THE
ERQUIMANS
" ^ WVeekly
"News from Next Door" WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016
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Chowan board approves wind project
BY REGGIE PONDER AND
PETER WILLIAMS
Staff Writers
The Chowan County
Board of Commissioners
approved a conditional use
permit 1 for the Chowan por
tion of the Timbermill Wind
Project last week.
The Perquimans County
is scheduled to take up the
same issue on Monday at 4
p.m. A second meeting, if
needed, is set for Nov. 21 at
7 p.m.
The Chowan board did
set some conditions on ap-
prova on Fridayl, includ
ing one that that gives the
project a 54-month timeline.
Apex Clean Energy, the de
veloper, is asking for the
same requirement from Per
quimans County. It’s unclear
if that means they must start
in 54 months or be complete
in 54 months. Chowan offi
cials will discuss that next
week.
Perquimans historically
has a 12-month limit on Con
ditional Use Permits (CUP).
If a project doesn’t move
forward, the Perquimans
commission historically
has allowed the developer
to come back and get an
extension. When Iberdrola
Renewables was developing
what became Amazon Wind
Farms East, the company
had to go back for several
extensions from the Perqui
mans board.
The Chowan board’s ac
tion last week is subject to
formal approval of a draft
order that will be prepared
by the county attorney for
consideration by the board
on Monday. That meeting is
set for 5:30 p.m..
Don Giecek, senior man
ager of project development
for Timbermill, a division of
Charlottesville, Va. -based
Apex Clean Energy Inc., said
Friday that he was pleased
with the board’s decision.
“We’ve worked hard for
several years to develop
the best possible project for
northeast North Carolina,
and though we have many
other steps before beginning
construction, this vote rep
resents a huge milestone,”
Giecek said. “We appreci
ate the professionalism and
transparency with which
the county approached our
application, and we thank
those members of the pub
lic who took time to view
the proceedings.
See PROJECT, 4
Disaster
help now
available
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Perquimans County is no
longer the only county in
northeastern North Caroli
na not considered a federal
disaster area because of
Hurricane Matthew.
That was the case last
Wednesday. There were 38
counties designated, includ
ing counties as far west, as
Moore and Wake.
Chowan, Currituck and
Pasquotank were added to
the list on Oct. 25.
On Nov. 3 Perquimans
joined the club.
The designation means 23
Perquimans County proper
ty owners who have already
applied for federal help are
now eligible for grants of
up to $33,300 each to make
repairs. Even more people
may apply between now
and the deadline of Dec. 9.
The Small Business Admin
istration also offers loans.
The designation means
Perquimans residents will
be eligible for the D-SNAP
program if they had damage
or food loss because of the
hurricane. Representatives
will be available today and
Thursday and again on Nov.
14-16 from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.
at the Perquimans County
Social Services Building,
103 Charles St.
Also a FEMA team will be
in Perquimans County today
through Friday visiting ar
eas where known flooding
occurred. Residents who
would like a FEMA visit
can contact the Perquimans
Emergency Services Office
at 426-5646 from 8 a.m. until
6 p.m. The Perquimans staff
will need a name, address
and phone number to give
to FEMA staff.
Perquimans County Man
ager Frank Heath said he
was glad the designation
was approved.
See HELP, 4
Election turnout strong
Perquimans student facing more charges
STAFF pHoTO BY PETER WIlLIAMS
There was no shortage of campaign signs at the Perquimans County Board of Elections on Edenton Road
Street on Saturday, the final day of early voting. More than 4,000 people cast early ballots. According to the
N.C. Board of Elections, the county has 10,186 registered voters. Due to our deadline, election results were
not available for this edition but will be in next week.
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
A Perquimans County
High School student ac
cused of injuring teach
ers in a fight last month
is facing more charges.
His mother has also been
charged.
Alkeem Archer, 17, was
originally charged with
simple assault on a school
employee, disorderly con
duct at school and resist-
obstruct-delay for the fight
on Oct. 27. His bond was
set at $13,000.
He’s since been arrested
three more times. On Sept.
29 Hertford Police arrested
him on a warrant sworn out
by a teacher at the school.
He was charged with sim
ple assault and jailed under
$3,000 bond. On Oct. 31,
and again on Nov. 2 he was
arrested
by Per
quimans
County
deputies.
The first
charge
was as
sault on
a school
A. ARCHER
employee with that carried
a $3,000 bond. The last ar
rest was for two counts of
assault on a school employ-
ee/volunteer. That arrest
carried bond of $6,000.
