Siler City, North Carolina
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Jeff Davis photo Early Wednesday morning wreck kills one . . . A driver of a Holiday Tours bus died at the scene after the vehicle he was driving ran into the back of another tractor-trailer, early Wednesday morning. Siler City Fire Department and the Chatham County Rescue Squad was called out to the scene at 5:30 am, north of the Piney Grove Church exit on Highway 421. The bus was based out of Randleman, North Carolina. Compact community rules given 3-2 OK By Randall Rigsbee A divided Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday approved the controversial Compact Communities Ordinance (CCO), leaving intact a much-debated waiver clause. The board split 3-2 in favor of the ordinance and many residents in the large audience at the Monday night meeting demonstrated their displeasure with the board’s action by leaving the District Courtroom in Pittsboro, where the meeting was held, immediately after the vote. “You’re welcome to stay,” said board chairman Tommy Emerson as about half the spectators rose to exit. “Why would we want to?” someone retorted. Emerson, who along with commissioners Bunkey Morgan and Carl Outz, voted in favor of the new rules on high-density, mixed-use development said he believes the ordinance, while not unanimously embraced, will benefit the county. “It’s been difficult,” said Emerson of the two-year process to enact the CCO. “It’s been hard. It’s been contentious. We appreciate what y’all have done, all of you. I think we’ve got a good ordinance.”
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First state caucus favors Edwards By Randall Rigsbee Approximately three percent of Chatham County’s registered Democrats, along with party faithful throughout North Carolina, participated in Saturday’s history-making, first-ever presidential preference caucus. A total of 549 votes were cast in the Saturday morning caucus held at the Chatham County Agriculture Building in Pittsboro. Mirroring the statewide trend, Chatham County Democrats favored North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who prevailed with 206 votes, narrowly edging out the certain Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, who had 201 votes. Also on the ballot were Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, 71 votes; former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, 41 votes; and Al Sharpton of New York, 13 votes. While Democratic Party officials described the local turnout as “lean,” approximately three percent of Chatham County’s 16,403 registered Democrats participated. The turnout statewide, according to reports of unofficial returns, was approximately one percent. North Carolina Democratic Party chair Barbara Allen said the caucus results ensure that North Carolina’s voice will be heard at the party’s national convention this summer.
School board disagree on school board expense By Cara Rotondaro A proposal made at Monday’s school board meeting by board member Allen Zimmerman ignited a heated discussion regarding funds spent by board members during out-of-state travel. Zimmerman read a letter he had prepared for the board, including the statement in the first paragraph: “I know we won’t get rich with our compensations serving on this board, but it should not be a lucrative part-time job either,” said board member Allen Zimmerman, reading from a prepared statement. “The board has come under a lot of fire before I was here and plenty since I got here,” he said. Zimmerman’s statement referred to numerous comments by citizens on the Chatham Chatlist and other venues regarding supposedly superfluous costs attributed to recent attendance of an out-of-state conference by board members Deb McManus, Cadle Cooper, and Ernest Dark. Zimmerman noted that the board policy for employees states that “arrangements should be made to save funds.” He said, “If our teachers who sacrifice for our students are made to follow this guideline – we as a board should be willing to sacrifice for our staff and students as well.” The per diem is paid as follows for school employees: $6.75 for breakfast; $8.75 for lunch; $15.00 for dinner, board members are allowed $10 for breakfast and lunch, and $20 for dinner.
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