Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / Oct. 7, 2015, edition 1 / Page 1
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S shepherd prdden library 106W WATER ST EDENTONNC 27932-1 oo^ \» Fundraiser for Rita Smith slated for Oct. 9 - 6B 1 ■so11 482-4418 Wednesday, October 7, 2015 County gamers additional revenue under state nlan BY REGGIE PONDER Editor Chowan County will pick up nearly $200,000 in addi tional sales tax revenue in the next budget year under a plan adopted recently by the N.C. General Assembly. The sales tax redistribu tion plan was first intro duced in the Senate and was modified a number of times on its way to final passage by the General As sembly. It changes the for mula for distributing sales tax revenue in a way that generally benefits smaller counties and rural ones, while also expanding the reach of the sales tax to include services that previ ously were not subject to the tax - notably haircuts and auto repairs. County Manager Kevin I toward said Chowan would be receiving an ad ditional sales tax allocation of a little less than $20,000 in the current fiscal year. That figure is expected to increase to $193,000 in the fiscal year that begins July 1 of next year, and is pro jected to be $197,000 in the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The state has earmarked the additional sales tax rev enues for the rural counties for use in economic devel opment and education. Howard said the addi tional sales tax revenue projected for the coming budget year more or less offsets the revenue that will be lost as the Edenton Police Department moves out of the county’s Public Safety Center into the new police station the town is building on Albemarle Street. It is not known exactly when the police will be vacating the current loca tion and move into the new building. Although the county is getting additional revenue under the new formula, some rural counties will be getting far more under the formula Howard said one rural county in the Piedmont area would be receiving more than $1 million is ad ditional sales tax revenue under the plan. County officials have not ed that even as the county gains additional revenue under the new sales tax dis tribution formula, it is los ing even more as the state phases out what had been known as the Medicaid hold harmless provision. Nearly a decade ago the state took Over the state share of Medicaid costs jrv return for shifting a specific sales tax stream from court ty to state coffers. As part of that deal, the state instituted a “hold harmless” provision that ensured every county in the state would get at least a $500,(MX) net benefit annu ally under the arrangement. That hold harmless pro vision is being phased out over four years. Edenton Farmers Market nets $95K grant From staff reports The Edenton Farmers Market is receiving more than $95,000 in federal fund ing to support its efforts to grow the market and strengthen its outreach to lower-income customers. MORE INSIDE ■ Edenton Farmers Market is jamming - IB I'.S. Department of Agri cult tin1 Secretary Tom Vil sack announced last week that the Albemarle Com mission, in support of the Edenton Farmers Market, received a Fanners Market ITomotion Program Grant in the amount of $95,480 to promote and increase awareness of the Edenton Fanners Market. The gnuit will also he used to increase the use of Supplemental Nu trition Assistance Program benefits by conducting a promotional campaign that highlights the markets new location, focusing on un derserved and low-income populations and facilitating market events such as cook ing demonstrations ;uul samplings of lo<-ally sourced agricultural products. “We were shocked but STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH The Edenton Farmers Market has received a $95,000 grant through the Albemarle Commission to enhance its two day a week operation. also ecstatic about it at the same time,” Calyb Hare, president of the Edenton Fanners Market Board of Directors, said of learning that the Edenton Farmers Market had been awarded the grant. Hare and Cathy Davison, executive director of the Albemarle Commission, co wrote the grant. “I’m excited for the Albe marle Commission to work with the leadership of the Edenton Fanners Market as they promote a healthy lifestyle for the residents in the Town of Edenton and Chowan County, all while supporting local fanners," Davison said. “The timing of this grant could not be bet ter as the Edenton Fanners Market’s new location is at the Elizabeth Vann Moore Foundation’s property, the former ETNA Station, which is a great location for the Farmers Market.” Hare noted the area was recognized as needing the funds because obesity and access to healthy food are important Issues in Chowan County. He pointed out the grant Ls geared toward un derserved populations. The market’s new loca tion is intended to make it more accessible for lower income people by being located within walking dis tance and in an area with sidewalks. The funds will be used for programming, including education