D· ____ C __ ity & State Greensboro News & Record Obituaries, Classified Ads

Rob Brown I News & Record Overturned Greensboro school bus sits at 124 Revere Drive after the driver failed to make a sharp curve

2 more buses wreck; 12 students injured

By HA YES CLEMENT Freshman Suzanne Ketcham suffered a knee injury and classmate Jill Burke hurt her back. Other students suffered cuts, bruises and back pain. Ketcham said Rhodes, the driver, was

taking the curve, like two previous ones, too fast when the accident happened. "He took it sharp and everyone started sliding to the right, then we went over," she said, "and everyone landed on me." Rhodes, a college student, was charged

with exceeding a safe speed. "His employment has been terminated,"

said Charles O'Connor, assistant transpor­ tation supervisor for the city school system. The second accident occurred at 2:10 p.m.

when a city school bus driven by Keith Green, 20, was rear-ended by an Oldsmobile Cutlass while Green was stopped on Friend­ ly to make a left turn onto Wedge dale Drive. No students were on the bus. Green, who

was cited for driving with an expired li­ cense, was not injured. The driver of the car, Anne Goodwin, was treated at Wesley Long Hospital and released. She was charged with failure to reduce

speed. Grimsley High School Principal Jules Crowell comforts Michelle Miller, who was on the bus

Staff Writer

A Greensboro City School bus overturned on a residential street Wednesday, injuring at least 12 students, hours before another bus was rear-ended by a car on Friendly Avenue. The two accidents, in which no one was

believed seriously injured, followed two school bus accidents Tuesday. The bus that overturned was taking 14

students home from Grimsley High School when the driver, Ronnie Rhodes, 18, ap­ proached a curve too fast, flipping the vehi­ cle, police said. The accident occurred shortly after noon at 124 Revere Drive near H1ghland Park in west Greensboro.

Students, who had been dismissed from school early after final exams, climbed out of an emergency exit in the back of the bus, said rescue worker M. C. Moore. Twelve were taken by ambulance to Moses Cone Memorial Hospital for X-rays and examina­ tions for cuts and bruises. One student, Kristi Underwood, was ad­

mitted for overnight observation. Under­ wood, a freshman who suffered a back inju­ ry, was listed in good condition Wednesday night. (See Bus wreck, D3)

By JOHN CONWAY Guilford District Court Judge Sherry Alloway entered a prayer for judgment continued, meaning no sentence is ever entered in the case. The no contest plea means Spencer neither admits nor denies his guilt, although the court treats it as a guilty plea. Spencer did admit he violated a

city policy - which he wrote - that

requires city employees to have written permission from their su­ pervisor if they have a second job. His lawyer said that was the reason for his resignation. "That is his primary mistake,"

said Doyle Early, Spencer's lawyer. "He violated his own policy." Richard Atkinson, president of

Fringe Benefit Review, a Charlotte

insurance agency, also pleaded no contest Wednesday to a misdemean­ or charge that he paid a commission to an unlicensed agent. He too re­ ceived a prayer for judgment con­ tinued. The state investigation focused on

$28,000 in payments Spencer re­ ceived from Fringe Benefit Review while he was on the insurance board

Staff Writer

HIGH POINT - Randall Spen­ cer, a High Point assistant city man­ ager who resigned last month amid allegations he accepted bribes from a Charlotte insurance company, pleaded no contest Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of acting as an insurance agent without a license.

He delivers Ex-football star runs up score as Santa's helper

By JUSTIN CATANOSO ly allowed it to grow. It's just taken off." The Sports Illustrated story,

Rives said, also has prompted many people from outside North Carolina to inquire about the Santa's Helper program. "I got a call from a guy in Akron,

Ohio, who asked for information to start his own program," he said. "So I sent him a packet this summer and guided him through setting it up. He called last night and said he's

