U.S. Department of Justice

Henderson-Vance Benefit as U.S. Attorney Takes Back Eastern NC

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The U.S. Department of Justice has recognized the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina because of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.

Relationship building among prosecutors and federal, state and local law enforcement has led to arrests and convictions for drug, drug trafficking and violent crimes and the involved criminal organizations.

Since the initiative started in 2018, more than 1,600 individuals have been prosecuted, representing a 50 percent increase in the number of people charged compared to 2016-2017 in eastern North Carolina.

The aggressive Take Back North Carolina effort has resulted in a 60% reduction in robberies in Henderson and a 21% decrease in aggravated assaults, according to the press release below.

You’ve heard the phrase Project Safe Neighborhoods on WIZS News or read it on WIZS.com 58 times in 2019-2020.  Those times were just for Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin Counties.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina said, “When I took office as the United States Attorney, the President and the Attorney General made it clear that job one in our District was to reduce crime rates and to attack drug trafficking organizations operating here. We have taken that task very seriously and, because of the hard work of so many, we have seen those crime rates decline as we have removed the drivers of those crime rates from our cities and towns. This award honors a sustained effort by many, many dedicated public servants and it is a privilege to accept this award on their behalf.”

The press release also indicates Vance County has enrolled in the Educating Kids about Gun Violence (EKG) program, which assisting in reducing violent crimes in Fayetteville by 10 percent in the last five years for student-aged young people.

– Press Release 

U.S. Department of Justice Recognizes U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for its Work with Project Safe Neighborhoods

Take Back North Carolina Receives National Award as the Outstanding Overall Partnership/Task Force

RALEIGH – The Department of Justice has recognized the Take Back North Carolina initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina with its Outstanding Overall Partnership/Task Force Award in support of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Initiative.

“We are extremely gratified and humbled by the Attorney General’s recognition of the important work being done by federal, state and local law enforcement, our partners in the District Attorneys’ Offices and by the men and women of my office as we seek to drive down crime rates and deliver safer communities to all the citizens of the Eastern District.” Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina said. “When I took office as the United States Attorney, the President and the Attorney General made it clear that job one in our District was to reduce crime rates and to attack drug trafficking organizations operating here. We have taken that task very seriously and, because of the hard work of so many, we have seen those crime rates decline as we have removed the drivers of those crime rates from our cities and towns. This award honors a sustained effort by many, many dedicated public servants and it is a privilege to accept this award on their behalf.”

In early 2018, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina launched Take Back North Carolina in an effort to drive down spiraling crime rates and to attack drug trafficking organizations – specifically violent crime and drug activities caused by gangs and other national and transnational organizations. Through the initiative, teams of Assistant United States Attorneys and legal support staff were deployed across the 44 counties of the Eastern District focusing on six broad geographic areas. Each team was tasked with building strong relationships with federal, state and local law enforcement operating in those areas and they worked in close coordination with the 15 elected District Attorneys who prosecute state crimes in North Carolina courts in the eastern half of the State. Building on these relationships, our prosecutors worked to identify the individuals who are driving the crime problem in the communities in their assigned area and with charging and prosecuting those individuals in an effort strategically designed to reduce violent crime rates and disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking operations across the District.

Since the Initiative’s inception, more than 1600 individuals have been prosecuted as part of this Initiative, representing a more than 50% increase in the number of defendants charged by this office over those charged in 2016 and 2017. But, more importantly, due to the strategic targeting of the drivers of our violent and drug crime problems, many communities have seen measurable – and in some cases dramatic – reductions in the violent crime rates. For example, based on data analyzed and provided by our research partners at the University of North Carolina – Greensboro, the following cities saw significant reductions in crime rates during 2018 and 2019[1] while participating aggressively in the Take Back North Carolina Initiative:

-Jacksonville – 50% reduction in homicides; 42% decrease in robberies; 83% reduction in aggravated assaults;

-Henderson – 60% reduction in robberies; 21% decrease in aggravated assaults;

-Greenville – homicides down 60%; robberies reduced by 15%.

And, these results have been replicated in communities of all sizes all across the Eastern District. We have also seen the prosecution of the leadership of numerous sects of violent, drug-trafficking gangs across the District. Targeting the leadership of the various Bloods organizations, the Take Back North Carolina Initiative has worked to disrupt and dismantle their operations in this federal district.

