. * * *r'&R-RT LOT**C 002 A009.2’. SHEPHERD PRUDEN LIBRAK^;. 1Q6WWATER ST _ , I,-' FPENTON NC 27932-1854- •• t 482-4418 Wednesday, November 6, 2013 Town Council Election results in today's Daily Advance, and DailyAdvance.com 50* Chowan man dies in boating accident ■ Incident happens on Albemarle Sound From staff reports The initial investigation indicates a Chowan County man’s death in the Albemar le Sound was apparently an accidental drowning. .Divers recovered the body of Jimmy Dwight McKinney Jr., 42, of 908 In dian Trail Road, Edenton, around 12:25 p.m. Monday, according to Washington County Chief Deputy Eliza beth C. Floyd. Police seek shooting suspect From staff reports Arrest warrants have been issued for an Edenton man police are seeking in connection with a week end shooting incident that wounded two people at a convenience store. Thomas Edward White Jr., • 27, of the 300 block of Boswell Street, is wanted for the shoot ings at the Crown Food Mart on Sat urday that wounded both Maurice Mabine and Tren ita Jackson, according to a press release from the Eden ton Police Department Mabine, 35, and Jackson, 29, both of Edenton, were in good condition Monday at Vidant Chowan Medical Center where they were be ing treated for gunshots, the press release said. White is charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting seri ous ii\jury and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, the release states. White is described as a black male, 6-feet tall and weighing 160 pounds. The shootings at the Crown Food Mart, located at 309 North Oakum Street, Edenton, were reported at 2:10 p.m. Saturday. Eden ton police have declined to release further details of the incident, citing the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information on White’s whereabouts is urged to call the Edenton Police Department at 482 4444. Your information will be kept confidential, according to police. County commissioners mull redistricting process BY REGGIE PONDER Editor The Chowan County ©2009 The Chowan Herald All Rights Reserved The search for McKinney began Sunday after a motor ist on the bridge across the Albemarle Sound on High way 32 reported seeing a man fall overboard from a boat around 11:15 am. McKinney reportedly left on his 39-foot wooden Cam bridge around 7 or 7:30 am. Sundaty with the intention of going fishing for rock fish. Although officers from the Washington County Sheriffs Department said McKinney’s death appeared to be an accidental drown ing, a full investigation into Local Ambitions STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER Attorney Meader Harrlss III (left) has announced his candidacy for Disrict Court judge. Here, Harriss who is the outgoing president of the 1st Judicial District Bar, is shown with incoming president Robin Ames (right) and incoming Vice President Kim Pellini (center) before the start of the fall meeting of the 1st Judicial District Bar last Friday at the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse. Attorney to seek election to district bench ■ Judge Bean will not seek re-election From staff reports Edenton resident Mead er Harriss plans to seek election to a District Court judge seat in 2014. Harriss filed a cam paign committee, “Meader Harriss for District Court Judge,” with the State Board of Elections in Sep tember. “I have been thinking about a run for District Court judge for several years now,” Harriss said this week. “My first serious consideration to run was brought on by a judge who approached me after court one day in Gates County. He asked about my career Board of Commissioners voted Monday to have a small group of county and school district officials dis cuss a process for drawing new districts for county commissioners and school board members. Board of Commissioners Chairman Keith Nixon told his fellow commissioners during the board’s regular the accident is being con ducted by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The body was taken to Vidant Chowan Hospital by Chowan County Emergency Medical Services and Chow an authorities were expect ed to contact the medical examiner. Washington County of ficials reported that at one point there were as many as 14 boats on the sound helping with the search, in cluding numerous private volunteers. See BOATER, 3A plan, said that I had the presence and demeanor and that I should consider a run for District Court judge in the future.” “I’m supporting him,” said Sambo Dixon, a local attorney and town council member. “He worked for me for a few years, he’s an honest guy and will be fair, and a good judge.” Filings with the State Board of Elections indi cate William Reid Nixon of 2042 Rivershore Road, Elizabeth City, is the trea surer for Harriss’ campaign committee. Harriss started the com mittee with $200 of his own money. Judge Chris Bean, who is the chief district court judge in the 1st Judicial meeting Monday night that the board needed to discuss how to address redistrict ing in Chowan County. County Manager Zee Lamb explained that the redistricting is needed be cause of population chang es reflected in the 2010 census. Under a ‘5 percent rule’ used by federal officials, District, has indicated he will retire after complet ing his term in December 2014. Harriss said he intends to run for the seat in the November 2014 General Election. Bean said last week he plans to serve out the re mainder of his term. He said being a judge has been a remarkable experience. | “I have been doing this* for 20-some years,” Bean said. “It has been a fasci nating career.” * Harriss, who originally is from Rocky Mount, earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston and a law degree from Campbell University under the trial advocacy track. He is in his ninth year prac population of electoral districts for local officials are not supposed to devi ate more than 5 percent In other words, no district is supposed to be more than 5 percent bigger — or 5 per cent smaller — in popula tion than any other district Since the population of Chowan’s three districts are. roughly 3,900, 5,000, tiring law. He began in private practice with the Dixon and Thompson firm in Edenton. At Dixon and Thomp son he had a general prac tice that included drafting wills, representing people accused of crimes, traffic tickets, civil plaintiff and defendant litigation, and representing indigent cli ents. aI love being in the courtroom,” Harriss said. “I found that representing indigent juvenile clients was my love.” Harriss has been with the Public Defender’s Of fice since December 2008 and represents children See ATTORNEY, 3A and 5,900, Chowan needs to add about 1,000 people to the smallest district and reduce the largest district, by about the same number of people. The board unanimously approved Commissioner Jeff Smith’s motion to have the school board liaison, See REDISTRICTING, 3A PHOTO COURTESY U.S. COAST GUARD , In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, the boat from which Jimmy Dwight McKinney is > believed to have fallen overboard is shown on the Albemarle Sound, Sunday. McKinney’s body was recovered from the sound on Monday. EMS upgrading to higher level From staff reports Chowan County Emer gency Medical Services is upgrading to paramedic level. The county commission ers approved the upgrade at a meeting last month. Colin Ryan, director of Chowan EMS, said the plan is to have a paramedic re sponding on every call by Dec. 1. Eight local emergency medical technicians cur rently are enrolled in a para medic class and four more will enroll in January, Ryan said. There will be an addition al cost associated with the upgrade, but the cost will be covered by increased reve nues from reimbursements as a result of having para medics on the ambulances, Ryan said. There will be training costs and the paramedics will be paid $3,100 a year more than EMTs currently are being paid, he said. The main benefit to citi zens will be a higher level of care, Ryan said. “We want to provide a better service to the citizens — provide a better level of care,” Ryan said. As an example, Ryan said that with paramedics on an ambulance, EMS could provide interventions to get a cardiac patient’s heart to the appropriate number of beats per minute and then transport that patient to the nearest appropriate hospital for cardiac care. Chowan EMS is the pri mary emergency and non emergency medical service provider for Chowan Coun ty, including the town of Edenton, according to infor mation provided by EMS. Currently, EMS is provid ed at the EMT-Intermediate level, which includes round the-clock advanced life sup port. The county operates a fleet of six type-III advanced life support ambulances and one state-licensed ALS quick response vehicle. ‘ *• EMS operates out of three statioas located throughout the county. Chowan EMS has 21 full time employees, 15 part time employees and 12 local volunteers — all operating on 12-hour shifts. The staffing level is based on an annual call volume of roughly 5,800. 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