larrentonMen.Library X
'117 S.Niln St. . • •
»»rr«nton, N.C. 27589
Stye Harren iRecarii
Volume 86 25* Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, March 9, 1983 * Number 10
This Is An Architect's Rendering Of The New Warren County Nursing Home
Nursing Home Groundbreaking Set
By KAY HORNER
Staff Writer
Groundbreaking for
construction of the 100bed
Warren Nursing
Center will be held Sunday
afternoon at 3
o'clock at the 10.5 acre
site on U. S. 401-158 between
Norlina and
Warrenton.
Plans for the 30,000
square foot facility have
been completed by C.
Robert Shields of Rocky
Mount, and construction
will be done by Commercial
Builders of
Rocky Mount, according
to Nathaniel L.
Williams, Warren County
sanitarian and one of
the four partners backing
the project.
Other partners are
Joseph S. Lennon, county
health director;
Michael V. Barnhill,
president of Commercial
Builders; and H.
William Hull, Jr., of
Rocky Mount. Barnhill
and Hull are also partners
in Westridge
Homes, Inc., developers
and builders in Rocky
Mount.
Williams said he
hopes the $1,500,000
facility will be completed
about six months
after construction officially
begins.
The center will be
equipped to handle 25
patients requiring
skilled nursing care and
75 patients requiring intermediate
nursing
care.
Lennon said that
patients requiring skilled
nursing care, for a
condition such as a
broken hip, could
receive that care at the
nursing home for about
one-half the cost of care
in a general hospital.
Williams stressed that
the facility will be a nursing
center, not a rest
home, and that all
patients will be there
because they require
nursing care. However,
intermediate nursing
care can often be administered
by a licensed
practical nurse rather
than a registered nurse,
he said.
The facility will have
eight private rooms with
baths. The remainder of
the rooms will be semiprivate.
Each room will
Dave a lavatory, and
toilet facilities adjoining
each room are dared
with another semiprivate
room.
According to plans,
the facility will have
four patient wings converging
oki a central
nurses station. There
will also be a service
wing housing the kitchen,
laundry and main
tenance operations and
an entrance wing with
administrative offices.
The home will be all
on one level, and will
also include physical
therapy rooms, library,
chapel, recreation
areas, beauty shop and
barbershop.
Lennon said each
room will be individually
heated and cooled and
will have two-way
communication with the
nursing station. A
sprinkler system with
an alarm connected
directly to the local fire
department will provide
fire protection.
The home will be
managed by the Autumn
Corporation out of
Rocky Mount. The corporation
manages five
nursing facilities with a
total of 600 beds.
Lennon and Williams
have been working
closely with Gerald P.
Cox, president of
Autumn. According to
Lennon, Cox estimates
that the facility will employ
about 100 full-time
and part-time employees
with a yearly
payroll of $750,000 and
an operating budget of
$1,250,000.
Lennon indicated that
local people will be employed
in almost all
positions. Vance-Granville
Community
College has already
committed, Lennon
said, to • help with
training of the dietary
staff.
The keynote speaker
at the groundbreaking
ceremony Sunday will
be Carl J. Stewart, Jr. of
Gastonia, legal counsel
for the nursing center.
Stewart is a former
representative to the N.
C. House and has served
as speaker.
Thirty-six citizens of
Warren County are
listed on the program
for Sunday's ceremony
as members of the nursing
home's Community
Support Committee.
Lennon said he and
Williams had "profound
gratitude" for the support
of the committee in
making the nursing
home a reality.
The groundbreaking
ceremony will be open
to the public.
Anti-PCB Leader
Continues Fast
Km Ferniccio, who
was arrested Friday afternoon
and charged
with trespassing and
felonious larceny in
connection with the
removal of a pipe in a
leachate collection
system at the Warren
County landfill, is
fasting in the county jail
to protest "inadequate
safety measures in the
pumping procedures" at
the landfill.
Ferniccio, leader of
Warren County Citizens
Concerned About PCB,
and two others are
charged with removing
the pipe and carrying it
outside the landfill entrance
site.
Ruff in Harris of The
Plains, Va. and Patricia
Hubbard of Silver
Spring, Md. along with
Ferniccio were arrested
and placed under $1,000
bonds on charges of
trespassing and under
|3,000 bonds on charges
of felonious larceny.
