Public records
By Jack Stephens
Published in News on February 27, 2004 1:57 PM
House destroyed by fire
FREMONT -- A house that a family had planned to move into this weekend was destroyed Thursday night in a fire caused by an electrical failure, a Fremont fire official said today.
The home at 210 Barnes St. was owned by Lassiter Barnes of Fremont and valued at about $45,000, Assistant Fire Chief Donnie Wilkerson said.
Wilkerson said he believed that an incoming electrical wire on wood tresses caused the fire.
"It was fully involved when we got there," he said. "It was coming out of the rear of the home and the attic. As soon as we got inside with a hose, it didn't take long to knock it down."
Fremont volunteers answered the 10:45 p.m. call with two engines, a utility truck and a tanker. They had it contained within about 12 minutes, Wilkerson said. Pikeville volunteers offered mutual aid.
Snow causes wrecks
Goldsboro police investigated seven traffic collisions Thursday, and all but one was caused by snow and ice-covered roads. All resulted in minor property damage. Injuries were reported in only one crash.
Two people were injured in a two-vehicle collision at 11:40 a.m. on North William Street near the Dr. M.L. King Jr. Expressway overpass, according to a police report.
One driver, Christel Bernadette Kelly, 33, and her passenger, Mark Kelly, 40, both of Florida Street, were treated and released from Wayne Memorial Hospital, a spokeswoman said.
The other driver, James Edward Faison, 53, of North John Street, was charged with failure to reduce speed after the rear-end crash. Damage to the vehicles was estimated at $900.
The Highway Patrol also investigated numerous wrecks in Wayne County, but the reports were not available.
Man sees thief
When a man returned home Thursday night near Dudley, he saw another man carrying off a television, a Wayne County sheriff's report said.
Howard William Davis told deputies that he got to his home on Annie's Avenue at about 8 p.m. and saw a gray car in his driveway. When the robber saw Davis, he dropped the television, jumped in the car and fled toward Potts Road.
Davis reported that a compact disc player, a stereo and about 30 CDs and tapes also had been stolen. The missing property was valued at $1,400. The TV was worth $1,000.
The robber was described as white, 5-feet-5 and 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Davis also saw another suspicious man walking in the area.
Investigations
Wayne County law-enforcement officers are investigating these reports:
*An amplifier, an equalizer, a DVD player and a tuner were stolen Thursday after a door was damaged at a home in the 400 block of South Church Street in Eureka, sheriff's deputies said. The resident, Jessie A. Sauls Jr., put a $231 value on his property.
*A television and video cassette recorder combination, a VCR, a compact disc and cassette player combination and $47 were stolen between Wednesday and Thursday from Merry-Go-Round Child Care at 2206 N. William St., Goldsboro police said. The property was valued at $999, in addition to the cash. No sign of forced entry was reported.