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110 W ACADEHT ST
HERTFORD, NC 2734-5-1306
21/2006
February 22, 2006
Vol. 74, No. 8 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
FEB ^ ^ 2006
I'EKgUIMANS
Weekly
Man dies in wreck
MARGARET FISHER
An Edenton man driving
south on a northbound lane
was killed last Thursday
when his truck plowed into
a truck and utility trailer
filled with a cord of fire
wood.
For undetermined rea
sons, Herbert Cofield, 72,
was driving a 1998 Dodge
pickup the wrong way on
U.S. Highway 17 near
Poplar Drive at about 6:25
p.m.
At the head of the
oncoming traffic was a 2004
Chevy pickup driven by
Joseph Delaney, an
Edenton logger who was
bringing a load of wood to
Elizabeth City. When
Delaney came around the
curve, he saw headlights
coming towards him, but at
first he thought they were
on the other side of the
highway.
“When I realized the
headlights were coming
right toward me, it was a
matter of seconds - less
than a second, probably,”
he said.
Delaney swerved to
avoid a head-on collision.
Cofield’s truck sideswiped
Delaney’s truck and* then
hit the trailer, knocking it
into a ditch and strewing
firewood down the shoul
der of the highway.
The impact caused the
death of Cofield, said
Trooper J.E Bray of the
N.C. Highway Patrol.
Officials had to cut open
the driver’s side of the
Continued on page 10
Daily Advance photo
An Edenton man was killed last Thursday evening
when his truck struck a vehicle on U.S. Highway 17
North.
"Rvo face death in
boating accident
MARGARET FISHER
Two Perquimans County
men setting nets in the
Albemarle Sound spent
about two hours in the
frigid water before being
rescued last Wednesday
evening.
Norman Scott, of 427
Goose Nest Road, and Paul
Lane were in Scott’s boat
about a mile and a half off
the shore near his home
when a couple of waves
swelled into the boat.
Scott, who had been
maneuvering the boat back
wards into the waves,
intended to quickly get the
boat moving forward to
avoid further waves and
help remove some of the
water. However, the prop
got caught in old crab pot
lines and stalled the motor,
said Chris Smith, N.C.
Wildlife Resources
Commission officer.
Within seconds, the
stern sunk and both men
were left in the water. They
grabbed life jackets and put
them on. The water was
about 18 feet deep and the
boat is about 22 feet includ
ing the prop, which was
stuck on the laottom, Scott
said.
At first, the two tried to
swim towards shore, but
then they decided that Lane
should make the journey
alone. Scott took buoys off
the boat and placed two
under each of his arms, he
said. Lane secured him
with ropes.
Lane began swimming,
and at some point, began
hollering intermittently for
help. At about three-quar
ters of a mile from shore,
he was eventually heard,
first by Scott’s wife, Cindy
Scott, then Lane’s wife,
Lisa Lane, and others.
Continued on page 10
Fire training site
scene of real call
MARGARET FISHER
A house that fire offi
cials planned to burn down
on Friday unexpectedly
burned down on Thursday
night.
The Inter-County Fire
Department scheduled a
training burn at an aban
doned house at 158
Woodland Church Road.
But they got their training,
including the surprise ele
ment, about 24 hours earli
er than they anticipated.
The homeowners’ par
ents, James and Susan
Pierce of 148 Woodland
Church Road, live next door
to the house that burned
down. Their son, Kendall,
and his wife, Stacey Pierce,
planned to have the house
burned so they could even
tually build a house, Susan
Pierce said.
Continued on page 10
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
Appraiser Edward Fearing (right) explains to Art and Peggy Bleich and their 16-
year-old son, Erik Bleich, the background and value of their 1920s French revival
coffee table. The appraisal fair's proceeds help support downtown beautification
and promotions.
