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Regional Briefs: Group says that Folly is haunted
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Published: July 17, 2009
KERNERSVILLE -- The Southern Paranormal and Anomaly Research Society has declared that the 19th-century home known as Korner's Folly is haunted. It is billed as the strangest house in the world.
The group held a news conference Wednesday, saying that its investigators made recordings in May that revealed several disembodied voices and some mysterious specks of light.
Bruce Frankel, the Folly's executive director, said that the group approached Folly officials about investigating whether the house is haunted.
Frankel said he has not seen any ghosts or heard anything unusual. But he said that the news that the house may be haunted has brought more visitors than usual to the Folly.
The house has 22 rooms spread over three floors and seven levels, with ceiling heights ranging from 6 feet to 25 feet.
The house was built in 1880 by Jule Gilmer Korner as a showplace for his interior-design business, but it was also his home. After Korner died in 1924, the house was used for a variety of purposes, including a funeral home, an antiques shop and an architect's office.
Three file for seats in Tobaccoville
Tobaccoville didn't have anyone running for two seats on the village council -- until yesterday.
Robin T. Beck, an incumbent, and challengers Steve Wood and Lori Shore-Smith all filed yesterday to run for the Tobaccoville Village Council, which has two seats with four-year terms available this November.
Beck is trying for her second term. Wood and Shore-Smith both ran for the village council in 2007 but didn't get enough votes to make it onto the board.
Also filing yesterday was Ken Sadler, an incumbent Lewisville council member. All six seats on the Lewisville council are up for election, with the winners this fall gaining two-year terms. Counting Sadler, seven candidates are in the running, including five incumbents.
Filing Wednesday to run for the Bethania Board of Commissioners was challenger Eli A. Anderson Jr. Five candidates are in the running for the two available seats on the town board, and the term is for four years.
S.C. company added to indictment
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Federal authorities say that the company that runs a South Carolina poultry plant knew that its managers were hiring illegal immigrants at a plant raided in October.
U.S. Attorney Walt Wilkins added Columbia Farms Inc. yesterday to an indictment that already charges two plant managers of illegal hiring at a processing plant in Greenville.
The managers had been accused of telling employees to use falsified documents. Columbia Farms now faces fines if convicted of knowingly hiring and employing illegal workers.
The plant's owner, House of Raeford, which is based in Raeford, N.C., said yesterday that it doesn't knowingly hire illegal immigrants and that it is cooperating with investigators. The parent company has not been charged.
Senate expands identity-theft law
RALEIGH -- Consumers could soon be able to place a security freeze on their credit reports for free in legislation awaiting Gov. Bev Perdue's signature.
The Senate gave final legislative approval yesterday to expand the state's 2005 anti-identity-theft protection law.
Changes backed by N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper would allow consumers to get the freeze for free if requested online. Consumer reporting agencies have been able to charge up to $10. They will still be able to charge up to $3 if the request is done by phone or mail.
State trying to tighten fireworks law
RALEIGH -- A panel of North Carolina legislators began trying to improve fireworks safety yesterday after a fatal July 4 Outer Banks explosion by approving a bill that would require state oversight for those who transport pyrotechnics and set them off.
A Senate committee recommended a bill that would require someone who wants to run a public fireworks display to get a two-year license from the state fire marshal after passing a test, getting a minimum level of training, and assisting with at least three other displays.
Current state law requires fireworks displays to be "under supervision of experts" who have been approved by local governments to set off these explosives in the past.
But "there are no clear standards for what an expert is," said Sen. Don Davis, D-Greene, who is shepherding the bill through the Senate so that "we would ensure the ultimate safety of not only those that operate the fireworks but the general public."
Four workers from Davis' district employed by a South Carolina company unloading fireworks from a truck died after a blast at an Ocracoke Island marina. A fifth worker survived.
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