Winston-Salem Journal articles from November 2006

Winston-Salem Journal archives from November 2006

Air Force recruit is ready to start her military adventure.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Melissa Hall Nov. 30--Cassandra Pearce left Kernersville on Monday to report for U.S. Air Force basic training. She had joined the Air Force in October under its delayed-entry program and was not scheduled to report until...

Bar could open soon in Lewisville.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Paul Garber Nov. 30--LEWISVILLE -- Lewisville could get its first restaurant with liquor by the drink when J. Butler's Bar & Grille opens in the next few weeks. The town has allowed liquor-by-the-drink permits since 1999, but...

Charity setting bar high this year.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Wesley Young Nov. 30--KERNERSVILLE -- The organizers of the Kernersville Christmas Stocking want families in need to get help without losing their dignity. That is why recipients of help from the fund get cash cards that...

Classroom Choice: Statewide enrollment in charter schools increased.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Danielle Deaver Nov. 30--In the past five years, Carter G. Woodson School of Challenge has gone from being labeled a "low-performing school" by the state to one that met federal testing standards for two years in a row, and its...

Tar Heels rally to beat No. 3 Buckeyes.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Bill Cole Nov. 30--CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina tightened its defense and found its shooting touch in a tight, tense second half last night and stormed back to beat Ohio State 98-89 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge at the Smith...

All in Fun: WFU players stay loose by looking for look-alikes.
November 30, 2006... Byline: John Delong Nov. 30--The saying goes that everybody has a double out there somewhere. Wake Forest's football players have found that to be true, and they have been doubling over with laughter because of it. Since the...

Firm to bring taste of 1960s to corner.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Fran Daniel Nov. 30--The former Old Salem Domestic and Foreign Car Service building at Fifth and Spring streets is being converted into retail space for up to six tenants. Sam Ogburn Jr. of Ogburn Properties LLC recently...

Hearings set on 3 projects in Clemmons.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Paul Garber Nov. 30--CLEMMONS -- A final decision on three development projects proposed for Clemmons could come in less than two weeks. The village council voted Monday to hold public hearings on the projects at its Dec. 11...

EDITORIAL: Mumbo jumbo.
November 30, 2006... Nov. 30--As time passes, the U.S. government looks increasingly like the institution George Orwell warned of in his classic book, 1984. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has now taken the word "hunger" out of its annual hunger report....

EDITORIAL: The Prayer Question.
November 30, 2006... Nov. 30--The ACLU has gotten the city of Winston-Salem to finally question its practice of allowing sectarian prayer at council meetings. It's a process as needed as it will be controversial, but it turns on a central truth of democracy: One...

Ex-Davie detective sentenced to probation in embezzlement case.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Michael Hewlett Nov. 30--MOCKSVILLE -- A former detective with the Davie County Sheriff's Office pleaded guilty yesterday to 14 counts of embezzlement. Robert Trotter, 36, was sentenced by Judge Mark Klass of Davie Superior...

The real boss: Grobe says his wife, Holly, is in charge and he's an assistant.
November 30, 2006... Byline: John Dell Nov. 30--The secret is out about the Grobe family. The most competitive person in the family isn't Jim Grobe, the football coach at Wake Forest, and it's not either of his two sons. No, the most competitive is Grobe's...

Championship game at Joel.
November 30, 2006... Nov. 30--Saturday's ACC championship football game between Wake Forest and Georgia Tech will be shown at Joel Coliseum on video boards above the basketball court. Ticket holders for the men's basketball game between Wake Forest and...

Meadowlark to hold bazaar.
November 30, 2006... Nov. 30--The PTA at Meadowlark Middle School will sponsor a holiday bazaar from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the school's cafeteria. The bazaar will include more than 25 vendors selling crafts and baked goods. Free refreshments will be...

Baptist heart money at risk.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Laura Giovanelli Nov. 30--Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center stands to lose Medicare payments for its heart-transplant program because it hasn't explained why it performs so few of the operations, the chief medical...

Lawsuits complicate housing plan.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Wesley Young Nov. 30--KERNERSVILLE -- Owners of four properties in southern Kernersville and K. Hovnanian Homes have filed lawsuits against each other, possibly delaying plans for a 190-acre development. Abbott's Plantation...

Jobless rate down in Triad.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 30--The Triad's unemployment rate decreased for the third consecutive month during October, dropping to a six-month low of 4.6 percent, the N.C. Employment Security Commission reported yesterday. The rate...

