High Point news from the News & Record

It’s land of opportunity, challenges for Iraqi refugees

mumbarger — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0400

HIGH POINT - The land of the free holds opportunity and a chance for a better life.

It's not easy, though. Immigrants and refugees who come to the U.S. find that it takes longer than they thought to attain the things they dreamed of. Their own home. A car. An education. A better job.

For Rafid Kully, an Iraqi refugee who worked as a translator and interpreter for the U.S. military, it can't happen soon enough. Though college-educated and bilingual, he still struggles.

HPU gets approval for parking lot

Holly Lux — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0400

The David and Goliath saga of homeowner Larry Chason versus High Point University came to a close Tuesday night. Unlike the biblical tale, however, Goliath walked away the victor.

The High Point City Council voted 8-1 in favor of a rezoning request by the school that will, among other things, allow it to expand a planned parking lot into a residential neighborhood. The lot will support the newest 560-person dormitory and back up to Guyer Street. It will not have access to the street.

I-85 ramp to N.C. 62 to close

jnewsom — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:01:24 -0400

HIGH POINT — The ramp from southbound Interstate 85 to N.C. 62 (Liberty Road) will close at 6 a.m. Monday for five weeks.

The N.C. Department of Transportation is closing the ramp for road work in conjunction with construction on U.S. 311 and the new Interstate 74.

The ramp is scheduled to reopen Oct. 17.

High Point University gets former industrial facility as gift

mgrossman — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:44:07 -0400

HIGH POINT - High Point University recently received a gift of light industrial real estate in support of the School of Education from L. Paul Brayton, president of Paul Brayton Designs in High Point and a member of the university's Board of Trustees.

The property includes one building at 265 Swathmore Ave. in High Point with a total space of 76,800 square feet. For many years it was an industrial facility for Brayton International, an office furniture company. The real estate is valued at $2.3 million.

High Point moves to honor its famous son, Coltrane

Margaret Wimmer — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0400

The music sounds sweet as movement continues to preserve the memory of jazz great John Coltrane, who first made music in High Point.

In 1999, his former Philadelphia home became a historic site. On Aug. 21, The Wall Street Journal reported that another former Coltrane home was saved in the Dix Hills area of Huntington, N.Y., on Long Island. The home was given historic status and ownership transferred to a group that is raising money to make it a place for musical learning.

Hobbyists manage to keep old art alive

bwebb — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

China painting is a dying art, Nancy Fowler said, “much like tatting.”

Fowler sat at a long row of tables with Ruth Whaley Groome and Helen Polk on Monday afternoon at the Roy B. Culler Jr. Senior Center, 600 N. Hamilton St., High Point.

The women opened thin, flat boxes to reveal graphite pencils, paint brushes and paint. They went on to use the tools to paint the white dishes in front of them.

Once painted, the china is fired in a kiln and then the process is repeated several more times until the color is as bright and thick as the artist wants it.

High Point to implement green initiatives

bwebb — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

High Point accepted the N.C. League of Municipalities’ Green Challenge during an Aug. 4 meeting.

The challenge is to take measures to save energy and other natural resources during the next three years.

Relief at the mall: Popular Oak Hollow store is saved

Jay Reddick — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

Teenagers tried on jeans and T-shirts Thursday as pop songs by Amanda Bynes and The Jonas Brothers blared on high-definition TV screens all over Steve and Barry’s at Oak Hollow Mall.

The shoppers there had reason to celebrate — they were sure the store would be empty by now.

When Steve and Barry’s announced last month that the company would declare bankruptcy, it seemed like another in a series of setbacks for Oak Hollow. The mall has seen sales decline in recent years as popular stores move out.

Money raised for brutally beaten restaurant owner

Jayme Elrod — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:17:48 -0400

HIGH POINT — As restaurant owner Wang Xing lay in a coma at High Point Regional Hospital, severely beaten a month ago while making a late-night food delivery, police and residents came together to find his attackers. They canvassed neighborhoods and two men were arrested.

Xing awoke from the coma after two weeks but remains in serious condition.

Now, residents are coming together again — this time to help Xing's wife and three young daughters handle the medical expenses.

Guilford Health Department schedules HIV and syphilis screening

lalexander — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:16:16 -0400

The Guilford County Department of Public Health will provide free and confidential HIV and syphilis testing from 3 to 7 p.m. Sept. 12 at Open Door Ministries, 400 N. Centennial Street in High Point. No appointment is needed.

"Getting regular tests for HIV and syphilis is an important way of taking care of your health," health director Merle Green said. "Knowledge is power. If you're negative, you can take the steps necessary to keep it that way. If you're positive, syphilis is curable.

Grass is greener: Woman concedes in fight over lawn

Holly Lux — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

HIGH POINT — The grass is green in the front yard of Mary Fontaine’s suburban home.

And she couldn’t be much less happy about it.

The peach-fuzz-like shoots poking through the straw mark the end of a summer-long battle between Fontaine and the William’s Grove homeowners association.

The fight touched on everything from water conservation to what makes an attractive yard. Ultimately it was resolved the old-fashioned way: with a hearing in front of the homeowners association board.

New Guilford substance abuse treatment center under state suspension

mgrossman — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:36:55 -0400

Guilford County's recently opened substance abuse treatment center is under a state-ordered suspension keeping it from accepting patients until issues such as oversight and medication security for its patients are solved.

