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L E X I N G T O N , N O R T H C A R O L I N A | W E D N E S D A Y, A U G U S T 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 | 5 0 ¢
Volume 132 | Number 77
INDEX:
Calendar
Classified
7A
7B
Comics
Dear Abby
5B
5B
Lifestyles
Obituaries
6A
5A
WWW.THE-DISPATCH.COM
Opinion
Sports
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1B
Television
Weather
4B
2A
Voting locations to remain the same
BY NASH DUNN
The Dispatch
In the midst of controversial
election decisions across the state,
things will remain the same in Davidson County in 2013, elections
officials confirmed Tuesday.
County voters will have two
early voting sites during this
year’s municipal elections, which
is the standard compared to past
non-presidential election years. In
addition, none of the county’s 43
election-day voting precincts will
be altered or eliminated.
In recent weeks, several of
Nor th Carolina’s Republicanled county boards have taken or
mulled measures to eliminate early
voting sites and voting precincts.
Most notably, the Watauga County
Board of Elections voted last week
to eliminate an early voting site
and election-day polling precinct
on the campus of Appalachian
State University. The Watauga
County board, which also elimi-
nated a second voting site, folded
the sites into a newly formed
Boone precinct that is expected to
serve more than 9,300 voters.
In the Triad, a member of the
Forsyth County Board of Elections
spoke openly to a newspaper that
he would try to eliminate an early
voting location at Winston-Salem
State University. The Forsyth
board has not voted on the issue.
While some Republicans say
the changes will save money and
create less confusion, voting rights
activists suggested the decisions
may be part of a larger effort to
curtail turnout amongst young voters more likely to support Democrats.
In Davidson County, voters
won’t see as many changes this
year after the Davidson County
Board of Elections unanimously
voted Tuesday to keep the same
early voting locations and precincts used in the past. Officials
decided to host early voting from
Oct. 17 through Nov. 2 at the board
of elections office in Lexington and
from Oct. 21 through Nov. 2 at the
Thomasville Library.
“I think that will be sufficient,”
said board member Randall Lanier,
the Davidson County Democratic
Party appointee.
In 2011, about 1,154 of the then31,558 registered voters cast ballots during the early voting period
at either the board of elections
office or the Thomasville Library,
according to elections records.
> Voting | 8A
Home
invasion
results in 3
arrests
Suspect falls into lake,
loses items
BY DARRICK IGNASIAK
The Dispatch
DENEESHA EDWARDS/THE DISPATCH
New teachers picked up goodie bags Tuesday at a reception sponsored by Lexington, Thomasville and Northern Davidson
chambers of commerce as well as Wells Fargo. The reception welcomed new teachers to Davidson County. There were 175 gifts
in each bag, which represented 175 new teachers.
New teachers welcomed at reception
BY DENEESHA EDWARDS
The Dispatch
As the start of the school year gets
closer, new teachers representing all
local school systems and private schools
were welcomed to town Tuesday.
Nearly 100 teachers attended the reception in the Storm Cellar at Davidson
County Community College. Superintendents Dr. Fred Mock of Davidson County
Schools, Rick Kriesky with Lexington
City Schools and Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin
of Thomasville City Schools were in attendance as well as Ethan Woodward,
head school administrator at Sheets Memorial Christian School and Jeannine
Woody, DCCC vice president of academic programs and services.
“We welcome you and hope this will
be the first of many occasions where you
feel welcome,” said Burr Sullivan, president of the Lexington Area Chamber of
Commerce. “This reception is our way of
making you feel welcome. We hope you
meet some new colleagues and make
some new friends. Good luck to you this
school year.”
Every year the event provides an opportunity for new hires to become familiar with businesses, organizations and
resources available to them in Davidson
County. The festivities were sponsored
by the Lexington, Thomasville and
Northern Davidson chambers along with
Wells Fargo.
