Maria Parham Franklin Celebrates Newly Expanded Behavioral Health Facility

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-Press Release, Maria Parham Health

Maria Parham Health, part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Thursday, February 20, 2020, to celebrate its newly expanded behavioral health facility at Maria Parham Franklin. Representatives from the hospital and Duke LifePoint Healthcare joined community leaders, elected officials, health care providers and other supporters to celebrate the completion of the project.

“This project has been a true partnership since the beginning, and I am grateful for our many partners – including Duke LifePoint Healthcare, as well as local, state and non-profit organizations for contributing their time and resources to expanding services at Maria Parham Franklin,” said Bert Beard, chief executive officer (CEO) of Maria Parham Health. “Since opening our doors, this facility has provided care to thousands of patients, and we are so honored to continue serving the health needs of this community.”

Since October 2018, the hospital has operated its Maria Parham Franklin location, which provides 24/7 emergency care, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services and a 13-bed inpatient geriatric behavioral health unit for adults 55 years and older. Spanning 14,900 square feet, the new 20-bed adult behavioral health unit adjoins the current facility and will serve patients 18 years and older.

“As Franklin County continues to advance and grow, a strong foundation for healthcare is critical for our long-term success,” said Sidney E. Dunston, Franklin County commissioner and chairman of the Commissioner’s Hospital Committee. “We are proud to be restoring critically needed healthcare services back to our community, while also adding new jobs and opportunities for growth.”

The expansion project cost for construction and equipment totaled more than $10 million. With both phases of the Maria Parham Franklin project now complete, the capital investment totals more than $16 million and was made possible by Duke LifePoint Healthcare, The Dorothea Dix Hospital Property Fund, The Golden Leaf Foundation and the North Carolina Department of Commerce through the North Carolina Community Development Block Grant.

“Access to high-quality behavioral health services is a growing need for communities across our nation, and Duke LifePoint Healthcare is proud to have been a part of restoring these essential health services to this region,” said Harry Phillips, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Duke LifePoint Healthcare. “This project underscores our commitment to engage patients and people, lead quality innovation and advance knowledge to improve health in the communities we serve.”

FCSO: Vehicle Stop Leads to Drug Arrest of Elm City Man

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-Press Release, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office

On March 5, 2020, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Group arrested and charged Barrett Tyler Powell, of Elm City, NC, with multiple drug offenses.

The arrest was the result of a vehicle stop conducted by the Community Action Team (CAT) where felony amounts of marijuana and THC Isolates were found. Information gathered during the arrest led law enforcement officers to a storage unit in Wilson, NC, where US Currency and additional THC Isolates were discovered.

On March 5, 2020, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Group arrested and charged Barrett Tyler Powell, of Elm City, NC, with multiple drug offenses. (FCSO photo)

Sheriff Kent Winstead stated, “Our drug enforcement initiatives continue to be focused on finding and arresting individuals that choose to push illegal drugs in our communities. We are thankful to our partners outside of Franklin County who assisted us in this case.” 

The Franklin County Special Operations Group was assisted in this investigation by the Wilson Police Department, Nash County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected. 

Barrett Tyler Powell was placed in the Franklin County Detention Center under a $60,000 secured bond. 

Barrett Tyler Powell, age 28, 5145 Overbrook DriveElm City, NC 27822 

Charges: Felony Possession of Marijuana Possess with the Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana, Felony Possession of THC Isolate, Maintain a Vehicle for the purpose of Selling a Controlled Substance. 

For more information concerning this investigation or to report drug activity in your neighborhood, please contact Sgt. Ken Pike at (919) 496-2186.

VGCC Succeeds By Going ‘All-In’ for CDL

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The new Truck Driver Training class that began at Vance-Granville Community College in early February 2020 is full to capacity, with demand even greater than the college could accommodate. That is due not only to the growing need for qualified commercial truck drivers with a Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL) but also to a highly successful enrollment marketing campaign.

Above: Students listen during the classroom instruction portion of VGCC’s CDL/Truck Driver Training program. (VGCC photo)

A team of VGCC staff from numerous departments collaborated in creative ways to design, coordinate and implement several strategies, ranging from the traditional — signs placed in the ground around the community, a press release and print advertising — to the more high-tech social media and video advertising.

“This success demonstrates the power of partnership – including not only our own VGCC professionals but also employers in the community and workforce development partners,” said VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. “We went ‘all-in.’ Our students and our community will benefit from this new program, along with all the other valuable education and training programs that we continue to provide.”

