CHOWA lift
002 A0° 38
482-4418
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
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Teams end
regular
season with
wins - IB
Commissioners approve solar farm permit
Strings attached to board’s
6-1 vote on Monday
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
For more than four hours
Monday, Chowan County
commissioners listened to
presentations and discussed
whether to approve permit
ting for a proposed 5-mega-
watt solar watt farm in the
northern end of the county.
Ryland Road Solar,
permit to develop the solar
farm at 3448 Virginia Road,
north of the Ryland Road in
tersection in Tyner. Ryland
Road Solar is proposing to
build the solar farm on 65
acres of an approximately
106-acre tract.
The Chowan County
Planning Commission rec
ommended approval of Ry
land Road Solar’s request
for the conditional use per
mit in January.
Monday, the county com-
SunEnergyl company, ap
plied for a conditional use
a mission held a public hear
ing topped by a quasi-judi-
cial hearing to determine
how to proceed. Overall,
commissioners voted 6-1 in
favor of the company’s per
mit but with some strings
attached.
For example, the compa
ny will need to look at per
haps increasing the bonding
needed should the project
ever need to be decommis
sioned. The current propos
al has $60K bond whereas
other projects’ bond have
been set much higher.
Bonding amount is deter
mined not by the company,
but by a third party contrac
tor.
Linda Nwadike, a SunEn
ergyl representative, said
the company would look
into potentially increasing
$60K to $100K She said if
the project was ever decom
missioned, commissioners
could recover any salvage
costs by selling the metals
and materials utilized by the
solar farm.
Another condition com
missioners sought was mov
ing the fence line from the
property’s borders closer to
the affected development so
as to provide more of a buf
fer between Virginia Road
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5 MW Mlar farm
on about S9 oertra
GOOGLE MAPS
Ryland Road Solar has applied for a conditional use
permit to develop a solar farm on 65 acres of land on
Virginia Road.
and abutting property own
ers.
Also, commissioners
sought improvements to
any trees and foliage locat
ed within the buffer zones
See SOLAR, 3A
Warrant
issued for
stabbing
Some Enchanted Evening
Dwight Coston’s death
still under investigation
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
Edenton police have re
leased the cause of death
of an Edenton man killed
Thursday afternoon.
Dwight
critically
injured af
ter being
stabbed
in an inci
dent that
took place
around 3
p.m. near
North
Coston was
COOPER
Granville and West Cart
eret streets, Police Chief
Henry King said.
Coston, 36, was taken
to Vidant Chowan Hospi
tal, where he later died.
Coston’s death is being
investigated as a homi
cide, King said.
A warrant has been is
sued for the arrest of An
drew Jerome Cooper.
Police said Cooper is
considered extremely
dangerous and wanted for
a homicide.
Police identified Coo
per, 31, of Brown Sum
mit as a black male, 6 feet
tall, with black hair and
brown eyes. If anyone has
information on the where
abouts of Cooper, they are
requested to call 911 im
mediately. Do not attempt
to detain him. A cash re
ward is being offered for
information leading to
Cooper’s arrest.
King said State Bureau
of Investigation agents are
working with Edenton po
lice on the probe into Cos
ton’s death. He asked that
anyone who may have
witnessed the incident
that led to Coston’s death
to contact Special Agent
See WARRANT, 2A
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Harn) Potter Extravaganza!
Saturday, March 2"-, 2019
^hepard-Lruden Memorial Library
1 1 too AM- i :00 PM
PHOTOS BY MILES LAYTON
Broadway star Randal Keith is belting out either a song from “Phantom of the Opera” or “South Pacific.”
Masquerade Ball highlights historic Wessington
Masked partygoers attend
Commission fundraiser
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
EDENTON — Masquer
ade Ball was an elegant, fan
tastic, magical and masked
affair held Saturday evening
at Wessington House.
The party served as a
fundraiser for the Edenton
Historical Commission, a
group that works to pre
serve Chowan County’s ar
chitectural heritage.
One of the event’s key or
ganizers, Joy Harvill, spoke
of the party and historic
Wessington House, the an
tebellum brick home at the
intersection of West King
Street and South Granville
streets.
“I want people to be
talking about this party for
years to come,” she said.
“Our goal is to preserve his
toric buildings, so having it
at Wessington was really im
portant to me. Getting folks
in there and talking about it
increases their appreciation
for our local architecture
and history. This was more
than a party. It was an invi
tation for people to become
more aware and involved in
what we are doing as an or
ganization.”
The Historical Commis
sion is made up of volun-
See MASQUERADE, 4A
Though
there
were
no kegs
stands or
rounds
of Truth
or Dare
played,
the
party did
feature
exotic
masks,
formal
attire
and good
times.
Hospital
to file for
bankruptcy
Washington County officials
seek possession of facility
From Staff Reports
PLYMOUTH — The Wash
ington County Board of Com
missioners met Monday in an
emergency session to consult
with legal counsel regarding
the county’s limited options
available in the aftermath of
Washington County Hospi
tal’s recent announcement
on Feb. 14 that all hospital
medical services, including
its emergency department,
were suspended that evening
until further notice.
After careful thought and
consideration of the informa
tion available to the county
at this time, the Board voted
unanimously to transmit a let
ter to the hospital ownership
declaring its position that its
See HOSPITAL, 3A
Hardy-Lassiter
to run for mayor
Owner hopes to create
opportunities for residents
BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON
Editor
A newcomer to local poli
tics and native of Edenton is
running for mayor.
Jacqueline Hardy-Lassiter
announced her bid to run for
mayor last week. The owner
of Victorian’s Boutique for
Him and Her on South Broad
See MAYOR, 2A
World of Harry Potter coming to library
Extravaganza celebrating
book series set for March 2
BY GERARD COONEY
For the Chowan Herald
What book series, first
published in 1998, became
one of the most popular fic
tion series of all time? That’s
easy! The Harry Potter Se
ries by J.K. Rowling.
Of course, if you are a fan
of the series, you know that
Muggles are people who
don’t recognize any magi
cal abilities in themselves.
However, that may change
as the Shepard-Pruden
Memorial Library Friends
are hosting a Harry Potter
Extravaganza Party from
11 am. to 1 p.m. Saturday,
March 2. Magic wands will
be waved, and you will re
appear on Platform 9 3/4 in
London’s King’s Cross Train
Station.
To coincide with the
event, the Taylor Theater
will host two free screen
ings of “Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone” at 11 am.
to 2 p.m. Friday, March 1.
The screenings are for chil
dren under 12 years of age
who attend with an adult.
“The whole library will be
an open house of displays,
activities, games, and many
more things that are so
special that we are keeping
them very, very secretive
until the Party,” whispered
Lee Lolkema, president of
the Friends of the Library.
“Hey, the New York Library
and the Chicago Museum
held Harry Potter shows, so
Edenton’s Public Library is
next in line.”
“For a preview of what’s
in store for you on March
2nd, stop by the Library
anytime and see the fabu
lous display on Harry Potter
in the lobby,” Lolkema said.
See POTTER, 3A
PHOTO COURTESY
GERARD COONEY
FOL Board
members (l-r)
Beth Brabble,
Brandy
Goodwin,
Sarah
Mcloughin
and
President
Lee Lolkema
proudly stand
in front of
Harry Potter
preview
display
created
by Vonna
O’Neill.
AND Free Events!
Friday, March 1 st at 11:00 and 2:00... Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Free entry at the Taylor Twin (Children under 12 with an Adult)
Fun on Teachers' Workday!