The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 43

Et) North CAlloollfina Section Business News713 vs70 Che Charlotte Observer Thursday December 11 1986 Woman's Slaying Was An Accident Defense Says TS Allen Norwood 43 Allen 4N Norwood two children and her mother The same morning Simonds 27 attempted suicide by slashing his arms and taking a drug overdose testimony indicated Simonds's trial started Tuesday in Gaston County Superior Court Assistant District Attorney Mike Kromis rested the state's case Wednesday afternoon Kromis tried to link Simonds to Miller's death through testimony about statements Simonds made to his former wife Kimberly Simonds the morning of the slaying ICromis also introduced two notes police officers found written on church publications in the mobile home One note said "I loved Donna She loved to hurt mePS I will be with you and daddy" EE Sipe of the Gaston County Police Department testified The second note said "Donna killed me so I killed Donna" Sipe testified A State Bureau of Investigation hand By KEN SOO Gastonia Sumo GASTONIA Ricky Simonds distraught over failed love money and his father's death strangled Donna Miller in a moment of passion a defense attorney said Wednesday in Simonds's first-degree murder trial Police found the body of Miller 24 the morning of Jan 27 in a Bessemer City mobile home she shared with Simonds her writing expert testified the printing on the notes resembled handwriting samples Simonds gave police under court order Kimberly Simonds testified Ricky Simonds arrived at her home about 8:30 am Jan 27 in tears Miller's 2-year-old son Christopher was swaddled in a blanket "He said he had taken a whole bottle of pills and said he was scared and may have hurt Donna Miller" Kimberly Simonds said See SLAYING Page 4D Dn the es Si- SID am 1 son ket ttle of have said Stealing Tree Robs All Of Us 1 Dead 5 Hurt In Wreck ii 2 Vehicles Involved In Monroe Collision Jed on Like everyone else I was saddened and angered to read earlier this week that some jerk had stolen a live decorated Christmas tree from Allen and Carolyn Thompson's front yard Not really surprised because Jerks will steal anything even trees Azaleas in Fourth Ward were pulled up as quickly as they were planted A freshly set tree disappeared from the lawn of a public library off Freedom Drive Greenery at the entrance to our former neighborhood in Matthews wandered away from time to time Still stealing a Christmas tree is different the way stealing an American flag is different from stealing a beach towel It's meaner than filching a 7- foot spruce It robs us all of holiday spirit and shared faith It reminds us all that we can't be kids again even on one magic day and makes us try harder to protect our own kids from such meanness You can't measure the value of tinsel and lights in dollars and cents So it's impossible to measure the value of what's stolen when some jerk makes off with Christmas decorations s'- si A to I- --s A -Ni: 1 0 Nit 1 101 c4 W' ii 1 i A A i 4 ''si ''''''77'' A I 7: A4 t1ANs 1 1 1 I l'' -7741k 01t Iti4 1 i ic't i i0e0-te 2 voro i i i1 11 10 --r- -----N t-4: 4 1 Atvg 1 )-h i '40- 'On' In Wit A k11 0 'i-ViAtt Altlit Al I 1 i 1 vv 4 1" :41 '1 I I i' ::4 VIZ: l' 46 4 :4401 I 4 At "t10 4e 4 A to- 4'4U: 441taaa -7 'Ittlr oti ly -4 t'''-1'r10 1' Itt 'is: 1 yok 4 os1w 1 l'' 7 (: it -t 1t: s-: i 4 1 'g I 4 1 1 fir tte i- 4011 140- -N At: IA )11 ii411 4 7 '11t4tek -NI''' taiv: :7 'i144 el01' 54:40 i-it km N4 1::::: i ---777s--: i '''1' -J ''-11' 4'4 It4: "1-''' i 0 tk'1ZN A 40 i to Iv '4Sife t's- Ni 4 t'' i i 's ki) ''r 8A 4' 7 -1 4 741tiiiltA I IV 4 :73: '1i '''''-'k 1 4 1 -s ''''''7- i rt I )'71''''''''' 0 '''''''''eI i 4r A :4: 4' 1: 4'44" -e''' 'AV 4 11' c41w6 vovr4 4 i r'' -tf I 7 k9 4: f- By BOB GLENDY hiONROE BUREAU MONROE A Monroe High School sophomore was killed and five other persons were injured Wednesday in a two-car wreck on US 74 near the western city limits Monroe Public Safety Capt Bobby Kilgore identified the victim as Eric Todd McClellan 15 of 1402 