Franklin County Commissioners Named Commissioners of the Year

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– Press Release

Board Recognized for Outstanding Support of Education

Franklin County, November 14, 2017: Franklin County’s Board of Commissioners were recognized this evening as Commissioners of the Year by the North Carolina School Board Association (NCSBA). The award was presented at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro as part of the 48th Annual Conference of the NCSBA.

Local boards of education nominate their board of county commissioners for this award, recognizing the service of the commissioners to the local community through outstanding support of public elementary and secondary education. The board was also recognized for establishing an excellent working relationship and for diligent effort toward creative funding of education.

For additional information, please contact Angela L. Harris, Franklin County Manager, at (919) 496-5994.

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

Photograph includes Franklin County Schools’ staff and Board of Education as well as Franklin County staff and Board of Commissioners. (Franklin County Photo)

Vance-Granville Community Band to present free holiday concert on Nov. 27

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— courtesy VGCC

The Vance-Granville Community Band will perform its tenth annual winter holiday concert on Monday, Nov. 27, at 7:30 p.m. at McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center, located at 201 Breckenridge Street in downtown Henderson. Admission is free of charge.

Included in the concert will be a host of holiday favorites, including “Silver Bells,” “White Christmas,” “The First Noel,” “A French Noel” (Pat-A Pan), “Appalachian Carol” (Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head), and a medley of Christmas classics including “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”

“The Night Before Christmas” will be presented in a “story-time” format, as Clement Moore’s famous poem is read with band accompaniment.

The concert will begin with the traditional rendering of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the state song, “The Old North State.” Plus, as is customary for any ensemble led by the director of the band, Brian Miller, a Sousa march will be included. “No concert is complete without Sousa,” according to Miller. “This year, while we are playing almost all Christmas music, we will of course play a Sousa march. It will be Sousa’s classic ‘The Invincible Eagle March,’ which the master of American music wrote in 1901.”

Brian Miller conducts the Vance-Granville Community Band during its 2016 holiday concert. (VGCC photo)

Miller, in his second year as director of the Vance-Granville Community Band, was known locally as the man at the helm of the Louisburg High School band program for more than two decades, a band program that grew into one of the largest in the state and was known for its performance of Sousa marches and traditional band literature. Miller now teaches band and humanities at Crosscreek Charter School in Louisburg, is the organist for both Louisburg Baptist Church and Louisburg College, teaches part-time for VGCC, frequently serves as music director for the Louisburg College Drama department and is found at North Henderson Baptist Church on Sunday nights, playing the piano and sometimes preaching.

“We want everybody to come hear this free concert,” said Miller. “It will be played right in the heart of historic downtown Henderson, in the center of this great community. The concert will only last about an hour, and hearing the band play these great old songs is a terrific way to usher in the holiday season.”

The Community Band, which is sponsored by the VGCC Division of Arts and Sciences, includes people of all ages, from all walks of life, and from throughout the region. No auditions are required. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings from 7-9 p.m. at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, on the Main Campus in Henderson, at Exit 209 on Interstate 85 (Poplar Creek Road). For more information, contact Brian Miller at (919) 496-5877 or at bmiller9302@vgcc.edu or Betsy Henderson at hendersonb@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.)

NC Coop Extension

2017 Vance County Farm-City Breakfast

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“Celebrating the Positive Relationships Between Farm Families and City Residents”

On Thursday morning at 8:00 at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market in Henderson, NC, the 2017 Vance County Farm-City Breakfast took place to show support for the local farmers of Vance County.

