something I needed to do. I grew up here and now Salisbury is in really in a bad way. It’s nothing like the city I remember back 10-15 years ago. That city died. Take a look around. It’s messed up. Many young people who remain are caught up with hard drugs or spend an inordinate amount of time drinking. The streets are dangerous anymore. Shootings just about every weekend. No police anywhere in sight. It’s scary. Many people are just giving up on Salisbury and moving away. I can’t blame them. It’s the smartest thing they can do if they have young children and want them to be safe. There’s better public schools elsewhere. Way better than D and F public schools in Salisbury.
Steve Mensing: What are the most important issues is this election?”
Stephen Arthur: There’s so many. Where do I begin? Crime is huge and Salisbury has become North Carolina’s largest outdoor “shooting range”. Fibrant is dragging the city down. The city covered Fibrant’s failure over for too long. Fibrant’s $12.6 million dollars down in the 2014 budget audit and owes $7.6 million dollars to water and sewer. Fibrant can’t compete–they were never able to compete. Nobody on city council admits it, but you can see the city is a hurting in a major way. They can’t pay police. A lot of the city workers are doing the work of two. So what do we do about crime? We can start off with a new police chief. Collins is an embarrassment. City council can put pressure on the city manager to let Collins “resign”. After all city council hires and fires the city manager. Right? So they do have leverage in this situation. They need to find a competent police chief. It’s getting out of control with 11 unsolved murders and kids getting shot in crossfires.
Steve Mensing: What would you do with Fibrant?
Stephen Arthur: Losing enormous money like it has for 5 years, Fibrant is nowhere near turning any corner like the city council once claimed. But how do you unload it so the taxpayers take the smallest hit? It seems way past the point to be growing Fibrant enough to limit some of the arterial bleeding. Can we really recruit any persons to Salisbury to buy even one gig, let alone 10 gigs? The F and D schools, the high violent crime, the poverty, the lack of economic development inside of Salisbury, the heroin, crack, and meth epidemic, the fact that working class people are leaving town–these facts make attracting people from out of town here for Fibrant extremely unlikely. We have to be realistic.
Steve Mensing: What can be done immediately to fix the city?
Stephen Arthur: Right off they need to become transparent. Not answering public information requests has got to go. It sure makes city hall look like a crookdom. My first vote on city council would be to go forward with an independent forensic audit of all the departments. I hear William Peoples, Todd Paris, and Kenny Hardin support that. Its something that’s got to be done. The very loud whispering about city hall must be put to rest one way or the other. Salisbury’s city hall has developed a bad rep throughout North Carolina. Play for pay? Bid rigging? Embezzlement? Squelching embezzlement investigations? If there’s corruption here, as too many people insist there is, it needs to be surfaced and sent to criminal court.
Steve Mensing: What else needs immediate fixing?
Stephen Arthur: City Hall’s lack of any real connection with people living outside the historic district and the country club. These “outsiders” are cut off from many city services. They get nothing, but runarounds when they knock on city hall’s door. Another area for immediate fixing is the city aging infrastructure. The water and sewer system needs upgrading and fixing said to cost upwards of 20 million dollars. The city doesn’t have that kind of money because they poured it down Fibrant’s bottomless drain.
Steve Mensing: I appreciate you answering our questions–I know you are pressed for time to get to work. Let’s finish this off in the next day or so.
Stephen Arthur: Definitely.
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John Clinton Dunbar, of Salisbury, N.C., Arrested in Rockwell Wednesday for an Alleged $30,000 Meth Haul
RFP Staff
♦ John Clinton Dunbar, 40, of Salisbury was stopped Wednesday by Rowan County Sheriff’s deputies at Johnson Dairy Road and Highway 52 in Rockwell due to a domestic and trespassing issue at a home on Johnson Dairy Road. Allegedly Dunbar was driving with a revoked license and his Jeep bore a fake tag. This led to Dunbar being charged with a revoked license and registration violations.
Shortly after the stop, the deputies inspected Dunbar’s white Jeep and found digital scales with a alleged drug residue on it. An indepth vehicle inspection with a K-9 dog found drugs in a safe on the passenger side. Inside the safe were 301 grams of crystal meth valued at approximately $30,000. The safe also contained small quantities of oxycodone, morphine, diazepam, alprazolam, buprenorphine, and assorted syringes and plastic baggies.