“We’re so grateful for the role that
DENEESHA EDWARDS/THE DISPATCH
New teachers go through the buffet line Tuesday during a reception sponsored by
the Lexington, Thomasville and Northern Davidson chambers of commerce. The
event was held in the Storm Cellar at Davidson County Community College for
new teachers who represented all three school systems as well as Sheets Memorial
Christian School and DCCC. Nearly 100 teachers were in attendance.
each of you will play in creating successful citizens,” said Northern Davidson County Chamber of Commerce
President Randy Turner. “The business
community from all three chambers
are right behind you. Thank you for
the work you’re going to be doing in a
couple weeks, months and years. We’re
all where we are today because of a connection with a teacher. Your greatest
challenge is to be that teacher for one of
your students. Pay it forward right now.
We say thank you for what you’re doing
>New | 5A
Three people have been arrested in connection to a home invasion on Riverwood Drive in
Southmont, and one fell into High Rock Lake
while fleeing the house and dropped some of
the stolen items.
Kaylle Michelle Wilkins, 25, and Charles
Dietz, 23, both of 7168 Shallowford Road, Winston-Salem, and Cole McKay Parris, 23, of 111
Peacock St., have each been charged with felony
first-degree burglary, felony robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony kidnapping. They
were placed in the Davidson County Detention
Center, Parris under a $1 million secured bond,
and Dietz and Wilkins under $500,000 secured
bonds.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office alleged
in arrest warrants the three people armed with
handguns broke into a home on River wood
Drive between the hours of 4:45 and 5:02 a.m.
Friday. They ordered the resident to open a
safe, according to a press release. The warrants
stated Parris, Dietz and Wilkins took 10 firearms,
$30,000 in cash and jewelry by threatening the
use of a handgun and kidnapped one of the residents.
“The suspects tied (the victim’s) hands and
feet together,” the news release stated. “The
suspects fled from the residence carr ying a
pillow case with money and handguns. During
the escape, one of the male suspects fell into
High Rock Lake and had to be assisted out of the
lake by the female suspect. The pillow case was
dropped into the water.”
Davidson County Sheriff David Grice said the
suspects went out the wrong way of the house,
which led to them falling into the lake. The water
was seven feet deep, the sheriff said
The Davidson County Rescue Squad Dive
Team out of Lexington, Southmont Volunteer
Fire Department and the Davidson County
Sheriff’s Office Lake Patrol worked seven hours
Friday evening recovering money and weapons
from the lake.
No injuries were reported in the incident, according to a DCSO report.
DCSO Chief Deputy E. Brian Grubb arrested
Wilkins at a residence Saturday near WinstonSalem. Dietz and Parris were arrested between
Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Grice said deputies have identified a fourth
suspect. The identification of this person was
not being released pending the service of arrest
warrants. The sheriff said the victim was known
by one of the suspects.
Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext.
217, or [email protected].
Accident dashes young man’s dream days before fulfillment
BY DARRICK IGNASIAK
The Dispatch
Bright with a full future ahead
of him, Jordan Sealey was just days
away from receiving the offer to
serve the citizens of Lexington as
a police officer.
The young man, known for his
passion for life by loved ones, went
on an interview with the police department Aug. 2 and impressed
high-ranking of ficials with the
Lexington Police Depar tment.
The lasting impression was so
evident they were
ready to extend
the invitation for
him to join their
force just three
days after his interview.
But tragedy
SEALEY
would strike for
Sealey of Lewisville. A day after
an interview with the LPD’s Maj.
Mark Sink and Capts. Robby Rum-
mage and Billy Scarboro, Sealey,
the son of John and Kelly Sealey,
was swimming at the WinstonSalem apartment complex of his
brother, 21-year-old Brad Sealey,
and suffered head and spinal cord
injuries he eventually wouldn’t
overcome. Ten days later and after
being on life support, the 24-yearold died at Wake Forest Baptist
Medical Center in Winston-Salem.
