TownTalk: Michael LaChiana Investigates Things That Go Bump In The Night

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Michael LaChiana knows that old homes can create strange noises – some can be attributed to creaky floors, faulty plumbing pipes or other quirky construction features. And he can tell the difference between a plumbing problem…and the paranormal.

LaChiana has been a licensed plumber for 36 years, but he’s been fascinated with ghosts and paranormal activity for more than 40 years. As the managing director of the Heritage Hunters Society, he is producing a television program called Heritage Hunters: Journey Through The Past.

He is a ghost hunter and he captures sounds during investigations of the paranormal with high-tech equipment.

But he started out as a 14-year-old with a reel-to-reel recorder. He set up the equipment to record, and he said that he was able to capture the voice of a man screaming for mercy. There was no chance the recording picked up any outside interference, LaChiana said. After that, he was hooked.

“From there, I started researching, reading every book I could,” he told Bill Harris on Thursday’s Town Talk. He upgraded long ago to digital recorders and said he has captured much evidence of paranormal activity across North Carolina and in other countries. “I’ve traveled the world…there are so many haunted locations and I’ve captured so many things,” he said.

He’s visited sites in North Carolina like the Devil’s Tramping Grounds, the USS North Carolina battleship in Wilmington and the Country Squire Inn in Duplin County.

LaChiana is a one-man production crew – he is responsible for everything from the investigating and interviewing of local experts to the editing and final production. View the show on Amazon Prime Video. Available now is the episode on the Country Squire Inn. The next episode may be out by Christmas and will feature the Wilkesboro Jail and the true story of Tom Dooley.

He particularly enjoyed working in London, which he said is “very haunted.” Edinburgh, Scotland, is “one of the most haunted cities,” he said, which places it squarely on his bucket list of places to visit in the future.

He doesn’t do much in the way of residential investigations any more – he’s just too busy with the production company, his business and his family – but he said he has helped so many people understand the strange, unexplained activities they experience.

He goes in for a few hours alone to set up recording equipment and then just wait. “If there’s something there, there’s a very good chance we can capture it,” he added. Not literally, but digitally record it.

“I do believe that every old house has some form of former resident,” LaChiana said. He is friendly and respectful during his investigations, and he said that pays off.

“Everything isn’t dark and creepy.”

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Granville County Sheriff

Granville Sheriff Resigns; Former Sheriff, 3 Deputies Indicted Tuesday For Falsifying Training Records

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Granville County Sheriff Charles R. Noblin Jr. has submitted his resignation effective at 5 p.m. today (Wednesday), citing recent revelations as part of an ongoing investigation into actions of former Sheriff Brindell Wilkins. Wilkins and three deputies were indicted Tuesday with falsifying training certificates dating back to 2012.

County Attorney Jim Wrenn provided WIZS News with a copy of the resignation letter that Noblin sent Wrenn Tuesday afternoon. “Due to personal reasons beyond my control and newly discovered information brought to my attention concerning the ongoing investigation, I feel that it is in my best interest and betterment of Granville County Sheriff’s Office that I inform you of my resignation effective October 27, 2021, at 5:00 p.m.”

The ongoing investigation involves the former sheriff and three deputies who were indicted by a Wake County grand jury Tuesday afternoon on multiple felony charges of obtaining property by false pretense and felony obstruction of justice “based on allegations of falsifying and submitting training and firearm qualification records,” according to a letter from Wake District Attorney N. Lorrin Freeman to the N.C. Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Division in Raleigh.

In the letter addressed to Division Director Diane Konopka, Freeman named Wilkins, Sherwood Boyd, Chad Coffey and Edward Keith Campbell as the individuals alleged to be involved, which Freeman stated is an ongoing criminal matter.

The letter further stated that Noblin and Russell “Rusty” Corley may also hold falsified certifications. This information surfaced during the course of the investigation, Freeman said. Both men “signed firearm qualification forms indicating that they had completed the mandated course of fire and received passing scores when in fact they had not. Both individuals were on medical leave at the time, and in lieu of completing the necessary waiver, participated in their agency submitting fraudulent information to the Division at the direction of the others within the department,” Freeman’s letter continued.

“Inasmuch as these allegations, if proven true, would be a basis for action by your Commission as to these individuals’ justice officer certification, I am notifying you of this,” Freeman said of the indictments returned for Wilkins, Boyd, Coffey and Campbell. “There may be grounds to summarily suspend certifications for one or more of these individuals, I am willing to allow you, or an investigator with your Division, to review the investigation in this matter if you so wish.”

But she said it was determined that Noblin and Corley should not be subjects of a criminal prosecution because the actions were deemed “isolated incidents.” Rather, the individuals should be reported to the education and training standards division, as well as the agency head or employer and to the district attorney “for determinations as to these individuals’ status of employment, certification and capacity as a witness in other criminal matters,” the letter stated.

