Askewville • Aulander • Colerain • Kelford • Lewiston Woodville • Merry Hill • Powellsville • Roxobel
Berti
Ledffer-Advance
^ WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY21,2018
')'7RQ2
1161 KEHUk^t ^ 97892-8307
WILLIAMSTON NC 2789/
Win league
. A ^ ■
title
Sports I 8
Threat closes Bertie Co. Courthouse
Phone call claims ‘wrath’ coming
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - The Bertie County Court
house and Administration Building
were closed for several hours last week
following a threat.
Bertie County Sheriff John Holley
said a call came to the office of Clerk of
Superior Court Vasti James at approxi
mately 2:40 p.m. last Thursday.
“The person said ‘this is Mohammed
Sharif and you will feel the wrath of Mo
hammed Sharif at 0400 hours,’” Sheriff
Holley reported.
Once the threatening telephone call
was received, the Bertie County Court
house, Bertie County Administration
Building and the Cooperative Exten
sion Service offices were evacuated.
“We didn’t let anyone into the build
ings once the phone call was received,”
Sheriff Holley said. “We moved quickly
to evacuate the three buildings in close
See COURTHOUSE, 10
THADD WHITE / Bertie Ledger-Advance
Emergency personnel close access to the Bertie County Courthouse last week.
★ ★★★★★★ -A;
BLACK HISTORY
MOIMTH
A life well-lived
I 'I
4^
Askew thankful for God’s love
DEBORAH GRIFFIN
Bertie Ledger-Advance
is eyes smile and twinkle as he talks about the
past.
At 100 years old, his face belies his age. His
soft features are a testament to the peaceful life he
has lived.
Not an easy life - one full of hard work - but
dedicated to serving the Lord.
Littleton T. Askew has seen a lot in the century
he has been alive. One thing he has learned is
that nothing stays the same - except the love
of God.
He grew up in an era where people cared for
their neighbors.
“When 1 was a boy, everyone was friendly and
would help each other. If someone got sick, peo
ple would go and help them,” Askew said.
“1 can remember when one of the deacons
of the church got sick, my daddy took us boys
down there with the mule -there were no trac
tors back then - and we plowed his crop. The
next week another family would go and plow his
crop,” he added.
“That was friendship. You gave each other a
hand. Whatever 1 had, you had,” he continued.
“But the thing of it is, now, everyone has their hand
out for their self, mostly,” he laments.
See ASKEW, 3
Most offices
contested in
eariy fiiing
Commissioners, sheriff
will face opponents
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - There will
be choices for nearly
every elective office
on the ballot in Bertie
County.
With one week still left
before the filing dead
line, all three Bertie
County Corrtmissioners
and the sheriff will face
opposition as they seek
to retain their seats.
In District 2, two Dem
ocrats have filed for
the seat currently held
by Stewart White, who
does not have a party
affiliation.
Former Bertie County
Sheriff Greg Atkins will
be seeking his first po
litical office since leav
ing that post in 2010.
Opposing Atkins in the
race for the Democrat
ic nomination will be
longtime Bertie County
Board of Elections lead
er Michael Freeman,
who also serves on the
county’s ABC Board.
District 3 incumbent
Democrat Tammy Lee
will seek a second term
as a county commis
sioner. Lee will be op
posed by former Aul
ander Commissioner
Corey Ballance Sr., also
a Democrat.
In District 5, incum
bent Bertie Commis
sioner Ernestine Byrd
Bazemore will seek a
second term. She will
be opposed by Carl K.
Bond, who has been
active on several com
mittees and boards
throughout the county.
Bertie County Sheriff
John Holley will seek
his third term in office.
The 30-year veteran law
enforcement officer will
be opposed by retired
N.C. Highway Patrol
officer Adrian Bowen.
■I
Both have filed as Dem
ocrats.
The only local office
with no opposition is
that of Bertie County
Clerk of Superior Court
Incumbent Democr^
Vasti James has filed for,
a second term. Thus far
See FILING, if
Roxobel welcomes commissioner, discusses traffic
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
ROXOBEL - Tim White will serve the
remainder of a two-year term on the
Roxobel Board of Commissioners.
White was appointed in January by
the current Roxobel board, and was
sworn in last week at the monthly com
missioners meeting.
“Congratulations,” Mayor Gary John
son said. “We are honored to have
someone of your ability and integrity
on the board.”
White, who was born and raised in
Roxobel, was appointed on a motion
by Commissioner Robert Phelps, which
In this edition
was seconded by Commissioner David
Baisey Sr. It passed without objection.
Once White took his oath, he imme
diately began deliberating key town is
sues with the remainder of the board.
The first discussion centered around
a playground the Roxobel Revitaliza
tion Committee is attempting to build
in the town. The minutes from the pre
vious meeting were read where the
board was asked to consider giving
$20,000 to the project because of de
lays in attempting to get a grant.
Johnson said he had spoken with
members of the committee, and ex-
See ROXOBEL, 10
THADD WHITE / Bertie Ledger-Advance
Tim White takes the oath of office as a Roxobei Commissioner, which was administered
by Town Cierk Evelyn Humerickhouse.
*(
▼
RELAY
FOR LIFE
Obituaries 2
Out & About 2
Opinion 4
Church & Faith 5
Classified 6
Sports 8
Good Morning,
Wilma Holley
OF Ahoskie
Thank you for subscribing!
Find us on
Facebook
Volume 120; No. 8