BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE
JANUARY 3,20181 3
The fabric of Bertie County since 1832
Continued
Steinburg
From 1
violent attack on pris
on staff by inmates
attempting to escape
from Pasquotank Cor
rectional Institution
in October. The attack
resulted in the deaths
of two correctional of
ficers, a prison sewing
plant manager and a
maintenance worker.
Four inmates were
subsequently indicted
on first-degree murder
charges in the prison
employees’ deaths,
and District Attorney
Andrew Womble has
announced he’ll seek
the death penalty if the
inmates are convict
ed of capital murder
charges.
According to Stein
burg, correctional
officers have made
detailed allegations
during his conversa
tions with them. One
is that prison admin
istrators have allowed
inmates to use sheets
to cover up security
cameras, creating “tent
cities” where they can
assault weaker inmates
with impunity.
The correctional of
ficers’ other allegations
include;
* That prison employ
ees caught a female as
sistant supervisor hav
ing sex with an inmate,
and nothing happened
when they reported the
incident.
* That administrators
dress down correc
tional officers in front
of inmates, undermin
ing their authority and
inmates’ respect for
them.
* That correctional
officers lack ways to
discipline inmates, in
cluding restricted use
of solitary confine
ment.
* That correctional
officers are often told
not to write up inci
dents; officers allege
that reducing costs
seems to take priority
over discipline.
* That administrators
side with inmates over
officers; Steinburg said
one officer told him an
inmate claimed to have
the personal cellphone
number for N.C. Direc
tor of Prisons Kenneth
Lassiter and would re
port the officer to Las
siter.
* That prison offi
cials knew there were
inmates with violent
records working in fa
cilities operated by
N.C. Correction En
terprises, the prison-
run entity that manu
factures safety vests,
metal signs, furniture
and other products.
Steinburg said prison
■ officials allow question
able inmates to work at
Correction Enterprises
to maintain production
and profits.
Commenting on the
latter charge, Steinburg
also claims Pasquotank
Correctional Institution
Administrator Felix
Taylor knew inmates
convicted of violent
crimes were working
at PCI’s sewing plant.
The plant’s supervisor,
Veronica Darden, and
the correctional officer
assigned to provide se
curity at the plant, Jus
tin Smith, were two of
the four prison staffers
killed during the failed
inmate escape.
Steinburg also
claimed that some
30 prisons, including
Hyde Correctional In
stitution, failed to file
mandatory “Daily In
stitutional Reports” in
early November. Those
reports keep system
officials up to date on
prison occupancy and
other vital statistics.
“If they’re lax on this,
you can imagine what
other protocols they’re
lax on,” Steinburg said.
Steinburg said the
officers he’s spoken to
have not made “venge
ful” comments or de
manded certain pris
on officials be fired.
They’re also not seeking
raises, he said. They’re
more concerned about
a lack of staffing and
safety conditions in the
prisons, he said.
“So many would get
out tomorrow if they
could,” Steinburg said,
noting prisons used to
be considered a great
source of employment
in northeastern North
Carolina’s poor, rural
counties.
Asked about Stein-
burg’s allegations.
Department of Public
Safety spokeswoman
Pamela Walker referred
to a Dec. 7 press release
from the N.C. Division
of Corrections detailing
the steps the division
has already taken to
improve prison safety
and oversight.
In the release. Depart
ment of Public Safety
Secretary Erik Hooks
noted DPS has taken
the following actions:
* Permanently shut
down the sewing plant
at Pasquotank Correc
tional Institution, and
suspended the opera
tions at the Lanesboro
Correctional Institution
metal plant and the
Caledonia Institution
cannery, pending safety
and security reviews.
* Removed more than
250 inmates with “vio
lent offender profiles”
from work assignments
under Correction En
terprises;
* Made inmates con
victed of violent crimes
against law enforce
ment or other govern
ment officials perma
nently ineligible for
work assignments that
give them, access to
“cutting and/or impact
tools;:
* Asked the National
Institute of Correc
tions, which is based
in Washington, D.C.,
to independently re
view operations at Pas
quotank Correctional
Institution. The NIC
visited PCI in Novem
ber and is expected to
provide a report with
its recommendations
this month.
Asked about Stein-
burg’s allegations,
other area lawmakers
expressed some skep
ticism about them, but
shared the goal of pris
on reform.
