Lumberton, N.C. Established 1870 www.robesonian.com Heartland Publications, LLC All Rights Reserved Saturday November 6, 2010 Volume 141 No. 190 THE OBESONIAN Daily Sunday R 50¢ $1 Fall back Peolosi to seek to stay as Dem leader WASHINGTON (AP) — Pelosi, the nation's first who will swap titles with Pelosi even some Pelosi admirers are Despite widespread complaints female speaker, said many col- if she succeeds in her bid. distressed by the magnitude of about massive losses that will leagues urged her to seek the "We have no intention of the losses. put Democrats in the minority, post of minori- allowing our great achieve- Several moderates, and even Speaker Nancy Pelosi said ty leader in the ments to be rolled back," Pelosi, some longtime Pelosi support- Friday she will try to stay on as new Congress 70, said in a letter to her col- ers, had openly criticized her in leader of her party in the that convenes leagues. their re-election campaigns, House. in January. Allies said Pelosi would not and had urged her to step The decision exposed a rift That will be make the bid unless she felt she aside. Pelosi's Friday between Pelosi's liberal allies the Democrats' had the votes. Some cautioned, announcement caught some off and the dwindling number of top post, however, that House members guard. moderate Democrats, who feel because vote by secret ballot when Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., besieged and eager for substan- Republicans, electing the leaders of their had told a Louisville TV sta- Clocks go tive and symbolic changes in who grabbed PELOSI respective parties at the start of tion on Thursday, "as good a direction after Tuesday's more than 60 each new Congress. Pelosi's leader as she has been, I don't back one Republican rout. It also is likely Democratic-held seats Tuesday, caucus is more heavily liberal think she's the right leader to to trigger leadership battles far- will elect the next speaker. It now that many moderate take us forward." hour tonight. ther down the ladder. will be John Boehner of Ohio, Democrats lost on Tuesday, but See PELOSI, Page 6A Healthy marks Haiti’s homeless SRMC received high marks for treat- ment of heart fail- ure, cardiology battered services and coro- nary interventional procedures. Storm leaves worries CONTRIBUTED PHOTO about spread of cholera PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Hurricane Tomas flooded camps of earthquake refugees, turning some into squalid islands Friday as it battered Haiti's rural western tip, while largely sparing the vast homeless encampments in the shattered capital. Aid workers rushed to guard against the spread of disease as the storm moved into the Survey shows SRMC gets region where thousands are infected with cholera. Driving 85 mph winds and a lashing storm surge battered Leogane, a seaside town west of Port-au-Prince that was 90 percent destroyed thumbs up from patients in the Jan. 12 earthquake. In one refugee camp, dozens of families car- STAFF REPORT Southeastern will host a celebra- care in a quality, compassionate ried their belongings through thigh-high LUMBERTON — Southeastern tion of the and efficient manner,” SRMC floodwaters to a taxi stand on higher ground, Regional Medical Center is among HealthGrades President and CEO Joann huddling under blankets and a sign that read the top 10 percent in the nation for awards on Anderson said. “This award "Welcome to Leogane." both patient experience and cardi- Wednesday at 6 demonstrates that we value our "We got flooded out and we're just waiting ology services, according to an p.m. just outside patients and work hard to ensure for the storm to pass. There's nothing we can annual study released by the main entrance that their experience at our facility do," said Johnny Joseph, a 20-year-old resident. HealthGrades, an independent to the medical exceeds their expectations.” Four deaths were confirmed by Haitian offi- health care ratings organization. center. The public The Hospital Consumer cials, all people attempting to cross rivers by By placing in the top 10 percent is invited to Assessment of Healthcare car or on foot in the mountainous region to the for patient experience, SRMC attend. Providers and Systems survey was west of Leogane, on Haiti's far southwestern received the 2010/2011 “Southeastern ANDERSON taken between July 2008 and June tip. Two more people were missing in Regional Medical 2009. Leogane. HealthGrades Outstanding Center is committed to providing Patient Experience Award. our patients with excellent health See SRMC, Page 5A See HAITI, Page 6A Obama welcomes new ideas on firing Plate up the economy sale Gene Downing, LREMS WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack rescue tech, takes an Obama says he's pleased with healthier job growth, but concedes the economy isn't pro- order while Burnis ducing enough jobs to accommodate people in Wilkins, medical captain, need of work. rushes a bag full of bar- Speaking after the October jobs report came becue plates to a waiting out, Obama said he's "open to any idea, any driver during the group’s proposal" that will help jumpstart the econo- my. He also said the country cannot afford two annual barbecue plate more years of partisan gridlock in sale. The money raised Washington. from the plate sale will The president made his statement at the be used to upgrade and White House before leaving on an Asian trip. He said that America cannot get bogged down repair essential equip- in political fights while other countries, like ment used by LREMS. China, are moving forward aggressively to build their economies. STAFF PHOTO BY LUCY NEWMAN WEATHER INDEX OBITUARIES SPORTS Classifieds . 