In a follow-up email from Freeman today (Wednesday), she said that because Noblin tendered his resignation he is “not subject to a criminal investigation or prosecution based on this singular incident” and it is “a matter that is appropriately handled administratively.”

County Attorney Wrenn told WIZS News today (Wednesday) that Chief Deputy Chris Smoot will step in until the county commissioners appoint someone to fill the unexpired term of sheriff. The commissioners have, as yet, made no decision on appointing anyone to fill the unexpired term, Wrenn stated.

“In resigning and not pursuing law enforcement employment, Mr. Noblin has put his agency above his personal ambition,” Freeman told WIZS News. “This now gives this department and the people of Granville County a chance to start a new era for the Granville County Sheriff Office through an election that is upcoming. Law enforcement have difficult jobs within our communities and it is critical that they work to maintain the public trust.  A strict commitment to maintaining credibility and adhering to qualification requirements is essential to being able to do this,” she stated.

The Granville County Commissioners appointed Noblin to fill the unexpired term of Wilkins, and he assumed the duties of sheriff in January 2020.

Henderson Junior Woman’s Club 10th Annual Fall Shopping Spree

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The Henderson Junior Woman’s Club will present its 10th annual fall shopping spree on November 6th at the Henderson Country Club, 300 Country Club Dr. The event will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., and it is free for the public to attend. Twenty three vendors will be on site.

Henderson Junior Woman’s Club President Amanda Ellis said, “This event is one of our two fundraisers. We have hosted a Spring Portrait Session in the past, but … because of COVID, last year we hosted a virtual $500 cash drawing. We sold 50/50 raffle tickets at the SHOW SHINE SHAG and DINE car show a few weekends ago. In addition to our fundraisers, our members pay quarterly dues. These monies help fund our club year and our scholarships. Our members donate items for community projects – together we can make a difference!”

The Henderson Junior Woman’s Club is a civic organization. Ellis said, “We have multiple “Departments” that fall under our Community Service Programs which include: Arts & Culture, Environment, Education & Libraries, Juniorettes, Health & Wellness and Civic Engagement & Outreach. Two Special Projects: Domestic & Sexual Violence Awareness & Prevention and Advocates for Children. We offer three scholarships each year for eligible local high school seniors (male and female).”

For More information contact the Henderson Junior Woman’s Club at hendersonjuniorwomansclub@gmail.com or find the club on Facebook.

Granville County Tourism

TownTalk: Granville Tourism Heats Up With Fall Events

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Anyone who lives in or near Granville County has plenty of opportunities to celebrate Halloween this year, and Tourism Director Angela Allen couldn’t be happier to run down the list of activities – from trick-or-treat events to art galleries and costume contests, folks can stay busy all weekend long.

“What a difference a year makes,” Allen said. Last year at this time, COVID-19 restrictions had things running at a bare minimum or non-existent, she recalled during Wednesday’s Town Talk with John C. Rose and Bill Harris.

And although the weather seems to be cooling off, “things are really heating up in Granville County, as far as events go,” she said. Everybody seems ready to celebrate a holiday again, and Granville is offering numerous and varied activities for the whole family.

For starters, tonight (Thursday) is pizza night at Thorndale Oaks. There’s a whole buffet, she said. Call 919.603.3701 for more information. There are pasta and dessert stations, and lots of yummy pizza options cooked in a wood-fired pizza oven. The price is $18.95 per adult; and $9.95 per child.

Here’s a list of some of the events taking place:

  • Friday, Oct 29 – Spooktacular Candy Stroll in downtown Oxford from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown Creedmoor – come in costumes and collect candy from area merchants.
  • Saturday, Oct. 30 – The Orpheum in downtown Oxford will host a Halloween costume dance and contest. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the event will be geared to families; from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., it’s adults only. Judges will select winners of the costume contest for cash prizes, Allen said. Tickets are $5 per person and $15 per family.
  • Friday-Sunday – Oct. 29-31 – Granville Haunt Farm on Hwy. 15 South opens at sunset. This drive-through event recreates scenes from some of the great scary movies and horror films. It’s set up like a giant drive-in movie, Allen said to think of the haunt farm as appropriate for anyone who would watch a PG-13 film. Check Granville Haunt Farm’s Facebook page and Instagram for details about ticket prices and times and “to get an idea of what you’ll feel and experience,” she added. taste of what awaits.
  • Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 30-31 – last chance to pick a pumpkin at William Lyon’s farm outside Creedmoor. The pumpkin patch is open each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There’s also a corn maze and hay rides to participate in, making it a really good daytime outing for families.
  • Saturday, Oct. 30 – the local farmers’ market is open from 7 a.m. to noon near downtown Oxford and has seasonal produce and other handicrafts for sale.
  • Daily through Nov. 7 – Cedar Creek Gallery near Creedmoor has its own pumpkin patch, but this patch is full of the glass variety by local and regional artists.

