New Medical Office Has Official Opening In Downtown Henderson

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The owner of Kerr Area Rural Medical Alliance, a new medical office in Henderson, said she hopes to provide quality health care with an emphasis on treating the client as a person, not just a number on a chart.

Anita Rogers is a physician assistant with more than a decade of experience in the field of health care. She spoke to a group of well-wishers at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Wednesday, April 28 at the newly renovated office 425-B Chestnut St. She said she wants to blend modern, professional care with the old-fashioned quality of really knowing and understanding the clients she sees.

“I like to describe myself as sort of a modern-day Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Rogers told the group Wednesday, making a reference to a popular 1990’s TV show. She takes pride in the relationships with her patients and stressed the importance of paying attention to what they say as a key to knowing specific care needs.

In addition to providing preventative care and chronic care management, Rogers said the practice will make home visits to qualified patients. Most insurances are accepted. The practice offers a wide range of medical services, including sports physicals and DOT physicals.

Present at the ribbon-cutting were representatives of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, as well as Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington and other community members. Ellington welcomed Rogers and her staff to downtown Henderson. Chamber board member Dr.  Levy Brown commended Rogers for her efforts. He said he is married to a health-care professional and knows firsthand the dedication necessary for those in that field.

Michele Burgess, director of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, welcomed Anita and her team to Henderson. “After meeting and talking with Anita Rogers, Brittany Simpson, and the staff members, I came away really impressed with their business model,” Burgess told WIZS News. “It was encouraging to hear their vision for bringing back more personal medical care, and making the relationship between medical team and patient a priority, and even offering to make house calls.  I know that with their leadership and wealth of experience this family practice, located in the downtown area, will be a success.  We welcome them into our Chamber of Commerce organization and encourage anyone looking for a new medical team to contact them.”

In addition to Rogers, the office has a second physician assistant, Brittany Simpson. Office staff include one nurse, Roxanne Morris, office manager Barbara Terry and Spanish/English bilingual receptionist Becky Adcock.

Rogers graduated with honors from Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in 2008 and has been a practicing physician assistant for 13 years.

Visit www.kerrarearuralmedicalalliance.com to learn more or phone 252.598.1059.

Granville Masons To Honor First Responders, Hold Open House May 8

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Granville area Masonic chapters are hosting a couple of events on Saturday, May 8 at the Masonic Center in Oxford. The first is an appreciation breakfast for the area’s first responders; the second is an open house designed to share information about Masons and their role in the community.

First responders in the area are invited to stop by the Masonic Center in Oxford on Saturday, May 8 to pick up “breakfast on the go” as a show of appreciation for the work they do in the community, said Kevin Otis, director of the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford. Otis said the event is being hosted by Oxford Lodge #122, Grainger Lodge #412, and the local Rainbow Girls Chapter 90. Breakfast will be available from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Masonic Center, located at 105 W. College Street, just down the street from the MHCO campus.

“The Masonic bodies want to thank each of you for your dedicated commitment to keeping us safe, especially in these difficult and perilous times,” Otis said in a statement to WIZS News. “Your commitment to others is an example for all to follow,” Otis said.

The second event, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is designed to answer questions about Masonry, from York Rite bodies and the difference between Amran and Sudan Shrine to the connection between Shriners and Masons, he said.

Representative from the local lodges, as well as the local Rainbow Girls chapter will be on hand during the open house.

Otis said it’s a great way to find out what each group is doing to help the community and help each other be their best. Visitors can tour the lodge room, see the imagery, and get ask questions. But, Otis added, “No Masonic secrets will be shared – only how joining any of these Masonic bodies will help you shine your light for others and guide you to a better tomorrow.”

Henderson Mall Purchased, Name Will Change to Henderson Pointe

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A Maryland-based investment group has purchased the Henderson Mall property on Dabney Drive. The first order of business was to rename it Henderson Pointe.

