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Wednesday, October 1 7, 2018
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Stanley, Aces too much for Panthers - IB
Company sets up shop
Ross Naddei, founder
and CEO of MegaPulse
Australia joined repre
sentatives of Edenton
and Chowan County,
the NC East Alliance
and Sound Bank to
announce lus decision
to locate the company’s
North American opera
tions in a business incu
bator on the 2nd floor of
the bank in downtown
Edenton. — 7B
Keel known for generosity, turning around Jimbo’s Jumbos
BY NICOLE BOWMAN-
LAYTON
For the Chowan Herald
James Tilmon Keel Jr.,
who turned Jimbo’s Jumbos
into a leading processor of
peanuts, died Saturday, Oct.
13. He was 80.
Keel knew his peanuts,
among other agricultural
staples of eastern North
Carolina. As the son of the
late James Tilmon Keel and
Myrtie Holliday Keel, he
worked in the family busi
ness that included farm
ing, tobacco and peanuts.
He was vice president of
Keel Peanut Company in
Greenville and later moved
to Edenton to lead Jimbo’s
Jumbos. He turned the
struggling peanut business
into a leading processor of
in-shell peanuts and pea
nut ingredients. Hampton
Farms acquired Jimbo’s
Jumbos in 2003.
Roland Vaughan, mayor
of Edenton, said Tilmon had
a sixth sense about peanuts
and people.
“Working in the peanut
industry for over 30 years, I
developed a strong business
and personal relationship
with Tilmon,” Vaughan said.
“Tilmon possessed a sixth
sense on when to buy and
sell peanuts, and coupled
with knowing how to hire
people to meet specific
needs of the company, his
team propelled Jimbo’s to
the top of the peanut indus
try. He was uniquely suited
to run that business and will
be missed by many.”
Charlie Creighton, CEO
of Colony Tire, echoed
Vaughan’s statement—Keel
knew his industry and the
people of Edenton.
“Tilmon was a giant and a
genius in the peanut indus
try. He knew when to buy
and when not to buy. His
wisdom saved Jimbo’s Jum
bos and turned it into an
industry leader,” Creighton
said. “However, his greatest
talent was his compassion
and love for those around
him, including me.”
For his work, Business
Week magazine named Keel
as one of the most success
ful businessmen in North
Carolina. In 1989, First Wa
chovia magazine highlighted
his accomplishments.
“Tilmon had an amazing
realistic business sense,”
See KEEL, 4A
JAMES TILMON KEEL JR.
PHOTOS BY KIP SHAW
Pantry honors volunteers
At their Oct. 8 annual
Volunteer of the Year
luncheon, Edenton-
Chowan Food Pantry
officials announced that
in their eyes, everyone
is an outstanding volun
teer. — 11A
A golf cart of
participants
‘Whole
TOWN
Turned
OUT’
Walk for Hunger a huge success
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Ghost Walk offers thrills
The annual Historic
Edenton Ghost Walk
will be held Friday and
Saturday, Oct. 19-20.
The theme will be “350
Years of Haunts,” in
keeping with this year’s
celebration of Chowan
County’s 350th anniver
sary. — 6A
Phase 1 close to done
The first part of a
three phase plan to
make the Tri-County
Animal Shelter a safer,
more functional facil
ity is near completion.
Funding for the project
is being provided by the
three counties served
by the shelter as well as
donations to the shelter
and AWARE. — 6B
For some, it was a time
to spend with family and
friends — and maybe even
the family dog — support
ing a good cause. For others,
Sunday afternoon’s Walk for
Hunger was a way to give
back to the community
and offer a hand up — not
a handout — to those who
might be going hungry with
out the Pantry’s existence.
By the end of the after
noon in excess of $5,000
had been raised, according
to Pantry Director Roger
Coleman. He said there
were 275 participants, in
cluding dogs.
Two youth groups from
local churches won both
the awards presented once
the Walk was over. Win
ner of the “Most Spirited”
Team Award was the youth
group from the Edenton
United Methodist Church.
Receiving the
Funds
Raised”
Team
Award J
wasthe
youth i
Most
Some participants dressed up in costumes.
group from St. Paul’s Epis
copal Church.
Coleman said that even
those participants who did
not win an award went
away from the fundraiser
with something special.
