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^* m 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.

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