Subscriber of the Week:
Rachel Newbern
received
March 19, 2008
Vol. 76, No. 12 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
*^News from Next Door
ff
Vanscoy
resigns
Chief Dale Vanscoy is
leaving Hertford Police De
partment to accept employ
ment elsewhere.
Town Manager John
Christensen said Vanscoy
notified him March 12 of his
intentions
Vanscoy
FIB Elgf IB
to leave
effective
April 16.
V a n s -
coy said
he has en
joyed his
years with
the town,
but de
clined to say where he has
accepted employment. He
wni not be moving from the
area, he added.
Christensen wfil name
an interim chief and then
begin the search and selec
tion process to find a new
chief for the department.
“We certaihly appreci
ate all he has done for the
town and wish him the best
of luck in his endeavors,”
Christensen said.
Vanscoy joined the
Hertford Police Department
in 1992, and was promoted to
chief five years later. A for
mer military police officer,
he served previously with
the Virginia Beach Police
Department, the Virginia
Beach Sheriffs Department
and chief of the Winfall Po
lice Department.
In addition to serv
ing with the town police,
Vanscoy is also sergeant
of the Perquimans County
Rescue Squad’s Technical
Dive team, where he helps
recover evidence underwa
ter, rescue victims in open
water incidents, locates
and assists missing or over
due boaters and boats, and
locates and recovers bodies
when necessary.
Bridge
will be
replaced
The North Carolina
Board of Transportation
has awarded a $669,521 con
tract to replace an existing
bridge east of Hertford on
Cartwright Swamp Road
(State Road 1304) over Sut
ton Creek in Perquimans
County. The contract was
awarded to T.A. Loving Co.
of Goldsboro.
Work is scheduled to
begin between March 31
and June 15, with final
completion 135 days after
the start date. The project
includes replacing the cur
rent bridge and repaving
approaches on Cartwright
Swamp Road.
The bridge wfil be closed
to traffic and a detour wfil
be in place. Motorists trav
eling around the construc
tion site wanting to access
either side of Cartwright
Swamp Road wfil use U.S.
17 and Woodland Church
Road (S.R. 1303).
“Local bridges are a vital
part of the transportation
infrastructure in northeast
ern North Carolina, and we
are committed to complet
ing projects like this that
ensure their safety and con
dition,” said board member
Stan White of Nags Head
who represents Highway
Division 1 which includes
Perquimans County.
Bond denied
murder suspects
Perquimans Weekly photo by CATHY WILSON
THE SIGNS OF THE Easter season came early this year: colorful flowers and young ladies car
rying Easter baskets! Megen and Morgan Hurdle, daughters of Matt and Nikki Hurdle, look
forward to Easter as they admire the colorful yard of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Darrow of Hertford.
Layden will campaign
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer ’
Diane Layden’s name
will still appear on the May
6 primary baUot for elec
tion to the county school
board and she is actively
campaigning for the seat.
Citing health reasons,
she notified the local elec
tions board recently that
she was withdrawing from
the race that has seven
people vying for three seats
on the non-partisan school
board.
However, Eula Mae
Forbes, director of the
county’s elections board,
said a check with the State
Board of Elections deemed
Layden can’t withdraw.
“It’s too late. Her name
stays on the baUot and the
votes are counted,” said
Forbes.
Layden said she has re
thought the matter and de
cided to continue her elec
tion campaign.
Those seeking election to
the school board are incum
bent Gall Hill and newcom
ers Lula Eason, Susan Cox,
Arlene Yates, Amy Spaugh,
Pam Modlin-Hurdle and
Layden.
The top three vote-takers
on May 6 wfil take office in
June.
In addition to the school
board election, the May 6
primary wfil also include
local candidates vying to
run on their party’s ticket
for three seats on the coun
ty board of commissioners.
Incumbents Mack Nixon
and Shirley Wiggins as well
as newcomers Neil True-
blood and Tommy Lynn
Riddick are each trying to
be the Democratic candi
date while incumbent Sue
Weimar is the only Republi
can seeking election.
Those who vote on the
Democratic ballot may
choose one candidate. The
three candidates with the
most votes will appear on
the general election baUot
in November.
Weimar wfil automati
cally go on to the general
election.
Those who haven’t reg
istered to vote, or need to
change address, name or
party affiliation, can do so
until April 11. You must be
18 by the general election
in order to register. Voter
registration applications
are available at the board
of elections office, at any
public assistance office, the
library, and on the State
Board of Elections website.
One stop early voting
wfil open April 17 and run
through May 3. You may
vote in person at the elec
tions office located at 601A
South Edenton Road Street
(the Extension building)
during that period. Forbes
said she does not expect
to add any additional sites
for one stop early voting in
Perquimans County. Call
426-5587 with questions.
Katherine
White moved to
Central Prison
SUSAN HARRIS
One of two defendants
charged with the murder
of a Bethel man has been
transferred to Central Pris
on after apparently threat
ening to commit suicide.
