Thomas Arrested on 52 Felony Drug Violations; Million Dollar Bond Set

-Press Release, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office

On February 6, 2019, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit, Special Response Team, Community Action Team and agents with North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE), arrested Vance County resident, Jhi’Tay Thomas, on 52 Felony drug violations.

This investigation began when the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit received information that Jhi’Tay Thomas was involved in the illegal distribution of controlled substances throughout Franklin and surrounding counties.

Drug Unit Detectives and ALE Agents began what resulted in a two-month investigation in which the allegations were confirmed. During the investigation, Thomas brought and sold Marijuana and Ecstasy (MDMA) on numerous occasions. The investigation and arrest resulted in 675 Ecstasy Pills and 80 grams of Marijuana being seized. The street value of these drugs totaled $18,465.

On February 6, 2019, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit, Special Response Team, Community Action Team and agents with North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE), arrested Vance County resident, Jhi’Tay Thomas, on 52 Felony drug violations. (Photo: FCSO)

Sheriff Kent Winstead stated, “This investigation was extremely important because the intended recipient of Ecstasy Pills is often teenagers. Removing these pills and those who sell them off our streets will make our communities safer. The partnerships and teamwork exhibited during these types of operations continue to provide positive results for our County.”

In addition to ALE, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit was assisted in this investigation by the Louisburg Police Department, Henderson Police Department and the North Carolina National Guard Counter Drug Task Force.

Jhi’Tay Thomas

1840 Farm Street

Henderson, NC 27536

DOB: 03/11/1998

Jhi’Tay Thomas was issued a citation on the following:

  • Flee to Elude
  • Misdemeanor Driving While License Revoke
  • Left of Center

Jhi’Tay Thomas was charged with the following:

  • Trafficking by Possession of MDMA (4 Counts)
  • Trafficking by Transportation of MDMA (4 Counts)
  • Trafficking by Delivery of MDMA (1 Count)
  • Trafficking by Selling MDMA (3 Counts)
  • Conspire to Traffic MDMA (2 Counts)
  • Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana (8 Counts)
  • Sell and Deliver Marijuana (8 Counts)
  • Maintain a Dwelling/Vehicle for the purpose of Selling Controlled Substances (10 Counts)
  • Sell and Deliver MDMA (5 Counts)
  • Possess with Intent to Sell and Deliver MDMA (5 Counts)
  • Conspire to Sell and Deliver MDMA (2 Counts)
  • Jhi’Tay Thomas is currently being held in the Franklin County Jail on $1,080,000 secured bond.

For more information regarding this investigation, or to provide information regarding drug activity in your community, please contact Sergeant Ken Pike at (919) 496-2186.

Cash Charged With Nine Counts of Exploiting a Minor

-Press Release, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office

On February 7, 2019, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division arrested Jason Hoyt Cash, a Franklin County resident.

Jason Hoyt Cash was charged with the following: nine (9) counts of Second-Degree Exploitation of a Minor.

Charges stemmed from an extensive investigation conducted by Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations Computer Crimes Division.

On February 7, 2019, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division arrested Jason Hoyt Cash, a Franklin County resident, on nine (9) counts of Second-Degree Exploitation of a Minor. (Photo courtesy FCSO)

On February 7, 2019, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Computer Crimes Division executed a search warrant at Mr. Cash’s residence.

Upon completion of the search warrant, Mr. Cash was arrested at his residence without incident.

Jason Hoyt Cash was given a $400,000 secured bond and is currently being held in the Franklin County Detention Center.

Jason Hoyt Cash – 6590 US-401 North, Henderson, NC 27537

 

Maria Parham Health Announces Ribbon Cutting for Multispecialty Clinic

-Information courtesy Maria Parham Health’s Facebook page

You are cordially invited to join the leadership team at Maria Parham Health as we celebrate the recent opening of the new Maria Parham Multispecialty Clinic in Louisburg.

Please join Maria Parham for a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by tours of the new clinic on Thursday, February 28, 2019, from 4:30 – 7 p.m. The multispecialty clinic is located at 1501 N. Bickett Blvd, Suite E., in Louisburg.

