May 4,1995
12 013165 08/04/95 20
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 U ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD NC 27944
The Perquimans Weekly
350
Vol. 63, No. 18
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Wreck
snarls
traffic
for hours
Wilson truck driver
remains in serious
condition after
injury in U.S. 17
wreck last week
A Wilson man was still in a
Virginia hospital Monday for
injuries sustained when his
tractor-trailer overturned and
skidded over 200 feet at the 5-
mile Y on U.S. 17 South last
Thursday.
Ray Junior Sykes, 46, of 200
W. Hines St., Wilson, was list
ed in serious but stable condi
tion. He was airlifted to
Norfolk by Nightingale air
ambulance.
The accident closed the inter
section of U.S. Highway 17 and
N.C. Highway 37 shortly after
10 a.m.
Troopers with the N.C.
Highway Patrol say it is
unlikely charges will be filed
in the single vehicle accident.
Sykes, a truck driver with
Carolina Auto Sales of Simms,
was driving an International
tractor truck hauling 18 com-
Traffic was rerouted for about three hours at
the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 South and
N.S. Highway 37 last Thursday after a tractor-
trailer loaded with compacted cars overturned.
pacted cars on an open bed
trailer, said Trooper C.T.
Griffin of the N.C. Highway
Patrol.
Witnesses said Sykes was
traveling north on U.S. 17,
apparently at a normal rate of
speed, when he entered a
curve that begins several hun
dred feet before the U.S.
17/N.C. 37 intersection, Griffin
said. It appears Sykes tried
slowing his truck, he said.
It is unclear if the weight of
Sykes’ load shifted, but the
truck began pitching to its left
side and went into a skid for
over 400 feet before falling
over and skidding another 200
feet, blocking the intersection
of U.S. 17 and Hopewell Road
located near the intersection,
Griffin said.
No other people or vehicles
were involved in the^ccident.
A Pasquotank-Camden
Rescue Squad vehicle was also
traveling north on U.S. 17 and
stopped to help Sykes.
The Perquimans County
Lady Tigers win
Perquimans ball
tournament
Hospital observes
national week
Some of the Lady Tigers
remember having to watch
last April as the Chowan
Middle School softball team
stepped up to claim their first
place trophies after defeating
Perquimans in the
Perquimans Invitational
Baseball and Softball tourna
ment.
That memory has faded now,
because Saturday it was the
Lady Tigers who received the
first place honors at the sec
ond annual tournament.
Perquimans was primed for
action during the two-day
event, winning both their
games in five innings, banging
out 36 hits in two games and
playing tough defense to send
both Knapp and Manteo home.
After sitting out in the first
round with a home-team bye,
the Tigers jumped out to an 8-1
lead over Knapp in the second
round game. The Lady Raiders
came back with two in the
third, but Perquimans was
able to pound out hits to take a
13-3 win.
“Super defensive plays made
by Mindy Roberson and
Brenna Lothian stopped two
Knapp rallies,” said Lady
Tigers coach sid Eley. “It was
a total defensive team effort
that allowed only nine hits,
Our bats were working with 19
hits in five innings.”
April Owens was 3-for-3 with
four RBIs. Brianne Perry was
2-for-2. Jodi Bridgers was 3-for-
3. Kim Stallings was 3-for-4
with a double and an RBI.
Amanda Byrum was 3-for-4
with two RBIs. Brenna
Lothian was l-for-2 with two
RBIs. Shalonda Leary was 1-
for-2 with three RBIs and a
homerun. Lee Ann Ferrell was
2-for-3 with an RBI.
In the championship game
on Saturday, Perquimans took
a big 15-4 win over a team that
had beaten them earlier this
season. Manteo was unable to
stop the Tigers’ bats.
“The team effort won it for
us,” Eley said. “Each player,
both those on the field and
those off the field, worked
together for the win.”
Leary nailed a grand slam
with a power line drive to deep
left. She was 2-for-2 with five
RBIs for the day. Owens was 3-
for-3 with three RBIs, includ
ing a double and a triple to the
opposite field for the left-han
der. Lothian was 2-for-2. Perry
was 3-for-3 with three RBIs
and a double. Stallings was 2-
for-3 with a double. Kristen
Winslow was l-for-2 with an
RBI. Roberson was 2-for-3 with
an RBI. Michelle Nixon was 1-
for-1. Blair Winslow was 1-for-
3 with an RBI.
