Vance Co. Animal Shelter to Participate in ‘Clear the Shelters’ Free Adoption Event

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-Information courtesy a press release from Capitol Broadcasting Company/WRAL-TV

WRAL-TV and MIX 101.5 WRAL-FM, in partnership with the Humane Society of the U.S., have teamed up with twelve local animal shelters to host Clear the Shelters, the fourth annual nationwide pet adoption drive.

This year, for the first time, the Vance County Animal Shelter will participate in this free adoption event on Saturday, August 18, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dogs, cats and even one rabbit will be available for adoption.

Each participating shelter will waive adoption fees as part of the nationwide NBCUniversal Clear the Shelters initiative for the day. A short application process will be required.

According to Vance County Animal Shelter Chief Frankie Nobles, all cats and dogs available for adoption will already be spayed or neutered, microchipped, dewormed and vaccinated.

Staff will be on-hand all day to help potential adopters select the right pet for their family and answer any questions.

“We are very excited to be able to participate this year,” said Nobles. “There are going to be a lot of animals adopted this weekend.”

In 2017, over 80,000 pets were adopted from 900 shelters across the country during the Clear the Shelters campaign. Locally, WRAL helped find homes for 1,195 pets.

In addition to the Vance County Animal Shelter, eleven other local animal shelters will participate in the Clear the Shelters event including: Animal Protection Society of Durham, Franklin County Animal Shelter, Harnett County Animal Shelter, Johnston County Animal Services, Orange County Animal Services, Paws4ever, Wake County Animal Center, SPCA of Wake County, Safe Haven for Cats, Wayne County Education and Animal Adoption Center and Cumberland County Animal Control.

Visit www.wral.com/lifestyles/pets/ to access more information about Clear the Shelters. A real-time pet “Adoption Tracker” will record the total number of pets that are adopted across all participating markets.

Also, tune in to WRAL-TV on Friday, August 24, 2018, at 7 p.m. for a 30-minute Clear the Shelters special featuring highlights from the national event, plus local pet adoption stories.

Franklin County Logo

Franklin Co. Finance Dept. Nationally Recognized for the Nineteenth Year

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Press Release, Franklin County

For nineteen years, Franklin County’s Finance Department has been recognized nationally for their excellence in financial reporting. Once again, the team has achieved the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. The Finance Department was recently notified by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) that its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report was awarded the Certificate of Achievement. The Certificate of Achievement is awarded by the GFOA of the United States and Canada for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). Attainment of the certificate of the achievement represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.

For additional information, contact Franklin County Finance at (919) 496-3182 or visit www.franklincountync.us. The Finance Office is staffed by Interim Director Chuck Murray, Lisa Medlin, Tracy Stevenson, Samantha Sanchez, Regina House and Heidi Braswell.

Franklin County Government is committed to effective and innovative public services for all Franklin County citizens and businesses.

VGCC Joins Achieving the Dream to Improve Student Success

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-Press Release, ATD Network and Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College today announced it has joined Achieving the Dream (ATD), a network of more than 220 colleges in 41 states dedicated to improving student success.

As an ATD Network institution, VGCC will innovate to implement, align, and scale cutting-edge reforms, work with ATD coaches to build institutional capacity and connect with peers to foster learning and share information, according to college and ATD officials.

“We are already making a difference in the lives of students,” said Dr. Levy Brown, Vance-Granville’s vice president of academic affairs. “Now as a college, it is time to take the next step in our work to improve student learning and success.” Dr. Brown is the leader of the college’s ATD Core Team.

Dr. Joanne Bashford, left, and Dr. Linda Hagedorn of Achieving the Dream make a presentation to Vance-Granville Community College’s administration, faculty and staff at the college’s fall convocation in the Civic Center on Main Campus. VGCC today announced it has joined the network of more than 220 colleges in 41 states dedicated to improving student success. (VGCC Photo)

“The strength of local and regional economies, our ability to rebuild the middle class, and the possibility that a new generation will achieve their goals depends on community colleges,” said Dr. Karen A. Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream. “Colleges that join the ATD Network show an exceptional commitment to becoming the kind of institution that will lead the nation into the future.”

