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482-4418
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Plan calls for switch of health insurance
Chowan nixes its
NEAHG membership *
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
Chowan County plans to
switch its employee health insur
ance provider since it can save as
much as 25 percent on premium
costs.
Because county leaders have
been unable to examine its
Event
honors
Inglis
Fletcher
Author penned
Carolina Series
By REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
During the town of
Edenton’s 300th anniversa
ry year the life and work of
one of its most noteworthy
citizens will be celebrated.
Novelist Inglis Fletcher
and the historical novels
she wrote during the time
she'lived in Edenton will
’’ he the focus of a sympo-'
sium on March 1 from 10
a.m. until 4 p.m. at the 1767
Chowan Courthouse.
Thesym
posium is
being co
chaired
by Sally
Francis
Kehayes, .
represent
ing the
Edenton
Woman’s Club, and Ben
Speller, retired dean and
professor at the North
Carolina Central Univer
sity School of Library and
Information Sciences.
Speakers will include
East Carolina University
professors Maurice York
and Alex Albright. Fletch
er’s papers were donated
to the university after her
death in 1969.
Speller said he thought it
was important that Fletch
er be recognized during
the town’s anniversary
year for her local contribu
tions.
Speller said that Fletch
, er’s Carolina Series of
historical novels — writ
ten between 1942 and 1964
— covered 200 years of the
state’s history from 1585 to
1789, blending true events
and real people from Eden
tpn into the stories.
“You have to not only ed
ucate and inform but you
also have to entertain,”
| Speller said of Fletcher’s
writing style. “That was
J definitely her contribu
tion. Her Carolina Se
ries got people coming to
Se^ SYMPOSIUM, 2A
■ Fletcher
02009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
claims data with
the Northeast Al
bemarle Health
Group (NEAHG)
to determine
if Chowan was
in fact realiz
ing a fair deal,
the county was
forced to notify
the provider that it planned to
exit the group. A one-year ad
vance notice is required. Only
two months after that request did
Police believe jacket linked to arson
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Sheriff: All case leads
have been exhausted
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
' '; : V : ' : y. .
A jacket bearing the New York
Giants logo is the latest, if not last
lead in a recent arson case.
Edenton police released a photo
of the jacket with the National
Football League’s New York Gi
ants’ emblem. The jacket was
found near the scene of the Feb. 3
fire of a 28-foot Albemarle fishing
boat parked on a trailer behind
a warehouse on Hubley Drive,
according to police Chief Jay
Fortenbery
“We are hoping someone will
recognize the coat and may lead
us to a possible suspect,” Forten
bery said. “We found this coat the
night of the fire but withheld pub
lic release due to its relevance in
the on-going investigation.”
The 8:45 p.m. boat fire, partially
captured on a security camera,
was the first of three fires within
two days, prompting investigators
to consider that all are related.
Police first thought the suspect
in the boat fire may have suffered
burns to his body after the surveil
lance film showed an explosive
type fire.
On the following night (Feb. 4),
the former \yhite Oak Elementary
School was set ablaze. As firefight
ers were battling the fire at the
See ARSON, 2A This jacket was found near the scene of a Feb. 3 arson in Edenton. Police suspect the coat may have belonged to the arsonist
Bulldogs post 3rd straight undefeated season
Boys’ basketball team claims 4th consecutive championship
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
Instead of reciting ‘Disney
World' like many athletes declare
as their next destination after a
championship victory, Chowan
Middle School’s undefeated boys
basketball team can profess a trip
to the State Capitol.
A trip to the Capitol per the in
vitation of Gov. Pat McCrory is
the fruit of the Bulldogs’ labor
after posting a 16-0 season for the
2012-13 school year, marking the
school’s third consecutive un
defeated basketball season and
fourth straight Coastal Athletics
Conference championship. Ef
Town OKs using donations to aid theater
Taylor Theater to
make digital transition
By REBECCA BUHCH
Sktf Writer
The town of Edenton will as
sume ownership of digital pro
jection equipment for use by the
Taylor Theater.