Broad Reach Retail Partners, LLC specializes in acquiring properties with anchor tenants like grocery stores, Walmart and Target. The former Mall property has a Food Lion, as well as other retailers Roses, Badcock Furniture and Harbor Freight.

Christian Lockamy, director of the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission, told WIZS News there has been a shifting supply and demand for this type of retail space since COVID-19 began.

“There has been a lot of movement in retail,” Lockamy said. Newer companies are “swooping in” with mergers and acquisitions as older investors are looking for ways to exit the retail market. The purchase amount was not disclosed, but Broad Reach targets properties between $5 million and $50 million, according to a list of criteria on its website.

Lockamy said Broad Reach specializes in shopping centers that also are in proximity to areas that are seeing continued development – for example, the Beckford Drive/Graham Avenue area of Dabney Drive. The property, which has more than 188,000 square feet of retail space, currently has a 72 percent occupancy rate.

“There continues to be strong investment demand as convenience-oriented retail, particularly strong grocery-anchored retail, has weathered the pandemic well,” said Nate McKay, Broad Reach Retail’s acquisition officer.

“We are finding great success in acquiring high-volume Food Lions,” McKay added. “They have outstanding tenant credit and are an excellent draw to the centers they anchor.”

The investment group recognizes the value a property like the former Henderson Mall has in the community and Broad Reach CEO Nate Tower said Broad Reach can add to that value by revitalizing the property and “filling retail voids to support the needs of the local residents.”

Mike Waters

3 Vance Deputies Indicted, Accused of Embezzlement, Extortion, Conspiracy

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A Vance County grand jury has returned bills of indictment against three Vance County deputies involving an incident in 2020 surrounding a 2007 White Cadillac STS.

Vance Sheriff Curtis Brame issued a statement on Tuesday, April 27 acknowledging the indictments.

“All three deputies have been suspended from duty with the sheriff’s office pending resolution of their charges,” Brame stated.

“I believe in and support my officers and that protocol was followed,” the statement continued. Brame added that he does not have any evidence at this time that would warrant charges brought against them.

Information from District Attorney Mike Waters names deputies Purav J. Patel, Mitch Taybron Pittman and Stephen ONeal Staton were indicted on a string of charges ranging from embezzlement and extortion to motor vehicle title fraud and conspiracy. The charges stem from incidents that began in late April 2020 and continued for several months. The car was seized as evidence, and then the driver’s aunt – who provided the driver of the Cadillac with most of the money to buy the car in Virginia – was subsequently convinced to turn the car over to the sheriff’s office, according to the district attorney’s office.

In the Sheriff’s statement, Brame said he had an outside agency conduct an internal investigation which concluded that “violation of office policy and lack of training was found.”

A review of documents from the district attorney reveals a string of choices. Ultimately in any case an indictment reveals a questioning of the choices made by the person or persons accused.

In addition, at the outset, the DA is requesting the court allow access to and consideration of information presently being denied to investigators as privileged information, attorney-client privileged information.

Mike Waters

Pendergrass Plea of Guilty to One Count Sexual Battery Results in Sex Offender Registration

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Following an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation here in North Carolina, the local district attorney’s office of the 11th Prosecutorial District informs WIZS News that Tony R. Pendergrass, 58, of Franklinton has entered a plea of guilty to one count of sexual battery.

The plea to the one count, which is a Class A1 misdemeanor, took place on April 28, 2021 in Granville County.

As a result, Pendergrass faced a maximum sentence of 60 days.

Assistant District Attorney Brent Groce said by email to WIZS, “Following Mr. Pendergrass’ plea of guilty (as charged), the Court heard from the victim’s mother, who read an impassioned statement to the Court concerning the impact that Mr. Pendergrass’ criminal behavior has had on her (family).”

