X
January 7. 2009
Vol. 77, No. 1 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
**News from Next Door**
•mm
WinfaU
man
jailed
for
death
threats
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A WinfaU man is being
held in Albemarle District
JaU without bond after al
legedly threatening to kiU a
local magistrate.
Accordingto the Hertford
Police Department, Clifton
Wood, 29, of 414 Catherine
Street, started the new year
by making threats against
Chief Magistrate BUly Win
slow during legal process
ing on charges stemming
from a traffic stop. Wood
reportedly told Winslow he
was going to kUl him when
he gets out of jail.
Police say Wood’s vehicle
was stopped around noon
on Jan. 1 near Mead’s Store
off Grubb Street Extend
ed by the North Carolina
Highway Patrol for a traffic
violation. During the stop,
police saw Wood clutching
a toy in his shirt pocket.
Police discovered that the
plastic toy turtle action fig
ure hid what is believed to
be “crack” cocaine inside
the turtle’s shell.
When the suspect ar
rived at the police depart
ment, police found a stain
less steel straight razor on
the seat near Wood.
Once in the magistrate’s
office for processing on
charges of possession of a
Schedule II drug and carry
ing a concealed weapon, po
lice say Wood became very
loud, disruptive and vulgar,
resulting in a contempt
charge. The magistrate re
portedly ordered Wood con
fined in jaU for 30 days and
fined $100.
While explaining the
contempt charge. Wood re
portedly told Winslow he
was going to kill him when
he gets out of jail.
Wood was immediately
transported to jaU.
Perquimans Weekly photos by CATHY WILSON
OFFICER ERIC PRIEBE WITH the Hertford Police Department
goes down on his knees after being tazed during a recent
training exercise (top right). The Hertford officers now carry
tazers which incapacitate those shot for just a few seconds,
giving the officers time to handcuff a suspect, get them safe
ly into a patrol car and away from others who might be in
danger. Each time a tazer is fired, an informational trail is
created that will allow the chief to know when the tazing
took place, the duration of the shock delivered and other
pertinent information. Before being allowed to carry a tazer,
each officer had to experience it first hand by being tazed for
a full five seconds. Tazing sends an electrical charge through
the person shot. After the seconds-long charge stops, those
shot most often collapse as their muscles react to the elec
trical stimulation. Hertford Police Chief Joe Amos said tazers
can help officers avoid using deadly force in some situa
tions, increasing safety for officers, those they are trying to
apprehend, and those in the area.
Town
store
robbed
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Hertford Hardware was
broken into Dec. 28 at 2:27
a.m. with over $1,000 in
chain saws reported stolen.
Two of the chain saws
were recovered immediate
ly afterwards when police
found them on the ground
beside the Embarq building
on Grubb Street.
Hertford Police Chief Joe
Amos said he and his wife
were outside walking their
dog on Market Street when
the break-in alarm sound
ed. Amos spotted a suspect
carrying a chain saw run
ning across the Hertford
Baptist Church parking lot
and down Market Street.
Amos, dressed in shorts,
tee-shirt, baseball hat and
dock shoes, gave chase and
radioed his pursuit to Offi
cer Melissa Right who was
responding to the burglary
call. Amos said he lost sight
of the suspect when he ran
behind some residences.
Police believe the thieves
entered the hardware store,
located on Church Street,
through a back window. In
vestigation is continuing.
Anyone with informa
tion regarding the break-in
is urged to contact the po
lice department at 426-5587.
Callers may remain anony
mous.
County manager reviews
accomplishments, expectations
WMim
Thursday
High: 53 Low: 32
Cloudy/Windy
Friday
High: 48 Low: 33
Sunny
Saturday
High: 54 Low: 43
Partly Cloudy
•89076
7143
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A new year brings
thoughts of past accom
plishments along with ex
pectations for the future.
County Manager Bobby
Darden was asked what
he feels was accomplished
here in 2008, what did not
get accomplished, and what
the county can look forward
to in 2009.
Basically the economy
has and will impact ail
three categories.
Darden said complet
ing two school projects,
beginning the process of
bringing a seafood indus
trial park into the county’s
commerce center, honoring
the county’s veterans, and
starting a shoreline stabi
lization, project behind the
recreation center were all
high points of 2008.