Students started the process of completing the CDL credential by attending an orientation session on Jan. 23. Lead instructor Roger Chester gave the students information on the requirements of the nine-week program. Meanwhile, to connect the training to careers, seven local employers set up information tables. “They took the time to speak with students about employment prospects in CDL and trucking at their respective locations,” said VGCC Director of Occupational Extension Kyle Burwell.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for qualified commercial truck drivers is expected to grow by 21 percent through 2020, and trucking companies actively seek quality student drivers right out of programs like this one. “The logistics experts estimate a national shortage of over 50,000 drivers,” added Ronald Bennett, Director of Transportation for Variety Wholesalers, Inc., located in VGCC’s service area. “Variety Wholesalers, as well as other area businesses, will certainly benefit from this program.”

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will have the opportunity to be employed by commercial trucking companies, become an owner-operator, or take advantage of local jobs. This Truck Driver Training program is certified by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI). VGCC offers the program in collaboration with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, a sister institution of the N.C. Community College System.

“Our Truck Driver Training program is an excellent example of how North Carolina community colleges connect students to fulfilling careers and provide a pipeline of qualified talent to employers,” said Jerry Edmonds, VGCC’s vice president of workforce and community engagement. “We’re responding to the region’s economic needs and providing easy access to low-cost, high-quality job training.”

The college plans to offer a second class starting in August.

For more information about enrolling in the Truck Driver Training program in the future, contact Kyle Burwell at burwellk@vgcc.edu or 252-738-3276, or Gina Brewer at brewerg@vgcc.edu or 252-738-3324.

U.S. Department of Justice

Heroin, Firearm Convictions Get Jackson 13+ Years In Federal Prison

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced MICHAEL JERMAINE JACKSON, 35, of Spring Hope to 160 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.

JACKSON was named in a four-count Indictment filed on April 4, 2019, charging him with possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base (crack), cocaine, marijuana and CBD Oil UK, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of distributing a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On October 15, 2019, JACKSON pled guilty to that charge.

According to the investigation, in September 2018, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of JACKSON. A confidential informant provided information that JACKSON was selling narcotics, including heroin, from his residence on Wiley Road in Spring Hope, North Carolina.

After a series of controlled purchases of heroin and crack cocaine from JACKSON at his residence, FCSO executed a search warrant of JACKSON’S residence where they found quantities of heroin containing fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, drug distribution paraphernalia, a firearm and ammunition. JACKSON had just been released from a state prison sentence six months prior to the execution of the search warrant.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

The investigation of this matter was conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case for the government.

VGCC Logo

VGCC Offering Free Entrepreneurship Training Retreat

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center, in partnership with the Economic Development Commissions and Chambers of Commerce of Franklin, Granville, Vance & Warren counties, is offering a FREE all-day entrepreneurship training retreat entitled “Fostering An Entrepreneurial Mindset: The Entrepreneur in Us All” on Thursday, March 12, 2020.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Granville County Expo Center located at 4185 US-15 in Oxford.

 This session features the well-known Ice House Entrepreneurship Training program based on the book “Who Owns the Ice House? Eight Life Lessons From An Unlikely Entrepreneur.” Inspired by the life story of Pulitzer nominee Clifton Taulbert and the life-changing influence of an unlikely entrepreneur, the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program is an experiential, problem-based learning program that immerses attendees in experiences that develop entrepreneurial skills and mindsets.  They will learn to:

  • Identify and Evaluate Opportunities That Others Overlook
  • Embrace an Entrepreneurial Mindset as a Life-Skill
  • Identify and Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs
  • Take Imperfect Action to Test an Idea
  • Map Out an Opportunity Canvas and Share It
  • Interact With Local Entrepreneurs and Business Counselors

Local successful entrepreneurs will speak to the group during the lunch break to share some things about their personal stories and local chamber and economic development directors will be on hand to observe and talk with attendees as well.

Morning coffee, snacks and lunch will be provided and each participant will receive a copy of the “Who Owns the Ice House” book. To register, go to https://www.vgcc.edu/coned/small-business-center/#schedules and click on the class title.

This project received support through a grant from NC IDEA.

