Christmas parade kicks off Yule season

By Melissa Ledgerwood

Hundreds of people lined the streets of downtown Siler City Monday night to see the lights and hear the sounds of the Siler City Christmas Parade.

Some people were continuing old family traditions by attending the parade while others were making new memories.

The event, which was sponsored by the Chatham County United Chamber of Commerce, was a time for family and friends to gather to bring in the holiday season, according to one parade-goer.

Junior Hicks of Siler City, who has been attending the parade for “many, many, many” years, said he enjoys watching and listening to the marching bands.

“We look forward to this time of year,” said Hicks, who was at the parade with his family.  “It definitely puts us in the Christmas spirit.”

Children squirmed for candy, yelled “Merry Christmas” and waved as decorative floats passed by while crowds of people swayed as the marching bands strutted their stuff in the streets.

Some onlookers even sang along with the Northwood High School marching band as they performed “Joy to the World.”

“I’m thankful for our fire department,” one woman in the crowd said as the fire engines rolled by.

more- See Thursday, December 1 paper: Vol 85, No.1

Turbulent past leads to shooting

By Cara Rotondaro

Several troubled months in the marriage of a Pittsboro couple ended in tragedy early Monday morning, when a husband fatally shot his wife outside her workplace before taking his own life.

According to UNC Chapel Hill Police reports, Shennel McCrimon McKendall was walking into work at the Hendrick Building at the university Monday morning when her estranged husband, Randy Leverne McKendall 34, arrived.

The two had an altercation and he fired a 9 mm handgun at her at close range before turning the gun on himself.

The incident occurred shortly after 7:30 a.m. several hundred yards from the front door of the employment building, which houses administrative offices for the UNC Health Care system.

The McKendalls had been married nearly 5½ years and resided at 612 Mitchell’s Chapel Church Road, Pittsboro.

They each leave behind a child from a previous relationship. Shennel McKendall had a daughter and Randy McKendall a son. Both teenagers attend Northwood High School.

 According to Sheriff’s Office reports, Shennel McKendall had gone to great lengths to protect herself from a violent relationship. There are many incidents recorded by the office regarding their relationship.   

Reports regarding the McKendall’s relationship begin on October 9 when the Sheriff’s Office first received a notification to check on the wellbeing of Shennel McKendall. The request was made by her father after speaking with her.

Shennel McKendall received an emergency protection against her husband on November 9, with the assistance of the Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center.

more- See Thursday, December 1 paper: Vol 85, No.1

By Cara Rotondaro

The pilot of a small aircraft suffered no injuries after making an emergency landing on Highway 64 Saturday morning, just east of Jordan Lake.

Jack Phillips, of New Hill, was flying the plane, a Pietenpol Air Camper he constructed himself.

“Private Pilot” magazine was talking pictures of his flight that morning for a story they wanted to on that type of aircraft, said Phillips in an interview this week.

After the pictures were taken, trouble began in the Air Camper’s engine.

“We had finished the photo shoot and we were heading back and I had an engine failure. It was running on partial power,” he said.

Phillips said that his first thought was to try and make it to a small landing strip nearby, but realized he didn’t have enough power to make it there. He realized he would have to land on the highway.

“You don’t want to land on a highway if you don’t have to,” he said. “You don’t want to hurt anybody.”

Phillips said that he may have been able to land the aircraft without damage, except that he noticed a pickup truck on the road just before landing, and had to pull the nose of the plane back up, causing the engine to quit completely.

An axle broke upon a hard landing, said Phillips, causing the plane to run off the road and into a ditch, where it came to a stop.

more- See Thursday, December 1 paper: Vol 85, No.1