Drugs fuel gun violence and the opioid crisis is no exception. Aside from increasing the number of deaths resulting from heroin overdose cases prosecuted, TBNC has also focused on educating the public about the heroin epidemic through the establishment of the USAO Heroin Education Action Team (USA-HEAT). USA-HEAT works to reduce the growing harm to North Carolina families caused by heroin/opiate abuse, partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration, local law enforcement, community health professionals, and family members who have lost a loved one to a drug overdose. In the last six months, the USAO has conducted 17 training events, each lasting 1-3 hours with content tailored to that audience (e.g., first responders and community groups). Other prevention efforts include the Educating Kids about Gun Violence (EKG) program – part of the Fayetteville Police Department’s Operation Ceasefire, created in 2002 under the umbrella of PSN and USAO-EDNC. In the past 5 years, 25,241 students in Fayetteville have been educated through EKG. Overall violent crime for this age group has decreased 10% city wide since EKG began. Other PSN sites – Goldsboro, Pasquotank County, Kinston, and Vance County have adopted the EKG program. Other prevention efforts include re-entry programs, and an outdoor movie series to engage the community and create public awareness about gun violence. In 2019, 1,425 people attended 6 movie nights in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

TBNC PSN sites have worked hard to develop an effective public messaging strategy for each community utilizing press releases, press conferences, and advertising campaigns highlighting the penalties for committing federal crimes. In the last two years, the USAO-EDNC issued over 250 press releases highlighting PSN cases and has held numerous press conferences highlighting TBNC success stories. The USAO has produced hundreds of posters for PSN sites to help spread public awareness and has worked with the Executive Office for United States Attorney’s to develop multiple Public Service Announcements (PSA) focusing on violent crime and opioids. These PSA’s have been widely distributed across EDNC for use by the media and communities.

Revitalized in 2017, PSN is a critical piece of the Department’s crime reduction efforts. PSN has focused on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.

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New Visitor Restrictions at Maria Parham

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

New visitor restrictions at Maria Parham Health go into effect Monday, December 14, 2020.

No visitor policies will be in place.  The policies, along with what is allowed, are outlined below.

Vance County Courthouse

Chief Justice Announces Postponement of Many Court Proceedings for 30 Days

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First, the local news WIZS has learned from the Clerk of Court in Vance County, the Hon. Henry L. Gupton.  This information from Gupton replaces all other local information for Vance County you may have read or heard.  Updated 12-11-2020 at 4:45pm.

Gupton said, “After talking with our judges per notification we have received from (the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts) in Raleigh, beginning on Monday, December 14th and continuing for 30 days, all of our District Court Sessions have been cancelled.

“However, we will be conducting 96-hr, 48-hr hearings and any other statutory cases that need to be heard. All defendants will be notified in reference to a new court date. Also we have Superior Court scheduled for next week beginning on Monday. However Monday is cancelled. We are going to leave Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday open right now to determine if we will proceed with those days. We do have our Grand Jury scheduled to convene on Wednesday. That will go on as scheduled. Also, we will be holding our Small Claims Court session as scheduled.”

Second now for the wider area, a press release from the North Carolina Judicial Branch as the Chief Justice has announced postponement of many court proceedings for 30 days.

Chief Justice Cheri Beasley announced today that North Carolina Courts will postpone non-essential, in-person court proceedings for 30 days, beginning Monday, December 14.

“In light of the recent surge of new COVID-19 cases in North Carolina and in our courts, this pause is necessary to protect the health and safety of our court personnel and the public,” said Chief Justice Cheri Beasley. “Throughout the pandemic, we have moved an unprecedented amount of court work online, including hearings. Those efforts will allow us to limit in-person proceedings for the next few weeks while making sure our courts stay available to serve the public.”

In recent weeks, the number of North Carolina counties categorized as “red” or “orange” by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has more than doubled. More than 80 counties are experiencing substantial or critical community spread of COVID-19. This recent surge in COVID-19 cases, percent positivity, and hospitalizations has strained court operations. Since the onset of the pandemic, Judicial Branch officials and employees have reported 291 confirmed positive cases, and over half of North Carolina’s county courthouses have been partially or completely closed due to COVID-19. Eleven of the courthouse closures have occurred in this week alone.

