Local

2001 in Review: A Year of Change and Hope

By COURTNEY MARTIN, LTN Staff Writer

Dec. 31, 2001 - It was, of course, the biggest story of the past year locally, nationally and worldwide.

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America changed lives in our community, hundreds of miles from Ground Zero. More emphasis was placed on suspicious letters, emergency workers preparations and the security at McGuire Nuclear Station — and on patriotism. Lincoln County showed its colors — red, white, and blue — proudly while its residents reached deep into their pockets to aid attack victims.

There were other stories for which 2001 will be remembered, some sad, poignant; others funny or quirky.

From the decline of the local economy and associated job losses to groundbreaking on a new high school and new businesses, no one can argue that 2001 was not a year of change in Lincoln County.

Here is a chronological list of some of the stories of 2001.

January

Jan. 1— Ellen Schwanzl, 79, of Lincolnton, was killed and two other women injured when two cars collided at the intersection of Buffalo Shoals and Shuford roads.

Jan. 3 — A fire at the Southern Fiber manufacturing plant, located on the South Grove Street Extension, caused more than $1 million in damages.

Jan. 8 — A Lincolnton man was killed and his wife critically injured when their sport utility vehicle overturned on U.S. 321.

Jan. 10 — Cherryville Police charged Johnny Eugene Mitchell III, 43, in the murder of Howard “Sonny” Neill.

Jan. 15 — Three Lincoln County School employees ran a 26.2 mile marathon at Walt Disney World in Florida to raise money for the Leukemia Society.

Jan. 19 — Dolores Ann Beal, 34, died in a wreck on Reepsville Road, but her eight-month-old son Hunter survived because she had placed him correctly in a car seat.

Jan. 28 — Lincolnton’s first sports bar had a rocky beginning when it was reported to the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission for violating its temporary permit to serve mixed drinks.

Jan. 31 — Elizabeth Ann Sharpe was charged with arson in connection with the fire at the Southern Fiber plant. She was also charged with embezzlement from the company.

February

Feb. 5 — Denver’s new post office opened with more space inside and more room outside for expansion.

Feb. 7 — Ronnie Elmore Gaither, 48, of Hickory, was arrested for an elaborate scheme in which he allegedly set up a phony company, recruited unwitting “employees” and used them to obtain expensive new cars and cash rebates.

Feb. 11 — The Lincoln County Family YMCA, adjacent to Lincoln Medical Center, celebrated its grand opening.

Feb. 18 — Dale Earnhardt died in the last lap of the Daytona 500.

Feb. 22 — Lincoln County drivers were involved in about 20 wrecks due to an unexpected accumulation of snow and sleet. Many parents were angry that school was not canceled.

Feb. 25 — A Lincoln County man, David Brian Williams, 23, was shot in the chest by John Russell Taylor. Cabarrus County Sheriff Brad Riley said Taylor found the victim in his home with his wife.

March

March 2 — For the first time in two years, Lincoln Medical Center posted a profit in the first four months of its fiscal year.

March 5 — County Commissioners approved the construction of a pump station and a force main to connect the Timken Co. in Iron Station with Lincolnton’s sewer system.

March 9 — Cataler Corp., a Japanese company, announced plans to build a 100,000-square-foot plant in the Lincoln County Industrial Park.

March 12 — The Lincoln County Fire Marshall’s office has purchased a $10,000 robotic teaching tool with a Smart Start grant. The motorized fire truck and its Dalmatian-costumed driver are part of the office’s life and fire safety education program.

March 13 — Calvins Lewis Andrews, 20, was shot and killed in an apartment near Town Square Ford off East Main Street. Adrian Keith Smith, 18, was arrested and charged with first degree murder.

March 19 — County Commissioners voted to fund the building of libraries in both east and west Lincoln.

March 23 — The U.S. Census confirmed that Lincoln County’s population increased 27 percent since 1990.

March 28 — R-Anell Homes founder, Rolan Jones, bought back the company when American Homestar, the company he sold R-Anell to in 1998, filed for bankruptcy.

March 30 — Ron Dolan, a Lincoln County resident and Corporate Air Fleet pilot, flew out of Lincolnton in his single-engine Piper airplane. He died in a crash while approaching Concord Regional Airport in heavy fog.

April

April 2 — A producer, reporter and camera crew with the ABC television news show “20/20” came to the Vale home of David and Mary Davis, the grandparents of Candace Elizabeth Newmaker, following the death of the child at the hands of Colorado ‘rebirthing’ therapists. The 10-year-old was taken to Colorado by her adoptive mother Jeane Newmaker of Durham.

April 6 — A 15-year-old Lincolnton High School student was arrested for taking a gun onto school property.

April 7 —Relay for Life is held at the East Lincoln High School stadium. Walkers raised $144,000 for cancer research by the time they left the field.

April 10 — A truck driver, William Michael Foster, 48, of Wilksboro was shot in the lower back while delivering produce to a Lincolnton restaurant.

April 16 — County Commissioners approved an incentive agreement that would provide a Japanese company with more than $1.2 million in grants over a five-year period for building a manufacturing plant in Lincoln County.

