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Hertford man conducts orchestra
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PER2UItmSS COuarrY LIBUnUT
■ ID W ACADEMY ST
KERCFCRD, HC 27D-s-s-lD06
■5-
mar 1 it 2006
lJIMANS
March 15, 2006
Vot. 74, No, 11 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Weekly
Woman dies in head-on wreck
Second victim
airlifted to
hospital
MARGARET FISHER
A woman who veered
into an on-coming lane died
eifter her car hit another
vehicle head-on.
At about 7:40 a.m. on
Monday, Ann Trueblood, 71,
of 803 Lake Road, was driv
ing south on Lake Road
when her 1989 Ford Crown
Victoria crossed the center
line of the two-lane road,
said Trooper J.H. Blizzard
of the N.C. Highway
Patrol.Deborah Overman,
45, of 161 Ainsley Road was
driving north and
approaching Trueblood’s
vehicle in a 1999 Ford
Expedition. Overman
swerved left of the center
line to avoid a collision, and
her truck was sideswiped
by Trueblood’s car.
Overman’s truck hit the
Continued on page 10
m
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
One woman died and another was flown to Norfolk General Hospital with injuries in a three-vehicle accident
that occurred on Lake Road Monday morning. A third vehicle was sideswiped, but the driver suffered from no
known injuries.
Couple
faces
more sex
abuse
charges
SUSAN R. HARRIS
A Hertford couple
charged in early
February with the sexual
abuse of a 13-year-old
family member were
arrested on additional
charges on March 8.
Wayne Arthur Foberg,
37, and his wife Krista
Renee Foberg, 23, of 120
New River Drive, were
each placed under a
$60,000 secured bond last
Wednesday after they
were taken into custody
for the new charges,
according to Perquimans
County Sheriff Eric
Tilley.
Wayne Foberg was in-
Continued on page 10
Injuries reported in
one of two 17 wrecks
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
As victims of a fender bender waited for law enforce
ment to arrive, another accident occurred in front of
Waste Industries on U.S. Highway 17 North. The sec
ond accident, a rear-end collision, caused injuries to
two women.
PCHS test scores fall
MARGARET FISHER
A minor wreck on North
Ocean Highway was the
scene of a second wreck
that caused injuries to two
drivers Monday morning.
The first accident, at
around 10:30 a.m., involved
a Ford Aerostar driven by
Eva Landing and a 1987
Dodge Caravan driven by
Patricia Garganus, both of
Hertford.
Garganus was driving
north and slowed to make a
right turn into the drive
way of the Waste
Industries convenience
site, Garganus said. She
had her right turn signal
on.
Landing was following
her and became distracted
by reaching for her sun
glasses, Landing said. Her
vehicle rear-ended the
Aerostar.
Garganus drove her van
onto the property of the
recycle site, while Landing
parked her van on the
shoulder just past the site’s
driveway.
Garganus’ daughter,
Stephanie Garganus, was
sitting in the passenger
Continued on page 8
File photo
MARGARET FISHER
School officials weren’'t
surprised that most of the
end-of-course test scores for
Perquimans County High
School came in lower than
last fall’s scores, said
Principal Melvin Hawkins.
“We knew there were
going to be some challenges
this year,” he said.
Hawkins said that he
was forewarned by Chris
Cobatz, assistant director
of testing for the
Department of Public
Instruction, that scores
would be lower. He cited a
number of reasons for
lower scores this year.
One reason is that DPI is
using a new formula which
focuses on the individual
student.
Continued on page 10
Winfall speed limits
to remain unchanged
MARGARET FISHER
The town of Winfall’s
recent request to the N.C.
Department of
Transportation to reduce
speed limits on Main
Street, Wiggins Road and
Creek Drive has been
denied.
In addition, council
members requested that
the town streets be
reduced from 35 miles
per hour, unless other-
Continued on page 10
The driver of the vehicle that rammed a Perquimans
County School bus in October accepted a guilty plea in
Perquimans County
xxxxxx
xxxxx
Driver sentenced
for bus wreck
DAVID MACAULAY
The Daily Advance
A Wilson man charged
with causing the fiery
crash that killed four co
workers has pleaded guilty
to one count of misde
meanor death by motor
vehicle, a court official
said.
Ruben Fajardo won't
spend any more time in jail,
however. Under the plea
agreement Fajardo's attor
ney Keith Teague reached
with prosecutors in
Perquimans District Court,
Continued on page 8
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 64, Low: 48
Partly Qoudy
Friday
High: 67, Low: 35
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 54, Low: 31
Mostly Sunny
Commissioners crack down on
Commerce Centre building delays
MARGARET FISHER
Perquimans County commis
sioners approved an amendment
to the Commerce Centre restric
tive covenants that will require
landowners to pay a fee if they do
not finish construction on their
property within two years of pur
chase.
If the developer of the property
does not substantially complete
construction prior to five years
from the purchase date, tbe county
may repurchase the property at
the original selling price. In addi
tion, the amendment allows the
county to maintain the right of
first refusal of any properties pur
chased directly from the county
and put up for resale at the
Commerce Centre within five
years from initial purchase.
Property owners are allowed
three one-year extensions if they
cannot substantially complete
their building project.'The exten
sion fee for the first year is 5 per
cent of the original purchase
price. The fee increases to 6 per
cent for the second extension year
and 7 percent for a third year.
“It’s really to encourage people
to develop,” said Perquimans
County Manager Bobby Darden
concerning the fees.
If the property is not developed
within five years, the county main
tains repurchasing rights.
However, at any time within the
first five years that the developer
wants to sell the lot, the county has
Continued on page 8
Schools join state vision lawsuit
MARGARET FISHER
Perquimans County School
Board unanimously approved to
join with the North Carolina
School Board Association in a law
suit that challenges a new vision
requirement for children entering
kindergarten.
An amendment, enacted in
August 2005, to the state’s public
health laws is requiring that stu
dents receive a comprehensive eye
exam by a North Carolina licensed
optometrist or ophthalmologist
within six months prior to enter
ing kindergarten.
The defendants include Gov.
Mike Easley and other state offi
cials.
The NCSBA and 11 school dis
tricts, including Currituck County
Schools, joined in the initial law
suit on Feb. 21. Currently, more
than 75 school districts out of 115
in the state have joined in, and
more are expected, said Ann
Majestic, the NCSBA’s attorney at
Tharrington Smith in Raleigh.
Superintendent Kenneth Wells
said that the law was introduced
along with another piece of legis
lation, rather than standing on its
own. In fact, it appears on page 180
of the 364-page 2005
Appropriations Act under
“Governor’s Vision Care Program
Established.”
The law is deemed unconstitu
tional, according to the NCSBA.
“The vision screening for
kindergartners is an unnecessary
obstruction preventing children
from entering school,” Wells said.
About 100 kindergarten stu
dents may be entering Perquimans
Central School this fall, while
Continued on page 10