The
ERQUIMANS
Weekly
''News front Next Door"
APRIL 20, 2011 - APRIL 26, 2011
roundup, 7
1,4
50 cents
County talks cash incentives for wind farm
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
County commission
ers are considering pay
ing Atlantic Wind LLC
(AW) annual cash grants
as economic development
incentives to locate part
of the state’s first commer
cial-scale wind farm in the
county.
The proposed economic
development incentive
package calls for the coun
ty to pay a percentage of
the company’s real estate
and personal property
taxes back to the company
up to 30 years respectively
provided AW invests $240
million in the county by
the end of 2015 and pro
vides at least eight new
full-time jobs.
The proposal calls for
AW to first pay its tax bill
each year with the county
then cutting AW a check
for a percentage of the tax
es paid. The amount paid
back to AW will decrease
percentage-wise each year.
The schedvde calls for the
county to pay AW nearly
71 percent of its personal
property tax biU the first
year, followed by decreas
ing percentages each year
for 14 years. By the 15th
year, the county wfil be
able to keep the entire
amount paid for taxes by
AW for the initial invest
ment.
County Manager Bobby
Darden said if the Desert
Wind Project is built, the
county should see about
$300,000-400,000 in net
revenues from the proj
ect each year. County of
ficials say AW, even after
the incentives, wfil by far
be the largest taxpayer in
’ the county-equal to the six
current largest taxpayers
combined.
Officials believe addi
tional economic benefits
to the area would come
during construction of the
project which could create
about 300 temporary jobs
See INCENTIVES, 2
Lesson for Prom Night
m.
STAFF PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
A mock fatal-wreck scene was created for juniors and seniors at Perquimans County High School last week to stress the dangers of driving drunk.
Juniors, seniors watch mock fatality
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
J ust in time for prom night,
Perquimans County High
School students gathered
in the school parking lot Thurs
day afternoon and watched as
several of their feUow students
lay crumpled in a simulated
wrecked vehicle.
Wearing prom dresses and
formal attire, one student
appeared to be “dead” while
the others appeared to suffer a
variety of make-shift injuries.
Another student, kneeling
beside yet another body lying
on the ground, screamed for
someone to help her “father”
who had been ejected from a
second vehicle involved in the
make-shift crash.
Firefighters, rescuers, law
enforcement, a medical heli
copter, EMT students, even the
local funeral home responded
to a simulated fatal wreck
scene at the high school to
show area juniors and seniors
what can happen when driving
drunk. The event was held just
two days before prom night.
“It kinda hit home,” said
Senior Jackie WithereU. “The
students in the car are some of
my best friends. It was shock
ing to see them like that. It will
definitely make a difference
for me.”
PCHS students Elizabeth Phelps,
Jennifer Shriver and Sarah Stevenson
watch the staged accident Thursday.
Sponsored by the Farm
Bureau Women’s Committee,
the reenactment began with a
talk in the school’s auditorium
on the dangers of drinking and
driving. As the talk came to
an end, students heard sirens
blowing outside and watched
as firefighters and emergency
services arrived at the school.
The East Care medical helicop
ter flew overhead.
Several students took part
in the reenactment including
Mikel Harvey who portrayed a
student killed in the crash. Stu
dents watched as Harvey was
strapped to a gurney, covered
by blankets, and transported
away from the scene in the
See MOCK, 2
RIF OK’d;
30 may
lose jobs
in schools
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
The Perquimans County Board
of Education approved their Re
duction in Force policy Monday
night paving the way to cut up to
30 school employees due to an ex
pected reduction in state and fed
eral funding.
Facing a state funding shortfall
of about 8-10 percent, (which could
go as high as 13 percent depend
ing on what action the legislature
takes). Superintendent Dwayne
Stallings said up to nine licensed
positions (teachers, counselors)
and 21 classified positions (teach
er assistants, custodians/mainte
nance, office stafD may face losing
their jobs.
