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Volume 91 25c Per Copy Warrenton, County Of Warren, North Carolina Wednesday, September 21, 1988 Number 38
Warren County Sheriff Theodore Williams (left)
and County Manager Charles Worth (right) look in
amazement at the height and girth of the marijuana
plant* confiscated In last Friday's bust that took
place about 500 feet off SR 1001 in Warren County.
The estimated "street value" of the weed is in ex
cess of $1,000,000, Chief Deputy Bobby D. Bolton
said. Some of the stalks were 20 feet in height and
had stems that approached four Inches.
(Photo by Brenda Clarke)
More Plonts Seized Yesterday
Warren, Vance Lawmen Harvest
Marijuana Valued At $1 Million
By THURLETTA M. BROWN
News Editor
Phase II of Warren County's
Marijuana Eradication Program
has netted a haul of the weed with
an estimated street value that ex
ceeds $1 million, Chief Deputy
Bobby D. Bolton said Tuesday.
Phase I of the program began
in July, when airborne surveil
lance was conducted here by the
State Bureau of Investigation.
Hie Phase n operation netted
fruit about 9:30 a.m. last Satur
day, when the SBI pilot, C. D.
Holbrook, spotted a stand of
plants off SR 1001.
Before surveillance by both
land and air had been completed,
350 plants? some as tall as 20
feet, with stem diameters ap
proaching four inches? had been
found.
"What made the plants so val
uable was their size," Chief
Deputy Bolton said. "An SBI
agent said he had never seen
plants so tall," Bolton added,
noting that the plants were ex
pecially "well cultivated and
cared for."
Another factor contributing to
the value of the haul was the in
clusion of the sensemillia varie
ty of the cannabis or marijuana
Warren Is Found
On Front Page
Warren County has received
prominent "front page coverage"
in the August/September issue of
.._ ? m i 1 1
"Kurai routes, a newsieucr
published by the N.C. Rural
Economic Development Center,
Inc. in Raleigh.
The cover story explains War
ren County's strategic planning
effort that has been funded by the
center. According to the article,
the project will include an
analysis of economic and social
data, the development of a mis
lion statement, an examination
ift social and economic influ
ences; and the implementation of
an action plan.
Two photographs also appear
in "Rural Routes": a scene along
Main Street and the site of Peck
Manufacturing.
Seven Are Injured
shortly after t a.m.
May la a wreck m the Warren
Read a short distance
i of the U. S. 151 Bypass, a
? for Ike Wa
ty ShertfTi
Details of tl
i at the accident were art
available I
plant. "That's the 'preferred
brand'," Chief Deputy Bolton
said.
According to Bolton, sense
millia is a more expensive
type of "grass" because of its in
creased THC content. THC, or
tetrahydro cannabinol, is the
active intoxicant in the weed that
produces the "high" that is so
valued by its users.
According to SBI Agent Bruce
Black, the typical marijuana
plant will yield "grass" valued at
$ 1,600, but the sensemillia varie
ty will net $2,400 per each
average-sized plant.
"By the end of the confiscation
operation, one flat-bed trailer and
three pick-up truckloads had
been removed from the sites,"
Bolton said.
Although 35-40 of the plants
were found on the Warren/V ance
county line near SR 1503, the bulk
were found growing in Warren
County in fields about 500 yards
from SR 1001. Some of the plants
were found about one-tenth mile
west of Brown's Baptist Church.
At 7:30 p.m. Friday, the haul
was burned at the Warren Coun
ty landfill and, by 9 p.m., the re
maining dregs had been buried.
Present for the "bonfire" were
Sheriff Theodore Williams, Chief
Deputy Bolton, Sgt. Lawrence
Harrison, Deputy Johnny Wil
liams, SBI Agent Bruce Black
and Ms. Phyllis Tolluck, a
criminal justice student from
East Carolina University, who
had accompanied the SBI. Also
assisting in the day's Phase II
operation, in addition to SBI Pilot
Holbrook, were Vance County
Sheriff Tommy McGhee, Vance
ABC Officer Bill Aiken and others
on his staff, and SBI Agent Rick
Sims.
On Tuesday afternoon, Deputy
Harold Seaman and Deputy R. A.
