Photog
depicts
town in
black &
white
— IB
50*
Teacher treated
for bacterial
meningitis
Parks: Law precludes public confirmation
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
As of Friday afternoon nei
ther health nor school officials
had learned whether a Chow
an Middle School teacher had
positively contracted bacterial
meningitis. Even if they had
state law precludes a public
confirmation.
A relative of the sickened
victim confirmed Monday
that the male teacher has been
hospitalized and undergoing
treatment for bacterial menin
gitis. The victim’s immediate
family has received antibiot
ics for the infection, the rela
tive added.
Other than the confirmation
from the victim’s kin, health
professionals remain mum on
County
seeks
board
changes
i Commissioners
want shorter terms
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
The Chowan County
Board of Commissioners
voted to approve a resolu
tion to ask the state legis
lature to end six-year term
lengths on the Edenton
Chowan Schools Board
of Education and replace
with the conventional four
years.
In view of several school
board members attend
ing Monday night’s com
missioners’ meeting, the
county approved in a 5-2
vote to make the request.
In December, the non-par
tisan Board of Education
voted 6-1 to keep the terms
at six years - a move Com
missioners’ Chairman
Keith Nixon called a “con
flict of interest,” since the
vote benefits sitting board
members.
Immediately following
its own scheduled board
meeting, school board
members raced to the com
missioners’ debate on the
issue to offer their input
as to why the schools best
operate as an autonomous
authority.
But, the majority of the
commissioners agreed
that the school board’s six
year terms were self-serv
ing and not in the best in
terest of public education.
Although the school board
reiterated its contention
that the public has never
demanded the switch in
terms, commissioners
See CHANGES, 2A
813
©2009 the Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
the issue because state law pro
tecting patient confidentiality
prevents the public release of
such information. It was the
social media - Facebook - that
alerted the Centers for Dis
ease Control and Prevention
(CDC) about this specific case,
the relative said.
Jerry Parks, director of Al
bemarle Regional Health Ser
vices, said Friday that neither
Albemarle Hospital nor Vidant
Medical Center had confirmed
a suspected case of bacterial
meningitis. But, Parks added
that state laws related to pa
tient confidentiality preclude
public confirmation.
A signed consent waiver by
the patient is required before
See TREATED, 4A
Armed Robbers Strike Again
STAFF PHOTO BY RITCHIE STARNES
Doris McLean, owner of the Convenient Mart on North Oakum Street, mans the store Tuesday morning. She was working
Friday night when two men robbed the store at gunpoint.
Two men rob Convenient Mart at gunpoint
Fourth armed robbery
since Thanksgiving
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
Two masked men robbed
McLean’s Convenient Mart at gun
point Friday night, marking Eden
ton’s fourth armed robbery since
Thanksgiving.
Around 7:20 p.m. two black males
wearing ski masks and dark cloth
ing entered the store at 101 N. Oa
kum Street and demanded money,
Assault charge against Steinburg dismissed
By REQOIE PONDER
The Daily Advance
The District Attorney^
Office has dismissed a mis
demeanor assault charge
against state Rep. Bob
Steinburg following the al
leged victim’s decision to
drop his complaint. Russell
Haddad, former campaign
manager for Steinburg’s
opponent in last year’s
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Firefighters from Edenton, Center Hill Crossroads and Belvidere Chappell Hill battle Monday night’s blaze of the
former White Oak School on Dillard’s Mill Road. Flames were visible shooting high above the roof as firefighters
battled the blaze. While firefighters were on the scene a second fire was set at the Tri-County Animal Shelter, ac
cording to Chowan County Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin. An animal control truck was set afire, destroying the vehicle.
according to Edenton police. One
of the suspects brandished a small
silver-colored handgun before the
pair fled on foot with an undis
closed sum of cash, a pocketbook
and a small box of cigarillos, police
say. The suspects were last seen
heading north along N. Oakum
Street.
Store owner Doris McLean was
working with a customer inside
when the jobbers entered, accord
ing to Edenton Police Chief Jay
Fortenbery The customer man
aged to slip out of the store during
the hold-up.
state 1st House District
race, announced Monday
that he was dropping the
charge because he wanted
to put the incident that
produced it behind him.
“I have spent a lot of
time and effort to help bet
ter the quality of life for
residents in North Caro
lina, primarily northeast
ern North Carolina," Had
dad, a former legislative
Police describe the suspects as
slender with one about 6-foot tall
and the other about 5 feet 6 inches
tall. The taller suspect used the
handgun, police said.
The handbag stolen was black
patent leather with a silver buckle
and cigarillos were in a red box, po
lice said.
McLean said the box contained
coins.
Police are offering a reward up
to $1,000 for information in the rob
bery that leads to an arrest.
See ROBBERY, 2A
aide to U.S. Rep. G.K. But
terfield, said in a statement
Monday. “That continues
to be my goal. Therefore,
after much thought I have
made the tough decision
to extend an olive branch
to Rep. Steinburg and drop
the simple assault charges
against him.”
While Haddad says he
still believes Steinburg
“should take responsibil
ity for his actions” he be
lieves dropping the charge
against the new legislator
is “the most productive so
lution to the situation.”
“It would have been nice
for him to have picked up a
phone and made a simple
phone call and said ‘I’m
sorry for what I did,’” Had
dad said. But dropping the
charges “will allow the
both of us to continue our
Missed
funding
poses COA
setback
Dental program,
renovations halted
By RITCHIE E. STARNES >
Editor
Plans to add a dental hy
giene curriculum at Col
lege of The Albemarle’s
Edenton-Chowan campus
appear to have hit a block
ade after the school failed
to make the first cut for
Golden LEAF’S Communi
ty Assistance Initiative.
Also on hold is the jump
start rehabilitation of
the two-story D.F. Walker
building that now serves
as COA’s local campus.
Efforts to launch the reno
vations and the expanded
curriculum stalled after
COA’s $2.5 million grant
application failed to be
chosen as a top priority
among the Initiative’s re
view team; which was com
prised of local stakehold
ers. Not only did COA’s
requested amount exceed
Golden LEAF’S $2 million
total allotment, but also
approval would have likely
threatened the other 16 ap
plications seeking finan
cial help.
Because stakeholders de-.
cided the county’s top pri
orities, Kandi Deitemeyer,
See SETBACK, 3A
efforts without distraction,
hopefully in some cases
jointly.”
Haddad said he contact
ed District Attorney Frank
Parrish Friday and that
Parrish replied by e-mail
Saturday that he would re
spect Haddad’s wish not tp
proceed with the case. ; 4
Steinburg, R-Chowan,
See HADDAD, 4A
y.-y/, ■i.-'.C-/ y'
ALL YOU CAN EAT!! $6.00 For more information call 340-343,