The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 21

Dp Charlotte Fire Chief I Luther Fincher to retire 3B Ban Lifted I Union can issue sewer permits again 3B Guilty I Ricky Graham convicted in 1996 slayings 2B A Matter of Life I Longtime Observer paper carrier 4B i wwwcharlottecom SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29 2007 OO SECTION IN MY OPINION Police transcripts from night 2 officers were shot reveal frantic effort to save their lives Mary Curtis Airlift in helicopter was considered amid pleas for ambulance to hurry One of them had keyed his microphone but say anything A minute later as officers start heading toward Timber Ridge apartments to check on Clark and Shelton 911 gets a call about officers being shot Then an unidentified person yells into a police radio: down Officer the voice says officers been shot Two officers been domestic call there Police have said the shootings were not related to the call Police and prosecutors asked Superior Court Judge Albert Diaz to keep the radio transmissions secret but Diaz ordered them released after police blacked out passages that he ruled would jeopardize the case or the right to a fair trial One hundred eleven pages of SEE OFFICERS I 6B quested radio traffic from the night Shelton and Clark were killed Observer Editor Rick Thames has said access to records that are public under state law helps the public understand how government works under trying circumstances of the sort that the police faced when these officers lost their The officers were fatally shot at the cast Charlotte apartment complex after responding to a By Melissa Manware mmanwarecharlotteobservercom At 11:17 pm a Charlotte-Mecklcnburg police dispatcher tries to contact Officers Scan Clark and Jeff Shelton Those dramatic moments are captured in transcripts of police radio traffic made public Friday Under the public records law the Observer re Fire ravages apartment complex in southeastern Mecklenburg CANKER CHRONICLES Funds asked to spray for worms A Arborist seeks first aerial spraying since 1998 to try to save trees More than 50 firefighters battled an apartment blaze Friday near Mint Hill Firefighters were called to the Colonial Village at Greystone apartment complex near the intersection of Margaret Wallace and Idlewild Road in southeastern Mecklenburg County about 12:20 pm 23 families left homeless By Nancy Brachey Garden Editor Stepping up the battle against tree-destroying cankerworms Charlotte city arborist Don McSwcen is recommending aerial spraying of trees in 40 percent of the city next April The new plan which includes extensive tree banding this fall would cost $28 million McSwecn will present the plan to the Charlotte City Council on Monday and a decision is expected Oct 8 Adjusting the city budget to find the money is likely to be a big part of the discussion If approved it would be the first time since N98 and only the third time the city has paid for aerial spraying in the long battle against leaf-devouring canker-worms The tiny caterpillars hatch in early spring and feed on newly emerging leaves causing defoliation and declining health to trees This year trees have been hard hit by a triple blow: widespread cankcrvvorm defoliation in early April a damaging late SEE SPRAYING I 6B Writing is his outlet when in Iraq This time last year Sgt 1st Class Roy Lewis Army reservist was preparing to leave Charlotte for duty in Iraq For the past two weeks newly promoted Master Sgt Roy Lewis was home on leave with barely enough time for a 25th wedding anniversary trip to Hilton Head with his wife Wendy before he headed back Thursday In his blog (at wwwsgtroy com) and in reports on WCNC the 47-year-old Lewis has stayed in touch with supporters and forlorn kickboxing students at the YMCA Though he had to miss daughter high school graduation he keeps in close touch with his family However his experiences in Iraq reminded him of how far he was from home Before taking son Ryan out for Chinese food in Charlotte something he had been dreaming of Lewis talked about the moments that stay with him In Iraq Lewis has another family a team of 11 reservists and regular Army They train members of the Iraqi national police and shadow them on patrols On base there may have been personality clashes But out there we protect each Lewis said He discovered an Iraqi man gagged tortured and murdered and never found out why He joked with Iraqi children playing soccer in streets where raw sewage flows He played cards with an 18-year-old Californian on another military team who was shot in the head and