GRACE&TRUTH
Pastor Amanda Hoggard lauds
teachers for their work.
A2
PICTURETHAT
Andre’ Alfred says everyone
should live ‘your’ life
A4
FOURTH&LONG
David Friedman says the blend
of seasons is wonderful.
A7
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ASKEWVILLE ^ AULANDER ♦ COLERAIN > KELFORD LEWISTON WOODVILLE
lERRY HILL POWELLSVILLE
ROXOBEL 4- WINDSOR
Juvenile arrested for attempted murder
Victim shot four times at home near LW
BY THADD WHITE
Group Editor
LEWISTON WOODVILLE - A juve
nile is in custody, charged with
attempted murder after allegedly
shooting a man four times last
Thursday.
Bertie County Sheriff John Hol
ley said officers and Bertie County
EMS were dispatched to Mebane
Circle outside of Lewiston Wood-
ville at approximately 11:37 am.
Oct. 14.
“When officers and EMS ar
rived, they found a victim who had
been shot four times with a small
caliber handgun,” Sheriff Holley
said. “The victim was airlifted to
Vidant Medical Center where he
was treated and released.”
Sheriff Holley said the victim
was reportedly sitting on his steps
talking to the juvenile when he
was shot, according to witnesses.
He said witnesses reported hear
ing five or six shots and the sheriff
said deputies recovered “multiple
casings” from the scene.
The ensuing investigation led
officers to arrest a juveirile and
charge him with attempted first
degree murder. State law prohib
its the release of additional infor
mation about the suspect due to
iusage.
Sheriff Holley commended citi
zens in the area for their involve
ment in identifying the suspect.
“It was a scary situation,” Sher
iff Holley said. “I believe a big
part of the reason we were able
to identify a suspect was because
of the people in the community
talking to officers and saying what
they saw.
“We have to have more citizens
like these who will get involved,”
he added. “That’s what it’s going to
take to stop these shootings and
murders and things of that nature
- people are going to have to say
no more of it in our neighborhood
and help officers.”
Anyone with information on
the shooting or other crimes in
the county can contact the Bertie
County Sheriff’s Office at 252-794-
5330.
Thadd White is can be reached
via email at twhite@ncweeklies.
com.
Bertie Co. EMS
has 32 percent
staff shortage
V* ■ i
I \ ' '
BY LESLIE BEACHBOARD
Managing Editor
WINDSOR - An emergency
services staffing shortage is
nationwide, but also hitting
close to home.
Bertie Cotmty Emergen
cy Services Director Mitch
Cooper gave the Bertie
County Commissioners an
update on staffing shortages
Monday.
“Sta^g shortage is a na
tional and a statewide prob
lem,” said Cooper.
According to Cooper, the
EMS department tj^ically
runs four shifts- A, B, C and
D shifts. Each shift works
24 hours then are off for 72
hours before they return for
another 24 hour shift.
Bertie County Emergen
cy Services is currently
down an entire shift, and
the time is being filled with
overtime from other em
ployees.
“The department is run
ning into a deficit. We are
currently running with a 32
percent shortage in staff. We
have had several meetings
to see what we can change
to limit the impact on the
citizens,” said Cooper.
Under normal operating
procedures, there would be
four ambulances and one
quick response vehicle in
service during each shift.
Due to the current em
ployee shortage, adminis
trative staff win be put on a
truck during the day to run
calls. This caused concerns
for Cooper because without
See SHORTAGE, A5
The Cashie Treehouses are a big draw for tourism in Bertie County.
Visitor spending dips in Bertie Co.
BCS receives
favorable audit
BY GENE MOTLEY
For the Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - The ‘Good
News’ continues.
At the Sept. 14 meeting
of the Bertie Coimty Board
of Education, Bertie Coun
ty Schools Chief Financial
Officer Steven Harrell and
Dale Smith, Accountant
with Anderson Smith &
Wike, Certified Public Ac-
coimtant firm of Rocking
ham, presented the board
with draft audit results from
See AUDIT, A5
WINDSOR - Domestic and interna
tional visitors to and within Bertie
County spent 12.4 miiiion dollars in
2020, a decrease of 15.4 percent from
2019.
The data comes from an annual
study commissioned by Visit North
Carolina, a unit of the Economic De
velopment Partnership of North Car
olina
‘Tourism spending was expected
to be down this year from the impact
of COVID-19, so we are not surprised
by the decrease this year, Bertie
County offers a lot of repreation on
the water and in the woods and with
our historic sites we need to contin
ue to promote tourism. Projects like
the Cashie River Treehouses and Ber
tie Beach need to be developed and
promoted,” Lewis Hoggard, Director,
Windsor Bertie Chamber of Com
merce said.
Tourism impact highlights for 2020
• The travel and tourism industry
directly employs more than 83 in Ber
tie County.
• Total payroll generated by the
tourism industry in Bertie County
was $3.2 million.
• State tax revenue generated in
Bertie County totalled six hundred
thousand through state sales and ex
cise taxes, and taxes on personal and
corporate income. About $800,000 in
loc^ taxes were generated from sales
and property tax revenue from trav
el-generated and travel-supported
businesses.
These statistics come from the
“Economic Impact of Travel on North
Carolina Coimties 2020,” which can
be accessed at partners.visitnc.com/
economic-impact-studies. The study
was prepared for Visit North Carolina
by Tourism Economics in collabora
tion with the U.S. Travel Association.
Statewide, visitor spending was
down 32 percent to $19.96 billion
compared to 2019. Tourism employ
ment feU 26 percent to 178,685. The
losses were most acutely felt in urban
areas.
“We are extremely gratified that
tourism thrived in 20 coimties in the
See SPENDING, A5
Race day events planned for ‘Spectacular,’ signup continues
BY MICHELLE LEICESTER
For the Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - The Bertie
Spectacular 5K, 1-Mile Run/
Walk and Jamboree is just
around the comer. Registra
tion is open for participants
to sign up.
In this edition
The Spectacular, which is
the only fundraising event
of the year for the Good
Shepherd Food Pantry, is
slated for Oct. 30 at 9 am.
To sign up visit www.run-
theeast.com or mail the en
try to Bertie Spectacular 5K,
Attn: Viig Siefker, PO Box
895, Windsor, NC 27983.
TTie entry form can be
found on the Facebook
page or by asking any of the
volunteers.
On the www.runtheeast.
com website the entrant
must click on the race cal
endar, the blue October but
ton, then scroll down the list
to Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021.
There is a blue sign up but
ton beside the race name.
The cost for the 5K is $25
up imtil Oct. 24. The price
then increases to $30. The
price for the l-nule Walk/
Fun Rim is $15. Both the 5K
and the 1-mile walk/fun run
start on York Street, behind
Windsor Town Hall and end
on York Street near Liver-
mon Park. The 5K Course is
USA'TF certified.
There is a $2,000 prize
purse. Students are not eli
gible to receive cash prizes.
Race packets will be
available for pick up Fri
day, Oct. 29 from noon un
til 4:30 p.m. at the Roanoke
Cashie River Center or near
the race starting line from
7 a.m. until 8:45 am. on race
See SPECTACULAR, A5
Good morning,
Kelly fIcVGARp
tT IUInpsor
Thank yai TOR suBSCRimi!
Find us on
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Vote to re-elect
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