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WELCOME HOME CM Eppes

Serving Greater Greenville And Eastern North Carolina since 1988

- Michael J ackson Dies At Age 30

Death : Still

~ By Dan Whitcomb and Laura ~
Isensee Dan Whitcomb And

oLaura Isensee "

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -
_ Doctors

Michael Jackson on Friday but
could not immediately

determine what killed the

oKing of Pop, ? amid reports
he had been injected with a
narcotic painkiller shortly
before collapsing, Jackson
was in full cardiac arrest when
paramedics arrived at his
rented mansion in the Holmby
Hills neighborhood of Los
Angeles on Thursday
afternoon, with his personal
physician trying desperately to
revive him. The 50-year-old
Pop superstar was rushed to
nearby UCLA Medical
Center, where he was
pronounced dead-without

cause : of death

(determination) has been
deferred, which means that "

the médical examiner has
ordered additional testing
such as toxicology and other
studies, ? Los Angeles County
Coroner Ts spokesman Craig
Harvey said. oThose tests we
anticipate will take. an
additional four to six weeks. ?
Speaking to a throng of
reporters outside . the
coroner's office, Harvey said,

oThere was no indication of.

any external trauma or
~ indication of foul play to the
body of Mr. Jackson, ? Police
said they were seeking to
question Jackson Ts personal
physician, identified by news

St John Em

Christ, Disciples of Christ invite you to visit the St,
John Empowerment Center located
Church Road, Washington, North Carolina, The 22,000
square foot facility houses a multipurpose gymnasium

state-of -the-art music room. with
ties that are available to accommo.

banquet, family reunion meeting or spe-

date your nex

conducted an.
autopsy on the body of

choose a mortuary for funeral
arrangements, Harvey said.

- | There was no immediate word
- On when he would be laid to rest.

Celebrity website TMZ.com,
citing an interview with, an

_ unidentified oclose member ? of

the Jackson family, reported the
entertainer was injected with
Demerol about half an hour
before he went into cardiac
arrest.

DAILY SHOT OF DEMEROL?

TMZ, citing family members,
said Jackson received a daily
shot of Demerol; a narcotic
painkiller, and that the family
believed his death was caused by

an overdose of the drug.

Detectives searched. Jackson Ts

home and impounded Murray Ts

Mercedes from the driveway,

saying it might contain evidence.
_ An unidentified man called Ta 911

emergency phone line from the
mansion at 12:21-p.m. local
time, saying Jackson was
unconscious and not breathing.
In excerpts from the call released
by authorities; the caller said the
physician was the only other
person. present and was
frantically performing
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
on the unconscious Jackson
without results. oHe Ts pumping,
he Ts pumping his chest but he Ts
not responding to anything, sir,
please, ? the man said, A senior
law enforcement official told
ABC News that Jackson was
oheavily addicted ?. to the
painkiller Oxycontin and was
injected daily with that
medication, along with Demerol.
Lawyer Brian Oxman, a Jackson
family spokesman, told CBS T
oThe Early Show ? he had been
concerned about - the
prescription drugs Jackson took
due to injuries sufféred while
performing. oI do not want to

at 2240 St. John

Michael

Unsolved After Autopsy
media as Houston-based
__. cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray.
~~ Jackson Ts body will be released
_, to family members after they

point fingers at. anyone
because I: want to hear what
the toxicology report says and
the coroner says but the plain
fact of the matter is that
Jackson. had
Prescription drugs at. his
disposal at all times, ? Oxman
said. Fans and fellow pop stars
revived memories of Jackson Ts
musical genius, tarnished over
the past decade by accusations
of child molestation and
eccentric behavior. U.S.
President Barack Obama
called Jackson a ospectacular
performer ? but said he
believed aspects of his life
were osad and tragic, ? the
White House said.

