Pirate's Passion for Change Endures With Scholarship
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
A Perquimans High School
alumnus was awarded a scholar
ship dedicated to those who seek
to change the world.
Class of 2018, Charley Hines is
the first recipient of the Michael
Steven Higgins “Changing the
World” Scholarship. This $2,000
scholarship is sponsored by the
Michael Steven Higgins/Calog-
ero family and Captain Bob’s
Restaurant.
Higgins was a 2016 graduate of
Perquimans County High School
and East Carolina University
where he received a bachelor’s
degree in Criminal Justice and a
minor in Security Studies.
Higgins was serving as an in
tern in the N.C. State Highway Pa
trol’s college internship program
and was tragically killed in the
line of duty Aug. 22, 2020, while
riding as a passenger in a law en
forcement vehicle.
“Michael found his place in
life by helping others,” Perquim
ans Schools Foundation Director
Brenda Lassiter said. “He touched
so many people in his short 22
years of life and it is the hope that
this scholarship will continue and
encourage others to make this
world a better place, as he did.”
Higgins’ mother Lisa reflect
ed on her son’s life and how he
sought to change the world.
“This has been a very difficult
thing for myself and my family,”
she said. “When Michael went out
into law enforcement, I asked him
why he wanted to do that. He said,
‘We need good people like me to
put a change into the world by
making the community a better
and safer place.”’
To qualify for this scholarship,
student must not have any disci
pline referrals, maintain at least a
3.0 GPA and be pursuing a degree
in Criminal Justice studies (law
yer, law enforcement, forensic sci
ences, homeland security, correc
tional officer, crime scene analyst,
DEA, etc.).
“When Michael passed away,
we wanted to do something - he
loved Perquimans and was a Pi
rate at heart,” Higgins said.
The scholarship was made
available to PCHS seniors for the
first time in 2021. Hines graduat
ed from Perquimans High School
in 2018 and is poised to graduate
from ECU in May.
Though there was no applicant
from Pirates’ Class of 2021, Lassit
er said Hines was a natural fit for
the scholarship.
“Michael’s mother asked me to
See SCHOLARSHIP, A2
Woman
Killed in
2-vehicle
Collision
Motorist pulled into path of
pickup on US 17 Sunday
BY JULIAN EURE
For the Perquimans Weekly
An Edenton woman was
killed and her husband criti
cally injured after their car col
lided with another vehicle on
U.S. Highway 17 in Perquimans
County Sunday evening, the
N.C. Highway Patrol said.
Rose Harrell, 80, of Burnt
Mill Road, died after her 2007
Chevrolet Impala colhded
with a Ford Ranger pickup at
the intersection of U.S. 17 and
Hopewell Road, Trooper Buddy
Davis said.
According to Davis, Harrell
was driving north on Hopewell
Road about 7:42 p.m. when her
Impala pulled into the intersec
tion at U.S. 17 and struck a east-
bound pickup driven by James
Ward, 30, of Riverview Drive,
Hertford.
Harrell died at the scene, Da
vis said.
Her husband, Joseph Har
rell, 88, a passenger in the ve
hicle, initially was transported
to Vidant Chowan Hospital in
Edenton. He then was airlift
ed to Vidant Health hospital in
Greenville where he was in crit
ical condition Monday, Davis
said.
Ward was also transported to
Vidant Chowan Hospital where
he was treated for severe lacer
ations to his face before being
released on Monday, Davis said.
Davis said his investigation
indicates Rose Harrell pulled
out in front of Ward’s pickup.
Speed was not a factor in the
collision, he said.
The Harrells and Ward were
all wearing seatbelts, he added.
The collision happened 5.6
miles south of Hertford, just
north of where N.C. Highway
37 intersects with U.S. 17.
Both the Bethel and Hertford
fire departments responded to
the collision, as did the Perqui
mans Sheriffs Office, Perqui
mans Emergency Medical Ser
vices and Chowan Emergency
Medical Services.
Jillian Eure is managing
editor of the Daily Advance.
6 1 89076 47144
Vol. 87, No. 16
www.PerquimansWeekly.com
@2021 Perquimans Weekly
All Rights Reserved
2
SUBMITTED PHOTO
erquimans Middle School Junior team came in 1st place overall team for District 1, so it will
advance to the state tournament. Back Row: Addison Chappell, Collin Winslow, Sean Saunders, Jay
Roberts, Landon Melton, Noah Miller; and front Row: Charlotte Peters, Tate Russell, Connor Tripp,
Landon Russell, Marshall Davenport, Tanner Wheatley, Caden Winslow, Drake Cauley. Not Pictured:
Garrett Christian, Cole Clayton, Carson Davis, Ayden Trotman
PQ Hunter Safety Teams Scores
A Bullseye at District Tourney
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Perquimans’ schools hunter safety teams
took top honors at the Youth Hunter Edu
cation Skills Tournament for District 1.