Community spread of COVID-19 is expected to peak through the winter, and it is imperative that court operations remain as limited as possible through the next 30 days. Fortunately, court operations are typically reduced through the end of the calendar year even under normal conditions. With few jury trials scheduled and courts conducting many proceedings remotely, the impact on court dockets should be minimal.

“I am gravely concerned with the recent surge in positive cases, but with this new directive, I am confident that potential exposures will be significantly reduced if we work together to adhere to health and safety guidelines,” said the Chief Justice.

The Chief Justice is expected to enter an order in the coming days to renew existing Emergency Directives and implement the Emergency Directive announced today.

In addition to today’s announcement, Chief Justice Beasley called a meeting of the Judicial Branch COVID-19 Task Force to discuss emergency directives and policy changes related to the COVID-19 health emergency. The Task Force will meet from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. on December 15, 2020. The media and the public are invited to attend the online meeting via Webex.

To view a list of previous orders from the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court of North Carolina, please visit the continuously updated Coronavirus (COVID-19) announcement page. The public is encouraged to visit NCcourts.gov to find answers to frequently asked questions before calling the local courthouse.  Announcements from local counties about changes to court operations can be found on the county page as well as the closings and advisories page. The public may also visit the Judicial Branch Facebook page and Twitter account to access information related to the coronavirus health concern.

Youngsville, NC

Youngsville Christmas Parade Press Generates $11K for Needy Children

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Press Release, Town of Youngsville

At the end of a year that found too many Americans isolated and dejected due to a wide variety of challenges, the annual Christmas parade in Youngsville, North Carolina helped encourage warm-hearted people from across the nation to respond in the most Christmas-like of ways.

At the conclusion of a hectic week leading up to the town’s Christmas parade, Mayor Fonzie Flowers appeared live on the nationally broadcast ‘Fox and Friends’ television show just two hours before the parade began. After reiterating the town’s careful guidance and precautions to facilitate a safe parade, Mayor Flowers then asked viewers to consider donating to the town’s Shop with a Cop program.

In the 24 hours that followed the mayor’s appearance on national TV, the town received more than $11,000 in donations from at least 500 individual donors – over ten times what the program brought in last year.

This outpouring of support was no surprise to town leaders since the response to the decision to move forward with the Youngsville parade was overwhelmingly positive. In a video published via the town’s YouTube channel, Mayor Fonzie Flowers said, “a tally of the responses to the town’s social media communications regarding our parade has yielded a total of 1,001 positive responses and only 30 negative responses. In other words, more than 97% of community members support the town’s decision. Rest assured that – at least in Youngsville – the will of the people will always be heard.”

Youngsville Chief of Police J. G. Whitley proclaimed, “We never expected this type of response. All I can say is there will be a lot of very happy children this year in Youngsville. All these donations will bring immeasurable joy into the homes of some Youngsville families that are most in need. We cannot thank our community and these generous donors enough.”

The Shop with a Cop event will begin at the town’s community building (115 E. Main Street) at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 15, 2020. Residents can donate by clicking on the pop-up notification on the town’s website (townofyoungsville.org) or by visiting tinyurl.com/donate-shop-cop.

NC Governor Logo

NC to Begin Modified Stay at Home Order Dec. 11

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-Press Release, Office of Governor Roy Cooper

Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen today announced that North Carolina will begin a Modified Stay at Home Order after a rapid increase in North Carolina’s key COVID-19 trends. The Order requires people to stay at home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and takes effect Friday, December 11, 2020, and will be in place until at least January 8, 2021.

“We already have strong safety protocols and capacity limitations in place – including a statewide mask requirement. With this additional action beginning Friday, we hope to get these numbers down,” Governor Cooper said. “Our new modified Stay At Home order aims to limit gatherings and get people home where they are safer, especially during the holidays. It’s also a reminder that we must be vigilant the rest of the day – wearing a face mask when we are with people we don’t live with, keeping a safe distance from others and washing our hands a lot.”

The Order requires restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, personal care businesses and more to close at 10 p.m. Travel to and from work; to obtain food, medical care, fuel or social services; or to take care of a family member is exempted. Read more in the Frequently Asked Questions document.

