SHEPHERD PRUDEN LIBRARY
106 W WATER ST
EDENTON NC 27932-1854
482-4418
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Goodwin, Fortenbery big winners
at annual banquet, 2A
50«
Board
mulls use
of drones
at schools
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
The Edenton-Chowan
school system may soon
have an official policy re
garding the presence of
drones on school property.
Superintendent Rob
Jackson said Monday that
the decision to develop a
policy was prompted by
two separate incidents
where drones were flown
over the football field
at John A. Holmes High
School during football
games.
“It seems that the op
erators were attempting
to video or take photos of
the team and/or game," he
said.
Jackson told school
board members at their
monthly meeting on Oct. 6
that he had reached out to
state officials for guidance
only to learn that there was
no existing policy in place.
“Our Board of Education
is working to develop what
will become the first local
policy on the use of drones
in a school system,” he
said.
“The draft policy has
been reviewed by attor
neys for the North Carolina
School Boards Association
and has been shared with
Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin
.uid Police Chief Forten
bery for their input as
well,” Jackson added.
According to the draft
policy, school district staff
would be responsible for
monitoring for inappropri
ate use. Violators could
be subject to a number of
penalties.
‘Violators may be sub
ject to disciplinary action,
up to and including sus
pension and/or expulsion
for students; disciplinary
action, up to and including
suspension and/or termi
nation for employees; or
revocation of UAV privi
leges over school district
property and/or any legal
recourse available to the
district for community
members or yther non
representatives of Eden
ton-Chowan Schools,” the
proposed policy reads.
Jackson added that the
school district currently
has no drones and no plans
for their use.
McCrory hails boat builder
STAFF PHOTO BY THOMAS J. TURNEY
Gov. Pat McCrory speaks at an event at Albemarle Boats, the Carolina Classic in Edenton, Tuesday, celebrating
the grand opening of the newly merged company.
Gov. touts Albemarle Boats merger
■ He says Albemarle Boats embodies
‘marriage’of tourism, manufacturing
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Gov. Pat McCrory Tuesday
hailed not only the merger of
Albemarle Boats and Caro
lina Classic boats, but also what he
called the “marriage” of the tourism
and manufacturing industries.
The governor was in town for the
grand opening of the newly merged
company, known as “Albemarle
Boats, the Carolina Classic.”
Dell Murphy, the company’s presi
dent, said his family is passionate
about fishing and brings that passion
to the boatbuilding industry, just as
the company’s founders did. He said
that once the company grows its
sales through marketing at upcom
ing boat shows and the addition of
top dealerships on the East Coast, it
will be able to add jobs.
Even now, he said, the company
is expanding its sales force.
McCroiy said the company’s
boats are world-class sportfishing
lioats - and sportfishing is a vital
part of the state’s tourism economy.
But nothing is more vital to the
state’s economic growth than manu
facturing, he said.
“Our state must continue to pro
mote manufacturing,” McCroiy said.
The future of North Carolina is in
those businesses that make things,
build things and grow tilings, he
said.
“Without these industries we don’t
thrive in this country,” IVtcCrory said.
Tuesday’s event shows the perfect
marriage in the state between the
tourism industry and manufacturing,
McCrory said.
The governor celebrated a new
slogan for the state: “North Carolina
- Nothing Compares.”
He said that slogan was embodied
at the event at Albemarle Boats, the
Carolina Classic.
“Nothing compares to the talent
of the men and women in white
shuts, McCrory said, referring to the
company’s workers.
Woman charged with vandalism, threats
From staff reports
A local woman hits been charged
with vandalizing a downtown busi
ness.
Denise Lannette Robinson, 51,
of 122 Colony Drive, Edenton,
was charged with communicating
threats, damage to real properly and
damage to personal property in con
nection with a Friday evening inci
dent in which a mailbox was thrown
through a window at .John Gay Stu
dio on Broad St reet, according to
the Edenton Police Department.
The incident was reported around
7 p.m. Friday.
Robinson was released on $2,500
unsecured bond, police reported.