For more information, visit www.mariaparhamfranklin.com

NC Coop Extension

Successful Small Farms Conference to Feature Seed Exchange, Informational Sessions

-Information courtesy NC Cooperative Extension

The popular regional Successful Small Farms Opportunities conference will be held at the Louisburg College campus in Louisburg on Saturday, February 16, 2019, from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Topics include the new farm bill and how it affects small farmers; blueberry production and marketing; high-tunnel greenhouses; Industrial Hemp: regulations and growers panel; agritourism opportunities on your farm and farm liability, small farm enterprise budgets; developing a farm commercial kitchen and more.

In addition, there will be a free seed exchange again this year for participants. There will be a small fee to participate in the conference.

To register for the conference and for more information, please call the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Office at 919-496-3344 or email martha_mobley@ncsu.edu for program details.

Visit our website, https://franklin.ces.ncsu.edu/ for additional information.

Terry Garrison

Rep. Terry E. Garrison Co-Sponsors Bill to Expand Medicaid in NC

-Information courtesy Rep. Terry E. Garrison, District 32, NC General Assembly

Yesterday, Representative Terry E. Garrison co-sponsored House Bill 5 (HB 5), a proposal to expand Medicaid in North Carolina and increase access to affordable health care for more than 500,000 North Carolinians, including approximately 1748 in Vance County; 759 in Warren County; and 1,672 in Granville County alone.

“I am proud to co-sponsor HB 5 which would expand Medicaid and increase health care coverage for families combined across District 32. This bill would help more than 4179 families in District 32 gain access to coverage, but the full effects would be felt by our entire community. North Carolinians shouldn’t be forced to put the health of themselves and their families on the back burner because they can’t afford insurance. We can and should ease that burden this year,” said Representative Garrison.

By introducing a bill to expand Medicaid as the first bill of the 2019 legislative session, state Democrats are signaling their number one priority is helping working families. In addition to making health care more affordable for hundreds of thousands of our people, this proposal would boost our economy and create jobs. According to an analysis prepared by the Center for Health Policy Research at George Washington University, if Medicaid expansion had occurred by 2016, then its impact by 2020 would have been:

• Created 86 jobs in Vance County; 24 jobs in Warren County; 80 jobs in Granville County
• Created $79.9 million in new business activity for Vance County; $11.6 million in new business activity for Warren County; and $87 million in new business activity for Granville County.
• Created $52.1 million in new county revenue for Vance County; $7.1 million in new county revenue for Warren County; and $49.7 million in new county revenue for Granville County.

According to state estimates, expanding Medicaid will overwhelmingly be paid for by the federal government. Any remaining costs would be funded by a small assessment on hospitals and other health care providers.

“Expanding Medicaid is good for our people, good for our economy, and good for our Rural Veteran families or those struggling with addiction, and I look forward to speaking with people across my district about why this is such a critical step we must take together,” Representative Garrison concluded.

Rural North Carolina has the most to gain from Medicaid expansion. Rural hospitals are struggling. Since 2010, five rural hospitals in North Carolina have closed and two have lost critical services like maternity and labor wards. But rural hospitals located in states that have expanded Medicaid are 84% less likely to close. Expanding Medicaid will keep the doors open on rural hospitals, providing vital health care to our communities.

Maria Parham Health Opens Multispecialty Clinic in Louisburg

– Press Release, Maria Parham Health 

Maria Parham Health has opened a new multispecialty physicians clinic in Louisburg to provide more access to medical care for the residents of Franklin County and the surrounding communities. Maria Parham Multispecialty Clinic provides a rotation of specialty care that currently includes primary care, general surgery, physiatry, nephrology and orthopaedics. For added convenience, the clinic will offer primary care seven days a week.

“Our new clinic will allow us to better meet the growing demand in Franklin County by bringing more specialty care to the community,” said Bert Beard, Chief Executive Officer at Maria Parham Health. “It is important to be able to offer patients and local businesses access to quality medical care in their own community and we are excited to expand access to specialty care in Louisburg.”

