Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Vol. LXXII, No. 42
Clerk of
Court Mike
McArthur,
right, and his
wife, Becky,
left, applaud
as Glorious
Elliott accepts
the Law
Enforcement
Officer of the
Year Award.
STAFF
PHOTO
BY
SEAN'
JACKSON
Elliott's career a series of firsts
Named law enforcement officer of the year at banquet
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
Glorious Elliott simply treats
others as she wants to be treated.
And that’s likely a reason she was
honored by her peers last week.
Elliott was named Chowan
County’s law enforcement officer
of the year on Oct. 20 during an
annual event at the Edward G.
Bond Post 40 of the American Le
gion. About 250 people—from cops
to judges — attended the Legion
sponsored appreciation banquet.
“I’m just very thankful for all
that God has allowed me to do,”
Elliott said, near tears as she
clutched her award plaque.
She’s managed to accomplish a
number of things over the years.
Elliott, 54, has worked in the state
justice system for-more than 26
years, including the last 11 in pro
bation/parole. She was recently
named supervisor for Chowan,
See ELLIOTT On Page A2
“Fm just very
thankful for all
that God has
allowed me to
do”
-Glorious
Elliott
Utility
deposit
to go u p
Maximum
would go to $400
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
The Edenton Town Council’s
Utilities Committee forged
ahead to raise the maximum
deposit for electric service
Monday night, also asking
staff to resume allowing new
customers to use a guarantor,
and also asked that deposits no
longer be returned after a year.
The increase would push
maximum deposits to a $400
maximum, up from $200. Town
staff said Monday that the $200
deposit level often doesn’t
cover power bills — that soar
to $300 or more for some resi
dents—left unpaid when some
residents move out of town.
Deposits are calculated
through a 12-month average
incurred by a dwelling’s
former tenant. That amount is
then used to determine a two
month total, which becomes
the deposit. For example, a $75
monthly electric bill average
would require a $150 deposit,
officials said.
Councilman Jerry Parks,
who opposed the deposit hike
earlier this month and did so
again Monday, said a $400 de
posit could hinder the ability
of a “young couple” to find an
affordable place to live.
Coupled with rent deposits, it
could lead to some new tenants
facing a $1,000 move-in cost.
See DEPOSIT On Page A2
Fall Back!
Daylight Savings
Time ends Sunday,
October 30.
“Everybody was screaming..At was scary”
- Catherine Faison, student
Responding
to disaster
Chowan Hospital fly into action after a
horrific accident near Hertford Monday
Above
Catherine
Faison, 13,
recovers in a
wheelchair
while talking
to her mom
Ann Faison
at a Chowan
Hospital
waiting room
on Monday.
This Daily Advance photo shows the vehicles engulfed in flames
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
Shaken children recalled the
terrifying events that brought
them to Chowan Hospital Mon
day as hospital staffers rushed
to treat and comfort them.
Four people were killed and
dozens of Perquimans County
Middle School students were
injured after a truck crashed
into a school bus on U.S. High
way 17 near Hertford that
morning.
The bus was rear-ended by
a truck driven by a worker
with Byrd Brothers Inc. of Wil
son, sending the bus into a
ditch, over a guardrail, and
back into the ditch before it
was engulfed by flames. About
40 students were aboard bus
No. 102 when the accident oc
curred around 7:10 a.m. Mon
Statewide child abuse report is mixed bag
Chowan fares well in study, public awareness improves reporting
BY EARLINE WHITE
The Chowan Herald
Sandwiched into a generally
positive report released by the
NC Child Advocacy Institute
and the NC Institute of Medi
cine was a statistic that child
service advocates found sur
prising - according to the 2005
NC Child Health Report Card,
more children in our state are
dying from abuse and neglect.
Thirty-one children died of
abuse in 2004, a 50 percent in
crease in the past 7 years. How
day less than two miles from
Perquimans County High
School in Hertford. The middle
school is in Winfall.
The driver of the truck was
reportedly airlifted to Pitt
County Memorial Hospital in
Greenville where he was
treated for injuries.
Eighth-grader Doug Whit
beck said students were
“crushed” into one another
and seats after the collision
sent their bus careening off
the highway.
“Everybody inside the bus
was screaming,” the 14-year
old youth from Snug Harbor
said.