A sign containing tlireats was
taped to the window, according to
the police.
The sign expressed anger regard
ing the recent death of Robinson’s
son, Jesse Wood, according to po
lice. Wood died at Gay’s home, po
lice said.
Wood’s death is being investigat
ed as an unexplained death, accord
ing to the Chowan County Sheriff’s
Office.
Gay has not been charged with
any crime in connection with Wood’s
death, Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin
said.
Reached Tuesday, Gay declined
comment on Robinson’s arrest.
The cause of Wood’s death is still
undetermined, Goodwin said. Inves
tigators are awaiting a toxicology
report from the Medical Examiner’s
Office, he said.
Police
seek 2 in
weekend
shooting
From staff reports
Edenton Police are seek
ing two men wanted in con
nection with a Saturday eve
ning shooting that seriously
wounded two local men.
Around 6
p.m. Satur- «
day, officers I
responded 1
to a shoot- '
ing that
occurred jl
in the 200 I
block of
East Free
m a s -o n
Street. The
victims |l
were iden- jj
tified as
S h a n d e z
Williams,
18, and -
Christopher
LONG
Cohen, 1 /, ol Edenton.
Both victims were airlift
ed to Vidant Medical Center
in Greenville.
Williams was reported in
critical condition and Co
hen in stable condition.
The shooting does not ap
pear to be random but the
motive is unknown at this
time.
As a result of the inves
tigation, warrants for at
tempted murder have been
obtained on the following
individuals: .Jabazz Long,
20, formerly of 120 Paxton
Lane, Edenton; and Linward
Bailey III, 21, of 2011 Perry
Gordan Lane, Tyner.
The Edenton Police De
partment is asking anyone
with information about this
crime or the location of the
suspects to call. Your infor
mation will be kept confi
dential.
Edenton Police Chief Jay
Fortenbery said Williams
and Cohen were on the
porch when they were shot.
The shots appear to have
been fired from a passing
veliicle, Fortenbery said.
Shell casings from a 9mm
handgun were recovered at
the scene, he said. It appears
that eight or nine shots were
fired, he said.
Anyone with uifonnation
is urged to contact Sgt. Lau
ra Wilkins of the Edenton
Police Department at (252)
482-9884 or (252) 482-5144.
Early voting for town elections gets underway Thursday
Grother: Council erred
in changing course
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
George Grother believes town offi
cials have bungled the proposed sale
of tlie former Northeast Commission
building.
Grother, 72, a retired contractor, is
challenging incumbent Councilman
Sambo Dixon for a 2nd Wai t! seat on
(02009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
GROTHER
the Edenton Town
Council. Early vot
ing in the election
begins Thursday at
the Chowan County
Board of Elections
office.
Election Day is
Nov. 3.
Grother’s take on
the situation surrounding the North
east Commission building, which
also is known as the old ice plant, dif
fers sharply from Dixon’s. Dixon has
cited the decision to consider a lease,
See GROTHER, 4A
Dixon: Council taking care
with decision on building
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Edenton Town Councilman
Sambo Dixon cites the coun
cil’s handling of the former
Northeast Commission build
ing as an example of the care
town officials take with impor
tant decisions.
Dixon noted the council
has had lively discussions and
a great deal of citizens’ input
into the decision regarding the
future use of the former North
east Commission building, also
known as the old ice plant
That point of view
from Dixon, 53, an attor
ney who is an Edenton
native, is veiy different
from c hallenger George
GrotheTs opinion that
the council lias made a
mistake by shifting its
attention toward a pos
sible lease rather than
sticking with its original plan
to sell the building.
Dixon and Grother are vy
ing for a 2nd Ward seat on the
town council. Early voting in
the municipal election begins
Thursday at the Chowan Coun
ty Board of Elections
office.
Election Day is
Nov. 3.
Dixon noted the
town lias received
one proposal for a
restaurant and retail
space, and another
for a brewpub and
restaurant, lhe council is cur
rently evaluating the feasibil
ity of these two proposals, he
said.
“The building needs to be
See DIXON, 4A
DIXON