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ERQUIMANS
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"News from Next Door" MAY 9, 2012 - MAY 15, 2012
Man charged for assault on EC woman
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A 22-year-old Elizabeth
City woman says she was
strangled late Thursday
night in a Stokes Street
home. A Hertford man faces
a felony charge of assault
by strangulation in connec
tion with the incident.
According to the Hert
ford Police Department,
Dakeem Sha-Mel Bond of
the 300-block Stokes Street
turned himself into police
around 1:30 a.m. Friday
morning and was released
on a $2,000 unsecured
bond.
Brittany Nicole Nobles
told police she went to
Bond’s home to pick up her
young children when Bond
allegedly grabbed her by
the throat and penned her
against a wall. According to
police reports, Bond report
edly continued to choke No
bles against the wall and as
she slid down onto the floor,
unable to breathe.
Police say Nobles man
aged to slap Bond in the
face during the alleged
assault which, she said,
caused her eyes to feel as
they were “going to pop out
of her head.”
The assault ended when
Bond’s sister walked into
the room and instructed
him to let Nobles go, police
reports state.
Nobles told police Bond’s
brother sat on the couch
and watched the alleged as
sault occur did nothing to
stop it, police reports state.
Nobles grabbed her child
and left. She called police
and met them at a nearby
intersection where police
found her crying inside her
vehicle.
Police say Nobles told
them she was warned by
Bonds earlier in the eve
ning that he was going to
choke her that evening.
She carried a friend with
her when she went there
to pick up her children
because she feared Bond
would hurt her, police re
ports state.
Police went back to the
house later to serve a war
rant on Bonds but he was
not at home. He turned
himself into the Sheriffs
Office later that evening.
Spring Into Fun
STAFF PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
New
police
chief
hired
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A veteran law enforce ¬
ment officer with over 22
years of experience has
been tapped as Hertford’s
new police chief.
Douglas L. Freeman, Jr,
age 42, is
scheduled
to begin
his new
position
on Tues
day. He
currently
serves as
deputy Freeman
chief of
With determination showing on their faces, Hannah Bergman and Hayley Tisdale try to throw plastic “sticks" through the rings during Saturday’s Spring Festival
at Perquimans Central School.
Local Board
of Education
member Ralph
Hollowell
(right) drives
an ATV pulling
students, par
ents and other
fest-goers on a
hayride during
the Spring
Festival.
police for a 15-man police
department in North Top
sail Beach located in On
slow County.
Hertford Town Manager
Brandon Shoaf said Free
man was selected through
a process that started with
over 75 applications from
all over the United States.
Shoaf hired Freeman for
the position following an
interview process that not
only included Shoaf and
Interim Police Chief Mike
Carver but a panel of other
law enforcement profes
sionals and town manag
ers as well.
“We interviewed four
good candidates,” said
Shoaf. “Freeman has lots
of community policing
experience and has run
See FREEMAN, 4
Foxes seen around
school properties
Man was chased
on Sunset Drive
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
School officials are
alerting students and
staff at Perquimans
County High School to be
aware of foxes in the area
surrounding the school,
bus garage, and mainte
nance shop. Residents liv
ing the surrounding area
should be aware as well.
The notification fol
lows an incident Sunday
evening during which
a fox reportedly chased
a man on Sunset Drive
which backs up to the
wooded area adjacent to
the school properties.
Brenda Lassiter, public
information officer for
the school system, said
she actually saw three
foxes run from the dump
ster area adjacent to the
schools’ maintenance of
fice late Monday night af
ter a baseball game. The
area was well lit at the
time.
“They raced from the
dumpster area and were
right next to the mainte
nance office,” she said.
“We had gotten reports
that foxes had been seen
behind the bus garage,
but what I saw was ac
tually closer than we
thought.”
Lassiter said students
and staff will be noti
fied and encouraged to
See FOXES, 4
STAFF PHOTO BY THOMAS J. TURNEY
Helen Hunter (in yellow), widow of baseball Hall of Famer Jimmy “Catfish” Hunter,
helps unveil the sign renaming the Perquimans High School baseball field the Jimmy
“Catfish” Hunter Park at the Perquimans County Veterans Memorial Field, Monday.
Naming honors Hunter
By WILL HARRIS
Sports Writer
HERTFORD — It
seemed that the en
tire town of Hertford
showed up at Perqui
mans’ final home base
ball game of the season
on Monday While they
were there to root on
the Pirates, many at
tended to honor one of
Perquimans County’s
favorites sons.
The school renamed
the baseball field Jimmy
“Catfish” Hunter Park
at Perquimans' County
Memorial Field, pay ¬
ing homage to the Hall
of Famer everyone just
calls Jimmy
“I think it’s just a
pleasure and a bless
ing that they wanted to
name this after him,”
said Helen Hunter, Cat-
See CATFISH, 4
It’s time
to Pig-Out
From staff reports
It’s that time of the year again
when the smell of savory barbecue
smoking in a cooker wafts over the
downtown area, drawing all who
smell to follow their noses to the
Pig-Out on the Green.
This year’s popular event will
be held Friday on the historic Per
quimans County Courthouse lawn.
This year’s pig-out includes bar
becue and fixins’ along with the
traditional Northeast North Caro
lina barbecue sauce and additional
choices of hickory and mesquite
sauces. In addition soda, water, and
deserts will be for sale.
Lunch will be served from 11:30
a.m.- 2 p.m. with dinner following
from 4:30-7 p.m. Tickets are $8 and
are available at the Perquimans
County Chamber of Commerce and
at Carolina Trophy Advance ticket
purchase is highly recommended.
The event is sponsored by the
Historic Hertford, Inc. For more in
formation, visit www.historichert-
fordinc.org or call 426-1106.