482:4418
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Habitat for Humanity Re
50* Store reopens Saturday B5
Charges
dropped
against
officer
Charges could be
reinstated at a
later date, DA said
By Vernon Fueston
Staff Writer
Edenton Police officer Der
rick Wayne Knox confirmed
Tuesday that the district at
torney is dropping charges
against him of felony as
sault.
Knox had been charged on
Feb. 17 with two counts of
felonious assault resulting
from two altercations in the
line of duty..
Knox’s attorney, Joseph
Forbes, said- he had been
notified by the district attor
ney’s office that the charges
were being dropped and that
his client would not have to
appear in court Tuesday.
District Attorney Frank
Parrish said a dismissal in
court today would only in
dicate the case is not ready
to proceed at this time. He
said a special prosecutor
would review the case and
determine how it will pro
ceed from here. The charges
could be reinstated later.
“That would happen soon
er than later,” Parrish said.
“That review would take
place probably within the
week.”
Knox was charged with
assaulting DeShannon Ken
ta Stepney, striking the man
with his service weapon and
inflicting serious injury in
an incident that took place
on Sept. 24,2006.
He was also charged
with assaulting and strik
ing Thomas Allen Dail, Jr.
with a taser, discharging the
weapon into Dail on July 13,
2007.
“I think its kind of suspi
cious that it took two and
one half years to bring these
charges against me,” Knox
said.
“You need to look at the
people involved. One of
them (Stepney) was a four
time convicted felon and the
other (Dail) was found guilty
in court of resisting a police
See OFFICER, Page A2 ►
This Saturday
m at 10 a.m. ■
JL Pet pageant, agility \
course, vendors, food
and more 3
COLONIAL BARK If
,89076"44813l
©2006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Welcome Home Cooper family
• The "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" episode featuring Jamesviile family is set to air May 3.
BRETT A. CLARK/THE DAILY ADVANCE
Spectators wait in the rain to see the unveiling of the Cooper's home by Extreme Home Makover: Home Edition Friday.
By Earline White
and Rebecca Bunch
Staff writers
Saturday afternoon was all about
happiness for Aaron and Windy Coo
per of Jamesville.
The two met with reporters and
friends outside their new home to ac
cept gifts and good wishes on behalf
of themselves and their parents, Jeff
and Clara Cooper.
The Cooper family just became the
recipients of a home unveiled Fri
day evening by the crew of Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition.
Many Chowan County residents
were involved in the effort including
John Norris of Edenton Builders;
Inc., who was in charge of oversee
ing construction.
Speaking for the family, Windy
Cooper expressed their gratitude to
all those who had given so much to
make this happen.
She said she knew that all the gifts
were given “from the heart” and not
because people were looking for pub
lic recognition. It was done, she said,
because people cared.
*
Gifts galpre
Among me gifts presented to the
family were an American flag flown
over the Capitol building, given by
Sen. Richard Burr and his staff.
The family spent the week in Wash
ington, D.C. waiting for their house
to be finished.
The Martin County Ministerial
Association presented a family Bi
ble, and two Edenton women, Diane
Ryan and Lou Rogers, gave a 12-block
handmade quilt titled “A Corhmuni
ty Joins Together.”
But the biggest surprise of the af
ternoon came when Windy Cooper
was introduced to a special guest,
Ashley Fiolek of Florida.
Fiolek.is the 2008 Women’s Moto
cross National Champion; the Coo
per family, and Windy in particular,
are big fans of the sport.
Her visit was made possible by
an Edenton volunteer, Kristie Mize,
whose son, Marcus, also participates
in the sport.
She called the national headquar
ters and made arrangements for the
visit.
“I thought it was especially appro
priate since Ashley is deaf, and has
had her own share of struggles,”
Mize said, alluding to the health
problems of Jeff Cooper. “Her father
came with her to sign for her.”
Jeff Cooper suffers from multiple
sclerosis, and immune disorders re
lating to his military service. With
his strong advocacy on behalf of fel
low veterans and the disabled, he fit
the show’s theme this year of honor
ing everyday heroes.
Mize was also able to secure $2,000
worth of motocross equipment for
Windy and her family.
“Everybody I asked wanted to help
once I told them what was going on,”.
she said.
