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Judge J.C. Cole sworn in, 2
"Neivs front Next Door”
JANUARY 5, 2011 - JANUARY 11, 2011
Author to read at Intellport, 2
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Amos completes probe on missing drugs
By CATHY WILSON
Stajf Writer
The Hertford Police De
partment has completed an
internal investigation into
the apparent disappear
ance of nearly a kilo of co
caine found missing from
the department’s evidence
room.
Chief Joe Amos said
Tuesday morning that four
officers, including himself,
passed polygraph tests in
December.
“This shows me that no
body currently in the de
partment was responsible
for the disappearance of
the cocaine,” said Amos.
While the department
Remains
found
in Nov.
identified
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Police have identified
the remains discovered
in November in a wood
ed area behind Andy’s
Restaurant in Winfall as
those of a
M 0 y 0 c k
man who
apparent
ly took his
own life.
Winfall
Police
Chief Da
vid Shaf
fer said
remains found by hunters
nearly two months ago are
those of Jay Howard El-
See IDENTIFIED, 2
DA studies
SBI report
on scuffle
By WILLIAM F. WEST
Staff Writer
District Attorney Frank
Parrish said he is review
ing a State Bureau of In
vestigation report about
whether Hertford Police
Department employees,
including Chief Joe Amos,
used excessive force in a
scuffle with a man late this
past spring.
Parrish declined com
ment about the report
See PROBE, 2
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Elkins
89076 47144
employs eight full-time
people and four part-tim
ers, the four officers cho
sen to submit to polygraph
tests were the two officers
who have been employed
by the department since
the time the cocaine was
seized in a case, the current
evidence custodian, and
Amos because he has ac
cess to the evidence room.
The remaining depart
ment employees were hired
by Amos after he became
chief in 2008. •
An outside firm was
hired to polygraph Sgt.
Kevin Worster, the officer
involved in the 2006 arrest
during which cash and
over three quarters of a
kilo of cocaine were seized;
Officer Josh Turpin, the
evidence custodian prior to
Amos taking over as chief
in 2008; Sgt. Sean Swindell,
the current evidence custo
dian; and Amos.
Amos said he chose an
outside firm whose employ
ees were not familiar with
the case or. any of the offi
cers.
“A polygraph is the easi
est and quickest way to get
to the bottom of something
in an internal investiga
tion,” he added.
Amos said the tester
asked a number of stan
dard polygraph questions
ft'-.-'
np
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POLICE PHOTO
See COCAINE, 2 The cocaine shown in Dec. 2006 was missing from the police department’s evidence room.
A New Year's Newborn
-%•
SUBMIHED PHOTO
Melissa and Robert Stallings Jr. of Winfall welcomed their little girl, Everista Marie, the first baby born in the area in 2011.
First baby of 2011 bom to local couple
By REBECCA BUNCH
Chowan Herald
JR Perquimans County
couple’s first child is also
^^Bthe New Year’s baby for
2011 in the Albemarle area.
Melissa and Robert Stallings
Jr. of Winfall welcomed their
little girl, Everista Marie, into
the world at twenty-five minutes
past midnight, at Chowan Hospi
tal in Edenton. Melissa said the
baby, who will be known simply
as Eve, was named for her ma
ternal great-grandmother.
“We thought that she was go
ing to be a New Year’s Eve baby,
but Eve took a little longer to
come,” Melissa said.
Robert said that he was in the
delivery room with Melissa and
would never forget the excite
ment of seeing Eve born.
“It was amazing,” Robert said
of the experience.
“We were p team,” Melissa
added. “It took aU three of us.”
Assisting in the process was
Dr. Peter Boehling of Edenton,
who delivered Eve.
'^he little girl weighed 8
pounds, 2 ounces at birth. She
was 21 inches long.
Eve’s maternal grandparents,
Dennis and Cheri WUliams, are
residents of southeast Virginia.
Her paternal grandparents,
Robert and Vickie Stallings, live
in Belvidere. In honor of the
special occasion. Eve and her
parents were given a gift basket
of baby items donated by the
hospital and area merchants.
Accomplishments in 2010; challenges in 2011
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Local government and
school officials tend to
agree that much has been
accomplished in 2010
despite a continuing de
pressed economy. The out
look for the next fiscal year,
however, is not as bright.
Everyone seems to agree
that staying within bud
get and managing to ac
complish major projects
despite less local and state
funding were major accom
plishments in 2010.
County Manager Bobby
Darden listed the $3 million
renovation to the county’s
water treatment plant in
Winfall as the county’s big
gest accomplishment in
2010.
“The project started in
January 2010 and was com
pleted in December of 2010,
and everything went as
scheduled and within bud
get,” Darden pointed out.
“This project was funded
through the American Re
covery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA). The county
had this project planned
several years ago, but
funding was an issue so we
were fortunate to have this
project ‘shovel ready’ and
could take advantage of
the generous terms of the
ARRA funding.”
The funds for the proj
ect are half grant and half
loan with 0 percent inter
est, Darden added.
“The renovations greatly
improve water quality and
provide back-up generator
power for the plant,” he
said.
In addition to the water
treatment plant, county
leaders also managed to
complete improvements to
the county’s recreational
center and funded a drain
age study countywide.
Darden said one goal was
not accomplished in 2010:
resolving the issue of the
electric bill between Hert
ford and the high school.
“While the town, school
system, and county have
agreed to a resolution
in principle for the high
school electric billing er
ror, we were not able to
finalize that proposal,”
said Darden. “Energy con
sumption in a facility as
large as the high school
is complex and has many
considerations. We’ve had
to rely on experts to review
energy consumption at the
See 2011,7