MEDITATING
FOURTH&LONG
Catching insanity for those
There are consequences and
lovely children of yours.
^ ''
repercussions.
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NEW CHANCELLOR
East Carolina University
welcomes new chancellor.
Page 2
■■ Bertie
SCAN ME ^ Ledffer-Advance
^ THURSDAY. MARCH 18,2021
980 S. Academy St.
Ahoskie,NC 27910
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MASTERS
Heating &
Air Conditioning
252209.0223
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Askewville • Aulander • Colerain • Kelford • Lewiston Woodville • Merry Hill • Powellsville • Roxobel • Windsor
New company will provide 60 jobs
High Speed Gear locates in Bertie County
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - A new company
already has 31 employees
and is looking to bolster
that number in the coming
months.
High Speed Gear, which
makes tactical gear for mili
tary and law enforcement,
has relocated a portion of its
Swansboro-based business
to Bertie County.
“They were looking for
somewhere to expand, and
the place needed to have
folks who could sew,” Bertie
County Economic Develop
ment Director Steve Biggs
said. “Not only does Bertie
Count have experienced
sewers, but we have space
for them.”
High Speed Gear is oper
ating in a portion of the old
Wrangler building on County
Farm Road. The company
began operation last week
with 31 people who were
hired during a job fair in Feb
ruary.
Biggs said the company
conducted 43 interviews,
and hired 31 as they look for
people to cut, sew, assemble
and ship their products here
in Windsor.
The story of how the com-
See JOBS, 3
Inmate
dies by
suicide
Bertie
Correctional
reports death
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - Windsor Po
lice Chief Justin Jackson
confirmed Thursday
afternoon an inmate at
Bertie Correctional In
stitute is dead of an ap
parent suicide.
The inmate, identi
fied by the N.C. Depart
ment of Corrections
as Rashaun Mason,
33, died today (Thurs
day), and was found in
a housing area of the
prison around 1:20 p.m.
Prison medical staff
and Bertie EMS para
medics attempted to re
suscitate Mason, but he
was pronounced dead
at 1:38 p.m. at the facil
ity
Windsor Police Lt.
Frank Ratzlaff said he
and Windsor Police Of
ficer Dennis Smith re
sponded to the scene
and an investigation has
See DEATH, 3
,V/-
S'J 'T-
GENE MOTLEY / Eastern North Carolina Living
James Peele is one of the champions of his community highiighted in the lastest edition of Eastern Living.
Peele highlighted in Eastern Living
WINDSOR - James Peele loves
Powellsville.
The current mayor of one
of Bertie County’s smallest
towns says he was talked
into running for commission
er, and felt obligated to stand
for mayor following a sad pe
riod in the town’s history.
But, whatever the reason,
Peele has become a tireless
advocate for Powellsville and
his people.
“1 want the best service for
our citizens,” he said. “1 want
us to be an affordable com
munity. 1 think it’s paramount
that Powellsville keeps it’s
small-town flavor.”,
Peele is profiled in the cur
rent edition of Eastern North
Carolina Living, and is one of
14 people the magazine pro
files for their work champion
ing the communities in which
they live.
Eastern North Carolina
Living’s “Where the living is
good as gold” is a nod to Big
Smo and Darius Rucker’s “My
Place.” As in the song, the
profiles are of people who in
vite people to come on over
to “my place” be that a town,
county or just a crossroads.
“We have some people that
are just wonderful champi
ons of their communities,”
See PEELE,3
Event will :
be Drive-Up:
again in ‘21 ;
THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - Relay For
Life in Bertie County
will operate as a Drive-
Up event for the second
straight year.
“Out of an abundance
of caution and concern
for our cancer survi
vors and their families.
Relay For Life of Bertie
County will operate as
a Drive-Up event again
this year,” Bertie Coun
ty American Cancer
Society President Bob
bie Parker said, adding
the caution was due to
safety concerns during
mass gatherings due to
COVlD-19.
The event is also mov
ing this year, as it will
be held at 7:30 p.m. Sat
urday, Aug. 21. It will re
main in the parking lot
of Bertie High School
with a parade line-up lo
cated in the Bertie Mid-
See RELAY, 3
Bertie County Schools planning for reopening
GENE MOTLEY
For the Bertie Ledger-Advance.
WINDSOR - Sunday, March
14, marked one calendar
year since schools across
the state were initially
closed for in-person instruc-
In this edition
tion due to COVID-19.
For Bertie County Schools,
Monday will mark as close
to a return to some learning
normality, at least for the
time being.
At a called meeting on Feb.
22, the Bertie County Board
of Education voted to re
open schools for in-person
learning beginning March
22.
The board’s decision
means the district will con
tinue to provide remote
learning to students whose
parents/guardians do not
feel comfortable sending
their child/children back to
school at this time.
Bertie is implementing
Plan B, or a hybrid plan.
The returning students will
be divided into two groups
(Cohort A and Cohort B)
and will receive in-person
instruction on separate days
from 8 a.m.-to-l p.m.
Cohort A will be in the
classroom on Mondays and
See SCHOOLS, 3
RELAY
FOR LIFE
Church & Faith 5
Classified 6
Obituaries 2
Opinion 4
Out & About 2
( Good AAorning,
Helen Brown
OF Colerain
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