Vol. LXXIII, No. 11
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Single Copies: 50c
Holloman
may face
charges
From Staff, Wire Reports
The state Board of Elec
tions has asked Wake County
prosecutors to consider fil
ing criminal charges against
state Sen. Robert Holloman,
a Hertford County Democrat.
! Holloman, the elections
board reported last week, has
been accused of failing to re
p o r t
$23,375 in
campaign
contribu
tions since
2002, the
year he
won his.
Senate
District 4
seat.
Holloman
told the board on March 9
that he had not intentionally
violated campaign donation
reporting rules.
“My reports may have
some errors and mistakes,”
the Associated Press re
ported last week, “but I’m
going to tell you today... Rob
ert Holloman has nothing to
hide.”
Holloman did not return a
phone call Tuesday seeking
comment for this story.
Elections board member
Larry Leake reportedly had
a difficult time fully believ
ing Holloman.
“It is difficult for me to ac
cept that a mistake of that
magnitude ($23,375) is an in
nocent mistake,” Leake said,
according to an Associated
Press report on March 10.
The elections board also
determined that Hunter
failed to file required fund
raising reports for his 2002
and 2004 re-election cam
paigns. Hunter’s case would
not require the board to re
quest any criminal 'charges
be filed, Leake said.
The original complaint that
alleged Holloman and fellow
state lawmaker Rep. Howard
Hunter, also a Hertford
County Democrat, had under
taken illegal campaign activ
ity was filed by Democracy
North Carolina, a Carrboro
based voters’ rights group.
If charged, Holloman would
face misdemeanor violations.
He is currently seeking his
third two-year term represeht
ing District 4, which includes
Chowan County.
Hollomon
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©2006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Taking aim at the House
Sean JacJcson/The Chowan Herald
Dare Comity Republican Dan Beall addresses fellow GOP members during the Chowan County
Republican Convention on Saturday. Beall pledged, if elected, to work to stem the flow of illegal
immigrants into NC. He also charged that Gov. Mike Easley is already seeking ways to divert
lottery proceeds away from public education. “He’s already got his hand in that pie,” Beall said.
Fostering a love of sports, family and life
It hasn’t always been easy for the
Coleman brothers, but they’ve turned life
in foster homes into a passion for hoops
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
Trevon Coleman still smiles
when he talks about his
buzzer-beating shot that sent
his rec league team to a tour
nament victory last month.
Coleman, 10, poured in the
last 10 points of the game,
sending the Hornets to a dra
matic, come-from-behind vic
tory. Coleman and his brother,
Tay’Quan, 8, played for the
boys’ 7-9 year-old team in the
Edenton-Chowan Recreation
Department’s basketball lea
gues this winter. The brothers,
who have lived in foster homes
for much of their lives, had re
sided in Chowan County prior
to moving to Pasquotank
County, where they attend P. W.
Moore Elementary School in
Culpepper: 'Timing wasn't
good' for PAC donation
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
Former state Rep. Bill Cul
pepper, of Edenton, says the
donation given to him by a po
litical action committee last
fall was nothing more than
business as usual for a
politician’s campaign-fund cof
fer.
Culpepper, 58, received
$2,000 from the BellSouth Em
ployees’ Political Action Com5
mittee on Nov. 28, five days af
ter being appointed to a vacant
seat on the state Utilities Com
mission. Gov. Mike Easley has
asked for more information
about the donation to Cul-pep
per.
Elizabeth City.
Team coach Jonathan Perry
said the brothers remained
close throughout the season.
“They get along good,” Perry
said prior to an all-star team
practice last week. “They stick
together like glue.”
Both are backcourt players,
with the older brother carry
ing most of the load for the
Hornets — on both ends of the
court.
“Trevon was my primary
point guard,” Perry said while
the Coleman brothers (they
have another sibling who lives
outside of their current home)
warmed up at the gym inside
the old D.E Walker School in
Edenton for Trevon’s all-star
team practice.
In fact, Perry added, Trevon
poured in more than 90 percent
Reached
at his Ra
leigh office
Tuesday
morning,
Culpepper
said there
was no in
tent of
Culpepper wrong-do
ing and that
he has already returned the
donation.