Lancaster Ave He was a passenger in a car driven by Gary Edward Peeler 17 of 505 College St Monroe High School Principal Lloyd Ratliff said McClellan was a very capable student "He was well liked by all his peers and wanted to help manage the baseball team this spring" Ratliff said The death stunned fellow students Ratliff said "It was obvious how well liked the boy was by the reaction of the students" he added Ratliff wasn't able to say why the teenagers were not in school It took rescue workers 30 minutes to free several of the injured from Peeler's 1985 Chevrolet after the 10:50 am accident McClellan was pronounced dead on arrival at Union Memorial Hospital Kilgore said the Peeler car pulled out of Carroll Street onto US 74 into the path of a car being driven east on US 74 by Teddy Thomas Towner 30 of 5609 Beaconsfield Dr Charlotte No charges have been filed pending further investigation Other passengers in the Peeler car were Lode Leann Wreath 17 2658 Griffith Hill Dr Elizabeth Leigh Coble 17111 College St and Terry Shawn Petri II 15 109 Houston St all of Monroe Towner was treated and released Hospital administrator Larry Bishop said Peeler Wreath and Petri II were all admitted to the Intensive care unit of the hospital in serious condition Coble was treated and released High 1 and ijured ck on mCapt 15 of 'as a Gary was a was and stuvious the he why lool after ellan till at car onto )eing eddy 'ding eeier I 17 ibeth St 109 iroe wed arry and the pital was Staff Pt1010 By DAVIE HINSHAW Construction worker Rick Persinger Is carried to a waiting ambulance 2 Workers Hurt At Construction Site 1 -16wommanumot 1 I 53" 1 By PAM KELLEY Staff Writer Two construction workers were Injured an hour apart Wednesday when they fell from wooden scaffolding onto a concrete floor at One First Union Center in downtown Charlotte Rick Persinger 29 of Richwood WVa was being held for observation Wednesday night at Charlotte Memorial Hospital He had two broken arms and cuts a hospital spokeswoman said Clifford Powell 30 of Fort Mill SC was treated and released late Wednesday afternoon at Presbyterian Hospital The men are employed by Dem fro West Coast the contractor assembling the forms into which concrete for the 42-story office tower at 2nd and College streets will be poured Charlotte Fire Department Capt Harry Rogers said both men told him they fell when unsupported plywood they were walkIng on buckled under their weight Persinger fell about 20 feet shortly after 1 pm Rogers said Powell fell about 15 feet an hour later minutes after emergency workers had loaded Persinger into an ambulance Both men were lucky they weren't injured more seriously Rogers said Persinger landed about 8 inches from upright steel rods Had he landed on them he probably would have been killed instantly Rogers said Danny Pahl general supervisor for Demiro West Coast said Powell shouldn't have been walking in the area where he fell He said he wasn't sure how Persinger fell A co-worker told him Persinger fell after stepping on a 4 4 over an opening in the plywood Pa lu said Rogers said he was concerned that those openings sometimes were not barricaded "I would like to see the situation corrected before someone gets killed" he said These were the first accidents since the company began work seven months ago Broyhill Staff Gone Office Now Vacant Boy's Life Struggles Prolonged Learned Hard Way Nobody knows that better than John Gibson Gibson who operates a racing business out toward the airport got caught up in the holiday mood Like Allen and Carolyn Thompson he decided to share his good will Right after Thanksgiving he decorated a couple of little pines alongside Billy Graham Parkway across from the new coliseum site "One stayed up for one day" he said "The next morning the decorations were gone from the other" Gibson was hurt and angry He'd meant only to brighten the drive to the airport A few people had seen him decorate the trees But most of them probably didn't know him and other passersby would never know whom to thank "People would drive