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482-4418
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Deputy honored as officer of the year
From staff reports
Deputy Sheriff “Scoot
er” Basnight was teary
| eyed and speechless as he
1 wds honored as the 2009
Chowan County Law En
forcement Officer of the
Year Thursday evening.
Surrounded by 10Q of his
closest friends and emer
gency services personnel,
Basnight was described
as gentle, kind, consistent,
dependable and humble.
Basnight . credited the
grace of God for allowing
him to accomplish so much
in the field in just 12 short
years. Community involve
ment, professionalism and
moral character are among
STAFF PHOTOS BY BRETT A. CLARK
Josh Brown, 18, Chelsea Krahenbill, 17, and Brianna Cornelius, 18, who sang the song “I’m OK" in the program, listen to closing re
marks, Thursday during Albemarle Hopeline’s 2nd Annual Edenton-Chowan Candlelight Vigil at the Edenton waterfront.
Insurance a
From staff report
Joseph Preston Alligood,
32, 762 Okisko Road, Eliza
beth City, was arrested last
week and charged with 13
counts of embezzlement by
an insurance agent, accord
ing toj&e#^.Department of
Insurance., ‘^^ ; ,
An "independent agent,
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
the traits considered for
the honor.
“If you need me, I will
come out,” is a phrase com
monly heard by Basnight’s
working comrades. His
dedication and skill on the
job, with the help of his K
9 Rico, were said to. be tin
questionable, '
Among the other hon
orees at the 39th annual
Chowan County Emergen
cy Services Appreciation
Banquet were Deputy Ken
neth Miles White as the
Chowan-Edenton Optimist
Club Friend of the Youth;
Cap! Gary L. SWanner as
the Fireman of the Year;
Angela Owens Hassel as
the EMT of the Year. .. •
gent chargi
. • \ ‘' ’, '■ \ :
To report
suspected fraud
Call the Department of
insurance Criminal Investi
gations Division at 919
807-684Q.
-Also, information is at
www.ncdoi.com
Alligood’s insurance agency
in Edenton is now closed. He
owned his agency from 2007
to 2008.
According to the investiga
tion, Alligood allegedly sub
mitted insurance premium
Special recognition was
given to 20-plus-year veter
an magistrate and 27-year
veteran firefighter Carlton
Jackson, who will retire
from the county this year.
“After being up all hours
of the night for 48 years,
it’s time to stay home,”
Jackson said as the crowd
gave him a standing ova
tion.
State Rep. Tim Spear, D
Washington, was the guest
speaker for the American
Legion Post 40-sponsored
event. Spear spoke about
recent House bill activities
that affect emergency re
sponders, such as the qual
ified youth firefighter act,
accredited intra-county
id with emb
paperwork on behalf of new
customers, but always with
some missing information.
When the insurance com
pany returned the premium
paperwork, Alligood alleged
ly kept the refund, Alligood
is accused of embezzling at
least $9,564.
Alligood was processed by
the Chowan County Sheriffs
Office and was placed under
a $36,000 unsecured bond. He
is scheduled for trial in late
January.
The Department of Insur
ance employs 20 sworn law
enforcernent officers dedi
cated to investigating claims
emergency management
teams and enforcement of
search and rescue animdls’
rights.
“Nine-eleven changed
America,” Spear said,
“That day we came to
gether and recognized not
only the law enforcement
officers but all emergency
responders.”
Spear, who began his ca
reer in law enforcement
said, “I’ve had the assaults,
the ups and downs. I got the
T-shirt ‘been there, done
that’. It is a pleasure to be
your voice in Raleigh.”
The nearly two-hour
event concluded with a
meet-and-greet with the at
tendees and honorees.
; f. ■ .••
ezzlement
of insurance fraud. So far in
2009, these criminal investi
gators have seen more than
241 cases successfully closed
with more than $9.7 million
in restitution and recover
ies, 67 criminal convictions
and 123 arrests and 92 cases
pending in court. -
An estimated 10 cents of ev
ery dollar paid in premiums
goes toward the payment of
fraudulent claims. To report
suspected fraud, contact the
Department of Insurance
Criminal Investigations Di
vision at 919-807-6840.
Callers may remain anon
ymous.
CHOWAN HERALD PHOTO BY.EARLNIE WHITE
Deputy Sheriff “Scooter" Basnight was speechless as he was hon
ored as the Chowan County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.
250 people vote
early in election
From staff report
About 250 local residents
have cast ballots so far in
one-stop voting for the Nov. 2
election.
A total of 3,406 citizens
who reside in the city limits
of Edenton are eligible to
vote in the non-partisan, mu
nicipal election.
“I think it’s going well,”
said Board of Elections Su
pervisor Rebecca Lowe. “The
contested race that we have
is bringing people out.”
The contested race Lowe
referred to is to determine .
who will serve as council
man-at-large on the Edenton
Town Council.
Currently, that seat is held
by Jerry Parks. Parks is be
ing challenged by political
Former Chowan
official charged
Gardner arrested on
three drug charges
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
A probable cause hearing
for former Chowan County
Commissioner Bill Gardner
Jr. on a felony drug posses
sion charge has been moved
to Superior
Court.
A court
date has not
yet been
scheduled.
Gardner is
being rep
resented by
Edenton at
torney Hack
Gardner
ney High, from the law firm
of High & Crowe LLP
The action came during a
first appearance in Chowan
District Court Tuesday morn
ing before Judge Grafton
Beamon of Elizabeth City.
A court official said re
lated misdemeanor charges
against Gardner would like
ly be heard in December or
January, but no date has been
set.
Gardner, 43, was arrested
Oct. 8 and charged with fel
ony possession of cocaine,
lewcomers George Grother
md Bob Quinn.
Lowe said that many peo
ple are attracted to the idea
)f one-stop voting to avoid
laving to stand in line on
Election Day.
“I don’t think it takes them
very long this way,” she said.
‘Maybe two or three min
utes.”
The board of elections of
fice has mailed 17 requested
absentee ballots, seven of
which were sent to military*,
personnel stationed over;
seas.
“They ’have until five
o’clock on November 2 for
the ballots to be back in our
office,” Lowe said. “They cam
be returned by mail or hand
delivered but we have to have
them back by then. ” 2;
misdemeanor possession of
marijuana and drug para
phernalia, an arrest report
stated.
Gardner’s arrest came
after Chowan County Sher- .
iff s Deputy Larry Ambrose
pulled over Gardner’s car on
Country Club Drive shortly
before 11p.m.
Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin
said Ambrose took the ac
tion because he suspected the
driver of the vehicle of being
under the influence of alco
hol or drugs.
Goodwin added that Am
brose found a white, powdery
substance in the car, along
with marijuana and drug
paraphernalia. y
The report also stated that
Gardner was in possession
of a handgun at the time of
his arrest, however, he was
not charged for having the
weapon. . '
Goodwin said that the white
substance found in Gardner’s
vehicle had been forwarded
to the SBI for analysis. . ‘ ’;y
Gardner served District 2
on the Chowan County Board
of Commissioners from
2004-08. Current commission
board chair Eddy Goodwin
defeated Gardner’s re-elec
tion bid in the May 2008 Re
publican primary.
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