A special presentation was given by Lisa Prince with the North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

The following awards were presented:

4-H Volunteer of the Year – Tiffany Hunter – Franklin County School System

Community Supporter of the Year – Christeen Crudup – USDA

Farm Family of the Year – Donald Faulkner – Faulkner Family Farm

Small Farmer of the Year – Gene Matthews – Jasm Farms

Vance County Census of Agriculture:

Total Acres in County – 162,248

Number of Farms – 242

Total Land in Farms, Acres – 54,880

Average Farm Size, Acres – 227

Harvested Cropland, Acres – 13,890

Average Age of Farmers – 62.1

Average Value of Farm & Buildings – $189,883,000

Average Market Value of Machinery & Equipment – $19,270,000

Average Total Farm production Expense – $52,538

Franklin County Logo

Franklin Names Assistant County Manager of Operational Services

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Franklin County Press Release

Kim Boyette Denton Joins Management Team December 1st

Franklin County, November 16, 2017: Franklin County has selected Kim Boyette Denton as Assistant County Manager of Operational Services. Ms. Denton has been an Assistant Clerk in the Franklin County Clerk of Court’s Office, working in the Estates and Civil Departments, and has been employed in the Clerk’s Office for over six years.

Ms. Denton’s previous experience includes over ten years of experience in the telecommunications industry working with the company now known as CenturyLink, holding positions in Accounting, Marketing and Regulatory departments. For over 20 years, she has been an avid supporter of a number of volunteer organizations in Franklin County.

Among her duties as Assistant County Manager of Operations, Ms. Denton will provide direct supervision to departments as assigned, serve as lead on assigned projects, conduct budget research and development, assist in the development and implementation of policies, long-term planning and serve as Manager in the absence of the County Manager. She will assume her role effective December 1, 2017.

Ms. Denton graduated from Peace College in Raleigh, NC. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from East Carolina University. She is a native of Franklin County where she currently resides with her husband, Thomas. She has two sons, Mark and Edward.

For additional information, please contact Angela L. Harris, Franklin County Manager, at (919) 496-5994.

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

Franklin County Sheriff

Search Results in Drug-Related Arrest and Charges

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Press Release

On November 14, 2017, the Franklin County Sheriffs Office Patrol and Drug Unit along with Youngsville Police Department conducted a joint investigation which resulted in the arrest of Rodney David Milton Dalton, Sr., a Franklin County resident. The arrest was pursuant to a search warrant which was conducted at Dalton’s residence, located at 2133 Cedar Creek Rd, Youngsville, NC.

This joint investigation into illegal narcotics trafficking resulted in six felony charges: Two (2) Counts of Trafficking Marijuana, one (1) Count of Maintaining a Dwelling for the purpose of Selling, Delivering, Using and Manufacturing a Controlled Substance, one (1) Count of Manufacturing Marijuana, one (1) Count of Manufacturing/Selling/Delivering/Possessing
Marijuana within 1000 ft. of a school and One (1) Count of Possession of a firearm by a felon.

Seized during the search were 114 Marijuana plants with a street value of $232,448.00, an additional 1.5 pounds of Marijuana found in containers with a street value of $9,081.00, three (3) firearms, and a large amount of equipment used in the manufacture of controlled substance.

Rodney David Milton Dalton Sr. is currently being held in the Franklin County Detention Center under a $ 90,000 secured bond.

Rodney David Milton Dalton Sr.

VGCC Advisory Committees hold annual meetings

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— courtesy VGCC

Citizens from Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties came together at the Main Campus of Vance-Granville Community College on Oct. 24 as the college’s advisory committees held their annual meetings.

VGCC’s 36 advisory committees are made up of people from the communities served by the college who have worked in the fields for which the college offers training or who can provide certain insights or expertise. Committees advise not only curriculum and continuing education programs, but also VGCC’s South, Franklin and Warren campuses, the Small Business Center and other departments. Many committee members are VGCC alumni. Each fall, these committees meet on campus with the heads of the programs they advise.

At the Oct. 24 meetings, VGCC faculty and staff communicated with advisory committee members about new developments in academic programs, about how to tailor classes and training to meet employment needs, and about changes in the workplace. Committee members made suggestions on what the college should be doing to enhance or adapt instruction.