1 raised $2,500 and given to 36 fami­ lies. "So we're not only helping people

in •Winston-Salem, but because of the publicity we're helping people all over." Rives, who hopes to finish his toy

deliveries today, just laughs when he thinks how much his program has grown since he began it in 1986. For example, it can no longer be run from a friend's garage with the help of a few Wake Forest buddies ... This year; the Elks Lodge on Si­

las -Creek Parkway has let Rives use its ballroom as a type of Santa's workshop. And nearly 100 volun­ teers have come in to sort and wrap presents with about 10 more dress­ ing like Santa Claus and making de

(See Santa, D2)

scot! Hoffmann/ News & ~ecord

One-year old Rashaad Moore with Santa, aka Chip Rives

Winston-Salem Bureau

WINSTON-SALEM - A year ago, Chip Rives graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. The former Wake Forest University fullback shared center stage with sports stars such as outfielder Dale Mur­ phy, linebacker Reggie Williams, runner Kip Keino. He met with President Reagan; As one of the magazine's eight

Sportsmen of the Year for 1987, Rives was honored for starting the Santa's Helper program, which de­ livers toys to underprivileged chil­ dren throughout Winston-Salem. And while the national spotlight

has dimmed, Rives continues to bask in its afterglow. The 'project, which two years ago raised $3,000 and reached children in 44 needy families, has pulled in more than $10,000 this year while serving 250 families. "I never thought it would get this

big," Rives said Wednesday, his 6- foot-Bdnch frame draped with a bright red Santa Claus suit with black spats covering his topsiders, "My project has been fortunate.

Because I played football and be­ cause I was an athlete, it got a little more publicity than some of the oth­ er projects in town. And that's real-

Thursday, December 22, 1988

Two men, fetus killed • m gun spree

The Associated Press

LAGRANGE - A Goldsboro man went on a shooting spree early Wednesday, killing his father-in­ law, wounding his wife and killing her unborn baby, then injuring his mother-in-law before dying himself in a car crash as he fled their home, authorities said. David Joseph Whisenant, 32, ap­

parently shot his father-in-law, his mother-in-law and his pregnant 16- year-old wife at his in-laws' mobile home about 1:30 a.m., Greene Coun­ ty Sheriff Early Whaley said. Whisenant's father-in-law, 45-

year-old John Finch, and the unborn baby were killed. Finch was pro­ nounced dead at the scene after be­ ing shot three times with a handgun and once with a shotgun, police said. Shirley Finch, 40, who was shot

once in the head and once in the neck, was able to drive to a neigh­ bor's house for help. She underwent surgery at Wayne Memorial Hospi­ tal and was in serious condition. Whisenant's wife, Janet, under-

went surgery and was in serious but stable condition Wednesday night at Wayne Memorial Hospital after be­ ing shot three times. "What we think happened is, he

shot the father, the mother and his wife," said Greene County Sheriffs Sgt. Jerry Edmundson. "The father apparently died at the house. He took his wife to Wayne Memorial Hospital (in Goldsboro). He then came back to the house. "By that time, the rescue squad

had picked up the mother and taken her to Wayne Memorial, too. When he came back, there wasn't anybody left there but the father, dead. He left, and about two and two-tenths miles from the house, he lost control of the car and was killed." Whisenant had been drinking and

was traveling at a high rate of speed, state Trooper J.C. Howell said. Whaley said Whisenant apparent­

ly returned to the scene "to see if they all were dead.

(See Shooting, D2)

Rockingham jobless feel pinch Lines are long at Salvation Army

By RUTHIE PIPKIN Rockingham Bureau

WENTWORTH - Vickie sized up the stacks of tugboats, doctor kits, plastic lawn mowers, bowling sets and whiffle balls that surround­ ed her. "What would my baby like?" she

asked herself. Like mothers all across America, she was wondering what her children wanted to find under their tree on Christmas morning. But this toy store - and this

Christmas - don't paint a Norman Rockwell holiday image. Vickie, one of hundreds of Rock­

ingham County residents laid off re­ cently, was choosing her four chil­ dren's gifts through the Reidsville Salvation Army - which serves much of Rockingham and Caswell

of the N.C. League of Municipali­ ties. The payments were authorized by Atkinson. While Spencer was on the

league's insurance board, it award­ ed Fringe Benefit a $600,000-a-year contract to administer a health in­ surance trust for the league. The trust covered about 9,000 workers in 322 cities and towns in North

