The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 9

TTT" mg At la STATE EDITION WAKE THE NE1VS OBSERVER THURSDAY AUGUST 28 1997 3B Lawyers 3B yers Willard Scott's visit makes the day sunny in the Triangle BY TREVA JONES STAFF WRITER 1- i' 'iiv4 1'- ') A 4 i'1': ''A '''1J': 7: l'-' i ii I l'' 1- -4 9 -J '-'-'-s i '''0 1'' 1 ') -'''''''''il' 'f) i' '1 '7 3 1 1- 4 4bZiffki-' I i 'k '---f 4i i A I 'i 1 i '1 1 1 41 A i t- f'1(e-' 41 ye I 4 1 i' i i- 'A '7 4 1' 2:: a i''''''1'a'''' '1 :77 GARNER organizers plan fund-raising kickoff The Garner Family YMCA Founders Committee will kick off its fund-raising campaign from 1 to 3 pm Sunday Sept 7 at Lake Benson Park The theme for the event will be "Land of Oz" and all children are invited to dress up as munchldns Admission is free The celebration will mark the beginning of a fund drive to start a YMCA in Garner Organizers hope to raise $200000 from families individuals and businesses The celebration will include children's games a musical skit and food vendors For more information about the campaign contact Jim Bousman founders campaign committee chairman at 772-2563 TRIANGLE Spaying neutering discount offered More than half of veterinary practices are reducing their fees for spaying and neutering in September in connection with the NC Veterinary Medical Association's SNIP program The association started SNIP which stands for "Spay Neuter Improves Pets" in 1995 out of concern about animal health and overpopulation Participating veterinarians are offering a 20 percent discount for spaying and neutering Spaying or neutering improves pet health and longevity by lowering the risk of some types of cancer prostate problems and socially transmitted diseases The association is advising pet owners to contact clinics to find out whether they are participating and then to make an appointment RALEIGH NCSU studying student services At NC State University students aren't just students They are considered customers And university administrators want to find out just how good their customer service is Chancellor Larry Monteith has created a Commission on Quality Student Services a 27-member panel of department heads and student leaders that will develop methods for students to evaluate the performance of each department NCSU leaders hope the use of focus groups comment cards and even an interactive site on the World Wide Web ultimately will improve retention and graduation rates "We're trying to make the climate on this campus one that delights students" George Dixon vice provost and admissions director said in a news release FROM STAFF REPORTS RALEIGH They got up hours before the sun and drove from points all over the Triangle and beyond to see and meet one of their favorite people And like everybody's best-loved uncle NBC television's celebrity weatherman Willard Scott showed up right on time flashing his famous grin kissing everybody in sight and generally making folks feel good about themselves "I consider Willard a Class A celebrity because he has such rapport with people you feel like you know him in person" said Derald Hendry 61 who was among a crowd of several hundred at Crabtree Valley Mall where Scott appeared Wednesday morning "He's so pleasant and so positive there's not one negative vein in his body" added Hendry a retired teacher from Clayton who had made such an effort to meet a famous person only one before The other time was to see Charlton Heston Hendry and his friend Robert Pickering 62 also of Clayton got up at 4 am to make it to the mall Scott was there to do live TV cut-ins for NBC's "Today" show and WNCN a local station owned by the network His appearance was part of the mall's 25th anniversary celebration "You know how people say Willard is sure a nice man on TV? How you see him on TV is exactly how he is" said WNCN weatherman Dave Osterberg who met Scott for the first time Wednesday One of Scott's youngest fans was Thomas Dixson of Raleigh Thomas 9 peered shyly between adults watching as Scott chatted with folks during breaks Thomas' mother Demetra Dixson nudged him forward to ask for an autograph Dixson said she and her son went to the mall "because we love Willard and we love the 'Today' show And we miss Bryant Gumbel" the former "Today" cohost Dixson dodged out with a camera and took a quick snapshot as the beefy weatherman talked with her son When Thomas spontaneously threw his arms around Scott Scott bent down hugged him hard and planted a big smack right on top of the youngster's head "He's very nice" Thomas said trotting back to his mother Probably the oldest fan to turn up at the mall was Dr William "Ted" Miller a resident of Glenaire retirement community in Cary who will celebrate his 100th birthday Sept 26 Glenaire employees had arranged for Miller to make the trip