INSIDE NEWS, 9A

Adams wins $10,000 scholarship

WEATHERScattered thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon.HIGH: 91LOW: 76

INSIDE SPORTS, 1B

Proud father follows son’s baseball career

PARADE MAGAZINE INSIDE TODAY'S DAILY JOURNAL

100% recycled newsprint

DeathsWalter Covington Sr, Rockingham

Rodney Haywood, 41, EllerbeLizzie Martin, RockinghamJoyce Orr, 81, Rockingham

Obituaries can be found on Page 5A.

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Calendar 2AClassified 7BComics 4C

Obituaries 5AOpinion 4APuzzles 4CSports 1BTV Listings 2C

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Vol. 79, No. 126

Material inside this edition is© Richmond County Daily Journal.

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Weekender $1.00June 26-27, 2010

RACERSCONTINUED ON PAGE 2A

JOBLESSCONTINUED ON PAGE 6A

CHANGECONTINUED ON PAGE 3A

Daily Journal to start carrying USA WEEKEND in JulyOn July 3, the Richmond

County Daily Journal will be carrying America’s most pop-ular weekend magazine, USA WEEKEND Magazine.

We’ve added USA WEEKEND to your Saturday newspaper because of its fresh slant on the people and trends that affect our lives. Parade’s last issue in the Daily Journal will be today.

USA WEEKEND Magazine’s award-winning blend of news and entertainment is a perfect

match for The R i c h m o n d County Daily J o u r n a l ’ s Weekender and its read-ers. In addi-tion, USA WEEKEND sponsors sev-eral commu-nity-related programs including Make A Difference Day, a powerful pro-

gram that b e n e f i t s c o m m u -nities all across the c o u n t r y and active-ly involves and rec-o g n i z e s millions of r e a d e r s .

Make A Difference Day has grown to be the largest day of

volunteer action in America. Each weekend, readers will

find interviews and advice from today’s most influential celebri-ties, regular features on finance, health, technology, relation-ships and fitness, plus healthy eating tips and regular recipes from best selling author Pam Anderson. USA WEEKEND is carried nationally in more than 600 newspapers.

As the Richmond County Daily Journal continues to keep

pace in the new millennium, we are pleased to introduce USA WEEKEND Magazine in our Saturday paper. The USA WEEKEND staff welcomes comments and questions from readers. They can be reached at 1-800-487-2956 (choose option #4 on the menu prompt). Or readers can visit them online at usaweekend.com, which includes poll, surveys and quiz-zes that supplement the print magazine.

Hospitality brings bikers back for more

Life and Faith Tour stop canceled due to lack of salesHollie NivensRichmond County Daily Journal

The Life and Faith Tour planned for July 10 at the Rockingham Speedway has been canceled because of the lack of ticket sales.

“It’s not that we will no longer have the show there at all, it’s just that it won’t happen this year,”

Creator Ronnie Jackson said. The full amount will be refund-

ed to those who did purchase the tickets to see such acts as Mercy Me, Diamond Rio, Aaron Shust, David Crowder Band, Natalie Grant, Israel Houghton, Point of Grace, Shenandoah, Meredith Andrews, The Justin Teseniar Band and Chris Hendricks.

The motto of the tour is about giving back to the community that they come to.

“The community of Richmond County is in need of these funds,” Jackson said.

The Richmond County Habitat for

Philip D. BrownRichmond County Daily Journal

Looking at motorcycles is always fun, but it’s the party and the hospitality that brings bikers from all over the east coast to Richmond County for the Rockingham Dragway Smoke Out.

And they attract quite a few, as county residents wit-nessed Thursday and Friday.

Josh and Ashley Gassert rode 12 hours from the Amish

Country of Western Pennsylvania to Rockingham.“This is my eighth one,” said Josh at a biker wel-

come party at City Limits Night Club in Rockingham. “I’ve been doing the smoke-outs since they were in Salisbury.”

He said the same things draw bikers from all over.“The Party!” Gassert said over a beer. “The bikes are

BIKERSCONTINUED ON PAGE 5A

TOURCONTINUED ON PAGE 3A

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Specials good June 14 through August 30.

CONTRIBUTED

Ben Morrison, 10, prepares for the his ride in the U.S. Army green “Jeep” built by Richmond County Cub Scout Pack 64 and Richmond County Cub Scout District Committee member Gene Poston at last year’s Soap Box Race. The Jeep ended up winning the award for Best in Show.

Racers: It’s speed that countsHollie NivensRichmond County Daily Journal

Little boys start playing with race cars, and as they get older they build them.

On July 17, they will have a chance to race them at the second annual Soap Box Derby on Main Street in Hamlet.

“The race is about the speed of the car, not just its good looks,” said Jason Poston, 10, of Pack 64. His father is Gene Poston who is on the district board and also in charge of the construction of the cars.

Registration is at 5 p.m. and the racing starts at 6 p.m. to take advantage of cooler weather and

track conditions. There is no entry fee.

Last year, the Richmond County Cub Scouts fielded nine race cars. This year they hope to attract more cars from Cub Scout Packs from nearby counties.

The winners of last year’s race was Pack 64 for best in show and the fastest brothers. Ben Morrison, 10, and Adam, 8, are members of the pack and each got a chance to race in separate cars.

“I didn’t know where the brake was,” Adam said “It was a ramp going down hill and I didn’t know how to stop.”

Adam drove a blue and yellow roadster which won first place for being the fastest.

The cars are made with no ped-als or foot brakes. You stop by pull-ing a lever with your hand.

“Each grade level is a Den,” Cub Master Tonya Freeman said. “The cars are so much larger so one pack builds each car and they race those. He drove the Army green Jeep that one best in show last year.

“I had a good time,” Ben said. “You just have to remember to keep the cars straight.”

The prizes will be given for first, second and third and also best in show and most creative car.

“It was fun but it was also com-

Customer’ssmall changehelps othersPhilip D. BrownRichmond County Daily Journal

Sandhills Children’s Center was among three Richmond County non-profit organizations to receive a monetary gift from the customers of the Pee Dee Electric Cooperative Membership on Friday.

The Rockingham American Legion and Derby Volunteer Fire Department were also presented checks Friday, for renovations to a pier on Ledbetter Lake and to purchase radios, respectively.

The funds, which totaled nearly $14,000, were collect-ed through the utility’s Operation Roundup, in which participating members volunteer to have their monthly bills rounded up to the next dollar, and the surplus goes toward the non-profit’s Care to Share Program.

Sandhills Director of Center Services Melanie Carnes explained Friday that the money will help buy an $8,000 piece of equipment.

“It is going towards a wonderful piece of equipment for children with physical disabilities who are learning to walk,” Carnes said. “It’s called a gait trainer, and while this $5,000 won’t pay for all of it, it covers a sig-nificant amount of the costs.”

Jobless numbersimprove againPhilip D. BrownRichmond County Daily Journal

Richmond County’s unemployment rate crept down another four-tenths of a point in May, as the rates of 89 counties also declined and the state saw a drop of 0.2 percent.

Richmond County’s unemployment in May dropped to 12.6 percent, territory unseen since the onset of the national recession.

“Things are looking up a little bit in regards to employ-ers regaining confidence and hiring,” North Carolina Employment Security Commission Rockingham Office Manager Jack Haliburton said. “We’re optimistic, and we hope to see this rise in hiring continue through the month of June.”

Haliburton said Sav-A-Lot grocery store and Campbell’s Soup have been in the office recruiting workers, along with Richmond County DSS and Big Rock Sports.

“We’re continuing to try to get people to test for the

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