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RECEIVED
MAY D 7 2008
^ jJ’V P\ "k I ^
May 7, 2008
Vol. 76, No. 19 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
**News from Next Door
Two charged with child sex abuse
SUSAN HARRIS
Two Perquimans County
men have been arrested
and charged in separate in
cidents of sexually abusing
5-year-olds recently.
“We’re finding this (re
ports of sexual abuse) more
and more all the time,” said
Sheriff Eric Tilley.
“Kids are coming for
ward more,” the sheriff
responded when asked if
he thought the incidence
of child sex abuse is ris
ing or children are coming
forward and telling more
Trash
to cash
Towns, county
discuss recycling
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Since recycling is now
bringing in just as much
cash as it costs to dispose of
trash, county officials hope
the two towns will craft re
cycling programs that mir
ror the one currently used
in the county.
Last week during their
annual joint meeting be
tween county commis
sioners and town council
members from Hertford
and Winfall, Bobby Darden,
county manager, said the
county’s goal is to get the
towns’ recycling programs
in line with the county’s.
Currently, Hertford has
limited curbside recycling
while Winfall has none.
While recycling mate
rials have normally been
sold for $5—$25 per ton,
that price has jumped to
$50—$60 per ton in the past
year. Darden says the Chi
nese market is buying up
the recyclables in the USA,
creating larger demand and
driving up the price.
The county currently
pays $60 per ton to dump
the county’s trash. If coun
ty residents can reduce
the amount of trash being
dumped in the landfill, in
crease the amount of trash
recycled and get paid the
same amount for it, recy
cling could actually be prof
itable for the county.
“There’s a $120 per ton
benefit to recycling if we
don’t have to pay $60 per
ton to a private landfill and
we get paid up to $60 per ton
for recyclables,” Darden
pointed out.
John Christensen, Hert
ford’s town manager, said
only 20 percent of the
CONTINUED on page 2
Thursday
High: 80 Low: 67
Mostly Cloudy
Friday
High: 77 Low: 57
ScAHERED Storms
Saturday
High: 74 Low: 57
Scattered Storms
often.
The first arrested was
Charles White of 168
Swayne Lane, who was in
dicted by a grand jury on
April 2 for two counts of
indecent liberties with a
child.
Sheriffs investigator
Mario Reel said White
was convicted of child sex
abuse in'1998 in Pasquo
tank County, and was im
prisoned until 2005. He is a
registered sex offender.
The most recent charges
stem from his alleged in
appropriate touching of a
family member. He was ar
rested on April 24.
Reel said the sheriff’s
department received an
anonymous call in October
2007 that led to the investi
gation. When the sheriffs
department believed suf
ficient evidence had been
obtained to arrest White,
evidence was submitted to
the grand jury for action.
White was placed under
a $5,000 bond. He is out on
ban.
A second man was arrest
ed on April 30 and charged
with sex abuse of a Bertie
County child.
James D. Dunn, 69, who
lives in a camping trailer at
the back of farm property
at 1280 County Line Road,
was charged with seven
counts of indecent liberties
with a child. He is confined
at Albemarle District Jail
in lieu of a $140,000 bond.
TiUey said a Windsor
woman reported to his of
fice on April 25 that Dunn
had had sexual contact with
her daughter. Tilley inter
viewed the child, and in his
opinion, the child had been
sexually abused.
On April 28, the child
was taken to Tedi Bears in
Greenvfile, a facility spe
cializing in interviewing
and assisting child abuse
victims. There, the victim
was re-interviewed and
a physical exam was per
formed. Tilley said at the
end of the visit he deter
mined that he had sufficient
evidence to make an arrest.
The mother called the
sheriffs department on
April 30 and said that Dunn,
a family member, was at
her home in Windsor. Til
ley said the Windsor Police
Perquimans Weekly photos by CATHY WILSON
Town celebrates 250th birthday
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Despite a gloomy predic
tion of rain, sunny skies
prevailed Sunday afternoon
to provide the perfect back
drop for the 250th birthday
party for Hertford.
Approximately 400 peo
ple turned out for the three
hour celebration which in
cluded historical readings,
music, foBd, politicians, and
the cutting of the 30-pound
birthday cake that sported
the town’s official 250th cel
ebration logo.'
