Monthly Archives: August 2021
11th Year Proves Charm for Dragon Boat Races
RIVER DUNES – Paddlers and spectators alike embraced a series of races throughout the
day on Saturday, which featured more ‘photo finishes’ than ever before. Festival organizer Flora Moorman praised all who participated, and promised the event would return again in 2022!…
Eastern Carolina Council (ECC), Part 4
$400,000 federal grant goes fast at ECC
NEW BERN – Grady Quattlebaum, PLCC – a two-person law firm comprised of veteran attorneys Arey Grady and Jill Quattlebaum – abruptly resigned as attorneys for the Eastern Carolina Council on July 20, 2021.
Two days later, ECC’s highest ranking employee was also out the door, when the agency’s governing board voted unanimously to fire Katie Bordeaux, who served as the ECC Executive Director.
What’s going on?
An extensive public records request made by this newspaper has produced a ream of documents that resembles a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. This early timeline of happenings offers ins…
Man shot, killed as officers attempt to serve warrant
District Attorney Scott Thomas and Pamlico County Sheriff Chris Davis announced that an officer-involved shooting occurred in Pamlico County on Tuesday. Aug. 10, at approximately 9:40pm. The initial investigation revealed that the shooting occurred at a residence located at 1773 Kennels Beach Road.
A Pamlico County Sheriff’s Deputy went to the residence alone at approximately 9:10pm to serve an Order for Arrest for failure to appear in court on Driving While Impaired and related charges. The person to be served was Marvin Richard Hitchcock, Jr., a 71 year old white male, of that address…
Eastern Carolina Council, Part 3
Did Feds really want CARES Act money used for ‘legal re-writes’?
A year ago, COVID-19 cash flowed freely
Eastern Carolina Council got its share!
News Commentary
NEW BERN – The Eastern Carolina Council is a quasi-governmental agency, charged by North Carolina to look out for smallish, rural counties and municipalities that may lack the staff and resources to adequately perform all of the unfunded mandates thrown at them by the General Assembly.
So back in July of 2020 – when the federal government was dishing out money to any person or entity with a pulse – give credit to ECC’s then executive director Katie Bordeaux (abruptly fired just last month). She s…
‘AEROSOL PARTICLES SMALL ENOUGH TO GO THRU ANY MASK’
Indiana doctor’s articulate, coherent presentation temporarily eludes social media video censors, netting millions of views!
MT. VERNON, INDIANA – Thanks to many alert readers, each day I receive a ton of Internet ‘links’ to hot topic articles and videos. Monday morning, I opened an email from my friend Rick Happ, who urged me to “watch this YouTube video quickly, before Google takes it down.”
I immediately complied. On Aug. 6, in less than seven minutes during a meeting of the local school board, Dr. Dan Stock had given absolutely the best synopsis of what has happened over the past 18 months…
State Treasurer prompts Governor on negative impact of benefits
RALEIGH – During the August 3 meeting of the North Carolina Council of State Gov. Roy Cooper indicated that when additional federal unemployment payments end in September, state unemployment payments will return to their normal levels.
The Governor’s statement came after State Treasurer Dale Folwell and other Council of State members explained the devastating impact that extended benefits are having on employers across the state.
“Every business owner – no matter their race, creed, color or political affiliation – is asking how we can continue to pay into a system that fo…
Judge hits human trafficker with three life terms
RALEIGH – A Smithfield man was sentenced Wednesday to consecutive life sentences for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and of a minor; sex trafficking by force fraud and coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; using the Internet to promote a prostitution business enterprise ; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On March 1, 2021, Jenkins had been convicted of those crimes by a jury after a five-day trial. Jenkins was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount of at least $418,361.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Jonatha…
Eastern Carolina Council, Part 2
Plenty of smoke makes finding fire difficult
News Commentary
NEW BERN – Through the haze, there appears to be a blaze. Here is what this newspaper has been able corroborate from a variety of sources:
The ECC’s executive director Katie Bordeaux was abruptly fired on July 22, after a three hour closed session of the governing board (which was off-limits to the public and to news media).
An equally abrupt resignation of the ECC’s law firm, Grady-Quattlebaum, just two days earlier.
A public records request from his newspaper that has not been acknowledged.
Questions over the administration of a $400,000 grant from the federal government’…
