Newspapers / The Warren Record (Warrenton, … / Sept. 18, 1985, edition 1 / Page 1
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iarren ton?9:n . Library X 117 S . Ma In St. larrenton, N.C. 27589 $tje barren teorfc Volume 88 25c Per Copy Wafrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, September 18, 1985 ? Number 39 The light* of the midway at the Warren County Fairground* ac cent the night sky and signal to fairgoera the arrival of the annual event. Inners Amusement Company is providing rides and enter tainment for the local gala, sponsored by the Warrenton Lions Club. The fair began on Monday and will continue through Satur day. (Staff Photo by Howard Jones) During Hearing On WGH Future Hospital Doubts Are Expressed By KAY HORNER News Editor The last of three public hearings necessary before Warren County commissioners can act on a proposal for the con tinued operation of War ren General Hospital took an unexpected turn Wednesday night. The tone of what began as a routine hearing changed dramatically when a Henderson physi cian warned that reopen ing of the hospital could lead to a "financial bath" for its backers and three local doctors voiced doubts about the feasibility of continued hospital operations. The proposal, by the local Bute Development Corporation chaired by Warrenton businessman Eddie Q. Clayton, was the only one received by commissioners last April for operation of the 37-bed hospital as an acute care facility. It calls for the corpora tion to assume liability for the hospital opera tion, with management and physician consulta tion services from Com munity Memorial Hospital in South Hill, Va. Concerned citizens fill ed the Warren County courtroom for previous hearings, but only about 50 were on hand last week when area physi cians for the first time publicly expressed their reservations. Their comments were sparked when Mike Jones, a pathologist at Maria Parham Hospital in Henderson, told the board that he would "hate to see someone take a financial bath of such great magnitude as is possible here." He indicated that he had spoken with six War ren County physicians who said they "would not be comfortable" admit ting acute care patients to Warren General. "Someone has forgot ten to ask a very impor tant group of people how they feel about all this, and that is the physi cians," Jones said. "The doctors I have spoken with say they won't feel comfortable taking care of anything but the most minor operations there." Dr. James Holt, a general practitioner who came to Warren County in August, concurred, ad ding that there were "real problems" with ad mitting patients there. "It's not that we're un willing; it's just that times have changed, technology has changed. There will be problems I wouldn't be comfortable sending to Warren General." Dr. Thomas Keyserl ing, also a newcomer, evoked applause from the audience when he stated that it was "our (the doctors') intention to hospitalize patients at the appropriate level of care for their problems and we will use the hospital here for patients who can be appropriate ly hospitalized here." However, Keyserling added that 75 to 80 per cent of the cases he had seen in the past month needed diagnosis or con sultation services not available locally. "There are a limited number we feel it ap propriate to hospitalize here." he said. Dr. Cosmos George, who specializes in obstetrics and gyne cology in Warrenton, said he felt it "some what strange" that local physicians had not been consulted about the future of the hospital. "I keep reading that physicians from the community and Health Co (of Soul City) would be responsible for pro viding and supporting what's in effect (at the hospital). But I have never been contacted," he commented. He added that longtime Warrenton physician Kirit Trivedi had only recently been contacted. "If we are included in the proposal, we should have Input," he said. Jones was accom panied by Sam Waddell, administrator, and C. Swanson Dodd, assistant administrator, of Maria Parham, which was ap proached by county com missioners last February about op erating an acute care satellite in Warrenton. The delegation was on hand last week, Waddell said, to correct the im pression that Maria Parham officials had "turned their backs on Warren Countyfe prob lem." * "We do not believe the hospital can be run as an acute care hospital,' Waddell said. "That is why we did not propose one." . However, Maria Parham representatives voiced continued interest in operating an out patient clinic and emergency room at the hospital facility. Before Maria Parham officials spoke, John An drews, a former trustee with the now-defunct Warren General Hospital Board, and Clayton