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P The ERQUIMANS jt'D K K ^ ^ T Weekly First-graders receive free books. Page 10. "Neivs front Next Door” JANUARY 13, 2010 - JANUARY 19, 2010 Regional jail now transports inmates Switch frees up deputies in county By Cathy Wilson Sta/f Writer Inmates are now being transported by the new re gional jail’s transportation team instead of local county deputies. The switch, which began about four months ago, al lows deputies with the Per quimans County Sheriffs De partment to spend more time in the county instead of driv ing inmates back and forth to Elizabeth City or farther for court appearances, doctors’ visits, and mental health ap pointments. For Sheriff Eric Tilley, the assistance helps free up depu ties to provide more service to the public. “We stiU have to carry someone to the jail when they are first arrested,’’ Til ley said, “but this reaUy helps free up our deputies for other things.’’ Pasquotank Sheriff Randy Cartwright, administrator of the regional jail, said the transportation service is provided for Camden, Pas quotank and Perquimans counties by employees of the newly constructed regional jail that’s awaiting an occu pancy permit expected later this-month. “When we open the new re gional jail, we’ll have to have a transportation team already in place to meet the new fed eral contract to house federal inmates in the new jail,” ex plained Cartwright. “ We’U receive reimbursement from the federal government to house pre-trial, pre-sentence federal inmates. We look at housing federal prisoners as a revenue source to help pay for the facility and reduce debt service for the counties. With proper scheduling, I be lieve we can alleviate some of the transportation responsi bilities off the local sheriffs departments and transport the federal inmates as weU. The U.S. Marshals won’t be transporting these federal prisoners any longer.” Six detention officers have been hired to comprise the transportation team. The new recruits will work in the jaU and undergo special ized training including fire arm training since they will have inmates in their custody while transporting them from See INMATES on Page llA Weekend Weather Friday High: 51 Low: 38 Few Showers Saturday High: 51 Low: 40 Mostly Cloudy Sunday High: 52 Low: 42 Mostly Cloudy Officials look at 2009 accomplishments By Cathy Wilson Staff Writer With the start of a new year, area leaders are looking back on what was accomplished in 2009, what wasn’t, and what issues they wiU face in 2010. Just weathering the recession that drastically reduced local revenues was an accomplishment felt by both town and county officials. Growth in the Commerce Centre was alsp a high point for both Hertford and Perqui mans County. County Manager Bobby Darden sees several positive accomplishments that occurred last year, even in the face of a recession. The county’s entering into an agree ment with the North Carolina Seafood Industrial Park Authority to construct a marine-based industrial park within the Commerce Centre and conveying property to seal the deal is number one on Darden’s list of county accomplish ments last year. Approximately 80 acres will be de veloped to hopefully attract six boat Area accomplishments According to County Manager Bobby Darden, some of the positive achievements of 2009 included: • The county’s entering into an agreement with the North Carolina Seafood Industrial Park Authority to construct a marine-based industrial park. • The construction and opening of the 27,000 square ft. Fed Ex facility. • County taxpayers funded the replacement of the roof at Hertford Grammar SchoOI. • The county also received $3 million in American Recovery and Rein vestment Act federal stimulus funds. builders to the area and create approxi mately 400 jobs in the future. Twenty-six sites from 11 counties along the coast and waterways were considered for the new marine indus trial park, an expansion of the authori ty’s current industrial park on Roanoke Island. The Perquimans County site was selected as top priority because of the county’s advance planning work, location, water and transportation ac cess, utilities and site certification. Number two on Darden’s list is the construction and opening of the 27,000 square ft. Fed Ex facility in the Com merce Centre, a highlight for both the county and the town. Other new construction occurring in that area includes the siting of a funeral home, and additional recreational facilities at the county recreation center such as walking trails, fishing piers, and small- boat launch areas. Also last year, county taxpayers funded the replacement of the roof at Hertford Grammar School, a project that culminates five years and $18.5 mUlion in county school projects, Darden noted. The county also received $3 million in American Recovery and Reinvest ment Act federal stimulus funds to fund improvements to the county’s water plant in WinfaU. These funds in corporate half grant and half 0 percent interest loan. See 2009 on Page llA JOHN MATTHEWS PHOTO Among Hertford’s 2009 accomplish ments was the addition of more wa ter storage capacity by replacing a 100,000 gallon overhead storage tank (left) with a new 250,000 gallon tank. Bearly a big kiss yii um le SUBMIUED PHOTO Ben Hanson jokes around by appearing shocked as his wife, Jo Ann lays one on Smokey the Bear during Smokey’s birthday party.The Hansons, from Holiday Island, are seasonal volunteer rangers with the United States Forestry Service, serving at the Cradle of Forestry, located in the Pisgah National Forest near Asheville. Couple likes volunteering with Smokey Volunteer rangers help U.S. Forestry Service By Cathy