Harris and Hubbard
had been released from
Jail on bond.
A Warren County
jailer has said that
people have offered to
put up bond for Ferniccio,
but that he has
refused to accept it
Ferniccio has said he
does not intend to starve
himself, but to "make a
statement" Ferruccio
was
scheduled to appear at a
court hearing Monday
morning, but he sent
word that he would not
came voluntarily. According
to Annette
Burrows with the (Stork
of Court's office,
someone was sent tithe
jail to hold a heating
and Ferruccio's ciurt
date was set for wdnesday.
Ferruccio has said he
would stop his protest
when "proper safety
measures" are taken at
the landfill site.
The PCB-contaminated
soil in the landfill has
collected moisture and
state engineers are
pumping water from the
landfill through filters
into a holding lagoon
lined with two feet of
clay.
Ferruccio has said he
doesn't believe state officials
who claim that no
dangerous levels of PCB
will get into the lagoon,
and has asked that the
water be filtered into a
metal tank instead.
Charges Out the Warren County Sheriffs Department
used more force than necessary when
arresting PCB protesters at the Afton Landfill last
week have been met with a gesture of friendship
from the arrested demonstrators. Sheriff Theo
Williams is shown with a large red rose which those
arrested sent him in appreciation of his treatment
during their arrest (Staff Photo)
Building Is Eyed
For Possible Use
Py County Board
The Board of Warren
County Commissioners
at its regular meeting on
Monday night agreed to
consider possible purchase
of the old BoydBoyce
Motor Company
building in Warrenton.
When Chairman Eva
Clayton brought up the
matter of obtaining
space for either the
county manager or the
Industrial Commission,
Commissioner Jack
Harris said that the
Boyd-Boyce building
was for sale, and could
be purchased for $30,000
in cash, or for $37,000
over five years with no
interest added. Harris
pointed out that the
location is ideal due to
its proximity to the
Court House and that its
space is badly needed.
He said an architect had
informed him that the
interior of the building
would have to be rebuilt
at a considerable figure.
The commissioners took
no action, but agreed
that it would be well to
consider possibility of
purchase.
Allen Hawks, local
director of the Council of
Senior Citizens, appeared
before the commissioners
to explain that
the Warren County
Board of Education had
agreed to leasing him a
building on the campus
of Hawkins School, and
to request that the commissioners
donate a
matching fund of $3440
for renovation of the
building, and further to
agree to support the
center so far as the
payment of its utilities
are concerned.
The commissioners
agreed to donate the
(3440 for renovation, but
said before pledging
funds for its utilities, it
must first obtain a
financial budget
from Hawks with a
breakdown of costs.
Tom McBride, area
mental health director,
and Jean Toney, local
director, made their
semi-annual report to
the board.
The board, upon
recommendation of the
County Manager,
agreed to buy eight ad
ditional large trash
recepticles at a total
cost of $4400, including
cost of delivery.
Consideration of
"Hazardous and LowLevel
and Radioactive
Waste" was tabled.
The commissioners
passed a resolution on
behalf of R. B. Nelson
(Continued on page 13)
$2 Million Project
Interstate Work
Is Being Planned
The North Carolina
Department of Transportation
is expected
Friday to approve a contract
calling for immediate
construction of
safety improvements
and sign erection along
a 10.5-mile section of Interstate
85 stretching
across northern Warren
County. The project is
expected to cost
$2,154,770.50.
Jean Dodd, spokeswoman
for the DOT,
said the Warren County
project is one of 31
highway improvement
contracts which the
department will consider
for approval at its
10 a. m. Friday meeting.
The session will be held
in the board room of the
Highway Building in
downtown Raleigh, and
the public is invited to
attend.
In all, the 31 contracts
total $18.4 million.
State Secretary of
Transportation W. R.
Roberson, Jr. said "our
main emphasis continues
to be on maintenance
of existing
highways. North
Carolinians have over
$25 billion invested in
the state's highway
system and it is our
responsibility to protect
that investment."
The apparent low bidder
for the Warren
County project was S. T.
Wooten Construction
Company of Wilson.
Ms. Dodd said construction
should he?>in In
Aoril with a June 1964
completion date.
She said safety improvements
will include
guard rail installation;
extending acceleration
lanes, replacing defective
concrete sections of
the highway and adding
fencing along the rightof-way.