 

Following on the heels of Halloween is Veterans’ Day and Allen said the Oxford Veterans’ Parad is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. This is a time to celebrate and honor area veterans, and to thank them for their service, Allen said.

Any veteran who wishes to participate in the parade can contact Rebekah Olivares, city event coordinator at 603.1101.

The Town of Butner also will honor veterans at Soldiers Memorial Sports Arena at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11.

For a complete listing of other events in November across Granville County, search visitgranvillenc.com, find visitgranvillecounty on Facebook or Instagram.

(Granville Tourism is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)

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Trick/Trunk or Treat in Henderson

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Halloween this year in the City of Henderson will see events for children on Friday and Saturday, rather than Sunday which is actually Halloween on the calendar.

Friday, October 29 the long-observed downtown trick-or-treat event is planned, and Henderson Vance Downtown Development Director Tracy Madigan said the event is still on go. She said downtown trick-or-treat will be “on Garnett Street from 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m.” Children can go door to door dressed in their costumes.

Also Friday, the parking lot of Maria Parham Health will be the site of a COVID-safe, drive-through trunk-or-treat. Children in costumes don’t have to navigate sidewalks or uneven driveways to fill their bags with goodies – they stay in their cars and get their candy and treats handed to them through open windows. The trunk-or-treat will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the hospital’s back parking lot. All participants should enter through the main entrance and follow signs to the right upon arrival, according to Donna Young, hospital spokesperson.

On Saturday, October 30, Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow has confirmed Citywide trick or treating will be 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

TownTalk: Pink With A Passion Helps Victims Of Breast Cancer

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What started out as a simple act of neighbor helping neighbor has had a ripple effect to spread kindness – and donations of money and care boxes – to cancer patients.

Pink With A Passion is the grassroots brainchild of Amena Wilson, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. When she reached out to her neighbor Carlotta Woodard to help with an event, Woodard went from kindly neighbor to hard-working volunteer for Pink With A Passion.

Woodard officially becomes a cancer survivor on Sunday, when she celebrates her 10-year anniversary of being cancer-free.

The group serves the four-county area and recently donated $2,000 to Maria Parham Health’s  Cancer Center in observance of breast cancer awareness month. The money is available for any particular needs a patient may have, whether it’s transportation, helping make a copay or other medical costs. The women spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk.

In addition to the cash donations, they take care boxes to be distributed to patients, either at the hospital’s cancer center or to other individuals they may know about who are dealing with cancer.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hindered somewhat their ability to get out in the community to raise awareness and money. Not to be deterred, a raffle fundraiser that ran from March 1 to May 1 netted close to $13,000.

Raising money and redistributing it to people in need is what Pink With A Passion is all about.

The pink, of course, is the color associated worldwide with breast cancer, Wilson said. The “passion” part of their name is a nod to what fuels the group’s desire to help.

“We find people we know who are dealing with cancer,” Wilson said. “We reach out and give to them – whatever we can do to help. We give to others.”

Wilson said the idea for the group was born from her own efforts to help defray the expenses associated with her own diagnosis. She organized a fish plate fundraiser and said it was so successful she decided to keep it going.

“I was so overwhelmed,” she said of the support she got from the community. “There was so much love, passion and support show, I decided to do it for other people.”

And the simple act of asking a neighbor to join her effort has paid dividends. Woodard said she was eager to be a part of a support system for others through Pink With A Passion, mainly because of its vision for helping others.

Woodard knew all too well the importance of having a support system; she said she was blessed to have a strong support system as she faced her diagnosis head on. An annual mammogram detected her Stage 1 cancer and because it was caught early, a mastectomy and a chemo pill therapy was her treatment.

“I didn’t have a lump,” Woodard said, who added she has a family history of breast cancer. “If it weren’t for a mammogram, I wouldn’t even know I had cancer.”

She said she is sporting pink hair for the month of October, in said she is so excited to celebrate her 10-year anniversary of being cancer-free.

Wilson said she thanks God for allowing her to find a lump in her breast – it was detected at an early stage as well. Early detection is THE key for beating breast cancer, both women said. But going through treatments with a positive mindset, as little stress as possible, exercise and a healthy diet all contribute to a patient’s restored health.

In addition to caring for your physical well-being while undergoing treatment, Wilson said it is critical to have someone accompany you to doctor’s appointments. Taking notes and having a second set of ears to hear what a physician is discussing about your case is so important. “Knowledge is so important when you’re going through cancer,” Wilson said.

To learn more, find the group on Facebook, contact the organization via email at Pinkwithapassion_7@yahoo.com or Wilson at 252. 213. 5735.