Coleman of the Warren County
Sheriff's Department seized
another 10 plants that were ap
proximately 10-12 feet in height
on a private lot in the Macon
area.
The plants were discovered
after sheriff's department of
ficials received a tip on their loca
tion. The State Bureau of In
vestigation estimated the street
value of the marijuana at $16,000.
Democrats Plan Gathering
The Democratic Party will gather in the Warren County
Courthouse on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. for a short, but
important, meeting, Chairman T. T. Clayton announced Tues
day. All registered Democrats are urged to attend.
Proceedings Televised
Speakers Want Fire Unit
To Remain In Operation
By THURLETTA M. BROWN
News Editor
From a throng that might have
burst the seams of the Warren
County Courthouse, only 13
voices? four from speakers hail
ing from outside the county's
environs? were heard in the pub
lic hearing held Monday night to
receive citizens' comments on
the issue of fire protection.
"The primary purpose for be
ing here tonight is to get some
understanding of what was real
ly intended in the Churchill-Five
Forks referendum," David Proc
tor, Warren County Fire Com
mission spokesperson, said,
noting that the issues addressed
would be county-wide as well.
The night's events were con
ducted under the watchful eye of
the WRAL-TV camera and the
account was seen by area resi
dents who watched the Monday
night and Tuesday morning
news.
Bill Terry? a Virginia Beach,
Va. resident who owns retire
ment property in Six Pound, but
was unable to vote in the recent
referendum? expressed disbelief
at the lack of understanding of
fire department support through
taxation. "I'm overwhelmed that
a misinformed community could
possibly vote "nay" against a
simple requirement: the protec
tion of lives and property," he
began. "You're sending a sig
nal," Terry warned. "You want
increased development in War
ren County, but you're not going
to get it by knowingly denying
simple protection to the cit
izenry." Terry asked that the
county budget additional funds to
its fire departments or call for
another referendum.
The second speaker, Randy
Wall? a Wake County resident
with property in the Six Pound
area? said he paid the same tax
rate as permanent residents
without receiving the benefits.
Wall said that most other "free
holders" in his predicament also
supported the concept of a taxed
fire district.
Only 10 percent of the proper
ty owners in the Churchill-Five
Forks district were eligible to
vote in the referendum and those
who were on the voting rolls
soundly defeated the taxed dis
trict with a 90-to-58 vote. "Had
the referendum occurred here (in
my district), I would have been
unable to vote as well," Walter
Gardner, Fire Association presi
dent, said. Gardner resides in
Warrenton, but is a member of
the Warrenton Rural Fire De
partment.
1Mb W\ Mercury evertmed m NC M Mrtv
mantaf after the driver, Verm Alatoa, teat ca?
trol of the vehicle when a deer era? d the read
wiy. Alston ind Ui pttm|tr rccdvcd tnjnrtes
8m ftory m Page It. (Pim by Brenda Clarke)
Wall said many of the large
property owners in the Churchill
Five Forks community did not
support its fire department.
"We're small and we need it."
Charles F. Blackburn, a Hen
derson attorney present at the re
quest of "some members" of the
Churchill fire district, said, "It's
not that they don't appreciate the
department, because they do."
Blackburn explained that the
charter of the Churchill depart
ment made all residents there
members. "Nobody can close the
department," he said, adding
that only by a vote of the mem
( Continued on page 2)
Norlina Youth Facing
Many Break-In Charges
If the "legwork" and "paper
trail" required for processing are
completed in time, a Norlina man
will appear today (Wednesday)
in Warren County District Court
for a 96-hour hearing that local
law officers hope will bring to an
end a string of crimes that have
plagued area residents, Sheriff
Theodore Williams said Tuesday.
Shawn Bullock, 19, of Rt. 1,
Norlina had been housed in the
Vance County Jail to await trial
in Henderson, after being picked
up in Virginia with a stolen vehi
cle in his possession. On Monday,
he was brought into Warren
County, where he was inter
viewed by Chief Deputy Bobby D.
Bolton and Norlina Police Chief
Charles Galantis as a suspect in
a rash of break-ins here.
At press time, 10 warrants,
most for felony crimes, had been
drawn on the Norlina youth.
