Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / May 7, 2003, edition 1 / Page 1
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— ' ' Fire department gets camera f^ge3 Sports updates Page 6 student achievennents F^ge7 ' 27944-1306 May 7, 2003 Vol. 71, No. 19 Hertford, North Carolina 27944 Perql Weekly Muddy Creek man charged with statutory rape SUSAN R. HARRIS A 19-year-old Perquimans man was arrested on Saturday and charged with two counts of statutory rape. Jason Renaldo Robertson of 430 Muddy Creek Road, Hertford, was arrested by Sheriff’s deputy Nathan Zachary. He was placed under a $120,000 secured bond. Also arrested were Jason Robertson’s brother and sister-in-law, Michael Roberton, 27, and Lisa Robertson, 35, both of 430 Muddy Creek Road. Both were charged on Monday with two counts of aiding and abetting statutory rape and were each placed under a $100,000 secured bond. Zachary said the case against the Robertsons unfolded quickly, and began with a phone call to his office on Saturday morning from Albemarle Hospital. The victim in the case, a family member under the age of 18, was treated at the hospital. During the treatment, hos pital staff had reason to believe that the underage victim had been involved in a sexual relationship with Jason Robertson. By law, the medical professionals were obligated to contact the appropriate law enforcement authorities with their findings because the victim is a minor. Zachary said Jason Robertson allegedly began having a sexual relation ship with the minor in September 2002 and that it continued untU April 2003. Michael and Lisa Robertson allegedly knew about the relationship and took no steps to stop it, and in fact, Zachary said, enabled the relationship to continue. There is no evidence the rape was forcible, Zachary said; however, in North Carolina having a sexual relationship with someone under the age of 16 is con sidered statutory rape. The investigation in the case is ongoing, Zachary said, and there are other charges pending. The case has also been turned over to social ser vices for their review. WhUe on routine patrol in MUler and Meads Mobile Home Park on Monday morning, Zzachary observed a drug transac tion in progress. Quinton Wayne Pierce, 29, of 1808 County Line Road, Belvidere, was charged with possession with intent to seU/deliver marijuana and maintain ing a vehicle for the pur pose of seUing/delivering marijuana. Relay for Life is this weekend Cancer survivors and those committed to raising money for cancer research will take to the track at John A. Holmes High School this Friday and Saturday for the 9th annual Chowan/Perquimans Relay for Life. Relay for Life is a fun- filled overnight event designed to celebrate the survivorship and to raise funds for research and pro grams of the American Cancer Society. Prior to the event, teams hold fundraisers to raise tnoney During the event, teams of people take turns walking or running laps. The Relay for Life event kicks off with a survivor reception at 5 p.m., and then the opening cere monies at 6 p.m. Call Sherry HarreU at 426-5145 to register or for informa tion. The traditional lumi nary ceremony wiU be at 9 p.m. on Friday During the ceremony, lights are extin guished at the track and luminaries lighted in honor and memory of those who have battled cancer. Call Brenda Newbern at 426- 8349 to purchase a lumi nary. The closing ceremony will be at 12:30pm on Saturday Relay ends at 1 p.m. on Saturday. There will be tons to do at Relay 2003 for family and friends, as well as teams. There will be music, games, and food. Those who wish to participate may want to bring a lawn chair. DJ’s Outer Banks 2000 and Dennis the Menace will be on hand to provide music on Friday and Saturday, and several local entertainers will perform during the event. The enter tainment includes Albemarle Sounds, Andy Faircloth, Jenna Leigh Renner and Justin Smith, Sydney Lassiter, Carla Winslow and Elmer Overton, the Perquimans High School Marching Band, the Edenton United Methodist Church Puppet team. Center Hill Baptist Hand Bell Choir, and The Rocky Hock Grand Ole Opry Band. For more information about the Chowan and Perquimans Relay for Life, please call 482-3681. Perquimans in Prayer Over 150 people gathered in downtown Hertford last Thursday to observe World Day of Prayer, organized by the Ministers' Council for Education and Communities in Schools. Prayers were offered for state leadeers, local leaders, the nation, leaders, communities, families and youth during the half-hour evei^t by Larry Higgins, Fred Yates, Landon Mason, Willie Vaughn, Mark Baker, Ken Wells, and Faye Rouse. Estelle Felton and Barbara Gustafson opened and closed the program. The Perquimans Pipers (below left) played two selections, while