Commissioners: Wrap up review in 30 days
■ Board given deadline for
reviewing current wind ordinance
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
The Chowan County Board of
Commissioners on a 6-1 vote Mon
day set a 30-day time limit on the
Chowan Planning Board’s review
of the county’s wind energy ordi
MORE INSIDE
■ Winborne seeks resignation of
planning board member. - 4A
nance.
Commissioner Alex Kehayes
cast the lone dissenting vote, argu
ing 30 days was not enough time
for the planning board to heai
the kind of expert testimony the
commissioners have directed that
board to rely on.
The motion by Chairman Jeff
Smith called on the planning board
to report back to the county com
missioners in 30 days with a full
recommended text amendment
based on expert testimony.
After the board’s vote, Patti
Kersey, who is vice chairman
of the planning board, told the
Chowan Herald that 30 days is not
sufficient time to review the ordi
nance - especially when experts
are involved.
The commissioners’ insistence
on expert testimony was in part
a reflection of advice that County
Attorney John Morrison gave the
commissioners during their meet
ing Monday night. Morrison re
minded the commissioners that
at the time a wind energy project
comes before the commission
ers for consideration of a permit
application, the board will sit in
a quasi-judicial hearing and will
have to make its decision based
on “competent evidence.”
Morrison also reminded the
See ORDINANCE, 4A
Chowan sees more snow and ice
From staff reports
Last week saw Chowan
County battling snow and
ice for the second week
in a row - and forecasts
this week have mentioned
a possibility of wintry
precipitation later in the
week.
Snow fell on Feb. 24, and
then on Feb. 26 the North
eastern Regional Airport
in Edenton reported 1.13
inches of precipitation - a
mixture of snow and rain
- between midnight and 8
a.m.
The temperature in
Edenton was 33 degrees
The Edenton-Chowan
Schools held classes on
Saturday to begin mak
ing up days missed due to
snow and ice.
The Edenton-Chowan
Board of Education voted
Monday night to make
March 27, April 3 mid June
12 regular school days
in order to make up days
missed due to inclement
weather.
In addition, Edenton
Chowan Schools Super
intendent Rob Jackson
said if there are any more
full days missed due to
inclement weather, the
school district will have
school on the Saturday
immediately following the
missed day.
The icy roads on Feb. 24
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
Jim Blount shovels slush outside his pharmacy on Broad Street in downtown Edenton, Thursday. See more snow photos page 7A.
resulted in a plethora of ve
hicle accidents in Edenton
and Chowan County, ac
cording to Sheriff Dwayne
Goodwin and Police Chief
Jay Fortenbery.
But the area received
a slushy snow on Feb. 26
that resulted only in a cou
ple of minor single-vehicle
accidents in the county.
Roads were noticeably
clearer where state crews
had passed through with
clearing equipment.
Goodwin and Forten
bery noted the road condi
tions were not too bad in
tiie aftermath of the rain
snow mix on Thursday.
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
i Dominion Power employees work on the upgrades at
the company's Edenton substation.
Dominion upgrading
local substation
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Dominion North Caro
lina Power Ls upgrading its
Edenton substation next
to the railroad tracks along
Freemason Street.
Donald Joyner, Domin
ion’s substation supervisor
for the local substation,
explained Monday that the
Edenton substation upgrade
is part of a major project in
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
wiueh Dominion ls upgrad
ing its transmission lines in
northeastern North Caro
lina.
Dominion Ls upgrading its
lines from 115 kilovolts to
230 kilovolts and Ls upgrad
ing all the equipment at the
substation. The upgrades
include installation of new
transformers.
“It makes a more reliable
service,” Joyner said of the
upgrade to 230 kV.
Joyner adder! that the up
grades are not a response
to any concerns about the
electric service, but rather
are part of an ongoing effort
See SUBSTATION, 3A
Tyner man charged with trafficking
■ More than 50 pounds of marijuana
seized at house in rural Chowan County
From staff reports
a lyner man nas
been charged with
felony possession of /
marijuana and traf- **
ficking marijuana ^
in connection with
the largest amount .
MORRIS
oi marijuana tnat
Sheriff Dwayne
Goodwin could re
call ever coming across in Chowan
County.
Stephen Christopher Morris, 31,
of Yellow Hammer Road, Tyner,
was arrested Friday and released
on $21,000 secured bond, according
to Goodwin. Morris also is charged
with maintaining a dwelling for
keeping a controlled substance and
possession of drug paraphernalia,
Goodwin said.
Goodwin said officers found 50.1
pounds of marijuana Friday after
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
This Is 50 pounds of marijuana seized at a Chowan County home Friday.
noon after being c alled to the home
regarding a domestic dispute. The
marijuana lias a st reet value of more
than $200,000, Goodwin said.
Sgt. Scooter Basnight and Deputy
Anthony Holland responded to the
domestic disturbance call and no
ticed a strong odor of marijuana
as soon as they entered the house,
Goodwin said. Morris was arrested
on a second-degree trespassing war
rant, and then the officers obtained
a search warrant and found the
marijuana, according to Goodwin.
“It was a great job by the guys,”
Goodwin said.
McCrory, Kluttz to visit on tax credit tour
From staff reports
Gov. Pat McCrory will join N.C.
Department of Cultural Resources
Secretary Susan Kluttz, Edenton
Mayor Roland Vaughan and other
local leaders Monday to tour his
toric buildings in Edenton that uti
lized the recently expired historic
tax credits.
Stops include income-producing
properties that have recently taken
advantage of the tax
credits prior to theii
expiration.
“Edenton exem
plifies the positive
and dynamic re
sults Historic Tax
Credits achieve for
our state," McCrory
nnwl
KLUTTZ
p
MCCRORY
| ton, ought to be
preserved so future
generations can dis
cover and appreci
ate North Carolina’s
abundance of his
jj toric and cultural re
I sources, which are
vital to the
ings, in beautiful cities like Eden
See Tour, 3A
01
Vi
REMV FOR LIFE
11 AM to 2PM a 4PM to 7PM
.Benefit Lunch ft Dinner
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