H Winslow earns national note Page 2 1 Jennings: 80 years of giving Page 4 i Sports 1 f Subscriber of the Week: L S Page 8 | | Walter Benton ^ February 27, 2008 Vol. 76, No. 9 Hertford, North Carolina 27944 **News from Next Door** ^ECEIVIP, 35 cents SUSAN HARRIS Editor & Publisher Sitting and watching net ted an arrest for the Sher iffs Department earlier this month. Investigator Shelby White said he had kept an eye out on what he tagged “a known drug area” in the county, an area he didn’t identify. While he was watching, he noted suspicious activ ity on Feb. 15, and subse quently stopped a vehicle operated by Christopher Darnell, 47, of 250 Deep Creek Road- Darnell got out of the vehicle at White’s re quest and consented to have the car searched. A canine was brought in and indicated there was something near the console. White said a bag containing 14 grams of marijuana was found. Further searching revealed another bag with 1.2 grams of marijuana, a bowl for smoking marijua na, and a box on the floor of the back seat containing electronic scales, sandwich bags, drug paraphernalia and a sandwich bag con taining 71.5 grams of mari juana seeds. White said marijuana seed are very small, about the size of cel ery seed, so the amount of seed could have resulted in a very large marijuana crop had the bag not been confis cated. Darnell was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia; maintain ing a vehicle for the pur pose of manufacturing, selling, and/or delivering a controlled substance; and possession with intent to manufacture, seU, and/or deliver a Schedule VI con trolled substance. Bond was set at $2,500 secured. Rain doesn't end severe drought While we are stUl listed as suffering from a severe droughtlocaUy, Perquimans County is up slightly in rainfall so far this year. According to Tommy and Sherry Harrell’s unofficial rain collection data, which is used by local agricultural officials, the county has re ceived 4.92 inches of rain so far in 2008. Last year, the county received 4.84 inches of rain in January and Feb ruary. Most of this year’s rain fall has come in February with 4.06 inches falling. Less than an inch of rain fell in January. One year ago, 3.05 inches of rain fell in January while 1.78 fell in February. According to the North Carolina Drought Manage ment Council, Perquimans is one of 13 counties suf fering from severe drought. Statewide, 22 counties are suffering from extreme drought, and 64 counties suffer from exceptional drought conditions. A Time to Teach FEB 2 7 20118 n- m Photo courtesy PERQUIMANS COUNTY SCHOOLS EFFLEY D. HOWELL SR. brought his Thankful Heritage African American History Museum to Perquimans County recently. Presentations were made at both the middle and high schools. You’ve heard it said many times during your life....there is a season and a time for everything. Effiey D. HoweU Sr. believes it is his time to teach. Howell founded the Thankful Heritage mobile Afri can American history museum in 1993 and since then has been pro viding an aid for teachers to better understand the Black History that is within American History. The indelible and important dis play is full of history and heritage from ancient Africa through today. [s history to Hertford Education and awareness are ex perienced through collectibles and memorabilia. The extensive collec tion depicts every aspect of African American life experiences, positive as well as negative imagery. Displays include historical arti facts on black history, civil rights and genealogy. The oral presenta tion focuses on information and in teractive discussions to enhance the understanding of the importance of Black History Month. The mobile museum was made available to the community, mid dle and high school students in Perquimans County Schools and was sponsored by Perquimans High School and Communities In Schools. “The ultimate purpose of the dif ferent seasons in one’s life is growth. Growth in terms of knowledge, experience and ability, both physi cally and spiritually,” said Principal James Bunch. “I trust the Thankful Heritage Museum provided growth in knowledge for our students.” S bridge, causeway future considered CATHY WILSON Staff Writer State transportation of ficials are trying to decide what to do with the historic S-bridge and the causeway leading to it. Areas in the causeway are sinking from settling and have been for years, causing North Carolina Department of Transporta tion officials to repair and rebuild the road over and over again. According to minutes of a meeting held between DOT officials, local public officials, and a consulting firm in September, the mov able-span S bridge, built in 1929, has a low sufficiency rating, and now many parts that might need replacing are no longer readily avail able. They must be special ordered and custom made instead. In addition, the ex isting bridge does not meet current codes including the radius of the curves, the width of the bridge, and the width of the causeway. The bridge costs approximately $100,000—$125,000 to oper ate and maintain annually. DOT Transportation Im provement Program project R-4467 proposes to correct differential settling issues from the S-bridge to state Route 37 (the causeway), and to replace the S-bridge. Sterling Baker, division maintenance engineer for DOT, said the project is stiU in the planning stages and has been included in the draft 2008-2015 TIP. Right of way issues are tentatively scheduled to be addressed in 2014 with $5 million bud geted towards the project in 2015. The remaining $10 