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PHOTOS COURTESY HEATHER DESHIELDS
ECU art student Heather DeShields of Edenton uses her paintings to depict the physical suffering of her brother, Daniel Surratt. Surratt
suffered traumatic injuries after he was struck by a car on Feb. 19,1994.
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Artwork depicts a brother’s pain
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
On a sunny, winter day in
February, 1994, an Edenton
family’s world was shattered
and their lives changed forever.
That was the day their son and
brother, Daniel Surratt, was struck
by a car while riding his bicycle.
Surratt, who was 10 at the time,
was not wearing a helmet. Daniel
suffered a traumatic brain injury
that left him a quadriplegic. As
a result, he is unable to perform
the most basic of life skills, such
as brushing his teeth or getting
dressed.
Now, through a series of 23 paint
ings that make up her senior
art project at East Carolina Uni
versity, his sister, Heather Bond
DeShields offers a glimpse of
Daniel’s world.
The exhibit’s theme is “Invictus,”
the Latin wobd for unconquerable.
See ART on Page 2A
Harvin wants DA to refile charges
Prosecutor close to
decision in case
By Diana Mazzella
Staff Writer
An Edenton man who be
lieves he was the target of a
murder conspiracy in 2005
claims the district attorney is
taking too long to refile crimi
nal charges in the case.
Thomas K. Harvin III says
given the recent verdict in
his civil lawsuit, District At
torney Frank Parrish should
have all the evidence he needs
to refile murder conspiracy
charges against Harvin’s ex
wife, Dawn Teachey, and an
other woman Harvin claims
was involved in the conspir
acy.
Harvin was ambushed
outside Teachey’s Camden
County home on April 7,2005,
by Stacey Bayles, a woman
identified in court documents
as Teachey’s girlfriend. Ac
cording to law enforcement
officials, Bayles shot Harvin
in the face with a .22-caliber
handgun, but during their
struggle, Harvin took the pis
tol away and shot Bayles. She
later died.
Parrish cleared Harvin of
any wrongdoing in Bayles’
shooting. But the district
attorney did later charge
Teachey with conspiring to
kill her ex-husband. Parrish
dismissed the charge prior
to the start
of Teachey’s
trial
Harvin
later filed
a civil law
suit against
Teachey, and
in August,
Harvin Superior
Court Judge
Jerry R. Tillett ruled in his
favor, finding that Teachey
acted as part of a conspiracy
to murder her ex-husband.
The judge awarded Harvin
$126,000 in damages.
Based on that ruling, Har
vin wants Parrish to refile
criminal charges against his
ex-wife.
“My biggest thing in push
ing this is I want justice,"
Harvin said during a recent
interview. “I was vindicated
in the shooting. I was vindi
cated by the civil suit in tak
ing Stacy’s life, but I don’t
have justice. I won’t have
justice until Dawn Teachey is
behind bars in prison hope
fully for the rest of her life.”
Harvin says the bullet from
Bayles’ gun is still embedded
in his head, and that he has
spent more than $52,000 on
‘medical treatments for the
gunshot wound as well as for
depression and post-traumat
ic stress disorder.
Harvin says he under
stands that it takes prosecu
tors time to complete inves
tigative work before criminal
charges are filed. It in fact
took prosecutors some time
before Teachey was initially
charged, he said. What he
doesn’t understand, he said,
is why it’s taking Parrish so
See HARVIN on Page 2A
. 1:
Edenton and county
had been partnering
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
A planning position that
had been jointly shared be
tween the town and county
may soon be funded solely by
the Edenton.
Edenton and Chowan Coun
ty have been without a plan
ner since Oct. 30 when Wes
Haskett left to take a similar
job in Southern Shores.
Haskett had worked full
time in the planning depart
ment. A part-time position in
the department, previously
held by fellow planner Eliza
beth Bryant, was eliminated
due to county’s budget cuts.
That left an administrative
assistant, Karen Castelloe, in
the department, assuming the
bulk of the duties.
County Manager Peter Ras
Police to probe
new employees’
criminal history
By Rebecca Bunch *
Stqff Writer
The town of Edenton is con
sidering changing the way it
checks out potential hires, a
step that would involve local
police.
The proposed new policy, if
adopted by the Town Coun
cil at its December meeting,
would require a criminal
background check and finger
printing of finalists for jobs.
It would also allow the town
to deny employment based on
criminal history.
STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
Doris Cooper (right) and 12-year-old daughter, Brooklynn Cooper (far
left), of Durham, along with Doris’ 8-year-old niece, Shandronasia Coo
per, of Edenton, spend Black Friday in Peebles looking at clothes.
Black Friday boosts
local holiday sales
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
Bargains were definitely
on the mind erf shoppers in
downtown Edenton on Black
Friday.
Jadelle Wagner, manager
of Peebles Department Store,
said she believed that deeply
discounted items, some as
much as 50 percent off, were
bringing in many customers.
“We had an excellent day,”
she said, “but I have never
coe said the
county plans
on admin
istering its
own planning
program with
existing staff
through the
end of this
Rascoe hscal year>
June 30.
“This decision was based
on the reduced number of
land use/planning matters
that are coming before the
county due to the slowdown
in the economy,” Rascoe said.
“If the economy picks up
and land use planning matters
and issues begin to increase,
then we would certainly seek
to engage dedicated profes
sional services then.”
But Town Manager Anne
Marie Knighton, who has been
assisting Castelloe in dealing
with issues coming before the
See PLANNER on Page 6A
. Town Man
ager Anne
Marie Knigh
ton said the
policy would
go into effect
immediately
after council’s
Knighton
approval.
She said
that ^Police
Chief Jay Fortenbery recom
mended the action after she
asked him to nan a criminal
history check on a finalist for
See BACKGROUND on Page 6A
seen such deep discounts” at
this time of year.
Wagner added that those
who came were clearly shop
ping for gifts, not for them
selves.
Popular items included
laptop desks, cozies (sweater , •
blankets), and other “as seen
on TV” items, she said.
Among those shopping
at Peebles on Black Fri
day was Patricia A?kew of
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See SALES on Page 9A