“From the informa-,
tion 1 have, that’s not
correct,” Sen. Erica
Smith, D-Northampton,
said of claims about a
“secret society” of man
agement and problems
with prison oversight.
She noted that Hooks
is working on an inter
nal audit of prisons and
their programs and se
curity levels, and she
awaits those findings.
Asked how confident
she was in prison ad
ministrators, Smith
said she wasn’t familiar
with Pasquotank Cor
rectional Institution.
Nor did she express
concerns with the man
agement of Bertie Cor
rectional, which is in
her district.
Instead, she de
scribed her concern
with Bertie as one of
under-staffing, which
is believed to be a fac
tor in the murder of
Sgt. Meggan Callahan
earlier this year. An in
mate beat Callahan, an
Edenton resident, to
death with a fire extin
guisher. Smith also said
she believes Hooks and
Lassiter have shown
strong management so
far in initiating prison
reforms.
State Rep. Howard
Hunter 111, D-Hertford,
wrote in an email he
had read Steinburg’s
column. He said he
couldn’t confirm its
claims, but agreed with
investigating the prison
system.
“I’ve heard some of
these horror stories
he’s speaking of, but
you have not heard
them directly from em
ployees of the prison
system,” Hunter said.
However, he contin
ued, “1 agree with Rep.
Steinburg that we need
a system-wide investi
gation and 1 believe it
should start with up
per management and
work its way down.”
Administrators
should be held ac
countable if they’re
not protecting employ
ees or have committed
crimes, he said. Hunter
also said he’s con
cerned that prisons are
not only understaffed
arid officers under
paid, but also there’s
“inadequate training
for guards” and a “lack
of security if riots and
attempted (prison)
breaks occur.”
Steinburg has already
announced that he
doesn’t plan to seek re-
election to his seat in
the 1st House District
next year. He instead
plans to run in the
newly drawn 1st Senate
District.
Snow
From 1
pared by the National
Weather Service:
* Flashlight and extra
batteries;
* Extra food and wa
ter such as dried fruit,
nuts, granola bars and
other food requiring no
cooking or refrigera
tion;
* Extra prescription
■medications;
* Baby items;
* First-aid supplies;
* Heating fuel;
* Emergency heat
source;
* Fire extinguisher;
and
* Extra pet food.
Make sure a carbon
dioxide detector is
working and the out
side vent is clear of
leaves and debris.
“Driving is not recom
mended during winter
storms unless neces
sary. Even if the roads
look clear, black ice
could be a threat,” said
Bertie County Sheriff
John Holley.
If driving is neces
sary, make sure all ve
hicle fluid levels are
full and make sure the
lights, heater and wind
shield wipers work.
Persons who venture
out should carry a win
ter storm survival kit
with the following sup
plies:
* Mobile phone and
charger;
* Blankets;
* Flashlight with ex
tra batteries;
* First-aid kit;
* Knife;
*. .Non-perishable
food;
* Extra clothing;
* Tow rope;
* Tool kit; and
Pets should be
brought indoors, and
any outdoor animals
should be given extra
blankets and straw for
warmth.
After the snow stops
dangers can still be
present. Tempera
tures during the day
on Thursday are only
expected to reach 34
degrees and will dip
to around 12 degrees
Thursday night.
Year
From 1
even higher.
“Brick and mortar
openings include con
venience stores, hair
salons, restaurants, a
hunting supply store
and more,” he said.
And there’s more to
come.
“We are still patiently
waiting on Abrams to
open beside the ABC
Store in Windsor,” Hog-
gard said.
In addition to the ex
pansion in local busi
ness, ther.e has been the
ever-growing tourism
industry in the county.
That industry suffered
a mild setback in 2016
because of flooding,
but is expected to have
rebounded fully by the
end of 2017.
“One of the .areas in
which the county can
really expect growth
in the next few years
is in tourism,” Hoggard
stressed. “We have al
ways gotten a lot of
visitors for hunting and
fishing, and they spend
money in our stores
and restaurants.
“We expect those
numbers to continue to
Contraband
From 1
phones to inmates.
The two were placed
in the Bertie-Martin Re
gional Jail, each under a
$35,000 secured bond.
They made their first
appearance in Bertie
County District Court
today (Wednesday).
Chief Lane said his
department is doing the
best it can to stop the
distribution of contra
band into the prison.