and outreach for youth and older adults, ac cording to Hare. The market also will use the money to continue its effort to attrac t more vendors and to help vendors be successful at the market, he said. Website development also is a part of the market’s promotion effort. Vilsack said USDA was excited about the grants to markets around the coun try. ‘Today, USDA is help ing to create economic op portunities for producers, increase access to fresh, healthy food for consum ers, and connect rural and See MARKET, 3A Moratorium on wind facilities imposed BY PETER WILLIAMS The Perquimans Weekly The Perquimans County Commission voted Monday nitwit to impost* y moratori um on new industrial-sized wind turbine projects until Feb. 2. In a way. the (hi) vote was symbolic since Apex Clean Energy — the only new potential developer — has not submitted a request tor a conditional use |>ermit for its project. Even one Apex spokesman promised com missioners the company would not submit a request for at least (it) days. Don < iiecek said Apex has l>een working on the project based on the 2010 Perqui mans ordinance. He said the company has invested $1.5 million in research and de velopment thus far. He and at least one other speaker Monday Uilked about the “chilling effect" a moratori um would have on any new industry looking to build in Perquimans. But morn than a dozen <02009 The Chowan Herald All Rights Reserved speakers clearly wanted the county to do more to stop construction of wind turbine projects because of their threat to property values, health and natural beauty of the land. The moratorium is de signed to give the Perqui mans County Planning Board a chance to review' the current ordinance and recommend any changes. A three-member subcommit tee of that board has already met once. When the moratorium was first proposed in Sep tember, die county com mission directed County At torney H. Hackney High to look into what’s involved. “What you have to be careful about is you have to follow the statues,” High said Monday. He said the moratorium couldn’t lx* “open ended” and it has to have an expi ration date. He cautioned against making it too long. "The longer the durat ion, the closer scrutiny it will get,” High said. Alan Lennon, one of the speakers against the Apex project, wanted a longer ban, but he took solace in a ban until Feb. 2 See WIND, 4A STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH Rachel's Challenge speaker Nasha Snipes (left) is introduced by Tanya Turner, assistant superintendent of Edenton-Chowan Schools, Thursday during a presentation based on the life of Rachel Scott, the first student to die in the Columbine school shootings. Rachel’s Challenge urges hope, compassion BY REBECCA BUNCH Staff Writer Students at John A. Holmes High School and Chowan Middle School are starting to work together to develop groups at their respective schools to dis courage school violence, bullying and teen suicide. Those groups will work to replace the negative tilings with mutual respect and support among teens in and out of the class room. Facilitators are sched uled to include Jennifer Cobb, Sheron Johnson, Brenda Miller and Tula PolVadore. While details of the ini tiative are still being devel oped, the impetus clearly is the influence of Rachel’s See CHALLENGE, 4A STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER High water fills the parking lot by the Barker House Sunday, forcing town officials to place cones in the street. Chowan ‘dodges a bomb’ with Joaquin BY REGGIE PONDER Editor Chowan County saw liigh water in spots over the weekend but generally missed any major effects from Hurricane Joaquin. Because of residual high water, the Edenton-Chow an County Schools opened on a two-hour delay Mon day morning. Edenton Police Chief Jay Fortenbery said the town fared fairly well considering what could have happened. It would have been devastating for Edenton hail the hurricane come directly in as some early predictions called for, he said. “We got very lucky,” Fortenbery said, noting one town official had re marked to him t hat Eden ton not only dodged a bul let but actually “dodged a bomb.” Fortenbery said the wa ter level at Colonial Park and along Water Street was the highest he had seen since Hurricane Irene in 2011. In his seven years he has only seen water this liigh in town a couple of times, he said. Police closed Pembroke See CHOWAN, 4A SYOUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST JHE FLU D| 0 11 d y°u don ' d0 it tor yourself, do if for those you love. Administered by our certified immunizing Pharmacists, yl N U If I ^ DRUGS A flU ''accme can Protect y°u and y°ur love ones trom the flu. NO appointment necessary- Walk-ins welcome 323 f. Broad St. • PO Box 209 * Edenton, NC 27932-0209 * (252) 482-2127 J.G. (Jim) Blount, Sr., R.PH • Jenny Blount Mams, Pharm.D. • Nelson Spear, Phirm, D.
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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Oct. 7, 2015, edition 1
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