The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • B1

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 1B, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2005 It worth a life a test to tell whatkind of human being youare. Do you say or Do you say or do you say blown the lowdown car thief to Kingdom A whole lot of people, aston- ishingly, expressed the latter sentiment after an off-duty Raleigh cop last month shot and killed a man who apparently was stealing her car. Officer Michelle Peele was placed on desk duty after the shooting death of Nyles Arrington, who was trying to drive off in 2005 Nissan Xterra from the parking lot of La Rosa Linda. Peele was working at the Mexi- can restaurant as a security guard in her cop uniform. Many readers, apparently those lacking the human com- passion gene, said If one of those who think the penalty for stealing a car should be a bullet to the chest, what should the moon- lighting officer have done to somebody trying to rip off an enchilada from La Rosa? answer that.

Arrington was shot under his left arm, which means Peele was to the side as he got behind the wheel. She was in no danger, except of having to call her insurance company and explain that left the auto running with the windows down. No matter how much she loved her black Xterra, the law says that she could shoot only if someone was in danger. The State Bureau of Investiga- tion is still looking into the case. Anger, even the homicidal kind, at being ripped off, is understandable.

The burglar I caught inside my house at mid- night some years ago has no idea how close he came to suf- fering fate. OK, if they get the newspaper at Central Prison and he reads this, he knows. None of the items stacked up by my front door was worth any life. What, then, made me go hunting for him minutes after throwing him off my front porch? Perhaps it was the sense of violation I felt seeing him stand- ing in my living room when I came downstairs to get some Crunch. Or maybe it was the leisurely way he strolled into the darkness probably to find another, more accommo- dating house to break into.

I ran upstairs, got my gun and jumped into my truck. Fortu- nately, I saw a Durham cop before I saw the perp. The cop broadcast a description and sent me home. I never adequately thanked him for that. The cops found the guy, he went to court and was found guilty.

doing 11 to 15 years in prison. precisely the way things should have played out then, and the way things played out last month in Raleigh. I help but wonder what would have happened had the first cop I encountered been a quick-draw specialist as Peele appears to have been. Would he have sent me home, as the Durham cop did, or would he have asked, got a gun? Here, take mine. go exe- cute that dirty Nobody, not even his family, is portraying Nyles Arrington as Bishop Tutu.

Despite having a rich-dude, patrician-sounding name, Nyles had had his trou- bles and had caused some. The fact remains, though, that whether you say or he supposed to die for trying to steal a car. Call Barry at 836-2811 or send him e-mail at Barry Saunders BTHE NEWS OBSERVERTUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2005 Capitol N.C. 5B Dome. 5B Getting Involved.

2B Obituaries. 6B Triangle. 3B Weather 8B the latest news updates from around the state andTriangle, go to newsobserver.com keyword: news. STATE EDITION NORTH CAROLINA INSIDE Self-help: A judge offers Robert Petrick a $46 book and a month to prepare his defense on murder charge. PAGE 3B Runs on grease: No, not a teenager.

a coffee delivery truck. PAGE 3B Ophelia damage near $34 million, will rise BY MATTHEW EISLEY STAFF WRITER Triangle charity leaders fear that, along with New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Kat- rina might have swamped some- thing else: routine giving. Their urgent message: The Tri- needs dropped. work of local nonprofit agencies is not slowing because of Hurricane said Trisha Lester, vice president of the N.C. Center for Nonprofits, based in Raleigh.

put things on hold here while relief and re- building are going on In the fall of 2001, when local residents gave generously to help national charities after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, the Triangle United Way had to extend its an- nual campaign several weeks to meet its goal. And the funding of some agencies dropped. With the Triangle United Way conducting its annual fund-raiser for dozens of nonprofits, and other groups seeking money on their own, some organizers fear a Katrina effect among donors. wonderful that people are reaching out, but I also know how important our local safety net said Adam Hartzell, executive di- rector of Interact, a Raleigh agency that helps victims of rape, sexual assault and domestic vio- lence. concern is how Hur- ricane Katrina will impact funding for the services we provide.

We could see a similar situation as we did after Hartzell, whose agency relies on United Way for one-third of its budget, said he lost eight staff positions after the attacks. That year the Triangle United Way raised about $26 million. This year shooting for about $18 million almost one-third less including $11 million in un- designated giving to its Commu- nity Care Fund, which it doles out to 84 programs. Many charities and other non- profit groups raise money on their own. But seven dozen rely on the United Way to raise contributions in lump sums and distribute them.

The United annual fund drive, including appeals at many large employers, is the biggest charity event. The Triangle United Way, an umbrella organization that funds Triangle groups: Donate locally Charities fear lull after Katrina Elizabeth Baker, manager of Water Sports Rentals in Salter Path, removes merchandise from the store that might be salvaged. Hurricane Ophelia flooded the store and ripped away most of its rear wall. STAFF PHOTO BY COREY LOWENSTEIN BY JIM NESBITT STAFF WRITER Preliminary damage estimates for Hurricane Ophelia neared $34 million Monday as officials in four of the hardest-hit coastal counties started tallying the slow-moving toll on homes, businesses, roads and public facilities. That figure is expected to climb this week when a team of federal and state estimators com- pletes a tour of Carteret County and when an assessment team in sprawling Brunswick County finishes its damage estimate for homes and buildings.

