North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 08/07/1995

It's Monday August 7th. Tonight tobacco farmers try to save their crops from heat rain and disease. In North Carolina now. Good evening everyone I'm Christina Copeland glad you could join us tonight.

We've got a jam packed show for you beginning with a look at a very tough year for tobacco farmers. We'll have a report on how the harvest is going. And do you know where comic book characters come from. Well some of them are coming from right here in North Carolina. Well also have an interview that you won't want to miss. We'll talk with a Stanford man who witnessed the Japanese surrender 50 years ago. All that plus today's news. So let's get started. It seems like tobacco farmers have been hit with just about everything possible this year. Disease excessive rain and then sweltering heat that means less new tobacco for sale in North Carolina markets. But tobacco experts say the state's farmers could be helped by last year's oversupply of the golden leaf. Michel Lewis reports. John Ascher Reidsville is one of many tobacco farmers and the four Hills State who is recovering from the damage that bad weather and disease have inflicted on his crop.

We've had some talks bought some Lumo but it has been detrimental to tobacco yet I feel like we're going to have a nineteen hundred two thousand pound crop this year. We need rain now. We had three weeks where we had 19 inches but we're making them like ASH is a third generation Rockingham County tobacco farmer who usually farms about forty acres of the golden this year ash reduced his planting. We've got 30 acres this year. We cut back on the sacks of Medicare last year. We should apply a little bit more carryover leaf will be the savior this market season a Vintage Crop in 1994 will help many Tarheel tobacco farmers make this year's sales. Well Charles Harvey executive vice president of the tobacco growers association of North Carolina says farmers will have to harvest quickly to salvage the crop in the fields. This is going to mean that in the back as well getting sensible ripe in the field and

it's will be a struggle to save it. But once we save this crop. And add to that a hundred and fifty million pounds of Kerio it back we can get that in the right hands to sell by matching up marketing cards and actual tobacco. We should come pretty close to marketing the full quote of this year's National Tobacco quota. The amount that can be put on the market is nine hundred twenty six million pounds. Some farmers will not make their total quota but there is a way for them to make up the difference. They will be eligible to lease there remained a quota that they don't sell to other growers who have access. And there will be many growers with excess tobacco due to the fact that all of the Kerio tobacco was counted on their card that they have already so. So they will be short palings. So for those who have

had losses the law provides that they can lease in the fall to the grower who has access and it can be be so Ash sees this year's tobacco market as the beginning of a readjustment period similar to the stock market. Some people won't make it and some people will still have carryover this year. I think I'll put in more on a level playing field. The last three to four years a lot of growers have just increased the Carioca tremendously. You know both are nice and the Piedmont and up towards the mountains. And I thank you. It might just smooth things out Hardy says although the tobacco market doesn't look as weak as once thought. People there are some North Carolina farmers who will not have a good crop this year. There are some growers who have lost tremendously. We can't sell that short at all there are some girls who are really hurting here. But when we look at across the state we look across the state.

We will probably sell more tobacco and good tobacco. Then we proceed we would say when all the water was coming down. Tobacco growers aren't just keeping an eye on the sky. They're also carefully watching the world market. More than half of the tobacco grown in North Carolina is export. But Tommy Bunn executive vice president of the tobacco Association of the United States at least tobacco Exporters Association says some customers are concerned about the high cost of U.S. tobacco. There are things we can do here in the U.S. that can make us more competitive in the world market. We can readjust our system of leasing and cut out tremendous costs. We can really adjust our marketing system and reduce our cost. So there are areas that we can still provide the farmer with the same amount of income they're receiving now and supply the customer with the product they can afford.

Bunn says despite concerns about governmental regulation tobacco is a major force in our national balance of trade contributing in excess of five billion dollars. And he says there are many countries looking to take a major slice out of that golden leaf. There's a growing market for tobacco around the world whether we produce it or not will be insignificant. Now the countries are sitting on their doorstep trying to figure out a way to take that market away from us right now. And it's up to us to keep this important and valuable asset in international trade that we have called back. John Ascher greets he sends a loss in tobacco sales would have a definite effect on state and local coffers as well. Tobacco is a very important crop just now of this county. Not only this state but to this nation a lot of people you know in other states don't realize one pound of tobacco produced $20 a tax and I think people do not like that.