The 30 positions expected to be
cut are based on a 10 percent fund
ing cut from the state. A larger or
smaller percentage funding cut
from the state could mean more or
less positions may be eliminated.
The local school system is brac
ing for a state funding shortfall of
at least $1.04 million for the 2011-
2012 school year.
“This is hard,” said Stallings.
“We’ve had a lot of input and
discussions with the principals.
It’s not easy for anyone...A lot of
thought has gone into this, and
there have been a lot of sleepless
nights.”
In addition to cutting positions,
teacher assistants will have work
ing hours reduced from 40 to 35
in an effort to keep more jobs.
Employees working over 30 hours
each week wfil continue to receive
benefits.
Teacher assistants who drive
buses may work 40 hours as an in
centive to keep bus drivers.
Overtime hours wfil be reduced,
and the number of school-based
Education Office Personnel is ex
pected to be reduced as well.
The projected number of jobs
cut takes into account known res
ignations and retirements for the
See REDUCTION, 2
Schools see more
‘homeless’ students
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
House fires, domestic
violence, and the tough
economy have led to an
increase in the number of
local school students clas
sified as “homeless”.
Latonia Johnson, social
worker/homeless coor
dinator for Perquimans
County Schools, says the
system has 60 school stu
dents classified as home
less and/or unaccompa
nied youth this year, up
from 18 the previous year.
“Most of them are fami-
89076
47144
lies who are doubled up
with other families in the
same house,” said Johnson
whose job is to make sure
homeless and unaccompa
nied youth have equal ac
cess to the same free public
education as is provided to
other children and youth.
While the word “home
less” conjures up images
of people living in card
board boxes underneath
a bridge or on a sidewalk,
federal law enacted in 2002
actually defines homeless
and protects students who
don’t have a fixed, regular,
and adequate residence.
Such residences falling un
der those guidelines coifid
include students in fami
lies doubled-up with other
families or friends due to
See STUDENTS, 2
Police cruiser hits car on U.S. 17
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Two people were injured
Sunday night when a Hert
ford police cruiser struck
a vehicle crossing the in
tersection of Highway 17
and Wynne Fork Road.
North Carolina High
way Patrolman T.F Lang
ley, Jr. said Hertford Police
Officer Pryce Hohenstein
was driving a 2006 Ford
Crown Victoria police
cruiser around 7 p.m.
when Hohenstein attempt
ed to cross the northbound
lanes of Highway 17 from
the Edenton Road Street
side of Wynne Fork Road,
striking a white Nissan
traveling northbound in
the outside lane.
The Nissan, driven by
Deborah Clagon, age 43 of
Perquimans County, came
to rest on Highway 17. The
police cruiser spim around
and ended up in the inter
section facing southeast,
police said.
Hertford Police Chief
Joe Amos said Hohenstein
was on routine patrol
and not responding to an
emergency call when the
accident occurred. Troop
er Langley said the police
cruiser did not display
emergency lights or siren
at the time of the crash.
Trooper Langley said
Clagon was transported by
members of Perquimans
EMS to Chowan Hospital.
Officer Hohenstein was
taken by family members
to Albemarle Hospital for
a leg injury where he was
treated and later released.
Trooper Langley said
neither alcohol nor speed
were contributing factors
in the accident that closed
the northbound lane of
the highway for about an
hour.
The accident is under
SUBMIHED PHOTO
Hertford Police Officer Piyce
Hohenstein suffered a minor
knee injury Sunday night when
the police car he was driving
hit a vehicle while crossing the
intersection of U.S. Highway 17
and Wynne Fork Road. Chief
Joe Amos said Hohenstein was
treated and later released
from Albemarle Hospital.
investigation by the North
Carolina Highway Patrol.
As of Monday, no charges
had been filed. The troop
er’s completed report
must first be turned into
the district highway pa
trol office before charges
can be filed.
Other agencies respond
ing included Hertford Fire
Department, Hertford Po
lice Department, and the
Perquimans County Sher
iffs Department.