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THURSDAY • JULY 1, 2010 • 75¢ charlotteobserver.com
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GEDDINGS RELEASED
FROM PRISON
Attorneys for Kevin Geddings
plan to ask a federal court in
Charlotte
Raleigh today to
nullify the convic-
tion of the former
N.C. lottery com-
a finalist
Geddings
missioner, who was
released Wednesday
from a federal pris-
on in Georgia. He had been con-
for Dems
victed of failing to disclose con-
sulting payments. 1B

Kagan confirmation likely,

in 2012
City joins Cleveland, Minneapolis,
both parties agree
St. Louis as potential host cities for
Supreme Court nominee Elena
Democratic National Convention.
Kagan’s confirma-
tion appeared al- By Jim Morrill
most certain jmorrill@charlotteobserver.com
The Democratic National Committee an-
Wednesday as she
nounced Wednesday that Charlotte is one of
spent a third day four finalists for its 2012 convention, putting the
telling Senate Judi- city closer than ever to landing a national politi-
Kagan ciary Committee cal gathering.
members that she has no ideo- “It’s a huge deal,” Mayor Anthony Foxx, a
Democrat, said Wednesday night. “The 2012
logical agenda. 5A Democratic National Convention carries a sig-
nificant and positive economic impact and will
House OKs sweeping PHOTOS BY JEFF WILLHELM – jwillhelm@charlotteobserver.com also put our city, our region and our state on an
banking regulations Outside, the summer night is dark and humid. But the air conditioning is humming inside Tony’s Ice international stage.”
Nearly two years after a Wall Cream in Gastonia, and the freezers are stocked with 29 flavors of frozen happiness. Charlotte will compete with Cleveland, Min-
Street meltdown left the econo- neapolis and St. Louis. The party is expected to
choose a site by the end of the year.
my reeling, the House passed a
massive overhaul of financial
regulations on Wednesday that
would extend the government’s
A SWEET EVENING A convention would be an economic boon.
Denver officials estimated the 2008 Democratic
convention brought the area a $266 million eco-
nomic benefit.
reach from storefront thrifts to
the executive suites of Manhat-
tan. Senate support for the bill
AT TONY’S ICE CREAM “We have a great opportunity, and we’re go-
ing to put everything we can to try to win this
thing,” said Tim Newman, CEO of the Charlotte
Regional Visitors Authority.
remained in flux. 5A First in an occasional series. What do summer Skeptics say nobody should get their hopes
By Kathleen Purvis nights mean to you? SEE FINALIST, 4A
kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com
When the sun goes down
and the heat subsides, a
“Tell me it’s cooled off out there,” says the woman behind the
summer night can turn mag-
counter at Tony’s Ice Cream in Gastonia.
Nah, not even close. At 7:30 p.m., the sunlight hasn’t begun to soft-
en, the bank clocks have barely backed down from 97 degrees. The
ical. In coming weeks, Ob-
server writers and photog-
raphers will celebrate sum-
Gulf to get
red booths lining the walls inside are still filled with the fast-dinner
crowd, little kids hurrying to finish that last bite of hot dog to reach
mer nights in the Carolinas
through stories and photos.
You can help.
E-mail us a comment
help from big
oil skimmer
TOM LOVELOCK – AP the promised land of ice cream.
Roger Federer: Losing is “not about what summer evenings
something I’m used to.” The hard part isn’t deciding to end a hot day with ice cream at mean to you. Maybe you like
stargazing, or sitting on your
Tony’s. The hard part is deciding how.
Surprise at Wimbledon front porch and watching Choppy seas from Hurricane Alex
For the first time in eight years, The board lists 29 flavors, made in the brick factory across the fireflies. could hamper the clean-up efforts.
Roger Federer won’t be in the street. Then there are issues like banana split or hot fudge cake. Hot Your comment can be a
few words or a sentence – By Tom Breen
final. 1C fudge sundae, pineapple sundae, strawberry sundae or nut sundae.
but no longer than a sen- And Jay Reeves
Pint, cup or cone. Or maybe a milkshake, mixed in a tall waxed cup, tence. You can also post a Associated Press
Elizabeth Edwards: long spoon and straw jabbed through a final scoop of ice cream comment to this story online. NEW ORLEANS — With hurricane-whipped
Leaving was ‘terrifying’ We’ll take all of the com- waves pushing more oil onto the Gulf of Mex-
packed on top. ments and assemble them
Elizabeth Edwards called the SEE TONY’S, 4A ico’s once-white beaches, the government
into a story. Leave your name pinned its latest cleanup hopes Wednesday on a
decision to leave her
on the comment and we’ll try huge new piece of equipment: the world’s larg-
philandering hus- to credit everybody who est oil-skimming vessel.
band “terrifying” but contributes. The Taiwanese-flagged former tanker named
said she plans to Want to e-mail your sub- the “A Whale” is the length of 31⁄2 football fields
sell the couple’s mission, including photos? and stands 10 stories high. It just emerged from
Send to editor Steve Gunn at an extensive retrofitting to prepare it for the
sprawling Chapel sgunn.observer@gmail.com.
Edwards Gulf, where officials hope it will be able to suck
Hill house and move Deadline for submissions: up as much as 21 million gallons of oil-fouled
on with her life. 1B July 7. water per day.
As the monstrous vessel made its way toward
This summer’s hottest WHAT’S YOUR the Gulf Coast, large waves churned up by dis-
hair trend: Braids FAVORITE ICE CREAM tant Hurricane Alex left Alabama beaches splat-
With several variations – French SPOT? tered with oil and tar balls the size of apples. The
Where’s your favorite spot rough seas forced most smaller skimming boats
braids, side braids, rope braids
to get a scoop? Share it SEE OIL SKIMMER, 6A
and fishtails – you can try a with the rest of us on
different style every day of the Insight, the Observer’s new COMING FRIDAY
week. 1D Tashina Azure’s jaw drops as her chocolate shake arrives, topped Facebook application. A full-page hurricane tracking map that you can
with a scoop of ice cream. With her is Alex Bolick, left. theobserverinsight.com save and use to track tropical storms for 2010.

