Three Arrested After Drugs Thrown Over Fence at Franklin Correctional Center

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-Press Release, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office

On March 27, 2020, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit arrested three individuals for multiple drug offenses related to possessing and attempting to distribute controlled substances to inmates at Franklin Correctional Center in Bunn, NC. 

The investigation began when a citizen observed a vehicle stop in front of the Franklin Correctional Center, and one of the passengers jumped out and threw an object over the fence. The concerned citizen contacted the Franklin County Sheriff‘s Office to report the incident and was able to provide information that aided deputies in locating and stopping the vehicle. 

Ditereal Harris (FCSO photo)

Once the vehicle was stopped, members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit contacted employees at Franklin Correctional Center and were informed that two of their correctional officers also observed the incident and were able to quickly locate the item thrown over the fence. The correctional officers were able to confirm that controlled substances were in the item thrown over the fence. 

Drug Unit detectives retrieved the item and discovered marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and MDMA inside the item thrown over the fence. As a result, Ditereal Harris, Xavier White and Rotonia Lowery Moore, all of Raeford, NC, were arrested.

Sheriff Kent Winstead stated, “This case began when a concerned citizen saw something suspicious and they acted. By calling the Sheriff‘s Office and giving vital information, our deputies were able to find and stop the vehicle. The investigation that developed as a result of their initiative kept dangerous drugs out of the hands of individuals inside of Franklin Correctional Center.” 

Xavier White (FCSO photo)

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit was assisted in this investigation by the Franklin Correctional Center. This investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected.

Ditereal Harris – 310 Locust Lane Raeford, NC 28376, 18-years-old 

Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver Cocaine, Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana, Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver Heroin, Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver Methamphetamines, Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver MDMA, Deliver Cocaine, Deliver Marijuana, Deliver Heroin, Deliver Methamphetamines, Deliver MDMA, Felony Possession of Marijuana.

Xavier White – 526 East 6th Avenue Raeford, NC 28376, 18-years-old 

Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver Cocaine, Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana, Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver Heroin, Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver Methamphetamines, Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver MDMA, Deliver Cocaine, Deliver Marijuana, Deliver Heroin, Deliver Methamphetamines, Deliver MDMA, Felony Possession of Marijuana. 

Rotonia Lowery Moore (FCSO photo)

Ditereal Harris and Xavier White are both being held in the Franklin County Detention Center under a $500,000 secured bond.

Rotonia Lowery Moore – 116 Dalmation Drive Raeford, NC 28376, 33-years-old

Maintain a Vehicle for the purpose of Storing Controlled Substances. 

Rotonia Lowery Moore was given an $15,000 unsecured bond. 

For more information concerning this investigation or to report drug activity in your neighborhood, please contact Sgt. Ken Pike at (919) 496–2186.

Perry Library Remains Closed; Many Resources Available Online

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-Information courtesy Perry Memorial Library

Although the Perry Memorial Library in downtown Henderson is closed until further notice, the library’s online home page has been updated to better highlight the most important resources for patrons. No overdue fees will be charged while the library is closed.

The library is currently working to give access to Overdrive for StudentAccess patrons and will update the home page with instructions as soon as it is resolved.

Please let the library know if there is something you are having difficulty accessing or something that should be added to the home page.

TownTalk 03/30/2020 (Places You Can Go)

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TownTalk for Monday, March 30, 2020

TownTalk airs M-F on WIZS, Henderson at 11 a.m. Listen at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / streamed live at wizs.com and with Tunein and on smart connected devices and speakers.

NC Gov. Roy Cooper; Covid-19; Executive Order 121; Where you can go; Stay at Home

Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington, message of assurance and request for adherence to Exec Order 121

Vance County Schools meal pickup for the week; One day this week; March 31 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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Texting Tool Available to Access Local Free Meal Sites for NC Children

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-Press Release, Office of Governor Roy Cooper

Governor Roy Cooper announced last week that parents who need food assistance for their children can text FOODNC to 877-877 to locate nearby free meal sites. The texting service is also available in Spanish by texting COMIDA to 877-877.

