EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA'S MINORITY VOICE - SINCE 1981Re-Scheduled Event.In Honor Of Dr. Andrew BestMarch 2, 1996 " 6:30 P.M. " Dubois CenterFor Information Call 328-4411Media chooses to ignore seriakillerTs confessionIt is interesting that the majormedia has chosen to completelyignore the alleged confession ofserial killer Glen Rogers that hekilled Nicole Brown Simpson andRon Goldman on the night of June12, 1994.According to a report appearingin the January 22 New York Post,lawyers for O.J. Simpson haveuncovered a connection betweenNicole Brown Simpson and cow-boy killer Glen Rogers, who alleg-edly killed several women on across country odyssey from Floridato California. Rogers, 33, is chargedwill killing Sandra Gallagher, 33,a divorced mother of three whohad just won $1,250 in the lotteryin California; Tina Cribbs, 34, inFlorida; Linda Price, 34, a singlemother of two in Mississippi; andAndy Sutton, 37, in Louisiana.His modus operandi is usuallystabbing, usually cutting thethroat, although he has strangledon occasion and confessed to hav-ing killed between 70 and 100women, though police believe he islying about the number. HeTscharged with killing six womeninside of three weeks.Rogers, blonde, blue-eyes, withcarefully trimmed beard, worewestern style clothing with silverbuckled belt, clean jeans, and usedcharm tolure his victims. He spokewith a gentlemanly southern ac-cent and liked country music.Rogers and Nicole?According to the Post report, theO.J. defense has had investigatorson the case the entire time. Whatthey uncovered was that Rogers,who often found work as a con-struction and home repair person,worked two houses down fromNicoleTs condo in Brentwood.SimpsonTs private investigatorBill Pavelik maintained Rogerspainted a house two doors downfrom NicoleTs three months beforethe murders. It seemed Just a coin-cidence until a friend of Rogerscontacted Simpson at attorneys totell them that Rogers told him hehad killed Nicole!Tony West, who met Rogers inL.A. two years ago, claimed hedrove Rogers home from a clublast September 12. And while hehad been drinking, Rogers wasjust high enough to tell West thathe murdered Nicole and Goldman,and provide details of the crime.He told West he had met Nicole inBrentwood and they flirted withone another. Rogers claimed heTdbeen seeing her for almost a month,and knew she was O.J. SimpsonTsex-wife and found the situationintriguing. Then suddenly shedropped him, claiming she hadplanned to go back with O.J. andgive it another try.Rogers claimed he was upsetand didnTt want to break it off andbegan watching her, stalking her.He claimed he was watching herthe night Goldman came up to thehouse and rang the bell. He saidshe embraced Ron and he (Rogers)then came out of the bushes andocold cocked� Nicole. He thenstruggled with Ron and stabbedhim and then killed Nicole whenshe was still knocked out.He claimed he deliberately triedto frame O.J. if he could and took(Continued on page 2)Woman blasts boardTs funding ofofficersT defense in lawsuitBy Lloyd WhittingtonThe Daily ReflectorA Greenville woman questionedthe Pitt County Baord of Commis-sioners on Monday for funding thedefense of law enforcement offic-ers she claims treated her familyunjustly in a 1993 vehicle search.Jeanette Teel Taft, who filed afederal complaint in July of 1993alleging harassment of African-Americans by the city of Greenvilleand Pitt County, blasted the boardfor recently paying a $25,000 in-surance deductible for defendingthe case.Her suit stems from a 1993 inci-dent in which Pitt County sheriff'sdeputies and a Greenville policeofficer held her and several chil-dren at gunpoint while searchingfor a murder suspect.Ms. Taft asked the board if pay-ing $25,000 to fight the lawsuitwas proper use of taxpayersTmoney.oI donTt think so, especially whenasimple handshake, a public apol-ogy, evaluation of the minor chil-dren and visitation of schools wouldhave resolved the entire matter,�she said.The money would have been bet-ter spent training officers on howto conduct themselves during avehicle stop when minor childrenwere involved, she said.oWe also would like to know ifamale sheriff had searched, hand-cuffed and held a gun on one of thecounty commissionerTs minordaughters, would their vote to fundthe $25,000 still have been thesame,� she said.Associate County AttorneyPamela Best advised the boardnot to respond because the case isin the Fourth Circuit Court of Ap-peals.Commissioner Jeff Savage, whointroduced the family, still com-mented, saying the allocation ofthe $25,000 on February 5 hadbeen handled routinely.oHad I given it a little morethought.....I know I wouldnTt havevoted in favor,� Savage said. oIthink itTs important, too, that thepublic know that these peoplemade simple requests (since theincident occurred) and wereshunned.