Dunbar was charged with possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver control manufacture Schedule II (meth) (felony), possession of drug paraphernalia (misdemeanor), Driving while license revoked (misdemeanor), possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver a controlled substance schedule IV (felony), possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver controlled substance III (felony), maintain a dwelling/vehicle for a controlled substance (felony), traffic in drugs (felony), and possession of drug paraphernalia (misdemeanor).
Placed under a secured $1 million dollar bond, Dunbar is currently in the Rowan County Detention Center.
Dunbar’s Previous Record:
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The First Day of Early Voting at the Library in Salisbury, N.C. Kenny Hardin, City Council Candidate, is the First to Vote
RFP Staff
♦ The First Day of Early Voting in Rowan County’s Municipal Elections, turnout was relatively light in the morning. The first in line to vote was none other than Kenny Hardin a frontrunner for Salisbury’s City Council. Below are photos of Thursday’s early voting. We will be adding to them throughout the evening.
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Hunter Dean Kluttz Busted in Salisbury, N.C. Wednesday for Alleged Hit and Run, Disorderly Conduct, and Drugs
RFP Staff
♦ Hunter Dean Kluttz, of 316 W. Bank Street in Granite Quarry, was arrested Wednesday in Salisbury after being pulled over when his vehicle allegedly matched a vehicle involved in an earlier hit and run accident. Kluttz’s trouble mounted when allegedly a gram of marijuana was discovered on the floor of his car.
Kluttz was initially charged with disorderly conduct (misdemeanor), resist/delay/obstruct a public officer (misdemeanor), and hit and run property damage (misdemeanor). Later additional charges were added including manufacture control substance schedule substance VI (felony), maintain dwelling/vehicle for controlled substance (misdemeanor), and simple possession controlled substance schedule II (misdemeanor).
Under a $30,000 secured bond, Kluttz is in the Rowan County Detention Center.
Hunter Dean Kluttz Previous Record:
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Video: Kenny Hardin and Whitney Peckman Speak Out on “Fair Housing” at Salisbury, N.C. City Council Meeting on October 20th
RFP Staff
♦ Video: Kenny Hardin and Whitney Peckman Speak Out on “Fair Housing” at Salisbury City Council Meeting on October 20th:
Kenny Hardin on Fair Housing:
Whitney Peckman on Fair Housing:
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Armed Robbers Rip Off Naples Cafe Pizza Delivery Driver at 810 E. Franklin Street in Salisbury, N.C. Grab Pizza, Cash, and Scram!
RFP Staff
♦ Another pizza delivery driver got “bipped” in the “Bury”. A pair of armed robbers lured a Naples Cafe Pizza deliveryman Jaymes Fairbank, 22, to a vacant duplex at 810 E. Franklin Street in Salisbury and ripped him off at gunpoint Thursday night. The duo, a pair of Black men, came out of the darkness and held pistols on the driver as he emerged from his car. “Money and your cell phone–hurry up.” The driver quickly complied before he lit out across a field in the direction MLK, Jr. Ave. and Cemetery Street. Gone!
After getting a stranger to call 911, the driver and the police returned a short time later to the scene of the stick-up and found the delivery car was cleaned out. No boxed orders or sodas remained. Somewhere in Salisbury a pair of robbers were “smacking back” and enjoying the simple pleasures of Naples Cafe pizza at no cost.
The two robbers were described as Black men possibly in their twenties and standing about 5 foot nine inches. One wore blue jeans, a dark jacket, and a dark mask. The other had short hair and a narrow chin beard.
If you have any information about the two robbers, call the Salisbury Police at 704-638-5333 or the Salisbury-Rowan Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245.
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Darryl Sylvester Price, Jr., Wanted by the U.S. Marshalls Service, Arrested by Sheriff’s Deputies Wednesday in Salisbury, N.C.’s West End
RFP Staff
♦ Darryl Sylvester Price, Jr., wanted by the U.S. Marshalls Service for probation violation, was arrested Wednesday by Rowan County Sheriff’s Office deputies and U.S. Probation Office officers with an alleged struggle at 430 Grim Street in Salisbury’s West End.
Price was originally summoned to the Probation Office, but allegedly failed to report. When he failed to show, Sheriff’s deputies along with U.S. Probation Office officers showed up at Price’s Grim Street address. Price stepped outside and began talking to a Probation Officer. When Price noticed Sheriff’s deputies and other probation agents moving in, he suddenly bolted in the direction of West Monroe Street. During his short flight, he dropped a Smith and Wesson handgun prior to deputies catching up with him when he stumbled and went down on the asphalt in the 1300 block of West Monroe. As he attempted to get back up, he was tazered twice before being handcuffed and hauled to his feet. The handgun later proved to be stolen. Adding to Price’s woes, along with the alleged stolen handgun, was that two grams of “crack” and $570 in cash were allegedly found on his person. Not good for a felon on probation.