After entering their address, parents will receive a text with the location and serving times for nearby pick-up and drive-thru free meal sites while schools are closed. Sites have been set up across the state for families with children ages 18 and younger, including preschool children, who rely on free and reduced-price meals at school.

“School closings mean no meals for some of our most vulnerable children. Now families have an easier way to find food during these times of financial stress,” Governor Cooper said.

Parents can also call 2-1-1 to speak with an operator who will help them locate meal sites in their community. The 2-1-1 service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Services are provided in English, Spanish and many other languages.

Additionally, No Kid Hungry has created a map of local school sites, community organizations and food assistance programs across North Carolina where families can access food. The interactive map can be viewed at nokidhungrync.org/covid19/ and is updated daily.

The Governor’s North Carolina COVID-19 Education and Nutrition Working Group, co-chaired by the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), worked in partnership with state and community organizations such as No Kid Hungry to set up the texting program.

School sites and community organizations providing food are experiencing a high demand for services and rely on dedicated volunteers to provide meals. NCDHHS and NCDPI ask that people who are not at high-risk for severe illness associated with COVID-19 sign up to volunteer to prepare meals. Those interested in volunteering should call their local school district office, community organization or visit volunteernc.org.

For more information and additional guidance on regulations and recommendations related to the health threat from COVID-19, please visit the NCDHHS website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus and CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

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Henderson City Council’s April Meeting Canceled

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-Information courtesy Esther J. McCrackin, City Clerk, City of Henderson, NC

Due to the coronavirus and the Stay at Home Order issued by Governor Roy Cooper, the Henderson City Council Meeting scheduled for Monday,  April 13, 2020, at 6 p.m. has been canceled.

If a meeting is scheduled prior to the regularly scheduled meeting in May, proper notification will be issued.

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Governor Announces First COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits Will be Paid This Week

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-Press Release, Office of Governor Roy Cooper

On Sunday, Governor Roy Cooper announced that the first payments for the unemployment claims related to coronavirus will begin going out this week. The Division of Employment Security has received an unprecedented number of unemployment insurance claims since Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order No. 118 on March 17.

In the past two weeks, approximately 270,000 claims have been filed, with most of them related to COVID-19. For comparison, the state received about 7,500 claims in the first two weeks of March, before the order was issued.

“Thousands of workers have lost jobs, but their bills don’t stop. My administration is working overtime to get unemployment checks out now. We’ll keep pushing every day for more state and federal help to save our workers and their families,” said Governor Cooper.

On Saturday, the Governor directed the Division of Employment Security to begin implementing the unemployment insurance provisions of the federal CARES Act. The Division of Employment of Security expects to receive guidance from the federal government later this week about how to implement the changes, including the change that allows for an additional $600 in unemployment benefits. The state expects those payments to begin approximately two weeks after that guidance is provided.

Workers applying for benefits must complete their weekly certifications in order to receive unemployment insurance payments. The weekly certification is a series of ‘yes or no’ questions that help determine a person’s eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits each week. If a person does not complete a weekly certification, they will not receive a payment for that week.

The weekly certification must be completed through the individual’s online account at des.nc.gov.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCESS

For general questions about unemployment benefits in North Carolina during the COVID-19 crisis, contact the Division of Employment Security.

For more information and additional guidance on regulations and recommendations related to the health threat from COVID-19, please visit the NCDHHS website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus and CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

H-V Emergency Operations

Vance County Situation Report 3/28/20

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— information from and written entirely by Brian Short, H-V Director of Emergency Operations

Yesterday, Governor Cooper issued Executive Order 121, advising North Carolina residents to stay at home in an attempt to reduce the number of individuals being infected with the COVID-19 virus in our state. With the issuance of this order, we have seen an increase in calls with general questions into the Vance County 911 center regarding the order and to what extent individuals are permitted to move around now that it is in place. 911 personnel are not equipped to answer questions of this nature nor is it their responsibility to do so. We are asking residents NOT to call 911 for any general questions pertaining to the Coronavirus. As always 911 is for emergencies only. Calling 911 for general questions and other non emergency reasons could actually delay help for someone with a true emergency.