after they heard that Scott famous for noting people's 100th birthdays would be there Scott reached for Miller's hand and politely guided him to a spot right up in front of the TV camera Bending low to speak to the frail-looking man Scott congratulated him on reaching his 100th year And apparently without a second thought the beaming Scott leaned over and gave Miller a big smack "Let's sing 'Happy Birthday' boomed the cheerful weatherman who spent time as Bozo the Clown and Ronald McDonald before he hit it big on national television )ute rder rges 3 HACKETT WRITER ohnston County Lry is expected to iting today on lg men had muren they took part kicking hitting at left a 21-yearlast summer in ing arguments rnoon defense ldy Harmon and 1 did not dispute ccurred Aug 17 qr clients might least some of the awever that what ght was a typical and the reckless of premeditated )ne blow or severDormio of Seyr Force Base died in hemorrhage a caminer testified 4 James Dormio died in fight and legally drunk On the ground and kicked is a voluntary case" Harmon's Ethridge said going out to kill Nlaybe a fight was but nobody gave ing" Harmon and larged with firstohnson's attorney not only had to he accusations of also had to deal ions made by each Irneys repeatedly as not their client other defendant the fatal blow Johnson "the Iderson said that minimized Harent in the beating ere better friends Irosecutor Susan I Harmon 25 and re acting togethmatter whose kick If each defendant ten each is responAnd you don't kick head if you don't nts sat grimly in loyd's courtroom with their attortalking with each andparents who were his adoptive luietly in the front eaks they talked and responsible Alas want to do is cry" Imother Rosalie a young man to be illegedly involved William Pope and are to be Hackett can be reached Dr thackettnandocom 1 HACKETT WRITER Johnston County jury is expected to today on men had they took part kicking hitting left a last summer in arguments afternoon defense Teddy Harmon and did not dispute occurred Aug 17 clients might least some of the however that what night was a typical and the reckless of premeditated one blow or Dormio of Force Base died hemorrhage a examiner testified 4f 1i James Dormio died in fight and legally drunk on the ground and kicked is a voluntary case" Harmon's Ethridge said going out to kill Maybe a fight was but nobody gave killing" Harmon and charged with Johnson's attorney not only had to the accusations of also had to deal made by each attorneys repeatedly was not their client other defendant the fatal blow Johnson "the Anderson said that minimized in the beating were better friends prosecutor Susan Harmon 25 and were acting matter whose kick "If each defendant then each is "And you don't kick head if you don't them" sat grimly in Floyd's courtroom with their talking with each grandparents who were his adoptive quietly in the front breaks they talked and responsible was I want to do is cry" grandmother Rosalie a young man to be allegedly involved William Pope and are to be Hackett can be reached or thackettnandocom dispute murder charges BY THOMAS STAFF SMITHFIELD A Superior Court begin deliberating whether two young murderous intent when in the shoving and stomping that 21-yearold airman dead Benson In their closing Wednesday attorneys for Douglas Johnson that a beating 1996 or that their have delivered at blows They argued happened that fight of the young and not a case murder Whether from several James Joseph Seymour Johnson Air of a massive brain state medical earlier Other wit- nesses said that Dormio had been con- fronted by a group of three young men apparently over a girl at a gas station during a night of cruising in downtown Benson Wearing a cast from a broken ankle Dormio was soon getting stomped "We feel this manslaughter attorney James "They were not James Dormio going to take place a thought to Johnston are first-degree murder Ethridge and Robert Anderson argue against prosecutors they with the implications other Both inferred that it but rather the who delivered Ethridge called devil" while witnesses had Harmon's involvement because they with him Either way Doyle argued if Johnson 17 together then it didn't killed Dormio had the intent responsible" she said someone in the intend to kill The defendants Judge Robert seldom talking attorneys and never other Dormio's reared him and parents cried row During about how polite their grandson "I feel like all said his Cowgill "He was proud of" Two others in the melee Stephen tried later Thomas at 829-4567 (nbarnesnandocom) Durham associate editor Charles Jeffries at 956-2417 (charlesinandocom) Chapel Hill editor Winston Cavin at 932-2003 (wcavinnandocom) NBC-TV weatherman Willard Scott famous for recognizing centenarians on air visits with Dr William 