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February 3, 2000
Vol. 68, No. 5 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
-.-M-P- 110200 01 **C001
pemSmans county library
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD NC 27944
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No races
>■
^et for
local
offices
‘ > SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
There are no races for coun
ty commissioner or school
board as the filing period for
those offices comes to a close.
As of mid-day Monday,
Perquimans Board of
Elections Director Eula Forbes
said three people have filed for
county commissioner and
three for school board.
For county commissioner,
present chairperson Shirley
Wiggins was the most recent
candidate to file. She joined
Democratic challenger Randy
Lassiter and Republican chal
lenger Vernon Hammons.
Wiggins is a Democrat.
Democrat Archie Miller,
who holds one of the three
seats up for election, had not
yet filed. Republican Bert
Hayes said he will not seek
another term.
For the non-partisan school
board race, incumbents Helen
Shaw and Thomas L. Riddick
have filed along with chah
longer Ramona Murphy.
Former chairman Wallace
Nelson had not fUed Monday.
The filing period closes
Monday at noon.
trooper escapes imury in wreck
Archer treated and
released after car
smashes into him
on U.S. Hwy. 17 N
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
A North Carolina Highway
Patrol trooper escaped serious
injury after being sandwiched
between two vehicles in his
patrol car Monday afternoon.
Trooper J.S. Archer was
treated and released from
Sentara Norfolk General
Hospital early Tuesday morn
ing, according to NCHP 1st
Sergeant C.D. Gould.
Gould said Tuesday morn
ing that Archer was traveling
north on U.S. Highway 17
between Hertford and
WoodvUle on a stretch known
locally as Newbold’s Curve
when he noted an RPS truck in
the roadway in the southbound
lanes. Archer turned around,
pulled behind the truck, acti
vated his emergency lights,
and put on his hat as he pre
pared to leave his car to help
the truck’s driver. The driver of
the truck, Andre Eugene
Green, 38, of 105 HoUy Grove
Road, Edenton, approached the
driver’s side window of the
patrol car to speak with
Archer, but Gould said Archer
directed him to the passenger
side of the vehicle, off the
roadway.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper J.S. Archer escaped serious injury Monday when he was hit in
the rear and slammed into a delivery van on U.S. Highway 17 North of Hertford. While law
and emergency vehicles were still on the scene, a second accident involving three vehicles
occurred at the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and N.C. 37 in Winfall.
said. Frost was admitted, but
was expected to be released
Tuesday morning.
Both the patrol car and the
Jeep were totalled, Gould said.
The accident is stiU imder
investigation. No charges had
As Archer prepared to get
out of his 1999 Ford patrol car,
he was hit in the rear by a 1996
Jeep driven by Dora Frost, 35,
of Rt. 2, Box 15T, Hertford.
Archer’s vehicle slammed into
the RPS truck, which then
rolled ahead about 30-50 feet.
The Jeep rolled upon impact,
coming to rest on the passen
ger side straddled the south
bound lanes.
Gould said Frost reportedly
did not see the vehicles in the
roadway, and therefore did not
slow down. Her estimated
speed at the time of impact
was 55 miles per hour.
Frost, her 4-year-old daugh
ter and Green were aU trans
ported to Chowan Hospital by
Perquimans County EMS.
Green and child were both
treated and released, Gould
been fUed at press time.
Perquimans County Sheriff
Department and Winfall Fire
Department personnel were
dispatched to assist with traf
fic control. A portion of the
northbound land of Highway
17 from about Carwriglrt
Swamp Road to Union Hall
Road was made two-way from
just after the accident at about
3:45 until about 6:30 p.m. . .
Less than half an hour aftei-
arriving on the scene, emer
gency personnel were sum
moned to the scene of a three-
car accident beside the state
highway shop on U.S. Highway
17 in Winfall.
According to Winfall Police
Chief David Shaffer, Kelly
Rountree Wilson of Hertfonl
failed to yield when she made a
left turn off of U.S. Highway 17
onto N.C. 37 in a Kia Sephia.
She was hit by a white
Mustang operated by Joseph
Ward of Elizabeth City. Tlte
impact knocked the Wilson car
into a 1996 Pontiac driven by
Arthur Rogers of Winfall*
Rogers was sitting at the intcr-I
section. I :
Shaffer said the occupants
of aU three vehicles were weal
ing seat belts, and therefore-
avoided serious injury. Fir^
and rescue personnel coordi- -
nated efforts to treat those who
needed transport, working
short-handed as two amfoj-
lances were already transport
ing victims of the earlioy.
wreck. ' : ;
Wilson was charged witli a
movement violation. Shaffer
said he estimated total daui*
ages of over $10,000 to tne three
vehicles.
