City of Oxford

New Tethering Ordinance Takes Effect Aug. 1 For Oxford Dog Owners

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Beginning Aug. 1, Oxford residents who tether their dog could be in violation of a new city ordinance that carries a civil penalty of $100 for each day they are found to be out of compliance.

The board adopted the ordinance at their July 13 meeting.  City Commissioner John Tovey said he brought the issue before the board several weeks ago “in response to a concern from a city resident about an older dog who was tied 24 hours a day.” Tovey told WIZS News Friday via email he went to see the situation for himself and “it was then I decided that the city needs to have an ordinance to stop this abuse.”

Community feedback since the ordinance was adopted has been “nothing but positive, very positive,” Tovey said, adding that there have been more reports of dogs being tied out all day, every day – “it’s good that light is being shed on this problem.”

Tovey researched laws and ordinances in other communities and states to see what, if any, policies are in place elsewhere.

Animal Control will make initial contact with a person not complying with the new ordinance. If the issue is not resolved, police may be called in, he said.

The objective of the ordinance is “to regulate the unattended restraint or tethering of dogs” and provides details to describe “acceptable tethering devices.”

“No person shall tether a dog to a tree, fence, post, dog house, or other stationary objects for more than three (3) hours total in a twenty-four (24) hour period,” the ordinance states. The rope or chain used has to be at least 10 feet long and fastened in a way to prevents the animal from getting tangled or causing itself harm.

A cable system is considered an acceptable form of tethering – for no more than the three hours specified in the ordinance, which also has details about how the tether is attached to the dog, as well as weight restrictions.

“Someone HAS to speak for the animals, we are (basically) a nation of animal lovers, but there are always a few who will abuse animals, it has to stop,” Tovey wrote.

Read the entire ordinance (here) or use https://www.oxfordnc.org and click on the Government tab and select Ordinances from the dropdown box.

Filing Period Ends For November Elections; Stovall’s Mayor Janet Parrott Retiring After 42 Years

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The town of Stovall will choose a new mayor for the first time in more than four decades in the upcoming elections in November; incumbent Oxford Mayor Jackie Sergent will face challenger Sherry Shavon Hester and the three other incumbent mayors of Butner, Creedmoor and Stem are running unopposed.

The filing period ended today (Friday) at noon for the Nov. 2 municipal elections, said Tonya Burnette, county elections director.

Janet Parrott, Stovall’s mayor, did not file for re-election. The two candidates who filed are Curtis S. Pugh and current town board member Mike Williford.

Parrott told WIZS News she is retiring from her role as mayor after 42 years. She was first elected in 1979 when she was 24 years old, she added, but will continue to work as administrator for the town of Stovall.

Eight candidates filed for seats on the Oxford Board of Commissioners – incumbents Patricia Fields and S. Quon Bridges filed for re-election and newcomers Bryan Cohn, Courtney Crudup, Walkiria Jones, Melanie Kaye Moseley, John L. Oliver and B. Seth Lumpkins also filed.

Three candidates for Stovall Commissioner are Douglas Lunsford, Jr., Carl T. Roberts and Tonya Sneed.

Susan Cope, Kevin Easter and Frank N. Shelton, III filed to run for commissioner in the town of Stem.

In Butner, Michel Branch, Judy Cheek and Tom Lane filed for seats on the Butner Town Council; in Creedmoor, Emma L. Albright and Robert Way filed for commissioners’ seats.

Butner Mayor Terry Turner, Creedmoor Mayor Bobby Wheeler and Stem Mayor Casey Dover face no opposition.

