The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

January 17, 2008

Republican to challenge Butterfield

Stephens from Colerain

Republican Dean Stephens is looking to gain his first political office.

Stephens, 62, a computer consultant from Colerain, is seeking a seat in the U.S. Congress representing the 1st Congressional District of North Carolina. The post currently held by Democrat G.K. Butterfield.

Stephens will officially announce his campaign in Edgecombe County at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 28 outside the Fleming Building on the campus of Edgecombe Community College. Other stops that day include one in Greenville and Elizabeth City.

Stephens holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta. His interest in politics; however, began when he worked for the campaign to elect Arnold Schwarzenegger governor of California.

“There is a significant need to change the direction of our nation. The American people are unhappy with the partisan war over every issue that comes up, especially on the key issues of education, border security and national freedom,” states Stephens’ campaign pamphlet.

“The demand for more government by Democrats and less government by Republicans is a distraction. There is no reason this partisan war cannot be replaced by agreement to seek effective government instead.”

In an interview with The Daily Southerner, Stephens said his main focus if elected was dealing with education, tax reform, securing the borders and defending America.

“Our schools are failing,” said Stephens. “What we are doing with education is a disaster.

“… it is the poor and the minorities that suffer the most. They deserve better.”

Stephens said education needs to be tied to competition and accountability. He said the county needs to be mobilized in favor of “dramatic education reform based on competition.”

He feels the educational system is controlled by the teacher union members and administrators, and he feels “that needs to be changed.”

“There are pockets of good education where the rich go. It is the poor and minorities that (suffer) the most. They deserve better,” said Stephens.

Stephens had previously run for a seat on the Bertie County Board of Education, but lost out to his opponent.

“Unlike most Republicans, my concern with taxes is not just lowering them, but also having to use taxes as part of a spending reform,” Stephens said.

“We need a more reasonable tax system than we currently have,” he added.

Stephens said the country needs to focus on fair taxes, reducing waste and eliminating special interest payoffs.

Another top issue with Stephens is controlling the nation’s borders.

If the borders are open, Stephens said the “poor in America will be in competition with the poor of the world.”

Stephens said he also wants the borders controlled to protect the people from terrorist attacks.

“The war against Iraq is a war against an extremist act,” said Stephens. “Troops are sacrificing and getting out on the front line. They are sacrificing themselves to defend our nation.”

Text Only
Local News
  • Teresa Bryant headshot.jpg Bryant declines to seek re-election

    Teresa DeLoatch Bryant announced she will not seek re-election to the District 2 seat she now holds on the Edgecombe County Public Schools Board. The announcement came 91 days before the May 8 Primary Election and nearly a year after the first-term plus one year board member announced her resignation for personal and career reasons. She later rescinded her decision.

    February 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • MimiHerman.jpg W.A. Patillo receives $5,000 poetry grant

    W.A. Pattillo School has been awarded $5,000 from the North Carolina Arts Council for Poetry in the Classroom with Mimi Herman.
    The funds will be used to provide a week of poetry writing experiences for seven fourth grade classes through the expertise and creativity of Herman. Students will gain self-confidence, and will view themselves as writers rather than merely consumers of literature. They will learn to use language effectively and creatively to communicate thoughts, feeling, and impressions.

    February 6, 2012 1 Photo

  • IMG_5889.JPG Pizza Bowl

    The biggest football game of the year brings the largest sale of the year for two area pizza restaurants.
    Tarboro branches of Pizza Inn and Dominos Pizza are gearing up for Super Bowl XLVI Sunday by increasing their regular employee lineup by as many as seven.
    Pizza Inn is running a special that they believe will keep them busy throughout the day. Last year they sold over 200 large pizzas on Super Bowl Sunday compared to 50 on an average Sunday.

    February 3, 2012 1 Photo

  • Edgecombe unemployment up in December

    TARBORO — Unemployment rates increased in 93 of North Carolina’s 100 counties in December. Rates decreased in four counties and remained the same in three.
    Edgecombe, which saw a slight improvement in November, fell back to its October 2011 level (15.7%). Of the 100 counties in North Carolina, Edgecombe and Dare are tied at third highest in unemployment. 

    February 3, 2012

  • Three ECPS campuses ahead of First Lady's nutritional guidelines

    When First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced new guidelines for the nutritional overhaul of school meals last week, they could have chosen three of Edgecombe County's public schools as their models.

    February 2, 2012

  • Lynn_Cale.jpg ECC Executive Named to United Way Board

    J. Lynn Cale, associate vice president of instruction at Edgecombe
    Community College, has been named to the United Way Tar River Region
    Board of Directors.
        The Tar River Region serves Edgecombe and Nash counties. Cale
    will serve a one-year term, from January to December 2012.
        He and other board members oversee 41 local health and human
    service programs funded through United Way as well as 21 Community
    Partners and various community development partnerships.
    RIGHT: J. Lynn Cale

    February 2, 2012 1 Photo

  • Pattillo Alumni Association on the move

    The Board of Directors (BOD) of W.A. Pattillo High School National Alumni
    Association, Inc. held a meeting on Jan. 21, at Pattillo School under the leadership of its President, Dr. Fred S. Wood, Jr.  All of the officers except one were in attendance, accompanied by 9 of 16 Board Members and 9 of 10 Appointed Standing Committee Chairpersons.

    February 2, 2012

  • BandSEDriverHouse.jpg Local students selected for N.C. Eastern All-District Band

    Three Edgecombe County Public Schools students have been chosen to play in the All-District Band. Lillian House, an alto saxophone player and Kaitlin Driver, a French horn player both eighth graders from South Edgecombe Middle School and West Edgecombe Middle School eighth grade flute player, Taylor Joyner earned the honor this year and will grace the stage at East Carolina University’s Wright Auditorium Feb. 3.

    February 1, 2012 2 Photos

  • Robbery prevention

    Community education on robbery prevention shares equal importance with the search of robbery suspects. Robbery prevention may seem unachievable, but we can not continue to ignore the problem of robbery in our community. As local citizens, we should create ways in which everyone can benefit from the knowledge of robbery prevention.

    February 1, 2012

  • GHW 01-28-1221.JPG George Henry White: tribute to a great American

      Why isn’t George Henry White a household name?  If Vincent Spalding has anything to do with it, that will soon change.
         Long ignored in African American history books and recognitions, George Henry White of North Carolina was elected to Congress in 1896, and re-elected in 1898, becoming the last African American elected to Congress after Reconstruction, and the first to serve in the 20th century.

    January 31, 2012 1 Photo