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P The
ERQUIMANS
J W E E K LY
"News from Next Door" WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2016
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Perquimans board rejects wind project
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The Perquimans County
Commission rejected a
plan for a $300 million wind
power project by a 3-2 vote
Monday night.
A majority of the five
members favored the proj
ect, but individually three
of them had issues with at
least some aspect of Apex
Clean Energy’s proposal.
Commissioners had to
vote individually on four is
sues. All five commission
ers agreed Apex had met the
burden of proof on two of
them — that the use would
not damage pubic health-
safety and secondly that
the project met the require ¬
ments of the county’s ord
nance. But when it came to
the question of if the project
would “substantially” injure
adjoining property own
ers, both Commissioners
Fondella Leigh and Wallace
Nelson weren’t convinced
it wouldn’t. The issue came
down to what “substantial
ly” means.
When it came to the fourth
condition—that the project
would be in “harmony” with
the surrounding property,
Commissioner Kyle Jones
voted he wasn’t convinced
it was. The other four com
missioners disagreed.
After the vote on the four
issues, the board had to take
a final vote on the project as
whole and give it a thumbs
up or down.
“They boxed themselves
into a corner,” said Leary
Winslow, one of the op
ponents of the Timbermill
Wind project. He was refer
ring to how could a com
missioner vote “yes” on the
overall project if they had
voted “no” on one aspect of
it.
A sixth commissioner,
Matt Peeler, was recused
from voting because a ma
jority of the board said he
had shown he’d already
made up his mind before
the hearings started. Peeler
has been an opponent of
wind power. He was there
Monday night, but sitting in
Fate of Timbermill uncertain
BY REGGIE PONDER
Chowan Herald
The Chowan County
Board of Commissioners
gave final, formal approv
al Monday night to the
conditional use permit
for the Timbermill Wind
Project.
But officials in neigh
boring Perquimans Coun
ty rejected the permit,
placing a giant question
mark over the future of
the 300-megawatt wind
energy generation facil
ity proposed for the Bear
Swamp and Center Hill
areas of Chowan and Per
quimans.
The project by Char
lottesville, Va.-based
Apex Clean Energy Inc.
is designed to include
105 wind turbines, 48 of
which would be located
in Chowan County and
the balance in Perqui
mans.
The Perquimans Coun
ty Board of Commission
ers voted 3-2 Monday not
to approve the permit for
the project.
It was not yet clear
Tuesday morning what
the impact of the Per ¬
quimans decision would
be on the project as a
whole.
Don Giecek, Apex’s se
nior manager of project
development, indicated
Tuesday the company
remains committed to
developing wind energy
in northeastern North
Carolina.
“While we are disap
pointed in last night’s de
cision, we remain as com
mitted as ever to bringing
safe, clean renewable
wind energy, and the jobs
See CHOWAN, 5
See PERQUIMANS, 5
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Rufus Rouse, a World War
II Navy veteran, holds his
hat over his heart during
a Veteran’s Day service
Friday at the Perquimans
County Courthouse.
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Brittany Jacobs holds her son Christian Friday during
a Veteran’s Day service at the Perquimans County
Courthouse. Christian’s father Sgt. Christopher Jacobs
died in 2011 during a training accident after three tours
in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. Christian is dressed in
the same type of uniform his father wore.
Young and old
veterans honored
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
W hile veterans of World War II have been tagged
with the term “The Greatest Generation,” the
men and women who have served since and
still serve in the military today deserve respect as well,
a speaker told a Veteran’s Day crowd in Perquimans
County Friday.
“As a veteran of 34 years of service, I am always
amazed at the dedication and commitment of each
generation of the men and women to military service,”
Capt. Glenn McCranie, (Ret.) said. “In Tom Brokaw’s
book ‘The Greatest Generation’ he stated that veterans
of World War II lamented on the absence of personal
responsibility in today’s generation. These words do not
apply and will not apply to those serving proudly today.