Caterer Louise Ward,
who made the three-tier,
two-flavored cake, lit the
candles on the cake as the
crowd sang Happy Birth
day to the town that was
chartered May 4,1758.
“It was a great day,”
said John Christensen,
Hertford’s town manager.
“It was weU attended, and
I think everyone learned a
little bit about the town’s
history that we weren’t
aware of. As the seventh old
est town in the state, every
one should be proud of our
history. We’re also glad that
the weather cooperated.”
Event planner Mary
Me. White also said she
was pleased with the day,
and thanked everyone who
helped make it memorable
for years to come.
Among the politicians
who turned out Sunday was
the state’s Lt. Governor Bev
Perdue, who is campaign
ing to become the state’s
Democratic candidate for
governor. She arrived just
before the 1 p.m. ceremony
began, wished the town
well on its 250th birthday
and reminded locals that
she moved from Florida to
New Bern 30 years ago, and
then left to continue on her
campaign trail to Durham.*
“Anytime you get any
body from Raleigh this far
east is a real thrill,” said
Mayor Sid Eley.
“We really appreciate the
interest and support given
by Lt. Gov. Perdue,” Chris
tensen added.
Others who attended, in
cluded Representative An
nie Mobley who presented
a resolution in honor of the
day. Senator Edward Jones,
and Betty Jo Shephard,
field representative for U.S.
Senator Richard Burr.
Local historian Ray Win
slow told the town’s unique
history while Lynwood
Winslow detailed the his
tory of the Quakers in the
area.
Music on the courthouse
green was provided by
members of the College of
the Albemarle Community
Band and The Renaissance
Consort.
■ Later that evening, the
Albemarle Chorale pre
sented an outstanding pops
concert at the Perquimans
County High School that
was well attended also.
Boy Scout Troop 150 ex
hibited its pioneer campsite
on the courthouse green.
The day ended with a
commemorative group pic
ture taken of everyone who
attended. The crowd gath
ered in the middle of the
historic downtown business
district for the picture that
was shot by local photogra
pher John Matthews who
was hoisted up in the air in
the town’s bucket truck.
Department apprehended
Dunn near the home of the
victim. He was held until
Perquimans officers could
pick him up.
While he was being ar
rested and processed, a
search warrant was execut
ed on Dunn’s premises. Til
ley declined to say if any
thing found bolstered the
state’s case against Dunn.
Tilley said research into
Dunn’s background shows
that he has spent time in
federal prison in Kansas for
drug trafficking.
nabbed
Friend charged
with harboring
fugitive
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A man wanted for es
caping. from custody over
30 days ago was appre
hended without incident in
Hertford April 28.
According to Hertford
Police Chief Brian Rid
dick, Jamie Walker was
taken into custody around
11:15 a.m. at 100 Brace Av
enue, Apt. 7, following a
joint effort between the
Perquimans County Sher-
ifFs Department, Winfall
Police Department, and
Hertford Police Depart
ment. Local police were
looking for Walker after he
escaped from custody while
being transferred to Albe
marle District Jail follow
ing a localcourt appearance
in March, said Riddick.
An investigation by
Hertford police determined
that Walker was seen sev
eral times in an apartment
occupied by Jennifer Ann
Rogers. When a positive
identification was made,
police confronted Rogers in
Apartment 7.
Chief Riddick knocked
on the apartment’s front
door while Winfall police
and a sheriffs deputy were
stationed around the back.
Police said Rogers denied
Walker’s presence in the
apartment and wouldn’t
allow police to enter the
apartment without a war
rant, Riddick said. While
he was talking to Rogers
at the front door. Walker
reportedly opened the cur
tain at the back window
and looked straight at the
officers, allowing a positive
identification by the police
officers stationed at the
back of the apartment.
Rogers then allowed
police to enter the apart
ment, and Walker was
apprehended without in
cident, Riddick said. Ac
cording to Riddick, Walker
is currently being held in
ADJ under $66,000 bond on
several charges including
felony breaking and enter
ing and felony larceny of a
firearm.
Rogers is charged with
harboring a fugitive and
possession of drug para
phernalia, police said.
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