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larrenton, N.C. 27589
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Volume 89 25c Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, March 5, 1986 Number 10
Sightings Of Bears In Warren Said To Be Increasing
By KAY HORNER
News Editor
Each year about this time,
Warren County Wildlife Officer
Conley Mangum begins to get
calls from county residents who
have sighted bears or bear
tracks.
"The first thing that comes to
people's minds is this 1,600-pound
grizzly bear dragging a camper
from his tent and mauling him to
death," Mangum said.
But there are no grizzly bears
in Warren County, only black
bears, a tamer version of their
grizzly cousins.
Mangum is a firm believer that
the strained relations between
black bear and man could be im
proved considerably if the bear
were better understood.
The black bear reaches a max
imum weight of 400 to 500 pounds
for males (boars) and slightly
less for females (sows).
Black bears make their dens in
the ground at the base of fallen
trees, in caves and sometimes in
hollow trees, and they select from
a menu that includes insects,
grasses, berries, acorns, fruits,
fish and small mammals.
Black bears are very fast for
their size, sometimes reaching
speeds of up to 35 mph, and they
are skilled climbers, but they are
not aggressive and pose no
danger unless threatened,
Mangum explained.
He offered the following tips for
avoiding unpleasant encounters
with members of the black bear
population who sometimes range
through Warren County:
?Don't throw food along the
roadside or in your yard. It can
attract bears.
?Don't, under any cir
cumstances, attempt to feed a
bear.
?Don't throw objects at the
bear in an attempt to scare him
away.
?Don't attempt to drive him
away by shooting to wound him.
This is very dangerous because a
wounded bear will attack.
?Never attempt to capture or
harm a sow's cubs, an action that
will "most definitely" cause an
attack.
?Don't panic if you sight a
bear. He will not attack unless
provoked.
"The reputation black bears
have for being pests is the direct
result of man," Mangurn said.
"With clear-cutting of forests and
building of more cities, the bear
is losing livable habitat. This and
their range of up to 20 miles a day
increases the sightings and
automatically people think we
have more bears than we need
and that they have become a
problem. Along with the growth
comes more garbage and this
gives the bear an easy source for
food."
There is no hunting season for
black bears in Warren County or
neighboring counties. The fines
are severe for taking one and can
include the cost of replacing the
bear at $1,285, $37 in court costs
and such other punishment as the
court may impose, more often
than not including loss of guns,
hunting privileges and vehicle,
Mangum commented.
There are also some organiza
tions which offer rewards of up to
$100 for the arrest and conviction
of any big-game poacher.
Anyone with information on the
illegal hunting or shooting of
black bears or with problems
with bears should call Mangum
at 257-2961 or the toll-free number
of the Wildlife Resources Com
mission in Raleigh at
1-800-662-7137.
Dr. Bodbo Marinl, vice president of the Church of Christ in Zaire
and president of the Evangelic Community of Central Africa was in
Warrenton last Wednesday to tour Warren Health Plan. That facul
ty, an arm of Vance-Warren Comprehensive Health Plan Inc. of Soul
City, was one of only two facilities visited by Dr. Marini in North
Carolina, the other being the School of Public Health in Chapel Hill.
Dr. Marini is in this country on a 30-day visit to study rural health
care as a participant la the International Viaitor Program of the U.
S. Information Agency. Shown above with Dr. Marini (center) are:
(left to right): Gail Kelley with the N.C. Office of Rural Health, War
ren County Commissioner Francis Alston, L. C. Cooper of Warren
ton, and Lewis Townsend, U.S. State Department escort and
interpreter. (Staff Photo by Howard Jones)
Five Are
On Baltimore Road
Three persons required treat
ment and two remained hospi
talized Tuesday following a two
car accident Monday evening on
the Baltimore Road (State Road
1600).
Manson Williams, 48, of Rt. 2,
Warrenton, was reported in
stable condition at Duke Medical
Center in Durham where he was
transferred by Life Flight
Jurors Return
Guilty Verdicts
Guilty verdicts were returned
in two jury trials in this week's
criminal session of Warren Coun
ty Superior Court presided over
by Judge Donald L. Smith of
Raleigh.
Michael Vick of Ridgeway was
found guilty of assault on a
female and sentenced to two
years in jail, suspended for four
years with four years of proba
tion. Vick was also ordered to pay
court costs ar.d cost of his court
appointed attorney and not to
communicate with or go on the
premises of Linda Hargrove, who
brought the charges.
Vick was also sentenced to 30
days in the Warren County Jail
after the jury found him guilty on
a charge of communicating
threats.
In the second jury trial, Robert
Binson Williams of Richmond,
Va. was found guilty of driving
while impaired and ordered to
Warren County Jail for three
days. He was found not guilty on
a charge of failure to reduce
speed to avoid an accident.
Other cases disposed of this
week by Judge Smith will be
published in next week's issue of
The Warren Record.
emergency helicopter from
Maria Parham Hospital in
Henderson Monday night.
Also injured were Rosa
Williams, 38, also of Rt. 2, War
renton, who was treated and
released at Maria Parham, and
her daughter, Rose Williams,
who was admitted to the Hender
son hospital.
