August 27,
he Perquimans
12 013165 10/09/1998 *C20
PERiUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD NC 27944
Vol. 66, No. 35
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Hertford man arrested on drug charges
Agencies cooperate
to seize $33K in cash
and 6 grams cocaine
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
A motorist suspected of drunk dri
ving was stopped Friday night and is
now in Albemarle District Jail where
he awaits an appearance in court on
felony drug charges.
Gabee Lewis Coston was charged
with possession with intent to sell
and deliver cocaine, maintaining a
vehicle for the purposes of selling a
controlled substance, felony speeding
to elude arrest and
resist/delay/obstruct officers in car
rying out their duty. He is being held
under a $75,000 secured bond.
Coston was arrested by Agent
Rodney Beckom with the North
Carolina Division of Alcohol Law
Enforcement and Officer Nathan
Zachary with the Pasquotank
County/Elizabeth City Drug Task
Force, according to a news release
issued by the North Carolina
Department of Crime Control and
Public Safety. During the arrest, the
two officers seized $33,125 in cash and
6 grams of cocaine. The Perquimans
County Sheriffs Department also
assisted with the arrest.
Beckom and Zachary were
patrolling Perquimans County when
they stopped Coston because they
suspected he was driving drunk.
During the stop, Coston sped off and
the officers began a chase, according
to the news release. The vehicle
chase ended when Coston drove his
vehicle into a ditch. He then fled on
foot and was apprehended by the offi
cers.
A.L. E. agents, task force agents
and Perquimans County deputies
were working together to target drug
problems in Perquimans County the
night the arrest occurred.
“Law enforcement resources
across the state are limited,” stated
Richard H. Moore, secretary of the
N.C. Department of Crime Control
and Public Safety. “I was pleased that
A.L. E. was able to assist the local
Alleged
dealer
arrested
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Hertford police officers
arrested a county man late last
month, charging him with
assault with a deadly weapon
on a government official, pos
session with intent to
sell/deliver a schedule II con
trolled substance and speeding
to elude arrest.
George Nathan Felton, 36, of
Route 1, Box 839, Hertford, was
arrested by officers on July 25.
According to Hertford Police
Chief Dale Vanscoy, Felton
waived his probable cause
hearing in Perquimans
County District Court last
week, and his case has been
bound over for Superior Court.
Vanscoy said his depart
ment received information
about possible narcotics traf
ficking by Felton from a drug
task force member. Felton was
initially stopped on Edenton
Road Street for having only
one headlight. Because of the
information from the task
force, Vanscoy said a canine
unit was called in from
Chowan County.
Felton pulled off in his vehi
cle before the unit arrived,
almost hitting one of the offi
cers who stopped him, the
chief said. A chase ensued,
turning off Edenton Road
Street onto Ballahack Road.
Just over the railroad tracks
on Ballahack Road, Vanscoy
said Felton drove his car into a
ditch.
Felton was placed under
arrest at that time. In his car,
officers found about $3,000 in
cash and 20 grams of cocaine.
The cash, drugs and the vehi
cle were seized.
On Aug. 1, officers arrested
Covah W. Sawyer, 22, of 200
Crescent Dr., Hertford; Carl
Jay Bowden, 28, of 405 E.
Burgess St., Elizabeth City;
and Ronald Lee Boyce, 32, of
Main Street Winfall, and
charged all three with crimes
dealing with the theft and/or
use of a stolen credit card.
■ Vanscoy said one of the
three stole a credit card from
an employer. The card was
used at several area business
es.
Sawyer was charged with
aid and abet financial card
fraud, financial transaction
card theft and financial card
forgery. Bowden and Boyce
were both charged with receiv
ing stolen financial card and
financial transaction card
forgery. Sawyer’s bond was set
at $18,000 secured; Boyce’s at
$10,000 secured; and Bowden’s
at $4,000 secured. All three
have previous criminal
records.
Vanscoy said other charges
are probable.
Back to school
(BOTTOM) PHOTO BY NORRIS GARDNER
(TOP) PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Students in Mrs. Foskey’s and Mrs. Rucker’s
class at Ceiitral School (above) enjoy one of
the best parts of the school day — break
time! Perquimans County students returned
to the classroom Monday to begin the 180-
day count-down. Friday night, the
Perquimans County High School Pirates
varsity footbali team saw its first action
against visiting Atlantic Shores Christian
School. The homestanders held on for a
too-close-for-comfort 28-26 win. For infor
mation on the game and sports schedules
for varsity and junior varsity football and
volleyball at PCHS, please see page 6.
