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Commissioners: ‘Do what we have to’
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - It may be an uphill
battle, but all isn’t lost.
Monday night, the Bertie
County Commissioners began
their first public discussion of
the decision made by the N.C.
Department of Transportation
(DOT) to temporarily close the
Sans Souci Ferry.
Commissioners said they
would seek every opportunity
to make sure the ferry remains
open, but admitted the cost
of operation and maintenance
made it a daunting task.
Bertie County Economic De
velopment Director Steve Biggs,
who has led the efforts of the
county in regard to the ferry,
told the commissioners he has
spoken to both DOT and legis
lative leaders in regard to the
ferry.
Last week, Tim Hass of DOT
confirmed to the Bertie Ledger-
Advance that the ferry would be
closed as of June 13. He said it
was a temporary measure made
to save the cost of operating
the ferry. No timetable for its re
sumption was given.
Biggs said DOT officials told
him the ferry was closed 175
days between July 2019 and
April 2020 due to high water,
both at the landing and on the
river.
RUSS RUSSELL / Bertie Ledger-Advance
See FERRY, 8 The Sans Souci Ferry is slated to close June 13.
State
set to
open
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - North Car
olina will move into
Phase 1 of reopening
from COVID-19 tomor
row (Friday).
N.C. Governor Roy
Cooper announced
Tuesday afternoon he
has signed an executive
order entering the state
into Phase 1 of recov
ery due to the leveling
of cases in the state and
other metrics.
While the governor
is working to ease the
state back into normal
cy, Bertie County is fac
ing an increased number
of cases of COVID-19. As
of Tuesday, there were
51 confirmed cases of
the virus, 18 of which
are active. There have
been 31 recoveries and
two deaths in Bertie
County.
On Monday night, Ber
tie County Emergency
Services Director Mitch
Cooper told the Bertie
County Commissioners
the COVID-19 task force
in the county suggested
keeping the county of
fices closed even with
Phase 1.
The commissioners
agreed to keep the coun
ty offices closed except
by appointment only
until further notice.
The order for North
Carolina will removed
the “essential business”
designation, but will
keep business closed
which involve close
contact, including sa
lons and entertainment
venues.
WORK UNDERWAY
At*'
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I f,
THADD WHITE / Bertie Ledger-Advance
Several houses along U.S. 13 north of Windsor are be- flooding concerns. This house was on the corner of U.S.
ing demolished after being bought out due to constant 13 and Joyner Street in Windsor.
Bertie County couple wins
N.C. Lottery Cash 5 prize
On a whim, Tony Rawls, a
real estate broker from Cole-
rain, logged into his home of
fice desktop around 6 p.m. on
April 3, bought Cash 5 tickets
for that night’s drawing, and
woke up eight hours later to
an email congratulating him
for winning the $375,990 jack
pot.
Rawls and his wife, Jolene
Morris, are big fans of Cash 5
and they started using Online
fc;
Play for its convenience.
“1 like the account part and
I like being notified,” Rawls
said. “I don’t have to check
my ticket.”
After waking up in the
middle of the night, and see
ing the congratulatory email,
Rawls wasn’t sure ne was see
ing things right.
“Of course, it’s 4 o’clock in
the morning and you’re not
wide awake, and I woke up
my wife and 1 said, ‘Come here
and look and see if you’re see-
See LOTTERY, 8
Dr. Smallwood completes program
n
Dr. Otis Smallwood
RALEIGH — Bertie County Schools
Superintendent Dr. Otis L. Smallwood
was among 45 superintendents from
across the state to graduate for the
NCSSA Next Generation Superinten
dent Development Program Cohort
VII.
The program is designed to sup
port the growth, expansion and en
hancement of superintendents using
the North Carolina Superintendent
Standards, according to Jack Hoke,
Executive Director of the N.C. School
Superintendents’ Association.
The year-long program was com
prised of six face-to-face sessions
See SMALLWOOD, 8
MCC
names
leader
Beddard
takes helm
on July 1
WILLIAMSTON - On July
1, Wesley Beddard
will become the ninth
president to lead Mar
tin Community College
(MCC) since 1968.
He was
recom
mended
by the
MCC
Board
of Trust
ees to
the N.C.
Commu- Wesley Beddard
nity Col
lege System State Board
on April 1, and was ap
proved by the state
board on April 17.
Beddard, originally
from Ayden, earned
a Master of Business
Administration from
Campbell University, a
bachelor’s degree from
Atlantic Christian Col
lege (now Barton Col
lege) and an associate
degree from Mount Ol
ive College.
He has also complet
ed 39 semester hours
in North Carolina State
University’s (NCSU) Ed.
D program in Higher
Education: Community
College Leadership.
His certificates in
clude: “Future Com
munity College Admin
istrators Leadership
Institute” from the UNC-
CH Center for School
See BEDDARD, 8
In this edition
Ire IttMkr ka
Church & Faith 5
Classified 6
Obituaries 2
Opinion 4
Out & About 2
Good Morning,
Louis Brown or
Lrwistqn Woodviui
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Volume 122: No. 20
11711 35906 6
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