by and wave while I was putting up the decorations" he said "It really brightened my day "It cost me $45 to decorate the two trees I can't afford $45 every couple of days but it's not the money It's just discouraging "It's a drag" He'll Try Again Yep it is Gibson vowed he'll try again though He was hurt and angry and determined He has spotted two likely looking cedars at a busy intersection in the same area and plans to dig deep into his pockets to buy more decorations He hopes that all the passing traffic will discourage the jerks I hope so too but I don't think I'll reveal the location of the intersection No reason to give the jerks advance notice Here's a little story just for the Thompsons and John Gibson and others who try to brighten Christmas for the rest of us I don't know whether the story is true I got it second hand If it's not true as I've said before it ought to be A fellow drove way out Providence Road sneaked onto someone else's land and stole a tree The owner of the land happened to spot him though And without being noticed the landowner followed the tree thief all the way home While the tree thief was pulling the stolen tree from his trunk The landowner got out of his truck walked Into the thief's front yard fired up a chain saw and cut down a dogwood And Some Thanks A quick PS about the Great Bike Giveaway Folks have been bringing used bicycles to our building at all hours Some don't leave their names even though contributions are tax deductible A spanking new bike appeared the other day Bright and shiny and kid-sized The only note attached was the owner's manual On behalf of all the children who'll get bikes through the Christmas Bureau I'd like to say thanks to that anonymous donor If you'd like to donate a bike bring it to the Observer building 600 Tryon St anytime or take It to the Queen City Optimist Club's Christmas tree lot on Fairview Road at South Park before 10 pm Call 374-1313 anytime if you'd like a club member to pick up a Idonated bike NO vance He Thom other mas I d( is trui If i fore A dence else's Th( to Sp( being lowed home Wh the st The truck yard down A A Bike Foil bicycl hours names are ta: As the ot and Id The owner On who'll Christi thanks If bring 600 it to Club's view pm Call like a Idonatel Jim Martin appointed him In July to replace the late Sen John East Last week Martin named Broyhill chairman of the NC Economic Development Board an arm of the NC Commerce Department that plots long-term strategy and recruits industry Cranford 65 said he felt good knowing he could just walk next door if he needed help He also enjoyed taking down and passing along requests from lOth District constituents who came to his home when nobody was in Broyhill's office Most of ail he liked Broyhill's staff "I would have preferred they stay here I know them all You See BROYHILL'S Page 40 July East nent and good next also sing trict his they You By MON RHEE Catawba Wiley Bureau LENOIR As Sen Terry Sanford D-NC took the oath of office Wednesday Jim Broyhill's hometown congressional office stood dark and vacant Broyhill's staff finished shutting down Saturday the office they've occupied for almost nine years Next-door neighbor Bill Cranford looked wistfully at the brick former doctor's office the last of several sites for Broyhill's hometown office "It was sad to see the sign go down" he said Wednesday Broyhill who lost the Senate election to Sanford served in the House for 24 years before Gov 0 1027 -AA 44t777o colt '7'31 ''ir :0 lot I ft1 fe'-' 14N 4 Ar5s--v: t-toi 404 1411 i ioriii4 Inter 4' I :41 10-: 1e: i '40g a Alk et fr: A i 4 401 'Iii44 el '141bh "4 i' i 1 21 it 4 i I tej 4: 4 Otioaul'Ns ri 1 pA i 4 -14t4 e4- 4 4 1 ii 1 4 :7: ::4 tiiz 4 4 040" 4 4 4 1 44 1 Drug Bust Nets 55 Arrests In Cleveland 'Roundup 86' tS 3 Accident Hospitalization Follow Years Of Surgery By ED MARTIN Staff Wrtter Some days be wanted to be a truck driver Others a computer programmer like his father Or president Stephen Crigger had gone through 12 tough years but life was getting better Born without