“This is a reoccur
ring problem at Bertie
Correctional Institute,”
Assault
From 1
Street in Windsor, was
charged with assault
inflicting serious bodily
he said. “This officers
of the Windsor Police
Department are doing
an outstanding job of
preventing contraband
from entering the pris
on with what can only
be described as little or
no help from the N.C.
Department of Public
Safety (NCDPS).
“Just small changed
could make a huge
difference,” he add
ed. “Cutting back the
woods line would pro
duce a better sight
line for correctional
officers. Motion detect-
go up,” he continued.
“This year we started
getting visitors to our
tree houses in Windsor.
In fact, it is hard to find
an open weekend to
rent the tree houses.”
There are plans to
build more tree houses,
as well as the addition
of a state park in the
Bal Gra area, which will
lead to more tourism.
“We also already have
great tourist attractions
including the Historic
Hope Plantation and
Scotch Hall Preserve,”
he added.
Hoggard said the
Windsor/Bertie Cham
ber will continue to
work with others to
grow the county’s tour
ism.
“The Chamber works
hand-in-hand with town
and county officials to
promote our area to
prospective business
es,” he said. “We are
here to provide infor
mation, and to answer
any questions about
our community.
“We love to show oth
ers why this county is a
great place to live, work
and play,” he closed.
ing cameras and an
outer fence would also
provide an extra, and
much-needed, buffer.”
Despite those con
cerns, the chief reaf
firmed his commitment
to providing safety at
BCl.
“The Windsor Police
Department will con
tinue to work tirelessly
to stop the influx of
contraband in hopes of
providing a safe envi
ronment for the correc
tional officers working
at Bertie Correctional
Institute,” Lane closed.
injury for his role in
the attack of the vic
tim. He was placed in
Bertie-Martin Regional
Jail under a $25,000 se
cured bond, and made
his first appearance in
court Wednesday.
BERTIE COUNTY TAX OFFICE 2018
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON TAX LISTING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN
ALL PERSONS WHO, ON THE DATE AS OF WHICH PROPERTY IS TO BE LISTED, OWN
PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION MUST LIST SUCH PROPERTY WITHIN THE PERIOD SET
FORTH IN THIS NOTICE AND ANY PERSON WHO FAILS TO DO SO WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE
PENALTIES PRESCRIBED BY LAW.
Bertie County has a permanent, real estate listing system. The Tax Office will automatically list real estate for
the owner. - .
(Important note: taxpayers are required to list buildings and other improvements to real property having
a value in excess of one hundred dollars that have been acquired, begun, erected, damaged, or destroyed
since the time of the last listing on January 1,2017. If a building permit was obtained for new construc
tion please verify with the tax office that the record has been updated to reflect the addition.)
The tax office no longer mails individual abstracts, (listing forms); for real property. For 2018, you will receive
a listing form only if you listed personal property in 2017, or if it is a new account for real property.
Taxpayers are required by law to annually list all taxable personal property including hut not limited to mobile
homes, boats, motors, unlicensed vehicles, motorcycles, 4 wheelers, golf carts, airplanes, business equip
ment, business furniture and fixtures, tools, farm equipment and multi-year permanent tagged trailers.
This does not include registered motor vehicles that have a current license tag.
NOTE: IF YOU HAVE MADE NO CHANGES TO YOUR REAL PROPERTY SINCE
JANUARY 1, 2017 YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO FILE A LISTING FORM.
The only location to list taxes in Bertie County for 2018 will be in the County Commissioners Room of the
County Office Building at 106 Dundee Street, Windsor, NC. NOTE: IF YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE
WITH LISTING TAXES PLEASE VISIT THIS LOCATION.
LISTING OF 2018 TAXES WILL BEGIN ON Tuesday, JANUARY 2nd, 2018 AND CONTINUE THROUGH
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31ST, 2018. THE LISTING OFFICE HOURS WILL BE 9:00A.M. TO 4:00 P.M.
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY IN THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ROOM ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF
THE COUNTY OFHCE BUILDING AT 106 DUNDEE STREET, WINDSOR, NC, OR BY APPOINTMENT.
. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS
INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT THE
BERTIE COUNTY TAX OFFICE.
TELEPHONE: (252)794-5310
FASCIMILE: (252)794-5357
P.O. BOX 527
WINDSOR, NC 27983