Groups curb animal euthanasia, Page IB
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Wednesday, December 1, 2010
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Jedele, Harrell sentenced for slaying
Edenton woman has 10
years left to serve
By RiTCHIE E. STARNES '
Chowan Herald
EDENTON — An - Edenton
woman and her boyfriend have
been sentenced to prison terms
for their roles in the murder of
the woman’s ex-husband more
than three years ago.
Raymond Christian Jedele, 41,
pleaded guilty last week to the
first-degree murder of Donald
Bradley Smith
wick on Oct. 4,
2007, Hertford
County court re
cords show. He
was ■ sentenced
to life in prison
without the pos
sibility of parole.
Janet Denise
Harrell, 36, of
Edenton entered $n Alford plea
for her part in'Smithwick’s slay
ing. Her plea, which allows heir
to avoid admitting guilt in her
ex-husband’s slaying, will keep
Harrell
her in prison
for a .minimum
of slightly more
than 13 years,
court records
show.
Jedele and
Harrell entered
their pleas Tues
Jedele day, Nov. 23, dur
ing what was
supposed to be a hearing for pre
liminary motions in their mur
der trials set for Jan. 10.
According to Hertford County
law enforcement officials, Smith
wick, 33, was abducted from the
driveway in front of his home
in Ahoskie on Oct. 4, 2007. His
body was found two days later
in Chowan County. An autopsy
revealed that he had been shot
fatally in the head the day of his
abduction.
Harrell became a suspect in
her ex-husband’s slaying after
law enforcement officials learned
that Smithwick had been award
ed custody of his and Harrell’s
two children a day before his ab
duction.
Connie Smithwick, the victim’s
mother, told the Chowan Herald
Monday that she and her hus
band, Donald, agreed to Jedele’s
and Harrell’s plea bargains and .;■■■■ I
sentences, She said both were in
her son and his children’s best
interest.
“We wanted things resolved as
quickly as possible because of the
children,” Smithwick said. “We
wanted keep the children safe as
long as possible. (The children)
See SLAYING, 3A
" : ' ' {
_'_j■ ■ • .' i
For Coach, Kids Matter More
Edenton girls' basketball coach Fred White instructs his team during a game against Pasquotank in January, 2009.
RLE PHOTO
Edenton’s White has 499 career victories
By CHIC RIEBEL
Sports Editor
E DENTON-lb Fred
White, the toughest
part of coaching high
school girls’ basketball has
nothing to do with losses.
“It’s when you have 15
uniforms and 18 girls come
out for the team,” said
White, who has been coach
ing atEdenton for 31 years
and coached at the former .
Chowan County High for
three seasons before that.
“Those bottom three kids
work as hard as anyone to
make the team, but then
they don’t make it.
“I hate cutting kids.”
Fortunately, White didn’t
have to tell any kids they
weren’t good enough to play
Council can’t decide $
on its new town planner
By REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
The Edenton Town
Council remains unde
cided how to proceed with
filling a town position for a
new planner.
A proposal currently
under consideration calls
for the position to be part
time and limited to 24 te 30
hou|»-a week, which the
town currently has bud
geted binds.
But some council mem
bers have made it clear
mu
•■a 907
4813*
©2009 The Chowan Herald
Rights Reserved
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“Vve always thought the main thing about athletics is
to help kids grow in different directions. I try to teach \
them to respect each other. I tell them they will see more
of their teammates over the next three months than they
will of their families and just like their family, they’re
not always going to get along, but they do respect each
other.”
Fred White
Edenton girls' basketball coach
this season. He had enough
uniforms for everyone.
And that will make
White’s pursuit of his 500th
career victory just a little
bit more enjoyable.
The win should arrive
they would like to see the
position stretched into
full-time and expanded to
include the duties of an as
sistant manager as well.
Mayor pro tem Steve
Biggs said that the need
for an assistant town man
ager was becoming a real
ity since the town adopted
more stringent housing
regulations as well as a De
molition by Neglect order
for the historic district.
Biggs said that having
those necessary regula
tions in place would only
add to the workload of
Town Manager Anne-Ma
rie Knighton. Knighton
and her staff have been
handling town-related
planning issues since a
planning position formerly
shared between the town
soon. Going into Tuesday’s
season opener at home
against Riverside, White’s
victory total stands at 499.
If the Lady Aces come
up short against Riverside,
they have another chance
and county became vacant
last November.*
the county said it was
unable to continue to help
fund the position because
of a budget shortfall; the
town at the time elected
not to try and fund the po
sition on its own.
Councilman Willis Priv
ott asked Knighton during
a Nov. 22 council meeting
if she had investigated
whether any suitable part
time applicants for the
planning position might
be out there. * *
“I have been contacted by
several people informally,”
Knighton said. She said
that in each case, the per
son’s background and ex
perience was in planning.
* See PLANNER, 2A
to get No. 500 tonight at
Perquimans.
When White does reach
that figure, he doesn’t want
anybody to make a big deal
See WHITE, 5A
CAC forgot i
alcohol use
on lease j
6y REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer ■ I
When the Chowan Arts Council inked a
deal to relocate its gallery inside the town
of Edenton’s municipal building, the non
profit group failed to realize it could not
serve alcoholic beverages during fund
raisers.
Efforts are underway to change that.
CAC will soon find out if it will be able to
serve beer and wine at future gatherings.
The Town Council’s administrative
committee agreed at a Nov. 22 meeting to !
add language to the town’s lease with the
CAC that would permit alcoholic bever
ages on the premises, but not within the
council chambers that adjoin the new gal
lery The Council is expected to consider
the request at its December meeting.
The action came after Councilman Wil
lis Privott said that he objected to the idea 1
of those attending CAC receptions car- v " |
rying alcoholic beverages , into the town
See CAC, 2A ^
Food Bank
envelopes
in today’s
newspaper {
From staff reports \
' ■■ f
The Food Bank fund-raising appeal
was published in error in last week’s ;
Chowan Herald and the envelopes were
not inserted in the paper. You will find
the envelope in today’s edition.
If you choose to contribute, you can
mail the donation or drop your envelope
off at the Chowan Herald office at 423
South Broad Street, Edenton or at local
First Citizen Bank locations.
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Sly as a Fox
HIHIMHI
PHOTO BY REBECCA LOWE
This gray fox was spotted near Filbert’s Creek Monday night. A young buck had been
previously seen in this area, becoming too chummy with area residents before the deer
- was returned to a more suitable habitat