You take $20 from tax and I grow ninety five thousand pounds to tobacco you know that's a lot of money. Charles Harvey says he thinks prices for new tobacco should hold at about the same levels as last year's leaf. Meanwhile there's speculation that President Clinton may use his trip to Charlotte on Wednesday to discuss his plans for a federal tobacco regulations. Coming up in a few minutes we'll talk with a North Carolina man who was an eyewitness to history at the end of World War 2. But first let's check in with Michel Louis at the now news desk. Hi Mitch. Hello Chris. Good evening everyone. State Prison officials plan to charge inmates a fee for non-emergency medical care beginning next year. The charges will apply to medical and dental services and prescription drugs. No raid has been sent but the legislature passed a bill that allows county jails to charge inmates up to 10 dollars per visit for non-emergency medical care. Officials say the plan will allow doctors and nurses to concentrate their efforts on patients who are really sick. Similar plans in other states have

reduced and made medical visits by as much as 50 percent. North Carolina and Nassau are teaming up to bring new technology to the state. Today Governor Hunt and members of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center signed an accord that will allow Nasser to transfer technological advances to local business and industry under the agreement Nassar Representatives will sponsor workshops and visit businesses. Scientists and engineers will recommend technologies and may help design solutions to specific problems. Hunt says Nassa wants to give back what taxpayers have given to the space program. Defense lawyers in the OJ Simpson trial won a legal victory today here in North Carolina. The State Court of Appeals ordered Professor Lera Hart McKinney to turn over the tapes he recorded of Detective Mark Furhman The judge also ruled she must testify at the trial in Los Angeles on the tapes Firman is heard using racial slurs. The defense team hopes to prove that Berman's alleged prejudice towards blacks led him to try to frame the ex football player in the murders of his

ex-wife and her friend. It's one distinction North Carolina won't be proud of. According to federal figures North Carolina leads the nation in cases of gonorrhea and a second in the number of cases of syphilis. There have been more than 13000 cases of gonorrhea reported in the state so far this year. And now for a look at tomorrow's weather. Cooler temperatures will continue with highs in the low 80s for most of the state. The Boone area will be in the mid 70s while Wilmington should hit should hit the high 80s. The rest of the western part of the state will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms. The chance of storms lessens across the rest of the state. In business news Carolinians are more optimistic about the future of the economy than they have been in many years. That's the conclusion of the annual Carolina's poll sponsored by the Charlotte Observer and WSOC TV over 900 people in North Carolina and South Carolina were asked their opinions about the economy. Forty one percent said that they felt they would be better off in a year than they are right now.

Fifty one percent felt the business climate of their state would improve over the same time period. This is the most positive response to the survey questions since 1988 mid-south insurance company is merging with Virginia's largest health insurer after 35 years of competition as a result of Mid-South stockholders will get a healthy boost in their bank accounts. Try gone Blue Cross Blue Shield of Richmond will pay 85 million dollars or $15 a share for the company. That's almost 50 percent higher than Friday's closing price. The stock market finished on the upside today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose nearly 10 points to close at forty six ninety three point thirty two. And gainers lead decliners by 43 about 276 million shares traded hands the Standard Poor's 500 Index and the Nasdaq composite index both rose and now for some stocks of North Carolina interest. Wow.

Tonight we wrap up our very special series of interviews with North Carolina as World War 2 veterans. Our guest tonight is a sin for a man who was aboard the USS Cole and as he led a victorious armada of allied ships into Tokyo Bay at the conclusion of the war. James Ray Hunter thanks for being with us tonight. It's my pleasure to be with you. Where were you when you first heard about the war being over. Well I was at battle station on the on the Sutherland.

