fm TT T7 Wednesday, October 2,2002
chow/hIe^ald
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Vol. LXIX, No. 40 Published in historic Edenton... The South’s prettiest town. Single Copies 500
Lions prepare
for White
Cane......... 8*H
CTA hosts
tennis tourney
over weekend_1-B
Chowan Regional
Nr opens at Legion
on Oct 8th 1-C
Soldier is shot, killed in wooded area in town
BY HELEN K. OUTLAND
Staff Writer
A visit home to spend time
with family and friends ended
tragically for a young Chowan
County man early Sunday
morning. Sergeant Ronnie
Capehart was on leave from
Fort Sill, Oklahoma when he
was shot and killed on his way
home after a night out with
friends.
According to the Chowan
County Sheriff’s Office at ap
proximately 4:24 a.m. a call
came into the Chowan County
Communications Center 911
reporting that shots had been
fired and a vehicle accident
had occurred. When officers
arrived they found a vehicle in
the woods near the intersec
tion of Haughton Road and
Poplar Neck Road.
Upon locating the vehicle
Law Enforcement and EMS
personnel they found the
driver with a wound to the left
temple area.
The man was later identi
fied as Sgt. Ronnie Capehart, C
Battery, 6th Battalion, 27th
Field Artillery, Fort Sill, OK.
According to a passenger, he
and Capehart had been at
Bailer’s Lounge, a nightclub in
Roper. They had left the club at
approximately 4 a.m. en route
to Edenton. The passenger
stated that there was a vehicle
following them and flashing its
headlights. When Capehart
and the passenger made their
left turn from Haughton onto
Poplar Neck, the passenger
stated that he heard some
shots and the rear glass of the
car shattered. The vehicle
crossed a ditch and veered into
the edge of the woods.
Sergeant Capehart was
transported to Chowan Hospi
tal, and later transported to
Pitt Memorial Hospital in
Greenville where he suc
cumbed to his wounds.
However, Bill Grate, the bar
tender at Bailer’s Lounge, ac
cording,to a published account
in the Daily Advance, has cast
doubt on at least part of the
account given to authorities by
Capehart’s passenger that
The body of Sgt. Ronnie Capehart was found in this vehicle in a wooded area near the
intersection of Haughton Road and Poplar Neck Road. Capehart had returned home to
Edenton while on leave from Fort Sill, Oklahoma. (Submitted photo)
night. Grate said that he left
the lounge at five minutes past
one (Sunday morning) and
that he was the last one out the
door. He also said that the only
customers still at the lounge
about midnight Saturday were
a man who was staying at a
nearby hotel, and two women.
Bailer’s Lounge is located in
Washington County, across the
Albemarle Sound to the south
of Chowan County
According to the Sheriff’s
Office there are no suspects at
press time. “This is an unfor
tunate incident for the family
of Sgt. Capehart,” said Sheriff
Fred Spruill. “From the out
side looking in, it appears that
this young man was a decent '
person.”
Sheriff Spruill would like to
thank the NC State Bureau of ,
Investigation, NC Highway Pa
trol, the Edenton Police De
partment, and Chowan County
EMS for their assistance. He
also asks that anyone with in
formation on this incident con
tact the Chowan County
Sheriff’s Office at 252-482-8484.
Bangert to be featured on show
New book details
experiences of
Edentonian, others
David C. Taylor, executive
producer of TEAM Produc
tions, visited Edenton
recently to interview Bill
Bangert of Edenton for a TV
special on the Cuban Missile
Crisis to be aired on the
History Channel, Oct. 13 at
10 p.m. This October marks
the 40th anniversary of the
event.
Lt. Bangert was serving
aboard the destroyer USS
Blandy as the chief engineer
at the time of the Crisis and
is one of the subjects of the
’ book, “October Fury,” by
Peter Huchthausen just
released to bookstores. The
Blandy engaged a Russian
submarine and tracked it for
17 hours forcing it to
surface.
The story is told by
members of the Russian
Foxtrot Submarine crew and
Edenton resident Bill Bangert, a veteran of the Cuban Missile Crisis, is shown being
interviewed for a History Channel documentary set to air Oct. 13.
Mr. Bangert who shared their
experiences of that very
troubled time when the
United States and Russia
came perilously close to
World War III.
First Business and
Education Summit
takes place locally
The first of three Business
Education Summit meetings
sponsored by the Edenton
Chuwan Chamber of Com
merce, Chowan County
Schools JobReady and College
of the Albemarle took place at
the Golden Corral last week.
The first summit meeting
looked at workforce develop
.1 1 111
ment from the school and com
munity college perspective,
with presenters from Edenton
Chowan Schools, Perquimans
County Schools and College of
the Albemarle.
Chamber Education Com
mittee chairman Win Dale ex
See SUMMIT On Page 7-A
----■ 1 " 1 :-1
Candidates' forum
The Democratic and Re
publican candidates for U.S
House of Representatives in
North Carolina’s First Con
gressional District will
present their views in a can
didates’ forum to be held in
Edenton this Saturday, Oct. 5.
The forum will be held at
Edenton’s town council
chambers, located at 500 S.
Broad Street, beginning at
11:30 a.m. Local radio person
ality Frank Roberts will be
the moderator of the forum,
which is sponsored by AARP
North Carolina.
Democrat Frank Ballance
and Republican Greg Dority
are vying for the seat being
vacated by Rep. Eva Clay
ton.
James Iredell Day
This is the 251st anniversary of the birth of James Iredell.
Last October Mayor Roland Vaughan proclaimed October
5th James Iredell Day in perpetuity, so that we can remem
ber the contributions James Iredell made to our state and
nation. Iredell played a crucial role in the ratification of
the United States Constitution by North Carolina, and was
appointed as an associate justice to the first United States
Supreme Court by President George Washington in 1790.
Bicycle Stars to
visit Edenton
this weekend
BY BRIAN WHITE
Correspondent
The world of Cycle Speed
way will pedal itself into
the history books this week
end, as star racers from
Great Britain, Poland, Hol
land, and Australia invade
the Edenton Cycle Speed
way for the inaugural “In
ternational Race Weekend,”
this Friday and Saturday,
Oct. 4-5.
Headlining the Interna
tional tour is two-time
world champion, Dave
Hemsley, from Great Brit
ain. Don’t miss seeing some
of the worlds finest bicycle
racers from all over the
world battle it out against
our American racers at the
Cape Colony track, right
here in Chowan County.
Don’t let this first time of
fer pass you by!
Gates open at 6pm, with
racing at 8pm this Friday
and Saturday. Autograph
and picture sessions will be
available on both nights.
For more information,
please call the raceway of
fice at 252-482-7989, or visit
the website at www.cycle
speedway.com.
Don’t miss seeing the rac
ers live on WITN 7 on
Thursday during the 5pm
newscast.
Peanut Festival nears
The Edenton-Chowan'Band Parents will host the annual
Peanut Festival this Saturday, Oct. 5, with the parade start
ing at 10 a.m. and the Battle of the Bands getting under
way at 1 p.m. at the Holmes Athletic Complex.
CHOWAN COUNTY
SHRINECLUB
CH732S
■bbh
MASONIC LODGE a,
g?15E. Water St, Edento^f
FRIDAY, OCT. 4™
11AM-6PM
$5.00 Per Plate
EAT-IN OR
TAKE-OUT