The county completed
renovatjons and additions
to the high school to the
tune of $14 million over
several years. After years
of planning and two years
of construction, the proj
ect was completed with the
dedication of the school’s
new gym and opening of
the renovated media center.
The project, he said, was
financed with $11 million
in low-mterest USDA Ru
ral Development loans and
$3 million from county and
school reserve funds as well
as North Carolina Educa
tional Lottery proceeds.
In addition, the county
funded the completion of
HVAC improvements at
Hertford Grammar School
with a cool $1.7 million
from county reserve funds.
Darden feels that the
letter of intent signed to
create a partnership with
the state’s North Carolina
Seafood Industrial Park Au
thority to construct a ma
rine-based industrial park
within the county’s Com
merce Centre is a big step
forward in economic devel
opment.
The county has identi
fied some 80 acres on the
site that could be used for
the park that state officials
believe could bring six boat
builders to the area and cre
ate approximately 400 jobs.
Twenty-six sites from 11
counties along the coast and
waterways were considered
for the new marine indus
trial park. The Perquimans
site was selected because of
things in place such as the
county’s advance planning
work, location, water and
transportation access, utili
ties and site certification.
Darden also believes
honoring the county’s vet
erans by dedicating the new
veterans monument on the
courthouse green was also
a highlight of2008.
In addition, the county
began a shoreline stabili
zation project in the com
merce park behind the
recreation center that will
protect the county’s prop
erty and ultimately allow
more public access and low-
impact recreation on that
site.
While much was accom
plished last year, Darden
says one project uncom
pleted stands out: not fund
ing the roof replacement at
Hertford Grammar School.
“The slow economy, spe
cifically land transfer tax
revenues, has delayed this
project,” he said. “Land
transfer tax receipts are
down 75 percent from three
years ago.”
Looking to 2009, Darden
is optimistic about the
county finalizing the op
erating agreement for the
seafood industrial park as
well as possibly receiving
substantial funding from a
federal economic stimulus
package for infrastructure
and facility projects.
On the downside, Darden
is realistic when it comes to
the economy and the im
pact it is making on local
governments.
“The slow economy in
2009 will continue to impact
county revenues and make
the county’s 2009—2010 bud
get the most challenging in
years,” he said.
Woman
steals
Hybrid car vehicle
to visit
Hertford
CATHY WILSON
staff Writer
The new North Caro
lina Public Power plug-in
hybrid electric vehicle
wUl arrive in Hertford
Jan. 7 and will tour the
town until Jan. 13. The
vehicle is one of the lat
est energy efficient ad
vances among cars and
can achieve approximate
ly 100 miles per gallon of
gasoline—roughly double
the normal mileage of a
standard Toyota Prius.
“We are delighted
to show the citizens of
Hertford what NC Public
Power is doing to promote
energy efficiency,” said
Mayor Sid Eley. ‘This new
plug-in hybrid electric ve
hicle is an excellent way
to demonstrate to drivers
how much they can save
on gasoline.”
The vehicle will be on
display at the town’s mu
nicipal building located
at 114 W. Grubb Street.’
Anyone wishing to see
this vehicle . or request
demonstrations may con
tact Town Manager John
Christensen at 426-1969.
The NC Public Power
plug-in hybrid electric.ve
hicle debuted in mid-Sep
tember. Prior to its most
recent appearances
CONTINUED on page 8
A 20-year-old homeless
woman has been charged in
connection with the theft of
a vehicle from a Snug Har
bor residence Dec. 29.
According to the
Perquimans County Sher
iff’s Department, Crystal
Meny is charged with motor
vehicle theft and is being
held in Albemarle District
Jail under $5,000 secured
bond following the Dec. 29
incident.
Deputies were notified
around 3:14 a.m. that some
one stole a 1998 Jeep Chero
kee from a residence at 249
Dogwood Drive.
Sheriff Eric Tfiley said
Sgt. Kendall Harrell re
sponded to the scene and
met the vehicle traveling
on Snug Harbor Road. Har
rell stopped the vehicle and
found Meny behind the
wheel. She was the only
occupant of the car, police
said.
Tilley said Meny appar
ently tried to enter the resi
dence first by jiggling the
door handle, and when she
couldn’t get in the house,
she apparently checked
out the car and saw that
the keys were left in the ve
hicle. Meny was not legally
allowed on the property, he
added.
“The property owner had
some type of restraining or
der in effect,” he said.