H-V Chamber Logo

H-V Chamber of Commerce Releases Agenda for Regional Economic Dev. Summit

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-Information courtesy The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce

The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce has released the agenda for Focus 20/20, the Regional Economic Development Summit to be held at the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in Henderson on Thursday, February 20, 2020. The summit kicks off at 9:30 a.m.

Agenda:

8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Networking and Registration

9:30 – 9:45 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks

Diane Cox, Executive Director, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments
Gordon Wilder, Chairman, Vance County Board of Commissioners
Eddie Ellington, Mayor, City of Henderson
Benny Finch, Board Chairman, Henderson Vance Downtown Development Commission
John Wester, Embassy Cultural Center Foundation

9:45 – 11 a.m. Opening Act: Setting the Stage – Hear about the condition of today’s economy and how our region compares to the country and the state. Learn how investment in vital infrastructure is key to creating good jobs and promoting full economic development.

Facilitator: Richie Duncan, Economic Development Director, Franklin County

Speakers:
Dr. Michael Walden, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist at North Carolina State University

Jennifer Lantz, Executive Director, Wilson Economic Development Council

Hillary Sherman, NC Economic Development Representative, US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration

11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Second Act: Advancing Entrepreneurship – Supporting an entrepreneurial ecosystem is a critical building block for community and economic development. Learn about advancing entrepreneurship to encourage the development of new and innovative businesses that support a resilient economy.

Facilitator: Stacy Woodhouse, Economic Development Director, Warren County

Speaker: Thom Ruhe, President & CEO, NC IDEA

12 – 1 p.m. Lunch/Invocation

Harry Mills, Economic Development Director, Granville County

1 – 1:15 p.m. Introduction: Jordan McMillen, County Manager, Vance County
Remarks from North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Anthony M. (Tony) Copeland

1:15 – 2:30 p.m. Third Act: Developing Talented and Innovative People – Retaining, retraining, and retooling our citizens to prepare them for the jobs of the future is of utmost importance. Connecting top talent with quickly changing business needs will further change the workforce landscape as responsiveness and adaptability become paramount. Hear about innovative workforce initiatives that are preparing our workforce.

Facilitator: Sherry Wilborn, Economic Development Director, Person County

Speakers:
Dr. Jenni Harris, Executive Director of Business Services,
North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Solutions

Dawn Michelle Tucker, Dean of Continuing Education and College & Career Readiness, Vance-Granville Community College

Dr. Pamela G. Senegal, President, Piedmont Community College

Judy Bradsher, M.Ed., Director, CTE Programs/GEAR UP Liaison, Person County Schools

Rhonda L. High, Customized Training Director, Halifax Community College

2:30 – 4 p.m. Final Act: 13 Ways to Kill Your Community – Author and former politician Doug Griffiths provides a revelatory and insightful look at the often universal challenges that limit community success and how to overcome them.

Introduction: Walter Gardner, Board Officer, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments

Keynote Speaker:
Doug Griffiths, President and CEO, 13 Ways, Inc.

Closing Remarks:
Dennis Jarvis II, Economic Development Director, Vance County

Event Sponsored by:
Franklin County Committee of 100, Henderson-Vance Industrial Park, Tommy and Jenny Hester and Region K Community Assistance Corporation.

Lunch Sponsored by:
Franklin County Economic Development Commission, Granville County Economic Development Commission, Henderson-Vance County Economic Development Commission, Person County Economic Development Commission and
Warren County Economic Development Commission.

‘One Noble Journey’ to Pay Tribute to Black History Month at McGregor Hall

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-Information courtesy McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center

In celebration of Black History Month, McGregor Hall will feature “One Noble Journey: A Black History Month Tribute” on Tuesday, February 18, 2020. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m.

ONE NOBLE JOURNEY is a moving play telling the story of Henry “Box” Brown, an African American born into slavery in Louisa, Virginia. Henry devised an ingenious escape plan — sealing himself in a wooden box for shipment to friends and freedom in Philadelphia.

Tickets for this event may be purchased by:

DROP-IN: 201 Breckenridge Street, Henderson, N.C. Monday – Friday 1:30 – 5:30 p.m

CALL: (252) 598-0662 (M-F 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.)

CLICK HERE: www.McGregorHall.org  (Use the eTix official site, online fees apply)

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Reminder: Focus 20/20 Regional Economic Development Summit – Feb. 20

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-Press Release, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments

The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments announces Focus 20/20, a Regional Economic Development Summit to be held at the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in Henderson on February 20, 2020. The summit kicks off at
9:30 a.m.