As a matter of fact this was the morning of August the 15th. In Tokyo and we were only a short distance from Tokyo with carrier planes already making a strike that morning. This is what you look like then how old were you. Oh about 19 and no no 20 actually 20. But by that time we heard the news. Adam Oh boy Hall say. OK Mona talk to all ships you gave us they gave us a well done he understood that from President Truman that the war was over. What he told us to be on the alert and to if any enemy plane showed up to shoot them down in a friendly fashion statement that meant very very finest from him. And and as a matter of fact the unfortunate when the first wave that we had seen no one had already dropped their bombs and were engaged in some activity with Japanese

planes and four of our F-16s were shot down in the bottom line Japanese. But the second the second wave was turned back by the time they reached the coast and they dropped their bombs out in the water not far from us so that they could safely land. I always thought What a pity the message could've come 30 minutes sooner you know. Well then after that you folks get some really good news because then you found out that you were going to leave the Armada. What was it like when they told you that. Well we were we were very excited about it in one sense we didn't really feel that we deserved that honor because there were number of ships out there that had really been out there longer than we had and had seen more action. But it's a little bit like the surrender instrument which sound only much Zohra. And it was already only had three battle stars but the North Carolina had 15 Battlestar So this is the Sutherland we're looking at Yeah right yeah right.

But I'm making the same comparison. But the reason that we were able to have the honor of leading that Armada into Tokyo Bay was the fact that we had some special radar that we had installed after we had pulled a short stint in the Atlantic when we came back into Boston homeport had the special radar installed that enabled us to do things that other destroyers couldn't do. And I understand there was only one other destroyer out there that had that same radar and it it was not in our task force. So prior to the war ended we would be 50 or 60 miles out ahead of the task force directing our planes to the enemy planes directing our planes back to the to their carriers and so I understand there was a little bit of debate about who would who would lead the way it was going to be a distro you would go to church surely wouldn't be a battleship. And finally I understand from our captain that the argument was indeed one. When Bill Halter who was

what I consider sort of the the Patton of that of the Navy when the Holder said that storm clouds storm cloud was our code name said the storm cloud had been out in front all along when there was more danger involved and storm cloud would lead the way when it was more of an honor than anything else. Now the other thing that's really amazing is that you got to see this signing of the peace treaty on the Missouri even though you were still on the Sutherland. How does that all simple fact that one of the one of the things back on going into the into the harbor own the Saddam leading the way we were. We went to battle the battle stations but. It quickly became apparent that there was no trick involved. So we were allowed to sit up on top of our director Oh sits on top of the bridge on a destroyer and so we could really see that the people on the shore and they were they were looking at a video right here of this signing on the Missouri. OK well wants. This came about almost by accident.

I climbed up in to the to the direct on this was on Sunday morning climbed up on in my directive which sits on top of the bridge just for some routine check it out because that was part of my responsibility. And then when I realized what was going on over there so I trained it around and get the range found of the most powerful. They don't own a ship and then I could see them just as clearly as I see you right now. And I could see that even one of the Japanese is the one that has one one leg for an artificial artificial leg almost So he did slip on the ladder and some of his aides called him. I could see it so clearly and I could even see MacArthur given that short gave a short speech when they first gathered and then when they had all signed he made another little eloquent speech in the half back could have read lips. I would have known what he would say and how I found out later. You know some of those eloquent words that he put together. And one of the things that was

very interesting to me was that he used several pens and you may have seen this on home on your video I'm not sure but the first pin that he gave he sounded gay was to general one right who was I had been in prison for almost four years and was a hero of the Bataan Death March. And he first diversity and he used to date to General Wainwright who looked very emaciated but stood proud in his in his uniform. Oh I think it's probably a proud moment for everybody there that day. It really was and one one and one they had come finish signing. MacArthur his last few words. When something like this that the day the guns are silent the great tragedy has ended a great victory has been won. Well the sky is no longer running death

the seabirds only commerce every man everywhere walk upright in the sunlight. The entire world lives quietly at peace. The only mission is complete. It was a mission and so it and so it in the end and I nation that survived World War 2. Well James 100 thank you so much for sharing this incredible story with us I'm sure a lot of us are going to be thinking about this and V-J day later on the end of this month. Thank you for stopping by. It was my pleasure. From. The world of comics is filled with superheroes villains and even an occasional female

reporter like Lois Lane. Tonight our reporter Maria Lundberg and videographer David Hardy explore the comic book universe but not in Gotham City or Metropolis. They went behind the scenes with a group of comic book artists at the North Carolina town of Hillsboro Elaine Illinois. Thank you. Comic books aren't just for kids anymore. Today the average age of a comic collector is twenty five years old. The comic industry has become a big business grossing more than 600 million dollars every year and some of the most famous comic book characters are created right here in North Carolina. Somewhere in Hillsboro in a location more secret than the Batcave live Wonder Woman the flash Morbius the Living Vampire the Doom

