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001
/ 2 ■> /
The
L'O
OOi
May 24, 2006
Vol. 74, No. 21 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
FERyUIMANS
Weekly
Deputies arrest alleged sex offenders
Man charged
with sex with
child
MARGARET FISHER
A Perquimans man was
arrested for allegedly sexu
ally assaulting a juvenile
two years ago.
The juvenile was visit
ing James Duncan, 39, a rel
ative who was living at 344
Holiday Island at the time
when the assault is alleged
to have happened.
Early this month, the
incident was brought to the
attention of the
Perquimans County
Sheriff’s Office by a med
ical professional, said
Sheriff Eric Tilley.
Deputy Mario Reel inter
viewed the girl, and
attempted to contact
Duncan. Duncan had since
been divorced from his wife
and had moved to Pitt
County, but his cell phone
number was obtained by
the sheriff’s office. After
Reel briefly explained that
serious allegations had
been made against him,
Duncan came to the sher
iff’s office on May 11.
• “I told him what the alle
gations were. He never real
ly confirmed or denied
them,” Reel said.
Continued on page 4
Man charged
with felony
kidnapping,
sexual assault
MARGARET FISHER
A Perquimans man
allegedly kidnapped his
estranged wife, took her to
a motel room and sexually
assaulted her.
The incident is alleged to
have occurred in
Chadbourn in Columbus
County where the victim
resides.
On May 9, the victim left
a doctor’s office and found
her husband, Frank
Stubbs, 59, of 245 Clark St.,
standing next to her car.
They began discussing
their marital problems.
The victim said that she felt
safe to get into her car with
her husband to engage in
further discussions, said
Police Chief Steven Shaw
of the Chadbourn Police
Department.
The couple went to The
Budget Inn in Chadbourn
where Stubbs bound his
wife with rope, Shaw said.
Shaw would not disclose
what took place in the
motel room. Later, the vic
tim was able to get to the
motel office, where the
Continued on page 4
T\vo indicted on
drugdiarges
MARGARET FISHER
Two Perquimans County residents were
indicted for felony drug charges on
Monday.
While conducting a routine traffic stop,
the driver was found to be driving without
a license and drugs were seized from the
vehicle.
Chad Colson and Charles Grayson Dail,
both 22, were pulled over by Perquimans
County Deputy Shelby White on April 28
for an inoperative headlight on a 1995
Oldsmobile Ciera.
When Dail, of 808 Center Hill Hwy.., did
n’t produce a valid drivers license, he was
placed under arrest. White asked to search
the vehicle and Dail consented to a search.
During the search. White discovered
approximately 12 grams of cocaine and 32
grams of marijuana under the passenger
seat. He also confiscated $941.
Dail and Colson, who resides at 110
Nursing Home Road, were each charged
with possession with intent to sell or dis
tribute marijuana and cocaine (one count
of each) and a felony count of maintaining
a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled
substance.
They were each taken to Albemarle
District Jail on a $9,000 secured bond and
both were released on bond.
Mei^s tapped
for HGS slot
Dianne Hawkins Meiggs has been
named as the new principal of Hertford
Grammar School.
Meiggs wiU replace Tim Aydlett, who is
retiring after more than 30 years as an edu
cator. She is licensed as a principal, men
tor, curriculum specialist, middle school
science educator and health and physical
education educator. The approval was
made at the Board of Education Meeting
Monday evening.
Meiggs, a former teacher and assistant
principal, will leave her position as
Program Director for the Northeast
Mathematics and Science Partnership to
lead Hertford Grammar School effective
July 1.
“Perquimans County Schools has a his
tory of having outstanding schools and
unique educational programs,” Meiggs
said. “I will use my skills and experience
to help facilitate an atmosphere of high
expectations that support quality instruc
tional programs.”
“She's an outstanding educator and I am
pleased with the new appointment, espe
cially with her experience in the class
room, as an assistant principal and as a
program director for the Math and Science
Partnership,” said Superintendent Dr.