Billy Briggs and Cynthia Stallings (right) sang "The Prayer." L. a f 1' H l-l 9 i X Officials think OLF not coming here SUSAN R. HARRIS County commissioners Ben Hobbs and Charles Ward said they believe Perquimans will not become home to a military outlying landing field. The pair, who sit on a committee representing counties in northeastern North Carolina opposed to buUding a military outly ing landing field in the region, said Monday that they feel a decision has been made, and that Perquimans will not be the designated site. The deci sion is scheduled to be announced in July Officials and residents in Perquimans County acted immediately when they found out around January 2002 that the Navy was seri ously considering locating an OLF in Whiteston. Community meetings, pub lic hearings and letter-writ ing campaigns were orga nized and officials contact ed federal leaders. Snug Harbor man questions animal control tactics Officers said they acted in best interest of neighbors SUSAN R. HARRIS A Snug Harbor man said the county animal control officer and sheriff’s deputies were inhumane and unprofessional when they responded to a dog call on Evergreen Street in the subdivision on April 29. Animal control officer Thomas Stanton and sher iff’s deputy Nathan Zachary, however, say they followed procedures pro scribed by law and acted to protect the community when they responded. Tim Wescom, who lives in the neighborhood, said the dog could have been noosed instead of chased around and shot four times before finally being put down. According to Wescom, the dog belongs to Thomas Man, who is presently incarcerated. He said the dog has been in the neigh borhood for about a year not on a leash, and that the dog had been outside for at least the last two weeks. He said it was Mann’s wife who called animal control. Wescom said the dog was playing rough with a cat, but didn’t kO the animal, and that he understood Mrs. Mann had reported to animal control that the dog had turned on her and her child. He thought the dog shoidd have been noosed or tranquUized and removed from the neighborhood before being put down, and that the shots taken in the neighborhood were danger ous for neighbors. Stanton said Monday that he responded to a call that a dog was aggressive with a woman and chUd. The woman told Stanton she feared that the dog pos sibly had rabies because it had attacked a cat and tried to get to her chUd through the door of her house. The dog was familiar to the woman and had not made aggressive moves toward she or her chUd before, she told Stanton. The animal control offi cer told the woman that he would respond to the call, but that if he was unable to catch the animal, he would have to put the dog down. Stanton said the woman told him to do whatever he had to do to get the dog off her property When Stanton respond ed, he took Zachary and deputy Shelby White with him. He said he always takes a deputy with him when he knows he is responding to a caU that may require putting down an animal. When the three arrived, the dog growled at them and acted vicious, accord ing to both Stanton and Zachary They made several unsuccessful attempts to catch the animal before try ing to shoot the animal. Zachary said Stanton thought he had a clean shot at the animal, but the dog moved and was only injured and ran again. Two more shots still faUed to put the dog down. The dog ran under the house and the officers said they attempted to get him out when he exited through a second manhole in the house. He ran away, jumped into a canal and swam to the other side. The officers followed the dog to the other side of the canal, where Zachary put the ani mal down. Stanton said the law states that if animal con trol officers can’t catch an animal, the officers may put the animal down by any means possible. Tranquilizing a dog in the wild is very difficult and usually unsuccessful, both Zachary and Stanton said. Both officers said they did what they felt was justi fied to protect the neighbor hood after receiving a caU that a dog had tried to attack a woman and chUd. They reiterated that they followed procedures set down by state statute. “The Perquimans County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t want to portray the image of being animal abusers, but we have to act to protect the residents of Perquimans County,” Zachary said. “No shots were taken that would put anybody in danger. All shots were aimed towards the ground.” Weekend Weather THURSDAY High: 81 Low: 64 Partly Cloudy Friday High:82 Low: 63 SCAHERED T'STORMS Saturday High: 81 Low:61 Partly Cloudy
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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May 7, 2003, edition 1
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