Price was charged with resist/delay/obstruct a public officer (misdemeanor), possessing stolen goods (felony), weapon possession by a felon or firearms etc. prohibited (felony), possessing a controlled substance schedule II (felony), and probation violation (misdemeanor).
Under a secured $100,000 bond, Price is being temporarily held in the Rowan County Detention Center.
Darryl Sylvester Price, Jr.’s Previous Record:
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Letter-to-the-Editor: Rowan County Early College (RCEC) is Well Known for Its Excellence
Chuck Hughes, Board of Education
♦ On Wednesday, I had the privilege of visiting Rowan County Early College (RCEC). RCEC is well known for its excellence; however, I was even more impressed when I learned of the program’s rigorous standards. Every 8th grade student has equal opportunity to apply for the enrollment lottery. After the submission deadline, each applicant is interviewed to determine if he or she is willing and able to commit to the hefty academic demands. Successful completion of the High School/College “six-years in four-years” program requires a 100% commitment by the student as well as their sacrifice of personal interests such as sports, band and chorus.
Some statistics that testify to RCEC’s success are:
• 100% high school graduation rates for two consecutive years.
• Over 74% with college grades of A and/or B for spring of this yea
• Over 94% passage rate for college courses.
• Of the 46 seniors graduating in 2015, 24 had a HS/College GPA above 4.0 while seven had a GPA above 4.5.
• Eighty-nine percent of 2014-2015 classes passed the Math III Exam.
• Eighty-three percent of 2015 seniors graduated with an Associate of Arts degree while 11 others received both Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees.
• 2015 RCEC graduates went to attend 18 different colleges.
• Of RCEC graduates entering college, over 80% were FIRST generation college enrollments.
The only downside to this program that I see is the number of RCEC applicants that are rejected, not because of ineligibility, but because of the limited space currently allocated to the program. Hopefully, this limitation will one day be addressed.
Without question, graduating from this program gives the college bound student a two year head start towards a full college degree.
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Forbes: North Carolina No. 2 Best State for Business, Careers
BizJournals.Com/Forbes
♦ Forbes: North Carolina No. 2 Best State for Business, Careers:
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An Interview with Salisbury City Council Candidate Stephen Arthur (Part II)
Steve Mensing, Editor
♦ We’re back again to complete our interview with Salisbury City Council Candidate Stephen Arthur. In Part I of our interview Stephen spoke about his strong motivations for running for city council and he began an inventory of what he saw as Salisbury’s most pressing issues. He believes an all new city council is needed because the previous group was unresponsive to the city’s various communities. The incumbents dug the city’s financial hole deeper by staying with Fibrant and covering over its huge losses by claiming it was a minor success.
Steve Mensing: Stephen, getting back on track. Where would you like to go with this?
Stephen Arthur: The early voting is starting. I want to tell everyone to get out and vote–your vote counts. Even if you don’t choose to vote for me, I hope you’ll vote Todd Paris, Kenny Hardin, and William Peoples. All three of them are knowledgeable about what needs repair in the city. William Peoples is a strong advocate for everybody, not just the Black community. Who hasn’t heard him down at city council and around the city. Kenny Hardin knows what’s up and he’s not afraid to talk about it or complete an initiative. Todd Paris is a friend. He knows every square inch of the city and he knows what to do about it. If you voted those three men in I believe they would move our city forward. They won’t hide what doesn’t work. They listen and they won’t hand out doubletalk and do nothing. The incumbents are not even helping the country club or the historic district except to higher utilities, fees, and taxes.
Just look at what’s going on in the Historic District and Country Club. Check out all the break-ins, car stealing, and assaults. They’re getting hurt by higher water bills and bogus storm water fees. The city is about to be junk bonded. Salisbury-Rowan Utilities needs $20,000,000 in major repairs and upgrades.
