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lume 86 25* Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, February 9, 1983 Number 6
ater Cost
>mpromise
Reached
i a compromise set
jiient here Monday
rning, Warren Coun
l commissioners
•eed to reduce the
ter and sewer rate
m a beginning rate of
to $14, and adopted
nplete tables for Soul
ty users based on
lount of water con
med.
Charles Worth, HUD
presentative at Soul
ty, headed a large
legation from Soul
ty several months ago
protest against the
tmmissioners setting
>ul City water rates at
le out-of-town rates
larged by Warrenton.
e and other members
. I the delegation said
mt they felt that Soul
ity should only be
harged Warrenton in
Dwn rates. The county
> lanager was instructed
o meet with Worth and
vork out a compromise.
When only a few
lollars separated Coun
y Manager Newsome
ind Worth, Chair
nan Eva Clayton or
iered that the differ
ence be split, over New
some's objection. Her
demand was adopted
{along strictly racial
lines, with Chairman
Clayton and Com
missioners George
Shearin and Francis
Alston voting for and
Commissioners Jack
Harris and Bill Skinner
voting against.
When Mrs. Clayton
suggested that a staff
with secretary be em
ployed to handle the
recent block grant
programs, Commission
er Jack Harris objected
saying that the added
staff was not needed as
the programs were
being handled success
fully by the county
manager. Com
missioner Bill Skinner
(Continued on page 13)
Pedestrian
Is Injured
A Warren County
pedestrian was injured
early Saturday morning
when he stepped from in
front of a parked vehicle
into the path of an on
coming car one-tenth of
a mile west of Warren
ton on Highway 1001.
Trooper B. R. Pope of
the N. C. Highway
Patrol said the
pedestrian, Robert Lee
Alston, 56, was struck by
a car driven by Shirley
Miller Person, 28, of
Ridgeway, in what Pope
described as a freak ac
cident.
He said Ms. Person
was travelling east on
the highway at 3:10 a.
"m. Saturday when she
came up behind a
vehicle parked in the
highway. As she at
tempted to pass the
stopped vehicle, Alston
walked into her nth.
Alston was uken to
Warren General
Hospital where he was
admitted for treatment.
Ma. Person and two
passengers — Melinda
Miller, 19, of Ridgeway
and Alfreda Williams,
20, of NorUna — escaped
injury. There were no
cbarges filed, Pope
said.
RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIP — Warren farmer
Henry Wilson, seated at right, is representing
Warren County at the annual Bankers Short Course
in Modern Farming now being held at N. C. State
University in Raleigh. Seated at left is Russell C.
King, Warren County Extension Chairman. The
scholarship to the short course was provided by
three local banks. Representing the banks when the
scholarship was awarded were, standing from left
to right, Brad Carroll of First-Citizens Bank, Roy
Pat Robertson of Peoples Bank, and Steve Medlin of
Branch Banking and Trust Company.
(Staff Photo)
Additional Jurors Found
Pool Of Jurors Depleted
As Limer Trial Proceeds
By KAY HORNER
Staff Writer
The Warren County
Superior Court which
opened here Monday
depleted its roster of
prospective jurors Tues
day morning and
sheriff's deputies took to
the streets of Warrenton
in search of citizens to
provide the needed 11
jurors and two alter
nates for the trial of
Earl Limer of Afton.
It took almost all of
Tuesday morning to
seat a full complement
of jurors satisfactory to
both the prosecution and
the defense.
Limer is charged with
assault with a deadly
weapon with intent to
kill inflicting serious in
jury in the September
30,1982 shooting of E. N.
Brantley, a neighbor,
also of Afton.
He is also charged
with two counts of
assault by pointing a
gun, at Brantley's
daughter, Linda B.
Kimball, and her
husband, Alvin H. Kim
ball.
Lamer is married to
Brantley's daughter,
Alice.
The shooting occurred
after a dispute between
Limer and Brantley
over horses owned by
Mrs. Kimball and kept
on Brantley's property.
In his testimony on
Tuesday, Brantley said
he was told by his
daughter that her horses
had been found on the
limer property.
Previous testimony by
a neighbor established
that Limer had sent a
message to the Kimballs
and Brantley that they
were to pick up the
horses.
According to Brant
ley's testimony, he and
the Kimballs went to
Limer's home around
5:40 p. m. and found the
gate closed. They found
Limer on U. S. 401 near
property he farms.
Limer said they couldn't
get the horses until 6 p.
m., but Brantley and the
Kimballs wanted to
retrieve the horses then.