In the past week, North Carolina’s case count has broken single-day records on three separate days, including crossing more than 6,000 cases per day on two of those days. Just a month ago, cases were under 3,000 per day. In recent days, the percent of tests returning positive has increased to more than 10%.

Governor Cooper was clear that further action would be taken to slow the spread of the virus if trends do not improve. This could require further limiting of restaurant dining, indoor entertainment or shopping and retail capacity restrictions, among other safety protocols.

Dr. Cohen also provided an update on North Carolina’s COVID-19 County Alert System map. The number of red counties (critical community spread) has more than doubled since November 23, up to 48 red counties from 20 red counties. There are now 34 orange counties (substantial community spread), as compared to 42 orange counties from the previous report. With today’s report, more than 80% of the state’s counties fall into the red or orange tier. Read the update to see where each county stands and how the system was designed.

“Your actions can keep people from getting sick, save lives, and make sure our hospitals can care for people whether it’s for a heart attack or a car accident or COVID-19. Protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community now,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D.

Dr. Cohen also provided an update on North Carolina’s data and trends.

Trajectory in COVID-Like Illness (CLI) Surveillance Over 14 Days

  • North Carolina’s syndromic surveillance trend for COVID-like illness is increasing.

Trajectory of Confirmed Cases Over 14 Days

  • North Carolina’s trajectory of cases is increasing.

Trajectory in Percent of Tests Returning Positive Over 14 Days

  • North Carolina’s trajectory in percent of tests returning positive is increasing.

Trajectory in Hospitalizations Over 14 Days

  • North Carolina’s trajectory of hospitalizations is increasing.

In addition to these metrics, the state continues building capacity to adequately respond to an increase in virus spread in testing, tracing and prevention.

Testing

  • Testing capacity is high, surpassing 50,000 tests per day for much of the past week.

Tracing Capability

  • The state is continuing to hire contact tracers to bolster the efforts of local health departments.
  • There have been more than 500,000 downloads of the exposure notification app, SlowCOVIDNC.

Personal Protective Equipment

  • North Carolina’s personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies are stable.

Read Executive Order 181.

Read a Frequently Asked Questions document about the Order.

Read the slides from today’s briefing.

Youngsville, NC

Town of Youngsville, Mayor Release Video Addressing Christmas Parade

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The Town of Youngsville and Mayor Fonzie Flowers have released a video update regarding the town’s decision to move forward with its annual Christmas parade during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 5, 2020.

Click here for additional information and statements of support from the community.

Click play below to view the video…

Maria Parham Health

‘No Visitor Policy’ in Place at MPH Until Further Notice

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Maria Parham Health has released a statement announcing that A NO VISITOR policy will be in place at the Henderson and Franklin Emergency Departments beginning at 5 p.m. on December 3, 2020.

Visitors will not be allowed in the waiting area or permitted in the Emergency Department patient care areas. All visitors will be requested to provide a cell phone number for contact and will be required to wait in their cars.

The only visitor exceptions are as follows:

  • Power of Attorney representatives
  • Patients nearing end of life may have 2 visitors
  • Children 16 years and younger may have 2 visitors

These restrictions will remain in place until further notice.

Franklin County Logo

Valenzuela Selected as Franklin Co. Emergency Services Director

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-Press Release, Franklin County Government

Franklin County Manager Kim Denton has named Hendrix Valenzuela as Emergency Services Director. Valenzuela will assume the position on December 14, 2020. Valenzuela comes to Franklin County from Cumberland County where he served as the County’s Emergency Management Program Coordinator.

Valenzuela’s public safety career began with the Fire Service where he served as a volunteer Fireman within his community as well as a Firefighter/EMT for the City of Burlington, NC and Town of Carrboro, NC. Valenzuela’s next role was serving as a Multi-Hazard Field Planner with North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) Eastern Branch Office.

Valenzuela served as a key staff member during disaster activations for Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. He received special recognition from the North Carolina General Assembly in January 2019 as a result of his personal rescue of a missing child in Craven County.

Valenzuela graduated from High Point University in High Point, North Carolina with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and he received a Master’s Degree in Disaster & Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama.

“The Franklin County Emergency Services Department provides essential services, and Mr. Valenzuela’s experience and enthusiasm will continue our commitment to delivering high-quality services and ensuring emergency preparations for our citizens,” Denton said.