Steve Mensing: Stephen, that $20,000,000 dollars for major repairs and upgrades is an older figure. Salisbury-Rowan Utilities needed $20,000,000 to fix its crumbling water-sewer system several years ago. Our latest figures put the repairs and upgraded at close to $40,000,000. Salisbury water system is “maxed out”. The city kept everybody in the dark about the Salisbury-Rowan Utilities. Salisbury for too long used that utility as a slush fund and as a profit making machine. That’s something no public utility should ever do. A public utility by definition is never to be a profit maker. Salisbury for years now has gouged all those county municipalities who bought their water. That day is ending. Salisbury-Rowan Utilities will lose one of its largest customers in 2016. The City of Albemarle built a new water plant and Concord is jumping ship from Salisbury-Rowan Utilities to get on board with Albemarle. It’s a devastating loss for Salisbury.
Stephen Arthur: $40,000,000 in repairs and upgrading and they are losing Concord’s business? What am I getting into? (laughter).
Steve Mensing: Don’t worry, the LGC helps manage North Carolina municipalities that crash and burn.
Stephen Arthur: (Nervous chuckle)
Steve Mensing: The city has managed to cover-up and smokescreen a large number of challenging issues for years. Taking a triage approach, let’s get back to critical issues you haven’t mentioned yet.
Stephen Arthur: Unsolved murders is tough to swallow for most everyone in Salisbury. The Police don’t have experienced crime investigators. We need to find a way to hire experienced investigators. Any day now Salisbury is going to have another murder. Just about every weekend there’s a shooting. Bullets go flying into houses. Firefights that nobody wants to talk about. It’s a joke about how violent crimes and shootings get reduced to a single nameless blotter post.
Another issue that needs to be dealt with are vacant and abandoned buildings. What the Rowan Free Press calls the South Main Badlands is a disgrace. The Empire Hotel needs to come down before it falls down. It makes that entire block ugly. Look if nobody wants to do anything with that hotel since 1963 that should tell anyone that its minus worthless. The city should just go ahead and condemn it and bring in a demolition crew. It really hurts the city’s appearance and makes that part of South Main look like Detroit. Nobody believes developers are swarming into Salisbury and are all hot and bothered bout that wreck. Enough is enough.
Steve Mensing: It will cost a half a million dollars or more just to abate it.
Stephen Arthur: There’s so much that needs fixing. The city’s 25% poverty. Many people in Salisbury can’t get work because they were in jail or they can’t pass drug tests. Many young people can’t read or write. Young people don’t have much in the way of alternatives to gangs and drugs in Salisbury. What do other cities do that is successful with these difficulties? Copy them.
Steve Mensing: You sound overwhelmed.
Stephen Arthur: I am overwhelmed. It’s depressing when you look at Salisbury. Somebody’s got to do it.
Steve Mensing: Yes they do.
Stephen Arthur: Thanks Steve for taking the time.
Steve Mensing: You are more than welcome.
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Willie Earl Williams, Jr. and Kapetra Lyerly Arrested for Shaver Street Double Shooting in Salisbury, N.C. on October 16th
RFP Staff
♦ Willie Earl Williams, Jr., 33, and Kapetra Monique Simpson Lyerly, 30, both of Salisbury, are both charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury (felony) for the Shaver street double-shooting of two homeless men Edward Sifford, 55, and Matthew Dwyer, 54, drinking beer on the porch of a vacant house at 526 N. Shaver Street.
Williams is being held under a $50,000 secured bond. Lyerly was already in the Detention Center for a probation violation.
Kapetra Lyerly’s Previous Record:
Willie Earl Williams, Jr., Previous Record:
Kapetra Monique Simpson Lyerly:
Willie Earl Williams, Jr.
The October 17th RFP Article on the double shooting:
“A Double-Shooting occurred down at 526 North Shaver Street Friday at around 10:50 p.m. when two allegedly homeless persons Edward Sifford, 55, and Matthew Dwyer, 54, were drinking beer on the porch of an abandoned house. An unidentified man and woman walked by and stopped to talk. Allegedly the man tried to steal beer from Sifford which degenerated into brawl on the porch where punches started flying. Dwyer tried to step in between the two men. At that point the woman drew a pistol and began shooting. Both Sifford and Dwyer were struck with several bullets. Dwyer staggered around the corner to the 500 block of East Cemetery Street where he collapsed.
A neighbor said squatters frequented the North Shaver Street house where the two men drank on the porch. “Its not uncommon to see bums scrapping out here on weekends.”
Both men were eventually transported to North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem. Both gunshot victims’ wounds were said to be non-life threatening. Both are expected to fully recover.
The crime scene was active with investigators. Police vehicles began to fill out the 500 block of North Shaver street during the early morning hours.”
Shooting Victim Matthew John Dwyer:
Shooting Victim Edward Eugene Sifford:
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