• Donations to Goodwill Industries have dropped in the past week - 02

counties - at its Christmas help­ station for the needy. The army set up the food and toy

give-away for Wednesday only at cne local National Guard Armory, but a few families who missed it will be coming to the army's office in Reidsville today. More needed help this year, ac­

cording to the Army's Major Ginger Friend. Darrell Auterson, director of the Rockingham County Econom­ ic Development Commission, agreed with Friend's assessment that re­ cent shutdowns of plants in Re-

(See Christmas cheer, D2)

Carolina. High Point is not a mem­ ber of the trust. SBI Agent Dan Stone testified

Tuesday that Spencer received monthly payments of about $1,000, from Fringe Benefit between July 1986, when the contract was award­ ed, and July 1988. Spencer was paid out of an ac­

(See Manager, D3)

State settles lawsuit over crowded prisons

By ROBERT McCARSON Raleigh Bureau

RALEIGH - North Carolina has reached a settlement in a third fed­ eral lawsuit charging that chronic crowding in the state's prisons vio­ lates inmates' rights against cruel and unusual punishment. Correction Secretary Aaron John­

son, citing a court gag order, de­ clined to make public details of the settlement until the General Assem­ bly hears them Jan. 16. But a department spokesman said

the settlement relieved officials who saw this lawsuit as the one among three filed by inmates in recent years that presented the greatest threat of a federal takeover of the state prisons. A trial of the lawsuit settled

Wednesday began Oct. 3, but U.S. District Judge Earl Britt postponed it last month and ordered lawyers to seek a settlement. Because of the tentative agreement, testimony won't continue Dec. 27 as sched­ uled, Guth said. State officials declined to say

what impact the settlement, if ap­ proved by Britt, will have on spend­ ing for the Department of Correc­ tion next year. But state Sen. Kenneth Royall, D-Durham, chair­ man of the Advisory Budget Com­ mission, said $75 million will be available for the department. To avoid the danger of a federal

takeover of the prisons posed by the

Ex-High Point city official p eads no contest to lesser charge

previous two lawsuits, the state has agreed in court orders to spend $46 million to build 2,500 prison beds in the last three years. The legislature also passed an

emergency prison release law that speeds paroles for prisoners within 90 days of parole consideration when the prison population reaches 96 percent of capacity and remains there for 15 days. The Special Committee on Pris­

ons, the legislative panel that helped write the emergency prison act, voted Wednesday to recom­ mend that North Carolina spend al­ most $23 million to expand pro­ grams that punish and rehabilitate some convicted criminals outside prison. The money would be part of the $75 million mentioned by Roy­ all. All of the programs - probation,

community-based punishment and house arrests - already operate in state government on a level far short of what the prison committee had recommended previously. But committee leaders said they

think their success will persuade once skeptical legislators to take an­ other look at the committee's rec­ ommendations. "A part of it has been building a

track record for these programs," said state Rep. Anne Barnes, D-Or­ ange, co-chairman of the prisons committee. "We've proceeded with

(See l?risons, D2)

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Chip Rives surrounded by some of the toys going to needy children at Christmas

Fullback scores big win with kids By HELEN ROSS

Slaff SPOrlS Wrltar Raising the money, shopping for the

toys, wrapping package after package - somehow, it had almost seemed like work to him. But then Chip Rives donned his Santa

Claus costume and made that first deliv­ ery. "The kid saw the present I had for

him, and he just came running," Rives said, his strong, square jaw softened by a broad smile. "I felt great. It really had been more of a job until then. But that made all the work worthwhile."