Drainage improvements
will consist
of taking out concrete
median drains and
replacing them with
safer catch basins.
Signs will be replaced
and new break-away
sign posts will be installed.
Ms. Dodd said the
DOT has scheduled
another similar project
on 1-85 just south of
Henderson and tying on
to the Warren project.
This is set for bid letting
in January 1984.
New Court Report Indicates
Warren County Ranks Fifth In Disposal Of Felony Cases
By KAY HORNER
Staff Writer
Warren County Superior Court outstripped 95
counties in North Carolina to rank fifth in disposal
of felony cases for the period of July 1,1961 to June
30,1982, according to the 1981-82 Annual Report of
the Administrative Office of the Courts.
This was in significant contrast to the 1980-81
report in which Warren County Superior Court
ranked 95th in disposal of felony cases.
The county did equally well in its rate of disposal
of civil cases in District Court, rising from 99th of
the 100 counties in the state for 1980-81 to 11th for
1981-82.
Ranking for disposal of misdemeanor criminal
cases in Superior Court rose from 34th to 10th.
The report also showed that total caseloads in
both Superior and District courts decreased.
The criminal felony caseload in Superior Court
decreased from 206 in 1980-81te 136 in 1981-81 The
percent of cases disposed of was 10.4 for 1981-82 as
compared with 50.2 percent for 19KK61.
The statewide disposal rate was 74.9 percent
The number of cases carried on the misdemeanor
criminal docket for Superior Court decreased from
153 in 1980-81 to 138 for 1981-82. This represented an
87.6 percent disposal rate for 1981-82 as compared
with CM for the previous period.
Statewide, the disposal rate was 71.4 percent.
The caseload of civil cases in Superior Court
decreased from 99 to 61 for the 1981-82 period, with
59 percent disposed of, as compared with 54.5 percent
of the caseload was disposed of in 1981-82.
The decrease in the caseload in general civil and
domestic relations cases in District Court was from
732 to 515, with a disposal rate of 77 percent for 198182,
as compared with 42.6 percent for 1900-81.
The statewide disposal rate was 66.6 percent
The 1980-81 reporting period had a total caseload
of 1,033 for criminal non-motor vehicle cases in
District Court During 1981-82, there was a decrease
to 835 cases with a rate of 90.1 percent as
compared to 73.1 percent for 1980-81.
Of the 123 felony criminal cases disposed of in
Superior Court, 79 ended with ideas of guilty, seven
were decided in jury trials, and 35 were dismissed
by the district attorney. Two were disposed of by
other means.
Of the 111 misdemeanor criminal cases heard in
Superior Court 88 ended with guilty pleas, one was
decided by • Jury trial, 17 were dismissed by the
district attorney, and 15 wen disposed of by other
means.
Thirty-six dvil cases ware disposed of in Superior
Court. Seventeen were settled by judge, two by
cleric of court, and 15 fay voluntary dismissal. Two
were disposed of fay other means.
In District Court, 3*7 civil and domestic relations
caaes were disposed of. Of the gensraldvilcaaaa, 58
were disposed of by judge, two by jury, 20 by clerk
of court, and 31 by voluntary dismissal. Four were
disposed of by other means.
In domestic relations cases, 249 were settled by
judge, one by jury, four by clerk of court and 17 by
voluntary dismissal. Eleven were disposed of by
other means.
The number of motor vehicle criminal case filings
in District Court decreased from 3,159 in 1900411 to
2,473 in 1961-tt. A total of 2,700 cases were disposed
of, and 1,961 were disposed of with waiver. The
remainder were disposed of by other means.
Of the 7753 cases disposed of in criminal nonmotor
vehicle cases in District Court, 111 were settled
by waivers before the magistrate, and 26 by
waivers before the clerk of court. One hundred and
eighty-five were settled by guilty pleas before a
judge, and 16 by guilty ptoas before a magistrate.
Another 111 were settled by not guilty pleas before a
judge. Thirty-five cases involved preliminary
hearings and 109 were dismissed by the district attorney.
Twenty-one were disposed of by other means.
The lltl-tS report alio showed that in juvenile
petitions before the District Court, 14
Gwntj as opposed to 12 for the 19«M1
Statewide, 8,910 children appeared before the court