Like other students, Whit
beck was tossed around as the
bus slammed into a ditch and
flames flared from the front of
the bus. He lost his shoes as he
jumped over seats and escaped
ever, overall child fatalities
(those resulting from acci
dents, illnesses, and homicides
for example), have declined 20
percent since the early 90s.
The majority of factors con
sidered in the report released
last week show an encouraging
trend; more children are being
immunized, insured, fewer in
fants are dying, fewer teens are
becoming pregnant. Yet the
number of abuse and neglect
cases resulting in deaths has
been increasing since 1999.
Ben Rose, Director of
through a backdoor window
broken out by a passing motor
ist - a Good Samaritan whose
quick thinking allowed kids to
flee the burning wreckage.
Catherine Faison was talk
ing to a friend shortly before
the wreck.
“The next thing I knew, I
was on the ground,” the 13
year-old seventh-grader said.
Both Faison and Whitbeck
were resting in wheelchairs a
few hours after the accident,
joining family and friends in a
Chowan Hospital waiting
room.
She also recalled the fright
ful situation as the bus caught
fire and appeared ready to ex
plode.
“When we got off the bus,”
she said, “everybody was cry
See DISASTER On Page A2
Chowan County Social Ser
vices (DSS) said that while our
county had no fatalities, he
partially agrees with the re
port card’s findings. “I would
say we are seeing an increase
in reports and most likely in
vestigations, mostly in the
area of neglect (not abuse)”.
Child Protective Services
recognizes neglect as it relates
to the child who does not re
ceive proper care or supervi
sion or discipline. Inappropri
ate discipline that does not re
sult in a serious or life threat
NE Partnership
CEO resigns to
work for Parton
Watson will stay
on board until
early 2007; will
oversee business
venture in
Roanoke Rapids
BY REBECCA BUNCH
The Chowan Herald
Rick Watson, who has served
as president and CEO of the
Edenton-based North Caro
lina’s Northeast Partnership,
Inc., has resigned. His resigna
tion will become effective in
early 2007, according to a press
release issued Monday. Watson
is leaving to manage the North
Carolina business interests of
Randy Parton, brother of
country music superstar Dolly
Parton.
Jack Runion, chairman of
the board of directors, made
the announcement.
“During his nearly ten years
with the North Carolina’s
Northeast Partnership, Rick
has made many valuable con
tributions to the growth and
development of the northeast
region,’.' Runion said. “We are
sorry to see him leave, but for
tunate that he will stay on to
bring several important
projects and initiatives to frui
tion.” Those projects include a
automotive research track in
Northampton County and a
Hyde County egg processing
ening injury falls under the
neglect statute. Spanking, for
example, is legal in NC and
used as an appropriate disci
pline technique. Therefore
DSS does not typically investi
gate spanking claims unless
visible injuries are noted.
“Abuse or neglect has no sys
tematic symptom,” Rose
added, “it can occur over the
entire socio-economic spec
trum. With that said though,
there is definitely a trend in
See ABUSE On Page A2
Rick Watson
facility, as well as the Parton
development itself. '
During telephone conversa- '
tions Monday afternoon and
Tuesday morning, Watson said
he had thoroughly enjoyed his
association with the Partner
ship but felt that it was time to
move on. He said that he had
been thinking of retiring and
had made a private decision to
do so in the near future prior
to receiving the offer to man
age the Partons’ North Caro
lina operation.
Watson said that about six
weeks ago, Randy Parton and
his wife, Deb, had asked him to
consider coming to work for
them. According to the
Partnership’s press release,
Watson met with the executive
committee of tbe Partnership
two weeks later to discuss the
See WATSON On Page A2
Chowan
Children
by the numbers
Infant mortality
1990-1994 12.2%
1998-2002 9.1%
NC Average 8.7%
Teen pregnancies
(ages 15-17)
1999 24
2002 15
Dropout Rate
1989-90 2.7%
2001-02 5.4%
NC Average 5.2%
-NC Children’s Index 2004
Sponsored by
The James Iredell Association and The Edenton Historical Commission
Proceeds to benefit the
Bandon Plantation Smokehouse Restoration Project
American Legion Building West Queen Street, Edenton, NC
October 29-30, 2005
Admission - $5.00
^ /§ j'tfjrvjff?jt Saturday, October 29 Sunday, October 30
crtniufwxy lOsOO A.M. - 7:00 P.M. 12:00 P.M.-5:00 P.M,
For Information Call 252-482-8604