HUMC bell to ring again
Page 3
Schools release honor rolls
Page 4
Pirates sweep Columbia
Page?
February 15,2006
Vol, 74 No. 7 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
The
PERQOIMAHS COUHTT LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, HC 279A4-1306
Weekiy
EB 1 5 ZUuo
Couple charged with child sex abuse
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SUSAN R. HARRIS
A Hertford couple was
charged with the sexual
abuse of a 13-year-old fami
ly member.
Wayne Arthur Foberg,
37, and his wife Krista
Renee Foberg, 23, of 120
New River Drive, were
charged last Wednesday for
Facility
damaged
in teen
ca^Y
»■'
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The pro at Sound Golf
Links at Albemarle
Plantation opted not to
press charges against three
teens whose alleged Friday
night caper damaged a golf
cart and facilities there.
Sheriff Eric Tilley said
his department was called
on Feb. 11 to investigate
when golf course employ
ees found a damaged golf
cart, putting green and
grass area near the pool
that morning. Tilley said
the damage reportedly took
place either late on Feb. 10
or in the early morning
hours of Feb. 11.
A security ^ard at the
gated community provided
a license tag number, which
officials used to determine
that the perpetraitors were
Christopher Bass, 16,
William Harrell, 16, and
Brandon Wallace, 18. One of
Continued on page 10
their roles in the alleged
abuse of the child, accord
ing to Perquimans County
Sheriff Eric Tilley. The
pair voluntarily surren
dered themselves at the
sheriff’s office, TiUey said.
Wayne Foberg is charged
with statutory rape, crimes
against nature and two
counts of indecent liber
ties. His wife is charged
with statutory sex offense,
crimes against nature ajid
two counts of indecent lib
erties. Secured bonds of
$72,000 were set for each by
Magistrate William
Winslow.
The couple also had a
hearing before the
Honorable Amber Davis in
Perquimans County
District Court after their
arrest to seek bond reduc
tion. Davis upheld
. Winslow's original order.
Tilley said his depart
ment was initially contact
ed by the 13-year-old's par
ents by telephone on Jan.
10. The family traveled to
Hertford on Jan. 12 to file a
formal report.
The parents told Tilley
that their family had visit
ed the women's father, with
whom the Fobergs resided,
in Albemarle Plantation
during the holidays, and
that several days after
returning to their home in
a small North Carolina
town, they learned of the
alleged sex abuse.
The mother told Tilley
she found condoms in the
daughter's bedroom and
talked to the child about
sexual activity. The daugh
ter allegedly confided in
the mother incidents that
occurred in a bedroom of
the Hertford home involv
ing her and the Fobergs. At
that time, the parents con
tacted Tilley.
Tilley said a probable
cause hearing has been set
for Feb. 27.
A ROSE IS A ROSE
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
Gregory Bass puts the finishing touches on one of about 500 Valentine orders that owner Stephen Bass esti
mates that Dozier's Florist will fill. The floral shop's truck and cooler were filled with flowers on Monday after
noon. Dozier's sold more roses this year than last year, Stephen Bass said.
Gay membership
divides Methodists
History makers
CHRIS WHIPPLE
The Daily Advance
North Carolina
Methodists who oppose
extending church member
ship to gays and lesbians
say it's unfair to character
ize them as homophobes or
bigots.
They claim their stance,
which is in defiance of
their own church's doctrine
to admit anyone who pro
fesses a belief in Jesus
Christ, is based on biblical
law that teaches homosexu
ality is wrong.
“This is not a hate-filled
thing,” says Allen Morris.
“But we don't want to love
someone straight into hell
by never confronting them”
about their sin.
Morris, head of
Concerned Methodists, a
Fayetteville-based group,
was the keynote speaker
the night of Wednesday,
Feb. 8, for a discussion on
the United Methodist
Church's policy on admit
Continued on page 4
Calvin Johnson delivers
mail to downtown busi
nesses, as well as residen
tial neighborhoods in
Hertford. As the first
African-American letter
carrier in the town,
Johnson has been deliver
ing mail for nearly 32
years. Read more about
Johnson and other black
history-makers on page 4.
opens
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The filing period for the
May primary election
opened Monday at noon,
and two local incumbents
became the first to file for
election.
Sheriff Eric Tilley and
Clerk of Superior Court
Todd Tilley both filed to
keep their jobs soon after
the filing period opened.
In addition to sheriff and
clerk of court, there are
three seats on the board of
county commissioners and
three on the school board
up for grabs.
The seats held by com
missioners Ben Hobbs,
Tammy Miller-White and
CharlesWard are up for
election. Like the sheriff
and clerk of court, there
will be a primary for these
partisan seats, and
Republicans and
Democrats will choose
their contenders who will
then go head-to-head in
November’s general elec
tion.
The school board, howev
er, is non-partisan and
those chosen in the May
primary wiU be seated in
June. Presently holding the
seats up for, election are
Walter Leigh,Gloria Mason
and Gary Saul.
Under an election plan
approved by the US. Justice
Department to insure
minority representation on
the board of county com
missioners and school
board, all seats are at-large.
Each registered voter may
vote for only one candidate.
Continued on page 10
Accounting firm grows into new office
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
Hertford CPA Rhonda Gregory explains how the
accounting firm she started as a two-person office in
1989 has grown to include two additional partners
and 14 employees at three locations. The firm opened
its new main office in the Perquimans Commerce
Centre recently with a ribbon cutting sponsored by
the Chamber of Commerce.
SUSAN R. HARRIS
When Rhonda Gregory
opened her accounting
firm in November 1989, she
and a secretary held down
the fort. She did not dream
then that in just over 15
years she would take on
two partners, have a full
staff of 14, build a bigger
office to handle a growing
client base, and add satel
lite offices in Columbia and
Moyock.
But all that has hap
pened, and Rhonda
Gregory, CPA is now
Gregory and Associates,
firm with partners
Gregory, Rube Blanchard
and Tammy Proctor.
Gregory bought and ren
ovated the Market Street
building that first held her
business. With it practical
ly bursting with more staff
than it was designed to
hold, Gregory ‘ and
Associates built a new,
roomier office with expan
sion capacity in the
Perquimans Commerce
Centre on Harvey Point
Road. The staff kicked off
the tax season by moving
into the building just after
the holidays.
Last year, the celebrated
the new year by opening
their satellite offices.
Gregory said the new
facility has 11 individual
offices and several common
areas, including a confer
ence room, file room and
more, and also has an
unfinished second floor
that can facilitate future
growth needs.
Continued on page 10
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 69, Low: 51
Parry Cloudy
Friday
High: 68, Low: 40
Mostly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 47, Low: 28
Few Showers