Vol. LXXIII, No. 17
Wednesday, April ^6, 2006
Single Copies: 50c
Evidence
presented
in Moore
sentencing
BY SEAN JACKON
The Chowan Herald
I
The sentencing trial for the
man who killed his ex-girl
friend continued Tuesday, with
jurors hearing and seeing evi
dence about the victim’s mur
der.
William
Joseph
“Bill”
Moore sat
beside his
former at
torney —
and current
standby
Moore counsel —
James Vos
burg during the first two days
of proceedings. Dressed in a
white dress shirt, navy-blue tie.
and dark slacks, Moore, 48, told
Judge Clifton W. Everett Jr. of
Pitt County on Monday that he
would handle his own'case dur
ing the proceedings. A 12-mem
ber jury, along with two alter
nates, was empanelled late
Monday afternoon.
Tuesday morning, Edenton
Police Det. Sgt. Rhonda
Copeland read a transcript of
her initial interview with
Moore, who pleaded guilty on
Feb. 27 to the first-degree mur
der of Pamela Joye Virzi, 47, on
See SENTENCING On Page
A2
Polls will open at 650 aon.
best Tuesday for the May 2
primary. They will close at
730pm.
It East Edenton precinct is at
theDJE Walker Alumni Bldg.
West Edenton is at the
Chowan AgBldg; Rocky Hock
at the Rocky Hock Rescue
Squad bldg: Center Hill at the
Northern Chowan Commu
nity Ctn; Wardville at Gliden
ftescue Squad; and Yeopim at
the Airport Terminal Bldg.
_____
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AH Rights Reserved
New grocery store planned for Edenton
Seat* Jacksonville Chowan Herald
From left, Retnauer design firm officials Sandra Baynes and Tom Retnaner listen as engineer
Sean Robey describes the proposed traffic flow plans for the Edenton Commons Shopping Center
to the Edenton Town Council Monday night. The project is located off of Whitemon Lane.
Farm Fresh wants to
build new store in town
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
The designers of a proposed new shop
ping center off of Whitemon Lane un
veiled their preliminary ideas for the site
Monday night, including a plan to have a
Farm Fresh supermarket anchor the devel
opment.
Two officials from Retnauer Design As
sociates, RRC. told the Edenton Town
Council that the supermarket would con
tain about 54,000 square feet of floor space,
with an additional 150,000 square feet con
tained in other stores at the site, which is
bordered by N.C. Highway 32 to the south.
Sandra Baynes, director of operations
for the Chesapeake, Va.-based design firm,
said the plans for the site — currently
called Edenton Commons Shopping Cen
ter — would likely be tweaked before they
are formally presented to the town around
November.
“There will be some changes as we go,”
Baynes said during the 45-minute presen
tation Monday night. “(But) nothing too
drastic.”
Retnauer was hired by developer Perrine
Wheeler to develop the site, owned by the
family of Lloyd Griffin Jr. of Elizabeth
City. The Hampton Roads-based developer,
Baynes said, wants to construct a shopping
center that is in harmony with Edenton’s
new architectural standards implemented
last year.
“The developers have instilled in us they
Conger family doesn’t just talk about the weather
Officials from the NOAA honor local
family for their long record of
recording useful meteorologica data
BY EARLINE WHITE
The Chowan Herald
For almost as long as radio signals have been
transmitted and successfully received, and six
years before Orville and Wilbur Wright ever
soared in Kill Devil Hills, Joseph H. Conger, Jr.’s
family has recorded the weather-the highs, lows,
and precipitation for each and every day. To
honor 109 years of volunteer weather observa
tions that began with his grandfather E. R. Con
ger in 1897, representatives from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) held a ceremony in Conger’s home on
Friday, April 22 and bestowed four unique and
, high honors upon him - recognition for 25 years
I of service to the US Government for his indi
vidual performance as a cooperative weather
observer, the Conger family Storm Warning flag,
the Family Heritage Award for 2006 and the Or
want to do a quality project,” Tom Retnauer,
head of the design firm, told the 26 people
on hand for the presentation.