After hearing from the victim’s mother, the court accepted the plea arrangement in the following manner. The ADA wrote to WIZS, “the defendant received a sentence of 60 days, which was suspended for an unsupervised term of 24 months on the following conditions: (1) he must serve a 5 days sentence in jail beginning immediately; (2) pay court costs; (3) have no contact with the victim or his family for a term of five years; and (4) register as a sex offender.”

The ADA indicates a “methodical, thorough, and thoughtful investigation” occurred, which was helped by a “brave victim of a serious offense” who benefited from having an “incredible support system.”

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said Pendergrass was a former captain, having resigned on July 13, 2020.

State of North Carolina District Court documents list the date range of offenses as 05/15/2020 – 05/17/2020. Pendergrass’ signature accepting the misdemeanor statement of charges as defendant is visible on the document with the date 4/28/2021 hand written beside his name.

Court costs were $483.00, including a $383.00 cost and $100.00 fine.

When the present, active five days in jail finishes, Pendergrass has 72 hours from discharge to report to a probation officer in the State of North Carolina.

The misdemeanor statement of charges and judgment are signed by the presiding judge.

Henderson Police Department

Victim Shot, Then Crashed Car, Near Downtown

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Wednesday, April 28 at 9:08 p.m., Henderson Police responded to a call for a gunshot victim.

Parrish Nathaniel Jefferson, 29, was shot.  He walked a couple of blocks to the Vance County Magistrate’s Office to receive assistance after his automobile collided with another car at the intersection of Andrews Avenue and Chestnut Street.

According to a Henderson Police Department press release, emergency aid was rendered by EMS, and Jefferson was transported by ambulance to a local medical facility.

One of Henderson’s busiest intersections nearby, Garnett Street at Andrews Avenue, was determined to be the crime scene, the scene of the shooting.

Police indicated that Jefferson was driving a black 2018 Infinity and had an encounter with occupants of another vehicle while at the intersection. Gunfire erupted and the Infinity, then traveling west on Andrews Avenue, collided with a 2005 Toyota passenger car being operated by a Domino’s pizza delivery driver at the intersection of Andrews and Chestnut.

The Toyota’s driver was also transported by EMS to a local medical center for non life-threatening injuries.

Police Captain J. Ferguson confirmed Jefferson’s condition to be stable as of Thursday morning.

The investigation is ongoing at this time.

If anyone has more information about this incident, please contact Henderson Police through Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925 or the P3 app.  Call the HPD at 252-438-4141, or make contact through Facebook or Instagram.

Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover 04-29-21 – The Last Straw

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

NCCare360 Works To Match Clients With Providers, Resources

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It sounds ambitious, but doable: NCCare360 is a public-private partnership designed to provide streamlined support for those who are looking for help with finding resources for everything from health care to housing, access to transportation and other challenges that people are faced with.

Quinny Sanchez Lopez, community engagement manager, spoke to the Vance County Community Collaborative earlier this week and shared information about joining the partnership.

Attending the monthly meeting were representatives from education, governmental and non-profit agencies, according to information from Triangle North Healthcare Foundation.

Executive Director Val Short welcomed the group, which convened to learn more about the public-private partnership between the NC Department of Health and Human Services and the Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation.

There is no fee to register to join the partnership, Sanchez Lopez said, which reaches all 100 counties in the state.

NCCare360 is “the first statewide network that unites health care and human services organizations with a shared technology that enables a coordinated, community-oriented, person-centered approach for delivering care in North Carolina,” according to the statement.

The idea is to have a group of health and human services providers in one network to connect clients with community resources. Unite Us powers the technology platform, which is used for feedback and follow-up and ensuring accountability of service delivery.

Included in the model is a community engagement team that works with local organizations such as social service agencies to independent providers to get resources to those who need them.

Referrals can be made by providers or by the client himself or herself. A NCCare360 “navigator” connects the client to resources in their area. A resource directory is available at www.nccare360.org.

Agencies that partner with NCCare360 receive training and are responsible for responding to referrals and reporting outcomes.