Get moving
That same spirit carried through
the entire project.
On Friday afternoon, after waiting
for hours in the rain and wind, hun
See HOME, Page A2 >►
County
to give
discount
for taxes
Plan is to reduce
county loan costs
by collecting faster
By Vernon Fueston
Staff Writer
Chowan’s commissioners
have proposed a two percent
discount for the early pay
ment of property taxes in
order to improve the Coun
ty’s cash flow.
The commissioners hope
to reduce loan costs by col
lecting property taxes faster,
allowing them to pay less
money to banks in interest,
attorney fees and loan costs.
The county would offer
a two percent discount for
taxes paid before July 31 and
one percent off taxes paid
by Aug. 31. County property
taxes are due by Sept. 1.
The county’s tax collec
tor, Lynda Hendricks, said
a survey of other counties
where the discounts have
been used indicates that a
potential $1.2 millipn could
be collected early if the dis
counts were taken, costing
the county $19,000 in dis
counts.
She said receiving that
money early enough to avoid
borrowing the same amount
from banks could save almost
$18,000 in interest, $15,000 in
legal fees, amounting to to
tal loan costs of $33,000.
That means the county
could save $14,000 by offer
ing the discounts, Hendricks
said.
Hendricks said she sur
veyed 15 counties that of
fered the discounts. She
said that on average, those
counties received 45 percent
of their taxes due early with
mortgage banks and other
See TAXES, Page A2 >
Balancing the budget in the face of a recession
By Vernon Fueston
Stpff Writer
Chowan’s ' commission
ers faced tough decisions
last week when faced with
falling sales tax revenues,
forcing heavy cutbacks and
layoffs. But even tougher
decisions lie ahead.
An analysis of published
county budget figures re
veals those decisions could
require higher property
taxes, deep cuts in county
services or a combination
of the both.
The problem
State law requires the
commissioners to pass a
balanced budget by June 1.
Work on that project halted
temporarily when sales tax
receipts began showing a
drop of 30 percent and cost
overruns left the budget
short $970,000 for the four
months remaining on this
year’s budget.
The commissioners took
action, plugging that bud
get hole by reducing work
hours for county employees
and cutting departmental
budgets. But the task of
balancing next year’s bud
get still remains.
The current budget rep
resents a substantial reduc
tion from its predecessor.
Commissioners trimmed
the 2008 budget from • $19
million to $17 million in or
der to reduce county spend
ing to its current level.
But those August cuts
were a compromise. Solv
ing the county’s financial
woes also meant a property
tax hike from 56 to 65 cents
per hundred dollars, an in
crease of 16 percent.
Balancing act
This year, commissioners
will have to factor in falling
revenues from sales taxes,
reductions in building per
mits and land transfers, in
creased operating costs and
new debt service covering
the construction and the
renovation of county build
ings.
The budget process has
barely begun. . A finance
subcommittee- composed
of private citizens charged
.with advising on the budget
has held only an organiza
tional meeting and many
k ■ -
THE BUDGET CHALLENGE
2007- 08 Budget $19,300,000
2008- 09 Budget $17,200,000
Possible Rev. Decrease $422,000
New Debt Service 715,000
Increased Operating Costs 117,000
Shortfall $1,254,000
Percentage of Current Budget 7%
Percentage of current property taxes 13%
•• . ivk' v U ... - i.. - ’ '
budget numbers and fore
casts are still being devel
oped.
But checking the informa
tion posted on the county’s
website reveals some of the
challenges the commission
ers will face.
If the commissioners as
' sume sales taxes will re
main depressed by 30 per
cent through December
of 2009, they will have to
cut the budget by $367,000.
But land transfer taxes,
building permits and other
economy-sensitive taxes are
slumping, also.
See BUDGET, Page A2 ►
TUESDAY. MARCH 24th
LEON NIXON'S CATERINC
Free delivery at lunch for businesses
Call Jack Evans 340-3438 or 221-4875
RELAY FOR LIFE
BBQ £
BENEFIT LUNCH AND DINNE
11am - 2pm & 4pm - 7pm
6pm * 7pm Dinner Music ,
by "Big Daddy” Sam
Sponsored by. Rocky Hock Rurltan Relay for Life Team
AUCTION 7PM UNTIL