Winter weather plays havoc in Hertford
Schools must add
days to calendar
for 5 lost to snow
2 SUSAN R. HARRIS
^2 Editor
•>
-
;^lippery roads, cold temper-
at^es and school days missed
h^e punctuated the last two
weeks in Perquimans.
'7a post-Christmas break on
Jail. 17 and 18 for the Mcirtin
LWher King holiday and an
eM-of-semester teacher work
i d^ was extended for two days
bjrthe first winter storm.
7pn Jan. 23, there was more
of* the- white stuff, but roads
wi^e clear enough on Monday
fdf students to go to school. By
Tjlesday morning, freezing
r^ and ice hit the area, mak-
ii^ driving hazardous. By mid
day, snow had begun to fall
over the layer of ice, and con-
tifiued until the evening hours.
While most of the main
highways and rural roads were
navigable by mid-day on
Wednesday, many back roads
remained icy. County offices
opened at 10 a.m. Wednesday,
and students enjoyed a fourth
day off in two weeks. School
resumed Friday, although
delayed two hours, and was in
session Saturday until 2
o’clock.
Saturday was bitterly cold,
with rain turning to freezing
rain coming in early Sunday
morning. Once again, a layer
of ice covered the county
But temperatures warmed,
and although it rained aU day
on Super Bowl Sunday, by
Monday morning, almost aU of
the ice and snow from the past
10 days was melted and county
' residents headed to school and
' work on schedule.
Perquimans deputies Lee Price (seated) and Ersal Overtch
were recently appointed to the Youth Council, a sub-comt
mittee of the Region R. Workforce investment Board.
Three locals join Youth Counctj
PHOTOS BY SUSAN HARRIS
Last week's snow brought
out the artists in the county
as snow and ice creatures
were sculpted. At Joyce
Taylor's home on Cienter Hill
Road,, grandparents, parents
and kids had fun building a
snow family (above). The
Michael Winslow family,
including children Kathy and
Kyle, got very creative and
built a polar bear in their
yard.
Mary Kay Peele, administra
tive assistant to schools super
intendent Gregory Todd said
make-up days wUl be proposed
to the school board at the
February meeting. Students
made up one day Saturday, and
officials must reschedule four
more. The make-up day propos
al will include a March 3
teacher work day, the April 21
Good Friday holiday, the May
29 Memorial Day holiday and
adding June 8 to the student
calendar. June 7 was added ear
lier as a make-up day for
Hurricane Floyd. Graduation
is still set for June 9.
Three Perquimans County
residents were appointed to
the Youth Council, a sub-com
mittee of the Region R.
Workforce Investment Board.
Lee Price, Ersal Overton III
and Ann Foreman accepted
positions on the 24-member
committee. The group is com
posed of representatives from
Camden, Currituck, Chowan,
Dare, Gates, Hyde,
Perquimans, Pasquotank,
Tyrrell, and Washington coun
ties.
The council is charged with
developing effective year-
round and summer compo
nents of the youth employ
ment program, which has
taken the place of JTPA. The
program assists eligible young
people, ages 14-21, in finding
jobs. Through participation in
the program and on-the-job
experience, youths have the
opOportimity to develop good
work habits, learn basic work
skills, and explore career
options. The program is open
to those who have never
worked or who have limited
work experience.
In addition to work expedi
ence, the youth program offers
educational enrichment in
reading and math to all partic
ipants.
A native of Perquimans,
Overton is a deputy with tlte
Perquimans County Sheriff’s
Department. He has been In
law enforcement 8 years, and
enjoys working in his hom6-
town. :
Price, also a Perquimans
deputy, currently serves as the
D.A.R.E. officer, working pri
marily with county fillb
graders. He has a daughter, 18,
and two sons, 13 and 7. He and
his wife, Sharon, are expecting
twins in May I
A businesswoman and
youth advocate. Foreman owns
and operates Kidsworld Child
Care Center. She also coordi
nates many activities for local
youth.
The youth program is
administered by the Mid-East
Commission located at the
JobLink Center in the.
Employment Securtty
Commission Office 4n
Elizabeth City. For informa
tion, call 330-4790, ext. 29.