V
National 4-H Week
Page 6
Students enjoy Farm Day at Springfield
Page 10
Sports
Page 9
Subscriber of the Week:
Charles Janak
■ OCT 0 8 2
vxu
ins.
October 8, 2008
Vol. 76, No. 41 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
**News from Next Door^*
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Sports photo galleries
dailyadvance.com
Scroll down to
Perquimans Weekly
Towns
money
The North Carolina De
partment of Transportation
has distributed $86,340.65
in State Street Aid, also
known as the Powell Bill
Fund, to the two towns in
the county.
“This funding helps cities
and towns pay for mainte
nance, repair, construction,
widening and sidewalks on
city-owned streets,” Trans
portation Secretary Lyndo
Tippett said. “With most
budgets strained, this infu
sion of Powell Bill money
really provides key assis
tance to our communities
for needed transportation
improvements.”
Hertfordreceived $65,448,
while Winfall received
$20,892.
Legislation passed last
year also allows munici
palities to use Powell Bill
funds to help pay for proj
ects included in NCDOT’s
seven-year Statewide
Transportation Improve
ment Program.
The funds, which come
from revenues generated by
the state gas tax and other
highway user fees, are dis
persed annually using a
formula set by the North
Carolina General Assem
bly. Seventy-five percent
of the funds are allocated
based on population, while
the remaining 25 percent
is based on the number of
city-owned street miles in
each municipality.
The fund is named for
Junius K. Powell, former
state senator and mayor
of Whitevfile, whose name
headed a list of legislators
sponsoring 1951 legislation
to help the state’s cities
with urban road problems.
The first allocation of Pow-
eU BiU funds was in 1951 for
$4.5 mUlion and was dis
tributed to 386 of the state’s
cities and towns.
This year, $145 million in
funds were distributed to
506 municipalities across
the state.
HVblllBt
Thursday
High: 76 Low: 64
Few Showers
Friday
High: 75 Low: 63
Showers
Saturday
High: 79 Low: 63
Few Showers
6 ""89076
7143
Perquimans WeeKly pnotos by CATHY WILSON
STUDENTS AT PERQUIMANS COUNTY High School
were evacuated Monday morning after a fire was
discovered burning in a trash can inside the female
bathroom located in the foyer of the new building
that houses the gymnasium. The fire was quickly ex
tinguished (above).
FIREFIGHTERS FROM HERTFORD, WINFALL and Bethel
Volunteer Fire Departments responded to Perquimans
County High School Monday morning after smoke
from a trash can fire in a bathroom filled the new
building housing the gym. Firefighters set up fans to
help blow smoke out of the building (right).
Trash can on fire at PCHS
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Local high school students and
staff took part in a fire drUl early
Monday morning, the first day of
Fire Prevention Week. This drill,
however, was no practice.
It was needed to evacuate the
school after a small fire in a bath
room trash can sent smoke through
out the new building that houses the
school’s gymnasium.
According to Brenda Lassiter, the
school’s public information officer,
a student alerted faculty members
T.J. WorreU and Mike Horwat of
flames in a trash can in the female
bathroom located in the foyer of the
new building. Both staff members
responded quickly, searching for the
nearest fire extinguisher. WorreU
located a fire extinguisher and was
able to extinguish the flames within
a matter of minutes.
The fire was confined to the trash
can, she said.
“I received a call at 8:16 a.m. from
Principal James Bunch indicating
a fire had been extin^ished in the
female bathroom which is housed
in the gsmmasium,” wrote Lassiter
in an emaU. “Maintenance Direc
tor Jonathan Nixon caUed for the
immediate shutdown of the venti
lation system to confine smoke and
prevent it from spreading through
out the high school.”
Members of Hertford, WinfaU
and Bethel volunteer fire depart
ments responded and checked out
the buddings. They set up fans to
blow the smoke out of the budding
that houses the gym.
Perquimans County EMS re
sponded as wed. There were no inju
ries reported.
The fire is being investigated by
Perquimans County Fire Marshall
Mark Rogerson who said it “was not
an accidental fire.” The school’s fire
alarm did activate.
Suspects are currently being in
terviewed, he added. The school’s
resource officer, a member of the
Perquimans County Sheriff’s De
partment, wdl be the lead investiga
tor on the case.
“This situation was kept under
control because employees were on
task and in the hads monitoring the
entrance of students into the budd
ing,” said Principal James Bunch.
“The safety and discipline plan at
Perquimans High School cads for
constant supervision (by employees)
in the hads and remote or secluded
areas of the budding during transi
tion time of students. I appreciate
the quick response and actions of
my staff in this situation. Their ac
tions prevented the fire from spread
ing which could have produced sig
nificant damage to our facdities.
“I also commend the student who
alerted employees of the situation,”
he added.
Lassiter sent out an emergency
cad to ad parents of Perquimans
County High School students at 8:25
a.m. to alert them of the fire and
that ad students had been safely
evacuated. She also let parents know
that direct communication with the
school would be unavadable untd
the budding was released by the fire
departments for occupancy. Parents,
she told them, could cad the central
office for further information.
