PAGE Bl
Homecoming
in Belvidere:
Whiteville Grove
to mark 170th
anniversary
(f| SCAN ME
PAGE A2
Bethel Fire
District rating
upgraded from
9E to 5
Perquimans facing $340K expense for housing jail inmate
Jail head negotiating bill
with state for inmate’s care
BY REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
HERTFORD — Perqui
mans County may have to
pay $340,000 for medical
care and other expenses
related to housing a jail in
mate who was incarcerated
for assaulting a Perquimans
emergency medical services
worker in 2021.
Minutes from the Sept.
19 Perquimans Board of
Commissioners meeting in
dicate the county was billed
expenses for the female
inmate because she was in
the county’s custody at Al
bemarle District Jail. Under
current state law, counties
are responsible for all ex
penses for inmates in their
custody.
Perquimans, Camden and
Pasquotank counties are
partners in the jail but pay
expenses like medical care
individually. If the inmate
has to be cared for at anoth
er facility, the county with
custody responsibility has
to pay that expense as well.
“The person was placed
in jail and we had to cover
her medical costs of ap
proximately $200,000,” the
Perquimans meeting min
utes state. “Then, we re
ceived a bill from (the N.C.)
Department of Public Safe
ty when she was in Raleigh
stating we owed $140,000 in
custody costs.”
The minutes also noted:
“This one case impacted the
county budget by 2-3 cents
on our tax rate.”
Keith Nowell, a candidate
for Perquimans commis
sioner on the Nov. 8 gen
eral election ballot, asked
commissioners during their
Oct. 3 meeting why county
taxpayers had to foot the
bill for the inmate. He said
the county should have
insurance to cover unex
pected expenses like those
connected to the inmate’s
medical care.
Nowell told commission
ers that the cost of inmate
medical care is a burden to
county taxpayers, who can
hardly afford it “in these in
flationary times.”
County Manager Frank
Heath explained last week
that even before Nowell
raised the issue of in
surance coverage, the
See EXPENSE, A3
Stamping out hunger
Candidates weigh
in on challenges
facing Perquimans
PHOTO COURTESY THE OPEN DOOR FOOD PANTRY
The Open Door Food Pantry of Perquimans County will hold its annual Walk for Hunger on Saturday starting at
9 a.m, Walkers will leave the Perquimans County Library, head down Church Street to Newby Street. From there,
they’ll turn on to Front Street and walk back to Market Street. After turning onto Church Street, walkers will end
up back at the library.
Open Door eyes largest Walk for Hunger
Fundraiser for food pantry
will be Saturday at 9 a.m.
BY JOHN FOLEY
Staff Writer
Organizers of Saturday’s
Perquimans County Walk
for Hunger believe the event
may be its most successful
in the organization’s 42-year
history.
Sponsored by The Open
Door Food Pantry of Per
quimans County, the walk
begins at 9 a.m. at the Per
quimans County Library.
White to perform at Hertford Bay Tap House
White’s jokes inspired by his
experiences, observations
BY JOHN FOLEY
Staff Writer
Hertford resident Matt
White has gone from dis
tracting classmates at
Perquimans County High
School to performing stand-
up comedy on the stage.
Which is quite an accom
plishment for someone who
wasn’t looking to do stand-
up.
“Well, I never really want
ed to be a standup comedi-
6 " 89076 47144
Vol. 87, No. 41
WWW.PerquimansWeekly.com
@2021 Perquimans Weekly
All Rights Reserved
“We are excited that our
schools are participating
this year,” said Walk for
Hunger Chairwoman Dina
Hurdle. “We have Perqui
mans County High School
varsity and junior varsity
football teams participat
ing, along with other school
clubs and staff members.”
Several county depart
ments and a number of
churches also plan to partic
ipate. Hurdle is looking for
more groups and individu
als to pre-register or sign up
the day of the walk.
In the past the Walk for
an, I wanted to be a come
dic actor,” White recalled
recently. “I’ve actively used
my sense of humor for a
long time. I’m quick-witted
and I was a class clown
growing up.”
White says he was “pretty
good” at humor — so good,
in fact, he recalls “hardly”
ever getting into trouble for
his classroom antics.
“I even was able to make
a few teachers laugh in the
process,” he said.
The comedian regular
ly entertains locals at the
Hertford Bay Tap House in
Hertford. He’s got another
show coming up on
Saturday, Oct. 22.
White said it helps
2 that most of his
friends and family
members are also
funny.
