GRACE & TRUTH
REALIGNMENT
Amanda Hoggard encourages
Bertie High School will be in an
believers to control their spirit.
8-team lA conference.
Page 9
T ^
Page 7
V ’
HOME OFFICE
Mark Rutledge says if the home
office stays, the ‘desk’ must go.
Page 4
i(i) SCAN ME
Volume 123:
No. 8
Bertie
Ledffer-Advance
^ THURSDAY • FEBRUARY 25,2021
980 S. Academy St.
Ahoskie,NC 27910
MASTERS
k w a :
Heating &
Air Conditioning
252J09.0223
Askev^ville • Auiander • Colerain • Kelford • Lewiston Woodville • Merry Hill • Powelisville • Roxobel • Windsor
Students may return in-person March 22
BY GENE MOTLEY months since Bertie County B which requires in-person recommendation read. “This will start with the
For the Bertie Ledger-Advance Schools students have ap- social distancing along with Bertie County now joins beginning of our fourth nine-
neared in a rla.s.sroom for a hvhriri attendance sched- the other Roanoke-rhnwan weeVrs ” Smallwood «aid fol.
BY GENE MOTLEY
For the Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - It was back in
March 2020 when N.C. Gov.
Roy Cooper ordered all
North Carolina schools to
close due to the COVlD-19
pandemic.
It was thought to have
been for only a few weeks.
Now it’s been almost 12
months since Bertie County
Schools students have ap
peared in a classroom for
live instruction.
But that’s about to change.
On Monday evening at a
called meeting of the Ber
tie County Board of Educa
tion, Superintendent Dr. Otis
Smallwood made a recom
mendation for a return to in-
person learning under Plan
B which requires in-person
social distancing along with
a hybrid attendance sched
ule that includes continued
remote learning for those
families that chose to do so.
“If COVlD-19 metrics per
mit, the recommendation is
to transition to Plan B with
continued implementation
of health and safety proto
cols,” the superintendent’s
recommendation read.
Bertie County now joins
the other Roanoke-Chowan
region counties (Hertford,
Gates, Northampton, Martin
and Chowan) with a plan in
place to aid students, par
ents, and stakeholders with
the adjustment back to in-
person instruction.
Bertie’s move to Plan-B
will begin on March 22.
“This will start with the
beginning of our fourth nine-
weeks,” Smallwood said fol
lowing the meeting. “Unless
the (state legislature) comes
up with something more
stringent, this is the plan we
will start up with regardless
of what they decide in Ra
leigh.”
See SCHOOL, 5
Sheriff: Scam
says jury duty
was missed
Holley says never
provide money
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
Don’t be scammed!
Bertie County Sheriff
John Holley said scam
calls are making their
rounds throughout Ber
tie County
- this time
s p e c i f i -
cally cit
ing missed
jury duty.
“The callers are tell
ing people they missed
federal jury duty in Eliz
abeth City,” Sheriff Hol
ley said. “They are then
telling them they must
pay between $ 1,500 and
$2,000 to avoid a con
tempt order that has
been lodged against
them.”
At times, the scam
mers are using names
of actual deputies from
the Pasquotank County
Sheriff’s Office or Eliza
beth City Police Depart
ment.
But, the sheriff insist
ed there are numerous
things wrong with the
calls.
“First and foremost,
if a judge issues a con
tempt order for us to
pick you up, we’ll be by
in person,” Sheriff Hol
ley said. “There’s no
way to buy your way
out of a contempt or
der. If one were actually
issued, one of my depu
ties would give you a
free ride to the magis
trate’s office and there
wouldn’t be a way to
See SCAM, 5
Kitchen fires and portable heater fires are both dangerous during the winter months.
Heater, kitchen safety needed
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
Residents of Bertie County
are being urged to be cautious
as the winter continues.
State Fire Marshal Mike Cau
sey issued a press release late
last week saying North Caro
linians using portable heaters
should be careful as they cause
risk of ignition.
While agreeing
whole-heartedly
with Causey, Per-
rytown Fire Chief
Bud Lee says his
department also
regularly deals
with kitchen fires
during the winter.
Lee said the two - portable
heaters and kitchen fires - are
by far the two leading reasons
his department is
called out in the
winter.
Causey, who
also serves as
Commissioner
of Insurance, re-
uausey minded citizens of
the dangers of por
table heaters following a fire in
See FIRE, 11
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
'I am Bertie Black History' series: Smallwood
LISA CHERRY BALLANCE
The Cherry Vine
Dr. Otis Smallwood, a native of Bertie Coun
ty, is Superintendent of Schoois.
Dr. Otis Smallwood, a former stu
dent of Bertie County Schools, could
have chosen to share his leadership
talents, being at the helm, with any
other school district.
Yet, he opted to return to his foun
dational roots, to impact and nurture
the lives of students and families
in his hometown. He is, no doubt,
“Building A Better Bertie” for the
communities that are near and dear
to his heart. He is Bertie Black His
tory.
TCVl: What community/street did
you grow up in as a Bertie County
youngster?
OSl: 1 grew up in the heart of the
Indian Woods community on Indian
Woods Road (Windsor).
TCV2: What’s your very first
thought/memory of life in Bertie?
OS2: My memories of Bertie are
reflective of the sense of commu
nity (and of course church - Indian
Woods Missionary Baptist Church).
Most of the families were meager
income earners, but we managed to
make it on family, fellowship and, of
course, believing in Christ.
TCV3: What age did you develop a
love for education?
OSS: Well, 1 am not sure exactly
what age, but it was in elementary
school. 1 can remember coming
home from school every day telling
my momma that, “1 was not a dummy
today!” LOL. It was in high school
See SMALLWOOD, 6
in this edition
C
▼
RELAY
FOR LIFE
Church & Faith
Classified
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Good AAorning,
Jackie Jackson
OF Windsor
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