Patrol and Justice League International. Well actually is their creators who inhabit this artist's studio where comic book heroes come to life. Richard case is one of the veterans he's been working professionally as a comic book artist for seven years. The hardest part is also the most satisfying course which is coming up with something from nothing. I'm just playing around with things till the day they come together and I'm just creating characters completely and then making them believable and everything. I did a book called The Doom Patrol before I worked on that for about four and a half years and I feel like the run of this you know accomplishment these days he's creating a brand new book called Ghost Dancing based on a Native American theme. Since doing extensive research he's now making sketches of the main characters in the story. After working at home alone for many years Kay says being in a

studio with six other artists has many benefits. Probably the biggest advantage is just having the camaraderie and being able to show your work to other people that are right here seeing it on a daily basis and can give you feedback on your work. Chuck Boyd Cabot's agrees. Like case he worked on his own before the artists opened the studio last year. Like other areas of the entertainment business he says this field is extremely competitive. It's like trying to become a Broadway star. There's a million people who want to do it and only a few spaces available. His hard work and determination paid off. Chuck is well known as the creative hand behind Justice League International but that success comes with the long hours and a lot of self-discipline. I draw 23 pages of art a month for the one book I do and then I make you know a car you know a trading card or so

whatever might come my way but it means I can do about a page a day working from 9:00 in the morning till sometimes 9:00 or 10:00 at night. One of my crowning moments is I did an issue of Superman The Man of Steel himself and to be trusted with DC Comics is the number one character to be able to add my little say so to the legend of Superman. It's a proud moment for me even though there's a bit of friendly rivalry established artists help newcomers like Geoff Parker who's been in the business for about a year and is the cartooning element you have to put into it that kind of brings it to life for the reader and gets them all excited about it. It's not so hard figuring out how to draw someone realistic as to draw them realistic and keep a certain amount of energy in it. That's the thing Craig Gilmore is another newcomer to the field as a kid he already showed signs of his future career. If it was kind of back I got in trouble in school because I. Will you know little

sketches even on my report cards no I have no sketches and stuff and of course today his sketches have resulted in a contract to draw Morbius the Living Vampire from Marvel Comics like I guess Chuck and all the guys here that they grew up on like superhero comics but I didn't know I had you know I grew up on like House of Mystery and House of Secrets and all the weird stuff in the Frankenstein and Dracula movies and that's that was my biggest influence. I feel a sense of accomplishment just in the fact that you know I am making a career out of something I love to do and would do no matter if I get paid for it and that love of creation is shared by all of the artists in the studio including my queering who has been drawing the flash for the past year and a half. He's a well-established character so there was a little intimidation there but I pretty much take it in stride. Just do it day to day and hope people like it. It's kind of strange I'm always talking about

what's going on with the characters with everybody else. I mean almost as if they were real people. I mean I'm not so immersed in what's going on that I lose a sense of reality but yeah I get to I get to have a feeling for the characters were Ingo is moving onto other projects including a revival of early comic book hero Captain Marvel. He says it's still hard to believe his dream career has come true. Sometimes I think I'm still numb about it it hasn't really sunk in that I'm doing it as a profession that I'm making a living doing it. Those in the industry say these talented artists are certainly making their mark in the business. There are you too young to be considered but you're too good to be seen in the bottom. Right. More and more people are buying comic books not just for the enjoyment of reading them but as an

investment. Some collectors even buy specific books just because they're done by a particular artist. I'm glad you were drawn to us this evening and I hope that you'll be back again tomorrow night for another great edition of North Carolina now. Here's what we have coming up for you. The issue of race based scholarships has become a touchy want to campuses across the country. We'll look at what a recent Supreme Court ruling could mean for North Carolina schools. We'll also talk with the new dean of the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University about the need to teach ethics in business. We hope to see you then. Good night everyone.