482-4418
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
50<
See our
collection
of Christmas
Parade
photos - Page 8B
Property sales bolster county finances
One deal includes sale
of 2.5 acres for $275K
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
Two recent real estate deals
should help bolster Chowan
County’s fund balance.
On Friday County Man
Financial
struggles
reach pets
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
Another ripple effect of the
downtrodden economy can be
found at local animal shelters
where more pet owners are
surrendering their animals
because they can no longer
afford to care for them.
“kndwehave
more (animals)
t coming every
day.”
Ginny White
Chowan animal
control officer
That’s the case at the Tri
County Animal Shelter in
Edenton where 638 dogs and
1,069 cats have been eutha
nized between January and
October. Tri-County Animal
Shelter serves Chowan, Gates
and Perquimans counties. In
Chowan, the only county of
the three required to record
owner surrenders, 232 pets
were turned in during the 10
month period.
“These are people who’ve
lost their homes after losing
their jobs,” said Ginny White,
an animal control officer who
works at the shelter. “They’ve
had to move in with family, or
leave their houses and move
into apartments where pets
aren’t allowed.”
As bleak as the numbers
are, the situation was worse
in 2008, when the economy
nosedived, White said
Overall, there were 3,099
animals taken to the shelter
during 2008. Between Janu
ary and Oct. 30 of this year,
See PETS on Page 6A
STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
The souring economy has led to
an increase in the number of pet
surrenders at area animal shel
ters. As a result, more dogs and
cats, like the ones pictured here
at the Tri-County Animal Shelter,
are being euthanized.
6 "8 9076
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
( ' •
“Hopefully, by the endt of the fiscal year, the fund balance will be increasing because of these efforts. ”
— Peter Rascoe, Chowan County Manager
ager Peter Rascoe explained
that two county transactions
would help shore up the fund
balance by the end of the fis
cal year.
Rascoe briefed the Board of
Commissioners Dec. 7 about
Here comes Santa Claus
Santa rides aboard a fire truck during the Edentoit s Christmas parade, Saturday. Top right: A member ot the John A. Holmes high
School marching band is seen marching in the parade with his band mates, Saturday. Bottom right: Spectators line the streets to
watch the parade as it proceeds pass them. See more photos from the parade on page 8B.
Christmas parade, Candlelight Tour
headline holiday weeKena events
An Old Fashion Christmas was
the theme of Saturday’s parade
and between the seasonal tem
peratures and the assorted holiday
floats, organizers deemed the week
end a success.
The annual Christmas Candlelight
Tom* kicked off the weekend celebra
tion with more than 1,300 visitors
partaking in the event that gains in
recognition with each passing year.
Chowan to consider
mental health options
Staff Reports
Chowan County officials will join the ranks
of neighboring counties as they consider how
to proceed with providing mental health care.
Representatives from East Carolina Behav
ioral Health will pitch its services to the Chow
an County Board of Commissioners at next
month’s meeting. Like all 10 of the counties that
have been using the Albemarle Mental Health
Center before an audit revealed the agency was
in financial peril, Chowan has until July 1 to de
cide who will provide the county mental health
services. Costs will likely be as critical of an
issue as the quality of services, particularly
for a county still reeling from its own financial
struggles. . *
the land sales.
The most prosperous deal
was slated to close Thurs
day (Dec. IQ). Chowan sold
2.5 acres of land on Virginia
Road for $275,000. Located be
side the Walgreen’s currently
under construction,. Rascoe
said the property, which had
no debt service payment, is
slated to be a medical office.
“Hopefully, by the end of the
fiscal year, the fund balance
will be increasing because of
“The number of visitors was close
to what we had last year,” said Becky
Winslow, organizer. “I’m amazed
because I know how the economy is.”
Winslow said she saw many of the
same visitors this year as in the past.
“People try to keep the tour on
their calendar,” Winslow said.
Folks from across the Carolinas
and Virginia frequent the annual
tour of Edenton’s historic district.
Chowan had been paying $2 per capita for its
mental health services, or $34,000. That’s twice
as much as two years ago, but less than the
amount of services received, said County Man
ager Peter Rascoe.
“We will be seeking to do the same thing,”
Rascoe said Monday. "Hopefully, we’ll be paying
the same this year.”
Pasquotank County Manager Randy Keaton
and Camden County Manager Randell Wood
ruff both told county commissioners in their
respective counties on Dec. 7 that ECBH appears
to be the only practical choice for mental health
services in the coming fiscal year.
The state Division of Mental Health con
•» % i •
See OPyONS on Pago 9A
.•at*';
these efforts,” Rascoe said.
On Dec. 1, Chdvvan sold the
Albemarle Learning Center
to the Boys and Girls Club.
The transaction includes 8
acres and a building. By sell
ing the property, the county
Winslow said tracking data indicates
that visitors from Virginia appear to
be the most represented. She theoriz
es that visitors tend to make daylong
trips.
Parade goers stretched from Roses
on Virginia Road through downtown
along Broad Street. Spectators were
treated to four high school march
See PARADE on Page 9A
Cost of power to
remain unchanged
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
Edenton residents will not
experience a rate increase
anytime soon.
Electricities has no plans
to raise the rates it charges
Edenton and other munici
pal members. No rate hikes
is welcome news in a com
munity where the jobless
rate hovers just under 12
percent, said Mayor Roland
Vaughan.
“The town is pleased to see
increased its general fund
$32,095 while paying off two
debts related to the site.
“That was good news for
the county because there are
See SALES on Page 6A
DA won’t
pursue
murder
charges
By DIANA MAZZELLA
Staff Writer
The Daily Advance
The woman who was first
charged with conspiring to
kill her ex-husband will not
face new charges.
District Attorney Frank
Parrish ruled there was in
sufficient evidence to indict
Dawn Teachey in connec
tion with the 2005 shooting ; "7
of Thomas K. Harvin III, of ' 17
Edenton. - 7
Harvin
Parrish
On April 7,2005. Harvin was
ambushed outside Teachey’s
Camden County home by
Stacey Bayles, a woman iden
tified in court documents as
Teachey’s girlfriend.
According to law enforce
ment officials, Bayles shot
Harvin in the face with a .22
caliber handgun, but during
their struggle, Harvin took
the pistol away and shot Bay
les. She later died.
Parrish cleared Harvin of
any wrongdoing in Bayles’
shooting. But the district at
torney later charged Teachey
with conspiring to kill her
ex-husband.
Parrish dismissed the
charge, however, prior to the
start of Teachey’s trial.
Haryin later filed a civil
lawsuit against Teachey, and
in August, Superior Court
Judge Jerry R. Tillett ruled
in his favor, finding that
Teachey acted as part of a
civil conspiracy to murder
her ex-husband. The judge
awarded Harvin $126,000 in
damages.
Following the civil
See CHARGES on Page 9A
that the agency has been able ';
to increase working capital -
to a level where it is hoped
that wholesale rates can re
main stable for the next sev
eral years,” Vaughan said.
Electricities’ Chief Ex
ecutive Officer Graham
Edwards offered that assur
ance during the Dec. 8 Town
Council meeting.
“Are you confident enough
that we can plan our budget
around that?” asked Coun
cilman Willis Privott.
, See POWER on -