Trooper R. T. Futrell in
vestigated the 6:15 p.m. accident
in which he said Manson Wil
liams veered into the left lane
and collided with the Buick
Riviera automobile driven by
Mrs. Williams.
Manson Williams was charged
with driving while impaired and
driving left of center, the officer
said.
On Sunday, a Warren County
man was injured in an accident
involving two pickup trucks on
State Road 1116 approximately
3Vi miles west of Warrenton, ac
cording to another report in the
State Highway Patrol office.
Trooper A. M. Bennett in
vestigated the accident in which
a truck driven by Thomas H.
McCaffity of Rt. 2, Warrenton
was traveling south on State
Road 1116 and approaching a stop
sign when an oncoming truck
driven by Ace E. Silver of Rt. 3,
Warrenton went off the road on
the right, then veered across the
road into the southbound lane and
hit the rear of McCaffitv's truck.
Hie accident occurred about 6:40
p.m., the report said.
McCaffity was treated and
released at Maria Parham
Hospital. There were no other
injuries.
Silver was charged with
careless and reckless driving in
the accident.
In another traffic collision last
week, two Warren County women
(Continued on page 9)
Emergency Numbers Given
Carolina Telephone's 1986 Phone Book includes a new
feature, the listing of emergency numbers for the cities and
municipalities served by the directory, including Warrenton,
Norlina and Macon.
The listing, found on the directory's inside front cover, in
cludes the county's general emergency number, 257-3456,
which can be called to report a fire, summon an ambulance
or contact the Sheriff's Department.
In a related matter, residents of the county living in areas
served by other exchanges will now be able to call the
Sheriff's Department toll-free at 1(800)682-2013.
Residents outside the local exchange having business with
other county offices may leave messages at that number and
their calls will be returned by the appropriate staff member.
Installation of the line was authorized by county commis
sioners last year.
Failure To Show
Tags Could Lead
To Police Action
Norlina commissioners Mon
day night ordered the police
department to issue citations to
residents who fail to display the
town tag on their vehicles, accor
ding to Town Clerk Mae Gums.
The violation carries a $15 fine
and court action, the clerk said.
Tags are available at the town
office for $3. Deadline for display
ing them was Feb. 15.
In other business at the regular
monthly meeting, the commis
sioners took action to repair the
roof on the town office on Hyco
Street.
The commiaaioners passed a
resolution giving notice of intent
to use legislative funds available
for water improvements to
replace 1,206 feet of six-inch
water main and to replace 14 fire
hydrants.
Investigations Closed
Local House Fires
Claim Two Lives
Separate house fires just hours
apart in Warren County last week
claimed the lives of two -nen.
Local law enforcement officers
called in the SBI to assist in the
investigations, which have now
been closed, according to Chief
Deputy Bobby Dean Bolton with
the Warren County Sheriff's
Department.
Hugh Davis Pridgen, 69, of
Norlina, died in the Thursday
night blaze which gutted his two
story home on West Darden
Street, according to Deputy Fire
Chief A1 Bennett of the Norlina
Volunteer Fire Department. In
vestigation indicated the fire may
have been accidentally set,
possibly by a cigarette, Deputy
-Beltoihsaid. ~
In the second fire, reported at
4:51 a.m. Friday, 86-year old
Alfred Jacobus of Ridgeway died
in the home which he rented on
Turnpike Road (State Road 1107)
approximately one-fourth mile
east of U.S. 1, Ridgeway Fire
Chief Reuben Holtzman reported.
Holtzman said the old frame
house, owned by Mattie Rowlette,
was declared a total loss. No fur
nishings were salvaged, he said.
Flames were coming through
the roof when firemen arrived,
Holtzman said. Neighbors had
spotted the blaze and alerted
firefighters.
The fire apparently started in
the kitchen, which also served as
a sleeping area, from a faulty
flue connected to a wood stove,
the investigation showed.
"The man had gotten out of bed
and apparently tried to find the
door to get out," the fire chief
noted. "We found him lying in
front of the refrigerator."
The Norlina Volunteer Fire
Department brought a pumper to
assist Ridgeway firemen in bat
tling the blaze. Holtzman said the
14 firemen brought it under con
trol in about 15 minutes.
Funeral arrangements for Mr.
Jacobus vere not available at
presstime.
In the earlier fire on Thursday
night, reported about 8 p.m., the
left side of Hugh Pridgen's
century-old white shingle
covered wooden house was gut
ted, according to fire reports.
When firemen arrived, flames
were shooting out 25 or 30 feet.
Bennett reported.
When firemen were able to
enter the home, they found
Pridgen's body in the living
room, located in the left front por
tion of the house.
Fireman Thedric Moseley of
the Hawtree Volunteer Fire
Department was overcome by
smoke when he went upstairs to
look for the victim. Among other
firemen who received slight in
juries was 0. L. (Butch) Meek
who pulled a shoulder muscle in
an attempt to help Moseley.
The Norlina department was
assisted by firemen from the
Ridgeway and Hawtree
departments.
Funeral services for Mr.
Pridgen were conducted at 2 p.m.
(Continued on page 9)
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