“Achieving the Dream will serve to accelerate and advance Vance-Granville’s ongoing efforts to assist students in achieving their goals,” said Dr. Gordon Burns, VGCC’s interim president. “Participating in Achieving the Dream with its holistic approach to student success will result in Vance-Granville identifying college strengths, prioritizing areas needing improvement and systematically determining and implementing actions that will lead to greater numbers of students and graduates achieving their personal and career goals.”

ATD offers a capacity-building framework and companion self-assessment that allow colleges to pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement across seven institutional capacities in areas such as leadership and vision, teaching and learning, and data and technology.

With the capacity framework as a guide, ATD’s approach integrates and aligns existing college success efforts and offers valuable support in preparing for accreditation, fostering conversation about goals, and making bold, holistic institution-wide changes because initiatives that don’t reach most of a college’s student body have not shown strong results.

A team from Vance-Granville and teams from the other colleges joining ATD this year met in June to plan for the launch of their ATD work, which will initially focus on student learning and success.

Dr. Joanne Bashford and Dr. Linda Hagedorn were on VGCC’s Main Campus on Thursday and Friday to meet with the Core Team, administration, staff and faculty for Vance-Granville’s launch of the initiative. Dr. Bashford serves as a Higher Education Services Consultant and Leadership Coach for ATD. Her career in community colleges spans 25 years and includes serving as the President of Miami Dade College’s InterAmerican Campus, a diverse campus of 19,000 students located in historic Little Havana, until retiring in 2017. Dr. Hagedorn is Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, International Programs, Student Services, Diversity and Equity, and Community Program at Iowa State University and a data coach for ATD. As an Achieving the Dream Data Coach, Dr. Hagedorn has been consulting with community colleges since the initiative’s inception and is currently working with six community colleges.

ATD Network colleges report data using metrics that answer critical questions about who attends college, who succeeds in and after college and how college is financed. To advance goals of social mobility and equity, the metrics provide information on how low-income and other underserved students fare. These metrics are categorized into performance metrics, efficiency metrics and equity metrics at points during the student experience from access through post-college outcomes.

As colleges in the new cohort progress, they may apply to participate in initiatives supported by philanthropic funding and managed by ATD. These initiatives help incubate new ideas that help colleges refine practices based on evidence of what works and allow ATD to disseminate knowledge to the broader network and the field.  New initiatives address the challenge of engaging adjunct faculty more deeply as key members of colleges’ workforces and implementing degree programs using only open educational resources (OER).

Achieving the Dream, along with more than 100 experienced coaches and advisors, works closely with ATD Network colleges to reach more than 4 million community college students.

Davis-Royster Funeral Service Endows VGCC Scholarship

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Davis-Royster Funeral Service, Inc., of Henderson has endowed a new Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund scholarship to help area students pursue an education.

The Davis-Royster Funeral Service Academic Achievement Scholarship is named for the family-owned and operated funeral service that has been operating in Vance County since 1991. The company, founded by James H. Royster and owned by Mary Davis-Royster, provides a variety of funeral and memorial services and resources customized to meet the needs of families.

“We have demonstrated through our funeral business a commitment to service based on sensitivity and integrity,” said Mary Davis-Royster. “The people of our service area have been so supportive of us for nearly three decades. We want to give something back to these communities through this educational opportunity to show our appreciation.”

Members of the staff of Davis-Royster Funeral Service, Inc., celebrate their new scholarship with representatives from Vance-Granville Community College. From left are James H. Royster, founder of Davis-Royster Funeral Service; Mary Davis-Royster, owner; Paul Crews Jr., director’s assistant; Robert L. Wright II, funeral director; Dr. Stelfanie Williams, Vance-Granville’s president; the Rev. Richard Henderson, member of the VGCC Endowment Fund Board of Directors; and Eddie Ferguson, director of VGCC’s Endowment Fund. (Photo VGCC)

Through the new scholarship, preference will be given to students enrolled for nine credit hours or more in the Business Administration curriculum program at Vance-Granville. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 will be required.

“The leaders of tomorrow for our community are turning to Vance-Granville today and will be doing so for years to come to secure the education and skills training they need to run area businesses. Our scholarship will serve as an encouragement and a valuable means of support,” Mrs. Davis-Royster added.

