OUTINLEFTFIELD
Thadd White says change is both
good and bad.
FOURTH&LONG
David Friedman is curious about
the Tar Heeis’ future.
MEDITATING
Sylvia Hughes says begin
reading with the Bible.
j|i^ SCAN ME
Volume 124:
No. 3
J3Cl Lie
980 S. Academy St.
Ahoskie, NC 27910
Ledffer-Advance
^ Thursday • January 20,2022
Heating &
Air Conditioning
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ASKEWVILLE > AULANDER
COLERAIN
KELFORD 4- LEWISTON WOODVILLE 4 MERRY HILL 4 POWELLSVILLE 4 ROXOBEL
WINDSOR
Improvements
planned for 4
school buildings
GENE MOTLEY
For the Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - Some special
face-lifts could be coming.
Bertie County Schools Su
perintendent Dr. Otis Small
wood briefed the county’s
Board of Education at their
monthly meeting Jan. 11 on
some of the Capital Outlay
Plans in the works for the
upcoming year at the coun
ty’s eight schools.
BCS Maintenance Direc
tor Matthew Bond gave a
PowerPoint presentation
on four different schools’
various needs and potential
costs.
“Like with everything
we’re seeing nowadays,
there’s sure to be some ad
ditional costs,” Bond noted.
It was pointed out as
an example that there are
schools that have more
classroom space than
rooms currently in use,
prompting remarks from
board vice-chair Nonnan
Cheny regarding utility us
age and cost.
“It’s all being paid,” said
Bond, “because it’s all under
one roof. Anytime you’ve
got a classroom that’s im-
occupied it’s being heated
and cooled like it had 30
students in it.”
“This is something the
public needs to know when
we discuss whether a build
ing needs to operate,” Cher
ry inquired. “Because you
could have a building built
for 400 kids, but you only
have two.”
Upgraded needs varied
by school, as did costs. All
six schools had Heating,
Ventilation, and Air Condi
tioning (HVAC) needs, with
Bond declaring the installa
tion of a new HVAC Control
System ($15,000 per school)
was not only more cost ef
ficient, but also would al
low for remote control, as
opposed to individual ther
mostats for temperature
changes.
Other needs ranged from
improved parking lots, win
dow and door replacement
and/or upgrades, gymnasi
um accouterments such as
bleacher repairs, roofing
See SCHOOL, A3
Aulander Police chief Jimmy Barmer serves two communities •
with Murfreesboro in neighboring Hertford County.
ANDRE’ ALFRED/BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE
the western Bertie County municipaiity aiong
Hero in the family
Jimmy Barmer protects and serves
COVID cases soar
in Bertie County
JULIAN EURE
The Daily Advance
New COVID-19 cases,
hospitalizations and infec
tions at congregate hous
ing facilities all soared this
week, as the highly conta
gious omicron variant con
tinued to surge across the
eight-county health district.
New cases increased by
more than 2,260 this week,
which is more than double
the number of new cases
reported last week. Nearly
26,000 cases of COVID-19
have now been reported in
the eight counties since the
pandemic began.
'Two counties in the dis
trict — Pasquotank and
Hertford — reported more
than 400 new cases in a
week, the first time that’s
happened.
TVo otheis — Bertie and
Chowan — reported more
than 300 new cases.
Active COVID cases ac
tually fell from last week
by 143. Every county in the
district save two — Gates,
which saw active cases go
up by 47, and Bertie, which
saw a one-case increase —
reported fewer active cases.
COVID cases at nursmg
homes, assisted living facil
ities and Albemarle District
Jail more than doubled from
last week.
SARAH DAVIS
Eastern North Carolina Living
A television commercial
for a popular genealogy
website concludes with the
question, “Who’s the hero
in your family?”
If you are one of Jimmy
Banner’s children, you’re
probably pointing at him
— Chief of Police in Au
lander, a lieutenant on the
Murfreesboro Police De
partment, and a former
^rgeant with Vidant Com
pany Police — but he’s
probably pointing back at
them. His daughter Lauren
is a dispatcher for Vidant
Eastcare; son William, a
sergeant with Lake Royde
Company Police Depart
ment (Louisburg) and a
part-time officer with Au
lander Police Department;
or son Clay, a full-time
EMT and firefighter with
Roanoke Rapid.s Fire Der
partment, a part-time paid
firefighter with Davie, and
a volunteer for the Ahoskie
Aulander Police Chief Jimmy Barmer works at his desk.
Fire Department.
Perhaps it’s nature in the
Barmer family to serve, but
it’s definitely nurture. By
word. and example, Jimmy
teaches his cliildren to give
back to the community.
First sworn as a police
officer by then Police Chief
Steve Hoggard in Ahoskie,
Barmer began his service in
law enforcement in 1992. In
the twenty-nine years since
then. Banner has served in
Ahoskie, Murfreesboro, Au
lander and with the Vidant
■ ALFRED/BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCB
Company. Such is the typ
ical fife of a police officer;
almost any officer seen on
one force one day might be'
seen on another anotheii
day or even that same dayi
See BARMER, A3
Golden LEAF grant will aid Lewiston Woodville center
AHOSKIE - Roanoke-Chow-
an Community College is
the recipient of Golden
LEAF Foundation funding
for two projects totaling
$778,200 to increase adult
continuing education in the
community.
A Universal Technical
Training Center is being es
tablished on the college’s
In this edition
main campus in Hertford
County, and the college is
assistihg the community ed
ucation centers in Lewistoii
Woodville in Bertie Couhtyj
Rich Square and near Con
way in Northampton Coim-
ty-
Golden LEAF award
ed $368,200 through the
Community-Based Grants
Initiative for the Uruversal
Technical TVaining Center
to provide funding for the
renovation of an existing
building on campus into a
‘state-of-the-art’ technical
training center. This center
will continue many of the
workforce training courses
now offered at the college
as weU as add some new
certification and diploma
programs, According to
R-CCC President Murray J.
WiUiams.
“We are excited to an
nounce the establishment
of a new state-of-the-art
technical training center
which will serve as a hub
for distance and hands-on
learning to meet the needs
of local business and indus
try in the Roanoke-Chowan
area,” states President Wil
liams. “We appreciate the
support from the Golden
LEAF Foundation to help
us meet workforce devel
opment needs locally and
look forward to preparing
students with industry-rec
ognized credentials and
certificates for productive
careers in our area”
'Thh universal technical
training center grant will
also fund adult education for}
the new Lewiston WoodviUd
Educational Vitality Center;
including funds for scholar
ships and transportation if
See GRANT, A3 I
Goov morning,
Ctiarles Evans
OF Mekry Hid
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