killed instantly while on patrol seen what seen able to appreciate the life that we In America people may disagree but come together when we have Iraq Lewis said is a of without that bottom-line unity What it docs have he wrote on his blog are many His specialty is logistics -teaching Iraqi police how to maintain vehicles fill out forms for fuel keep enough drinking water in the truck for long missions in 120-degrce heat The goal is to make them less dependent on Americans Lewis has learned from new friends especially a Sudanese interpreter he has adopted as a grandfather They trade history lessons He spends down time writing besides his blog about four chapters into a romantic comedy Soldiers tease him about his favorite reading romance novels medic will say has another chick With 90 more days to go in his deployment his hope is to be home for Christmas ready to be a civilian But as he returned to Iraq there arc a few things he wanted everyone to know He appreciates the notes and packages from home The soccer balls and candies are treats for Iraqi children Mi-crowaveable meals beat the mess hall Even brief in wishes take his mind off incoming rockets feel covered in Lewis said Most of all and he said it strongly arc not bullies admirable as a seen Americans help people who arc hurt and sick and heartened by that even when frustrated with his missioa I Ie said it last year and he repeats it today: glad to be a Mary Curtis: mcurtischarlotteobservercom No residents were injured but firefighter suffered a minor bum in the complex were destroyed Brisley said All 23 families living in the complex had to find other places to stay until fire officials determine whether the structure is safe Brisley said the wooden apartment building plus the dry conditions and wind Friday made the fire especially dangerous As the building burned the wind carried embers more than 200 feet where they ignited brush he said The Mecklenburg County Fire Office was still investigating the cause of the fire No residents were injured in the blaze but one Charlotte firefighter suffered a minor burn on his shoulder Brisley said The American Red Cross is helping the displaced families By Kirsten Valle kvallecharlotteobserver com A fire tore through an apartment building in southeastern Mecklenburg County on Friday displacing 23 families The blaze started about 12:20 pm at the Colonial Village at Greystone apartment complex in Mint Hill near Idlewild and Margaret Wallace roads More than 50 firefighters battled the flames for about 45 minutes said Capt Rob Brisley of the Charlotte Fire Department As many as 11 of the 24 units OBSERVER FILE PHOTO Young cankerworms feed on new leaves causing defoliation Rosa De Beras is relieved to find her nephew Tony Ramirez a resident of the complex who had been unaccounted for earlier The Source CONCORD Work continues at drag strip site POLITICS AND PUK1 JC 1 1 IN THF CAROLINAS State board removes from ballot Firm has permission to do some grading but not for strip itself By Sharif Durliams sdurhamscharlotteobservercom CONCORD Who cares if Bruton Smith fiavc the green light from officials to build a drag strip in Concord? One team is already making plans to race there At least one racing team has reserved hotel rooms in Concord for Sept 11-14 2008 betting that Motor new drag strip will be hosting a national drag racing event on those dates But Concord officials are still trying to decide whether Smith the owner should be allowed to build the $60 million facility City workers took pictures Friday of grading work being done on the planned site Concord officials said they learned about the grading work when an Observer reporter told them about it Thursday The City Council called a special meeting for SEE CONCORD I 6B loe long retirement clear him to be on the ballot the NC Board of Elections ruled Friday The board voted 3-2 to override the Mecklenburg elections board on the label for White who chairs the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board and is seeking re-election Nov 6 Democrat Genevieve Sims joined Republicans Lorraine Shinn and Charles Winfree in declaring a title that confers rank or distinction which state law does not allow Robert Cordle of Charlotte and chairman Larry Leake supported the Mecklenburg contention that because White retired as Olympic football coach in 1978 the label is now a ANN DOSS HELMS More of The Source I 2B White LUKAS JOHNSON Rohnson a charlotteobserver com Preliminary grading work takes place near The Dirt Track Motor Speedway where Bruton Smith is looking to build a drag strip.