North Carolina’s Youth Hunter Edu
cation Skills Tournament (YHEST) is a
statewide competition for middle and
high-school-age youth. Participants com
pete in multiple events including shotgun,
archery, rifle, orienteering and a written
hunting skills exam.
There were 217 teams that participated
this year in the district tournaments (145
senior, 72 junior). The first place champi
ons from each district and individual event
champions will advance to state competi
tion.
In district competition April 3, teams
participated in the tournament on their
See HUNTER, A3
ARHS Cancels J&J Vaccine Clinics This Week
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Albemarle Regional Health
Services canceled this week’s
vaccination clinics offering
the Johnson and Johnson vac
cine, citing state and federal
guidance to pause the vac
cine’s use.
News reports indicate U.S.
health officials are studying
whether use of the vaccine is
connected to possible rare blot
clotting in some recipients.
ARHS said clinics offering
the Johnson & Johnson vac
cine scheduled in Pasquotank
on Wednesday, in Hertford
and Perquimans counties on
Thursday, and in Currituck on
Friday will not be held. How
ever, Moderna vaccine clinics
planned this week will go for
ward as scheduled.
Unlike the Pfizer and Moder
na vaccines, both of which re
quire two doses several weeks
apart, the Johnson & Johnson
vaccine only requires a single
dose.
ARHS, which planned to
host its first mass clinics of
fering the Johnson & Johnson
vaccine this week, said out
of “an abundance of caution”
it won’t hold any clinics un
til learning more information
from state and federal health
officials.
“It is our top priority to en
sure the health and safety
of our community citizens,”
ARHS said. “We encourage in
dividuals to move ahead with
your vaccine plans by utilizing
one of the other two vaccines
that are available.”
ARHS hosted four sec ¬
SUBMITTED PHOTO
This ribbon
was worn by all
members of the
hunter safety
team and coaches
during the District
1 tournament
in memory of
Kane Mountjoy,
a teammate and
friend who died
in September. His
favorite colors
were camouflage
and blue.
ond-dose Moderna clinics
Tuesday. One, at Maple Park
in Maple, will be held from
1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The three
others will be held from 2 p.m.
to 6 p.m. at the Gates County
Health Department at 29 Med
ical Center Drive, Gates; at
the Ahoskie Creek Amphithe
ater at 125 Edgewood Drive,
Ahoskie; and the Elizabeth
City Aviation Commerce Park
at 1049 Consolidated Road,
Elizabeth City. The clinics are
for residents who got their
first dose of the Moderna vac
cine on or before Thursday,
March 18, ARHS said.
ARHS followed up with three
more Moderna’ second-dose
clinics on Wednesday. They’re
scheduled from 2 p.m. to
6 p.m. and will be held at Ber
tie High School, at 715 U.S.
Round-up
Estes’
Trophy and
Farrar’s Gift
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
A round-up of all things Per
quimans County...
Captain Anthony
Spellman has been promoted
to Chief of the Winfall Police
Department. The last chief, David
Shaffer, has retired. Spellman has
served the Town of Winfall for
five years.
“Chief Spellman does an
outstanding job in protecting and
securing the town of Winfall,”
Mayor Fred Yates said. “Winfall is
proud to have him on board.”
In other news, Hertford Town
Hall has hired a new Town Clerk
- Olga Simpson. Monday’s coun
cil meeting was more than four
hours long and filled with all of
See ROUND-UP, A3
SUBMITTED PHOTO
13-year-old Lileeann Estes took
home a trophy turkey during the
youth season last week.
Highway 13 North, Windsor;
Camden Intermediate School,
123 Noblitt Road, Camden; and
the American Legion, 1317 W.
Queen St., Edenton.
A final Moderna second-dose
clinic will be held the Perquim
ans Recreation Center at 310 S.
Granby St., Hertford on Thurs
day from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. All
residents seeking their second
dose of the Moderna vaccine
are reminded to bring their
vaccine card with them.
ARHS is still accepting ap
pointments for Moderna first
dose vaccines at each of its lo
cal health departments.
The Johnson & Johnson vac
cine was the subject of federal
scrutiny late last week after
reports surfaced of some per ¬
See CLINICS, A3