Medicaid recipients to enroll in managed care
Carolina Access
will serve most
local recipients
Managed care is coming for
most Medicaid recipients in
Perquimans County, accord
ing to Carlyn Chambers of the
Perquimans County
Department of Social Services.
On Oct. 1, Medicaid recipi
ents here will begin enrolling
in Carolina ACCESS, a man
aged care program. Chambers
said the goal of the program is
to provide a more efficient and
effective health care system
for Medicaid recipients, while
also containing costs. To
accomplish this dual goal,
Medicaid recipients are linked
with primary care providers
who deliver and coordinate
individual health care needs.
Approximately 70-75 per
cent of Perquimans County’s
1,880 Medicaid recipients will
enroll in the Carolina ACCESS
program. Recipients will select
a primary care provider when
they apply or recertify for
Medical benefits at the depart
ment of social services.
Because the enrollment
process is gradual, it takes
approximately 12-18 months
for a county to reach full
enrollment.
Primary cai'e providers con
tract with Carolina ACCESS.
They receive a mangement fee
of $3 per member per month
up to 250 members and $2.50
for each member over 250. For
this fee, they coordinate
patient health care. This man
agement fee is in addition to
the Medicaid fee for service.
There is no additional paper
work when filing claims for
Carolina ACCESS members.
The primary care provider
is responsible for:
• rendering all preventive
health care services
• authorizing needed spe
cialty services
• authorizing inpatient hos
pital admissions and approv
ing non-emergent emergency
room treatment when appro
priate
• providing after-hours
medical advice.
Recipients receive many
benefits from participating in
the Carolina ACCESS pro
gram:
• an opportunity to select a
primary care provider from
those participating in the pro
gram
• the ability to establish a
consistent, ongoing relation
ship with one provider
• improved access to both
preventive and sick care ser
vice
• access to the local
Carolina ACCESS plan repre
sentative when questions arise
• access to 24-hour medical
advice
• educational support from
the county, providers and the
Carolina ACCESS staff.
Chambers maintains an
office at the social services
office. She will coordinate the
program on the local level
through education with the
recipients, caseworkers and
headth care providers.
For information, contact
Chambers at 426-7373 or the
Carolina ACCESS staff in
Raleigh at 1-800-228-8142.
agencies in making this arrest.”
Pasquotank County Sheriff Randy
Cartwright said agencies in north
eastern North Carolina are working
closer together, and that the arrest
shows how effective teamwork can
be.
Perquimans County Sheriff Ralph
Robinson, tapped by the Perquimans
County Commissioners to fill the
unexpired term of David Lane effec
tive Aug. 1, said one of his first
actions as sheriff was to sign a mutu
al aid agreement with Pasquotank
County.
Festival
‘98 to
feature
produce
contest
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Think your pumpkins are
the biggest you’ve ever seen?
Well, enter them in the Indian
Summer Festival Blue Ribbon
Produce Contest.
Produce grown in the
Albemarle area in 1998 can be
entered in the contest. First,
second and third prizes will be
awarded.
In addition to having pro
duce named the best in the
area, the contest also provides
the opportunity to have two
produce items for sale in the
festival farmer’s market at no
charge to the grower.
Vegetables accepted for jud-
ing will be beans, cabbage,
canteloupe, cucumbers, col-
lards, eggplant, okra, onions,
peppers, peas, potatoes, pump
kins, squash, sweet corn,
tomatoes, watermelon, and
honeydew. Fruits and nuts
judged will include apples,
blueberries, grapes, pecans,
black walnuts, pears, and figs.
Even ornamentals such as
cushaws, gourds, and Indian
com will be accepted.
The deadline to enter the
contest is Tuesday, Sept. 15 at
4:30 p.m. Judging will be held
Sept. 16 at the North Carolina
Extension Service-Perquimans
Center.
For more information, or an
entry sheet, call Jennifer
Layden at 297-2901.
There are still booths avail
able for display, crafts and
food. Special rates have been
established for church, civic
and community service orga
nizations for card table-sized
bake sale booths.
The Indian Summer
Festival is set for Saturday,
Sept. 19 in downtown Hertford.
Organized by the Hertford
Downtown Merchants
Association, the festival will
have a county-fair feel.
A wide variety of entertain
ment, carnival rides, festival
foods and quality crafts will
fill the downtown area.
Merchants will also have
booths on the street featuring
their merchandise.
The day will end with a
street dance featuring the
band Dakota.
The fourth annual Miss
Indian Summer Festival
pageant is set for Saturday,
Sept. 12 at Perquimans County
High School.
For information, contact
Jennifer Layden, Mary White
at The Wishing Well or
Frankie Eason at Hertford
Cafe.