Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / April 30, 2014, edition 1 / Page 1
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- ..a*-* 219W'1854 ' Wednesday/April 30, 2014 482-4418 Hunter safety team has big day — 6A Child dies, homes destroyed in wake of tornadoes ■ 11 homes destroyed, 100 homes damaged BY REGGIE PONDER Editor An 11-month-old boy has died of injuries suffered when tornadoes cut across Chowan County Friday night Gavin Soto, his mother and another child report edly were in the home on Yeopim Road when it col lapsed after being struck by one of two tornadoes that devastated parts of the McCrory honors ‘resilience’ in face of damage BY REBECCA BUNCH Staff Writer Gov. Pat McCrory noted during a visit to Chowan County Sunday that the devastation wrought by two tornadoes last Friday had not dampened the spir it of community here. “I am amazed by their resilience,” McCrory said at the Northeast Regional Airport in Edenton as he prepared to return to Ra leigh, referring to those he met and talked with during his visit. He added that he was deeply touched by the care and concern being exhibited by friends, neigh bors and organizations such as the American Red Cross who were doing all they could to assist those in need. The governor also praised the Chowan Coun ty Sheriffs Office and other local agencies for working hard to ensure public safety during and in the aftermath of the deadly storms. Friday night, Chowan was among the local coun ties pummeled by torna does. One hundred homes were damaged and 11 de stroyed. McCrory spent most of Sunday visiting and talking with those who had suf fered property damage and the loss of their homes. McCrory pledged that he would do eveiything pos sible to make sure the full resources of the state and State officials confer retirement honor on Edenton BY REBECCA BUNCH Staff Writer On April 22 local officials took part in a celebration where Edenton was offi cially accepted by the N.C. Department of Commerce - as a Certified Retirement Community. TTie designation will al low the town, in partnership County departments making case for budget requests ■ Some proposals being adjusted downward BY REGGIE PONDER ' Editor As Chowan County of ©2009 The Chowan Herald ' All Rights Reserved county. The mother, Ashley Bain, reportedly also was injured. Another child in the home reportedly escaped before the home’s collapse trapped the mother and son inside. Neighbors and passersby were able to get the mother and son out of the rubble, according to sources close to the scene. Gavin was revived at the scene and transported to Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Virgma, according to sources. The child was on life sup STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH Gov. Pat McCrory talks with Chowan County homeowners during a Sunday afternoon visit to the community to view the extensive damage « caused by two tornadoes that hit the community'Friday evening. Standing with McCrory is state Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry who said that local, state and federal damage teams would begin surveying affected areas as quickly as possible. federal governments were made available to those who had lost so much. Among those accom with Chowan County and the DOC, access to market ing and promotional assis tance through the state’s Di vision of Tburism, Film and Sports Development, state officials said. Making the official pre sentation to Mayor Roland Vaughan were DOC repre sentatives Andre Nabors and Wit Tuttell. The mayor ficials work on the 2014-15 county budget, department heads have a brief window of opportunity to make the case for increased funding next year — while some requests already have been trimmed from what depart ments originally submitted. The county’s budget picture as the county com missioners got their first glimpse of it a couple of weeks ago included a sig nificant decline in assessed value of real property as port at the hospital and died Sunday, according to- sources close to the family. Gavin’s funeral will SOTO be today (Wednesday) at 4 p.m. in the chapel of Miller Funeral Home and Crema tory, 735 Virginia Road, Edenton. The funeral will be con ducted by the Rev. David Brooks. panying McGrory *as he stopped to speak person ally with area residents was Rep. Bob Steinburg, R noted that the des ignation brings Edenton into a se lect group in the rela tively new VAUGHAN program. “Virtually every commu nity in the state will want well as $263,000 more in re quests from county depart ments than was funded in the current budget That $263,000 figure has begun to decline slightly as departments revise their numbers and work with the county manager on ways to reduce costs. But the revenue snapshot shows a deficit of $1.3 mil lion in property tax revqpue based on the declining prop erty valuation, and also a de crease of $134,000 in vehicle Friends may join the family in the funeral home immediately following the chapel service, and other times at the home of Syble Harrell, 200 S, Oakum St, Edenton. Monday morning, Gov. Pat McCrary issued a proc lamation declaring a State of Emergency for Chowan County and neighboring counties affected by Friday’s tornadoes. The Federal Emergen cy Management Agency is scheduled to com£ to Chowan County this week Chowan. Steinburg said that the damage had changed lives forever but that he wanted to be a part of the to be a part of it,” Vaughan said County Commissioner Alex Kehayes said that the certification would provide a steppingstone for the com munity to continue to grow and prosper. As a retiree in Chowan County, he said, he looks forward with anticipa tion of some solid results. Nabors said that the ef tax proceeds. Early estimates indicate a 10-cent increase in the coun ty’s property tax rate could be required to generate the same amount of property tax revenue as in the. budget for the current fiscal year. Meanwhile, although the Department of Social Ser vices originally requested $45,400 in additional county funds for next year, DSS Di rector Clifton Hardison said he already had worked with the county manager to re to assess damage. The N.C. Department of Transportation has been removing vegetative debris that fell in the right of way. As of Monday, DOT was not removing debris that had been placed in the right of way after being removed from private property. Local assessments in dicate 11 houses were de stroyed by the tornadoes. An estimated 100 homes sustained some degree of damage. Preliminary estimates put damages in the county at healing process by making sure families had what they needed to start over. “These storms changed fort started as a pilot pro gram in 2008 in Lumber ton. Since then, he said, Asheboro, Marion, Sanford, Mount Airy, Pittsboro and Eden have been added, and in 2012 it became a full fledged program. T\itteU said that Edenton was a natural choice for inclusion in the program because of its high degree duce that figure somewhat “Of course, the budget is only in the infancy period of its development,” Hardison noted Hardison explained the DSS budget had been tweaked throughout the years and “there are not a lot of extras in it” The Register of Deeds Of fice has revised its original budget request for next year and now is asking for the same amount as in the cur rent year’s budget $900,000. Among areas of the coun ty that saw significant dam age were Burnt Mill Road, Yeopim Road, Drummond Point Road, Macedonia Road, Chambers Ferry, Tip toe Road and Wildcat Road. Win Dale, executive direc tor of the Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce, in an email message to Cham ber members Monday ex pressed concern for those affected by the tornadoes and appreciation for the See TORNADOES, 2A many of our neighbors’ lives forever,” Steinburg See MCCRORY, 2A of marketability. Not every community that applies will necessarily be accepted, he said. But for those who are the benefits could be tre mendous, Tuttell said. “I think this is a way to al low a spotlight to shine on smaller communities in our state,” Tuttell said. “Edenton will certainly benefit from the program’s efforts.” Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin said the requested increase in the budget for the Sher iffs Department is to re place aging patrol cars and give deputies some well-de served raises. Goodwin explained that in the past the department generally has replaced two patrol cars a year. But dur ing the fiscal crisis, there were a couple of years when the county did not replace See BUDGETS, 2A ‘ BBQ CHICKEN PLATES *8.00 from 3*7pm ROCKY HOCK COMMUNITY CENTE 1 . " i-t 11:00 -12:00 PM •*4 m * Grand Prize - $100.00 Caste Pembroke Bass Club - Kids Fishing Jnstruqtionsl ! ! Contest and Prizes SATURDAY, MAY 3rd-10AM in : nrJi'j WINS 1:30 *
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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April 30, 2014, edition 1
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