The Southern Pines Pilot

Rainy weather is forecast to settle into the local area this afternoon, and then hang around for several days, according to the National Weather Service in Raleigh. The chance of precipitation is 100 percent, with the rain expected to start after 11 a.m. today. Tonight rain could be heavy at times, with rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches possible. Full Story »

Pottery and child foster care will be the featured topics at the Saturday, Nov. 14, meeting of the Democratic Women of Moore County. Sally Larsen of the Seagrove Area Potters Association will provide local history on potters from Moore County and nearby Seagrove. She will discuss potters' charitable activities, such as FirstHealth Hospice, and what they accomplish through the Potters Relief Fund. Full Story »

These deaths had been reported as of 2 p.m. Saturday. There are accompanying obituaries for some but not all. For later notices, see thepilot.com. Mazelle G. Crabtree, 91, of Carthage, died Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, Pinehurst. Fry and Prickett Funeral Home, Carthage. Full Story »

Mazelle Gibson Crabtree, 91, of Carthage, died Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009, at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, Pinehurst. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Calvary Baptist Church conducted by Dr. Zeb Moss and the Rev. Tom Williams. Burial will follow in Friendship Baptist Church Cemetery. Full Story »

Warren "Buddy" J. Cummings, 79, of Vass, died Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. Funeral services will be held Monday, Nov. 9, at 11 a.m. at New Home Baptist Church, with Pastor Paul McClure and Rev. Gregg Newton officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Full Story »

Tax structure reform may not be rocket science, but it's close to brain surgery. A joint House-Senate committee of the North Carolina General Assembly began work this past week on just such surgery. Full Story »

North Carolina legislators elected in 2010 will have the job of drawing new congressional and legislative district lines in mid-2011. In addition to the economic recession that weighed so heavily on state budgeting in the recent legislative session, this political reality creates the context of both Democratic and Republican strategy and decision-making in the General Assembly and in their ... Full Story »

Well, we have a classic demonstration of the left wing's misbegotten attempt to demonize and marginalize the people who are deeply concerned over the direction of the country under the "Obama Agenda." After reading Paul Dunn's "Swastika" piece (Nov. 1), I asked some friends who had ­actually been there on Sept. 12. They reported that there were a few signs with swastikas, but if you bothered to ... Full Story »

Wow! Rick Gagliardo is one angry man (Oct. 23). First he ridicules Democratic President Lyndon Johnson's secretary of HEW, John Gardner, then calls all Republicans, and me in particular, liars to be scorned and mistrusted. Full Story »

There are lessons to be learned from the recent elections -- some hopeful, some troublesome. First of all, we have proved something many of us have long suspected: Barack Obama is not the Messiah. He made three trips to New Jersey in support of the Democratic ­candidate for governor, but Obama's coattails proved to be either too short or too fraught with bad decisions to prevail. Full Story »

A "referendum on Barack Obama." A "bellwether" of how the elections of 2010 and 2012 are going to go. That was the prevailing narrative in the so-called "liberal" media right before this past week's off-year elections. Among those supposedly "bellwether" elections was the special election in New York's 23rd District, which pitted Republican state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava against Democrat ... Full Story »

My initial reaction to the Wagram water deal, crafted by Pinehurst Councilman Jeff Dawson and Mayor George Lane, was negative. Why could these upstarts initiate such a project in what seemed total secrecy and without letting the king of our fiefdom, Moore County, know anything about it? Then there's the matter of cost and logistics of pipelines, rights of way, etc., and quality of the product ... Full Story »

Like Steve Bouser (Oct. 4 column), I knew Sam Ragan, a little bit but not well enough. We met when his wife was a patient at the hospital and I was a chaplain. Sam was a legend. His daughter and I share the same name, Talmage (mine without a "d"), both named for a prominent preacher, Dr. Dewitt Talmage. Full Story »

I so disagree when Bill Schwenk says, "Health care is an individual responsibility for those who are capable of taking care of themselves. It is not a right to be paid for by other people who do take their health care responsibility" (Nov. 1). I might remind you that we are our brother's keeper. How do you explain your attitude to someone who could no longer work due to cancer, lost their ... Full Story »

As a proud veteran of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, who is preparing for Veterans Day, I find it tragic that so many of my fellow Americans view Nov. 11 as just another day off work. It was established to mark the end of World War I, which was not our costliest war in terms of lives, but one that made us aware that the world is not a safe place. Full Story »

One week after giving up 69 points to Richmond, Pinecrest's defense redeemed itself, and the Patriots made history. Pinecrest forced six Hoke turnovers and kept the homestanding Bucks off the scoreboard throughout much of the first three quarters on its way to a 31-14 win Friday night. The Patriots close the regular season with a 9-2 record, including 3-2 in Southeastern Conference play. Full Story »

Despite waiting more than a year between victories, North Moore's football team was at a loss after beating Chatham Central 22-13 on the road in its regular season finale Friday night. "They didn't know how to react, to tell you the truth" said head coach Butch Cleveland. "Just get in from the cold and take your gear off." Full Story »

It was a huge win for Tom Eubank. The $7,500 check was sweet, but it was far from the most important thing about his victory in the seventh annual National Patriot Senior Invitational that concluded Monday at National Golf Club. Full Story »

Natalie Gulbis was so cold she stood on Maniac Hill wrapped in a blanket. Chris DiMarco was so sleep deprived his eyes looked like a road map. Full Story »

Beacon Ridge: Mary Snead is the Beaconettes Club Champion for 2009. The Club Championship is a three-day event played over three weeks of 9-hole competitions. Full Story »

Andy Bare made the most of home cooking last week when he won the first stage of the PGA Qualifier held on Pinewild Country Club's Magnolia Course by shooting 10-under-par 66-70-72-70--278. Bare, who lives in West End, is no stranger to the award-winning Pinewild course and made the most of the opportunity by jumping out with a 66, which was two strokes better than Dustin Bray, who plays out of ... Full Story »

Paul Simson, of Raleigh, Del Kinney, of Great Barrington, Mass., and Romie Holder, of Tulsa, Okla., were the winners in the 27th annual Society of Seniors Championship played at the historic par-70 Lookout Mountain Golf Club in Lookout Mountain, Ga. and the heralded Honors Course, a par-72 in nearby Ooltewah, Tenn. Simson captured the Dale Morey flight for members 55 through 64 years of age. He ... Full Story »

Former Sen. Bob Dole, Gen. Colin Powell, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre and golfing legend Arnold Palmer have something in common other than having a famous name. They have survived prostate cancer. Full Story »

The North Carolina Senior Citizens Association is sponsoring a free educational workshop Tuesday on how people can protect their assets from nursing home expenses and Medicaid "spend down." Elder Law Attorney Jason Sutton will conduct the workshop. Full Story »

An initiative aimed at delivering more locally-grown produce directly to local dinner tables has easily passed one hurdle. The Moore County Board of Commissioners agreed Monday to submit an application to the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI) for a $30,000 grant to develop a business cooperative known as Sandhills Farm to Table. Full Story »