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"News from Next Door" WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017
WWW.CAROLINACHRYSLER.COM 1252-335-0724 11001 HALSTEAD BLVD.
ELIZABETH CITY
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S-BRIDGE REPAIR PROJECT ON TRACK
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
If the weather cooperates
N.C. Department of Trans
portation officials hope to
complete repairs to Hert
ford’s S-Bridge by the end of
the next month,
Crews have completely
removed the asphalt driving
surface and the metal deck
from the swing-span. As
that went on, rusted metal
I-beams were removed and
replaced with new beams.
John Abel, the bridge
program manager for N.C.
DOT’s Division I , said the
next step will be to work on
both ends of each bridge.
Able said they want to make
sure the bridge can safely
open and close even when
warm weather might cause
the metal to expand.
With the bridge closed,
traffic, including school bus
es, has to be rerouted over
the U.S. 17 Bypass Bridge.
Before work on the S-Bridge
started, DOT adjusted the
timing of the traffic signal
on U.S. 17 and Church Street
to give cars more time to get
onto U.S.17.
So far, that plan appears
to have eliminated much of
the long delays some had
feared, according to John
See S-BRIDGE, 3
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Internet
survey
launched
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The Hertford-based Albe
marle Commission is con
ducting a survey of thelO-
county area to find out what
level of broadband Internet
service is really out there.
Director Cathy Davison
said once the commission
gets the full picture and
finds out what people what
and need, it can work with
industry and government to
fill in the gaps.
“As part of our ongoing
planning and economic
development work for the
region, we realized that we
couldn’t leave broadband
access and infrastructure
out of the equation,” Davi
son said.
Davison believes having
broadband services isn’t a
luxury, but something the re
gion must have if it expects
to attract new industry and
help existing businesses ex
pand.
There are pockets of the
10-county Albemarle Com
mission region that have no
Internet service at all and
some areas with only very
slow service.
Davison found that out
when she and her fam
ily moved to off New Hope
See SURVEY, 2
White Sworn In
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Superior Court Judge J.C. Cole (above,
right) hands Perquimans County
Sheriff Shelby White his badge last
week during a swearing-in ceremony.
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Perquimans County Sheriff Shelby
White (left) raises his right hand while
resting his left on the Bible held by
his mother Gail during a swearing in
service last week.
House
speaker
issues
letter
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The leader of the N.C.
House has issued a state
ment suggesting his initial
questions about the Ama
zon wind farm have been
largely answered. Speaker
Tim Moore (R-Cleveland)
was one of 10 North Caro
lina lawmakers that sent a
letter to President Donald
Trump’s pick for Secretary
for Homeland Security. The
letter says the Amazon proj
ect should never have been
built, and argues itwill harm
the Navy’s ability to use a ra
dar facility in Chesapeake.
The letter to Gen. John
Kelly sparked a protest from
local elected officials who
support the wind farm. On
Jan. 24 Moore and nine oth
er lawmakers took a tour of
the Amazon project and met
with local leaders.
The same day, Moore re
leased a statement.
“I appreciate the time and
input of everyone who par
ticipated in the tour today,”
Moore said. “ This was a
yaluable learning experi
ence for me and my House
See STATEMENT, 2
Roanoke building fiber system
BOAT RAMP
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
An electrical co-op that
includes small pails of
northern Perquimans and
Chowan counties has start
ed building a $4 million fi
ber optic network to link
substations together.
While the initial goal is
improve the performance
and reliability of the local
electric distribution sys
tem, the longer-term ben
efit may be faster Internet
service to customers in
the Roanoke Electric Cop
op region, said Marshall
Cherry, chief operation of
ficer of Roanoke Electric. f
The fiber will link the
system’s 12 substations
together. The same fiber
can provide the backbone
for an Internet system.
“This will be a game
changer for our electric
utility operations, as it will
allow us to significantly
reduce system losses and
improve outage manage
ment,” said Roanoke
Electric Co-op CEO Cur
tis Wynn about the main
focus of the expansion.
“Also, with this world-
class broadband technol
ogy comes new opportu
nities to bolster economic
development and improve
the local economy.
“The potential benefits
of having high-speed In
ternet can go a long way
toward enhancing the
quality of life, especially
in our underserved rural
communities.”
Albemarle EMC, a Hert
ford-based co-op that
serves Chowan, Perqui
mans, Pasquotank, Cam
den and Currituck coun
ties, has no similar plans.
“Albemarle EMC has
no plans to own fiber in
frastructure,” said Chris
Powell. “We intend to
stay within our area of
expertise, which is pro
viding reliable, affordable
electricity. We believe the
companies that current
ly offer Internet locally
are better positioned to
See ROANOKE, 2
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Crews from Waff Construction drive sheet piling into the Perquimans River to create
a cofferdam Wednesday. Once complete the water will be pumped out and a boat
ramp will be built.