America’s Greatest Generation of the 1940s can and
would be proud to salute those in uniform today and
their acceptance of a greater responsibility.”
McCranie did tip his hat to the World War II veterans
who are dying. By one estimate there are about 620,000
U.S. World War vets living out of an original number of
16 million.
“A friend and church member died this week. He
was a Marine in the Battle of Okinawa He was proud
of his faded yet still visible tattoo of the Marines Corps
emblem.”
One of those in the crowd Friday was another World
War II veteran. Rufus Rouse served in the U.S. Navy
during World War II.
See VETERANS, 2
Jones, Woodard,
Hoffler win in
county election
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Perquimans County voters gave the lone incumbent a
big sigh of support last week and elected two new mem
bers to fill the other two seats.
With three seats open Kyle Jones, a Republican seeking
his second four-year term, garnered 2,527 votes, or 38 per
cent based on unofficial totals.
Charles Woodard, a Democrat, finished in second place
with 2,239 votes followed by Joseph Hoffler, another Dem
ocrat with 1,073 votes. Finishing fourth was Alan Lennon,
a Republican with 652 votes.
Voter turnout was 65.5 percent. That’s down slightly
from the 67.2 percent figure in 2012.
With Janice Cole, a Democrat and Matt Peeler, a Re
publican deciding not to ran, the victory by Woodard and
Hoffler gives Democrats a four-to-two edge on the county
board.
Ed Muzzulin, Fondella Leigh are Democrats while Wal
lace Nelson is a Republican.
In thanking voters, it was Cole that drew special praise
from Jones election night.
See ELECTION, 5
Gunshot victim dies
From Staff Reports
Hertford police are looking for suspect in a shooting that
killed a man Monday night.
At about 11 p.m. Hertford officers were dispatched to the
area of 102 Wynne Fork Court where they found Laquell
Fletcher. He was inside the apartment and had been shot
several times.
Fletcher, 29, was transported to Chowan Vidant Hospital
where he died.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was
contacted to assist in the investigation, according to Po
lice Chief Douglas Freeman. The SBI arrived on the scene
about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday and a suspect has been identified.
“The investigation is ongoing. Anyone that may have any
information pertaining to the case is encouraged to con
tact the Hertford Police Department at 426-5587,” Freeman
said.
Church holding
‘Turkey Drop’
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Turkey season — the fro
zen kind, not the kind you
shoot — runs this Friday
and Saturday at Hertford
United Methodist Church.
The church will once
again be hosting a “Turkey
Drop” to benefit families
served by Open Door Food
Pantry in Winfall.
- Turkeys and canned
food for Thanksgiving can
be dropped off each day at
6 " 89076 47144 2
the church on Dobbs Street
from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The
goal is 200 turkeys.
This marks the third year
of the program. Don Hurst,
a member of the church and
treasurer of the food pan
try, said the need for food is
real for many in Perquimans
Comity.
“Sure there are people
who take advantage, but
the people the Food Pan
try serves — 99.9 percent
of them — really need the
help.”
The pantry serves people
year-round, but the need is
greater around holidays like
Thanksgiving, Hurst said.
The Pantry expects to need
See TURKEY, 2
Grant opens the eyes of students
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The world opened a little
wider for Perquimans Coun
ty High School students last
month.
Through a grant from the
Northern Albemarle Com
munity Foundation to the
Perquimans Schools Foun
dation, 30 of them were able
to view a world of fine din
ing and take in a high qual
ity theater production.
For all of the high school
students, it was a chance to
get the experience of The
Hurrah Players perform
“School of Rock” in the high
school auditorium. That is
something some of them
might not have been able
to afford it they went to Vir
ginia for a performance.
See GRANT, 2
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Members of “The Hurrah Players” perform “School of Rock” last month at
Perquimans County High School. It was available as part of a grant from the
Northern Albemarle Community Foundation through .the Perquimans Schools
Foundation.