Granville Vance Public Health is a NCCare360 partner and Director Lisa Harrison said Thursday that it is exciting to see technology evolve in a way that can further the mission of public health.

“We are eager to incorporate NCCare360 technology as our social workers and nurses at the health department continue to connect people in our communities to needed resources,” Harrison said in a statement to WIZS News.

Improving the health of people in the community goes beyond a doctor’s office or making good food choices at the grocery store. “For decades… health department staff have valued working with children and families to navigate opportunities for improved transportation, housing, child care, health care services including mental health services, healthy food resources, small business support, and community outreach,” she said.

But it takes more than a computer network to be successful. It also takes people who know about the local community to be involved and informed as well.

“While this technology is robust and transformative, technology is just technology unless all network partners are trained and empowered to use it to better serve their patients and clients,” Harrison said.

For more information about joining the partnership, contact Sanchez Lopez by email quinny.sanchezlopez@uniteus.com.

Visit www.nccare360.org to learn more.

TownTalk 04-29-21 Local History With Cathleen Turner, Preservation North Carolina

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Hosts Bill Harris and Mark Pace speak with Cathleen Turner, Piedmont Regional Director of Preservation North Carolina, about the importance of protecting historical properties.

Written story below.

As well, please enjoy full broadcast audio of the show.

Saving historic properties from demolition is but one aspect of Preservation North Carolina’s mission. The preservation of a physical building also keeps alive and relevant the stories that go along with the structure – its place in the community and the families that once lived or worked in them.

Cathleen Turner, Preservation North Carolina’s Piedmont regional director, said the nonprofit organization is a source of information for anyone interested in historic preservation – whether it’s restoration, repair or rehabilitation.

Turner was a guest on Town Talk Thursday and shared some of PNC’s success stories with hosts Bill Harris and Thornton Library’s Mark Pace.

It’s important to keep in mind whether a property is “saveable, buyable and sellable,” she said, as well as its role in the life of the community in which it’s located. “Sometimes the most modest little cottage can reveal a depth of information about the people who lived there or were associate with it.”

One success story has a local connection. Turner mentioned the Bellamy Mansion in Wilmington, a stewardship project of PNC. Pace noted that two Bellamy brothers married two sisters from right here in Vance County. The sisters were Hargroves, members of the family that owned Hibernia near Townsville. The Bellamy home fared far better than the Hargrove home, which is no longer standing. The Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts took decades to rehabilitate, and it was turned over to PNC as a stewardship property in 1989.

Not all properties are destined to be restored to its original state, Turner said.

“We use the Secretary of the Interior standards for rehabilitation,” she said, “which are guidelines that we apply on a case-by-case basis.” Many of the buildings’ owners aren’t interested in restoring them to a particular period. “People like their indoor bathrooms and kitchens. And they like their Wifi, too,” Turner added.

The term “rehabilitation” may describe more accurately what occurs with properties. Updating to today’s standards is done thoughtfully, she said, “with respect to repair rather than replace.” If something is missing or beyond repair, then she recommends to replace in-kind. Yesterday’s materials – those old growth forest woods – are hardier than most modern materials.  If the original materials can be saved, that is preferred. “The way we approach rehabilitation is very common-sense and sensible. And smart, from a bottom-line standpoint.”

Another success story is located in the tiny town of Milton, near the Virginia border. It is there that Thomas Day’s home and workshop have been restored. “We had been interested in seeing that building preserved for a very long time,” Turner said. A fire nearly burned it to the ground, but the building was not beyond restoration. She said it probably would have been razed had PNC not stepped in. Visitors can see where the famed furniture maker once lived and worked.

Closer to home is a property known as the Charles Brewer house, located on North Clark Street in Henderson. Houses located in National Register historic districts may be eligible for tax credits, Turner said. “We don’t give grants to private property owners,” she said, but tax credits provide incentives for the repair work and restoration to be completed.

Visit www.presnc.org to learn more about PNC’s projects and programs.