Monday, the Wake Forest fullback got a surprise of his own. He received word that he will be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week as one of its eight Sportsmen of the Year. Others rec-

ognized and saw the value of Santa's Helper, Rives' nonprofit organization that distributed gifts to needy families. The eight were selected for their work

with handicapped, homeless and under­ privileged children, and Rives is in some pretty impressive company. Also hon­ ored are New York Knicks guard Rory SpalTOW, LPGA golfer Patty Sheehan, Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Reggie Williams, Bob Bourne of the NHL's L.A. Kings, Atlanta Braves outfielder Dale Murphy and world-class runners Judi Brown King and Kip Keino. The seeds for Santa's Helper were

sown two winters ago when Rives' moth­ er, Becky, showed him a magazine article about a woman in San Antonio who dis­ tributes toys to the needy. "I was im­ pressed that it wasn't just donating mon-

ey. But I don't think my mom ever thought I would do it myself." First, Rives sent out a letter soliciting

financial support from his immediate family and friends. Then Rives, in the first of a two-year MBA program at the Babcock School of Business, had the San­ ta's Helper program declared tax-ex­ empt. With the help of Deacon Club member

Robert Eggleston, Rives sent letters to other Wake Forest boosters asking for their contributions. Bert Woodard, an assistant sports information director, dis­ tributed copies of the letter to university personnel. Rives' Sigma Chi fraternity brothers pounded the pavement while he spoke to civic groups.

(See Chip Rives, A6)

Chip Rives From Al "A teacher heard an interview

Gene Overby did with me at. half­ time of one of the basketball games, and her school, Southwest Elemen­ tary, raised $700 for us last Christ­ mas," said Rives. The same school donated $500 more this year. All in all, Rives received dona­

tions totalling about $3,000 for San­ ta's Helper in 1986, and children in 44 needy families received the bene­ fits. A goal of assistance for 90 fami­ lies was set this year, but the final count is 101. Rives and seven friends went to

the Tons 0 Toys store at the corner of Spring Garden and Market streets earlier this week and pur­ chased almost $4,500 worth of toys. ''We just turn the guys loose -

they have a general idea of the price range," said Rives, who estimated about $18 is spent on each child. The store gives Santa's Helper a 10 per­ cent discount on the toys and no sales tax is charged due to the tax-exempt status. Santa's Helper gets the names of

needy children through the Christ­ mas Clearing House. Their names are divided by age and sex, and toys are bought accordingly. Each child receives two gifts, wrapped in brightly-colored paper and labeled with their names. Actual deliveries will start Saturday and run through Dec. 23. But if all the houses aren't taken care of by that time, Rives will make some visits on Christmas Eve - which also happens to be his birthday - before going home to Springfield, Va. Rives and two helpers will dress

as Santa to distribute the gifts. One _

of last year's Santas was former Greensboro Page standout Stafford Moser, a wide receiver on the Dea­ con football team. Moser's Santa credentials, though, were doubted by at least one youngster who spied tennis shoes underneath his slip-on boots. Rives and the other Santas at­

tracted considerable attention in the - various neighborhoods and housing projects where they made deliver­ ies. As soon as they disembarked from the van, kids flocked to them. "We learned quick that we

needed something to give to them, too, so we went out and bought about 500 candy canes," Rives said. The Sports Illustrated honor was

the second for Rives this year. In Si's preseason football edition, the 6-foot-2, 214-pounder was picked as one of the magazine's "Best and the Brightest," an unsung All-American roster.

Midway through the 1987 football season, Doug Looney, one of Si's college writers, paid a visit to the Wake Forest campus. The Deacons were 5-0, so Looney planned to do a feature on the team's success under new head coach Bill Dooley. He spent about an hour talking with Rives, but Wake lost the game against Maryland that week, and the story never saw the light of print. Looney returned two weeks ago,

and an early visit by Santa Claus was arranged for photo purposes. Looney, however, never told Rives he was being considered for the Sportsmen of the Year honor. The managing editor called Monday with

that news and the promise of a con­ tribution. "I was pretty shocked," said

Rives, who didn't even tell some of his close friends until SI leaked the news to the media through a series of mailgrams. "My parents still don't know. I

was hoping that my dad would just walk in, flip through the mail, and see the SI cover." Ho. Ho. Ho.