�Associate County Manager JohnBulow said later that the countyhad no choice but to pay the$25,000. If it failed to pay the de-ductible, the county could, in turn,be sued by the sheriff, Bulow said.oThe county is legally obligatedto defend any county employee,including the sheriff, if sued forany reason in performance of du-ties.� he said. oWhen they broughtthe case, they required us to re-spond.� :The complaint names PittCounty Sheriff Billy Vandiford,Greeneville Police Chief CharlesHinman, Greenville Mayor NancyJenkins, sheriffs deputies TerryVines, Troy Boyd, Tim Peaden,Johnny Craft, Benny Dobbs andGreenville police officer KevinSmeltzer.Ms. TaftTs initial complaintasked for a $10,000 settlement fordamages after law enforcementofficers detained her and severalfamily members on February 9,1993.At the time, authorities weresearching for a man accused ofshooting one man arfd murderinganother in Stokes. Believed to bearmed and dangerous, the suspectwas thought to be in a blueOldsmobile similar to Ms. TaftTs.He had said he would not be takenalive, Vandiford said.The complaint alleged thatabout10:25 p.m. on February 9,Ms. Taft, her teenage son OnteTTaft, daughter Kimberly Taft,niece Shamesa Teel and nephewHarry Teel Jr. were turning offGreene Street and onto N.C. High-way 33 when they were stopped.Officers lost sight of the suspectcar when it left a trailer park andMs. TaftTs vehicle was sightedmoments later where they ex-pected the vehicle to appear,Vandiford said.Officers ordered her to throwher keys onto the road and get outof her car. The complaint allegedthat officers cocked their weaponsas the family exited the vehicle.Officers allegedly responded toTaftTs questions by telling her tooshut up and be quiet.�The compaint alleged that offic-ers pushed and shoved Ms. Taft,physically abused and illegally andunlawfully searched Harry TeelJr., and unlawfully abused,searched and handcuffed ShamesaTeel.Vandiford conducted an inter-nal investigation at the time andstill contends officers did what theywere supposed to. It was unfortu-nate and traumatic for the family,but law enforcement does not take(Continued on page 2)BISHOP RALPH LOVE, SR., pastor of Holy Trinity holyBo§rd of Education takes a moment to relax with friends. Wechurch and member of the Pitt Co.know ofno one who spreads love} We witness a government thatHARVEY GANTT was joined by the honorable Eva Clayton and many, many well-wishers"When people of color see the world in many variedshades, we need to remember that our different views "and talents empower us. We need to move wtand move into the 21st century."past fearJohn N. Studivant ,when he was on a "Down-East" stomping jaunt just a few days ago to announce his candidacyfor the US Senate along with Ed Carter who is running for the NC Senate. Also pictured isBarbara Fenner, Ann Huggins and Pastor Roscoe LockeStaff photo by Jim RouseHarvey Gantt announces candidacyfor U.S. Senate T96Calling the 1996 Senate Bid aoFIGHT FOR WORKING FAMI-LIES� in a six-city kickoff cam-paign swing, Gantt said, oWe needto recapture the American Dreamfor this generation and genera-tions to come�.Saying he is omore convincedthan ever that North Carolinianswant and need a Senator for the21st century who will care pas-sionately about them aSenatr whowill fight for working families whowant tosee the promise of Americamade real for them and their chil-dren,� Charlotte architect HarveyGantt formally announced his candidacy for the United States Sena-tor from North Carolina. GanttTsannouncement tour took himthrough six cities Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, Asheville,Greenville and Wilmington) overtwo days.GanttTs speech hit the themes ofeconomic security, investment inpeople in the areas of job security,wages, education and health care,re-ordering priorities in an era ofsmaller government, and a renewal of the special values thatmade America great.oWhat makes us special, oGanttsaid, oare our values of freedomand liberty, our strong religiousunderpinning, our belief in family" and the notion that hard wordand effort have their reward in animproved life.