Facing a battered reputation
and a mountain of debt that
The Wall Street Journal
reported ran to $500 million,
Jackson spent the last two
months rehearsing for a series
of London Tconcerts, including
Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Despite reports of Jackson Ts ill
health, the promoters of the
London shows, AEG Live,
said in March that Jackson
passed a 4 1/2-hour physical
examination with independent
doctors. TMZ reported it was
AEG that had _ retained
Murray. In death, Jackson Ts
music enjoyed an immediate
rebound that eluded him for
years. His songs surged to the
top 15.on online retailer
Amazon.com Ts best-selling
albums within hours. He
dominated the charts in the
1980s and was one of the most
successful entertainers, with
13. Grammy Awards and
several seminal music videos.
His 1982 album oThriller ?
yielded seven top-10 singles.
But he was twice accused of
molesting young boys and was
charged in 2003 with child
sexual abuse. He was
acquitted of all charges in a
four-month trial in 2005.

powerment Center Open
To Serve The Entire Community |

| the public at Ta reasonable rate.The St.
» John empowerment center is equipped to
- |) Serve'the entire community by offering
o7 numerous services to address the issues
4 Of the total person.:Such as, the St. John
| Leadership Academy that provides
courses to both clergy and laity, the St,
John Summer enrichment that serves chil-
dren in grades kindergarten to eighth,
- health programs courses in subjects such
aS Money management and basketbal] |
"leagues .To learn more about the center,
and its numerous amenities The St. John
empowerment center can be reached at
(252) 975.3700 and is currently open
Monday-Friday between 10:00 am and
6:00pm pictured above Pastor Russel]
Wilkins and Mrs.Fagan executive secre.
lary, everyone is invited to stop by for a
tour of the facility

cial event The center also has a fitness center open to Photo by Hayward Johnson

*

June ~ July 2009

Free

The Pitt County Branch of the NAACP
_ Recognizes Operation Sunshine

Cs

The Executive Board of the Pitt County Branch of the NAACP recognizes operation Sun-

VPESLZ

S9TTTAtranan-e

shine for the service the Organization has given our community, as well as the excellence they
have obtained at their faxility, as advocates of young men and women in the community who

acheived great accomplishments. The NAACP appreciates the time and energy Mrs. Davis
and her staff spend as leaders of many. They also wanted to congratulate them for the manner
that they continue even in these tough economic times. therfore they have been chosen as a
recipient of the 2009 Pitt County NAACP Community Service Award in the anount of $1,000.00
Operation Sunshine the Minority Voice Salutes you! Keep up the good work!

Photo by Jim Rouse | roti

Ann Huggins Appointed To The

North Carolina State Social Services Commission "

Ann Floyd Huggins was appointed to the North Carolina State Social Services Commission
by Governor Beverly Perdue. The appointment is effective imediately and. will expire on
March 31, 2013. Commissioner Melvin McLawhorn administered the Oath of office. Attend-

ees for the event were: Mayor Pat Dunn Social Services Director George.Perry, retiredSocial *

Services Director Ed Garrison, Social Service Member LaVerna Parker, NAACP President
Calvin Henderson and Beatrice Henderson. Congratulaions Mrs. Huggins you deserve it!

The CM EPPES ALUMNI
30th Reunion Friday July 3 - July 5 2009

Friday _Saturday Sunday -

7:30pm «12:30pm 11:00 am
Fun Night Community Church Service
City Hotel Bistro T Field Day Rey. Eve Rogers
Thomas Foreman New Demensions

Saturday __ Park Community

~~ -$:30am Church
Reunion Saturday Sunday

ina... 2

" 4300pm ~~
Reunion Cookout
Guest Speaker 6 Vance St.
Dr. Wiley Hines _for Information

: City Hotel Bistro Ben Johnson
eiactg Ph. 252.258.6817

Breakfast 3
City Hotel Bistro Banquet

Saturday

3rd St. School - Welcome Home Bulldogs !!!

ON

po

The - Minority Voice estes 6/1/09- 6/16/09 Page 7

~ Black Press of America Convenening i in Minneapolis

him. The Merit Awards, an
event of the -NNPA
Foundation, chaired by
Dorothy Leavell, recognizes
publishers and writers for their
journalist excellence and
Service over the past year. .
Leavell applauds King as o Tthe
only contemporary publisher
to have a Merit Awards
category named for him. It will
now be known as the Don
King Best Sports Section
Award. The award was voted
to be named for him by the
NNPA Foundation board of
directors, ? she says. oHej joins
a long list of luminaries and-
distinguished publishers, staff
members and outstanding .
musical artists in having
Categories named for them,
including Robert §. Abbott,
Carl Murphy, Ida B. Wells,
Frank L. Stanley, Robert L.
Vann, Leon H. Washington,
_ John H. Sengstacke, Ada S.
Franklin, Duke Ellington and
Louis Armstrong, ? King is