“The girls were not satisfied
with their second place finish
a year ago and really pushed to
win our tournament,” Eley
said. “Our hitting was the best
of the year.”
The loss gave Manteo second
place.
The Tigers baseball team
took home the trophies last
year, but couldn’t hold on to
an early lead over First Flight
in the second round, placing
them in the loser’s bracket.
First Flight won, 13-7.
They redeemed themselves
on Saturday with a 5-1 win
over Chowan. Andrew Harris
collected that win on the
mound, going three innings.
Eric Byrum and Adam
Swindell came in in relief
Camden took first place in
the baseball tournament, with
First Flight coming in second.
Both Tiger teams fell to
Camden on the road Monday.
The Lady Tigers lost 11-7, the
Tigers, 10-0. Harris took the
loss for Perquimans. Game sta
tistics were unavailable.
Chowan Hospital will cele
brate National Hospital Week,
May 7-13 with community
wellness screenings, a Health
Expo and recognition of
employees. The theme for the
event is “Always There With
Hope and Care.”
The week kicks off with the
sixth annual Fun Run/Walk
on May 6. Events include one
and three mile runs and a two
mile walk. Registration begins
at 8 a.m. in front of the library
on Water Street in Edenton.,
Cash prizes will be awarded
in the poster contest for third
graders at D.F. Walker and
White Oak schools.
Hospital employees and their
families will gather on May 12
for a picnic. Rescue personnel
from Chowan, Perquimans,
Bertie, Gates, Tyrrell and
Washington counties have
been invited as part of the
National Emergency Services
Week observance.
The celebration will contin
ue throughout the month with
other events. Cholesterol and
blood pressure screening will
be done at Woodard’s
Pharmacy on May 18 from 10
a.m.-l p.m. The cost is $2.
Activities will conclude with
a Health Expo on the hospital
grounds on May 24 from 3:30-
6:30 p.m. Screenings and
health information will be pro-
vided. The day will also
include entertainment with
DIXIE 105.7 providing a live
remote, a purple and green
dinosaur and face painting.
Commodities disbursed
Perquimans County will
receive USDA donated com
modities for distribution on
May 9. The Hertford Lions
Club win begin distribution at
9 a.m. at the ice plant on
Grubb Street.
All households who will not
be able to pickup their com
modities may use a represen
tative for this purpose. The
commodities card or applica
tion must be signed in the cor
rect places for this to be
acceptable. No household will
be allowed to pick up food for
more than themselves and one
other household as representa
tive.
There will be two lines at the
distribution site. The second
line will be for the physically
handicapped and/or disabled
who are present at the distrib
ution to pick up their food. A
doctor’s note stating the dis
ability, or proof of handi
capped license plates for their
vehicle must be provided.
Those persons using the hand
icapped line may pick up food
for their own household only.
Cars may not be driven into
the distribution area. Park
only in authorized parking
areas as the Hertford Police
Department will be patrolling
the area.
Applications may be
obtained from the following
agencies: Department of Social
Services, Health Department,
Economic Improvement
Council, Catholic Social
Ministries and Senior Citizen
Center.
The Commodities
Distribution Program is avail
able to all eligible persons
without regard to race, color,
national origin, age, sex, reli
gion, handicap or political
beliefs. Information about reg
ulations against discrimina
tion and how to file a com
plaint may be secured from the
N.C. Division of Social
Services, 325 N. Salisbury
Street, Raleigh, N.C. or the
department of social services.
Police brutality
allegation under
SBI investigation
PHOTO BY GINGER LIVINGSTON, THE DAILY ADVANCE
The driver of the vehicle remained in serious
but stable condition Monday at Sentara Norfolk
General Hospital. He was airlifted by
Nightingale air ambulance to Norfolk.
Rescue Squad, Hertford
Emergency Response team-and
Bethel Fire Department were
also called to the scene.