Mrs. Davis-Royster also serves as the licensed mortician for the company, and Mr. Royster is the funeral service assistant. Also leading the staff are Paul Crews, Jr., who is the director’s assistant, and Robert L. Wright II, licensed funeral director and embalmer.

“We are appreciative of the extended Davis-Royster Funeral Service family for their support of Vance-Granville’s students,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president. “Their gift today will be meeting the needs of future business leaders for generations to come.”

Eddie Ferguson, the director of the VGCC Endowment Fund, added, “The funeral service has chosen a meaningful way to honor their legacy of decades of service to the community. We are proud they have chosen to partner with us to help our students succeed.”

The new scholarship will add to the more than 9,000 scholarships that have been awarded to students since 1982, funded by interest earned on the Endowment Fund and Scholarship Program. Scholarships have been established by individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff to assist deserving students. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business, industry or organization with a lasting gift to education. In the Fall of 2017, Vance-Granville awarded scholarships to 306 students.

For more information, the Office of the Endowment can be reached by calling Endowment Specialist Kay Currin at (252) 738-3409.

Franklin County Logo

Untreated Wastewater Enters Richland Creek in Franklin Co.

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-Press Release, Franklin County Public Utilities

Notification of Discharge of Untreated Wastewater

General Statute 143-215.1C requires that the owner or operator of any wastewater collection or treatment works to issue a press release when an untreated wastewater discharge of 1,000 gallons or more reaches surface waters.

In accordance with that regulation, the following news release has been prepared and issued to media in the affected county: Franklin

Franklin County Public Utilities experienced a discharge of untreated wastewater from the pump station on Holden Road in Youngsville. The spill was a result of an electrical control malfunction. The spill occurred at 7:35 p.m. on August 7, 2018, and discharged until 11:50 p.m. The discharge of wastewater was estimated to be 5,025 gallons and it entered into Richland Creek which is a tributary of the Neuse River Basin. Franklin County Public Utilities staff was dispatched to the site and contact sewer hauling companies to pump out the pump station to begin the repair of the pump station.

The division of Water Quality was notified of this event on August 8, 2018, and is reviewing the matter. For additional information concerning this event, please contact Chris Doherty, Franklin County Public Utilities Director at (919) 556-6711. Additional information can be obtained by visiting Franklin County’s website at www.franklincountync.us and our Facebook Page, search Franklin County Public Utilities.

Franklin County Government is committed to effective and innovative public services for all Franklin County citizens and businesses.

Dunlow Honored by Guardian ad Litem Program for 9th Judicial District

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-Information courtesy Melanie Griggs, program supervisor for Guardian ad Litem 

Attorney John Dunlow was honored by the Guardian ad Litem program for the 9th Judicial District which includes Granville, Franklin, Person, Vance and Warren Counties on August 7, 2018.

At the lunch event attended by his peers, District 9 Guardians and GAL staff, Mr. Dunlow was recognized for faithfully serving as the GAL Attorney Advocate in Granville County for over twenty years.

Mary Jo Van Horne, GAL District Supervisor, shared a message from North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper commending Mr. Dunlow:

Attorney John Dunlow was honored by the Guardian ad Litem program for the 9th Judicial District at a lunch event on August 7, 2018.

“On behalf of the State of North Carolina, it is a pleasure to congratulate you on your 20th anniversary of service as attorney advocate to the Guardian ad Litem Program of Judicial District 9.   This is certainly a special occasion, and I know that the entire community appreciates your many contributions over the years.

I join your family, friends and colleagues in wishing you an outstanding anniversary celebration.  You have my best wishes for continued success and happiness in all your future endeavors.”

A commendation for Attorney Advocate Longevity from Cindy Bizzell, North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Administrator, was also presented to Mr. Dunlow.

The Guardian ad Litem program’s mission is to provide trained independent advocates to represent and promote the best interests of abused, neglected and dependent children in the state court system and to work expediently toward a plan that ensures these children are in a safe, permanent home. For more information about joining this crucial organization, visit  www.volunteerforgal.org.