April 20 — Two Colorado therapists were convicted in the “rebirthing” death of 10-year-old Lincoln County native Candace Newmaker.

April 25 — La-Z-Boy announced it would cut 150 jobs at its Lincolnton plant.

May

May 1 — Carolina Mills announced it would close one of its plants in Lincolnton, eliminating 122 jobs.

May 4 — Chad Lattimore, Isaac Beard and Keith Dellinger were arrested when a 20-pound package of marijuana addressed to them was delivered to the wrong address and taken to police.

May 5 — The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at the Lincolnton High School stadium raised about $135,000.

May 7 — Lincoln County Manager Stan Kiser presented a 2001-02 budget that would require an 11 cent increase in property taxes. City residents will pay 62 cents per $100 valuation of property instead of the 51 cents that was in effect.

May 9 — One of Lincoln County’s largest drug seizure cases, which found 223 pounds of marijuana, 27 ounces of meth-amphetamine and $49,000 in cash, ended with Alejandro Loza being found not guilty by a jury.

May 15 — Officials broke ground in the Lincoln County Industrial Park on a $60 million plant for Cataler Corp., a Japanese company which makes catalytic converters.

May 21 — Vandals broke 15 windows at Lincolnton High School with a bat.

May 23 — Marcus Bishop, a sign company employee, was electrocuted while changing a light bulb at Carolina Shopping Center on East Main Street.

May 26 — More than 500 seniors graduated as the class of 2001 from Lincoln County’ three high schools.

June

June 1 — Four people, Miguel Garro, Jennifer Najera, Carolina Najera and Amarilis Najera, were killed in an accident on U.S. 321.

June 6 — Ricky Albert Hudson allegedly threw knives at Sheriff’s Deputies and was arrested and charged with felonies.

June 9 — Bridegroom Craig Gates, Jr. was badly cut by the bride’s ex-husband, Robert Elmore, during his wedding reception, according to authorities.

June 12 — Michael Phillip Hill was arrested for the drug-related murder of Tony Michael Sutton.

June 11 — A Lincolnton man, Mitchell Allan Healy, died of a heart attack while walking on a treadmill at the Lincoln County YMCA.

June 22 — Lincolnton Middle School student, Madison Lanier, won the N.C. Soil and Water Conservation Essay contest.

June 23 — Miss Lincoln County, Ashley House, was named Miss North Carolina.

July

July 4 — A new truck ordinance bans big rigs from using Sycamore, Pine and Dixon streets, Bonview Avenue, and the portion of North Flint Street from Main Street to the 1000 block in downtown Lincolnton.

July 7 — Danny Lynn Snider, of Crouse, was arrested for murdering his neighbor, Steven Scalgle, during an argument.

July 11 — A 6-month-old Mooresville baby died after his father, Michael Heinen, left him in his car during the day while he worked. The child’s car seat was installed correctly, facing backward. Heinen worked as a veterinarian at the Lake Norman Animal Hospital in Mooresville.

July 17 — A truck overturned on N.C. 27 near Boger City killing the driver, spilling thousands of gallons of gasoline and blocking the highway for 13 hours.

July 21 — Nine-year-old Samantha Edwards was shocked by 7,200 volts of electricity while climbing a tree. Her 10-year-old neighbor, Chris Haney, climbed the tree and carried the girl down.

July 31 — Teachers across the county went to work to prepare for classes to start the following week.

August

Aug. 1 — County school board members decided to use multiple contractors in order to minimize cost for the new Pumpkin Center area high school. The new school will cost $21.2 million.

Aug. 3 — A worried relative crawled through the window of Thomas Bynum, Jr.’s home, at 719 East Sycamore St., to find him murdered with multiple injuries.

Aug. 6 — The county planning board voted to endorse plans for a 710-home development on Optimist Club Road in east Lincoln.

Aug. 7 — Lincolnton Police were looking for Kevin Dale Gray for more than a week in connection with the rape of a 24-year-old woman at her home on Buffalo Shoals Road when he strolled into his bank to withdraw money and was recognized. He was arrested and charged with first degree rape and burglary.

Aug. 10 — Lincoln County settled in a lawsuit filed against them by a former employee, Edgar Wilhelm.

Aug. 11 — Seven-year-old Seth Redding was seriously injured while riding an all terrain vehicle at his grandfather’s home.

Aug. 13 — Emergency workers across the county tested their disaster skills when they confronted a mock nuclear reactor losing its coolant.

Aug. 16 — Sixteen-year-old East Lincoln High School honor student, Nicole Ann Bowman, died in a car accident on N.C. 73.

Aug. 17 — West Lincoln High School student, William Dagehart, 17, was allegedly driving drunk when a sheriff’s deputy tried to pull him over. He led the deputy on a high speed chase that ended when Dagehart crashed in downtown Lincolnton.

Aug. 23 — James Paul Coffey, a 5-year-old Lincoln County boy, drowned in a neighbor’s swimming pool.

September

Sept. 3 — Barry James, 47, and a 15-year-old boy both died in unrelated accidents on Lake Norman over the weekend.