They followed Limer
to the gate of his home.
Brantley testified that
Limer was "in one of his
moods" and pulled a
gun, threatening to kill
Brantley. Limer fired a
gun at the ground, ac
cording to Brantley,
between his (Brant
ley's) feet, then shot
him in the ankle.
He also testified that
Limer pointed the gun at
the Kimballs. Mrs.
Kimball was seven
months pregnant at the
time.
On cross-examina
tion, Brantley testified
that he knew no reason
for the shooting and he
and the Kimballs testi
fied that they had no
weapons in their
possession at the time.
Five witnesses ap
peared for the state, in
cluding Brantley and
the Kimballs, before the
state rested.
A motion was made by
the defense attorney
Charles T. Johnson, Jr.
for dismissal of the
charge of assault with a
deadly weapon with in
tent to kill inflicting
serious injury.
This motion was
denied.
Limer testified that
Brantley had threatened
him on previous oc
casions, and that he
feared for his life at the
time of the shooting
because he knew Brant
ley often carried a knife.
According to
testimony, at the time of
the first meeting, Limer
told Brantley not to
come back for the
horses until 6:30 p. m.
when his wife would be
at home. This was more
convenient since his
wife was away and he
was tied up with com
pany. Brantley became
angry, Limer said, and
followed him to the gate
of his home and later
advanced on him
making tnreats. Limer
said he warned Brantley
not to advance further
and that he took a gun
out of his back pants
pocket when he saw a
gun in Alvin Kimball's
hand, and that he shot
twice at a nearby fence.
Limer testified that he
did not realize Brantley
had been wounded until
minutes later when
Brantley sat down and
took off his boot.
Testimony for the
defense was also heard
Tuesday by Dr. Francis
W. Green of Albemarle,
who was with Limer at
the time of the shooting.
Limer farms land
owned by Green's wife,
and Green testified that
Limer warned Brantley
not to "come up on me"
before firing two shots.
Green was sitting in
Limer's truck at the
time of the shooting.
The defense was ex
pected to call several
more witnesses when
court reconvened this
morning (Wednesday).
Several other cases
were disposed of in the
Superior Court session
presided over by Judge
(Continued on page 13)
Commissioners
Give Hospital
Operating Funds
Heeding a warning
from Roy Pat Robert
son, chairman of the
Warren General
Hospital Board of
Trustees, and Frank
Hinson, hospital admin
istrator, that time is
needed to work out plans
to keep the emergency
room at the hospital
open, the board of coun
ty commissioners Mon
day unanimously voted
to appropriate $12,000 to
keep the hospital open
for 90 days.
The donation was
based on Hinson's
estimate that it would
require $4,000 a month
for doctors from Duke
Medical Center to keep
the emergency room
open on weekends and
holidays. However, both
Hinson and Robertson
pointed out that no
definite agreement has
yet been made with
Duke Medical Center or
with N. C.' Memorial
Hospital in Chapel Hill,
which Mrs. Clayton said
had also promised to
help.
The hospital represen
tatives also pointed out
that there is some hope
of obtaining other doc
tors here, which would
relieve the main
problem. Hinson pointed
out as a last resort that
if the hospital had to be
kept open with ad
ditional part-time help
that it would cost at
least $4,000 a month, or
$48,000 a year (approxi
mately a 2* increase in
the tax rate) to keep the
hospital open. This
would be in addition to
the $92,000 yearly ap
propriation from the
county which the
hospital now receives.
In addition, hospital
representatives are
working to establish
closer relations with
other health facilities.
Also appearing briefly
before the board was
Nathaniel Davis, Jr.,
vice chairman, who said
that he endorsed Chair
man Robertson's and
Mr. Hinson's remarks,
and Joe Lennon, Warren
County health director,
who spoke of efforts to
bring all health facilities
into closer cooperation.
Mrs. Clayton said that
she had spoken to Dr.
Sarah Morrow and
General Wilkerson
during the week and
both had assured her
that there were a num
ber of other options that
the hospital has in ad
ditional options, whole
and full time, not of
fered by the hospital
representatives. These,
she said, with those of
fered by the hospital will
be carried through.
Locating At Soul City
Financing Approved For New Firm
The Warren County
Board of Commission
ers in regular session
here Monday with all
members present unani
mously approved the
issuance of $1,150,000 in
revenue bonds to Inter
co for the acquisition
and renovation and
acquisition of machin
ery at its new cutting
plant at Soul City.