VGCC advisory committee meetings included this gathering of the Human Services Technology Program Advisory Committee on Oct. 24 in a classroom on the college’s Main Campus. Those present included, seated clockwise from left, Yvonne Faison of Franklin County Schools, VGCC academic and career coach/counselor Veta Pierce-Cappetta, Human Services program head Tracy Wallace, Kathryn Thompson of the Vance County Department of Social Services, Human Services instructor Sharon O’Geary and student representative Larecia Bullock of Oxford. (VGCC photo)

Students in VGCC’s Culinary Arts program prepared a reception in the Civic Center, preceding the meetings. The menu had an “international” theme and included heavy hors d’oeuvres like Beef Bourgogne, Tandoori Chicken, antipasti and orzo Greek pasta salad, along with assorted desserts representing Italian, Greek, Indian and Latin American traditions.

In remarks during the reception, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, expressed the college’s gratitude to the advisory committee members for their service and their support. “Your input is crucial to ensuring that our college’s programs and services remain relevant to our community and to our workforce, and that we have prepared our students well to enter into their professions and to continue their higher education,” President Williams told the attendees.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.)

Franklin County Sheriff

Franklin County Active Shooter Training Exercise

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— press release courtesy of the Office of the Franklin County Sheriff

On November 18, 2017 the Franklin County Sheriffs Office and Franklin County Emergency Management, with participation from other North Carolina law enforcement, fire, and rescue service agencies, will conduct an active shooter training exercise on the campus of Long Mill Elementary School located at 1753 Long Mill Road, Youngsville.

The planning, training, and interagency cooperation leading up to this exercise began earlier this year, with the goal to assess our response capabilities and better shape each agency’s role in the event of an active shooter incident within Franklin County. A training operation of this scale has never been conducted before in our county, in both the number of agencies and personnel involved.

Those of us working in Public Safety know that the safety of our children is one of our highest priorities. While assessing our response capabilities is a primary goal, this training exercise is the culmination of a year’s worth of hard work and dedication by all those involved with a focus on our ability to quickly and safely reunite children with their families.

Participating agencies include: Louisburg Police Department, Franklinton Police Department, Youngsville Police Department, Louisburg College Police Department, Wake County Sheriffs Office, Nash County Sheriffs Office, Vance County Sheriffs Office, Granville County Sheriffs Office, Wake Forest Fire Department, NC State Highway Patrol, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, NC Alcohol Law Enforcement, NCDMV License and Theft Bureau, Franklin County Emergency Services, Franklin County School System, and Franklin County Emergency Communications Center.

Residents and motorists will notice emergency vehicles in the area between 9am and 12pm. Law enforcement personnel will be in the area to provide traffic direction.

All media will be initially required to report to Capital Auto Auction, located at 2380 Long Mill Road, Youngsville.

Kent Winstead

Sheriff

Heroin Traffickers Arrested in Warren and Franklin Counties

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— courtesy North Carolina SBI and NC Dept. of Public Safety

RALEIGH – The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Warren and Franklin County Sheriffs’ offices arrested six men Nov. 8 on heroin trafficking charges following a three-month undercover operation.

Charged were Steven Lamar Cooke, 35, of Warrenton; Derrick Lamont Cooke, 38 of Warrenton; Dalton Raheim Williams, 33 of Warrenton; Kiree Dequan Williams, 22, of Warrenton; Jamar Shaheen Foster, 25 of Warrenton; and Traquan Foster, 25, of Warrenton. Charges ranged from trafficking in heroin to home invasion. The men were taken to the Warren County Jail.

The operation, dubbed Operation Cooke Out, centered on the home of brothers Steven and Derrick Cooke who allegedly ran an open-air heroin market. More than 900 dosage units of heroin were purchased or seized during the operation.

“Heroin is poisoning our streets at an alarming rate,” said Timothy L. Gay, assistant special agent in charge of SBI’s Capital District Office. “This is why it is important for law enforcement bring their resources together and target dealers like these to make a difference in our communities.”

Warren County Sheriff Johnny Williams said drug trafficking has been on the increase in his county.

“This will not be the end,” Williams said. “We will continue to diligently fight illegal drug activities and put offenders in jail.”