Events reap proceeds for HHl
MARGARET FISHER
The Sweetheart
Weekend Encore raised an
estimated $1,800 to support
Historic Hertford Inc.,
which helps with down
town beautification and
merchant activities and
promotions.
Around $600 was raised
at the sixth annual silent
auction at Hertfordshire
Antiques. About 70 bid
ders, nearly twice as many
in past years, placed bids
on about 150 items.
“Very good turnout,"
McMahon said. “This is
surprising because the
weather was so dicey.”
The purpose of the
event is to bring people
downtown to shop in the
slower wintertime, as well
as clear out inventory so
fresh stock can arrive, she
said.
Approximately $1,200
was netted from about
$1,700 in ticket sales at the
second annual appraisal
fair at Hertford United
Methodist Church. At least
71 people registered for the
event, said Wendy Jewett,
director of HHI.
In addition, Chris
Bowling won the $175
shopping spree raffle.
Bowling purchased his
ticket at Dotty’s Cafe. Nine
downtown merchants
donated gift certificates for
the raffle.
Another raffle was
sponsored by the
Albemarle Plantation
Women’s Club to support
their college scholarship
program. A blue heron
wood carving by Erik von
de Bogart is the prize. The
drawing won’t take place
until April 12, and tickets
Continued on page 10
Warren
charged
with sex
offense
SUSAN HARRIS
A Hertford man was
arrested last week and
charged for the second time
in two months with child
sex abuse.
Conan Vernell Warren,
36, of 318 King Street, was
charged with indecent lib
erties with a child on Feb.
15, according to Hertford
Police Chief Dale Vanscoy.
Vanscoy said Warren
allegedly sexually assault
ed a 13-year-old family
member in his home
around August.
The arrest came as the
result of investigation of
the December 2005 allega
tion of sexual abuse of
Warren’s 14-year-old niece,
Vanscoy said. Warren was
Continued on page 10
Smoke
detector
saves 3
lives
MARGARET FISHER
A problem in the electri
cal wiring of a Chapanoke
mobile home caused a fire
to break out sometime after
1 a.m. last Thursday
The smoke detector went
off and awakened Robert
Fletcher, who woke up his
children. Derrick, 20, and
Allison, 17. The three left
the house, at 172
Chapanoke Road, right
before it became filled with
smoke, said Pasquotank
County Fire Marshal Barry
Overman.
“The smoke detector was
a major factor in saving
lives,” Overman said.
The fire started at an
electrical outlet in the mas
ter bedroom of the home,
which was manufactured in
1998. The outlet was not
Continued on page 10
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 59, Low: 34
Showers
Friday
High: 54, Low: 33
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 57, Low: 29
Partly Cloudy
6"'"89076"47143 5
Simply Southern offers mix of merchandise downtown
MARGARET FISHER
Filled with aromas and
an eclectic assortment of
gifts items. Simply
Southern celebrated their
grand opening on Feb. 11.
Owners Blake and
Murielle Harmon opened
the store in what used to be
part of the Hertford Cafe
on Church Street.
Until a year ago,
Murielle Harmon was joint
owner of The Tin Rabbit
with Diane Ronan. She also
co-owned Shaftesbury’s
Fine Furnishings in
Edenton from 1992-1996. In
2002, the couple moved to
Hertford.
“I was really encouraged
by a lot of people,” she said,
“and people kept saying.
‘Why don’t you open your
own shop?”’
Harmon said she had no
intentions to open up
another retail store until
Continued on page 10
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
Murielle Harmon arranges linens and other gifts at her
new downtown shop, Simply Southern. Harmon hopes
her eclectic retail shop will help draw in more shop
pers to the downtown area.
Local candidates for May election
as of Monday at 3:45 p.m.
Clerk of Superior Court
Sheila H. Onley
Todd W. Tilley
County Commissioner
Ben Hobbs
Tammy Miller-White
School Board
No filers
Sheriff
David Layne
Eric V. Tilley
The filing period closes Feb. 28 at noon.