'Ted' Miller 100 of Cary during a visit to Crabtree Valley Mall STAFF PHOTO BY CANDICE CUSIC since she was a child and grew up watching him play host at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade every year Some of the NCCU cheerleaders had to get up at 3:30 in the morning to get to the mall on time But for team captain Chamonica Evans 21 the main effort was to do her bit to support the school football team not to meet the celebrity "I don't really have time to watch a lot of TV" she said laughing Treva Jones can be reached at 8294572 or tionesnandocom The crowd joined right in "It's quite an honor to meet Willard Scott" said Miller who retired as forestry professor at NC State University 32 years ago "I'm a fan of his He has a human touch" Cheer leading squads from NC Central University in Durham and St Augustine's College and NCSU in Raleigh got up hours earlier than usual to meet Scott and provide some action Cynthia Davis 21 captain of the NCSU squad was so excited about meeting Scott that getting up at 4:15 seemed worth it "He's down to earth He's interesting to watch" said Davis who has been a fan of his murders that ILEollo no arrests in 3 of 6 shook Raleigh Wednesday that the facts of the case warranted the way the matter was closed Burt and Evans had known each other for a long time and Sparrow said Evans frequently gave Burt money They also were known to quarrel and Burt's relatives had heard Evans utter threats against her when he was drunk On the night she died Burt told her grandmother that Evans had called and that she was going out for cigarettes A convenience store's surveillance camera later captured the two arguing She was shot shortly afterward about 9:30 pm and her body was found near the Next To New Thrift Shoppe on Poole Road Evans was the last person known to have seen Burt alive January 1996 and of Debra Elliott whose body was found the day after Christmas in 1995 He also is charged with five counts of rape or attempted rape No one has been charged in the 1996 deaths of Patricia Gwendolyn Woods on June 13 Dawn Grandy on July 7 and Cynthia Brown on Aug 22 At the time of Williams' arrest police said he was the only suspect in the Grandy and Brown killings Police said Evans was a suspect all along in Burt's death but they did not have the evidence to charge him until nearly a year later He initially was charged with first-degree murder but his attorneys Philip Kirk and Jeff Cutler proposed a guilty plea to the lesser felony and the prosecution agreed Prosecutors Michelle Sparrow and Susan Spur lin handled the case and Sparrow said answers and this month they closed one case at last On Aug 4 Leaman Evans 60 pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of his girlfriend Dewanna Burt 36 who was fatally shot Jan 17 1996 Last Friday Superior Court Judge Robert Farmer sentenced Evans to 23 to 37 months in prison Evans is allowed to leave prison daily to work as he has for years in the cafeteria at the NC Farm Bureau Federation as long as he does not consume alcohol In March police arrested John Williams a drifter from Augusta Ga and charged him with two of the other murders He is to appear in court Sept 4 for a hearing and his trial is tentatively scheduled to begin Jan 12 If convicted he could face the death penalty Williams 36 is charged in the deaths of Patricia Ashe whose body was found in early 60 pleads guilty to manslaughter in the death Another man is other slayings ANNE SAKER STAFF WRITER were six of them six on the street in less than long time no one could say only complicated the mystery: deaths connected somehow? four deaths police did not a serial killer might be at bodies No 5 and No 6 were seemed real police produced some Still Leaman Evans voluntary mans of Dewanna Bu charged in two By RALEIGH The women found dea a year and for a I who killed them Each murder a tery: Were the de Through the first want to say that work but when bi found the prospe Earlier this ye -Nrrl 0 A Still Leaman Evans voluntary of Dewanna Burt charged in two By RALEIGH There women found dead a year and for a who killed them Each murder Were the Through the first want to say that work but when found the prospect Earlier this year 0 1 Anne Laker can be reached at 829-8955 or osakernandocom 041040MRVSIMAMFOMPCf 1 717T1 47: N'''-'1' A 1 1 I 4 TTITE Have a story idea? A comment or complaint? Contact us The newsroom number in Raleigh is 829-4520 or (800) 365-6115 Local editors for the Triangle are: 1NEWA BSEUER Metro editor Ned Barnett at 829-4555 (nbarnettnandocom) Assistant Metro editor Carol Hall at 829-4539 (challnandocom) Wake Metro editor Carol Frey at 829-8979 (cfreynandocom) Wake County editor Jane Ruffin at 829-4570 (iruffinnandocom) Durham editor Nancy Barnes at 956-2410 I 1 meiftnrSftraafffixOWellbSk.