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The
Eb^ROUIMANS
^^^QUXMAKC r.
sc
2794^-130^ 10/24/
October 26, 2005
Vol. 73, No. 43 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Parents to
school board:
Keep weapons
violators out
SUSAN HARRIS
They just don’t want him
back at Perquimans County
High School.
That was the message
seven speakers, each with a
child or grandchild at
Perquimans County High
School — and all but one
the family member of a vic
tim of an alleged attempted
armed robbery on campus
— told school board mem
bers Monday night.
The rumor that spread
late last week that the 15-
year-old alleged gunman
might be allowed back in
school after only a 10-day
suspension brought about
100 people to the regular
school board meeting
Monday The meeting was
moved to Hertford
Grammar School to accom
modate the crowd expected.
Parents expressed both
fear and anger that the
board would consider
allowing back on campus
the alleged gunman, who is
accused of having attempt
ed to rob four students in
front of the high school
between the end of the reg
ular school day and a soc
cer match scheduled for 5
p.m. on Sept. 12.
Sheriff Eric TUley con
firmed that juvenile peti
tions have been filed
against the student in con
junction with the incident.
The student’s name can not
be released because he is
under 16.
In addition, Hertford
Police Chief D^e Vanscoy
said the same juvenile faces
similar charges resulting
from an investigation by
his department into alleged
armed extortion that
occurred at Missing Mill
Park just two days earlier.
Juvenile petitions have also
been filed in that case.
At the end of its meeting,
the board adjourned into
closed session. With the
benefit of legal counsel, the
board made a unanimous
decision regarding reduc
ing the 365-day suspension,
according to schools Public
Information Officer Brenda
Lassiter. The decision will
be directly relayed to the
student’s parent.
Robin Ward-Dassler, a
math teacher at the high
school and the parent of
one of the four victims, told
board members the possi
bility that the student
might be allowed back in
school made her question
her desire to continue to
teach in Perquimans. The
National Board Certified
teacher has taught in
Perquimans for 22 years,
she said.
Ward-Dassler said the
board should honor the 365-
day suspension imposed by
PCHS Principal Melvin
Hawkins and
Superintendent Dr.
Kenneth Wells in accor
dance with state law, and
even asked the board to
take a step further and
expel the student. She said
having a gun on campus
Fiery crash
and using a gun to attempt
to extort money from four
other students justifies
explusion over suspension.
Ward-Dassler said that
overturning the long-term
suspension would under
mine the authority of both
the principal and superin
tendent, and would likely
cause other students sus
pended on weapons viola
tions to request that their
suspension be lifted, result
ing in a very unsafe envi
ronment for students and
staff
Lastly, Ward-Dassler
called for the resignation of
the board members on the
appeal hearing committee
that were rumored to have
decided to allow the student
back in school.
Other speakers echoed
Ward Dassler’s comments,
questioning the board’s
rumored decision in light
of a zero tolerance for
weapons policy.
According to several peo
ple close to the school case
who spoke on the condition
of anonymity, the perpe-
traitor approached four stu
dents in front of the school
prior to a soccer game on
Sept. 12. He told the male
students to give him their
money. They refused.
The would-be robber pat
ted the area around his
waist as he spoke., and
when the four students
continued to refuse to give
the gunman money, he
allegedly pulled up his
shirt and showed what the
four described as the butt of
a hand gun. Although the
student victims later
admitted that they were
frightened, they walked
away.
The boys were afraid to
tell what had happened,
and school officials did not
know until the next day
when a friend of one of the
victims reported it.
Sources said the boys
were called in Hawkins
individually and ques
tioned about the incident,
and all gave the same
account of the events.
That story included the
fact that there was another
male with the alleged gun
man, but none knew his
name. The boys were asked
independently to look in a
yearbook to see if they
could identify the person
with the gunman. All chose
the same person from the
yearbook.
The sixth person on the
scene, described as a friend
of the alleged gunman, was
questioned and he told the
same story the four victims
had told earlier. The
sources did not know if the
person with the alleged
gunman was an accom
plice or just happened to be
with his friend at the time
of the alleged incident.
At that point, the student
was suspended for 10 days
by Hawkins. In compliance
with school board policy
and state law, Hawkins
completed his investigation
Continued on page 11
Bus wreck
claims 4 lives
Bus driver,
volunteers
credited with
saving 40
students
SUSAN HARRIS
It was like a scene out of
a horror movie.
Metal twisted beyond
recognition. A charred
school bus with all its win
dows broken out. Debris
scattered over the roadway.
Children screaming.
And worst of all, body
bags filled with the
remains of the four men
who lost their lives while
on the way to work Monday
morning.
But it was also like a
scene from a movie based
on the biblical command
ment, “Love your neighbor
as yourself.”
For on Ocean Highway
South, in the midst of an
incident that brought the
largest single loss of life in
many years to the county,
there were many heroes
who stepped up to save the
lives of 40 children and a
bus driver trapped inside a
burning school bus.
Schools Superintendent
Dr. Kenneth Wells spoke
quietly during Monday
night’s board meeting, as
he updated the board and
about 100 people gathered
for the meeting at Hertford
Grammar School, on the
incident.
Wells spoke of his pride
in the community —
motorists, folks in neigh
boring homes, emergency
personnel, parents, the bus
driver, the students — who
each responded in extraor
dinary ways to help passen-
PHOTOS COURTESY PERQUIMANS COUNTY SCHOOLS
Four people died Monday morning when a work truck
rear-ended a Perquimans County Schools bus Monday
morning. All 40 students and the driver were able to
get off the burning bus without serious injury.
gers on the bus and in the
truck.
Especially high on WeUs’
list of those who deserved
praise was bus driver Zita
Privott Ferebee, 30, a four-
year driver who refused to
exit the bus until she had
made sure — at risk to her
own safety — that all her
young charges were off the
bus and out of harm’s way.
Even North Carolina
Highway Patrol Trooper
Ernest D. Goodwin Jr., one
of many law enforcement
officers on the scene, was
complimentary of Ferebee.
“That bus driver did a
terrific job getting those
kids off that bus,” Goodwin
said.
Ferebee was also credit
ed with handling her dri
ving duties admirably after
looking behind her to see a
black vehicle bearing
down. That she was able to
keep the bus from over
turning may have saved
serious injury, even lives,
according to school and law
enforcement officials.
Continued on page 4
Horse remain critical after abuse, recent rescue
MARGARET FISHER
Two horses left in a pen
without food remain in
fairly critical condition
after they were rescued two
weeks ago.
A third horse died four
hours after rescuers
arrived to the scene on
Snug Harbor Road in the
Bethel community. The
other two were taken to
PoweUsville Pet Clinic in
Bertie County where they
were tested and treated.
Blood samples were also
taken from the horse that
died.
On a scale up to 10 with
normal body fat for a horse
being about five and a half
to six, these horses graded
one or less, said
Veterinarian Cheryl
Powell.
As of Saturday, the hors
es were beginning to look
like they were filling out,
but it could take up to six
months before they may be
cleared from having fur
ther complications, includ
ing death, Powell said.
“Even though they look
better and are happier,”
she said, “they are not out
of the woods.”
Continued on page 11
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
Sundance (white) and Ahren are beginning to put on
weight and appear happier now that they have been
rescued after having been without food for a length
of time. Rescuer Sherry Davenport has provided a fos
ter home for the horses in Currituck County while
charges of abuse await trial. Megan Wise, 15, helps
take care of the horses.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 63, Low: 45
Sunny
Friday
High: 63, Low: 59
Mostly Cloudy
Saturday
High:61, Low: 48
Showers