On Nov. 2 his mother,
Tuwana Archer, 44, was
charged with a felony
count of intimidating a
witness. Her bond was set
at $500. She’s accused of
sending an email to Perqui
mans High Principal Me
lissa Fields that contained
language that, while not
a direct threat, was “dis ¬
turbing,”
according
to Per
quimans
County
Sheriff
Eric Til
ley.
“She
(Archer)
had done
that,” Tilley said.
Tilley declined to be
more specific about the e-
mail’s content, saying only
that Fields called him and
reported receiving it.
According to an arrest
warrant, the email Tuwana
Archer sent to Fields ap
pears to mention her fam
ily, advising her to “keep
them safe from mental and
physical harm.”
“I know it’s hard. I have
to do the same everyday.
Best wishes,” the email,
states, according to the
warrant.
The mother of one of
the four others arrested in
the fight said her son got
involved when he saw Ar
cher hurting female teach
ers.
While she admits fight
ing in school was wrong,
Tracy Deziel said her son
did it for the right reason.
“My son is a very good
child and he didn’t want to
see women get hurt,” Tracy
Deziel said. “Even school
officials have told me my
son acted in a chivalrous
matter.”
She also said Terrill Til
lett, another student who
was arrested jumped in
only to protect teachers
and other students. Both
Tillett and Deziel were
charged with disorderly
conduct.
Bridge
meeting
planned
Monday
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
A federal advisory agency
has been asked to sit in on a
meeting in Hertford Monday
to talk about ways to move
forward with the replace
ment of the S-Bridge.
Hal Pitts, the bridge pro
gram manager for The U.S.
Coast Guard, made the invi
tation to the Advisory Coun
cil on Historic Preservation
(ACHP) in a letter dated
Oct. 21.
For the past 18 months
progress on replacing the
bridge has ground to a halt.
At issue is the impact a re
placement bridge will have
on Hertford’s historic dis
trict. Even though federal
funds aren’t being used, a
federal agency - the U.S.
Coast Guard - must sign
off on the project and the
ACHP is an advisory agency
to federal agencies on issues
of historic preservation.
The conflict over historic
impact of replacing the
bridge has already prompt
ed the N.C. DOT to scrap its
original plan to build a fixed
bridge for about $20 million.
DOT is now pushing for a
$32 million option to build
another swing bridge. That’s
what some residents, the
Perquimans County Com
mission and the town offi
cials in Hertford and Winfall
say they want.
At the meeting Monday
the NCDOT will present vi
sualizations of its proposal
and there will be an oppor
tunity to discuss mitigation
measures, according to the
letter from the Coast Guard.
Pitts could not be reached
for comment.
The discussions will in
clude but are not limited
to railing design, lighting,
See MEETING,4
Police ID burglary suspects
From Staff Reports
Four Florida men have
been identified as suspects
in a July burglary involving
the theft of $100,000 worth
of cigarettes from Jackson
Wholesale.
Hertford Police Chief
Douglas Freeman said
because of the scope and
complexity of the crime,
the State Bureau of Investi
gation was called in to help
with the case.
On Wednesday Freeman
obtained warrants for the
four. The charges include
felony breaking and en
tering, felony larceny and
felony possession of stolen
goods.
Charged were Johan
Medina Valdes, 27, Roberto
Arce Rodriquez, 33, Yeimis
Lazaro Portieles, 27, and
Yordanys Larrea Carbonell,
31. All have Miami address
es. f
The burglary in
volved driving a Jackson
See BURGLARY, 4
Veterans to be honored Friday
From Staff Reports
Hertford American Le
gion Post 126 will hold their
Parades Are Coming
annual Perquimans County
Veteran’s Day Observance
Friday on the Perquimans
County Courthouse lawn
at the veterans monu
ment. The observance will
begin at 11 a.m. In Case
of inclement weather, the
event will be moved to the
Perquimans County Rec
reation Center off Harvey
Point Road.
The guest speaker will
be Capt. Glenn McCranie,
USN-Ret.
Veteran’s Day, while de
ceased veterans are also
remembered, the day is set
aside to thank and honor
veterans who have served
See VETERANS DAY, 3
FILE PHOTO
The Perquimans County High School band marches last year during the annual
Christmas Parade in Winfall. Both the Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce
and the Town of Hertford and accepting entries for the parades this year. Both will be
held Dec. 3. The Winfall parade starts at 11 a.m. and the Hertford parade is at 2 p.m.