nasal passages or tear ducts he hardly survived birth Then came six eye operations and repeated operations on his nose But last year doctors successfully used a laser to create a nasal passage and ease the uncontrollable dripping that classmates sometimes made fun of On Dec 1 he posed with sister Donna Faye 13 and brother Gary 7 for a department store Santa portrait They were looking forward to their first Christmas in Charlotte 700 miles from last year's in Springfield Mo On Dec 2 at 7:31 am on the way to classes at Eastway Junior High Stephen was struck as he started across rush hour traffic on Eastway Drive The driver says she swerved and slammed on her brakes Police say the accident was unavoidable On Tuesday Donald and Willetta Crigger waited in Charlotte Memorial Hospital as Stephen drifted out of the coma he'd been in since Dec 2 Wednesday they paced the waiting room as surgeons pinned their son's two broken legs and implanted steel plates to restore his jaws Now he faces nine months to a year in the hospital The Criggers left Missouri with high hopes "We are originally from West Virginia" said Donald Crigger 33 "I was injured in the Air Force and have arthritis in my leg Charlotte Dec 1 With Santa: Stephen (left) posed for this picture with sister Donna Faye 13 and brother Gary 7 attempted sale of miscellaneous drugs The majority of people arrested were suspected first-time offend ers Wright said Their ages ranged from 18 to 60 They were being held Wednesday night in the Cleveland County Jail Bond was set at $5000 to $10000 Deputies also confiscated seven cars used to transport drugs They did not seize any drugs ous ted iesnty to yen hey By BARBARA BARNETT Shift Writer Fifty-five persons were arrested Wednesday in one of the biggest drug busts in Cleveland County's history The arrests were part of "Operation Roundup 86" a 20-month Investigation by the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department "This has been the biggest in terms of the number of people arrested on felony drug charges" said Vice Sgt Ralph McKinney of the sheriff's department More arrests are expected today said Deputy Danny Wright The arrests began about 6 am By 4:30 pm the sheriff's department had charged the 55 persons with: 86 counts of possession and attempted sale of cocaine 86 counts of possession and attempted sale of marijuana 18 counts of possession and attempted sale of LSD 14 counts of possession and IWe Were Wrong I has the same type of people but warmer weather So we came here It's a nice friendly place" The accident came at the worst possible time for the family Both parents were working temporary Jobs at Fast Fare convenience stores while Donald Crigger looked for a computer programming Job They had not worked long enough to have insurance Now Wilietta has had to quit her Job to be with Stephen "We know the medical bills are going to be astronomical" says Donald Crigger "It's Just a matter of sitting in the waiting room 15 hours a day waiting and praying We get to visit him 15 minutes every four hours" In the eight days since Ole acci dent Crigger's neighbors at Fountain Square Apartments have helped take care of the other children Neighbors and teachers at Eastway are collecting donations for medical bills Now It's Donald and Willetta Crigger's turn to hope "At first when he was in the coma his brain was swelling" Donald Crigger said "We were just plain scared "Now the doctors tell us there's no further damage But we're talking about nine months to a year in the hospital including rehabilitation He'll have to learn to walk and talk again Just about everything" Stephen will be 13 on Jan 3 The tough times are back A story in Wednesday's Observer gave the wrong location of a convenience store where a clerk was charged with selling beer to a minor following an undercover operation by Alcohol Law Enforcement agents and Monroe police Say a Ton Oil is in Union County The story also gave the wrong name for the Monroe Public Safety Department of erk a cc ity ety nIRMM111111111111111111111P.