Jordan’s father said his son
jumped into the pool. A friend
saw Jordan was face down in the
water. The friend, Colt Smith, Brad
Sealey and Jordan Sealey’s fiancee,
Megan Parnell, performed CPR
as they attempted to revive him.
John Sealey said this week he still
doesn’t know what happened to
cause the incident in the pool with
his son.
“His little brother, Megan and
his friend are heroes to us because
they gave us 10 days with him …,”
the father said. “We don’t call it
goodbyes. We call it see you later.”
Brad and Jordan Sealey were
known as best friends. They were
inseparable and played soccer together at Reagan High School.
“We couldn’t ask for two better
sons,” John Sealey said.
Brad Sealey, a detention officer
with the Davidson County Sheriff’s
Office, graduated from Forsyth
Technical Community College’s
Basic Law Enforcement Training
program in December right before
becoming a deputy in Davidson
County. His older brother would
> Accident | 10A
10A
W E D N E S D AY, A U G U S T 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 | T H E D I S PA T C H , L E X I N G T O N , N . C . Accident dashes young man’s dream days before fulfillment
>Continued from 1A graduating from the same Tech in May.
marry Parnell in April and
follow in his footsteps by BLET program at Forsyth
Jordan Sealey was set to quickly showed the LPD he
had what it takes to be an officer.
“We saw positive traits,
and he fit the bill of our core
values,” Rummage said. “We
were eager to make him a
part of our team and sadly
that was not to happen.”
The LPD’s plan was to
of fer him the job Aug. 5.
John Sealey returned the
call a day later to find out
North Davidson Public Library
why the LPD was calling
his son. He learned about
the offer. An hour after that
call with the LPD, Rummage
and Sink visited the hospital
to be with the family. LPD
Chief Tad Kepley visited a
day later.
“We cer tainly extend
our upmost sympathy to
him (Brad Sealey),” Sheriff
David Grice said. “It’s a very
tragic event, and I know it’s a
lot for he and his family to go
•Will Social Security be there for me?
through. I understand him
•How much can I expect to receive?
and his brother were very
close. They were both start•When should I apply for Social Security?
ing careers in law enforce•How can I maximize my benefits?
ment. I understand (Brad)
•Will Social Security be enough to live
was present when the accion in retirement?
dent occurred. It’s a lot for
•Seating Is Limited
them to work through at this
point. We will do everything
we can to help them.”
Social Security Center Educational Workshop
September 9th
6:30pm
Savvy Social Security Planning:
What Baby Boomers Need to Know to Maximize
Retirement Income.
Learn the answers to your questions
Call 336-249-2020 for Details And To Reserve Your Seat.
Just days before, Jordan
Sealey told his family during
the interview with the LPD
the officers were talking to
him like a friend.
“I knew what Jordan was
talking about,” the father recalled. “They were just regular guys.”
The LPD presented
Sealey’s family with a
plaque naming Jordan one
of its honorary officers. The
agency also had its honor
guard at Jordan’s memorial
service Saturday, which was
attended by law enforcement from Forsyth and Davidson counties, as well as
troopers with the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Parnell said through an
e-mail from Brad Sealey’s
fiancee, Kaylan Lebrija, that
Jordan was excited to start a
career followed by a family
of his own, although he considered his two dogs, Tyson
and Gracie, as his family.
“I, personally, found Jordan to be one-of-a-kind,” Lebrija wrote in the e-mail. “He
was never ever unkind to
anyone and found the good
in ever y person he met. I
don’t think I will ever meet
someone as genuine as he
was. Although not blood-
related, he treated me no
different than such for the
seven years I knew him. His
love and passion for life is
my favorite characteristic of
his.”
Jordan Sealey was an
organ donor. The father said
their was a mutual love between the family and Jordan.
“There was nothing left
unsaid between us,” John
Sealey said. “He left us on
really good terms.”
Darrick Ignasiak can be
reached at 249-3981, ext.
217, or at darrick.ignasiak@
the-dispatch.com.
Read the
latest news
at
www.thedispatch.
com