Maria Parham Multispecialty Clinic is conveniently located in the medical office building adjacent to Maria Parham Franklin so new and existing patients can see physicians in five medical specialties with the added convenience of having additional clinical services located right next door. “Our goal is to not only expand access to health care in Franklin County but to also make it a convenient process for our patients,” stated Beard. “Patients can see a primary care provider or specialist at our multispecialty clinic and step right next door to Maria Parham Franklin for lab work or imaging needs. We want to make it easy for people to get the health care they need.”

Maria Parham Multispecialty Clinic is now open at 1501 N Bickett Blvd, Suite E. in Louisburg, North Carolina. Appointments can be made by calling (919) 497-8380.

NCDHHS

NCDHHS to Offer Free Residential Testing Kits in Honor of Radon Action Month

-Press Release, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS)

As families button up their homes to guard against winter’s chill it is an ideal time to make plans to test for radon, the odorless, colorless gas that is our nation’s second leading cause of lung cancer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon causes more than 21,000 deaths each year, making it the second most common cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States and the number one cause among non-smokers.

Because testing is the only way to know if your family is at risk from radon, Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed January as Radon Action Month in North Carolina, and beginning next week, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is making 3,600 residential radon testing kits available at no charge. The test kits will be available from local health departments and county extension offices in 32 counties with outreach efforts. Funds for the test kits were provided last fall through a grant from the EPA.

“Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas found in soil and rock that can seep through cracks in the foundations, walls and joints of homes,” said NC Radiation Protection Section Chief Lee Cox. ‘About 7 percent of North Carolina homes have unsafe levels of radon, based on data we’ve collected. That is why we urge testing of homes.”

Radon gas can accumulate and reach harmful levels when trapped in homes and buildings, as may occur during the home heating season, when warm air rises in homes, pulling air from the lower parts of the home where radon may enter. Elevated levels of indoor radon are a preventable and fixable problem with costs of mitigation to reduce the radon to safe levels ranging from $800 to approximately $2,500.

The NC Radon Program’s website offers links to certified professionals who can assist in testing or fixing radon issues in homes. Through mitigation, the naturally occurring radioactive gas is released harmlessly from under the home into outdoor air.

For those who are not in the counties where free test kits are available, homes still should be tested. The NC Radon Program web page has links to several retailers that sell kits, and they are also available in many hardware stores. Retail prices average below $20 per kit. The website also lists resources and a link to an instructive video, and provides information on its web page for families who may qualify for financial assistance to meet mitigation expenses.

For more information visit the NCDHHS’ radon website at ncradon.org.

Girl Scout’s Annual Cookie Sale to Begin This Weekend

On Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program, Teresa Wimbrow, membership director for Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren County Girl Scouts, discussed the upcoming Girl Scout cookie sale and benefits to the girls involved in the program.

This year’s sale will begin on Saturday, January 12 at 9 a.m. and will continue for several weeks. Wimbrow said the local area should be prepared for “girls ringing your doorbell or at your doorstep selling cookies.” As in years past, troops and adult volunteers will also set up cookie booths at local participating businesses and restaurants.

Cookies are $4 a box and proceeds go towards trips and activities for the girls. Flavors available locally this year include Thin Mints, Caramel Delites, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Lemonades, Thanks-A-Lot, S’mores, Shortbread and the new, gluten-free Caramel Chocolate Chip.

For those on a diet or with specific allergies, there is even an option to purchase cookies to send to soldiers who are deployed. Operation Cookie Drop, as the program is called, celebrated sending its one-millionth box of cookies to soldiers last year according to Wimbrow.

Wimbrow, a former educator and basketball, volleyball and softball coach, has been with the Girl Scout organization for 10 years now and says she enjoys helping “build girls of courage, confidence and character.”

“We believe very strongly in the five skills that the girls learn – goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics,” Wimbrow stated. She believes all five of these skills, plus more, are used by the girls during the annual cookie program.

While Wimbrow covers the entire four-county area, she reported that there are five current Girl Scout troops in Vance County with girls ranging in grade level from kindergarten to 12th. “The smallest troop has five girls and the largest troop, at Vance Charter School, has 55 girls,” said Wimbrow.

