Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden
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Vance Man to Spend Rest of Life in Prison
A Vance County man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the 2019 murder of Brittany Pruitt.
Patrick Watson was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced on Nov. 23 in Vance County Superior Court, according to information from the office of District Attorney Michael Waters.
The jury trial began on Nov. 14 and concluded with Watson’s conviction on Nov. 22. He was sentenced the next day.
The defendant was represented by attorney Mitchell G. Styers, and the State of North Carolina was represented by Assistant District Attorney Brent W. Groce.
Pruitt was found shot on the morning of June 10,, 2019, at Watson’s residence on Stewart Farm Road. She was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, according to the press statement from the district attorney. Following an investigation by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, primarily led by Sgt. Michael Hawley (now retired), and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, primarily led by Special Agent Michael Ludwig,
Watson was charged with first-degree murder on June 28, 2019.
During the jury trial, evidence was presented through multiple witnesses, including investigators, lay persons, and expert witnesses.
Pruitt was survived by her three children, her parents, and her siblings.
“Our office thanks the jury for its commitment to listen to all of the evidence presented during the trial which spanned seven days. We are also thankful that Brittany’s family had faith in our office to seek a just result. Although Mr. Watson has been brought to justice, this will not absolve the pain inflicted upon Brittany’s family,” Waters stated.
GVPH Community Assessment Released
Every three years, health departments across the state evaluate community health priorities and create a community health assessment to guide their efforts and inform programs and projects that are important to the people they serve.
Granville Vance Public Health recently released its 2021 health assessment, in partnership with the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, local agencies and Triangle North Healthcare Foundation. According to the document, the top three community health priorities in Vance and Granville counties are:
- mental health and substance use disorder
- access to health care – including affordability
- engaging youth to advance community health and safety
“The CHA demonstrates synergy and informs Granville and Vance County residents about the strengths of our local community as well as opportunities for improvement,” said GVPH Director Lisa Harrison.
“The CHA results are used regularly by many groups in grant applications, program development, and can serve as an important consideration for economic development opportunities,” Harrison said in a press statement accompanying the health assessment document.
The CHA includes information collected from a variety of focus group meetings of area residents, as well as other data from agencies like the U.S. Census Bureau, local government agencies, school districts and the state and federal health agencies. A steering committee met regularly to guide the process and members of the community offered feedback throughout the process.
The Community Health Improvement Plan, conducted in October, engaged partners in the two counties to develop measurable objectives to address each priority, identify evidence-based strategies to achieve those objectives, and plan evaluation and accountability throughout the next three years.
Next steps include identifying specific evidence-based interventions and programs to incorporate into their overall plan for health services that address the three health priorities that were identified in the community assessment.
The comprehensive report provides a wealth of information about the two counties served by the health district, from high school graduation rates and access to grocery stores, to safety and recreational outlets.
View the full report at http://www.gvph.org/wp
content/uploads/2022/09/GVPH-2021-CHA-Report_v2.pdf.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 12-05-22 Noon
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The Local Skinny! Vance Granville Community Band Plans Christmas Concert
Press “pause” on your holiday decorating and shopping for about an hour on Monday, Dec. 12 and head over to McGregor Hall – Brian Miller says you won’t be disappointed.
Miller conducts the Vance Granville Community band, which will be performing a free community concert beginning at 7:30 p.m.
He understands the importance of timing – he’s been a high school band instructor for 30 years – and he said he always remembers advice his Mom gave him: “Keep it short. Make the audience want more, not wish the thing were over,” he told John C. Rose on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
“We’re not going to keep you long,” Miller said, adding that the performance would be “an evening of nostalgic enjoyment.”
Selections include holiday music, but there are sure to be some toe-tappin’ favorites, including some good ol’ fashioned band marches and an overture based on folk songs from Mexico as well. And who knows? Miller said there just may be a special visitor at the end of the concert.
“We’re a very traditional band playing very traditional music,” Miller said, adding that “bands should play marches and traditional things – things that sound good!”
The band consists of about 30 members, and Miller said they’re always looking for more.
“We’d love to have you join us,” he said. Ages range from students all the way up to “folks in very much their adult years.”
Practice takes place on Monday evenings, from 7 p.m. to about 8:30 p.m. and will resume after the holidays at VGCC’s Main Campus in Henderson.
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TownTalk: Aycock School Festival of Lights is This Week
Aycock Elementary’s 3rd annual Festival of Lights is almost here! The campus transforms into a glittery, shining drive-through experience sure to put folks in the holiday spirit.
Whether you prefer Who-ville or Polar Express, Aycock Principal Kristen H. Boyd said there’s something magical about the lights display. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s a really fun time,” Boyd said in a recent interview. The two-night event kicks off on Wednesday, Dec. 7 and continues on Thursday, Dec. 8, with vehicles driving through from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
This event is free and open to the community; donations will be accepted, with proceeds going to the festival of lights fund, as well as supporting various school clubs for the students.