For additional information, please contact Kim Denton, Franklin County Manager, at (919) 496-5994.

VGCC Graduates Second Class from Truck Driver Training Program, Prepares for a Third

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Vance-Granville Community College recently celebrated the graduation of the second class in the short history of its Truck Driver Training, or CDL, program.

The program includes a combination of classroom instruction, range driving and road driving. With the end of training, students have successfully completed their DOT exams, making them eligible for their “Class A” Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL-A) and fully employable as truck drivers.

Students in the second graduating class of the VGCC CDL program pose on the college campus.

Kyle Burwell, Director of Occupational Extension for VGCC, said that college officials were “thrilled” to see the 15-member second class of students complete the program. “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have to keep our enrollment numbers at a minimum, but even with pandemic delays, we still had 15 successful students,” Burwell said. “We continue to appreciate all of the efforts of our lead partner school, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, which provides the DOT examiner-certified instructors for the program.  To date, we have a 100% pass rate with our Truck Driver Training Program.”

One of the recent graduates, Antwoine Huntley of Durham, reflected that “the truck driver training program at Vance-Granville Community College was just simply excellent. I learned so much, and the instructors were wonderful and knowledgeable about everything we needed to know to help us be successful and get our CDL-A licenses.”

“I would recommend this program for recent high school graduates just starting out or those seeking a career change,” added graduate Leslie Starner of Franklinton. “It is an accredited school with knowledgeable, personable, seasoned educators who themselves have been long-distance truck drivers. There is such a range of resources from the instructors that can help prepare people for success, from start to finish. In addition, the tuition costs are much more reasonable than other private trucking schools in the area and across the region.”

VGCC is scheduled to offer another such nine-week class in early 2021, starting with a mandatory orientation session on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 10 a.m.

The program, certified by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI), is considered essential to meeting the needs of many companies who need drivers to move goods across the country. Local employers have shown strong support for VGCC’s program and have spoken to students about job opportunities.

To enroll in the program, students must be at least 18 years old, have a valid North Carolina driver’s license, and be able to read and speak English well enough to take instructions from highway signs, to converse with officials, and to complete the required reports.

For more information on the Truck Driver Training Program, please visit www.vgcc.edu/cdl/ or contact Kyle Burwell, Director of Occupational Extension, at 252-738-3276 or burwellk@vgcc.edu.

Youngsville Christmas 2020

Town of Youngsville Moves Forward With Annual Christmas Parade

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

The Town of Youngsville posted the following message via its Facebook page regarding the annual Christmas parade:

Dear Youngsville Residents:

The town board of commissioners would like to communicate its intention to move forward with its annual Christmas parade, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. this Saturday, December 5, 2020. We would also like to share we have consulted with the Franklin County Health Department and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and will incorporate a variety of COVID-19 mitigation measures into our parade operations plan.

While some have advised us to cancel our parade (including county and state health officials), we have received overwhelming support from the community to continue. Please know we do not take this decision lightly, and that we have carefully weighed many factors in our decision to proceed. The most overwhelming factors in our decision are the sheer number of individuals that wish us to move forward, and our confidence that residents will make responsible choices for themselves and their families.

Regarding responsible choices, we’d like to communicate to all those considering enjoying the parade this Saturday with us. First, if you or anyone in your household is at-risk and/or has any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, we encourage you to quarantine at home until your individual situation permits you to safely be in public. Second, if you will be attending the parade we encourage you to practice physical distancing, use hand sanitizer, wear a face covering, and adhere to all other public health best-practices. The town will also be posting signage along the parade route to remind everyone of these guidelines.

To those with continued reservations, we would like to share that – when using the standards established in our governor’s executive orders regarding the square-foot-per-person limits for retail stores – the “capacity” of our 18.2-acre parade route would be over five times the population of Youngsville. Thus, we’re confident that when parade-goers observe physical distancing and spread-out along the parade route (along with observing all other guidelines), we will have a safe and successful parade.

Additional information regarding the parade may be found by visiting the following website: tinyurl.com/youngsville-xmas

Thank you for making Youngsville the best place to live in North Carolina!

Yours truly in public service,

Mayor Flowers and the Youngsville Board of Commissioners