“I learned a lot of
do’s and don’ts from
Hunger has focused on
Hertford. This year’s event
is The Open Door Food Pan
try’s first countywide walk.
“The Albemarle Plan
tation has held an annual
(anti-hunger) walk for over
17 years and they creative
ly make it a neighborhood
challenge,” Hurdle said.
“Their walk is our largest
fundraiser to date.”
This year, Albemarle
Plantation decided to hold
its walk in copjunction with
The Open Door Pantry’s
Walk for Hunger.
“We are so excited about
OLIVER RIERA/FOCUS LIGHT CREATIVE
Hertford native Matt White will perform his stand-up
comedy at the Hertford Bay Tap House on Saturday, Oct.
22.
watching others. I’m drawn
to funny people and they are
to me,” he said.
White caught the per
forming bug in the tenth
grade. He would have a
number of leading roles in
school plays by his senior
this being a countywide
event this year,” Hurdle said.
This year’s Walk for Hun
ger route is estimated to be
around 1.5 miles. Walkers
will leave the Perquimans
County Library, head down
Church Street to Newby
Street. From there, they’ll
turn on to Front Street and
walk back to Market Street.
After turning onto Church
Street, walkers will end up
back at the library.
Both the Perquim
ans Sheriff’s Office and
See HUNGER, A3
year.
When White graduated
from high school he wanted
to pursue a comedic acting
career. His heroes at the
time included comedians
See WHITE, A3
Coiprew, Jackson, Leigh, M
Nelson, Ward square off Ncv. 8
BY REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
Candidates for county
commissioner in the Nov.
8 general election have
ideas about the challenges
facing Perquimans Coun
ty, and how best to meet
those challenges.
Vying for three seats
on the Perquimans board
are unaffiliated candidate
Tim Corprew, Democrats
Quentin Jackson, Fondel-
1a Leigh and Keith Nowell,
and Republicans Wallace
Nelson and James Ward.
Leigh and Nelson are in
cumbent county commis
sioners.
Perquimans voters can
only vote for one candi
date, even though there are
three open seats. The high
est three-vote getters will
earn the seats. Early voting
begins at the Perquimans
Board of Elections office
Thursday, Oct. 20.
Masonic-themed
Hertford ghost walk
set for Oct. 21-22
Event will feature portrayals
of Bonner, McNider, others
BY REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
The first-ever “ghost
walk” in Hertford will
highlight some significant
figures from Perquimans
County’s past, all of whom
were Masons.
The ghost walk will be
held Friday and Saturday,
Oct. 21-22 from 6:30 p.m.
to 9p.m. each evening.
The event will include five
locations and highlight the
Perquimans County of the
early 1900s.
Members of Perquim
ans Masonic Lodge 106
were discussing new ways
to raise money for charita
ble causes in the commu
nity when they realized
that a ghost walk would
be something that had not
been done before in Hert
ford.
They decided to sponsor
one with a twist — all the
“ghosts” featured would be
Masons.
“It will highlight and
spotlight our Masons,”
All candidates but
Nowell responded to the
newspaper’s question
about challenges.
TPW: What do you
consider the biggest
challenge facing the
county? What does the
county need to do to ad
dress that challenge?
Jackson: “Where is
Perquimans County going?
How to convert from the
1800s into the new millen
nium. I think that better
partnership with the towns
will address some issues.
There hasn’t been a com
missioner that actually
lives in either municipality
in over 10 years. Growth is
very much needed to suc
ceed.”
Nelson: “I prefer to look
at this question focusing on
the opportunities available
to the county. Whether it
be economic development
or quality of life, I am excit
ed about what is unfolding
for Perquimans County.
Economic development
See COUNTY, A6
INSIDE
Ghost Walk returns with ‘Mur
der, Mystery and Mayhem.’
Page B3.
said John Long, a member
of Lodge 106. “They were
very active in our lodge
and very active in our com
munity, and everybody
knew them.”
Featured will be:
• Dr. Allen Bonner, a
dentist. The actor portray
ing Bonner will talk about
his strong arm, which
would either pull your
tooth or pull you right out
of the chair. He also might
mention pulling teeth for
fellow hunters while on
duck hunting trips in Hyde
County.
• James F. McNider, a
lawyer. The actor portray
ing McNider will share sto
ries ofcrimes and villains in
the area. One case of note
will be the murder trial of
Jim Wilcox for the death
of Nell Cropsey. The crime
occurred in Elizabeth City
See WALK, A6