Regional Briefs: Davidson to maintain '20s bridge

By: JournalNow Staff | JOURNAL STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
Published: April 30, 2009

LEXINGTON -- The Davidson County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday night to maintain a historic bridge that opened in the 1920s.

The decision helps state transportation officials move forward on replacing the Yadkin River bridge.

The Wil-Cox bridge opened in 1924 and carries southbound traffic along U.S. 29/70 from Interstate 85 toward Spencer and Salisbury.

Transportation officials were planning to demolish the bridge as part of a larger project to build a new Yadkin River bridge.

But the state agreed to put the money it set aside for demolition toward making improvements so the bridge could become a pedestrian bridge.

The catch was that either Rowan or Davidson would have to take over maintenance. Rowan County officials decided against maintaining the bridge, leaving the decision up to Davidson.

Transportation officials initially gave Davidson commissioners until the end of March to make a decision, and then pushed the deadline to the end of this month.

The N.C. Department of Transportation is providing $2.5 million toward the bridge. Anything left over from the $2.5 million will go to the county to use for bridge maintenance.

The county won't take over the bridge until the Yadkin River bridge project is completed.

Winston man indicted in sex cases

A Forsyth County grand jury has indicted a Winston-Salem man on two counts of first-degree rape and other offenses in connection with sexual assaults that happened several years ago, court records show.

The jury also indicted Robert Arthur Pace, 52, of 555 W. 24th St. of first-degree sex offense and attempted first-degree sex offense, arrest warrants say.

Pace is accused of having sex with a 7-year-old girl in 1989 and with the same girl again in 1993.

He is also accused of raping and kidnapping a 16-year-old girl in February 1993.

Pace was being held in the Forsyth County Jail yesterday, with bond set at $2 million.

Bid to repave section of I-40 accepted

RALEIGH -- The N.C. Department of Transportation awarded a $1.2 million contract yesterday to APAC-Atlantic Inc. of Greensboro to repave a 1.8-mile section of Interstate 40 in Winston-Salem.

The repaving will take place on the highway from East Clemmonsville Road 1,600 feet east of Willard Road.

It includes widening a curve between the two roads on I-40, replacing guardrails, and repaving the exit ramps onto N.C. 109.

Construction is scheduled to begin June 15, state transportation officials said. It should be finished by mid-September.

RiverRun officials expect big numbers

The RiverRun International Film Festival ended yesterday with screenings of the 1928 comedy Speedy and a collection of short films that won jury awards.

Final numbers won't be available until this afternoon, but Andrew Rodgers, the executive director of the festival, said that it had double-digit percentage growth in both attendance and box office.

He attributed the growth to increased awareness of the festival and the fact that in tough economic times, people often like to go to movies to escape.

The Audience Award winners were announced before the screening of Speedy. Mommy is at the Hairdresser's, a Canadian drama, won the award for best narrative feature.

Food Inc., a film about the global food-supply chain, won for best documentary feature.

N.C. employee pension funds down

RALEIGH -- North Carolina's state treasurer says that the value of public employee pension funds fell by another $4 billion during the first three months of this year.

State Treasurer Janet Cowell said that assets in the retirement system sat at about $56 billion as of March 31, compared to $60 billion at the end of December.

She blamed the continued effects of the economic downturn.

The retirement funds reported a 6.4 percent loss on investments during the first quarter, led by an 18 percent decline in real estate and 9.5 percent loss in stocks.

Cowell said late Tuesday that the system's performance remains strong when compared to other pension funds in recent years.

Cowell has urged legislators to put more money into the retirement system and give her more investment options.