Don King
~by Hazel Trice Edney
NNPA Editor N Cheif

WASHINGTON (NNPA) -

Boxing promoter and Black
publisher Don King, actor/
comedian Bill Cosby, members
of the Congressional Black
Caucus and top Black
publishers from around the
nation are among the big
names to highlight the 2009
National Convention of the

National Newspaper being honored as much for his
Publishers Association in community contributions as
Minnesota this week,

for his publishing career, THe

revolutionized boxing as we
_know it today and has made
significant contributions to

African-Americans and
African-American causes, ?
says Leavell. She also credits
him for taking over and
reviving the Call & Posts after

the death of William 0.
Walker. o TDon King revived
the Call and Post newspapers

oNNPA continues to be the
much-needed voice for issues
of concern that affect the.
ongoing development and
Success within the African
American community, ? John
B. Smith Sr., chair of the
federation of the more than
200 Black-owned newspapers
and publisher of the Atlanta
| Inquirer, says in a statement.

by hiring"a professional staff that
has maintained the high
journalistic standards. that was
the mission set out by Mr.
Walker

This year Ts Merit Awards will
also feature a ew HIV/AIDS
Education Award, sponsored by
the Center for Disease Control

and Prevention and the

California-based Black AIDS
Institute, headed by HIV/AIDS

activist Phill Wilson, Also,
Members of the Congressional T

Black Caucus, including CBC
Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-
Calif.); Keith Ellison (D-Minn.);
and Donna Christensen (D-V.1:)
are among those confirmed to
lead a Saturday morning health
oworkshop: U. S. Sen--Roland
Burris (D-IIl.), the only Black

member of the U. S. Senate, in.

the throws of a re-election
campaign, is also expected to
address the publishers.

NNPA, among the / most
powerful and most respected
coalitions of journalists and
publishers in the nation, will also
hold an election of a new chair
as Smith completes four years of
leadership. The . summer
conference is the largest of four

annual gatherings of the NNPA.

publishers. The other three are
the annual winter conference, the
September board meetings
during the Congressional Black
Caucus Annual Legislative
Conference, and Black Press

| o2009 marks another

| milestone for NNPA. because |
it represents 182 years of news
gathering, awareness building

| and providing vitally needed

| Services to our communities,

| Through journalistic
leadership and devotion to
efficiently promote community
progress, our mission is to
empower minorities through "
the Black Press. ? Publishers Al
McFarlane of Insight News
and Tracey L. Williams of the
Minnesota Spokesman-
Recorder are co-hosting the
annual summer event, oTheir
respective reputations in the
community are outstanding
with impressive records as
advocates to. empower the
minority cominunity, ? says.
Smith. Among the highlights,
boxing promoter Don King,

_ owher of the Cleveland and
Columbus Call & Post
newspapers, is slated to attend
the annual Merit Awards Gala
on Friday night as a sports :
wfiting award is named for } "~

: pate

roline ia East Dees
"Caneievth, N Ce

$ LP

Week in March. As the Black

Press of America is nearly two
centuries old, the annual
summer conference illustrates
the vitality and vibrancy of Black
Newspapers ?,?ven as many of
them are struggling during the
historic economic downturn.

oCorporations will have the

Opportunity to gain further
insight about the significance of
the Black Press Of America, the
high trust level of its readership,
and how to be effective
partners, ? says Smith.

This is particularly apropos as
Black newspapers played a
Pivotal role in the eleetion of the
nation Ts first Black President

¢

Barack Obama last year. NNPA
members met at the White

House with the President and

First Lady during Black Press
Week in March to give him the
Organization Ts
Newsmaker of the Year Award.
This week Ts conference is not
all business. On Saturday night,
after an afternoon blues
concert, the publishers will
venture to the Minnesota