Sykes was transported
approximately two miles north
to a field at the intersection of
U.S. 17 and Perry-Long Road
for pick-up by Nightingale.
Traffic was rerouted for
more than two hours while a
three-mile stretch of the high
way was closed by rescue and
clean-up efforts.
NAACP requests
probe into charges
that Hertford officer
beat suspect
By GINGER LIVINGSTON
The Daily Advance and
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The SBI is investigating
charges of police brutality
involving a Hertford Police
officer.
Perquimans County NAACP
Branch president Estelle
Felton wrote District Attorney
Frank Parrish on April 27, for
mally requesting the investi
gation and suspension of an
officer involved in an incident
that resulted in hospital treat
ment for a robbery suspect on
April 24.
“In order to gather the best
available information I will
ask Chief (Bennie) Murphy to
conduct an internal investiga
tion,” Parrish said Friday, not
ing he could not force Murphy
to investigate.
Murphy said Monday that
the investigation is being per
formed by the SBI at Murphy’s
request. He said he felt it was
appropriate to have an outside
agency look into the allega
tions. Murphy added that if
the SBI finds that the officer
acted inappropriately, he will
deal with the matter following
the policies and procedures set
forth by his department.
“I want to let it be known
that this department does not
condone brutality, nor will it
tolerate it,” Murphy said.
The NAACP request alleges
that William Stanley Johnson
was beaten by Hertford law
officers, resulting in his hospi
talization.
Murphy said Johnson, 39, of
Hertford, was treated at
Chowan Hospital on April 24
for injuries he suffered while
resisting Sgt. Ray Jedele’s
attempts to arrest Johnson.
Jedele saw Johnson near the
Super 10 store on West Grubb
Street shortly after hearing
the sound of breaking glass,
Murphy said. The store was
broken into.
Johnson ran when Jedele
approached him, Murphy said.
Jedele stopped Johnson on the
corner of Edenton Road Street
and Market Street and
attempted to handcuff him.
Correction
Those wishing to donate
money to the fund set up for
Whitney Stallings, the 8-year-
old Winfall girl who recently
had a heart transplant, should
make checks payable to the
WSH Fund, c/o Centura Bank.
Jedele had cuffed one hand
when Johnson broke free and
led him on a three-to-four-
block chase, the chief said.
Jedele tried arresting
Johnson and a fight began.
Jedele tried to subdue Johnson
with pepper spray, but the can
ister was nearly empty and
most of the spray blew back
into Jedele’s face, according to
Murphy.
Johnson struck Jedele sever
al times, according to Murphy.
At least once the dangling
handcuff hit Jedele, the police
chief said.
“The officer struck Mr.
Johnson with his forearm but
Johnson came at him,”
Murphy said. “The officer
struck him in the mid section
and Mr. Johnson bent over.
The officer then struck Mr.
Johnson behind his left ear
with his hand. This caused Mr.
Johnson to fall, striking his
head on a picnic table.”
Johnson was taken from the
scene to Chowan Hospital for
treatment. According to Pete
Rogers, Chowan Hospital pub
lic relations director, Johnson
was held overnight for obser
vation. Jedele was treated at
the scene.
Johnson is being held in
Albemarle District Jail under
a $7,000 secured bond. He is
charged with felonious break
ing, entering and larceny,
assault on a law officer and
resisting, obstructing and
delaying an officer.
The Perquimans County
branch of the National
Association for the
Advancement of Colored
People thought the incident
should be investigated, Felton
said. She would not say if
Johnson, his family members
or others in the community
had asked for the local
branch’s help.
“An organization as large as
we are, we have no problem
finding out,” Felton said.
Felton would not comment
on details of the incident.
“If I knew the information, I
wouldn’t be asking for an
investigation,’' she said.
Felton sqid she had been
advised not to discuss the case
and would not say who was
advising her. She would not
say what further action the
local branch would take to
pursue the investigation.
“The beginning of the
process has started,” she said.
The Perquimans Weekly
reported on April 20 that
checks should be made
payable to the Whitney
Stallings Care Fund. Updated
information received by the
newspaper is that WSH Fund
is the title under which the
account has been established.
Outside
THURSDAY J.._ FRIDAY _
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