million needed for the proj ect remains unfunded in the 2008-2015 plan. A study to determine op tions for the half-mile proj ect is currently being con ducted by Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. The first step in the process was con ducting the meeting with local officials last faU. DOT and Kimley-Hom representatives met with members of Hertford Town Council, town employees, Hertford police, WinfaU Town Council, Albemarle RPO, county commission ers and county employees, school leaders, and emer gency management offi cials to give background information on the project and gather input on poten tial issues and alternatives for the complex project. The causeway provides exclusive access to Hertford on the north end of town. When the road is closed, as it has been several times when DOT repaired set tling issues in the past, the detour takes traffic 4.1 miles along Church Street to US 17 BjTpass. When traf fic is detoured, business in both WinfaU and downtown Hertford declines, school buses travel longer distanc es to deliver students and travel more often over the high rise bridge on US 17 Bypass, and EMS respond ers have time added to their response times to emer gency medical caUs in the northern end of the county as they leave from the sta tion in Hertford. Some of the suggestions that came out of the meeting with local officials included replacing the bridge with a moveable-span bridge that looks as simUar to the existing one as possible, and replace the causeway with a low bridge; replace the bridge with a non movable span bridge that moves the channel slightly to the north, and replace the causeway with a low bridge; replace the bridge and causeway with a bridge that is low over the current bridge location and cuts a new channel for boats at the point in the existing cause way where the width of the peninsula is narrowest. If the causeway is recon structed, and the S-bridge re mains the same, the height of the causeway roadway might not tie in with the height of the road over the S-bridge. If the bridge is re placed with a non-moveable bridge, it would need to be high enough for boat traffic yet low enough not to im pact the Historic Hertford district. Officials at the meeting indicated that the cause way can not be maintained in its present condition because it wiU continue to sink. It might be possible to replace the causeway on piers in the same location, but it would need to be high enough not to flood, but low enough to look more like a road than a bridge. While all local officials are concerned about the safety of the causeway, some also voiced concern over the possibility of los ing such sentimental and historic elements surround ing the project area includ ing the view, the turtle log, the Cyprus trees, and the historic S bridge which is considered eligible for list ing on the National Reg ister and pictured on the Hertford town seal. Several officials also ■voiced concerns that the causeway would have fewer problems if truck traffic was restricted. The current weight limit on the bridge (19 tons for single vehicles and 24 tons for trucks) is correct according to the DOT formula based on the 2007 bridge inspection. The next step in the study will be to collect data, develop several conceptual alternatives and perform analysis. Once that is com pleted, NCDOT officials wiU meet with local officials and communities again some time this year to present the alternatives. Returns must be filed to get funds CATHY WILSON Staff Writer So, what are you going to do with your check? The country’s Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 was passed recently, putting more than $152 billion back in the hands of 128 million American house holds including those in Perquimans County. The tax rebates and temporary tax incentives for business es are designed to stimulate the sluggish economy and to help local businesses grow by creating jobs this year. Individuals are eligible to receive up to $600, $1,200 for couples. A minimum of $300 per person and $600 per couple would be available to taxpayers with at least $3,000 of earned income. The rebates are available for individuals making less than $75,000 and married couples that make less than $150,000 filing jointly. The rebate wiU be phased out for taxpayers making more than those limits. In addition, everyone is eligible for an additional $300 per chUd. For example, a married couple with two chUdren could receive a tax rebate of up to $1,800. Those who receive Social Security benefits are also eligible for the tax rebate as well as those who receive certain veterans’ benefits. Payments are slated to go out through late spring and summer, but you must file your 2007 taxes first. Terry Chappell, with ChappeU Accounting in WinfaU, said he expects more people to file this year, especiaUy those who have not had to file in the past due to lower incomes. “We’ve already been re ceiving caUs, and have had people coming by asking questions,” ChappeU said. “They’re lining up.” Tax incentives for busi nesses include a temporary change to the tax code that aUows American business es that buy new equipment this year to deduct an ad ditional 50 percent of that cost in 2008. SmaU business es placing less than $800,000 of equipment into service would be able to immedi ately deduct up to $250,000, nearly doubling the previ ous deductible amount. Wa/amt Thursday High: 49 Low: 35 Sunny Friday High: 61 Low: 47 Partly Cloudy Saturday High: 54 Low: 34 Mosily Sunny

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