Prior to the regular
meeting of the board, a
public hearing was held
at 9 a. m. in the commis
sioners room attended
by Jim Whitley, indua
trial director, who made
the request for endorse
ment of the revenue
bond request, and Jerry
Costa, vice president of
Interco, who briefly
spoke of plans for the
new facility where he
said the work of moving
was to be started this
Friday.
The commissioners
approved a resolution
supporting the re-enact
ment of General
Revenue Sharing with
the request that a ^7V
of which be sent to '^au
gressman Tim Valen
tine.
An ad hoc committee
for the school budget,
wh'fh Mrs. Clayton said
she understood perform
ed very well last year,
was adopted for this
year by the com
missioners. Members of
this new committee are
Commissioners Jack
Harris, George Shearin,
Mrs. Clayton, and Coun
ty Manager Glenn
Newsome.
The commissioners
agreed to continue its
participation in efforts
to prevent water being
drawn from Gaston
Lake to supply Virginia
Beach, Va. While the
concerned counties had
been assessed 10 cents
per capita, which would
have been $1600 for
Warren County, it had
been noticed that a
previous donation of
|S00 from Warren Coun
ty had been among the
largest of any concerned
counties. Under the cir
cumstance, commis
sioners agreed to defer
other payments.
The commissioners,
(Continued on page 13) ~
By Norlina Board
Groundwork Laid
For Block Grant
Norlina commission
ers Monday night for
mally began laying the
groundwork for seeking
a Community Block
Grant which would help
upgrade areas in town
along Darden Street and
in the eastern section of
town.
The prospects of
receiving a 100 percent
grant which would in
volve no local funding
appealed to commis
sioners. who earlier in
the meeting had heard
residents call for in
creased street lighting
in the eastern section of
town.
Councilman Ben
Lloyd made the motion,
seconded by John Dore,
that the town should
reapply for a block
grant which the munici
pality narrowly missed
receiving in 1977. That
grant application was
for $269,000, and Norlina
failed to receive it by a
single point.
Mrs. Mae Gums, town
clerk, said she would
like to talk with Bill
Barlow of the town's en
gineering firm of L. E.
Wooten and Company,
and with Benny Finch of
the regional Council of
Governments to make
sure there \50tHd be no
expense to the town
before proceeding fur
ther with the grant ap
plication.
The financial con
dition of the town was
discussed at several
points during Monday
night's meeting, with
commissioners agree
ing there are no funds
available for making
town improvements in
this year's budget.
In other action during
their hour-long session
Monday night, the town
board agreed to help op
ponents of a southside
Virginia proposal to tap
Lake Gakon for drink
ing water, but tabled the
form of their opposition
until their next meeting.
The delay came after
commissioners were
told that the amount of
assessment to com
munities participating
in the opposition had not
been firmly determined.
The board did go on
record in support of con
tinued federal revenue
sharing, a stance com
missioners ware told is
being taken by virtually
all communities.
The board accepted a
bid of $355.99 for a sur
plus dump truck from
Fred Mulchi, one of six
bidders for the vehicle,
but rejected all bids for
a surplus garbage truck,
saying the bids were too
low and indicating that a
buyer might be found
through negotiation.
The board was told
that there were no new
developments in the
status of the Seaboard
Depot, which the town is
anxious to have
removed.
Commissioner James
Vaughan reported that
the town fins company
had answered five fire
calls in January. Com
missioner William
Leonard reported that
the police department
had answered 90 rail*
and made 19 arrests
during the previous
month.
Civil Suit Asks
For Recovery Of
Damages From 4
Three Warren County
employees and a former
sheriff have been named
in a lawsuit filed in con
nection with the mass
arrest of PCB protesters
seekinc tn Work com
pletion of the PCB Land
fill at Atton last Oc
tober.
The suit was brought
by Betty G. Perry and
names former sheriff
Clarence Davis, Deputy
Bobby Dean Bolton,.
County Manager Glen
wood Newsome and
Mary Sommerville, Jail
superintendent, aa
defendants in the civil
action.
The plaintiff ia
seeking 4400,000 in ac
tual and punitive
»nri aiks an
additional $10,000 In
damages for her
husband, Jewel M.
Perry, for the Iocs of Ma
wife's companionship
and consortium as a
marital partner.
The plaintiff alleges
she suffered Injury
while being placed hatha
Warren County Jail by
Deputy Bolton, and
that the Warren officials
were las in providing
proper operation of the
jail and protection of Ha
remaie inmate*.