The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • A1

Eastern Wake News Mattie Ann Mayfield remembers when Wendell had only a few homes. Page 12A SERVING KNIGHTDALE, WENDELL AND ZEBULON MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR SPORTS First East Wake-Knight- dale meeting of fall season occurs on volleyball court; Warriors prevail in five sets. Page 1B WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21, 2005 50 CENTS Business Briefs 2A Hurricane relief information 2A Opinion 4A News 6A Obituaries 7A Worship 8A Education 9A School menus 9A Crossword 10A College news 10A Social news 11A Feature 12A Football games 1B Scorecard 2B NASCAR Insider 5B Classifieds 6B www.EasternWakeNews.com FIRST PLACE, GENERAL EXCELLENCE 2004 N.C. PRESS ASSOCIATION NEWS, EDITORIAL AND PHOTO CONTEST INDEX inside this week: STAFF PHOTO SHANE SNIDER Sammie Lanphere, 7, holds a sign for a bake sale benefiting victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Mother Traci Lanphere decided to take her three home-schooled children out to try to help. than just sit around, we said we had to do she said. A I A I I By SHANE SNIDER STAFF WRITER With Wendell and Knightdale still warring over land surround- ing a potentially lucrative U.S. Bypass interchange, Wendell may have dealt the first real blow with several key voluntary annexations on Three Sisters Road and a key Southern Railroad right of way. But Knightdale officials might fight back with a lawsuit chal- lenging effort, accord- ing to several sources.

Wendell recently ran a legal ad in The News Observer detailing the annexations and setting the date for a public hearing Sept. 26. Normally, town officials use the Eastern Wake News to run legal ads. Town Manager Tim Burgess said the move was not an attempt to sneak the plan past unsuspecting Knightdale leaders the towns have been negotiating for several months over who would control land in the area near the interchange of Rolesville Road and U.S. Burgess said he ran the ad in the daily newspaper to The two-mile stretch of rail- road property would allow Wendell to annex the Three Sisters Road properties, even though those properties are in long-range urban service area.

By SOLJA NYGARD FRANGOS EDITOR ZEBULON Car dealership owner Carlos Wheeler is still trying to find out how it was possible that a provision he opposed was deleted from one bill, but was later inserted into another bill without letting him know. But the second sponsors, Reps. Linda Coleman and Rick Eddins, say they did not know about any opposition. Wheeler, who owns Chevrolet on Gannon Avenue in Zebulon, is asking Gov. Mike Easley to veto the legislation that would change the way fran- chised dealerships relocate.

A provision in House Bill 1227 would enable a new car dealership that has remained in the same location for at least 50 years to relocate 4.5 miles from its current site as long as the new location is at least four Town tracks bypass area using railroad Car dealer upset over relocation bill Bullock desires seat repeat middle name is Wendell Case lingers after crash Fire departments quench need for staff Community wades into floodwaters See Bill, page 3A See Land, page 3A By SHANE SNIDER and MICHAEL A. BELL STAFF WRITERS After Hurricane Camille ripped through his town in 1969, Billy Stiers vowed to never again sit through a Category 5 hurricane. So, it was a bit of a shock when he found himself in a very famil- iar situation during Hurricane Katrina a few weeks ago. Stiers, now the mayor of the small community of Poplarville, said he never dreamed another storm would tear his community apart again. Cleanup though, will be much different this time around as help comes from hundreds of miles away Knightdale officials and residents have adopted the town, sending food and other supplies to the ravaged region.

lot of homes were Stiers said. did a pretty good job devastating everything in its path. Mostly, we suffered a lot of wind dam- age. We think it would be this widespread. It was just STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL A.

BELL Bill Moser (center) interviews with Zebulon Fire Chief Sidney Perry (left) and Wake County fire official Donnell Braxton for a firefighting position. By SHANE SNIDER STAFF WRITER KNIGHTDALE every worst night- mare a man with a ninth-grade educa- tion and common So begins the campaign of for- mer Town Councilor Charles Bullock, a hulking man with a crushing handshake, a booming voice and a simple plan. He wants to take back his seat in town government and keep a firm grip on growth. I used to drive home, I used to feel like I was going to he said. all the trees are gone.

I just want us to become another New York City. I raised my children here, and I want my grandkids to experience the same Knightdale life I Bullock, a Democrat, moved to Knightdale after serving in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War. It was 1971, and things were much different around town. Bullock can remember a time when strip malls and gas sta- tions line U.S.

64 Business. always known Knightdale would not stay a Rainy Day Accident Turns Tragic STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL A. BELL Jynette Allen, 19, of Raleigh died after her Ford Explorer hydroplaned on U.S. 64 near the Franklin County line outside of Zebulon Sept. 15.

Fire and rescue units from east- ern Wake and beyond responded to three other accidents within an hour of the fatali- ty due to rainfall that Hurricane Ophelia was suspected of causing. By MICHAEL A. BELL STAFF WRITER Sporting a dark wool-blend suit and a fresh shave exactly what Bill Moser thinks of as comfortable. rather be wearing his fire turnout gear, smut on his brow and a 5 shadow. But on a recent Wednesday, the volunteer fireman busy dragging any water hoses or battling an inferno.

He was sitting at a desk with sweaty palms and a lump in his throat vying for one of three firefighter position openings with the Zebulon Fire Department. To boost a dwindling volun- teer quota and answer a boom- ing volume of calls, officials from eastern Wake fire depart- ments hired nine firefighters recently. Zebulon, Wendell and Hopkins each added three fire- men to their squads. Wake County in July granted hundreds of thousands of dollars for the positions after years of putting the idea on the back burner. Major factors for the approval were likely a steady increase in population in eastern Wake and the construction of the U.S.

Knightdale Bypass, which is expected to send both population numbers and emergency calls soaring. For years, fire officials across By SOLJA NYGARD FRANGOS EDITOR WENDELL While Town Board candidate Bob Sams, 61, wants to make sure his community stays safe and attractive, he is worried that strict regulations will make the town unappealing to new businesses and residents. Sams, who is running for a board seat for the second time, believes Wendell should make it easier to create suc- cessful businesses in both downtown and surrounding areas. Sams, whose middle name happens to be Wendell, would want to see the town support both existing and new busi- nesses. Wendell needs to pass Volunteer-poor departments hire nine to help tackle more calls By MICHAEL A.

BELL STAFF WRITER CORINTH HOLDERS Mark Hill, a Wendell man who authorities believe crashed his truck on Sept. 9 against a house here and then bolted after a fire erupted, will not be charged by the State Highway Patrol because they say no way of proving he was behind the See Relief, page 2A Inside How to help victims. 2A See Bullock, page 5A See Sams, page 5A See Fire staff, page 6A See Incident, page 6A Inside Eastern Wake business community stays busy. 2A.