“Everyone was a winner,”
said Coleman. “The whole
town turned out, especially
our younger families, to
make this a day that will
benefit children through
out our community. We are
grateful for each and
4W
*
every participant.”
Prior to the start of the
Walk, Gary Stanley, youth
minister at St. Paul’s, said
he had brought 20 young
people to participate. They
ranged in age from three to
12 years old. He said then-
decision to form a team to
take part in the fundraiser
had been made about 10
days ago and was a way
to help encourage them to
reach out a helping hand to
others.
“It’s a way for the
kids
to give back to the commu
nity,” he said.
Also walking was Jane
Parr, music teacher at
White Oak Elementary
School. She was accompa
nied by her cinnamon-col
ored poodle, Pippa. Parr
said she was there to show
her support for the Pantry’s
Book Bag Buddies program,
which provides nutritious
foods for students in need
who attend her school and
D.F. Walker Elementary.
“White Oak raised $250
which is the amount it takes
to sponsor one student for
the entire year,” she said.
“This is our way of saying
‘thank you’ to the Pantry
for what they do.”
White Oak has 72 stu
dents that benefit from the
program as do 56 students
from Walker, according to
Coleman.
Erica Ford, who was at
the Walk with her husband
See WALK, 10A
Several residents
participate in the
Walk for Hunger.
Phelps,
Steinburg
to vie in
Senate 1
BY JON HAWLEY
For the Chowan Herald
Does northeastern North
Carolina need to stay the
course or give new leader
ship a chance?
That’s the debate in the
1 l-county
Senate
District 1,
where state
Rep. Bob
Steinburg,
R-Chowan,
is running
against
Washing
ton County
C ommi s-
sioner Cole
Phelps, a
Democrat.
Though
Steinburg
is not the
incumbent
— state Sen.
STEINBURG
PHELPS
Bill Cook, R-Beaufort, is
retiring — he is running to
continue GOP initiatives
he argues are delivering
growth. He brings experi
ence as a salesman and
three terms in the state
House to the table.
Phelps says a different
path and a different leader
are needed. Northeastern
North Carolina has been
under-served and under-
represented, he argues, and
Democratic approaches to
the economy, education and
other issues are needed. As
an attorney, county com
missioner, and lifelong dis
trict resident, he argues he
knows constituents’ needs
and how to meet them.
Both men discussed their
records and priorities in in
terviews this week with The
Daily Advance.
Steinburg argues that his
support of GOP pohcies
See SENATE, 2A
Jones thanks Edenton
Check out the Aces’
Homecoming King and
Queen and their
court. — 4B
Four seek election to
Chowan County Commission
f
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6 ""S 9076 l, 44813 ,ll ‘ 0
©2018 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Four candidates seek two
seats on the Chowan Coun
ty Commission.
Republican Bob Kirby is
running against Commis
sion President Jeff Smith,
a Democrat, for District 1,
Seat 2.
Larry McLaughlin, an un-
affiliated candidate, is run
ning against Commissioner
John Mitchener, a Demo
crat, for District 2, Seat 2.
The Chowan Herald will
be hosting a forum for can
didates seeking a seat on
the county commission.
Though the November
KIRBY SMITH
general election is just a few
weeks away, make time to
attend the forum that starts
at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18
at the 1767 Courthouse.
Topics for the forum include
wind energy, particularly as
it relates to the proposed
Timbermill project, and
whether the county should
invest in a new high school.
MCLAUGHLIN MITCHENER
Mike Ervin, executive direc
tor of the Edenton Histori
cal Commission, will serve
as the moderator. The event
will be broadcast live at the
Chowan Herald’s Facebook
site.
McLaughlin, 66, has
been active in many civic
activities ranging from his
portrayal as James Iredell
EARLY VOTING BEGINS WEDNESDAY
Early voting starts today (Wednesday) for the Nov. 6 election that
will determine a slew of state and local government races as well
as the fate of six proposed amendments to the North Carolina
Constitution.
Chowan County’s Board of Election office will offer early voting
through Nov. 3. The hours for voting at the election office is 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. on weekdays, with weekend voting only offered on one
Saturday: Nov. 3.
Voting hours on Saturday, Nov. 3, will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. State
law made it optional for counties to extend Saturday’s voting beyond
1 p.m:
to organizing folks to pick
up trash along Chowan
County’s many byways and
highways. Other folks may
know McLaughlin for lus
formidable skills as a car-
See FORUM, 12A