Katherine Ann White
was transported to the
Raleigh facility by the
Perquimans County Sher
iffs Department last week.
In a motion filed with
the courts last Wednesday,
Sheriff Eric Tfiley request
ed the transfer to the state
prison because facilities
at Albemarle District Jail
were “insufficient and in
adequate” for her needs.
“Inmate made threats of
suicide to medical depart
ment,” Tilley wrote in the
motion. “Inmate arrived
at facility with methadone
and prescriptions for other
controlled substances.”
White, 43, and her moth
er, Jennie Lee White, 61,
were both charged with
first-degree murder last
Tuesday afternoon for the
shooting death of Jennie
White’s husband, Thomas
Woodrow White, on June
22,2007.
Thomas White’s body
was found in his bed in the
early morning hours of
June 23, 2007. Tfiley said
his department was called
to the residence at 117 Mill
Road in response to a pos
sible breaking and enter
ing and an unresponsive
subject. Officials arrived to
find some items out of place
and Thomas White dead in
his bed, apparently from
a single gunshot wound to
the head.
At that time, the women
told law enforcement offi
cers that they had been out
for the evening, and arrived
home near midnight to find
the front door to the home
open and the dog at the front
door. Jennie White said the
dog wanted to go out, so she
took the animal away from
the house. When she en
tered the home after walk
ing the dog, she found some
items out of place. She went
to check on her husband,
but coifid not wake him.
Jennie White said her
husband did not accom
pany she and her daughter
earlier in the evening. He
spent much of his time in
bed, suffering from prostate
cancer and post-traumatic
stress disorder.
The sheriff said the
4th of July activities planned in Hertford
SUSAN HARRIS
An evening of old-fash
ioned family fun ending
with fireworks is being
planned for July 4th.
Mary Me. Wliite, events
coordinator for the 250th
anniversary of Hertford,
said she already has a few
groups signed up to offer
traditional summertime
foods in Missing Mfil Park,
and is looking for more.
Other types of vendors and
those who would like to of
fer children’s activities, or
even a horseshoe tourna
ment at the regulation pits
at the park are welcome.
Back from years ago wfil
he a non-motorized 4th of
July parade.
Pedal- and
push-power
wfil be energy
source for this
parade to fea
ture decorat
ed tricycles,
bicycles, wag
ons, tractors,
stroUers — all types of peo
ple-powered contraptions.
A patriotic ceremony
wfil take place once the pa
rade arrives at the park.
The periauger wfil ar
rive at the park around 6
p.m. Organizers ask those
who navigate boats near
the park on July 4th deco
rate them in holiday style
•nf:Rrf()Ri)-
in honor of the
occasion.
Those who
woifid like to
participate
shouldcontact
White at 426-
8471 or Bran
don Shope at
426-1969.
WinfaU also plans to host
activities at WinfaU Land
ing Park. Those who would
like to participate there
shorfid call Mayor Fred
Yates at the town office at
426-5015.
The end to the evening at
both parks will be the fire
works that wfil be set off
from the riverfront lot of
Katherine White
Jennie White
mother and daughter had
been persons of interest in
the murder since early in
the investigation.
Officials got a break
about two weeks ago when
someone contacted the
sheriffs department with
information that Tilley said
“connected the dots,” and
led to the recovery of physi
cal evidence related to the
incident.
Investigators with the
sheriffs department and
SBI took their evidence to
District Attorney Frank
Parrish last Tuesday morn
ing. Parrish believed the
case brought to him was
sufficient to file warrants
for first degree murder
against both women.
They were arrested
Tuesday afternoon and held
without bond at Albemarle
District Jail.
In Perquiiftans County
District Court last Wednes
day, Judge Christopher
Bean denied bond reduc
tion for both women.
SamDixon is the attorney
of record for Jennie White
and appeared in court with
her last Wednesday.
Katherine White is seek
ing court-appointed coun
sel.
Sheriffs Investigator
Shelby White said Mon
day that the women wfil
appear in court again on
March 26 for their probable
cause hearings. He said his
department expects to get
grand jury indictments in
the case.
Diana Mazzella of The
Daily Advance contributed
to this story.
Jesse Harris once the sky is
dark.
Contributions to the fire
works are being accepted
now. Make checks payable
to Perquimans County
Fireworks Committee, 104
Carolina Street, Hertford,
NC 27944. Donations may
also be dropped off at The
Perquimans Weekly or
Chamber of Commerce of
fices.
Fund raisers, such as
placing collection jars at
local businesses and a pan
cake breakfast at Andy’s
Cheesesteaks, are being
planned.
The first payment on the
fireworks is due by April 1.
Wua
Thursday
High: 65 Low: 43
Sunny
Friday
High: 65 Low: 51
Mostly Sunny
Saturday
High: 65 Low: 45
Isolated T'storms