High school basketball action, 9
"News from Next Door"
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
75 cents
Charter school wins preliminary approval
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
A charter school advisory
board has recommended
the state approve a proposal
to start one in Perquimans
County.
The recommendation,
while not unanimous, was
made last week according
to records by the NC Depart
ment of Public Instruction
Office of Charter Schools.
The Elaine Riddick Char
ter School would start with
grades K-4 and then add
a grade level every year,
reaching eighth grade by
the fifth year. Supporters
say it would draw on stu
dents from Pasquotank
and Chowan counties as
well. The original plan was
to open the school this fall,
but the advisory board set
the opening date for August
2020.
Riddick board members
have not said where the
school will physically be
located. One of the goals is
100 percent of parents will
volunteer at the school.
The charter school advi
sory board met Jan. 14-16.
The Riddick School propos
al was one of 10 the board
reviewed.
Tire state proposal was
compiled by Torchlight
Academy, a Raleigh-based
charter school operator.
Torchlight would run the
Perquimans school.
At least one member of
the advisory board ques
tioned the Torchlight pro
posal.
“Torchlight Academy
growth scores are good for
black and economically dis
advantaged students despite
their (School Performance
Grade) grade of “C” they are
able to demonstrate growth
but not for students with
disabilities, ELL or Hispanic
students,” wrote Tracey Kel
ly, an external evaluator.
“Their achievement
scores are flat for all sub
groups. Consistently I am
concerned by the grade
level selection and how
that aligns with the needs
of the community. The area
needs more high perform
ing middle school seats,
but because Torchlight
is an expert at growing
growth it is in Torchlight’s
best interest to be able to
grow the capacity of chil
dren starting at Kindergar
ten they can demonstrate
See CHARTER, 2
Grant to
bring kids
to camp
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
An $8,000 grant from the
North Carolina Community
Foundation will mean 250
kids from the Boys & Girls
Club in Elizabeth City will
get to learn about nature at
Camp Cale in Perquimans
County this summer.
The Dream Hunting and
Fishing program started
the effort last summer and
hopes to expand it this year.
The group provides hunting
and fishing trips to children
who have serious medical
conditions or handicaps.
The grant from the HCW-
GMW Donor Advised Fund
will pay for a program for
more mainstream kids.
Some of the 250 kids will
just spend a day at Cale fish
ing, kayaking, canoeing, and
learning the rock wall and
archery. A select few will
get a scholarship to attend
Camp Cale for a week.
“We try and show the kids
all the things they can do
outside, said Terry Boyce,
the head of the dream hunt
ing and fishing program.
He said Camp Cale was a
huge hit with the kids who
went last year. Last year’s
program did not involve the
Boys and Girls Club.
Also involved in the
grant-fund program with be
the Elizabeth City-Pasquo
tank Parks and Recreation
See CAMP, 2
Helping Coast Guard
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Woodard’s Pharmacy, Coastal Carolina Family Practice and Family Care Pharmacy joined up last week
to hold a bake sale and raffle to raise money for the Albemarle Food Bank to help Coast Guard families
impacted by the government shutdown. Between the bake sale and monetary donations, $2,832.61 was
raised, or enough to provide 11,428 meals.
Jones
enters
hospice
Adams Publishing Group
FARMVILLE — U.S. Rep
Walter B. Jones Jr., who
has represented the 3rd
District of North Carolina
in Congress since 1995, has
entered hospice care, ac
cording to multiple news
sources.
Jones,
75, has
been bat
tling an un
disclosed
illness
since last
fall. He
was grant- JONES
ed a leave
of absence that has kept
him from casting votes in
the U.S. House since Sep
tember.
Adding to his health
woes, Jones suffered a fall
and broke his hip earlier
this month. He underwent
surgery at Vidant Medical
Center on Jan. 15, according
to his office.
Jones first was sworn in
to the U.S. House of Repre
sentatives in 1995, following
10 years in the N.C. General
Assembly. The 3rd District
he represents includes the
Outer Banks and stretches
from areas near the Pamlico
Sound down to Wilmington.
It includes all area counties,
See JONES, 2
Area farmers facing choices this spring
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Perquimans County farmer, John Morgan is
congratulated by NC State Soybean Extension Specialist
Dr. Rachel Vann for winning county honors at the
annual Soybean Banquet on Jan. 22.
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Local farmers coming off a less than
stellar year in 2018 may have little to look
forward to this year.
A trade war with China has hurt export
of U.S. soybeans there and some farmers
may opt to plant more of something else
thisryear.
The problem is, prices for the other sta
ple crops, cotton, wheat and corn aren’t
great.
NC State Soybean Extension Special
ist Dr. Rachel Vann said that may be just
a matter of how things will be in the fu
ture. She expects fewer farmers will plant
wheat.
Nationally in 2017, soybean yields were
high and some of that crop went to storage
bins, Vann said. When the trade war with
China started last year, that meant some
of the 2018 crop that couldn’t be sold had
no place to go. Farmers in all 100 North
Carolina counties grow soybeans, but in
2017, Perquimans County ranked eighth,
harvesting 2 million bushels. Pasquotank
County ranked fifth at 2.5 million bushels.
Growers need to make decisions now,
Vann said.
“The reality is growers are already or
dering seed now. Some are looking at
prices, but they will have to start making
decisions as far as land prep soon.”
One local farmer was honored last week
for his soybean yields.
Perquimans County’s John Morgan was
congratulated by Vann for winning county
honors at the annual Soybean Banquet
on Jan. 22. Weather made for a difficult
See FARMERS, 2
AEMC donors
top $1 million
From Staff Reports
Albemarle Electric Mem
bership Corporation recent
ly surpassed the $1 million
mark in Albemarle Com
munity Trust (ACT) grants
awarded to the local com
munity.
Established in 2002, Op
eration RoundUp enables
Albemarle EMC members
to voluntarily contribute
to the trust through their
power bills. Each month
their bills are rounded up to
the nearest dollar, with the
difference going to the Albe
marle Community Trust.
The amounts contributed
See AEMC, 2
Bicyclists coming to area in April
BY NICOLE
BOWMAN-LAYTON
The Chowan Herald
Almost 2,000 bicyclists
are scheduled to descend
on Edenton in April and the
group putting their visit to
gether could use your help.
Cycle North Carolina will
host its Cycle NC Coastal
ride April 26-28, with the
Edenton serving as the
central hub. The rides vary
from 10-100 miles in length.
Each day of the event, bicy
clists will explore different
areas of northeastern North
Carolina.
A group of local business
leaders, government offi
cials and volunteers along
with representatives of
Cycle North Carolina repre
sentative met Thursday to
discuss the three-day event
in the town council cham
bers.
Right now, 1,570 people
have registered, said Chip
Hofler, vice president of
North Carolina Amateur
Sports. He expects 1,700 to
1,800 to sign-up before the
registration period is over.
Out of those who are
registered, 689 will be
camping outdoors at sites
organized by the Edenton
Chowan Recreation Depart
ment. John A. Holmes High
School will host 64 indoor
campers. The school’s back
parking lot will serve 75 reg
istered RV that will hold 103
people. Of the rest of those
registered 531 will be stay-
See BICYCLISTS, 2
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Almost 2,000 bicyclists are scheduled to descend
on Edenton in April and the group putting their visit
together could use your help.