Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / May 2, 2007, edition 1 / Page 1
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482-4418 INSIDE deCamp, who has appeared in Sports Illustrated, lead the first amateur dive to the Andrea Doria SPORTS, B1 Wednesday, May 2, 2007 Missing Town Hall computers are found at Pettigrew State Park near Creswell INSIDE, A4 Liza's Bottom no longer’ sinking INSIDE A2 Man charged in Carteret St. shooting SEE BELOW Are cell phones a target? Increase in larceny of phones results in crime rate hike BY SEAN JACKSON Staff Writer The only thing putting a hold on a decrease in Edenton’s crime rate is the rise in reported cell-phone thefts, the town’s top police official says. While some of the reported thefts are genuine, many oth ers may be bogus — keeping the 2006 rate in reported crimes virtually steady from the previous year, Bonner said. “There’s a huge amount of calls in volving the larceny of cell phones,” Bonner told town coun cilors last month. “We have to docu ment it as stolen, because that’s the way it was presented to us,” he said during a recent Bonner Doara meeting. The only hitch, Bonner said, is that cell phone owners ap pear to be filing reports of sto len phones, when the phones may only be lost. Reporting a lost cell phone as stolen, he said, allows the owner to avoid having to pay for the cost of a lost phone. As a result, larcenies rose from 151 in 2005 to 167 last year. That rise caused a hike in the crime rate of less than one half of one percent, Bonner said. That slight bump comes on the heels of a 25 percent dip in the rate two years ago. Bonner hopes to continue to keep the rate fairly level this year. “If we can hold it right there,” he said, “I think we could see a reduction again over the next year or two.” Bonner also reported that that robberies, burglaries, as saults and other violent-crime categories dipped in 2006. See TARGET, Page A2 >■ Roanoke River Lighthouse Contributed This rendering shows how the restored lighthouse could look once work is finished and it opens to the public. Possible uses being considered include a mariners' museum. It currently sits where Filbert's Creek meets Edenton Bay.1 Move to waterfront starts soon BY REBECCA BUNCH Editor With $300,000 in state funds in hand, local officials are making plans to transfer the 1886 Roanoke, River lighthouse to the Edenton waterfront. After paying current owner Jerry Calhoun for the structure, the Edenton Historical Commis sion plans to use the remaining funds to have Waff Contracting Grand jury indicts gang member in shooting “We’ve heard he’s got assault rifles now,” detective says BY SEAN JACKSON Staff Writer An Elizabeth City man was charged this week with at tempted murder in the Carteret Street shooting that critically wounded a local man. Nathaniel Graham, who has not been apprehended, was in dicted on the charge by a Chowan County grand jury Monday. Police also want to question load it onto a barge and move it to the area in Colonial Park where a gazebo and other amenities, includ ing a concrete horse shoe pit, stand today. That process could take several weeks to complete, according to Edenton-Chowan Director of Spe cial Projects Peter Rascoe who spearheaded the project. Once that takes place, Rascoe said the structure’s ownership would be conveyed to the State of North him about two other recent shootings in Elizabeth City. Graham, 18, is a known Bloods gang member in Eliza beth City, police Det. Aaron Davidson said. That gang has be^n in a run ning dispute with Edenton members of the Crips for months, Davidson said. Members of both gangs in Hertford have also been caught up in the dispute, he added. “Our guys go over [to Eliza beth City] and shoot, and they come over here and shoot,” he said. Davidson said Graham alleg edly shot Willie Cofield of Edenton, and that it is possible Graham mistook Cofield for a Crip who had shot at him Carolina which would assume responsibility for restoring and maintaining it. That could require an invest ment of up to a million dollars, he said, since the exterior of the lighthouse sustained significant damage during Hurricane Isabel several years ago. Rascoe said a process such as this could take several years to See MOVE, Page A2 > 1 Graham Cofield hours before. “We have no evidence that Cofield was doing the shooting that night,” Davidson said. Cofield, who remains in a Greenville hospital, identified Graham as the shooter that left him unconscious for several days, Davidson said. Police spoke with Cofield for the first time late last week. “[Graham] is definitely the Crossing guard almost hit three times HELPING HANDS, A3 OLF PROPOSAL Navy says jets won’t be heard here Locals doubtful Navy will keep its word, continue to oppose Washington Co. site BY SEAN JACKSON Staff Writer Having an airfield for fighter jets in Washing ton County will not bring noise here, because the roar of the jets’ engines will be too far away, a U.S. Navy official said. The spokesman said the distance between the OLF and Edenton would eliminate any noise prob lems here. “You’ll be very lucky to even hear a jet,” Ted Brown, U.S. Fleet Forces Command spokesman, said. “If you’re 25 miles away, it might not even be audible.” Local opponents of a proposed Navy airfield approve of the plans to steer the noisy jets away from Chowan County But they still don’t want the outlying landing field [OLF] anywhere in northeast North Caro lina. The Navy’s top site for the proposed OLF is roughly 25 miles south of Edenton, in Washing ton County. It would be used for practice takeoffs and landings by the new — and super-loud — Su per Hornet fighter jets. Chowan County Manager Cliff Copeland recalls witnessing a flyover a few years back, when he couldn’t hear a Super Hornet flying at 15,000 feet. But he’s still doesn’t want the OLF in Washington County. See OLF, Page A2 > person [Cofield] identified as the one who shot him,” Davidson added of the shoot ing late last month. “He’s still in bad shape,” Davidson said of Cofield, “but he's talking now.” Cofield was shot four times — in the neck, chest and shoul der. Graham, 18, is also wanted for questioning in a pair of shootings in Elizabeth City - one prior to and one after the Edenton shooting. Police have searched homes in Edenton, Elizabeth City and Hertford for Graham, David son said. An early morning roadblock on U.S. Highway 17 last Wednesday also failed to nab Graham, he added. “He’s considered to be armed and dangerous,” Davidson said of Graham. “We’ve heard he’s got assault rifles now.” Anyone determined to be aiding Graham while he is wanted by police will be charged with felony aiding and abetting a fugitive, Davidson said. Anyone with information about Graham’s whereabouts can call the Edenton Police Department at 482-5144, or the Crimeline at 482-5147. The Elizabeth City Police Department has offered a $5,000 reward for help in cap turing Graham. ©2006 The Chowan Herald All Rights Reserved INDEX 6 Sports/School Recreation News...... B1 - A6.7 NASCAR B2 A4 A Local Opinion.— ..... Land Transfers.. A4 School B3 4 , . ■■} * • ' ^ ,■ ‘,n .v, \ Community News Upcoming Events.C2 Society...C4 Obituaries.C6 Church...,.C7,8 D Classifieds Buy/Sell/Trade .... Service Directory Employment. . D1 . D2 . D3 HogFest draws crowd J of 1(000; lawn mower $ races a big hit Community, C1 Barbeque Chicken 3:00 - 7:00PM $7.00 Per Plate CALL 252-221*4875 OR “Wocb *)<IU 7:30PM at Rocky Hock Playhouse Tickets $10.00 - Limited Seating
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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May 2, 2007, edition 1
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