ques tioned the appro priateness of comments on Maria Parham at a hearing called specifical ly for comments on the Bute Development Cor poration proposal. "I don't see the pur pose served now by their (Maria Parham of ficials') comments," An drews said. "I was there when we asked for help and they were not there. It seems a little late now " Clayton questioned the legality of allowing com ments on other pro posals, which brought rebuff by Commission Chairperson Eva M. Clayton. "They have come simply to explain what their proposal was, not to be in conflict with other proposals," she said. "We owe them that courtesy. As long as I am the chair, they have that courtesy." Bute Chairman Clayton told the board that he wanted to see a hospital in Warrenton "however we can get it." "Jones emphasized the problems ahead of us," Clayton said. "We have put our faith in Tom Leggett (retired ad ministrator of Communi ty Memorial). Anyone who has doubts can check his hospital. He's now overseeing a $6 million improvement and expansion program there. He has the track record." Phil Williams, ex ecutive director of the Vance-Warren Com prehensive Health Plan, which has operated a clinic at Warren General since it ceased out patient services last February, questioned whether the cost of in digent care had been considered. Fifty-two percent of the patients seen at the plan's site in Soul City are at the zero-income level and pay the minimum indigent-care rate, Williams said. Clayton countered, "Fortunately, there are still people in Warren County able to pay their bills, but we're not tak ing that into con sideration." Mrs. Clayton told the group that her board had to make a decision not only on who offered the best management pro posal, but who "is to be financially responsible for Warren General Hospital now and in the future." "Although we want a hospital, it will be ex tremely difficult. If it was nearly impossible for the county to run it, you c&n expect that it will be nearly as difficult for a private corporation to do so," she said. Both Clayton and An drews had high praise for the commissioners. "We (the hospital board) have been asking for help for three years. The previous board of commissioners did not cooperate. These are the first people who have listened to us about what (Continued on page 8) Freedom Bid Is Brief For Escapee Here An inmate who escaped from a work detail of the N.C. Depart ment of Correction's Warren County Prison Unit early Saturday was back in custody late that afternoon, according to prison Superintendent H. J. Carter. Bobby Barnes, 35, escaped about 1:05 p.m. while he was working on a detail just outside the prison facility. Prison guards and the Warren County Sheriff's Department recaptured Barnes, who is serving a four-year term for damage to property, about 5:20 p.m. in the Perrytown Community. He surrendered, Carter said, without inci dent and was charged with escape. Chili StaDtags, center, was aamed winner of the Award Sunday night duriag the nasal awards night Warreatoa Country Gob. With Stallings are Golf Chairman George (Pepi) PerUnsou, left, aad Jim Marshall, Warreatoa Country Club. See Page 8 for pictures of golf (! Deputy Recovering From Gunshot Wound Deputy Harold Sea man with the Warren County Sheriff's Depart ment is recuperating at his home this week from leg injuries sustained in a shooting incident during an eight-hour stand-off Friday be tween law enforce ment officers and an armed man in Vaughan. Seaman was shot as he and fellow officers at tempted to serve the man with involuntary commitment papers to John B. Umstead Hospi tal in Butner. Three deputies from the Warren County Sheriff's Department went to serve the papers on James Sutton, 41, of the Vaughan commun ity, about 10 a. m., ac cording to Warren Coun ty Sheriff Theodore Wil liams. Sutton had apparent ly been asleep in the van, but was standing outside when the of ficers arrived, the sheriff stated. After the officers' arrival he returned to the van. The officers radioed for help and were assisted by the sheriff and three other deputies from Warren County, four deputies from the Halifax County Sheriff's Department and several troopers with the State Highway Patrol. Deputies attempted to flush the man from the van with canisters of tear gas, but the suspect ran to his mother's house nearby. The officers surround ed the house and were attempting to enter when the shooting oc curred, Sheriff Williams stated. Sutton was ar med with a 22-rifle, a hatchet, a long knife and ammunition for ap proximately 400 firings, the sheriff stated. He had fired five shots. The encounter ended after 6 p. m. when Sut ton was taken to Um stead Hospital. Charges