The admissions were suspended beginning Aug. 15. The center at 5209 W. Wendover Ave. in High Point must send a plan to correct the problems on Aug. 25, which could be the earliest that the center could begin accepting patients.

ABC program looks at anti-drug program created in High Point

Ryan Seals — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:47:27 -0400

HIGH POINT - ABC News "Primetime" will feature a report tonight about the success of a drug intervention program, which originated with the High Point Police Department and has since been used to curb the open air drug market and violence in Hempstead, N.Y.

The report profiles the Overt Drug Market Intervention Strategy, or High Point Initiative. The program was started with the High Point Police Department in 2004 and continues to produce results, High Point Lt. Steve Myers said.

New High Point Walmart to hire 350

jnewsom — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:08:10 -0400

HIGH POINT — Walmart said today it will hire 350 people to work in its new supercenter here this fall.

The discount chain has opened a hiring office at 2107 Chester Ridge Drive, Suite 106 in High Point. Applicants can stop by the office for more information or call 841-6613.

High Point OKs graffiti ordinance

Brenda Hiles — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

HIGH POINT - At the urging of the city's police, the High Point City Council passed a new graffiti ordinance Monday night.

The ordinance, a requirement of an anti-gang grant from the Governor's Crime Commission , makes those defacing property liable for its cleanup and any damages. If that person can't be found, the responsibility falls to home and business owners whose property has been tagged with graffiti.

That would bring High Point into step with neighboring Greensboro, which already has such an ordinance.

High Point to close city hall at mall

jnewsom — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:14:41 -0400

HIGH POINT (MCT) — The city will close its City Hall at the Mall, a satellite location at Oak Hollow Mall where residents could pay bills.

Starting at Aug. 25, city residents can pay their city, Time Warner Cable and Piedmont Natural Gas bills at the former Piedmont Natural Gas building at 136 Northpoint Ave. in north High Point.

Feeding Kenya's Children

mgrossman — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

HIGH POINT - Nothing seemed to get past the bespectacled eyes of 85-year-old Irma Price.

"This is a big deal, and it's going to feed them for a long time," said Price, eyeing the just-sealed lining of a sturdy plastic bag containing powdered high-protein meals with dehydrated vegetables destined for Kenya.

"This one is really iffy," she said, putting it aside.

Could there be Indy cars in Furniture City?

Christy Seals — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

HIGH POINT - As the furniture industry declines, plants close and jobs move overseas, many people in High Point are searching for a way to bring tourist money to the city and revitalize downtown.

The latest idea: race Indy cars downtown.

Furniture City Motorsports floated that idea at a news conference Thursday at Emerywood Country Club.

The group, a nonprofit that is working to make High Point a racing city, unveiled its plans to bring a road race to the streets downtown as early as 2010.

GOP preaches to the choir at office opening

Brenda Hiles — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

HIGH POINT - Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole acknowledged he was playing to a friendly crowd Monday as he helped open the Triad's "Victory Office," a joint headquarters for the state Republican party and John McCain's presidential campaign.

"It's like speaking to the choir," Dole said. "It's not a bad idea from time to time. Sometimes you forget to speak to the choir and they don't work as hard as they did."

2 charged in beating of restaurant employee

mgrossman — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:45:09 -0400

HIGH POINT — Police have arrested two people in the beating last month of a restaurant employee.

On July 27, Wang Xing, 39, was found in the back of the Golden Dragon restaurant at 274 Eastchester Drive. He had been beaten severely after delivering an order at the Raintree Apartments on nearby Northpoint Avenue.

Two wounded in High Point shooting

jnewsom — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:57:26 -0400

HIGH POINT — Police are still trying to figure out who shot two people here Saturday night.

McCain opens Guilford office

mgrossman — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:35:39 -0400

The state Republican Party and Arizona Sen. John McCain's presidential camp opened their joint "Victory Office" in Guilford County on Monday, calling on former senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole to headline the event.

"Whether you're Democrat, Republican, independent or just drove in the wrong parkway here ... you want to elect people to office who understand freedom and liberty," Dole said.

High Point police take to streets to combat violence

Jay Reddick — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

Police and residents came together Thursday night in the wake of two homicides and a brutal robbery. In a town where violence is rare, they hit the streets and knocked on doors to try to turn up leads and to send a message.

Speaking to a crowd of about 50 police and residents in the small training room at police headquarters, High Point Police Chief Jim Fealy said the showing was evidence of something he has long believed.

“Whatever community you live in in High Point — if there’s an act of violence, we all have a problem,” Fealy said. “Every single one of us.”

2 arrested in death of High Point teen

mfuchs — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:52:52 -0400

HIGH POINT - Two people were arrested on charges they killed a 16-year-old boy whose body was found face down in a ditch Saturday, police said today.

Travis Lamont McConnell, of 818 Carter St., suffered from severe trauma about the upper torso and head, according to High Point police.

On Wednesday, detectives arrested two people on murder charges. Police, however, were not providing additional information as of Thursday afternoon.

Police, public to meet on violence

Brenda Hiles — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0400

HIGH POINT - After two homicides and a brutal robbery in the past month, High Point police are organizing a violent-crime response meeting to ask residents for help and to help them organize.

The meeting will take place at 6 tonight at the High Point Police Department's training room at 1009 Leonard Ave.

The High Point Community Against Violence is co-sponsoring the event. The group has helped residents organize against crime for a decade. The group's president, Gretta Bush, said community meetings are most needed when violent crimes happen in a cluster.