482-4418 Wednesday, June 9, 2010 COMMUNITY Two Holmes graduates to attend military 'academies 1B 50c Local pilot dies in fiery plane crash 2nd pilot suffers bums By RITCHIE E. STARNES Chowan Herald An Edenton pilot was killed Monday night and another critically injured when their plane crashed and erupted into Sen. not ready to ban offshore drilling By RITCHIE E. STARNES Editor U.S. Sen. Richard Burr says despite the BP pipeline leak that’s spewed millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexi co, he’s not ready to abandon offshore drilling for oil. Burr, interviewed in Eden ton last Wednesday morn ing, discussed a number of heated issues, including'the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the national and state economic outlook, the recently adopted healthcare bill, Wall Street, calls for lifting the ban on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), as well as election races and politics. Offshore drilling . Burr said he still supports offshore drilling, provided the extraction is done re sponsibly “Thirty percent of our petroleum comes from the Gulf,” Burr said. “For us to write off offshore drilling means our obligation to the Middle East is a long-terip economic and national de fense issue.” Burr said the nation’s current focus should be on stopping the leak and completing the cleanup of the environmental disaster before debating the future of offshore drilling. Burr also expressed sup port for the various gov ernmental probes that are Chowan jobless rate at 10 percent From staff reports Chowan County’s unem ployment rate continues to drop, mirroring the rates in other North Carolina counties. Statewide, unemploy ment rates decreased in 99 out of 100 counties in ©2009 The Chowan Herald All Rights Reserved “They were simulating an engine problem just before the crash. ” Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin, Chowan County I '-"V flames. William Thomas Jordan, 69, perished in the 7:30 p.m. U.S. Sen. Burr (middle), chats with Charlie (left) and Scott Creighton on the floor of the Colony Tire truck tire retreading facility in Edenton during Burr’s visit to Edenton, Wednesday, June 2. looking into what caused the disaster and whether it could have been prevented. “It’s absolutely essential for Us to understand what went wrong,” Burr said. “I can’t tell you today whether a federal regulator turned their back or a company cut some corners they shouldn’t have.” According to the Associ ated Press, government of ficials estimate that the leak, April, the most recent month for which rates are available. For the month, local rates fell to 10 percent matching the state jobless rate. In Chowan, the rate was 10.7 in March. “The positive news in the April county data is that there has been an increase in the number of workers employed throughout the state,” said ESC Chairman Lynn R. Holmes. “At the same time, the See RATE, 2A fiery crash just northwest of the plane’s takeoff runway at Northeastern Regional Air PHOTOS COURTESY JERRY CUMER U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., tours Jimbo’s Jumbos Edenton pro cessing plant, Wednesday, June 2. which started six weeks ago, has now dumped anywhere from 21 million to 45 million gallons of oil into the gulf. Meanwhile, BP’s latest ef forts to plug the leak ran into a snag and an oil slick from the disaster began approach ing the Florida panhandle. Burr was in Edenton Wednesday for tours of the newly renovated Cupola House and local employers Colony Tire and Jimbo Jum Butterfield answers to health vote Residents OK reform, oppose bill By RITCHIE E. STARNES Editor EDENTON — U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C. encountered Chowan County’s version of a “tough crowd” during what turned out to be a confrontational town hall discussion about health care reform and Medicare in Edenton Thursday Butterfield, who voted for the landmark health care reform legislation in March, was peppered with. mostly hostile questions port, according to Chowan County Sheriff Dwayne Good win. Joseph S. Konicki of Suf bos. He also participated in a radio interview conducted by 103.7 WTIB-FM talk show host and Chowan County na tive Henry Hinton. Economic outlook Burr also addressed the nation’s economic recession. Despite a few bright spots, the senator projects a slow recovery until more See BURR, 3A and comments about the new federal law by an au dience of about 60 at the Chowan County Senior Center. A number of question ers reminded Butterfield that national polls con tinue to indicate that a majority of Americans — roughly 65 percent and rising — do not support folk, Va. suffered critical inju ries, including burns from the flames, Goodwin said. Konicki was taken to a Norfolk Sentara General, where a spokesper son reported him to be in good condition. See PLANE, 2A STAFF PHOTO BY RITCHIE E. STARNES Edenton police return to a crime scene Mon day after a man was shot four times Sunday night at his 101W. Peterson St. duplex. Edenton man shot four times at his home By RITCHIE E. STARNES Editor An Edenton man was shot four times Sunday night after a man forced his way into a duplex, accord ing to police Chief Jay Fortenbery. Michael Lamont Boston, 27, was shot three times in the chest area and once in the leg around 11 p.m. at his residence located at 101W. Pe terson Street, Fortenbery said. He was taken to Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville where he remains in critical condition. The victim was conscious and talking when medics put him in the ambulance. Forten berry said he was shot with a 9mm handgun. Police have no information on the suspect who reportedly fled the scene. It is not known whether the shooter fled on foot or in a vehicle. Fortenbery said the unknown sus pect allegedly forced his way into the duplex, however, the victim was shot both inside and outside the residence. Residents who live nearby said they heard an argument moments before the shooting. There was a single gunshot followed by two more spaced shots, then a series of three rapidly fired rounds, witnesses said. The argument and shots oc curred during the start of a heavy rainstorm that was accompanied by See SHOOTING, 2A BRETT A. CLARK/THE DAILY ADVANCE Congressman G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., visits the Chowan County Senior Center in Edenton, to address concerns about healthcare and Medicare reform, Thursday. the $940 billion health care legislation, whose provi sions include mandating health care coverage for an estimated 32 million Americans who currently lack it and prohibiting health care insurers from See HEALTH, 3A Edenton Music & Witter Festival Doit mu the Destination Downtown Edanlon ^ FRIDAY & SATURDAY • JUNE 18 & 19, 2010 > .SIDIWAUC iSALE Registration & information: www.edentonmusicandwaterfestival.com • 800-775-0111 • 252-482-3400 ’ ' ' '.'."I' .1" 1 ' i ' ' " ' r 11 '' ’ ' ' ■ -r ' -I'f " i.^ . ’ ' r' ' - - ■ ■ii'ljg H i

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