Decking the shelves.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Lisa O'Donnell Nov. 30--LEWISVILLE -- Space is so tight at the Lewisville library that the Friends of the Lewisville Library has had to store its Christmas decorations at the old Doomey's restaurant next door. If all goes...

Truck driver has lost-dog tale with a happy outcome.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Lisa O'Donnell Nov. 30--Last week, a bony dog, a German-shepherd mix, wandered onto Dave Street and into the hearts of some neighborhood kids. At the same time, a truck driver from Ironton, Ohio, was losing hope that he would...

Judge sends trial to Georgia.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Lisa R. Boone Nov. 30--DANBURY -- A man charged in connection with the slaying of a Pinnacle couple last year will likely stand trial first in Georgia. Judge Moses Massey of Stokes Superior Court ruled yesterday that Cobey...

Discussion set on park design; Lewisville applies for grant money.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Paul Garber Nov. 30--LEWISVILLE -- The town council has called a meeting to discuss the design and grant application for Warren Park at Reynolds Community Center. The meeting will be held Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. The council is...

'10' codes will stay in use, local police agencies say.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Patrick Wilson Nov. 30--When it comes to crime, police have long had their own language. A "10-50" is a car wreck. A "10-65" is an armed robbery. Dispatchers tell officers to use "10-0" (caution) if they're going to a...

Winston-Salem Journal, N.C., Lenox Rawlings column.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Lenox Rawlings Nov. 30--At the Comedy Club and the Grand Ole Opry, Rule No. 1 for winning the popular vote remains constant through the years: Don't follow a hot act onto the stage. Rule No. 1 obviously doesn't apply to the...

Bond money will help fill a need for space.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Denise Kasper Nov. 30--On Election Day, voters made an easy decision to approve a $250 million bond referendum to build and upgrade schools. Southwest Elementary School and all students in Zone 7 of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth...

Call to Song: The Sons of Thunder boom out with music from the spirit.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Lisa O'Donnell Nov. 30--CLEMMONS -- When Dan Booth tells people that he is a member of the Sons of Thunder, they often wonder whether he belongs to a motorcycle gang or a bowling team. Booth is neither a biker nor a bowler....

Series of new state laws set to take effect.
November 30, 2006... Byline: James Romoser Nov. 30--People under 18 in North Carolina will face penalties starting Friday if they are caught using a cell phone while driving. Also starting Friday, protesters will be barred from demonstrating at funerals;...

Kernersville waits for an answer from manager candidate.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Wesley Young Nov. 30--KERNERSVILLE -- The town's board of aldermen has whittled its choices for a town manager down to one and are waiting to find out whether that person will take the job. The aldermen have a backup...

Winston-Salem Journal, N.C., Jack White column.
November 30, 2006... Byline: Jack White Nov. 30--The first job I had after I graduated from Guilford College was as a chemist at the Winston-Salem water-treatment plant. At that time, the total supply of raw water came from Salem Lake and the much smaller...

Deacons women win fourth in a row.
November 30, 2006... Nov. 30--Wake Forest jumped out to a big first-half lead, then held off a second-half rally by Towson on the way to a 58-45 nonconference win last night at Joel Coliseum. The victory was the Deacons' fourth straight, improving them to...

Heels seeking more consistency.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Bill Cole Nov. 29--CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina isn't struggling, but it is looking for answers to several perplexing questions heading into today's showdown with unbeaten Ohio State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The game...

Help for a dream.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Laura Giovanelli Nov. 29--GREENSBORO -- The crowd of kids walking by an indoor basketball court at a Greensboro YMCA rubbernecked their way down the hallway yesterday afternoon. This happens in malls, in restaurants -- pretty...

Emotional Issue: Board has decided to end the longstanding practice of mou.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Mary Giunca Nov. 29--"How many Moravians does it take to change a light bulb?" the joke goes. "Change?" the Moravians ask in response. For almost 200 years, burial in God's Acre meant that dirt left over from digging the...

Air Force on cusp of Top 25.
November 29, 2006... Byline: John Dell Nov. 29--There are other sports being played at Wake Forest besides football. The basketball Deacons are an under-the-radar 5-0 going into tonight's road game against Air Force, which will be played at 9:30 EST at...