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TownTalk: Peripheral Artery Disease

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People who suffer from peripheral artery disease can experience a range of symptoms, but a physician who specializes in treating patients with PAD said advances in care can shorten recovery time and improve quality of life.

Mohammad Akhter, MD, is an interventional cardiologist and vascular specialist affiliated with Duke Hospital. He has been with Maria Parham Health since the summer and talked with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk about some of the causes and symptoms of PAD, as well as some of the things that specialists in his field can do to help patients feel better.

PAD is a condition that happens when plaque builds up in your arteries which restricts blood flow to extremities. In the early stages of PAD, a person may not experience any symptoms, but that changes as the disease progresses unchecked.

It primarily affects the lower legs, Akhter explained. “As the disease progresses, (patients experience) painful cramping in one or both hips or calves, leg numbness or weakness, or coldness in the lower leg or foot.”

People with severe PAD may have open sores or ulcers on their legs or feet that won’t heal because of the restricted circulation.

Until relatively recently, treatment of PAD almost certainly involved surgery. Advances in care such as the care that Akhter provides can include catheterization and placement of balloons and stents to open the arteries.

Patients hear that they have a blockage in their extremities and they think that surgery is the only treatment option. Those with mild or moderate disease, he noted, can get relief through less-invasive catheter techniques, which is Akhter’s specialty. Often, patients can go home that day or the next morning, he said, and face a much shorter recuperation period.

“Seek treatment sooner rather than later,” he advised.

Screening for PAD can be as simple as having a primary care provider take a detailed history, conduct a physical exam and check for pulses in arms and legs. And the use of a Doppler probe can help find pulses that aren’t easily detected, he added.

Medical treatment is part of the care plan, but simply increasing your level of activity through rehabilitation or exercise can also help. The body, Akhter said, will try to adapt to how much you ask of it. “Patients can actually lessen symptoms in weeks or months (after) introducing activity into their lives,” he said. Exercise for 20 to 30 minutes two or three times a week is an “excellent way to treat symptoms of PAD,” Akhter added.

Risk factors like smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure all contribute to a person’s overall health, so bringing blood sugars and cholesterol down will help as well. “Behavioral changes significantly reduce the progression of the disease.”

Once the disease is advanced, preventative care is less effective, so patients could wind up needing more invasive treatment, including surgery, to address the disease and its effects on the body. Maria Parham offers a full spectrum of diagnostics and therapeutics including arterial ultrasound and a dedicated wound care center.

Akhter moved to Durham in 2018 after beginning his specialized work at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York and then practicing as a board-certified interventional cardiologist and vascular specialist for about 10 years at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boston.

He completed medical school in his native Pakistan and completed his residency and a fellowship at University of Southern California.

He made his way to Durham to complete a master’s degree in global health, but COVID-19 derailed his plans, for the time being.
“It has been gratifying practicing my skill set here in North Carolina,” he said, adding that although he has been amazed to see disadvantaged populations debilitated by PAD, he also remains hopeful because he can utilize his specialized treatments to improve medical conditions.

He praised his cath lab coworkers at Maria Parham Health for being advocates for patient care and for making his work easier.

“I don’t know what this community would do,” Akhter said, without a hospital that he called a “lifeline” for the area.

Although there’s no cure for PAD, there are treatments and care plans that can help.

Call 800.424.DOCS to find a specialist and schedule an appointment.

(Maria Parham Health is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)

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Vance County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff, Police, SBI Search Warrants on Hight Street Yield Three Arrests

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— press release courtesy of Sheriff Curtis Brame

On 10/22/2021, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Henderson Police Department and State Bureau Investigation executed search warrants at 1215 & 1220 Hight Street, Henderson NC.

The execution of the search warrants lead to the arrest of three different suspects reference to narcotics and firearms violations. The following items were seized: AR15 Assault Pistol (stolen), Glock 40 caliber pistol, 350 units of Heroin, Oxycodone pills, Marijuana and US Currency in the amount of $3,481.00.

Markeith Hart, Age 25, charged with Maintain Dwelling Place; Possession With Intent Manufactured Sell Deliver Schedule I Heroin; Felony Possession Schedule I Heroin; Simple Possession Marijuana; Possession stolen firearm, Possession of Firearm by Felon; Possession With Intent Manufactured Sell Deliver Schedule II Oxycodone; Felony Possession Schedule II Oxycodone; Possession With Intent Sell Deliver Schedule I Heroin, received no bond. Hart has a court date of 12/01/2021.

Marshall Dunston, Age 33, charged with 2 Counts—Trafficking Heroin and Trafficking Heroin by Possession, received a $70,000 secured bond. Dunston has a court date of 12/01/2021.

Tia Jeffries, Age 32, charged with 2 counts—Maintain Dwelling/ Vehicle Place for Controlled Substance, received a $10,000.00 bond. Jeffries has a court date of 12/01/2021.