Vance County Sheriff's Office

4 Locals and 2 Out-of-Towners Arrested and Charged by VCSO

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– press release –

Sheriff Curtis R. Brame announces the following arrests by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.  Six Suspects arrested and charged:

Trevor Medlin
199 Woodland Rd
Wake Forest, NC 27587
Age: 29
Charge: Possession of Heroin
Court Date: 07-26-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $5,000.00

Keiontre Maurice Ragland
322 Huff Lane
Henderson, NC 27537
Age: 20

Charges: Maintain a Dwelling Place for Keeping Control Substance
Felony Possession of Marijuana
Felony Possession of “Schedule 1 Controlled Substance
(Psilocybin Mushrooms)
Court Date: 07-26-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $50,000.00

Ta’le Jefferson
233 Gillburg Rd
Henderson, NC 27537
Age: 20

Charges: Carrying a Conceal Weapon
Possession of Marijuana Paraphernalia
Possession of Marijuana up to ½ Ounce
Court Date: 09-16-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $1,000.00

Adam Blake Howard
519 Gillburg Rd Lot #2
Henderson, NC 27537
Age: 27

Charges: Possession of Heroin
Court Date: 07-12-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $10,000.00

Michael Ray Creech
3138 South Center Church Rd
Thurmond, NC 28683
Age: 52

Charges: Possession of Heroin
Court Date: 07-26-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $15,000.00

Tyquan D. Elam
8678 NC-HWY 39 North
Henderson, NC 27537
Age: 25

Charges: Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance (Percocet)
Court Date: 07-26-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $5,000.00

Oxford Police Dept

Oxford Announces Interim Police Chief

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The City of Oxford has announced that former Oxford Police Department Captain Pat Ford will return to the Police Department to serve as interim police chief. Ford will begin the job on Aug. 2 and will lead the department as it conducts a search for a permanent chief.

Chief Al Coley announced in June that he will retire, effective Aug. 1.

“The City of Oxford is both pleased and thankful to have someone with nearly 25 years of service and experience with the Oxford Police Department to serve in this capacity,” according to a press release issued from the city’s executive offices.

 

Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover 07-15-21 – Modeling Good Behavior

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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.

Police Department One Step Closer To Body-Worn Cameras, If Grant Comes Through

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The Henderson City Council has given the go-ahead for a couple of requests for grant funding to equip police officers with body cams and law enforcement cruisers with additional cameras.

At its July 12 meeting, council members approved grant proposals that Police Chief Marcus Barrow and staff have prepared. “Our officers have been asking for them for several years,” Barrow told WIZS News Thursday. He said if the application is approved, it will provide half the money needed to equip the officers with body-worn cameras. “We are seeking a grant that has a 50 percent match. The match funds would come from asset forfeiture funds or state treasury funds, which both are only used by law enforcement,” he added.

Barrow said his department does have some in-car cameras now, but so far, no body cams. “The cost to outfit an agency our size has been prohibitive in the past and we felt that this was an opportunity to seize assistance,” he said. The cost lies mainly with data storage, not in the camera itself, he explained, adding that many law enforcement agencies are faced with a similar challenge. All data should be kept for at least 90 days, he said, but tagged information may need to be kept forever.

If the department does get the grant funding for $48,958, the chief said it would set into motion additional regulations and policies for the department to follow. “I am sure there will be some growing pains associated with the use of body cameras,” Barrow said, “but we will educate and train the use to be muscle memory for the officers and use corrective action for any misuse.”

City Manager Terrell Blackmon said since the police department is an accredited department through the Commission for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), “Chief Barrow has taken the time to develop standards for our officers based on best practices from around the country and from our accrediting agency.”

“I’ve always stood by my position that we would not introduce this product unless and until we could afford to properly apply it,” Barrow added.

The second grant for $21,599 is for purchase of three WatchGuard Video Camera systems and does not require matching local funds and would be shared with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, according to information from the city council agenda. The city would get almost $13,000 and the county would get just over $8,600.

TownTalk: Granville County Celebrates 275 Years

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Question: What was the largest town in Granville County in 1880?

Answer: Henderson.

It’s not a trick question, but unless you’re a local history buff, you may not know that for about 135 years, a good part of Vance County was, well, in Granville County, as were Warren and Franklin counties.

Present-day Granville County residents are preparing to celebrate the county’s 275th anniversary with a day-long event at Granville Athletic Park. About two years in the making, the celebration has something for everyone, according to planning committee members Mark Pace and Chair Sue Hinman. They joined county tourism director Angela Allen on Thursday’s Town Talk to talk about the exciting details with John C. Rose and Bill Harris.

“This is truly a celebration,” Allen said, of the county’s history, its progress, its resources – all the great things that make Granville County what it is today.