TODAY’S MUST-READS
Spoiled flight: A container of
spoiled meat on an Atlanta-to- Bribery suspect’s job: FLOODED STREETS, LOWER TEMPERATURES
Charlotte US Airways flight led to
an unsavory surprise for pas-
sengers. 2B
Bank fraud specialist
‘Ironic’ job for former long prison term on several
Not just a mall: Visitors to East- Charlotte banker, one charges. Mobley, who is also
an actress, received $200,000
land Mall on its final day talk of 35 people charged as a kickback on the fraudu-
about what they’ll miss most. 1B in mortgage scam. lent $1.5 million sale of one
Waxhaw house, court docu-
By Stella M. Hopkins ments allege.
shopkins@charlotteobserver.com Mobley and Henson are

85o 63o A former Bank of America

branch manager in Charlotte,
among 35 defendants in a
complex mortgage fraud case
charged last month with tak- involving
Forecast: Partly sunny and mild with ing bribes, recently worked pricey homes
isolated thunderstorms. 10C for Wachovia as a fraud spe- in Mecklen-
cialist – the latest twist in an burg and
Ask Amy ............5D Sports.................1C
elaborate mortgage fraud Union coun-
Business..........10A TV........................3D case. ties. So far, 25
Classified ..........6C Delivery The revelation about Vic have agreed
Comics ..........4-5D Assistance or to Henson came in federal court to plead guil-
Editorial............12A Subscribe Wednesday. Following her Henson ty, the first in
Horoscope ........4D .....800-532-5350
Lottery ...............2A To subscribe to case, the prosecutor and a de- November
Movies................3D OnTV magazine fense attorney sparred over 2008. On Wednesday, Mob-
Obituaries .........4B ...... 877-800-1335 whether to allow another de- ley and Henson were in court
fendant in the case, who is a to hear the charges against
flight attendant, to fly inter- them and have conditions of
DAVIE HINSHAW – dhinshaw@charlotteobserver.com
nationally for work. their release set.
+ © 2010 The Charlotte Observer
Vol. 141, No. 182 Prosecutors don’t want Sa- Henson, 41, was indicted A Charlotte firefighter helps a motorist retrieve items from her flooded car
rena Mobley to leave the last month on conspiracy,
country because she, like fraud, bribery and other after the water receded on Hawthorne Lane near Central Avenue Wednesday
Henson, potentially faces a SEE FRAUD, 4A afternoon. Along with the rains came lower temperatures. Story, 1B