City council tonight turned down a proposal to have the Main Street director, when hired, be a temporary city employee.

The three dissenting council members said following the meeting their votes were not against the Main Street program but against the person being a city employee.

Ernest Bobbitt, Greg Lawson and Suetta Scarbrough voted against the measure while Ed Liverman and Carl Ferebee voted for it.

Liverman said before the vote, “A group of people came forward trying to make this city better. The group needs our assistance to get started. These people are trying to improve the city. Instead of it dying a little, maybe they can help.”

Liverman related a trip to Dunn, which is in the program. “Their theater is a performing arts theater. Our theater is growing sweet gums and moss.”

Ferebee said before the vote he received many calls about the issue. “What we usually do is make the best decision for the city. In looking at all the comments I will keep that in mind when making my vote. Sometimes you have to look at the processes and do what’s best for the city.”

The motion to approve the matter by Liverman — with Ferebee casting the second —was shot down by the three dissenting council members.

“I’m terribly disappointed the council took this position,” said Roanoke Avenue Business Alliance Treasurer Sherry Wade following the meeting.

Wade said she couldn’t speak for the alliance’s board but said it will have to decide what its next step will be. “We’ve got a group of dedicated citizens trying to make Roanoke Rapids a better place to live and work.”

Wade called the vote a big disappointment. “I’m disappointed by the lack of vision and dedication to make Roanoke Rapids a better place to live.”

While Wade said the alliance can manage the director and pay the salary — something it was going to do anyway, advancing salary and benefits six months ahead — the project is a private-public partnership.

Lawson said, however, his vote was not one against Main Street. “Council is in favor of Main Street,” he said following the meeting. “I didn’t feel comfortable (with the city) taking that responsibility. We’re still committed to our financial commitment. We should offer them office space. I’m not against it. I’m very much in favor of Main Street.”

Lawson said Main Street offers members expertise and guidance. “The city manager sits on the RABA board. Main Street has unlimited resources. They have a mentor for the Main Street director.”

He praised the alliance for its hard work to get the Main Street designation. “They demonstrated hard work. They’re more than capable of managing one administrator. The city can be there in a supporting role.”

Scarbrough said she has always supported the Main Street program. “I’m on record of never being in favor of (the Main Street director) being a city employee.”

The alliance, she said, has 10 intelligent people on the board. “They have national guidelines to give the RABA board guidance. The Main Street director will designate a mentor.”

Like Ferebee, Scarbrough said she received numerous calls on the issue. “I had a number of citizens say they didn’t want the person to be a city employee.”

Reprinted with permission from the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

Northampton County High School-East Principal Pamela Chamblee has been cleared of recent allegations of harassment at the Creeksville based school.

On Friday, Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric Bracy released results of an investigation by school system attorneys.

“In light of the recent allegations that have been made in the local media, the Northampton County Board of Education has conducted a thorough and fair investigation of the climate and atmosphere at NCHS-East,” the press release stated. “Among other investigative activities, forty-five teacher (sic), administrators, and staff members were interviewed over the course of two days by the school system’s attorneys. Our review shows that the overwhelming majority of the individuals interviewed at NCHS-East find the climate and atmosphere to be professional and very supportive for student achievement.”

The press release closes, “At this time, the Board has no further comment on this matter.”

More than a month ago, a group of parents, former and current employees leveled harassment allegations against Chamblee.

On Monday, Eunice Ward, a spokesperson for that group, said the lawyers did not interview the right people and that “victims” were not contacted.

“We will continue to fight it,” she said.

Former NCHS-East teacher Shonda Harris-Muhammed, who now resides in Virginia, said her first reaction to the results of the investigation was disappointment.

Muhammed in the past has said Chamblee yelled at her and embarrassed her in front of students.

Muhammed said she was concerned that the investigation was not removed from any bias with the school system’s own attorneys conducting the investigation.

“It’s most wise for a district to remove themselves (from an investigation),” she said. “Northampton County did not do that and I find that to be very unprofessional.”

Muhammed said she feels confident that the truth about the harassment will come out.

“It’s going to happen again,” she said.

Faye Smith, who has grandchildren attending NCHS-East, was also disappointed by the investigation.

“I know Dr. Bracy is lying when he says there is no hostility at Northampton East,” she said.

Smith said the harassment will not go away and that the issue will come to a head.

“The bruises of hostility will show,” she said.

Smith, who was in attendance at the last school board meeting, said she was also concerned that she was not allowed to speak to the board about NCHS-East during open session, but rather had to speak during closed session.

Pamela Jerman of Capital Heights, Md. said she has nephews who attend the school.

Jerman said she called Chamblee after her nephews were involved in an altercation at the school to see why their parents were not contacted.

In a January 25 letter to Dr. Bracy, Jerman alleges Chamblee became “very rude and hostile.” Later in their conversation, Jerman said Chamblee hung up on her.

“She doesn’t even resolve issues with parents,” she said. “We have to do something for our kids at our schools.”

A Murfreesboro man died last Wednesday in a fatal Northampton County crash, the state Highway Patrol reported. The wreck occurred around 6:50 p.m. James Casper Jr., 43, died in the two vehicle wreck at the intersection of Highway 258 and 158 a third of a mile south of Murfreesboro. No further details were available as the final report by Trooper Troy Wood has not been completed.

An investigation of a domestic dispute at the Orchard Inn led the Weldon Police Department to make a drug bust Monday. Because the person charged in the drug bust and her boyfriend knew the subjects involved in the domestic, Chief Mark Macon said investigating officers were given consent to search. The officers found 5.69 grams of a powdered crystal substance along with paraphernalia. The substance found will be sent for analysis. Macon declined to say if the substance was crystal meth until it is confirmed by the tests. Police arrested Elaine May Henderson, 26, of Salisbury, Maryland, and charged her with possession of a controlled substance. She was jailed on $1,000 bond.

The Halifax County Sheriff's Office Sunday charged a Gaston man with larceny of a firearm and larceny. Lieutenant Bobby Martin said in a press release Rock Anthony Freeman, 20, was charged after investigation into a December 22 complaint from a victim located in the 3000 block of Highway 903. The victim had several items taken from her home including a shotgun. Through further investigation it was learned Freeman was at the home when the items were taken. Freeman was placed under a $5,000 bond and has a March 17 court date.