are pending, the sheriff said. Deputy Seaman was treated and released at Maria Parham Hospital in Henderson. The bullet lodged in his thigh, but did not injure bones or major blood vessels, ac cording to reports. He was expected to return to his doctor on Thurs day. He is able to get around at home but it has not been determined when he will return to his duties at the sheriffs department. Prevention Funds Given A total of $3,817 has been allocated to Warren County for delinquency prevention programming, accord ing to Roosevelt Alston, chairman of Warren County's Task Force on Delinquency Preven tion. Local agencies and non-profit groups may apply for the funds, which must be spent before June 30,1MB. The (Continued on page 8) In addition to Seaman and Sheriff Williams, five other Warren Coun ty deputies answered the call: Chief Deputy Bobby Dean Bolton and Deputies Thomas Mc Caffity, J. A. McCowan, L. E. Harrison and J. M. Alston. Shock Expressed Warren County officials were shocked last week to learn that $400,000 allocated by the 1985 General Assembly for construction of a local satellite campus of Vance-Granville Communi ty College will have to be matched by the county. According to County Manager Charles J. Worth, an interpretation of the bill's provisions was requested of the N.C. Attorney General's office by Vance-Granville officials. Worth was informed of the ruling last week in a meeting with Robert W. Scott, president of the N.C. Department of Community Colleges. Worth said the requirement of matching funds, with other than state money or with an in-kind contribution, such as a site, posed "serious problems" for Warren County. County commissoners have yet to meet on the matter, but Worth said the board could seek a bill in the June 1986 short session that would abolish the requirement for Warren County. Funds are not available until July 1,1986 and are disbursed only after the county has entered into a contract for construction of a building on the satellite campus, Worth said. Food Distribution Set At Armory On Sept. 25 The National Guard Armory will be the distribution point Sept. 25 for the fall quarterly distribution of USDA surplus foods, Julian Farrar, Social Services director, stated this week. This distribution will include six food items: rice, flour, cheese, milk, corn meal and honey. All active food stamp households have received a computer printed authorization card that will serve as application and cer tification. This card must be presented at the Armory by food stamp households who plan to participate in the com modity program, Farrar said. Low-income families who wish to participate in the distribution with income at or below the following gross income levels will qualify: family of one, $569; family of two, $764 family of three, $959 family of four, $1,154 and family of five, $1,349. Distribution is expect ed to begin about 7:30 a. m. and end around 4 p. m. Anyone picking up for an invalid or housebound individual must bring a signed statement from the in dividual showing in come and their approval of the food to be received by the representative, Farrar reported. Food stamp holders needing someone to pick up food for them will need to write the name of the person to pick up the food on the back of the card and sign their own name on the right hand side of the card before giving the card to the person who is to receive the food, he added. Tuesday's Average Sets New High For Warrenton Tuesday's average on the Warrenton Tobacco Market topped the pre vious 1965 season-high average by close to $3 per hundred pounds, ac cording to Mrs. Alice R. Robertson, sales super visor for the local market. Tobacco sold on Tuesday averaged 6179.20 per hundred pounds, she said. A second encouraging factor in Tuesday's sales was a drop in the amount of the day's of ferings taken by Stabilization. Sixteen percent went into the Stabilization stocks, a sharp decline from the previous sale day's 31 percent claimed on Sept 11. Tobacco growers sold 296,761 pounds Tuesday for a total of $631,816*. \ \ On the second sale day of last week, Wednes day, Sept. 11, the average remained in the $1.70 per hundred range, ending at $174.92, Mrs. Robertson reported. Thirty-one percent was taken by Stabilization on that sale day. Tuesday was the fourth con secutive sale day to average in the 70's. The recent figures have upped the season average to $161.10 and leveled Stabilization's claim at 24 percent for the season. After 11 days of selling, local growers have sold a total of 2,661,911 pounds of tobacco for $4^41,720.93, The market will operate on Monday and
The Warren Record (Warrenton, N.C.)
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