Reg. 658 Yamaha RX 300U Recelv 37 watts per channel. digital tu Yamaha PF-20 turntable Autoreturn belt drive with corm Polk 4A Speakers

fa-------Snorts Basketball, Football, Sportscript

B4 Tuesday, January 5, 1988

Wilt Browning

The nuttiest sports nut? Here's a vote for Brame Obviously, someone had thought ofme when

two news releases from a nut company arrived in the mail Monday. Both found their way to my mailbox. I didn't take it personally. I ignored any

implied symbolism. I refused to get caught up in wondering why news about nuts was passed on to me. Why not Keech? Or Smallwood? Or McCann? But someone had pushed both six-page

releases into my box. I could handle it. Turns out, Fisher Nuts is launching its annual

search for America's nuttiest sports nut. I thought right away ofmy friend, Jay Brame.

Nothing personal, you understand. A year ago, Matthew (Pop) Shortell of

Ansonia, Conn., won the thing with nothing more dramatic than having never missed a New York Yankee baseball game - either in person, on television or radio - over the last 50 years. The only thing Pops has on Brame is longevity. Tll.e way I figure it, Brame's a shoo-in for the

first place "fan's dream package"-:-. a 25-inch

WASHINGTON - The few minutes Chip Rives spent Monday afternoon with President Reagan made up for the grueling practices and hard knocks he endured as a Wake Forest University football player. "This is the peak of my career, obvi­

ously," the 23-year-old fullback said. "Just look around. I'm with some pret­ ty fast company here." Rives' fast company included seven

other athletes who were featured on the Dec. 21 cover of Sports Illustrated as Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Year. They have been honored for their athletic excellence and for their contributions to young people in their communities. Rives made the list because of his

role in starting Santa's Helper in De­ cember 1986, a Winston-Salem pro­ gram that provides toys for needy chil­ dren. This Christmas, he raised $5,000 and

played Santa Claus for children in 90 poor families. "I'm almost as excited about meeting

everyone here as I am about meeting the president," Rives said, holding out

Rives gets his day at the White House By JOYCE BARRETI

Slates News Service a copy of his magazine to claim another autograph. "These people have accom­ plished a lot." Others honored by Sports Illustrated

are Dale Murphy, Atlanta Braves out­ fielder; Judi Brown King, American re­ cord holder in the 400-meter hurdles; Rory Sparrow of the Chicago Bulls; Kip Keino, a Kenyan who ran the 1,500-meter at the 1968 Mexico City games; Bob Bourne, a Los Angeles Kings hockey player; pro golfer Patty Sheehan; and Reggie Williams, Cincin­ nati Bengals linebacker. By Monday afternoon, Rives had the

autographs of all of the other athletes, a souvenir he plans to give to his par­ ents, Rives said his sister put his being named to the list in perspective for him when she learned who else Sports Il­ lustrated named. "She said I was the only nobody

here," he said. During a brisk walk to the White

House, Rives sidestepped snow and ice that covered Pennsylvania Avenue, and hunched his shoulders against the Washington winter. "I don't have an overcoat. We don't have this stuff in Winston-Salem," he said. "I guess when I get home, I'll sit

Wake's Chip Rives

back and realize what has happened " he said. "Not everyone can say they'~e met the president."

At theWhite House gate, Rives was the last to gain admittance. Emerging

later from his brief presidential audi­ ence, he repeated his conversation with Reagan.

"He looked at me and said, 'You're the student.' That was it. That's the extent of our personal conversation " Rives said. "But he told us all that ~e are setting a fine example as athletes and as Americans."

As an athlete, Rives is waiting for the National Football League draft in April. If he isn't drafted (the Denver Broncos have expressed an interest in him), he'll continue graduate studies at Wake Forest.

As an American, Rives is aware of the example he sets for young people. "I'd like to think I live my life in a manner that if kids emulate me, it will be a positive thing," he said. "But I'm not here because I play football. I'm here because I do other things. There are many things more important than football - school, family, good friends and community activities. "But this is an experience I'll never

forget," he said, looking at the other athletes. "It's a thrill of a lifetime."