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Tuesday, 16 March 2010 14:38

Student was cut inside classroom

The cutting at Roanoke Rapids High School Tuesday occurred inside a classroom and not outside, Chief Jeff Hinton said this morning.

Hinton said the student charged, Ryshea Shakira Alston, 16, brought the bottle she allegedly used to cut another student in her purse.

Another student and a faculty member of the high school were injured.

Ryshea Shakira Alston, of the 900 block of Henry Street, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Alston also injured herself in the fight which occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m.

A motive is not known and Alston was jailed on $3,000 bond.

Police declined to name the victims, who did not have life threatening injuries.

Tuesday, 16 March 2010 14:38

Watson takes Scotland Neck mayor's race

Raymond Watson collected 51 percent of the votes today to become Scotland Neck’s new mayor, according to unofficial results. The votes will be canvassed next Tuesday.

Watson got 448 votes to incumbent James Mills’ 434.

Watson swept Mills in Precinct 2 voting by an 89 percent margin while the incumbent won in Precinct 1, collecting 86 percent of the votes.

Fifty-one percent of the town’s voters came out for the special election.

A new election was ordered after irregularities were found in the November mayoral election.

Tuesday, 16 March 2010 14:36

When the walls come tumbling down

Weldon Mayor Julia Meacham pulled up in her car at town hall and was pleased.

Tuesday, 16 March 2010 14:34

16-year-old charged in school cutting

A 16-year-old Roanoke Rapids girl has been charged in a cutting which injured a student and faculty member at Roanoke Rapids High School today.

Tuesday, 16 March 2010 14:33

Three injured following RRHS cutting

Police continue to investigate a crime at Roanoke Rapids High School where three people were injured.

Tuesday, 16 March 2010 14:32

Man recovering from gunshot wound

A man who sustained a self inflicted gunshot wound is recovering at Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville, according to the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office.

The shooting occurred on the Lonnie B. Greene Road early Monday morning.

Lieutenant Bobby Martin said the victim was in critical condition.

Monday, 15 March 2010 14:30

City officials meet with Gatling

City officials met with Lafayette Gatling Monday at the Roanoke Rapids Theatre but came away with no money for his February and March payments.

A New Bern man charged Thursday with stealing a sound board from the Roanoke Rapids Theatre was a contract employee for a company which has a verbal agreement with the venue.

Mayor Emery Doughtie believes Wednesday’s city council retreat may help members of the city’s governing panel reach some goals on issues concerning the body.

The retreat begins at 8 a.m. in the conference room of the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce on Premier Boulevard.

“The retreats I’ve been associated with, when you’re meeting the whole day things tend to surface,” the mayor said today. “I’ve not had that opportunity since I’ve been on the council. I hope we can reach some consensus about things we’re concerned with.”

One of the mayor’s goals is to make sure the city’s finances are secure. While not a budget work session, Doughtie said he believes council must look at issues that could affect the city’s ability to provide services to taxpayers. “I would like for us to come to a consensus on how to be more cost effective.”

Doughtie said the last administration approved a 10 percent increase for police pay. “What do we do if we can’t do it next year?”

Referring to a pay study being done for the rest of the departments, the mayor said, “Instead of just the police department, is the fire department or public works up to where they need to be?”

Barring a serious downturn in the economy from where it currently stands, Doughtie said the city should be in good shape for the next fiscal year.

There are concerns, however, such as what happens if revenues from the state don’t come in as anticipated and what happens if revenues from the theater stop coming in.

Doughtie believes the retreat will be good for city council. “It lends itself to a broader discussion, discussions in more detail.”