The operation began as a result of citizens’ complaints. Franklin County Sheriff Kent Winstead said he appreciated the joint effort to get the suspects apprehended.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Winstead said. “We will continue to apprehend and arrest drug dealers who are a dangerous blight on our communities.”

Charges are as follows:

Steven Lamar Cooke
Three counts of conspiracy to sell and deliver heroin; one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver, (PWIMSD); one count felony sale of heroin.
$860,000 secured bond.

Derrick Lamont Cooke
PWIMSD; felony count of maintaining a vehicle and dwelling for the manufacture and sale of heroin; felony possession of drug paraphernalia.
$30,000 secured bond

Dalton Raheim Williams
Felony possession of cocaine; possession of marijuana; felony count of maintaining a vehicle and dwelling for the manufacture and sale of heroin; felony count of PWIMSD, felony count of trafficking heroin or opium; one count trafficking; felony count of selling heroin; felony count delivering heroin.
$420,000 secured bond

Kiree Dequan Williams
Misdemeanor breaking and entering, resisting public officer
$5,000 secured bond

Jamar Shaheen Foster
Misdemeanor breaking and entering, resisting public officer
$5,000 secured bond

Traquan Foster
Misdemeanor breaking and entering, resisting public officer
$5,000 secured bond

The SBI provides expert criminal investigative assistance to local law enforcement agencies when requested by police, sheriffs, district attorneys or judges. The agency also has original jurisdiction in cases such as drug and arson investigations, election law violations, gambling, child sexual abuse in day care centers, computer crimes against children and crimes involving state property.

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Franklin County Logo

Franklin County Celebrates its Veterans

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— courtesy Franklin County Government

Veterans will be honored November 10 with a program and luncheon

Franklin County citizens will unite Friday, November 10th to show love and appreciation for veterans in the county, state and nation who have bravely served our armed forces and to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Franklin County is stepping it up this year, celebrating veterans with both a program and luncheon in their honor! This year’s program will begin at 11:00 a.m. in the parking area behind the Hamilton H. Hobgood Courthouse Annex, 113 S. Main Street, Louisburg, North Carolina. Guest speaker will be Robert Elliott of the Veterans Farm of North Carolina. Musical selections will be rendered by the Louisburg High School Band and Chorus as well as other special musical guests. A luncheon for veterans will follow at noon. In the event of rain, the celebration will be held in the auditorium of Louisburg High School.

The Franklin County Veterans Service Office hopes citizens will attend the program to show support for military personnel both near and far and to remember many are on foreign soil fighting for the freedoms we enjoy on a daily basis.

For more information on the event, contact the Franklin County Veterans Service Office at 919-496-1939. Additional contact numbers can be obtained by visiting Franklin County’s website at www.franklincountync.us.

TNH Foundation’s Grant Awards Top $1 Million

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— press release

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation’s Grant Awards Top $1 Million

By Val Short,
Executive Director
Triangle North Healthcare Foundation

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation has achieved a new milestone with the recent approval by the Board of Directors of $300,000 in grant awards to local organizations in the Foundation’s fifth grant cycle. The 2017 grant awards raises the total funds awarded by the Foundation to $1.1 million, since the Foundation began grantmaking in 2013. The 2017 grant awards were presented at a reception on October 12.

“The Foundation’s mission is to invest in grant projects and programs that will improve health in our region,” said Val Short, executive director for the Foundation. “The 2017 grant awards will fund projects that focus on community health and healthy lifestyles throughout our four-county region. Our hope is that these grant awards will result in improved health and healthier outcomes for children and adults in Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin counties.”

Most of the 2017 grant projects focus on chronic disease management and prevention, success in school, and substance use disorders. The TNHF grantees will provide a broad range of approaches to improving health– from programs that develop fitness and self-esteem in teens, to enabling access to primary care for homeless men, to teaching social skills and relationship boundaries for the developmentally disabled, to teaching water safety skills to Vance County second graders. “For all of our grant programs, health and wellness are at the heart of the work they will do,” said Short.