Staying put.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Dan Collins Nov. 29--Coach Jim Grobe of Wake Forest was named the ACC coach of the year yesterday, a unanimous choice by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. And despite speculation linking him to other coaching jobs...

Devils take a wild ride.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Bill Cole Nov. 29--DURHAM -- Duke survived a big collapse in the second half to hold on, surge ahead and hold on yet again in a frantic finish to defeat Indiana 54-51 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge Series last night at Cameron...

Southern Essentials: Blue Willow Inn couple's goal is to capture region's best.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Michael Hastings Nov. 29--Husband and wife Louis and Bille Van Dyke have been serving up Southern food at their Blue Willow Inn Restaurant in Social Circle, Ga., since 1991. Michael and Jane Stern wrote the first cookbook about...

Short-term child care growing in popularity.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Jeanne Sturiale Nov. 29--When Tina Motter decided to begin studying nursing almost a year ago, she scrambled to find a trusted place to care for Abby, her 1-year-old daughter, while she went to class. Motter found the answer...

Winston-Salem Journal, N.C., John Delong column.
November 29, 2006... Byline: John Delong Nov. 29--Do you believe Jim Grobe? That is the fundamental question. Do you believe Jim Grobe when he says that he is perfectly happy at Wake Forest and intends to remain there for years to come? That's what Grobe...

EDITORIAL: Cigarette tax.(Editorial)
November 29, 2006... Nov. 29--The state's cigarette-tax increase has had the desired effect on smoking, leading to a significant reduction in youth use of tobacco. But that reduction will be short-lived if the General Assembly doesn't follow with newer taxes...

EDITORIAL: Civil War.(Editorial)
November 29, 2006... Nov. 29--The time has come for the Bush administration to face the obvious: The war in Iraq is a civil war. It's not a civil war in the same sense as the War Between the States that Americans fought in the mid-19th century. Enormous...

Woman accused of selling fake IDs to immigrants.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Titan Barksdale Nov. 29--A Winston-Salem woman who lived on Indiana Avenue offered a key service to help illegal immigrants, federal investigators say. According court papers, Laura Bello Castanada's help was only a phone...

New products.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Michael Hastings Nov. 29--Product: Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Gingerbread Mix. What you get: A 15-ounce box. Cost: $2.34 suggested retail price. Review: Just in time for the holidays, Hodgson Mill has introduced what...

Winston-Salem Journal, N.C., Michael Hastings column.(Column)
November 29, 2006... Byline: Michael Hastings Nov. 29--'Tis the season for life to be hectic. With the holidays' visions of sugarplums, presents and days off from work come a lot of shopping and housework. Though some of us may be doing more cooking,...

Tax on software puts Lowe's at odds in Wilkes County.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Monte Mitchell Nov. 29--NORTH WILKESBORO -- A dispute between Lowe's Cos. Inc. and local governments in the county where the company started could set legal precedent for how computer software is taxed in North Carolina. ...

Pit bull owner indicted in death.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Michael Hewlett Nov. 29--MOCKSVILLE -- The owner of two pit bulls that mauled a 52-year-old man in March was indicted Monday for involuntary manslaughter. An arrest warrant was issued yesterday morning for Jimmy Ray Cowan...

Man, 36, is indicted in August killing.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Michael Hewlett Nov. 29--MOCKSVILLE -- A Mocksville man was indicted Monday on charges of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the death of a missing Winston-Salem man whose body was found in...

Cyber Monday: Shoppers go online from work and home.
November 29, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 29--Most Triad consumers returned to work yesterday, with a whole lot of them taking their holiday-shopping lists with them. At least that's the case if you believe the hype around so-called Cyber Monday....

Suit accuses 3 brokers of fraudulence.
November 24, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 24--Three insurance brokers from Stokes County have been sued by 11 Triad plaintiffs who allege that they were targeted for fraud because they were retired or preparing for retirement. The lawsuit was...

Curtis Media Group plans to buy WSJS.
November 24, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 24--A Raleigh media company plans to buy WSJS, based in Winston-Salem, one of the oldest radio stations in North Carolina, and two other Triad AM stations for nearly $8.4 million, the company said yesterday....

Cigarette-tax jump sparks drop in sales.
November 22, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 22--Raising North Carolina's cigarette tax by 30 cents has helped reduce sales and increase state tax revenues during its first 10 months, the state's health director said yesterday. But local legislators...

