'-3.H Newbold-White opens art exhibits Page 2 Companion planting guide Page 4 Pirates avenge loss to NHS Rage? ^ i /C5 --WTr-r-'iiBT JJ |[■.I 11IBT r.r HESTPOBn IE March 29, 2006 Vol, 74, No. 13 Hertford North Carotina 27944 Weekly Woman dies in accident Loan check CHRIS WHIPPLE The Daily Advance A Hertford woman was killed and her husband injured after their car overturned on a rural road in Perquimans County late Thursday night. Kimberly Ann Sheetz, 44, of 149 Willow Street, died in the accident, which occurred at a sharp turn on Poor Hill Road at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, state Trooper K.R. Briggs said. Edward Sheetz, the woman's 48-year-old hus band, reported the wreck from a residence just over a mile away at approximately 3:20 a.m. Friday, about five hours after the accident happened, Briggs said. Sheetz told N.C. Highway Patrol accident reconstruc tion team members in Greenville Friday that, because of his injuries and the position of the vehicle, which was upside down in a ditch, it was difficult for him to seek help. Edward Sheetz was transported first to Chowan Hospital then air lifted to Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville. He suffered a Continued on page 10 HPD checkpoints yield arrests MARGARET FISHER Hertford Police Department conducted four checkpoints in high-com plaint areas and cited or apprehended about six peo ple on Saturday. Three checkpoints were conducted between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at 300 Market Street, Dobbs Street and Hyde Park, and King Street and Stokes Drive. Another checkpoint occurred at Wynn Fork Apartments at 8 p.m. Winfall Police Department also assisted. “All of this stemmed from citizens’ complaints and the town council’s con cerns,” said Hertford Police Chief Dale Vanscoy. Continued on page 11 Commerce Centre road paving set for this week MARGARET FISHER Rose Brothers Paving has announced that they will begin paving the road leading to the recreation center this week if the weather allows. The Murfreesboro com pany, contracted by the N.C. Department of Transportation, must fin ish the job at the Commerce Centre by September. But they have agreed to move Johnson reaches military goals MARGARET FISHER From the start of his military career, Cpt. Jay Johnson wanted to be an intelligence officer, but it took more than six years for him to finally reach that goal. Johnson never lived in Perquimans County, but his parents, Don and Virginia Johnson, moved here after Jay Johnson left home. Johnson grew up in Decatur, Ill. While attend ing the University of Texas at Austin, he joined ROTC. But his grades didn’t allow him to get into his career choice - military intelli up the work so the road can be paved before the Northeastern North Carolina Boat Show. y^The boat show will be held at the Perquimans County Recreation Center on April 29-30. The paving is expected to begin today or Thursday if it doesn’t rain and could take approximately three days to complete it, said Frank Rose, co-owner of Rose Brothers. Senator Richard Burr presents an $11 million ceremonial check to Perquimans County High School Principal Melvin Hawkins. The check represents the proceeds of a USDA Rural Development loan that will be used for the new gymnasium and renovations at the school. Burr presents loan check at PCHS MARGARET FISHER Sen. Richard Burr pre sented an $11 million cere monial check from USDA Rural Development to Perquimans County High School for expansions and renovations. The check is a low-inter est loan the school obtained to complete the facilities work currently in progress. The loan will fund a new 1,000-seat gymnasium, media and technology cen ter, heating and air condi tioning system, classrooms and administrative offices. It wiU also include renova tions to the auditorium. Burr used the opportuni ty to sign and present the check as part of a tour of speeches he is conducting through northeastern North Carolina during the March Recess. “Through USDA, we’re able to leverage federal resources in a way that no Continued on page 10 Hertford gets wastewater grant, borrows for pump Cpt. Jay Johnson, a military intelligence officer, poses in January by a chapel at Camp Victory in Iraq. Usually, Johnson did not wear body armor unless there was an elevated threat. Behind him is the Al Faw palace which was dedicated to certain Iraqi soldiers who died. On occasion, Saddam Huissan and his sons used the site as a hunting reserve and party spot. The palace now serves as the Multi-National Corps Commanders head quarters where Johnson's soldiers worked. gence. Officer Candidate School wasn’t an option for him. The slow job market made OCS too competitive. So his recruiter suggested that he enlist in the US. Army and Continued on page 11 MARGARET FISHER The town of Hertford received a $3 million grant to upgrade and expand the town’s wastewater treat ment plant. The grant comes from the High-Unit Cost Grant Account through the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ N.C. Clean Water Revolving Loan and Grant Act of 1987. Upgrades to the waste- water plant are to include a reclaimed water system and spray irrigation sys tem. The Brinn House is expected to be moved in April from the town’s prop erty on Grubb Street where a spray field will be located. Currently, the town is waiting on a permit to allow for modifications of the treatment facility. An additional 1-foot width is to be added to the aeration basins to increase capacity to 1,000,000 gallons a day. Once the permit is obtained from the state, the project will be bid out, said Hertford Town Manager John Christensen. “We should be hearing something pretty soon on that,” Christensen said. In a second wastewater matter, the town council approved borrowing $13,000 from East Carolina Bank for two extra wastewater collection pumps. The town has been renting pumps regularly because of a new state requirement that came out in July 2005. “We’re finding that we’re renting them so often that it’s cheaper to buy them,” said Town Manager John Christensen. . It costs about $2,800 a month to rent the mobile Continued on page 10 Felon leads chase MARGARET FISHER Police from two counties chased a man on Thursday from Edenton to Hertford where he fled on foot and escaped. Monday night he turned himself in. Edenton police stopped a blue Cadillac driven by Sheray Williams, 23, of 200 King St. for a traffic viola- Continued on page 10 Work to begin on PCMS project MARGARET FISHER The long-delayed Perquimans County Middle School heating, ventilation and air conditioning proj ect will begin during spring break on April 14. The Perquimans County School Board of Education approved a contractor. Baker Mechanical, to begin the work for a cost of about $1.9 million, said Superintendent Kenneth Wells. The project was original ly planned in 2002 to include a new HVAC sys tem and roof. In the fall of Continued on page 10 'Eme changes Sunday a.m. MARGARET FISHER It’s time to spring for ward this weekend when Daylight Saving Time begins. It’s a good idea to set clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night as the time officially changes on Sunday at 2 a.m. In addition, Perquimans County Fire Marshal John Continued on page 11 Weekend Weather Thursday High: 69, Low: 5- SUNNY Friday High: 73, Low: 57 Partly Cloudy Saturday High: 72, Low: 55 Scattered T'showers