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation has established five major funding priorities that include, Chronic Disease Prevention, Nutrition and Physical Fitness, Success in School—as it relates to health and fitness, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and Reproductive Health.

A list of the grant recipients and their projects for 2017-18 includes:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central NC – SMART Girls Outdoors – a health, fitness, and self-enhancement program for girls ages 8-16, which is designed to encourage healthy attitudes and lifestyles that will enable adolescent girls to develop their full potential; program will partner with YMCA’s Girls on the Run.

• Community Partners of Hope – Health Interventions – a coordination of access to primary care, behavioral health, and dental services for 40 homeless men served by Hope House and the Emergency Shelter; skills for self-management of chronic illnesses will be taught to all participants.

• Community Workforce Solutions, Inc. – Healthy Boundaries – Safe Living – using the Circles curriculum to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities navigate social situations, learn healthy relationship boundaries, and to recognize and react appropriately to sexual abuse or exploitation.

• Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start – Teens Fit for Life – the existing Adolescent Parenting Program will expand to include a Nutrition & Fitness component in partnership with the YMCA and Cooperative Extension.

• Franklin County Health Department – MIT Care for a Healthier Franklin County – staff training to implement evidence-based practices of motivational interviewing, integrated behavioral and physical care, and trauma-Informed practice to improve patient-provider engagement and improve health in the priority areas of heart disease and obesity.

• Granville-Vance Public Health – 1)Improving Child Health & Academic Achievement in Vance County – collection and analysis of baseline anthropometric data in at least 7 elementary schools to be used to pilot child health and obesity prevention project in at least one elementary school; 2)Improving Birth Outcomes in Granville & Vance counties – expanding the evidenced-based Centering Pregnancy program to Vance County; provides prenatal care and learning activities to address and improve high rates of infant mortality and significant disparities in birth outcomes.

• Henderson Family YMCA – 1) Girls on the Run/STRIDE – a self-esteem, self- respect and healthy lifestyles program for girls & boys culminating in a 5k run/walk at the end of each semester; 2) Safety Around Water – teaches water safety and drowning prevention skills to 2nd graders in Vance County.

• NC Med Assist – Free Pharmacy Program & Over-the-Counter Giveaways – provides free medications and support for low income and uninsured individuals in the Triangle North Region. In addition two over-the-counter medicine giveaways will be implemented this year in Vance and Granville counties.

• Occoneechee Council, Boy Scouts of America – SCOUT Strong – expands existing alcohol & drug prevention program designed for boys and girls ages 5 to 20. Emphasizes healthy living, physical fitness and the dangers of substance abuse.

• Strength and Mending (S.a.M) Child Advocacy Center – Child Forensic Interviews – provides a centralized, child-centered approach to investigation that reduces the risk of trauma to the children who are victims of abuse; increases opportunities for healing for the child and non-offending family members.

• TROSA (Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers, Inc.) – Rebuilding Lives: Mental Health & Substance Abuse Recovery – provides a two-year residential recovery program with treatment, education, vocational training and care for residents of the Triangle North region who suffer from alcohol and substance abuse, free of charge.

• Westcare North Carolina, Inc. –Staff Certifications in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & Substance Abuse Counseling – training for staff to become certified in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy so a higher level of therapy can be provided to the adolescent women who are served by this residential treatment facility in Manson for teen girls who are classified at a Level 2 adjudicated status.

Located in Henderson, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation provides grants to nonprofits organizations, governmental agencies, and schools in Vance, Warren, Granville, and Franklin counties. The Foundation’s grant funding mission has been made possible by the endowment that was established after Maria Parham Medical Center merged with the for-profit Duke-Lifepoint in 2011.

A new grant cycle will be launched next March, but in the meantime, the Foundation staff is available to discuss ideas for grant projects or to provide assistance with grant writing. Information about our grantees and future grant opportunities is available on the website at www.tnhfoundation.org or call 252-598-0763.

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