�oThis is America...,� oGantt said,owhere even a child born poor inwealth but rich in spirit could aspire to be anything he or shewantedtobe This is theAmerica that can be again.�Saying, owe can do better,� Ganttpointed to an economy owhere folksare being downsized out of jobsthey have held for twenty fiveyears... when the same companies_ that are laying people off are mak-ing record profits.�oWe witness an economy... wherepeople have to work two and threejobs not to get ahead, but just toget by... where everythingTs goingup.,. except paychecks,� Gantt said.oWe witness todaydisinvestment in education at thevery time we need to invest more...cuts in school lunches... raisingthe premiums on Medicare... whileproviding a tax cut to the wealthyand massive loopholes for big cor-porations and special interests.There is something immoral aboutthat, and I know we can do better,�Gantt saidoWe can do better by gettingback to the basics in this country,�Gantt said. oLetTs put the govern-ment to work to ensure opportu-nity for the striving families of themiddle class.�oBut�, Gantt noted, ogovernmentin this day and age cannot do itall... It will be our own personalinitiative and values that drivethe American agenda in the 21stcentury.� Gantt pointed to the ex-perience of his own family, oa fam-ily limited in means, but unlim-ited in the values and spirit ofAmerica. A father who worked twojobs so that each of his five chil-dren could godo college... Amotherwho taught her children the dif-ference between right and wrong.�oParents with a powerful faith inGod... a strong belief in family,hard work, personal responsibil-ity and education. Parents whoworked hard and made the prom-ise of American a reality in theirlives of their children,� Gantt said.Gantt said these were the solidAmerican values he got from hisparents, and the values he and hiswife have passed on to their ownchildren. oNow,� Gantt said, osome-how, we need to recapture thatAmerican dream for this genera-tion and generations to come.�oAs we approach the dawn ofthe21st century, changcis inevitable,�Gantt said. oBut the changes weknow are coming shouldnTtthreaten the promise and oppor-tunity that are basic to the Ameri-can dream! North Carolina can dobetter, this nation cand better,our government can do better inpreparing for the years ahead.�Monument To AMonumentThe member of a Greenvillechurch whose historyreaches back to the 1860sdedicated a monumentSunday in memory of theformer building"and all itsblessings.By Lynn GibsonThe Daily ReflectorSycamore Hill Baptist Churchmembers attend services on EighthStreet, but more than 100 years ofits history are a half-mile away.ThatTs why the congregation ofGreenvilleTs oldest black churchmet Sunday on the corner of Firstand Greene streets to dedicate amonument where the church stooduntil 1968, when it was damagedin a fire and torn down to makeway for the Town Common.oThis is holy ground,� DeaconMatthew Lewis say. oMany soulsworship. Let us never forget thosewho came to pray here.�The sounds of traffic rushing bycouldnTt drown out the churchmembers who sang oAmazingGrace� in remembrance of thechurch that was founded in 1860as the Colored Religious Society,and later became First BaptistChurch before being named Sy-camore Hill Baptist Church.oWe need to remember the past,�pastor Howard W. Parker Jr. said.oA lot of important things hap-pened on this site. Souls weresaved, marriages took place, fu-nerals were held. As we work to-ward the 21st century, itTs impor-tant to know where we came from.�Church member Beatrice Maye,who helped raise the $1,500 neededfor the monument, told the crowdhow the idea turned into reality.oDeacon Morris came by to fixmy VCR, and as he left, he turnedtome and said, ~DonTt you think we- se