Cheaper gas likely to fuel more auto traffic.
November 22, 2006... Byline: Jim Sparks Nov. 22--Now that gas prices have gone down since Labor Day, experts are projecting a busy Thanksgiving weekend for travelers. North Carolina motorists will pay nearly 60 cents less for gas this week than they did...

HoneyBaked Ham store has busiest time of year running like clockwork.
November 22, 2006... Byline: Fran Daniel Nov. 22--Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, Georgie Bates of Lexington buys a large ham from The HoneyBaked Ham Co. store at Stratford Commons shopping center. She likes the convenience of HoneyBaked's fully...

Credit unions doing their jobs, study says.
November 21, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 21--A study requested by a U.S. House committee has determined that federal credit unions are fulfilling their not-for-profit mission of focusing on lower- to middle-income consumers. The National Credit...

Rises in health-care costs remain stable.
November 21, 2006... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Nov. 21--Increases in health-care costs for companies and their workers remained stable over the past year, partly because more businesses are scaling back some cost-shifting programs for employees, health-care...

Game plan.
November 20, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 20--Watching young flag-football players chase each other on a recent crisp Saturday morning warmed the heart of Keri Shelton. It reminded Shelton, the director of a start-up local sports league, that...

Not so Ho, Ho: Security a real worry for shoppers.
November 17, 2006... Byline: Fran Daniel Nov. 17--With the holidays fast approaching, more shoppers will soon be making purchases in stores and online for Christmas. But they're not the only ones who will be looking for gifts. Thieves and scam artists...

2 firms offer policies against ID theft in N.C.
November 17, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 17--North Carolina consumers worried about ID theft now have two standalone insurance products to consider. Travelers Casualty and Surety Co. and Nationwide Insurance recently began offering identity-theft...

Partners have long experience and like entrepreneurial spirit of venture.
November 17, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 17--The ability to flex their entrepreneurial muscles is at the heart of why four Winston-Salem lawyers have poured their knowledge and resources into a boutique law firm. Wall Esleeck Babcock LLP, which...

Medical-device maker says main system will be available next year.
November 17, 2006... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Nov. 17--ALR Technologies, Inc. said yesterday that its main medical-device system will be available next year, after a manufacturing delay. "Our product-development process, which included manufacturing,...

Delta-US Airways deal could significantly impact Winston-Salem, N.C., area.
November 16, 2006... Nov. 16--A proposed $8 billion purchase of Delta Air Lines Inc. by US Airways Group Inc. could have a significant local effect given the airlines' dominance at Piedmont Triad International Airport. A combination could cause local service...

Hanesbrands eliminates fabric manufacturing plant in Puerto Rico.
November 16, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 16--Hanesbrands Inc. accelerated the pace of its production restructuring yesterday by announcing it will close a fabric-manufacturing plant in Puerto Rico, eliminating about 500 jobs. The company, based...

Study: Claims filed against health providers slowed after legislated enacted.
November 16, 2006... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Nov. 16--Medical liability claims filed against health providers have stabilized over the past two years, indicating the effect of recent changes to reduce such claims, according to a study by Aon Consulting Inc....

Delta says fares are based on demand.
November 15, 2006... Byline: Fran Daniel Nov. 15--GREENSBORO -- Delta Air Lines maintains that its fares for flights at Piedmont Triad International Airport are fair and dictated by local demand and competition. Replying to an angry letter from Henry...

Krispy Kreme plans global expansion, U.S. contraction.
November 15, 2006... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Nov. 15--Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. plans to significantly expand operations into other countries, even as it dials back its presence domestically. Krispy Kreme, a struggling doughnut company, said in a...

Bank gives gift to college small-business center.
November 14, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 14--Small businesses have been the focal point of Southern Community Financial Corp. since it opened its doors in November 1996. Southern Community, a Winston-Salem bank, will celebrate its 10th...

Dell deals with corporate challenges 'one-step back, two-steps forward'.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 13--Dell Inc. is gaining momentum with a one-step back, two-steps forward strategy to deal with its many corporate challenges, a top executive said yesterday. But it will take time before a refocus on...

New language school is path to cultural understanding, means of learning.
November 13, 2006... Byline: Laura Giovanelli Nov. 13--Is it a pizza? La ensalada? El sandwich? Rudy Race glances toward the desk in front of him, where his electronic dictionary is sitting closed -- useless. Just a few queries into a culinary edition of...

