Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / March 3, 2010, edition 1 / Page 1
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BMW* S## V jhmi MAR 0 d 201D P , The ERQUIMANS ''News front Next Door" Stover to serve as student March 3,2010 - March 9,2010 MrtgROO322i!W0MAR 1) 3 2l))(6i^!$ Hertford man faces federal wire fraud charge Charge stems from loan transactions By CATHY WILSON Staff writer A Hertford man who practices law in Virginia will face one count of fel ony wire fraud in U.S. Dis- Complaint is filed against schools Mom believes mold causing problems By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer A Hertford mother has removed her 13-year-old son from the local school system and filed a discrim ination complaint with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) against the Perqui mans County Schools. Theresa Gay said she removed her son, Andrew, from the school system Jan. 25 after allegedly suffering from mold toxicity while attending Perquimans Middle School and the Ac celerated Learning Center. She fded a complaint with the U.S. Department of Ed ucation OCR after her son, an eighth grader,, suffered serious asthma attacks, as well as a variety of other symptoms, while attend ing school between August 28,2009 and Jan. 15,2010. Jim Bradshaw with the U.S. Department of Educa tion press office in Wash ington confirmed Tuesday afternoon that OCR re ceived a complaint Jan. 25 against the Perquimans County Schools, alleging that the district discrimi nated against a student with a disability by not providing “a clean learn ing environment.” The complaint is still under evaluation to determine if the allegations are appro priate for an OCR investi gation and resolution, he added. Brenda Lassiter, the school system’s pub lic information officer, released a statement Wednesday saying the See COMPLAINT, 4 Weekend Weather Friday High: 53 Low: 36 Sunny Saturday High: 55 Low: 39 Sunny Sunday High: 58 Low: 39 Partly Cloudy trict Court in Norfolk. Authorities believe Stephen M. Gunther, a Virginia Beach attorney, schemed to defraud four mortgage companies by failing to identify third parties involved in the real estate closings of four home sales in 2006. According to the U.S. District Court Clerk’s of fice, Gunther, who remains free, is scheduled to enter a guilty plea to the charge March 25. Court records allege that Gunther, 39, was the settlement agent during the closings of two homes located in Norfolk, one in Virginia Beach and one in Chesapeake involving financing by four separate mortgage institutions: Fremont Investment & Loan, American Home Mortgage, Diversified Mortgage, and Baltimore American Mortgage Cor poration. Authorities believe the nearly $1 million mort gage scheme used “straw”, or faked, purchasers. They also allege that Gunther advanced clos ing costs, got reimbursed by a third party, charged a fee in addition to his reimbursement and his attorney’s fees, and then did not include that infor mation on the settlement Race to the finish line tm-- iili ■1^ f CATHY WILSON/PERQUIMANS WEEKLY Area Cub Scouts gathered at Southgate Mall in Elizabeth City on Saturday for the annual Pinewood Derby races. Hertford Cub Scout (top photo, center) Dylan Cox, reacts in agony as his car doesn’t cross the finish line first during one of the races. Other scouts whose cars ran in the trial race with Cox include Alex Johnson of Edenton (left) and Andrew Koontz (right) of South Mills. At left, Cox grimaces fol lowing the race, as his car finished behind the other competitors. statement. The mortgage compa nies eventually sold the loans to other companies that resulted in more than $210,000 in losses when four of the buyers default ed on their loans. Gunther is being repre sented by Norfolk attor ney James 0. Broccoletti. County ranks low on health study By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer According to a recent report ranking the over all health of the state’s 100 counties, Perquimans County residents rtiay be on the sick list. In fact, the study shows that Perquimans ranked 75th out of 100 counties in health outcomes and 72nd in health factors. The Robert Wood John son Foundation and the University of Wisconsin PopulationHealthlnstitute compiled a first-time study that collected reports from counties from .every state in the nation. According to the county health rankings, local residents can now get a better picture of the over all health of the commu nity and compare it with neighboring counties, to- see where improvement is needed. In the study, the category health outcomes was made up of mortality (length of life) figures and morbidity (quality of life) numbers. Health factors included health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical envi ronment. Out of the five-county Albemarle region ranging from Chowan to Curri tuck counties, Perquimans See HEALTH, 4 Last-minute filers spark upcoming elections By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer A last minute flurry of filers on Friday beefed-up local political races this spring and fall. Five people have filed for three seats on the board of education to be decided in May while four people want to fill three seats on the board of commission ers in November. In addi tion, the incumbent sher iff faces opposition this fall. A local resident is also seeking to upset Rep. An nie Mobley in the race for the NC House 5th District. Eula Mae Forbes, direc tor of the Perquimans Board of Elections, said incumbents Wallace Nel son and Walter Leigh each filed to seek re-election to the Perquimans County Board of Education. Join- Decision 2010 ing them on the May 4 election ballot will be Gail Vaughn Hill, Diane Layden and Ralph Hollowell. Hill seeks to reclaim her seat on the board that she lost in 2008 after serving four years. “Fve always had an interest in kids and I’m stiU working with kids,” she said. “Serving on the board of education is one place I can really help ben efit kids.” Layden, from Belvidere, feels her experiences in life will help her make good decisions if elected to the board. “I wish to be on the board of education because the total education and expe riences of today’s youth is important for shaping tomorrow’s leaders,” she said. Efforts to reach HoUow- eU were unsuccessful. Nelson has served on the board for a total of 12 years and currently serves as chairman. Leigh has served on the See ELECTION, 4 High school site of Best Practices Conference From staff reports Although doors to the schools were closed for stu dents on Presidents Day, Feb. 15, in Perquimans County, the halls were fiUed with more than 300 educators, administrators, superintendents and other retired school personnel from around the northeast region at the fifth annual Best Practices Conference. Perquimans High School served as the host site where more than 40 sessions highlighting best practices in the education arena were offered. “Encouraging an atmo sphere that embraces the sharing of best practices can avoid reinventing the wheel, and more quickly enact new processes and programs that can help improve the education of our students. Teachers thrive on best practices and look for opportunities to share what successful things are happening in the classrooms,” said Su perintendent Dr. Dwayne K. Stallings. “No longer do teachers operate in isola tion. Collaboration is the key to success.” According to Stallings, if others are doing weU, people tend to be interest ed in what they are doing and how they are doing it, so that they, too, can be suc cessful. Sharing best prac tices is a key to the success of any education system or organization. “I have found it is easier and more effective to learn from the experiences, mis takes and successes of others,” said one begin ning teacher attending the conference. “Because best practices are not rules or law but are a standard oper ating method that produces the best performance and results, they (the practices) are bendable and adaptable to meet the needs of indi vidual students and school systems.” Swindell Funeral and Cremation Services —^Traditi^ilcremation I I r I I /■ I Green Funerals!. Biker Funerals 509 Dobbs St, Hertford 426-73 I I Veterans Funerals^ Pre-Arrangements] www.swinclellfuneralhome.comi Over 57 Years of Service to the Community
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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March 3, 2010, edition 1
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