211 has established a hotline for this purpose and we ask that our citizens contact their local physician or take advantage of the hotline if they have medical related questions. There is a also a toll free Coronavirus hotline manned by trained individuals that can answer questions that you may have. The number is 888-892-1162. You may also visit the NC Department of Health an Human Services website at the following link: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/public-health/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-response-north-carolina

As we move further into the Coronavirus worldwide pandemic please keep in mind this continues to be a very fluid situation and the information provided and included could change at any time. The confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to increase throughout the state, nation and in fact the world. We continue to coordinate with Public Health agencies, Maria Parham Health, Department of Social Services, State Emergency Management and our local emergency services response partners. We are communicating several times daily in attempt to gauge their needs and be as proactive in meeting those needs as we can be.

As of the creation of this situation report, Vance County have three (3) positive cases of the Coronavirus in Vance County. All individuals continue to be isolated at home and our local health department is actively conducting contact tracing to determine the level of exposure to others. At this time, we are not implementing any changes to our current response posture nor are we altering our recommendations to the general public.

Testing is ongoing through both Maria Parham Health, our local Health Department and private institutions. There are currently over 1,000 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in North Carolina and thus far four (4) deaths. Please visit the NC Department of Health and Human Services Coronavirus statistics page at the following link to stay current on the number of cases in our state: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/covid-19-case-count-nc

Personal protective equipment (PPE) continues to be very scarce as global competition for the same supplies is occurring. Responders and health care providers are being encouraged to reuse PPE, in particular masks as often as possible to ensure that we hold on to our supplies for as long as possible. Once they run out, they could be out for an extended period of time.

We continue to wait for previously submitted requests for PPE and related resources to State EM to be filled and we are hopeful that they will be very soon.

Vance County and the City of Henderson continue to operate under a local State of Emergency. Being under a local state of emergency allows to implement certain emergency protective measures if an when they should become necessary.

The Emergency Operations Center is currently not activated, however our Emergency Management staff is closely monitoring the situation across the country and at home on a continuous basis.

The 911 Telecommunicators are asking additional Coronavirus screening questions on all medical related calls and will continue to do so until it is no longer needed. Our Backup 911 center remains prepped and ready to be occupied if needed. This is purely as a precaution.

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Mayor Ellington’s Video and Text Reassure; Request Cooperation

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In response to Governor Roy Cooper issuing Executive Order No. 121, or you can click here for the full order, Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington is requesting your full cooperation, as seen in the text and recorded video below.

My Fellow Citizens:

As we face these times of uncertainty, we must remember we cannot control what happens, however we can control how we respond and how we react. I want to reassure the residents of Henderson and Vance County that we have taken steps to carry us through these moments. This is a time to stand with one another as we realize our own shared humanity. For we, as a society and a community have been altered with a situation that is out of our control. Unlike a weather event where you can prepare on the severity, the unknown lies before us and I am thankful to live in a place like Henderson, NC. Where we are neighbors, family, friends and co-workers all joined as one. Our team is dedicated to the health, safety and welfare of the people, while also being very mindful of the small, local businesses and their employees that are suffering and struggling during this public health crisis. I know the painful steps they have already taken to protect our community.

We look to those that are on the front lines, our Doctors, Nurses, Health Care Providers, and Emergency Personnel. We must adhere to their instruction and the Centers for Disease Control guidelines for aggressive social distancing, sanitary hand washing and especially, stay at home if you are sick and avoid contact with the sick. We regret having to be repetitive but in order to eradicate the Coronavirus these simple common-sense tasks must be carried out with diligence.

Know this, we have the benefit of a strong city and county with good folks living among us, in other events where we were tested, 9/11, the great recession of 2008, we came back quickly, united and bold. We have never shied away from facing hard truths. With perseverance and empathy although we may feel isolated, we shall stand together. We are reminded of the tie that binds us and through our strength and resilience we will overcome this challenge as we grow towards recovery with the promise of tomorrow.

May God Bless Each of You-

Eddie Ellington, Mayor

— video embedded from the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce

 

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Governor Cooper Announces Statewide Stay at Home Order Until April 29

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-Press Release, Office of Governor Roy Cooper

Governor Roy Cooper ordered people in the state of North Carolina to stay at home for thirty days, until April 29, 2020, in another step to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Governor Cooper’s Executive Order No. 121 takes effect on Monday, March 30 at 5 p.m. and reduces the size of gatherings to 10 people. The Order provides for essential businesses to continue to operate while prioritizing social distancing measures. The Order has the force of law and will be enforced in all 100 counties statewide.