The GAP will be filled to overflowing with activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the whole family to enjoy. Balloons and clowns and games and music, to name a few, Hinman said. At 9 a.m., there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open Phase III of the GAP, which contains new tennis courts and an inclusive playground.

Hinman, chair of the county commissioners board, said she is excited to be a part of the celebration and to be able to spread the word about the county’s 275th anniversary.

Allen said the park will be filled to overflowing with everything from live music to bouncy houses for the kids. Visit www.granvillecounty.org/275th to find a complete schedule of events.

At the sports pavilion, attendees will find a variety of resources where they can learn about the cities, towns and communities in the county.

Also available is a book written and compiled by local author Lewis Bowling. Looking Back: 275 years of Granville County History will be available for purchase, and Bowling will be on hand to sign copies, Pace said.

Of the hundreds of books that have been written about Granville and the surrounding areas, this is a “complete narrative history,” Pace said. “And this is the first one of Granville County,” he added. Among the 300 pages of the coffee-table style book are many never-before published photographs that capture Granville County’s past.

At 10 a.m., an opening ceremony will kick off the event, with presentation of colors and remarks from local dignitaries. After that, Allen said it’s time to enjoy live music in the amphitheater, food from a variety of vendors and even visit an outdoor classroom space where folks can learn about such things as the history of tobacco in the area as well as where the walking trails in the county can be found.

The Granville-Vance Health District will be on hand for COVID-19 testing as well as COVID-19 vaccines, Allen said.

The committee was formed and began planning before the pandemic, and Pace said, to be honest, there were times during the planning process when the group didn’t know whether the celebration would be able to take place at all. Allen said the committee members come from across the county and all municipalities are represented.

“It’s a great mix of community pieces,” she said. “We wanted to make this as inclusive as we possibly could.” The celebration represents the thought that went into the planning process.

Until the original county was carved up into the four counties we know today, Allen said she has learned through planning for this event that Granville County was truly a hub for the state. She said it is great to be able to “live, work and play in a community that already has a reputation of bringing people together.”

Today, about 60,000 people call Granville County home. Back in the late 1780’s, when it was just more than 40 years old, there were about 6,500 residents, and one of those residents was John Penn, North Carolina’s only signer of the Declaration of Independence. Penn died in 1788, but chances are slim to none that he ever ate a funnel cake or enjoyed a sno-cone. Visitors to the GAP next Saturday, however, could glimpse such an anachronistic sight – sort of.

Mark Pace will portray Penn during the event, sharing stories and insight from a time more than 200 years ago. And who knows? Maybe he’ll wander over to the sno-cone stand to see which flavor he prefers.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

City of Henderson Logo

CITY INVITES COMMUNITY INPUT ON ELMWOOD DISTRICT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN ON JULY 22nd

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The recently reestablished Henderson Redevelopment Commission is holding its first public listening session on Thursday, July 22, 2021 in order to learn about community priorities and goals for redevelopment in this greater Orange Street area neighborhood. The session is open to all and participants can attend in-person or join by Zoom or phone. The listening session will be facilitated by staff of the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative (DFI).

DFI has also released an online survey for anyone interested in commenting on a set of proposed redevelopment goals for the area. The survey, along with additional information about the Redevelopment Commission’s efforts, including a boundary of the proposed Elmwood District redevelopment area, are available at ci.henderson.nc.us/URA.   

Comments shared through the online survey and during the listening session will help to inform the direction of a redevelopment plan currently being drafted by the Redevelopment Commission, with support from UNC DFI. The plan is intended to guide future City activities in the proposed Elmwood District URA including efforts to attract new private investment and address the neighborhood’s housing, public health and safety needs. To attend in person, you are invited to Perry Memorial Library, 205 Breckinridge St., Farm Bureau Room. The meeting will take place from 6-7:30pm.

Join by Zoom: https://unc.zoom.us/j/96903327572

Or you may join by phone (toll free) at: (855) 880-1246 Meeting ID: 969 0332 7572

The online survey and updates on the Redevelopment Commission are available at ci.henderson.nc.us/URA