Targacept says it likes test results.
November 10, 2006... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Nov. 10--Targacept Inc. said yesterday that it has achieved positive results in a drug trial to test a new treatment for depression. The company, based in Winston-Salem, tested the effects of a drug in...

Health issue: many customers like ban.
November 10, 2006... Byline: Fran Daniel Nov. 10--Cloverdale Kitchen went smoke-free two months ago, and business is good. "Business has picked up," said Johnny Cortesis, who owns the longtime family diner at Cloverdale Shopping Center with his brother,...

Tobacco initiatives in voting across country yield mixed bag of results.
November 9, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 9--An $84 million advertising blitz that focused on tobacco ballot initiatives across the country produced mixed results for U.S. tobacco manufacturers. In the most pivotal initiative, California voters...

Mix of doctors, businessmen is key, WFU official says.
November 8, 2006... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Nov. 8--Businessmen can learn a lot from an X-ray machine. That was the message from an official from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center who said yesterday that collaboration between doctors,...

Nonprofit group to give grants.
November 8, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 8--Getting back to its core competencies has enabled a local nonprofit organization to begin providing grants for local economic development, small businesses and education initiatives. DataMax Corp.,...

Harkening back: thruway outlet gets makeover.
November 7, 2006... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Nov. 7--At Dewey's Bakery, what was old has become new again. The Winston-Salem bakery has redesigned its flagship store, adding antique wooden furniture, gourmet coffee and new food items. Its hours have also...

Lawsuit challenges development bonds in North Carolina.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 7--The N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law filed a legal challenge yesterday that could dampen the appeal of tax-increment financing in North Carolina just as interest in the bonds was stirring. The...

$2.5 million given in LEAF grants for economic development, tourism projects.
November 7, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 7--Northwest North Carolina is getting nearly $2.5 million in fiscal year 2006-07 grant financing from the Golden LEAF Foundation for economic-development and tourism projects, the foundation said yesterday....

Double lives: partners share business, home.
November 6, 2006... Byline: Fran Daniel Nov. 6--Kris and Chris Cox have been married for nine years but they figure it's been more like 20 if you calculate the time they've spent together. The Coxes are with each other practically 24 hours a day, seven...

Licensing revenue totaled $60 million for year.
November 6, 2006... Byline: M. Paul Jackson Nov. 6--Dr. Joshua Schwartz knew that he wanted to continue working in health care but didn't want to deal with long, sleepless nights, he said yesterday. Schwartz, a licensing associate at the Office of...

Blue Cross and Blue Shield to expand Winston-Salem, N.C., work force.
November 6, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 6--Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina said yesterday that it plans to expand its Winston-Salem work force by at least 100 employees through a consolidation of its local operations. The...

Winston-Salem Journal, N.C., Scott Sexton column.(Column)
November 5, 2006... Byline: Scott Sexton Nov. 5--Like a dormant volcano that finally blows its lid, Michael Robbins' outburst had been building up for years. Robbins was like a lot of us who sat back and became desensitized to the near constant...

Owners of Contempo Concepts say parking was a problem.
November 3, 2006... Byline: Fran Daniel Nov. 3--Contempo Concepts Inc. is closing its doors on Fourth Street. Owners Jim and Donna Painter, who have been strong advocates for revitalization of downtown Winston-Salem, said they moved their furniture and...

Winston-Salem, N.C., wants to know value of name rights.
November 3, 2006... Byline: Bertrand M. Gutierrez Nov. 3--The two worlds of corporate marketing and entertainment can make for a lucrative partnership. RBC Centura Bank, for example, pays $4 million a year to have its name associated with the RBC Center in...

Wachovia to show off local arts scene.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 2--When Wachovia Corp.'s wealth-management division chose to conduct a relationship-building campaign for clients passionate about the arts, it decided that its hometown was the best place to start. The...

Winston-Salem, N.C., bank moves into the black.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Richard Craver Nov. 2--TriStone Community Bank reached a financial milestone yesterday, reporting its first profitable quarter since opening for business in December 2004. The bank, based in Winston-Salem, said it had $50,000...

Elementary, middle school students miss targets in North Carolina testing.
November 2, 2006... Byline: Phoebe Zerwick Nov. 2--Just a third of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system's elementary and middle schools met state growth targets in student test scores last school year, according to test scores released yesterday....