6B Edna Loper, 83, Richmond, Ind. Comics . 5B Lizzie Locklear, 94, Pembroke Conference Bonnie Sampson, 96, Laurinburg Editorial . 4A Beulah Guyton, 81, Elizabethtown contest Nation . 3A Donna Sanderson, 35, Maxton Sports . 1B Ronald Stephens, 59, Lumberton Purnell Swett’s Shirley Locklear, 61, Maxton State . 2A Josiah Barnes, infant, Fairmont Rams fight for their World . 5A Feliscia Boone, 48, Raleigh playoff lives. 57/32 Henry Chavis, 77, Fairmont Page 6A Page 1B Obituaries Archives News Sports Features www.robesonian.com 2A — THE ROBESONIAN, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2010 LOCAL/STATE www.robesonian.com N.C. honors City police excel sweet potato Inpatient admissions to RALEIGH (AP) — in shooting contest Every month is end at mental hospital arguably sweet potato STAFF REPORT Robert Morse won the month in North RALEIGH (AP) — first opened in 1856 — 30 forensic beds for min- last event of the day LUMBERTON Carolina, but now the Regular admissions to and had already laid out imum-security patients — with the highest score state is making that North Carolina's oldest in other forums how committed because of The Lumberton Police public mental hospital patients would be shift- crimes — and two out- in the Top Individual official. Department recently Shoot-Off, sponsored The state will cease by early ed to other state psychi- patient units. displayed its firearms December as regulators atric hospitals. The forensic beds will by The Robeson Department of skills by once again County Law Agriculture and move toward shutting A modern replace- be moved later to taking first place in the down the facility, ment for Dix opened in Central hospital, com- Enforcement Consumer Services has Arthur Oxendine Association. decided to spotlight the according to a report Butner two years ago, pleting all hospital oper- Memorial Firearms This event pits a crop just in time for released Friday by state lawmakers provided no ations at Dix, once all regulators. additional funds for Dix preparations and state Championship. Thanksgiving, naming large number of indi- The Department of this year and the state law requirements are This is the second November Sweet vidual shooters in a Health and Human faces a potential budget met. The two outpatient year in a row that shootout. Potato Month. Services laid out to leg- gap of more than $3 bil- units will remain. Lumberton police have North Carolina farm- The competition islative leaders a more lion. Friday's report said Current Dix Patients taken the trophy for honors Arthur ers grow 47 percent of detailed plan to close cost-cutting at Dix and their families have the event and the first the country's sweet Oxendine, who was a Dorothea Dix Hospital, would save the state been meeting with hos- year that it swept all sheriff’s detective potatoes. Agriculture a legal prerequisite $16.9 million. pital officials to prepare three competitions when he was killed in a Commissioner Steve before the official clos- The state will transfer for their moves, the held at the Robeson Troxler says the crop ing can occur, probably more than 150 addition- report said. In early hit and run accident Community College while on duty on Oct. generates nearly $176 next year. al beds for adult December, admissions Training Grounds. million a year. 1, 1993. The 21-page report patients to the new to the inpatient pretrial The Department’s About 50,000 acres of was expected. Central Regional evaluation unit for The winners of the sweet potatoes are Shooting Team com- shooting competition Department Secretary Hospital in Butner and forensic patients will be petitors consisted of being harvested this Lanier Cansler gave Cherry Hospital in discontinued and adult were recognized at the year. lawmakers two weeks Goldsboro by next admissions transferred Robert Morse, Charles awards banquet at the ago his formal notice to month, according to the to Central Regional Liles, Marcus Norton Red Springs shutter the hospital that report, leaving behind Hospital. and Reese Daniel. Community Center. The competition During the banquet, Crime Report included teams from four students from sur- the Robeson County rounding universities FROM STAFF REPORTS Shortage of Hoke bus drivers Sheriff’s Office, The and colleges each University of North received a scholarship I Damaged Carolina at Pembroke check valued at $750.