Younger girls focus on self-confidence, social skills and self-esteem building while the older girls have more opportunities to travel and focus on leadership skills. Troops meet for approximately an hour and a half every other work where they work on improving these skills and earning badges. Wimbrow emphasized that there is a constant need for both female and male adult volunteers to assist with meetings and events.

Wimbrow said in her interview with WIZS that research has shown the positive effects of a childhood spent involved in Girl Scouts. “Research and statistics prove that being a part of Girl Scouts, the leadership organization that it is, serves them [girls] well later in life.”

One need only look at the high percentage of female Congress members and astronauts who were once girl scouts to see an example of the program’s success, said Wimbrow.

“There are a lot of long-standing Girl Scout traditions that are still in place, but as an organization, we have changed with the times,” Wimbrow explained.

The four-county area is part of the larger Girl Scout NC Coastal Pines, a council consisting of 41 counties. For information on the Girl Scout cookie program or testimonials from girls and volunteers alike, please visit www.nccoastalpine.org.

If you know someone interested in joining Girl Scouts, have questions or would like to volunteer, please contact Teresa Wimbrow at (252) 438-8103 or email twimbrow@nccoastalpines.org.

To hear the interview in its entirety, please click here

McGregor Hall to Feature Ernie Haase + Signature Sound; Opening Act Frank Sossamon

-Information courtesy McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center

Ernie Haase + Signature Sound

Part of the JOY! Series

SPECIAL OPENING ACT BY VANCE COUNTY’S PASTOR FRANK SOSSAMON

SATURDAY, January 19, 2019, @ 7 p.m. ~ Doors Open: 6 p.m.

From its formation in 2003, Ernie Haase has built Signature Sound into one of the most popular and beloved quartets in all of Southern Gospel music. The group has traveled all over the world, offering energy, excitement and encouragement through its powerful brand of gospel music. EHSS continues to gain fans all around the globe with its unique performances and unmistakable four-part harmonies. EHSS is one of the most celebrated quartets in Southern Gospel History mentioned with the same “trailblazing” reverence as groups like The Statesmen Quartet and The Cathedral Quartet.

EHSS has sung and sold to millions worldwide, a feat that has not been accomplished by any other Southern Gospel quartet. From concerts in Latvia and India to South Africa and New Zealand, events all around North America, TV appearances on ESPN with NASCAR, multiple NBA appearances singing our National Anthem, and even a specialty tour of historic American theaters in support of the EHSS Broadway project featuring Les Misérables legend J. Mark McVey, Signature Sound is a world-renowned quartet that spans a wide variety of genres and cultures.

As group founder, Haase is a creative, hard-working tenor whose early roots with the unforgettable and legendary Southern Gospel quartet, The Cathedrals, helped begin his dream to form a powerhouse group of his own. Along with many appearances through the years on the widely regarded Gaither Homecoming Tour, his goal was soon accomplished and then some…as EHSS quickly gained an international platform in gospel music.

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound is both GRAMMY(R)-nominated and GMA Dove Award-winning, a radio favorite in the United States and internationally, and a leader in CD sales and long-form music video sales–with several RIAA(R)-certified Gold(R) and Platinum(R) DVDs.

Tickets 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)

Back by Popular Demand: Masters of Soul to Return to McGregor Hall

-Information courtesy the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND – This Friday, January 11, 2019, @ 8 p.m.

If you missed McGregor Hall’s great presentation of Masters of Soul last year, now’s your chance to see what everyone is talking about! Take the ultimate stroll down memory lane with Masters of Soul as they bring a celebration of the legendary songs that defined Motown and Soul music.

This 90-minute show highlights the best of the Motown era with stylishly costumed, fully choreographed performances with various groups backed by a live band.

Based in Virginia Beach, VA, the 10-person cast consists of three lead male vocalists and three lead female vocalists backed by a four-piece band of seasoned musicians who have been touring together for decades.

Masters of Soul has performed to numerous sold-out audiences and garnered rave reviews across the country.

See for yourself their performance of hits by Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Barry White, Sam and Dave, James Brown and many more.

Tickets 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)