Kenneth W Wells. “She is a good fit for
Hertford Grammar School and for our
school system because of her well-rounded
experience and leadership skills. The
selection committee received more than a
dozen applications for the position and
interviewed several possible candidates.”
“It is important to have a cohesive team
working toward common goals,” Meiggs
Continued on page 3
l/l/omERFUL WEEKE/\/D
Hospitality
hallmark of
weekend
SUSANHARRIS
Perquimans laid out the
welcome mat this weekend,
as locals and visitors alike
enjoyed three days of
events that highlighted the
history and hospitality of
the county.
The fun began on Friday,
when Historic Hertford,
Inc., the town’s Main Street
Program, hosted Pig Out
On the Green, a pork barbe
cue on the courthouse lawn
that sent the smell of roast
ing pork and the sounds of
music drifting through the
Continued on page 2
PHOTOS BY SUSAN HARRIS
Diners enjoy Perquimans-style barbecue at Pig Out on
the Green Friday evening, the kick-off event of Spring
Weekend (above). Mary Alice Brinn (front left) and
Polly Hollowell (front right) share the Rufus T. Brinn
House on Front Street with visitors to the Homes Tour
on Saturday (below).
Copeland wins
two state titles
White claims
two second places
SUSAN HARRIS
Her feet are wings made of gold.
Shaqwita Copeland, the defending state
1-A 200-meter champion, claimed titles in
both the 200- and 400-meter races in
Friday’s 1-A state track and field meet in
Greensboro. Copeland earned the wins
with times of 26.16 and 58.66, respectively
She also took fourth place in the 100
meter event.
“(It was) great, I loved it,” Copeland said
Monday of her performance.
Copeland said defending her title was
more nerve-wracking than last year’s race.
“I had a freshman, she gave me a run for
my money,” Copeland laughed. “I was
more nervous (this year), my palms were
sweaty and my hands were cold. That’s
how I get when I’m nervous.” ■
The PCHS senior said she first started
running when she was a student at
Hertford Grammar School, and joined the
middle school track team in the eighth
grade. She realized she had talent in gram
mar school when she started winning the
speed events, which continue to be her
favorites and where she shines.
Girls track coach Carolyn Rogers said
the meet was physically challenging for
the athlete who competed in four events,
entering as a member of the 4x400 relay
team in addition to her individual races.
Each event included a preliminary race.
The top eight runners in the preliminaries
earned the right to run in the final. Some
of the races were run close together,
Rogers said.
“She was one tired girl at the end of the
day,” Rogers said. “She did amazingly well.
She’s a beautiful runner.”
Copeland’s performance, however, did
n’t surprise her coach.
“I expected it of her. I was really hoping
for three (titles.)”
In addition to running track, Copeland
also played volleyball and basketball. Last
Continued on page 4
Memorial held for missing Perquimans man
SUSAN HARRIS
Life, like books, has chapters, and
Saturday, the family and friends of Kevin
Fields began a new chapter in their lives
by celebrating his life at a marker placed
in his memory at the Mullen Family
Cemetery in New Hope.
Four years ago this month, Marjorie
Fields last saw her younger son,who
would now be 48.
She embarked on a relentless search for
her missing son, working with law
enforcement officials in Perquimans and
the surrounding counties, hiring a private
investigator and offering a reward for
information leading to the arrest and con
viction of a person or persons responsible
for his disappearance.
There have been promising leads, but
Kevin has not been found. Sadly, the leads
have all pointed to foul play, and his family
fident that on or shortly after July 5, 2002,
lost his life.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Family and friends leave a memorial service Saturday
for Kevin Fields, a Perquimans County man missing for
almost four years. Although he has not been found, all
circumstances uncovered by law enforcement and a
private detective investigating the disappearance
lead Fields' family to believe he died in July 2002.
. So Marjorie Fields, a Perquimans County
Kevin ^^^ive who now lives in Wilmington, decided that
while she will never give up hope of finding
Continued on page 7
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 85, Low: 68
Parry Qoudy
Friday
High: 88, L(^w: 69
Isolated T'storms
Saturday
High: 84, Low: 64
Scattered Tstorms
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