CHAMBERCHATTER
Lewis Hoggard says Christmas
events have gone weil in county.
A2 i
OUTHERE
Thadd White seeks help from
cooks due to COVID-19.
HARTMANTOHEART
Pastor Chuck Hartman says
foliow your own convictions.
Bertie
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ASKEWVILLE >■ AULANDER ♦ COLERAIN ♦ KELFORD > LEWISTON WOODVILLE 4- MERRY HILL 4- POWELLSVILLE 4 ROXOBEL 4 WINDSOR
Windsor Mayor: Time is right to retire
THADD WHITE
Group Editor
WINDSOR ■ Each step of his po
litical career Jimmy Hoggard has
known when the timing was right.
That’s still true as he closes out
his life as an elective office hold
er this morning (Thursday) and
hands the mayor’s gavel to his suc
cessor.
“I’ve always heard you just
know when it’s time,” the retiring
Wmdsor Mayor said. “I want to
do some traveling that I haven’t
been able to do
and I want to get
further invested
in the grandparent
business.”
Those reasons
led Hoggard, who
has been mayor of
HOGGARD Windsor for a doz
en years and served as a commis
sioner for two decades prior, to
decide now was the time to move
on. He didn’t run for re-election in
November, and indeed backed his
successor, Lewis Hoggard, for the
position.
“Lewis will make a good mayor
and I’m excited for him,” Jimmy
Hoggard said. “I’ll be here to sup
port him any way I can, but I also
know the best way I can support
him is stay out of his way and let
him be the mayor in his own right. ”
Hoggard’s political career be
gan when he sought office as a
town commissioner. He said sev
eral things factored into that de-
7 want to do some
traveling that I haven’t
been able to do and I want
to get further invested in
the grandparent business."
Jim Hoggard
cision, including high utility rates
and low police officer pay.
Hoggard said he felt the board
of commissioners - both then and
now - have done a good job of rec
tifying both situations.
“One of the things I’m most
proud of is the professionalism
and training of the Windsor Police
Department,” he said. “They are as
good as they come.”
The mayor said he has kept in
mind the importance of never re
turning to the financial struggles
See MAYOR, A5
Bertie Co. man
killed in single
car accident
LESLIE BEACHBOARD/ BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE
Santa hears the wants of one young man for the coming Christmas.
Hometown Christmas celebration
LESLIE BEACHBOARD
Managing Editor
MERRY HILL - A single car
accident claimed the life of
a Windsor man last week.
According to N.C. State
Highway Patrol Tiooper H.
Mizelle, he was dispatched
at approximately 2:46 a.m.
ITiursday, Dec. 2 to investi
gate a single car accident on
Avoca Farm Road.
Henry Craig, of 155 Morn
ing Rd. Ext. in Windsor,
was traveling east on Avoca
Farm Road, when he ran off
the right side of the road
and struck a ditch, llie car
overturned several times,
resulting in Craig being
ejected from the vehicle.
Craig was pronounced
dead at the scene.
According to Trooper
Mizelle, Craig was not wear
ing a seat belt at the time of
the accident.
The investigation is ongo
ing.
There have been 18 fatal
ities in the Bertie, Hertford
and Gates counties, which
comprise Troop A District 2.
Leslie Beachboard can
be reached at Ibeachboard®
ncweeklies.com.
e
k-m
LESLIE BEACHBOARD / BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE
Students from Aulander Elementary School sing
traditional Christmas Carols.
LESLIE BEACHBOARD
Managing Editor
AULANDER - It was a
hometown Christmas cel
ebration.
The town of Aulander
officials and citizens of aU
ages gathered last Friday
(Dec. 3) for the town’s
annual Christmas TVee
Lighting Ceremony at the
Aulander Community
Building.
To kick off the night’s
festivities, the Bertie High
School band and dance
team performed a variety
of selections for the spec
tators waiting for the tree
lighting.
Aulander Mayor Larry
Drew welcomed everyone
to the evening’s special
event.
Aulander Commissioner
Jeanette Tinkham gave the
opening invocation.
See AULANDER, A5
Races develop in
county elections
THADD WHITE
Group Editor
Filing is under way for
federal, state and local of
fices.
And, Bertie County has
already developed a race for
County Commissioner.
Incumbent Greg Atkins is
seeking a second term in of
fice and will be challenged
by Bertie County Schools
Administrator Michael
White. Both men have filed
for the District 2 seat.
A race is likely in District
3 as well. Corey BaUance
Sr. is seeking a post on the
county board. He filed as a
Democrat earlier this week.
Incumbent Bertie County
See ELECTION, A5
Leadership roles change among Bertie Co. Commissioners
LESLIE BEACHBOARD
Managing Editor
WINDSOR ■ The Chairman and
Vice Chairman roles are changing
in Bertie County.
The Bertie County Coitunis-
sioners voted to appoint a new
chairman and vice chairman at
their regularly scheduled meeting
held Monday night in the Commis
sioners Room.
According to Bertie County
Manager Juan Vaughan 11, on the
first Monday meeting in December
North Carolina General Statutes
require every county commission
board go through a reorganization
process. “
We will now take nominatioirs
for a new chairman and vice
chairman for the board,” added
Vaughan.
The then board chair Tam
my Lee turned the gavel over to
Vaughan.
Commissioner Ron Wesson
moved to nominate Vice' Chair
man John Trent as the new Chair
for the Bertie County Commis
sioners.
There was no discussion, and
the vote passed imanimously.
Next was to seek recommenda
tions for the vice chairman’s posi
tion.
“I would like to make a nomi
nation for Commissioner Wesson
as 'vice chair,” said Vice Chairman
Trent.
There was no discussion, and
the vote passed unanimously.
Chairman Trent was first elect
ed as a Bertie County Commis
sioner in 2012, and is currently
serving his third term. He formerly
served as chairman of the board in
2016, 2017 and 2019.
Vice Chairman Wesson was first
elected as a Bertie County Com
missioner m 2012, and is currently
serving lus third term. He formerly
served as chairman of the board in
twice and served as vice chairman
in 2018.
The next Bertie County Com
missioners’ regularly scheduled
meeting wfil held at 6 p.m. Mon
day, Jan. 10 in the Conunissioners’
Room at the Bertie County Gov
ernment Building.
Leslie Beachboard can be
reached via email at Ibeach-
board@ncweeklies. com.
In this edition
GOOV MORNING,
Thelma IOalton
OF Leiuiston Wloomm
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