Keynote speaker for the event is Doug Griffiths, author of the bestselling book, 13 Ways to Kill Your Community. Doug works with communities across the US and Canada to identify and overcome challenges that prohibit their ability to become thriving, sustainable, and desirable.

UPDATE: We are pleased to announce that NC Department of Commerce Secretary Anthony Copeland will also be making remarks at the Summit.

Other featured speakers for the Summit include:

● Dr. Michael Walden, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist at North Carolina State University
● Hillary Sherman, NC Economic Development Representative, US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration
● Thom Ruhe, President & CEO, NC IDEA
● Jennifer Lantz, Executive Director, Wilson Economic Development Council
● Dr. Jenni Harris, Executive Director of Business Services, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Solutions
● Dawn Michelle Tucker, Dean of Continuing Education and College & Career Readiness, Vance Granville Community College
● Dr. Pamela G. Senegal, President, Piedmont Community College
● Judy Bradsher, M.Ed., Director, CTE Programs/GEAR UP Liaison, Person County Schools
● Rhonda L. High, Customized Training Director, Halifax Community College

“This Summit is a timely and relevant event for citizens who seek to learn more about the advantages and challenges of preparing their communities for economic development success. It will provide best practices and examples that can be applied locally.” -Diane Cox, Executive Director, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.

Summit presentations will focus on the following:
● Setting the Stage for Economic Development in Your Community
● Advancing Entrepreneurship
● Talent Development-Best Practice Workforce Initiatives
● 13 Ways to Kill Your Community – Lessons on what really makes the difference between a prospering community and a failing one.

U.S. Department of Justice

Kittrell Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years on Drug, Gun Charges

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced PRESTON OBRYAN MILES, 35, of Kittrell to 78 months’ imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

MILES was named in a two-count Indictment on July 10, 2019, charging him with possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On November 1, 2019, he pled guilty to the Indictment.

According to the investigation, on Saturday, July 21, 2018, a Franklinton Police Department officer was on patrol near NC 56 in Franklinton, North Carolina, when he saw a black Toyota Camry with heavily tinted windows. As he began following the Camry, he could smell marijuana, and he noticed that the smell diminished when he switched lanes away from the car. The officer ran the tag and also found that the registered owner had an expired license.

The officer initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, who was identified as MILES. The smell of marijuana was strong, and the officer spotted several partially smoked marijuana cigarettes inside the car. Backup arrived and officers searched the car. They noticed that the carpet liner in the trunk was not attached on the edges. In the space between the carpet liner and the frame of the car, officers found a plastic bag containing a cardboard box, which itself contained two bricks of heroin—approximately 100 single-dose bags. The box also contained two loose bindles of 10 bags each, a plastic baggie of approximately 3 grams of raw heroin, and tools of the drug trade, including a wooden stamp with a Mercedes symbol, a bag of small rubber bands, and scotch tape. Further back between the carpet liner and side of the car, officers found a black FN 5.7x28mm pistol.

Officers later reviewed communications from jail, in which MILES, in discussing his car, directed a woman to get items out of “the head” and stated that “I got a brick in the head.”  On July 26, 2018, law enforcement obtained a search warrant to re-search the car. They found a digital scale hidden in a hole in the bottom of the passenger seat headrest, and behind the scale, they found a brick of heroin and a plastic bag of cocaine. Using a camera to search deeper into the area between the carper liner and the passenger side of the car, officers located a second handgun, a Smith & Wesson revolver.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

That effort has been implemented through the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices in those communities on a sustained basis to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

The Franklinton Police Department, State Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Pugh represented the government.

Strickland Charged With 27 Counts of Exploiting Elderly Relative

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-Press Release, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office

On June 6, 2019, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office received a tip regarding a female elderly person being exploited for financial gain by a relative of the victim. After an extensive in-depth investigation by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, Kevin Anthony Strickland was charged with 27 counts of Exploit Disabled/Elder Trust. 

Kevin Anthony Strickland (FCSO photo)

Kevin Anthony Strickland was located in Tennessee and was extradited to Franklin County where he was formally charged and received a secured bond of $350,000.

This matter remains under investigation and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone should have any additional information pertaining to this investigation, please call Detective Ashley Camp at 919-340-4312. 

Kevin Anthony Strickland, 45-years-old

3140 Bennett Road

Cookeville, TN 38506