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The Chronicle
Volume43,Number 18 WlNSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, January 7, 2016
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Legal issues remain after ruling
"It is therefore ordered,
adjudged, and decreed that
the Motion to Remove
Guardian of the Estate is
moot and the same is
therefore denied."
-Mark Pegram, Clerk of Superior Court for
Rockingham County
BY CASH MICHAELS
FOR THE CHRONICLE
A motion to have a
prominent Winston-Salem
attorney "immediately"
removed as Forsyth County
estate guardian because he
had allegedly committed
"... felony theft by fraud
..." for taking over
$44,000 he had reportedly
no legal authority over, has
been denied on a technical
ity.
But the legal issues sur
rounding the serious alle
gation remain.
In a court order dated
Dec. 21, 2015, J. Mark
Pegram, Cleric of Superior
Court for Rockingham
County, denied the motion
on behalf of siblings of
ward Steven W. Epperson
to have estate guardian
attorney. Bryan C.
Thompson removed and
replaced because
Thompson had already
been discharged from
Epperson's case in 2011.
"Having reviewed the
file and having heard argu
ments of counsel, it appears
to the Court that Bryan
Thompson was discharged
as Guardian of the Estate in
2011 after filing a final
account which was audited
and approved, that Bryan
Thompson is not currently
the Guardian of the Estate,
and that the relief sought in
the Motion is moot,'' ruled
Clerk Pegram, who served
as presiding judge during
the Dec. 16 hearing on the
matter in Forsyth County
Superior Court.
Because there were
allegations involving the
Forsyth County Clerk of
Court's Office, Pegram was
brought in from the neigh
boring county to hear and
decide the case.
"It is therefore ordered,
adjudged, and decreed that
the Motion to Remove
Guardian of the Estate is
moot and the same is there
fore denied," Pegram's
order continued.
As The Chronicle first
and exclusively reported in
our Dec. 10, 2015 edition,
the original motion, filed
by Winston-Salem attorney
Reginald D. Alston on
behalf of Steven
Epperson's siblings, Susan
and Kelvin Epperson,
sought a court order to
"immediately" remove
See Remove on A9
Questions
about ECSU
chancellor's
resignation
BY CASH MICHAELS
^ chronicle , _
As of Dec. 31, Dr. Stacey Franklin Jones was no
longer the chancellor of Elizabeth City State University.
It was the position the mathematician and systems
engineer proudly held at the 125-year-old HBCU in north
eastern North Carolina for just 14 months, when she made
history becoming the institution's first female leader.
'Together we are embarking on something just shy of
t_ _ ... ??? t\_ r _ _; j _/v__
pnenomenai. ur. Jones saiu aner
taking over.
But then suddenly, and inexpli
cably, on Dec. 21 it was reported
that Jones had "informed" UNC
System President Tom Ross of her
decision to step down.
"It was a stunning announce
ment, and still is," opined the Dec.
27 editorial of The Daily Advance
in Elizabeth City. "Jones, who
began work at ECSU in October
2014 and was just inaugurated as
the campus's 10th chief executive in September, was to all
public appearances doing a good job of helping the uni
versity recover after years of poor management that had
led to financial and enrollment struggles."
HBCU Digest, an online publication covering histori
cally black colleges and universities, in a Dec. 23 article
titled, "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year to Destroy
Elizabeth City State," stated bluntly, "Make no mistake -
the resignation of Chancellor Stacey Franklin Jones was a
forced dismissal."
It added that Dr. Jones "... was forced to resign due to
issues with falling enrollment and its financial aid divi
sion," but a recent state audit would contradict some of
that speculation.
Indeed, when she was first appointed, UNC System
President Ross, who also stepped down from his post at ,
the end of 2015, first said of Jones, "Over a career that
spans three decades, she has proven herself to be a strate
gic thinker who is engaged, resourceful, innovative and
accessible. At this pivotal point in its history, I believe she
has the right mix of skills, expertise and passion needed to
guide Elizabeth City State University toward future suc
cess."
Apparently something occurred that either convinced
See ECSU on A2
Photo By Tcvin Sanson
Mikalah Muhammad, Treyandrea Farid and Tyler Davis following the commemoration ceremony dedicated
to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The high school seniors will each receive $1,000 scholar
ships from the Emancipation Association later this year.
Students receive scholarships
as historic event remembered
Local group commemorates
Emancipation Proclamation
BY TEVIN STINSON - .
THE CHRONICLE
The Emancipation Association kicked off the new year
by providing $lj000 scholarships to three local high
school seniors.
Each year on Jan. 1 the committee made up of commu
nity activists and retired and current educators holds a cer
emony to recognize the signing of the Emancipation
Proclamation and celebrate local youth for their hard work
in the classroom by awarding scholarship, funds to deserv
ing students in the area.
This year's recipients, Mikalah Muhammad, Tyler
Davis, and Treyandrea Farid, were selected from a field of
42 applicants from various high school guidance coun
selors in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County;
According to committee representative Dr.
Manderline Scales, students had to submit an application,
a number of essays, and a letter of recommendation to be
in the running for the scholarship. Scales mentioned it was
a hard decision to make but in the end, the dedication to
community outreach and volunteer work is what made the
winners stand out.
"Not only are they outstanding students, all three of
our scholarship recipients understand the importance of
See Students on A5
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SPRING EDITION