482-4418
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
50*
Decision
I 2012
Check out who’s on the
NC ballot in federal, state
races this year 6A-7A
Schools asking county for $3.6 million
Budget calls for $229,100
more than last year
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
AND REBECCA BUNCH
Chowan Herald
Edenton-Chowain Schools will
be asking county leaders for $3.6
million Of its $4.5 million local
budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year.
The request is $229,100 more
than last year’s allocation in an
overall local budget. It comes in
a school year that Superinten
dent Allan Smith described to
the Board of Education as “one
of the more difficult fiscal years
since the local financial crisis of
2008 and the ensuing economic
recession.” Smith said that the
local school system is facing the
loss of approximately $900,000 in
state and federal funds, includ
ing $550,249 in stimulus funds.
His proposed budget also calls
for $324,970 in capital outlay
projects, or $141,470 more than
the previous year.
North Carolina’s appropria
tion will be $14,474,513 while the
federal portion will be $2,572,838.
If the county funds the total re
quest, the overall school budget
for the next fiscal year would be
$20,698,380.
Smith said that since 2008-2009
cost reduction methods have
been in place including a reduc
tion in locally funded teacher
supplements that will remain at
1 percent, or $167,025, below the
2009 level in next year’s budget.
Part of the increase is due to
the creation of an alternative
school at the local Boys & Girls
Club, which will cost taxpayers
$150,000 for personnel and equip
ment. Specific information
about the center remains largely
unavailable because details are
still being worked out, Smith
See BUDGET, 3A
GOP
showdown
is county’s
only race
Newcomers vie for
commissioner’s seat
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
The Democrat-rich
Chowan County will have
only one local race in the
May 8 primary and it’s
a Republican contest be
tween two political new
comers.
For the second straight
, election cycle, the winner
of the Republican prima
ry for the
Board of
Commis
sioners
District 2,
Seat 1 will
have no
Democrat
opposition
in Novem
ber. Bar
ring no
success
ful unaf
filiated or
write-in
candidate,
the winner
of the race
between
Alex Kehayes, 69, and Tim
Phelps, 49, will have a clear
path to the county commis
sion.
Both candidates have
weaved in and out of
Chowan County over the
course of their lives. Not
until now have the chal
lengers decided to lend
their respective acumen to
the decision of the voters.
“Other than paying a
lot of taxes, I’ve never
done anything to serve,”
Kehayes said. “This was a *
way that I saw to be vigi
lant and keep the county
going in a positive direc
tion. I’m retired and I have
time to do it.”
A building contractor
with deep ties to Chowan,
Phelps said he also reached
a point where he knew it
was time to serve.
“I’ve been considering
this for over a year now,”
Phelps said. “I’ve always
enjoyed politics. I want to
see Chowan County grow
and prosper.”
Politics has been a part of
both candidates heritage.
Kehayes’ father served as
mayor of Edenton from
’55-’59 while Phelps’s dad
See RACE, 3A
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Phelps
PHOTOS BY REBECCA LOWE
Some 25,000 eggs were scattered about the American Legion Fairgrounds for Open Door Church’s Easter Egg Hunt,
Saturday. As many as 1,300 participated in the festivities. For more photos of the event, see Page 6B.
Murder
probed in
Hertford
By CATHY WILSON
The Perquimans Weekly
HERTFORD — A 19
year-old man was shot and
killed around midnight
Sunday in a Perquimans
County home during a re
ported dispute over alleged
stglen property.
No arrests had been
made by Monday evening
in the shooting death of
Tre Brothers, according to
Perquimans County Sher
iff Eric Tilley.
Tilley said Brothers was
shot in the face with a 12
gauge shotgun during an
argument at 124 Albemarle
Road, near Harvey Point
Road. He was transported
by Perquimans EMS to
Chowan Hospital in Eden
ton where he died.
Tilley said his office is
investigating persons of
interest who may no lon
ger be in the area in con
nection with the shooting
that was reported on a cell
phone by an anonymous
female caller at 12:10 a.m.
Monday
Five people were on the
property at the time of the
shooting, Tilley added.
Brothers reportedly
travelled back and forth
between the Perquimans
County residence and a
home in Goldsboro, said
Tilley The home where
the shooting occurred is
owned by John and Sarah
Blount of Elizabeth City,
according to county tax
records.
Investigation into the
shooting is continuing by
the sheriffs department
assisted by the SBI.
Suspect in COA threats case pleads no contest
White must apologize
to COA, pay $3K for costs
By WILLIAM F. WEST
Staff Writer
A former college student must
apologize to College of The Albe
marle and write
a two-page essay
about how her
actions affected
the community
as part of her sen
tence for sending
an e-mailed threat
to COA officials
last faU. White
Margaret Monika White, 18,
pleaded no contest to a charge
of misdemeanor cyberstalking
in Pasquotank District Court on
Thursday According to her plea,
White doesn’t admit any wrongdo
ing for sending the e-mail on Oct-.
3, but she also doesn’t deny any
wrongdoing, either.
FILE PHOTO
Police investigate a threat at College of The Albemarle, Oct. 3,2011.
Besides requiring White to write
a formal apology to COA Presi
dent Kandi Deitemeyer and pen
the two-page essay, District Court
Judge Eula Reid sentenced White
to a 30 days in jail, suspended, and
placed her on supervised proba
tion for a year and a half.
Reid also sentenced White to re
imburse COA $3,325 for the costs
of ramping up security to respond
to the e-mailed threat. COA offi
rials quickly canceled classes and
evacuated the community college
campus after White’s e-mail was
received by Deitemeyer and other
COA officials.
During her appearance in court
on Thursday, White acknowledged
sending the threatening e-mail in j
her former boyfriend’s name and
from his e-mail account. But she
did so, she said, because she was
scared that her then-boyfriend
planned to do something harm
ful, and she wanted someone to
know it. x J
In the e-mail, White, posing as
her then-boyfriend, said that “my
math teacher gets on my nerve and
the next time he bothers me I’m
going to bring my gun to school.”
The e-mail, which identified the
math teacher as Frank Hendrick,
goes on to state “I hate COA and
Elizabeth City” and “I feel like
blowing the whole school up.”
White told Reid Thursday that '
See COA, 3A
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