Rangers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have found the car of a Cary man who was reported missing late last month.

Christopher Lee Cessna, 45, was reported missing to Cary police on April 27, according to park officials. Cary police issued a nationwide missing persons report that mentioned the 2009 Audi he was driving, but his family had no reason to believe he would go to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which spans the border between North Carolina and Tennessee.

Park officials say they learned Cessna was missing when they checked the license plate of an Audi that had been parked at the Newfound Gap parking area for weeks.

The Appalachian Trail, a popular spot for hikers, crosses the Great Smoky Mountains Park at Newfound Gap, and park officials were not concerned about the Audi at first, because vehicles are sometimes left there for weeks at a time.

Now park rangers have mounted a search that will start at Newfound Gap along the Appalachian Trail and connecting trails, looking for signs that someone may have gotten off the trail. The searchers are also checking the logs at area shelters for entries that may be related to Cessna, officials reported.

Cessna was reportedly despondent, and family members say they cannot find a handgun he kept at his Cary home. They are fearful that he may have planned to take his own life. "He was just going through some issues," Cary police Capt. Michael Williams said. "He's been depressed lately. We are not sure what's going on; whether he's just on the walking trail, or suicidal, or what."

Cessna is described as a white man who stands about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 230 pounds. He has brown hair and a fair complexion. Park officials urge anyone who may have seen him to call the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 865-436-1230.

Olympic trials planned for Cary

From Staff Reports

Cary will host the U.S. and North American table tennis Olympic trials next year.

The two five-day events will attract the top table tennis players in North America to Cary.

The Bond Park community center is the venue for the U.S. Olympic trials Feb. 8-12. The top finishers will qualify for the North American Olympic trials, which will be held at the same location April 18-22. The top finishers from the April event will earn spots on the 2012 Olympic team. The 2012 summer games will be held in London.

Town wants you to get involved

From Staff Reports

The town of Cary is asking residents to apply for one of 26 openings on nine volunteer boards.

Those interested can attend an open house at Town Hall, 316 N. Academy St., from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Applications are being accepted now through June 30 for appointments to the following boards and commissions: Citizen Issue Review Commission, Economic Development Commission, Environmental Advisory Board, Information Services Advisory Board, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board, Planning and Zoning Board, Public Art Advisory Board, Town Center Review Commission, and Zoning Board of Adjustment.

The town council will review and appoint applicants in September. Those selected will volunteer for three-year staggered terms except where unexpired terms are being filled. For more information, visit www.townofcary.org or call 919-319-4508.

Sewage spills in Cary creek

From Staff Reports

A 2,037-gallon sewage spill occurred near the intersection of N.C. 55 and Park Scene Drive at 9:20 a.m. Tuesday. Town officials blame grease for clogging the pipes.

All of the untreated waste reached a tributary of White Oak Creek. The spill was cleared by 10:30 a.m. and clean-up efforts stopped at 9 p.m. because of rain.

During the incident, White Oak Greenway from N.C. 55 to Interstate 540 was closed. The greenway re-opened Wednesday afternoon when clean-up was completed.

The town of Cary established a program in 1998 to work with property owners to reduce the amount of fats, oils and greases dumped into the municipal sewer system.