Boyd said some of the school’s clubs include a garden club, an Imagineering club, as well as clubs for art and engineering.
Some display favorites are back – like Who-ville and Polar Express, but a new display called Santa’s Workshop will make its debut in this year’s event.
Vehicles will enter via the Aycock Rec Center, Sandlin noted, adding that there’s a specific traffic pattern to follow that will weave onlookers through the various light displays.
Boyd said turnout was great the past two years, and she hopes this year’s festival of lights will be bigger and better attended than ever.
The festival of lights is a way to give back to families in the community, and it’s also a time to give folks a chance to experience the result of teachers’ collaboration.
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TownTalk: Sheriff Curtis Brame Sworn In; Begins Second Term
Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame officially began his second term of office today, after a swearing-in ceremony that took place at the Vance County Courthouse at 11 a.m. Monday.
The oath of office was administered in the presence of retired judge Randolph Baskerville.
Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow was one of the speakers during today’s swearing-in ceremony. He said he is proud of their close working relationship when it comes to protecting Vance County and Henderson and keeping residents safe.
In his remarks, Barrow said he picked up on a theme that Baskerville had mentioned in his remarks at the beginning of the ceremony: Character, the judge said, is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.
“I wanted to build off of what the judge had said,” Barrow told WIZS News by telephone Monday. So he added, “Character is doing the right thing when everybody is looking.”
He said that is what Brame does – he makes decisions that the public may not understand, but it’s “still…the right choice, even though it might not be the popular choice.”
“Sometimes we can’t tell the public why we make the decisions we make,” Barrow said.
In previous interviews with WIZS News, Brame has said his office needs more funding to try to fill job openings, and he has been vocal about the need for a new jail. He also has strongly stated to the community that parents need to play a role in the lives of youth in the area, and helping to keep them out of trouble and off the radar of law enforcement.
Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Landscape Design
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Henderson Physician Installed as President of State Association of Family Physicians
Shauna Guthrie, MD, MPH, FAAFP, a Henderson family physician, is the new president of the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians.
Guthrie was installed last weekend at the association’s annual meeting in Asheville, which was attended by more than 700 family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students, according to a press statement from NCAFP
She will serve a one-year term, according to information released Friday.
In her inaugural address to NCAFP members, Guthrie stressed the versatility of family physicians. “I just really love being a family physician,” she said. “There are so many roles we can play, scopes we can practice, and places we can go…. We are family physicians. We are smart enough to manage complicated patients but can still explain concepts in a way non-doctors can understand; we try to see the whole picture; and we’re nimble enough to change entire workflows when global pandemics happen so we can still care for our patients. We are unique unicorns, and we get to do the coolest things.”
Before coming to North Carolina, Guthrie was an active member of the New Hampshire Academy of Family Physicians, where she served as the resident representative to the board. She has been on the board of the NCAFP for the past seven years and this year served as the president-elect of the NCAFP Executive Committee. She enjoys giving back to the profession by teaching medical students and residents.
Guthrie completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas and attended medical school at the Drexel University College of Medicine. She completed residency training in family medicine at the New Hampshire Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency. After finishing her family medicine residency, Guthrie stayed in New Hampshire to complete the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Leadership Preventive Medicine Residency, where she also completed her Master’s in Public Health degree with a focus on quality improvement. She recently opened her own private practice, Sunflower Direct Primary Care in downtown Henderson to provide the kind of care she has always dreamed of. She currently serves as the chief medical officer for Maria Parham Health and medical director at Granville-Vance Public Health.
Guthrie lives in Henderson, where she enjoys music, reading, cooking and caring for her dog and chickens.
“American Pickers” Returning To NC, Looking For Local Collectors
The TV show “American Pickers” is planning a return trip to North Carolina early next year and producers are already putting out feelers in hopes of turning up some unique finds to feature on the show.
Crews are planning to film episodes of the show in February 2023, according to information from Meredith Ball, one of the show’s producers. The show, which airs on The History Channel, is a documentary series that explores the world of antiques “picking.” Crews film “pickers” as they hunt for valuable antiques across the country.
“The way we find people and collections for our show is through spreading the word far and wide so that people know we’re coming to town,” Ball stated.
“…the Pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics,” she continued. “Along the way, they want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items (with the) hope to give historically significant objects a new lease on life while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.”
One important note to consider is that the show only chooses individual collectors and do not consider stores, flea markets, museums, auctions or other retail outlets open to the public.
Private collectors or others with an “accumulation of antiques” should contact show representatives at americanpickers@cineflix.com and make sure to include your full name, city/state, contact information and a brief description of items in your collection.
Phone 646.493.2184 or click here to find them on Facebook.