Sept. 3 — The MA-MAC Industries plant, 3232 Long Shoals Road, plant burned down. An off-line sprinkler system was blamed for the total loss.

Sept. 4 — Maurice Moore, a Lincolnton karate teacher, was hailed as a hero after pulling a pregnant woman from under her car, which had landed at the bottom of a two-story deep ravine.

Sept. 6 — A WWII era P-51 Mustang airplane crashed in the woods just outside of Denver, barely missing Rock Springs Elementary School and a residential area. The pilot and passenger parachuted out, landing safely.

Sept. 7 — Ronnie Lee Keener, 29, accepted a plea bargain of second degree murder and was sentenced to at least 16 years in prison. He gave a statement that said the victim’s wife and her ex-husband paid him to kill Johnny Lee Seaman.

Sept. 11 — Four airplanes were hijacked in the morning hours. Two were crashed into the New York City’s World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, collapsing them and killing thousands. Another was crashed into the Pentagon and the last crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Americans were shocked and confused about the events of the morning.

Sept. 15 — Patriotism surrounded the Lincoln County Apple Festival which also experienced unseasonably cool weather.

Sept. 21 — Preliminary work on the new N.C. 16 was started. Workers started clearing out trees and other obstacles.

Sept. 26 — Sixteen-year-old Travis Conrad, an East Lincoln High School football player, died after suffering head injuries in an automobile accident the day before.

October

Oct. 5 — Lincoln County commissioners and City of Lincolnton council members approved plans to create the county’s first public use soccer field in the Oaklawn community.

Oct. 11 — Jeane Newmaker, 48, of Durham, pled guilty to the criminally negligent child abuse of her adopted daughter, Candace Newmaker, 10, who died during ‘rebirthing’ therapy. The child was born in Lincoln County.

Oct. 17 — First Choice Cash Advance, located at 1565 N. Generals Blvd., was robbed at gun point.

Oct. 20 — A candlelight vigil on the front lawn of the Lincoln Cultural Center brought about 100 people together to remember those lost in the Sept. 11 attacks.

Oct. 22 — Deputy Craig J. Fine with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department was credited with saving the life of an 11-month-old baby. Fine was a new employee riding along when a call came in that a baby had stopped breathing. When he and another officer arrived, Fine performed rescue breathing.

Oct. 25 — A Shelby resident, Ricky Dean Epps, died after being shot the night before while in Cherryville.

Oct. 26 — Ground was broken for Lincoln County’s new Pumpkin Center area high school. It is expected to open in 2003.

November

Nov. 1 — Lincoln County School Board officials toured Lincolnton High School to find it needs more than $1 million in renovations and repairs.

Nov. 7 — Mohican Mills, the second largest employer in Lincoln County, laid off 50 workers.

Nov. 9 — A burning ban was put in effect because of extreme dry weather. The entire state was at its highest level of alert for fires.

Nov. 11 — Veterans were honored over the weekend, culminating in a celebration that took place at the Citizen Center.

Nov. 14 — Harold Farmer, 51, was charged with the murder of 26-year-old Kenneth Wayne Beal.

Nov. 19 — Lincoln County’s Emergency Medical Services asked County Commissioners for an estimated $939,000 to replace its overcrowded building.

Nov. 20 — James Bryson Jones, 53, tried to avoid a speeding ticket and ended the ensuing high speed chase by flipping his car and facing further charges.

Nov. 20 — The N.C. State Court of Appeals made the final decision to bar North Gaston High from football playoffs allowing East Lincoln a playoff berth.

Nov. 27 — The N.C. Symphony ushered in the holiday season with a pops concert at the Citizen Center.

Nov. 29 — Celia Deese and George Brookins were named 2001 Man and Woman of the Year during the annual Lincolnton-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Banquet.

Nov. 30 — For the first time in 34 years, the Lincolnton High Wolves beat Shelby in a football game.

December

Dec. 1 — Lincolnton kicked off the Christmas season with its Christmas Parade down Main Street.

Dec. 5 — The Olympic torch was driven through Lincolnton on U.S. 321 toward Gastonia on a journey to its ultimate goal, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dec. 10 — A Lincolnton boy scout, Christopher Haney, was honored in a People magazine article about heroes.

Dec. 12 — The parent company of Mohican Mills announced the company will be put up for sale.

Dec. 12 — Two suspects, Charles Worthy and Eddie Harrison, were arrested in connection to an armed robbery at Advance America. The pair allegedly asked directions to U.S. 321 at the business next door before robbing the check cashing store.

Dec. 22 — Jeremy Mauney, 20, was killed by a single stab to the heart while walking on U.S. 321 Business near Victory Grove Church Road.

Dec. 23 — Sgt. Todd Shipman, a 13-year veteran of the Cherryville Police Department, fatally shot a 31-year-old man after responding to a domestic call from his residence.

Dec. 23 — Gaston Harris, 49, and Debra Earl, 43, both Lincolnton residents, died in a car accident on Buffalo Shoals Road near the intersection with Woolie Road.

Dec. 27 — Charles Irven Jonathan Moss, 24, was charged with first degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of Jeremy Mauney.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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