“The timing of it just wasn’t
good,” said Culpepper, who
was sworn-in to the Utilities
Commission on Jan. 3 to an
eight-year term. “There was
certainly no bad intention on
anybody’s part... It’s kind of a
business-as-usual situation,
of the Hornets’ points during
a 3-win, 4-loss regular season,
averaging nearly 13 points per
contest.
“He had great leadership,”
Perry said. “Everyone on the
team likes Trevon.”
Trevon had confidence last
week that his all-star team
would be unbeatable.
“We’re going to go all the
way,” he said of upcoming
games against all-star teams
from Hertford and Gates coun
ties.
The brothers both said that
Miami Heat center Shaquille
O’Neal is their favorite NBA
basketball player, but only af
ter Trevon decided he couldn’t
count the retired Michael Jor
dan as his top hoopster.
Trevon and Tay’Quan said
they learned their hardcourt
skills primarily on their own,
shooting on backyard courts
and, indoors, on Nerf goals.
At their new home in
See BROTHERS Page A2 '
really.”
Concerns had been raised
about the donation since the
Utilities Committee regulates
BellSouth and other phone
companies, in addition to
other public utilities.
During a March 2 press con
ference, Easley told reporters
that Culpepper’s was not the
only political campaign to
have received donations from
BellSouth
Culpepper said he hasn’t de
cided how he will empty the
remaining funds from his cam
paign coffers, but said he is
considering giving the money
to th,e House Democratic Cau
See DONATION On A2
Beall: “It’s time to
return to good
government”
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
A Dare County Republican
said his current bid to win a
seat in the North Carolina
General Assembly would be
his last if he’s defeated again
by a Democrat.
Dan Beall told fellow GOP
members during the annual
Chowan County Republican
Convention in Edenton on
Saturday that this is his final
bid for a state office, if he’s
unsuccessful again.
However, Beall said North
Carolinians may be growing
weary of alleged corruption
within a Democratic-major
ity state legislature.
“It is time to return good
government,” to the General
Assembly, he told the nearly
30 Republicans on hand for
the event at the Town Coun
cil Chambers. “North Caro
lina Republicans are pre
pared to enact those chan
ges.”
During his 10-minute ad
See OFFICE On Page A2
Sheriff's office issues
alert on ID scams
BY EARLINE WHITE
The Chowan Herald
Whether online, through
mail or by telephone, local citi
zens are being bombarded by
scams designed to get social
security and bank account in
formation, and the Chowan
County Sheriff’s Office warns
people, especially seniors, to
beware of anyone trying to get
personal information. .
“Just in the past week we’ve
had four citizens come to us
who have received information
asking for their credit card
numbers, bank account and
PIN numbers,” Investigator
Dwayne Goodwin with the
Pembroke
Hall appeal
to be heard
Monday
BY REBECCA BUNCH
The Chowan Herald
Next Monday afternoon the
Town of Edenton Board of
Adjustment will hear an ap
peal in the case of Marvin B.
“Jerry” Smith III involving the
future of Pembroke Hall, one
of the oldest homes in Ed
enton, which is located in the
town’s Historic District. Thq
public meeting will be held at
5:30 p.m. in the Town Council
Chambers.
The appeal was filed in re
sponse to a ruling by the
Edenton Historic Preservation
Commission handed down
Nov. 14, 2005 and formally is
sued Jan. 13 of this year.
In its ruling, the commission
rejected a proposal by Smith
that would have allowed con
struction. of four new struc
tures - all of them new homes -
on the grounds surrounding
the historic property. A stand
ing room only audience waited
over four hours to hear the de
cision which followed a
See APPEAL On Page A2
||i Tay’Quan
Coleman, 8,
ponders his next
move as he awaits
his turn to
H practice free
throws at the
Northern Chowan
Community Center
A last month.
He and his
§| brother, Ttovon,
were integral
4 parts of the
Hornets’ success
in this winter’s
(Recreation
Department youth
basketbaU
tourney..
. CONTRIBUTED
PHOTO
Chowan County Sheriff’s Of
fice said. “We want to remind
people that they should never
give out personal information
over the phone, the Internet or
through the mail unless you
know for sure to who or what
legitimate company you’re
providing the information.
Oftentimes these request
forms look authentic, legiti
mate but they are not. Ask
questions and be sure.”
In the past week one resident
in the county received a sweep
stakes flyer asking to send in
money in order to receive their
prize. Another resident re
See SCAMS On Page A2