Orchestra Hall for a show
featuring comedian/actor and ©
steadfast commitment to

author Bill Cosby. As many
White-owned newspapers haye
shut their doors across the

hation, the bond and unified
among NNPA

mission

: Visit any of our Greenville locations or call: :
252.321.6439 252.321.6415

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esteemed |

First Citizens

publishers continue # to fortify its
strength and survival. Forums
pertaining to revenue and
advertising growth will be a
staple at the conference, But a
major focus will also be placed
On issues such as racism and
social disparities that have
either. grown or remained
steady in America. Concludes
Smith, oOur theme, Building
Coalitions to Advance our
Community: ' Educate,
Empower, Inspire T, reflects our

writing the stories tackling the

issues that would otherwise go

Behe arg. *

TA he

The Minority Voice Newspaper Page 8

ichael J ackson 3 Will The Stories Ever End

We've heard them all befte: Michael Jackson sleeps
the oElephant Mai Ts ? bones for $1 million. Michael
_ Cleans his own bedroom. Tabloid-esque speculation

ina hyperbaric chamber. Michael Jackson purchased
Jackson Ts pet monkey Bubbles is potty-trained and
defined the life of the late King of Pop, so it Ts not all-
ors would follow him to the grave. Here Ts some of the wackier post-

ackson (who was there leading the tour),

y ensued. Fans from all-over began pointing out the image, and -

chat forums were flooded with messages insisting the shadow was J ackson Ts ghost Secret girlfriend? As

Tumors swirl around the mysterious paternity (and maternity, for that matter) of Michael Ts three children, -
UK Ts Mirror is adding a twist to the custody battle. According to the paper, at the time T of his death,

Jackson was in a long-term relationship with hig childre

n Ts nanny, 42-year-old Grace Rwaramba.The
Mitror claims: oIan Barkley, who travelled the woild with J acko for three years as his personal photographer,

in love while she was nanny to his
n call Rwaramba omom ? and Jackson and Rwaramba

Married, but that has been denied by Rwaramba
sa Show must go on? }

Reports claim that Joe Jackson and the Jackson brothers are planning a Jackson 5 reunion tour and will

have Michael performing beside them in hologram-form. The family is said to be hoping the hologram will =.
be ready for Jackson's memorial service at E-A."s Staples Center.

Buried brainless? ,
Los Angeles Coroners office has reported]
out his brain. Sources tell the Mirror that Jackson Ts brain was

" with

Sans the important organ instead of Waiting for it to be returned.
Soon after Jackson Ts death, rumors emerged that the late King of Pop had converted to Christianity just a
my few weeks before his death with the help of gospel singer Andrae Crouch. The Boston Globe briefly cited
| the conversion in an article about Jackson Ts religious explorations, and Christianity Today even took to
| their blog to address the rumors. But according to Crouch Ts Facebook page (via Crouch Ts administrator);
| oThe Crouches did NOT lead Michael Jackson to the Lord, They DID pray with him, but NOT a prayer of
| salvation T. It is arumor that they led him to Christ T, Please spread the truth T as quickly as the rumor has
| spread. It Ts understandable that such an extraordinary life would be riddled with

| Michael Jackson may be gone, but if the media coverage Surrounding his death is any indication, his story

is far from over. NEW YORK " On Tuesday (June 30), the Reverend Al Sharpton led a memorial for
| Michael Jackson at Harlem Ts Apollo Theater. Thousands 0

} -Allison Louie-Garcia

Reverend Al Shapton Leads Memorial At Apollo Theater

NEW YORK " On Tuesday (June 30), the Reverend Al Sh

o the world-famous venue, where it looked as if more than

o a ee ce ees eeaeee

arpton led a memorial for Michael Jackson at
| Harlem Ts Apollo Theater. Thousands of fans lined up as early as. 5 a.m., according to reports. The theater

.

910.209.0542 | | Michael in 2002 came back

and performed at the Apollo for the Democratic National Committee.
* ee | e ) , ees oo ee . ' . }
e-mail keiimul @ yahoo.com .

| | . | . opened its doors at 2'p.m., admitting Jackson Ts fans 600 at a time. MTV News went to the world-famous
| - " For Department Store venue, where it looked as if more than 1,000 people were lined up waiting. oThe Apollo has always been the
|= pe. = symbol for black music and, later on, popular music becausé as black music expanded, American popular
| sy P erfumes / Colognes | music became greatly grounded in the black music tradition, ? Sharpton explained from his office, oNo one was
| | $45.00 Any Kinds | Tesponsible for that more than Michael Jackson. o1 said, We need to do a memorial in New York and give the
| Ve ° people in New York an Opportunity to express their love for Michael, similar to when we brought James
| Contact Miss Rouse } | Brown Ts body to the Apollo, T o Sharpton continued. oMichael was a part of Amateur Night at the Apollo,
,
|
|
|

ee ne

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