Wilson Staff Writer B en and Jo Ann Hanson love to hang out with Smokey the Bear. In fact, this past sum mer, they helped throw a birthday party for the gentle giant of a bear who promotes preventing forest fires. As volunteer rangers with the United States Forestry Ser vice (USFS), the Hansons live in Smokey’s home for about four months out of the year. The rest of the time, they live in Holiday Is land. The Hansons volunteered for the past three years at the Cradle of Forestry, the birthplace of forestry in America, located in the Pisgah National Forest near AsheviUe. Ben works primarily in mainte nance, helping to keep the public bathrooms and historic buildings in good shape. He also makes sure the voice boxes that speak history lessons to whoever pushes the but tons remain in good working condi tion while he’s around. Jo Ann works mainly with people: serving as a trail guide for school group tours; providing hospitality in the Forest Discovery Center; or lending a helping hand in the his toric educational exhibits. “We just love to do it,” said Jo Ann. “We get to meet people from aU over the country and from all walks of life. We reaUy enjoy work ing with the visitors.” The Hansons first heard about the volunteer program with the USFS during a trip to Minnesota. After retiring from their respective careers, they bought a recreational vehicle and headed cross country to visit relatives. Those relatives sug gested volunteering with the for estry service since they knew the Holiday Island couple enjoy work ing with the public and are free to travel since retirement. Jo Ann said she went online to the USFS website, filled out an ap plication, and received a phone call within two days asking them to be in Pisgah National Forest in a week. “We were a little overwhelmed at first, having to go so quickly,” she remembered, “but it was worth it. We have certainly enjoyed it.” See SMOKEY on Page llA Third man arrested in fatal shooting Nightclub’s alcohol license suspended By Diana Mazzelia The Daily Advance Police have arrested a third U.S. Army soldier in connec tion with the fatal shooting of a local man in Elizabeth City early New Year’s Day. In a related matter, the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission has suspended the alcohol license of a night club near the crime scene. Willie Arthur McMeans, 21, of Fort Lee, McMeans So, are you the area’s biggest loser? Weigh-in scheduled to begin on Jan. 30 By Cathy Wilson Staff Writer It’s not boot camp, and there won’t be any tough trainers around to spur you into ac tion. But, the local recreation center hopes their upcoming weight loss challenge will help local residents become more active and lose a few pounds. The Perquimans Recreation Department wiU hold a Big gest Loser Contest beginning later this month to help moti vate residents to lose weight. Folks can enter as five-mem ber teams or as individuals to compete for cash prizes. The initial weigh-in will start on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 10 a.m. at the recreation center. The contest will last for 12 weeks. “We’re forming our own rules,” said Howard Wil liams, recreation director. “This is not boot camp, and it’s not like the television show.' We just want to get more people involved, get them motivated to exercise and use the recreation center more. We have walking trails out here now, so we want to get more people out here us ing them.” Teams must include at least two females. Cost is $50 per team to enter. Individuals may enter for $10 each. Williams said special pro grams promoting exercising will be held for participants every other Saturday in the gym. In addition, a cardio- workout program wiU be of fered during the week. Participants will weigh at the recreation center every other week to keep track of their weight loss. The weights, Williams added, wiU be kept confidential. At the end of the 12-week program, cash prizes will he given to the overall team and individual winners. To join the contest, just reg ister at the recreation center on or before Jan. 30. Those who wish to compete must attend the initial weigh-in on Jan. 30. For more info, call the rec reation department at 426- 5695. Petersburg, Va., was ar rested Jan. 5 and charged with being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder in the shooting death of An toine Tyrone Williams. The 21-year-old Winfall resident was shot in a parking lot not far from the E. City Restau rant and Lounge early Jan. 1. Detective Jerry Boyce de clined to give specifics about McMeans’ involvement in Williams’ shooting, but said the suspect was not with two other soldiers — Shawn Hor- skins, 22, and Everett Bynum, 19 — when the shooting took place. According to Boyce, McMeans helped Horskins and Bynum evade police after the soldiers returned to Fort Lee following the shooting. . McMeans is being held at Albemarle District Jail in lieu of a $25,000 bond. Boyce said other arrests are possible in the case. According to police officials, Horskins is charged with first-degree murder while Bynum is charged with being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. Horskins is being held without bond, while Bynum was confined in lieu of a $50,000 bond. Interviewed earlier this week, WUliams’ sister Triq- uita Williams said she had driven to the, E. City Restau rant and Lounge just before 1 a.m., stopping in a parking lot adjacent to a car wash near the nightclub. After her brother told her he See ARREST on Page lOA +
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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Jan. 13, 2010, edition 1
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