The Town Council voted unani
mously at its Feb. 12 meeting to
use donations from the commu
nity — including $100,000 from
NEAHG release the data.
At that time, the analysis
proved what county leaders al
ready suspected - that Chowan
County had been paying more
than its fair share to the mem
bership. Over the last five years,
Chowan had paid NEAHG nearly
$5 million, compared to claims
at $3.3 million for an average of
$3,904 per employee. Last year,
Chowan matched the 2007-08 fis
cal year for its best claims to
premium ratio over the five-year
forts to coordinate a date for Mc
Crory to meet the team are under
way.
Chowan Middle’s boy bailers
have toiled a round-ball dynasty
after recording 48 straight vic
tories and 62 out of the last 64
games, dating back four years
ago.
Coach Brian Chappell, who has
paced the sidelines during the re
markable run, prefers to deflect
credit to the boys.
“Chowan County has pro
duced some mighty good athletes
these last four years,” Chappell
said. “It’s been a talented group.
They’re good learners that love
playing together.”
an anony
mous donor
— to purchase
the equip
ment priced
at $150,000 so that
the downtown movie theater
OMHTflL CltfM
Town Manag
er Anne-Marie
Knighton said
that a lease
1 agreement
between the
town and the
couia remain open, councilors
Steve Biggs and Norma Simpson
were absent due to illness.
Prior to the vote, Councilman
Willis Privott questioned who
would be responsible for upkeep
and maintenance of the equip
ment after it is installed.
span.
“We could have been one of
the counties with a higher ratio,
but we didn’t think we were. So,
we rolled the dice,” said County
Manager Zee Lamb.
Chowan’s claims to premium
ratio averaged 66 percent, accord
ing to the data. A fair ratio for
both the insured and provider is
closer to 85 percent, Lamb said.
For its 128 active employees
and another 19 retirees, Chowan
pays $7,176 annually per employ
Proof of that hotbed of talent
is most evident at Chowan Mid
dle School where all of the male
sports teams have posted unde
feated records this year, including
basketball, football (also coached
by Chappell), and wrestling. Even
the co-ed soccer team did not lose
a game - a lone tie spoiling a per
fect season.
“The pressure is on for our
baseball team,” said Tanya Turn
er, CMS principal.
Last year’s undefeated bas
ketball team also produced an
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
National Championship last
See BULLDOGS, 3A
tneater s owner/operator bod
Krochmal would relieve the town
of that responsibility.
“The operator will be responsi
ble for upkeep and maintenance,’’
Knighton said.
Knighton added that town at
torney Hood Ellis was working
ee, or $598 monthly, for health
insurance. It pays $264 annually
per employee for dental and $39
per employee yearly for $10,000 in
life insurance, records show.
Lamb said Chowan has had
fewer claims than other NEAHG
members, which he attributes
to a healthy lifestyle among the
county’s employees.
“We’ve been fortunate not to
have a catastrophic occurrence,”
See INSURANCE, 3A
By the numbers
3 - Consecutive undefeated
seasons
4 - Consecutive conference cham- .
pionships
29 - Points per margin of victory
this season
48 - Victories without a loss over
last three seasons
62-2 - Record over the last four
seasons
9 - Number of players that played
on MU national champion team
4 - Number of teams at CMS that
went undefeated so far this school
year.
“diligently” to prepare the agree
ment.
“So we won’t have anything
to do with this'(upkeep and re
pairs),” Privott asked. “I just hate
to see us get bogged down in this
if anything happened.”
Councilman Sambo Dixon said
he was happy that the movie the
ater would remain open with the
help of donors and the town.
“I think it shows how impor
tant and special that theater is
See THEATER, 4B
* • ' 'v . • -
Edenton Lions Club
Breakfast for the Blind-Help the Lions help the Blind
Edenton Baptist Church - Saturday, March 9 | 7AM-10:30AM
Eat In or Take-Out I Tickets from any Lion or Call 482-3606 for more information.
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