Yarborough Sentenced to Life Without Parole for First Degree Murder

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-Press Release, Office of District Attorney Mike Waters

The session of Franklin County Criminal Superior Trial Court which began on July 9, 2018, concluded this week. Superior Court Judge David Lambeth presided over the four-week-long session. The State of North Carolina was represented by District Attorney Mike Waters and Assistant District Attorney Allison Capps.

The session was devoted to the First Degree Murder trial of Garry A. Yarborough, who was charged with First Degree Murder, Possession of Firearm by Felon, First Degree Kidnapping, Breaking and/or Entering, Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury, Assault With a Deadly Weapon Intent to Kill, Discharging Weapon into an Occupied Dwelling/Moving Vehicle, and Attempted First Degree Murder. Mr. Yarborough shot the victim, Tracy Williams, in the Food Lion parking lot in Franklinton, on July 26, 2015. After shooting and killing Ms. Williams, Mr. Yarborough fled to a nearby residence where he forced his way in, assaulted the resident, Kim Elmore, and demanded medical treatment. Mr. Yarborough tried to force Ms. Elmore to leave her residence with him. Fortunately, Ms. Elmore was able to lock Mr. Yarborough outside her residence, at which point Mr. Yarborough shot into her home before fleeing.

A Franklin County jury deliberated approximately three hours before returning guilty verdicts on all counts. Judge Lambeth sentenced Mr. Yarborough to life in prison without parole for the First Degree Murder conviction, plus 40 years for the other offenses.

This matter was investigated by the Franklinton Police Department and the Franklin County Sheriffs Office.

U.S. Department of Justice

‘Operation Nor’easter’ Nets 13 Defendants

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that “Operation Nor’easter,” a heroin and opioid centered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation headed up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation resulted in the indictment of twelve (12) defendants for outstanding federal charges in a coordinated warrant enforcement operation. In addition, several defendants related to this operation were found to be in the custody of the State of North Carolina. Federal detainers have been filed against those subjects.

This operation was conducted as part of the Eastern District’s Take Back North Carolina Initiative designed to focus federal resources on the alarming level of opioid use and the deaths associated with it. This initiative is bringing the full weight of the federal court system in the fight against crime in Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrell, and Gates Counties in partnership with District Attorneys’ Offices and federal, state, and local law enforcement.

The following individuals were charged by way of Criminal Indictment. The individual charges for each defendant are contained in the parenthesis following the personal information.

• Rasheen Jerome Arnold 24, of Edenton, NC (Felon in Possession of Firearm; Possession of Stolen Firearm)

• Alvin Johnson, 41, Pasquotank County, NC, (Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base) (crack)

• Samuel Rawlins, 39, Elizabeth City, NC, (Possession of Firearm by Felon)

• Devon Lee, 36, Perquimans County, NC, (Conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine)

• Willie Person, 54, Grandy, NC, (Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base) (crack)

• Glenn Mitchell, 49, Edenton, NC, (Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin)

• Clarence Chestnutt, 40, Hertford, NC, (Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine)

• John James Taylor, 37, Elizabeth City, NC, (Possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and heroin; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm by felon)

• Nathan Lamonte Silver, 44, Elizabeth City, NC, (Hobbs Act robbery)

• Mykel Levant Davis, 37, Elizabeth City, NC, (Possession of firearm by felon)

• Marvin Johnson, 41, Elizabeth City, NC, (Possession with the intent to distribute heroin)

• Ross Domina Spruill, 33, Dare County, NC, (Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base) (crack)

The charges and allegations contained in the Indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The cases are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation along the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, (ATF), the United States Marshal Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office, Chowan County Sheriff’s Office, Elizabeth City Police Department, Edenton Police Department, Perquimans County Sheriff’s Office, Camden County Sheriff’s Office, Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, Dare County Sheriff’s Office, Tyrell County Sheriff’s Office, Gates County Sheriff’s Office, Manteo Police Department, North Carolina First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Probation Office.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on twitter: @USAO_EDNC

McKnight Arrested on 19 Felony Drug-Related Charges

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-Press Release, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Terry M. Wright – Chief of Staff

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit arrested Franklin County resident, Gregory Bruce McKnight on August 1, 2018, for a variety of drug-related offenses.