Bullock is a suspect in the
following crimes for which war
rants have been drawn by Chief
Deputy Bobby D. Bolton:
?a July 11 break-in at North
Warren Elementary School:
Deputy W. S. Bissette responded
to the initial report that entry had
been gained by breaking a win
dow on the back side of the
building. Reported missing were
a five-inch color television and a
money box valued at $300. Dam
age was also reported to a drink
machine there. A warrant has
been drawn for breaking and
entering and larceny;
?a July 12 break-in at W. F.
Rooker & Sons Store in Norlina:
Chief Deputy Bobby D. Bolton
responded to a report that a win
dow in the front door had been
smashed, the store ransacked,
and a ,22-calibre pistol valued at
$130 and $55 in cash had been
stolen. A warrant has been drawn
for breaking and entering and
larceny;
?a July 17 break-in at Warren
County High School : Responding
Deputy Harold Seaman found
that entry had been gained
through a window at the back of
the building. Although nothing
was reported missing, the prin
cipal's office and cabinet-making
shop had been ransacked. A war
rant has been drawn for breaking
and entering;
?a July 18 break-in at North
side Elementary School: Re
sponding Deputy W. S. Bissette
found that entry had been gained
by breaking a classroom window
at the back of the building. Holes
had been punched in doors and $5
had been removed from a drink
machine. A warrant has been
drawn for breaking and entering
and larceny;
? a July 22 break-in at Camp
bell's Store in Wise: Responding
Deputy W. S. Winston found that
entry had been gained by sever
ing a lock with a bolt-cutter and
that $80 in silver had been taken.
A warrant has been drawn for
breaking and entering and lar
ceny;
?a July 2S break-in at the
Vaughan Elementary School:
Responding Deputy W. S. Bis
sette found that the school had
cMne had been entered and |M in
currency had been removed. A
warrant has been drawn for
breaking and entering and lar
ceny; and
?an Aug. 12 alleged theft of a
purse, while her vehicle was
parked at Tucker's Grocery in
Ridgeway, reported by Ms.
Linda H. Medlin of Warrenton. A
warrant has been drawn for mis
demeanor larceny of the purse.
Because one of the checks taken
in the incident was presented at
Byrd's Food Center in Warren
ton, a warrant for forging and
uttering has also been drawn.
Investigations by Norlina Po
lice Chief Charles Galantis have
resulted in two additional war
rants for breaking and entering
and larceny:
?a July 21 break-in at Norlina
Middle Shcool in which entry was
gained by breaking a window at
the back of the building. Re
ported missing were a $200
AM/FM radio/cassette player, a
pair of bolt-cutters and $5 in
cash; and
?a July 23 break-in at Tillie's
Beauty Salon in Norlina, in which
entry was gained through a win
dow in the back of the building
and $101 in currency was
removed.
Bullock has confessed to all
Warren County crimes, both of
ficers said Tuesday.
Investigations into other un
solved crimes are continuing,
Chief Deputy Bolton said, and a
second suspect is believed to
have been involved in six of the
incidents.
Five Are Hurt
In 1-85 Crash
A two-car mishap on 1-85 Sun
day morning has resulted in
minor injuries for the five per
sons involved.
According to the report filed by
N.C. Highway Trooper R. A.
Ennis, Hieu Van Le, 18, of Biloxi,
Miss., and Ms. Jacqueline Teresa
Alston, 27, of Rt. 3, Pittsboro, had
both been traveling north on 1-85
in their vehicles.
Le attempted to pass Ms. Als
ton in the 1988 Toyota he was
driving and struck the left rear
side of the her 1980 Mazda, caus
ing both cars to skid into the
median. After skidding into the
southbound lane, the Le vehicle
struck Ms. Alston's Mazda in the
left front, before hitting a ditch
bank and skidding off the right
shoulder. Le's Toyota came to
rest facing east.
Ms. Alston, Le, along with his
three passengers? Ho P. Huynh,
22, of Boston, Mass., Thuy
Nguyn, 18, of Bikxl, Miss, and
Thanh Le, II, of Jamaican
Plains, Miss? were transported
to Maria Parham were they were
treated and released.
Damage to the Le vehicle has
ben estimates at <4,000. Dam
age to the Ataton vehicle has been
Hieu Van Le has been charged