Also, state and local disaster officials are still adding up the cost of mobilizing their forces. Tha makes the a $33.8 million total an incom- plete snapshot of de- struction. Still, disaster officials are quick to point out that final tally will likely be dwarfed by the multibillion-dollar cost of harder- hitting hurricanes such as Fran, which inflicted $5.2 billion in damage on North Carolina. The running tally for Ophelia includes a $19.3 million esti- mate of crop damage in 14 coun- ties by state agriculture officials. For inland counties such as Columbus, which tops the list with more than $6.4 million in agricultural losses, crops flat- tened by wind and rain are the biggest economic impact.

Other counties, such as Jones and Pamlico, reported little or no impact. Dare County, home to Outer Banks communities such as Hatteras and Kill Devil Hills, reported only $19,500 in damage. But a different story for coastal counties such as Onslow, Brunswick, New Hanover and Carteret. There, homes and busi- nesses battered by storm surge, wind and flooding make up the majority of the damage estimate. In Onslow County, Ophelia caused $8 million in damage to Preliminary estimates include damages to crops and to three hard-hit counties.

BRUNSWICK CARTERET COLUMBUS DARE DUPLIN NEW HANOVER ONSLOW SAMPSON Source: State and county emergency management officials; N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Jacksonville Edenton Elizabeth City Kitty Hawk Nags Head Manteo Swan Quarter Hatteras Dare County Reported minimal damage from the storm $19,500. Carteret County Storm surge along Core, Bogue and Pamlico sounds caused flooding in towns such as Stacy and Cedar Island and heavy damage to marinas and other businesses. Crop damage: $2.17 million. The News Observer 30 MILES Topsail Beach HU RR ICA NE OPH ELI A OPHELIA DAMAGE Onslow County $8 million to homes and businesses.

388 buildings damaged. Damage concentrated along coast, including North Topsail Beach, and inland towns such as Swansboro, Sneads Ferry, Hubert and Holly Ridge. New Hanover County $5.97 million in Wilmington and unincorporated areas of the county, $4.9 million in damaged housing. 629 residential buildings damaged, 7 businesses. Crop damage Columbus county: $6.45 million.

Duplin County: $3.35 million Sampson County: $1.58 million. Preliminary damage estimates from the counties hardest hit by Hurricane Ophelia. North Carolina agriculture officials say Hurricane Ophelia caused $19.3 million in crop damage in 14 counties. Wake leaders push state over road money Are Charles Meeker and Lyndo Tippett playing chicken? If so, the game probably will end Wednes- day. Meeker, the Raleigh mayor, and other Wake leaders have refused to endorse the seven-year spending plan for new roads and the transportation improvements.

They want the state De- par tment Transportation to come up with money for a ew Wake County priori- ties before they meet Wednesday to reconsider the issue. the big deal? Tippett, the state transportation secretary, knows that mayors across North Carolina usually want more road money than DOT can give them. The big deal is that local plan- ning boards are expected to rubber-stamp DOT spending plans. If these local stamps are not firmly affixed by Oct. 1, the federal government says it might start freezing funds for certain road and transit projects in Wake County and in the seven other Triangle-area counties that are falling short of federal air-quality standards.

Nobody wants to be blamed for letting that happen. The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization board, BY CHERYL JOHNSTON STAFF WRITER CARRBORO As a 12-year-old boy undergoes his last rabies vaccination this week, a Carrboro alderman is proposing a local law to help spare oth- ers the painful shots. The Board of Aldermen will vote tonight on whether to fine pet owners $100 when their dogs bite people and they fail to report the bites or help the victims. Alderman Mark Chilton proposed the penalty after reading a Chapel Hill News story about Davis Hale getting rabies vaccination shots. A dog bit Hale last month on the Bolin Creek Trail.

Davis and a school friend were walk- ing along the trail behind his house when they passed a man and woman walking two dogs off leashes. As they passed by, Davis said, one of the dogs came up from behind and bit him on the calf, drawing blood. The BY JOSH SHAFFER STAFF WRITER RALEIGH Whoever spray- painted the word Azules13 on a Northeast Raleigh fence a gang, a prankster, an artist with bad handwriting count on Anthony Williams and his tank of Taginator. One qu ick spray rom tank and the 4-foot let- ters turned runny. One quick blast from the power washer and they vanished.

Adios, Azules. said Elwood Davis, street superintendent. spray it on there, it goes to work. take the sheen off a stop Davis is bragging about his new graffiti-removal team, a six- man squad whose only job is getting scrawls off walls. With $115,000 in this budget, Raleigh hopes to dis- courage gang chatter and beau- tify its streets.

Taginator, which costs about $200 for a 5-gallon tank, will eat through the most stubborn splotches. It may be biodegrad- able, but it is powerful enough to sting skin. Source: AAA Current1 month ago1 year ago The News Observer GAS PRICE WATCH Average price for a gallon of self-service regular in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. $1.789 $2.580 $2.896 ROAD WORRIER Bruce Siceloff SEE OPHELIA, PAGE 7B Crew keeps Kilroy off walls Dog owners may get shorter leash City invests in graffiti solvent SEE UNITED WAY, PAGE 4B SEE GRAFFITI, PAGE 4B NEED TAGINATOR? Call 831-6001 or send e-mail to SEE WORRIER, PAGE 7B Davis Hale, 12, was bitten last month. SEE DOGS, PAGE 7B.