Town Manager Anne-Marie Knighton
confirmed that Retnauer has been doing
just that.
“They all understand the intent of our ar
chitectural guidelines,” she said. “They’ve
been working with us to ensure the center
is built within (the guidelines).”
Retnauer also said there is no current list
of what other retailers would be a part of
the shopping center. Baynes said plans are
to recruit businesses that would not drag
customers away from the town’s existing
retail base.
“Everything should be complementary, it
adds to growth,” Baynes said.
“We’re looking to be a part of the com
munity here,” Retnauer added.
Efforts to complete three impact assess
ments on how the shopping center would
affect traffic, the environment, and the lo
cal economy are all underway, Knighton
said.
As for a timeline for when the project
could be begin and when doors to shops,
could open, Retnauer only said that his firm
would continue to seek a conditional-use
permit and that the plans could be finished
in October or November.
Mayor Roland Vaughan said the public
would have the opportunity to have input
on the project when it is reviewed by
See STORE On Page A2
der of the Long Leaf Pine, on behalf of Gov.
Mike Easley
“Since 1898 E.R. Conger and his descendents
have provided the nation with an unbroken
record of precipitation and temperature data
for Edenton”, said Rick Curry, Cooperative
Program Manager for the National Weather
Service forecast office in Wakefield, VA, at the
celebration. “What is unique about the Con
ger family is that for many years they also were
responsible for “raising the flag”; when Na
tional Weather Service issued small craft ad
visories or storm warnings the Congers would
alert local mariners by raising storm flags over
the Edenton dock. This program was discon
tinued as radio became the primary method
to disseminate this information,” Curry ex
plained. For such efforts Conger received a
replica of a storm warning flag folded and en
cased in glass etched with the family name.
“Cooperative observation sites like this one
(behind Conger’s home on Gale Street) take a
family effort,” Curry said. “It’s a constant
See CONGER On Page A2
Three chases end
in five arrests for
Edenton police
Multiple suspects facing drug charges following
foot, bike, car chases; AWOL soldier and suicidal
juniper are also apprehended by officers
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
The Edenton Police Department arrested
two suspects stemming from chases last week
—one on foot and the other after a high-speed
vehicle pursuit—and also nabbed several on
drug charges over a two-day span last week.
“It was a busy week for u£,” Det. Aaron
Davidson said Tuesday
On Aug. 18, Det. Dwight Rawlins arrested
John J. Douglas, 20, on charges of possession
of marijuana, after spotting him buying
drugs at the intersection of North Granville
and West Carteret streets. Douglas, who is
also AWOL from the U.S. Army, was issued a
$1,000 unsecured bond. His next court date is
May 9.
Following Douglas’ arrest, police began
chasing Cordell Long, 20, of 401 Coke Ave.,
who police said they observed selling the
drug to Douglas. They apprehended Long in
a foot chase after Long’s bike crashed into the
rear of Davidson’s patrol cruiser, Rawlins
said. After the collision, Long dropped a .380
handgun and 31 rocks of crack cocaine,
Rawlins said.
See ARRESTS On Page A2
Suspects plead guilty on
federal drug charges
BY EARLINE WHITE
The Chowan Herald
Cases resulting from recent arrests on charges made by the
Chowan County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with surround
ing agencies, have made
their way to the federal
court system. Pleas have
been entered on the
charges and under the
Federal guidelines sen
tencing will follow in
the next few months.
Sheriff Fred Spruill
Bond said as of April 24 a
number of suspects Bland
have pled guilty to drug-related charges. They
include:
See DRUGS On Page A3
Joe Conger is
congratulated
by his wife
Barbara and
grandchildren
Hollis
Elmore,
Miriam
Cooper,
Graham
Elmore and
Miles Cooper.
Earth* Whit*/
The Chowan Herald
MAY 4 - 7, 2006
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