This investigation into illegal narcotics trafficking began as a result of citizen complaints and concluded with a total of 19 felony drug charges against Mr. Mcknight. Greg McKnight was charged with: Four (4) counts of Trafficking Heroin, Three (3) counts of Sell and Deliver Heroin, Three (3) Counts of Possess with the Intent to Sell and Deliver Heroin, Three (3) Counts of Sell Cocaine, Three (3) counts of Possess with the intent to Sell and Deliver Cocaine, One (1) count of Deliver Cocaine, One (1) Count of Sell Marijuana and One (1) Count of Possess with the intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit arrested Franklin County resident, Gregory Bruce McKnight on August 1, 2018. McKnight was charged with a total of 19 felony drug charges.

Sheriff Kent Winstead stated, “Our continued efforts to address illegal drug sales and the crimes associated with drug activity, continues to be a priority within the Sheriff’s Office. Our Narcotics Unit continues to diligently pursue those individuals who choose to poison our community with these illegal narcotics. Thank you to the citizens who continue to report these individuals that plaque our neighborhoods with their illegal drug activity.”

Gregory B. McKnight is currently being held in the Franklin County Detention Center under a $500,000 secured bond.

Gregory B. McKnight – 107 Middle Street Louisburg, NC 27549 DOB: 10/12/1987

For more information regarding this investigation, or to provide information regarding drug activity in your community, please contact Sgt. Ken Pike at (919) 340-3432.

U.S. Department of Justice

Federal Court Awards Nearly $3 Million in Damages for N.C. Medicaid Fraud

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced today that a federal court awarded a nearly $3 million judgment against Compassionate Home Care Services, Inc., Carol Anders, and Ryan Santiago for their participation in a fraud on the North Carolina Medicaid program in violation of the federal and North Carolina False Claims Acts.

The evidence at trial showed that between 2008 and 2013, Compassionate Home Care Services, Inc. billed the North Carolina Medicaid program $585,082.73 in fraudulent claims, including not only claims for services provided in violation of Medicaid policies but also claims for services that were never provided at all. Anders ran the company and was responsible for the false billings. Worse, when the government began investigating, Anders and her son, Santiago, falsified hundreds of documents in an effort to conceal the fraud.

The federal and North Carolina False Claims Acts mandate that the government recover three times the damages caused by the fraud, plus civil penalties for every false or fraudulent claim. Applying those provisions and other applicable law, Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III awarded the government a judgment of $2,921,248.19.

Before the trial, Chief Judge Dever found that the defendants were liable for their participation in the scheme, concluding that the defendants “knowingly billed for services not rendered, knowingly billed for certain services provided to patients by unlicensed, non-certified aides, and knowingly billed for services provided to patients by close family members.” Chief Judge Dever also found that the defendants “falsified documents to conceal their obligation to repay the government and used false documents to support false claims previously submitted.”

“These defendants,” U.S. Attorney Higdon stated, “defrauded taxpayers of this State and this Country out of more than $500,000. They bilked a Medicaid program that is designed to protect children, the elderly, and the poor.” Mr. Higdon warned that “we will not tolerate providers who seek to fill their coffers with funds allotted to help people in need. We will not allow providers to undermine the solvency of our government programs to satiate their greed. We will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to aggressively pursue health care fraud, and to recover the taxpayer dollars lost to it.”

“When North Carolina’s taxpayers pay into the Medicaid program, they expect that money to be used correctly for people’s health care,” said North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein. “Instead, these defendants defrauded taxpayers by charging for services that were not provided. My office takes Medicaid fraud seriously, and we will continue to fight against misuse and waste.”

The investigation of this case was conducted by Financial Investigators and sworn agents of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation assigned to the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and Special Agents with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Department provided substantial assistance in the investigation. The investigation and prosecution of this matter were handled in a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office. Special Deputy Attorney General Stacy Race and Assistant Attorney General Lareena Phillips, both of whom also serve as Special Assistant United States Attorneys, and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Anderson, represented the United States of America and the State of North Carolina in this case.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s webpage at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_EDNC