Central office staff fielded more
than 50 cads about the incident.
Once the fire departments gave
the OK for students to re-enter the
building. Bunch adowed students to
return to the budding in staggered
formation. Classes being held in the
gymnasium and adjoining class
rooms were relocated to keep stu
dents separated from any smoke or
smell residue from the incident.
Bunch also requested the school
nurse to be on campus the rest of
the day in the event of any problems
from allergies or asthma.
Lassiter said Quality Carpet Care
cleaned the air later that morning
with air scrubbers. The school’s
ventdation system was restarted af
ter the air was cleaned and posed no
threat to students or staff.
“The irony of today’s event is
that today (Monday) marks the first
day of Fire Prevention Week,” said
Lassiter. “Our schools are partici
pating in a number of educational
and training activities this week to
help students understand the dan
gers of fire. Education and training
are pivotal to school employees and
students when they are called upon
to respond to situations like the inci
dent today.”
Superintendent Dwayne K. Stad-
ings commended Bunch and his
staff for their quick response in
ensuring the safety of the students
and staff by immediate evacuation;
responding to the fire by utilizing
staff that are appropriately trained;
and communicating the situation
with parents immediately.
Lassiter pointed out that the
school system has consequences in
place for anyone who engages in any
act of arson or malicious burning.
Students who commit a Category IV
offense shad be suspended for up to
10 days, recommended for long-term
suspension, and reported to the ap
propriate law enforcement agency.
Christensen carries out Council directives
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
He’s been told he’s no
Bid Cox, but then again, he
wasn’t hired to be one.
Hertford Town Manager
John Christensen fodowed
in the footsteps of the
longtime, wed known, po-
liticady connected mayor/
manager who had the his
toric distinction of serving
in the two positions at the
same time, something only
adowed by an act of the
state legislature.
When Cox retired, Chris
tensen was hired to serve
only as manager since the
manager/mayor slot had
been separated a few years
earlier. Stid, councd, he
says, recognized that en
forcement of many of the
town’s ordinances was lax,
partly because of having a
politicady motivated man
ager in the past.
“My directive from coun
cil was to enforce the ordi
nances,” said Christensen,
who in December will cel
ebrate 15 years serving as
town manager.
“I became the bad guy.
I had to make decisions
based on the ordinances,”
he said. “Some old timers
didn’t like it. I was told sev
eral times I was no Bid Cox,
but councd appreciated me.
I did what they wanted me
to do.”
Some folks stid think
he’s the bad guy.
Serving on the front line
of the day to day battle of
dealing with the public and
department heads, Chris
tensen has taken a couple
of direct hits in the past
month. Two former and
interim police chiefs have
complained of what they
say is his lack of support
of the town’s police depart
ment, both with personne
and equipment.
Christensen’s response
to both has been he does
support the police, but town
budgetary limitations only
CONTINUED on page 14
25yrs
Pleads guilty
in federal
court to drug
trafficking
charges
From news release
A 44-year-old Hertford
man was sentenced to pris
on last week on federal drug
trafficking charges.
According to a press re
lease issued by the U.S. At
torney’s office in Raleigh,
U.S. District Judge Ter
rence W. Boyle sentenced
Damone Key to 305 months’
imprisonment followed by
five years supervised re
lease. Key plead guilty in
May to conspiracy to dis
tribute and possess with in
tent to distribute more than
50 grams of cocaine base
(crack) and possession of a
firearm in furtherance of a
drug trafficking crime.
The ■ charges were
brought after a May 22,
2007 robbery investigation
by the Pasquotank County
Sheriff’s Office discovered
a loaded handgun and mar
ijuana in a home where Key
had answered the door.
A search warrant was
obtained and executed and
money, multiple calibers of
ammunition, marijuana,
cocaine and cocaine base
were seized.
The investigation further
revealed that the handgun,
a Hi-Point, Model JCP .40
caliber revolver, belonging
to Key, was purchased as
protection because Key had
been previously robbed of
cocaine. It was also learned
that three to four months
prior to the search. Key had
sold four to five kilograms
of drugs.
Key’s extensive criminal
history includes two convic
tions of assault on a female,
possession with intent to
seU marijuana, simple pos
session of cocaine, posses
sion of drug parapherna
lia, numerous convictions
of possession with intent
to sell or deliver cocaine
and possession with intent
to sell or deliver a schedule
II controlled substance, and
possession of marijuana up
to Va ounce.
Investigation of the case
was conducted by the Ra
leigh Office of the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire
arms and Explosives and
the Pasquotank County
Sheriff’s Office. Assistant
United States Attorney
Ethan Ontjes served as
prosecutor for the govern
ment.
This makes the second
Hertford man to plead
guilty to drug charges in
federal court in the past
four months.
Michael Leonard Coston
pled guilty to possession
with intent to distribute
more than five grams of
crack cocaine June 2 and
can receive up to a maxi
mum of 40 years in prison,
supervised release up to
five years, and a fine of up
to $2 mUlion. His sentenc
ing is scheduled for Nov. 3
in New Bern.