“To continue our aggressive battle against COVID-19, I have signed a Stay at Home Order for the entire state of North Carolina. Though it is difficult, we must do this to slow the disease spread,” said Governor Cooper. “We need our medical system to be able to care for the friends and family we know will become seriously ill from the virus.”

The Governor noted today that three North Carolinians have died due to COVID-19 and the state has 763 confirmed cases of the virus in 60 counties. He called on all North Carolinians to protect themselves by staying home and following social distancing guidelines. North Carolina is now considered to have widespread transmission of the virus, which means people who have tested positive cannot trace where they were exposed to the virus.

The Order directs people to stay at home except to visit essential businesses, to exercise outdoors or to help a family member. Specifically, the order bans gatherings of more than 10 people and directs everyone to physically stay at least six feet apart from others.

“I know this order may lead to even more hardship and heartache. Although we are physically apart, we must take this step together in spirit,” Governor Cooper said.

The Governor’s full order is available HERE [click.icptrack.com].

Unless noted in the order, previous closures and orders stand as written as do local government orders in cities and counties. Frequently Asked Questions about the Order can be found HERE [click.icptrack.com].

If you do not think your business is included in the essential services list, and you think it should be, you may apply online at the NC Department of Revenue to be designated essential HERE. Until your exemption is reviewed, you may operate as long as your business can accommodate social distancing in your workplace.

For more information about health recommendations and who is designated at high risk for becoming seriously ill, please visit the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus and NCDHHS’ website at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus.

Vance County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Brame: ‘Drive-In’ Style Church Services Limited Per State’s Mass Gathering Order

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Vance County Sheriff Curtis R. Brame provided WIZS with the following response from State officials on the matter of “drive-in” church services being held during the coronavirus pandemic.

Question asked by 100 NC Sheriffs to the State of NC:

Can you please clarify whether or not “drive-in” church services are allowed under your Executive Order that limits the number of people in a mass gathering to less than 50 people? The way these church services have been explained, all church members are “quarantined” inside their individual vehicles, with the windows down, with the pastor standing outside giving the sermon via a speaker. Some of our churches would like to do this and we need to know whether it is lawful under your Executive Order.

Response from our State Leaders:

Any such gathering would have to comply with social distancing and mass gathering guidelines as set out in Executive Orders 117 and 120. Thus, no more than 50 people could gather in a parking lot even in vehicles, and the cars would need to be spaced 6 feet or more apart.

First, I, Sheriff Curtis Brame, am not attempting to discourage the gathering of God’s people. However, like you and the rest of the world, we do not want to be a contributor to the spreading of the coronavirus. I request you to comply with the following:

  1. Cease gathering of 50 or more people  
  2. Continue to hold service outside
  3. Hold multiple services instead of one large gathering
  4. Require your parishioners to space vehicles 6-feet apart or more, windows rolled up
  5. Deny access to public restrooms and Port-a-Potti/Port-a-Johns
  6. Remember to limit your gathering to 50 people or less, not 50 vehicles (that may exceed the 50 limit)

On March 23, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper issued Executive Order 120. The requirements of Executive Order No. 120 were effective beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, and will remain in effect for 30 days from that date [i.e. through April 24, 2020].

Mass Gatherings = 50+ Persons

The new Executive Order modifies Executive Order 117 to limit mass gatherings to no more than 50 people [was 100 people].  Section 1. a.1. of Executive Order 120 provides that a mass gathering is defined as any “event or convening that brings together more than fifty (50) persons in a single room or single space at the same time, such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, or any other confined indoor or outdoor space . . .  [and includes] parades, fairs and festivals.”

Not included in the definition of mass gatherings are normal operations at airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, shopping malls and shopping centers. It also does not include office environments, factories, grocery stores and child care facilities.

The Executive Order provides that the above restriction on mass gatherings is a Class 2 misdemeanor and shall be enforced by State and local law enforcement officers.

Thank You,

Sheriff Curtis R. Brame