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Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Edenton
artist sees
God’s hand
in life, art
— 6B
50*
Snow, sleet hinder activities, driving
From staff reports
Snow and sleet cancelled
some meetings and activi
ties this week and created
dangerous conditions on
area roads.
Edenton-ChowanSchools
Activist
backs lot
for police
station
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
While option 1 is the
recommendation of town
staff for the proposed new
home of the Edenton Police
Department, the decision
won’t be final until the town
council votes on the issue.
Some citizens like Lori
Ann Curtin are hoping that
means they
still have a
chance to
encourage
council
members
to keep an
open mind
on options
2, 3 and 4
rather than settling for the
recommended site.
* Curtin was a candidate
in last year’s town council
election for the 4th Ward
seat Councilman Elton
Bond Jr. won the election to
that seat.
Curtin attends most coun
cil meetings-and has written
letters to council members
outlining her concerns
about the relocation.
See STATION, 3A
Officials
to weigh
wind farm
MOU
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Town council members
discussed a request for a
memorandum of under
standing from Apex Energy
during their Feb. 24 work
session but did not reach a
consensus on the request
The request comes as a
result of meetings between
the town’s Airport Com
mission and officials from
Apex, the firm that wants*
to construct a wind farm
on property under lease
north of the U.S. 17 Bypass,
Town Manager Anne-Marie
Knighton said. The property
in question is located out
side the city limits and falls
under the zoning control
of Chowan County govern
ment
See WIND FARM, 3A
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
dismissed Monday at 11:30
am. due to weather con
ditions. The schools were
closed Tuesday for students
and 10-month employees,
while 12-month employees
were asked to report for
work as road conditions
Howard begins work as county manager
■ Sees positive things on the
horizon for the community
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor .
New Chowan County Manager
Kevin Howard sees a lot of energy
in the county.
“What has caught my attention
since coining here is all the posi
tive things: The chance of contin
ued growth, the possibility of the
hotel project — I think that could
be a big boost for downtown if they
can get that working,” Howard said
during.an interview in his office
Monday morning. “Being down
town Saturday and seeing it so ac
. tive is exciting.”
Howard took the reins of Chow
an County government Monday. He
is living in the county<>wned man
ager’s house and has been in town
since last Wednesday.
Howard comes to Chowan Coun
ty from Caswell County, where he
had been county manager for near
ly seven years.
He replaces Zee Lamb, who left
after two years as Chowan’s county
manager to become Nash County’s
county manager Jan. 1.
Clifton Hardison, the county’s di
rector of social services, had been
serving as interim county manager.
Howard has much to work.,on
as he begins the new job. This is a
property revaluation year for the
county, and all indications are there
will be a significant overall decline
in property valuation
Although Howard shepherded
Caswell through a property revalu
ation during his time there, that was
a much different case as Caswell
saw a gain in overall valuation
Another concern county offi
cials face right now is how best
SMA head lauds Edenton’s people, quality of life
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
Bill Lanzen, chief executive officer of Standard Medical
Acceptance, talKs about the company and why it chose
to relocate to Edenton at the 2014 State of the Region
event in Williamston, Friday.
Three running unopposed in local elections
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Three of Chowan Coun
ty’s local elected officials
are unopposed now that
the filing period has closed
Commissioner Ellis Law
rence is unopposed in his
bid for reelection to a Dis
trict 3 seat on the Chowan
Board of Commissioners.
Clerk of Superior Court
Mike McArthur and Sher
iff Dwayne Goodwin also
permitted.
The meeting of the
Chowan County Board of
Commissioners that was
scheduled for Monday eve
ning was rescheduled to
Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Chowan County Court
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
Chowan County Manager Kevin Howard takes notes at his desk Monday morning as he begins his new
job here. Howard previously was county manager-ft Caswell County. ,
to provide animal control services
beginning July 1. Sheriff Dwayne
Goodwin has given notice that his
department does not intend to pro;
vide animal control services after
June 30.
Howard noted that counties
across the state handle animal
are unop
posed
McAr
thur on
Monday
thanked
those who
have sup
ported LAWRENCE
him over
the years.
“I look forward to four
more years and thank my
supporters and those who
have stood with me all 20
was cancelled for Tuesday.
County government offices
opened at 10 am. on Tues
day
The National Weather Ser
vice called for an overnight
low of 20 Monday night and
a high of 36 on Tuesday.
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
The top executive at
Standard Medical Accep
tance told the audience at
last week’s State of the Re
gion event that Edenton’s
people and the communi
ty’s quality of life were piv
otal in the company’s deci
sion to locate here.
Bill Lanzen, the chief
•executive officer of SMA,
also said ffie availability of
a high-speed fiber connec
tion was absolutely critical
in the relocation decision.
SMA, currently head
quartered in New York
City, started the process
years,"
McArthur
said.
Good
win said
that' he
continu
ally seeks
to im
MCARTHUR
prove the
service provided by the
department He said that
would always be true, with
or without a contested elec
tion.
Local officials reported
several motor vehicle acci
dents Monday afternoon, at
tributed mainly to slick road
conditions resulting from
snow and sleet
No serious injuries were
reported in connection with
control in different ways, whether
under the Sheriffs Department,
under the Health Department, di
rectly under the county manager
or in some other fashion.
There are a number of ways it
can be done,” Howard said.
In Caswell County, animal con
INSIDE
More from Friday’s State of
the Region event - 4A
of looking for a new site
in June of last year and
made the decision to come
to Edenton by November,
Lanzen explained.
The company hopes to
have people down here
and some kind of opera
tion in place in April, Lan
zen said. Asked later about
the timetable, Lanzen ac
knowledged the schedule
is still fluid and he didn’t
want anyone to think he
was promising a specific
rence, a
Democrat,
is current
ly serving
his first
term as
a county
commis- GOODWIN
sioner. He
has served on the North
■ eastern Regional Airport
Authority, the College of the
Albemarle Board of Trust
ees and the Edenton Chow
the Monday afternoon acci
dents.
The National Weather Ser
vice predicted an overnight
low of 32 for Tuesday night,
with a high of 44 for today.
A chance of rain also was in
the forecast for today.
trol reported directly to the county
manager, Howard said.
Howard said he was busy “ab
sorbing information” on his first
day at the Chowan post.
Howard had been Caswell’s
See HOWARD, 3A
date.
He added that a lot will
depend on how long it
takes to complete renova
tions at the company’s of
fice space in the Town Hall
building.
But Lanzen said he ex
pects to have an operation
in place at the new site at
least by late spring.
“We’re going to ei\joy
living here,” Lanzen told
the group gathered in Wil
liamston for the annual
State of the Region event.
Lanzen also explained
the unique niche that
SMA fills for hospitals
See REGION, 2A
an Partnership Board.
Lawrence said he be
lieves he has done a good
job in his first term.
“I think I did a pretty
good job the first time
around and I’m working
with a pretty good group of
guys there,” Lawrence said.
“The record speaks for it
self. We don’t seem to have
the problems that the sur
rounding counties have.”
See ELECTION, 3A
p
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