TownTalk: ‘Shop With A Cop And Friends’ Reception: Fun With A Purpose

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Wednesday’s celebratory reception for the Shop With a Cop and Friends program was sprinkled with laughter, music and levity, but the underlying message shone clearly in remarks by everybody from Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson on down to local law enforcement leaders – it’s all for the kids.

“This is what we do and what we get excited about,” Wilkerson said as she kicked off the official part of the program, thanking sponsors and providing details about the actual shopping day – Friday, Dec. 20.

Shopping Day is a special, special day, she said, adding that law enforcement officers and others will join “the other million people” taking care of last-minute shopping at the Henderson Walmart.

But Vance County Schools students don’t start their holiday break until lunchtime on that day, so Wilkerson said they’ll get going about 3 p.m.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to deliver you a check like we did last year,” Wilkerson said to Sheriff Curtis Brame, Police Chief Marcus Barrow and Fire Chief Tim Twisdale, referring to the $15,000 that the program got to share with children on their shopping spree.

Shop With a Cop is a memorable experience for the children, but it’s also something adults are sure to remember as well, Brame said, “to see the excitement in children’s eyes” as they stroll the aisles.

But it’s also a humbling experience, he said, to see kids who want to buy gifts for their parents and siblings instead of for themselves.

Chief Barrow recalled that the department started the program some years ago, a small-scale effort to give back to those in need. When the Chamber president approached the department with the idea of forming a partnership, it was a no-brainer. The first year of that partnership raised about $6,000, he said, and has ballooned to $15,000 under Wilkerson and her team.

“We’ve gotten so much support,” Barrow said. “It’s more than Shop With a Cop – it’s a partnership” that involves the Department of Social Services, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks, the City Council, city manager, county manager, among all the other community supporters.

A highlight of the event was finding out who won the cash prizes associated with the 180 raffle tickets that were sold – four cash prizes were awarded – $200, $500, $1,000 and the top prize of $2,000.

As each name was drawn, Wilkerson easily called them out:

Juanita Sommerville, Kendrick Vann, Hal Muetzel. (Congratulations, by the way!)

But the $2,000 winner had her puzzled, and she may have not wanted to admit it, but she said she didn’t recognize the name: Sam…Citgo?

After a few failed attempts from the gathering to claim the prize, however, the picture became clear. HPD’s Tony Mills spoke up from the crowd to say he stopped by the gas station, “and the rascal bought three tickets.”

Citgo wasn’t the person’s last name – it was his place of business. So, Sam from Citgo, the purchase of three tickets paid off.

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Maria Parham Health

Maria Parham Health Earns Another ‘A’ For Hospital Safety From Leapfrog Group

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– information courtesy of Maria Parham Health Public Information Officer Donna Young

Maria Parham Health has been awarded an “A” Hospital Safety Grade by The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit organization committed to improving health care quality and safety. The recognition places Maria Parham Health among the top performing hospitals nationwide for patient safety.

Leapfrog assigns safety grades to hospitals based on more than 30 performance measures, including incidents of errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the hospital’s systems to prevent such events. The “A” grade reflects the hospital’s commitment to reducing preventable harm to patients and delivering high-quality care.

“We are extremely proud to earn an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “This recognition speaks to the incredible dedication and hard work of our physicians, nurses, staff, and volunteers who put patient safety at the forefront of everything they do. At Maria Parham Health, our patients are our priority, and this grade underscores our ongoing commitment to making communities healthier and providing the highest level of care in a safe environment.”

Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, congratulated Maria Parham Health for its dedication to patient safety. “Achieving an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade is a significant accomplishment for Maria Parham Health,” said Binder. “It reflects enormous dedication to your patients and their families, and your whole community should be proud. I extend my congratulations to Maria Parham Health, its leadership, clinicians, staff, and volunteers for their tireless efforts to put patients first.”

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only national rating program focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, injuries, accidents, and infections that lead to more than 500 patient deaths daily in the United States. The program is peer-reviewed, transparent and updated each fall and spring. This recognition emphasizes Maria Parham Health’s commitment to providing safe, quality care to all patients.

For more information on Maria Parham Health’s grade or to explore tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Handcrafted Holiday Market Saturday, Nov. 16 At Vance Regional Farmers Market

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The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is hosting its annual Handcrafted Holiday Market tomorrow, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and there’s sure to be something for everyone to enjoy!

The much-anticipated holiday event transforms the market with a variety of homemade gifts sprinkled amid the bounty from fall gardens.

In addition to handmade crafts, vendors have skin care products, jewelry, quilts and more – it’s a great time to find the perfect gift for everyone on your shopping list.

But Market Manager Pat Ayscue says you can also shop for locally sourced meats and produce, too – there’s beef, pork, chicken, lamb, local honey, cabbage, collards, turnip salad and the best jellies, pickles, tomatoes and fall apples around!

Live Christmas music giving the sound of the season and the air will be filled with chatter from seeing old friends and the joy of making new friends.

The farmers market is located at 210 Southpark Dr. in Henderson.

TownTalk: Farmers Appreciation Day Celebration

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The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located close to where Leo Kelly remembers his family farmed. They weren’t big farmers, Kelly told a group gathered at the farmers market Thursday for the inaugural Farmers Appreciation Day in Vance County, but he remembers chickens, hogs and having spring, summer and fall gardens.

Kelly, vice chair of the Vance County Board of Commissioners, joined others to recognize the importance of farmers, farming and agriculture. In 2023, the Legislature set aside the second Thursday in November as Farmers Appreciation Day.

N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon said the observance is a way to help people understand how farmers and farming affects them daily. These days, fewer people live near farms or don’t personally know farmers.

“Agriculture is more than planting corn and beans,” Sossamon said. It’s agritourism, small farmers producing specialty crops and more.

Vance County’s N.C. Cooperative Extension director Dr. Wykia Macon said she and her staff are always looking for ways to foster among young people an appreciation for agriculture and for farmers and to encourage them to get into agriculture.

Horticulture Agent Mike Ellington said he foresees changes in agriculture, but what remains, he believes, is the “sense of place, of purpose, community that agriculture creates.”

Vance County Commissioner Archie Taylor said he grew up on a farm and it helped shape the person he became.

“As I think about the professions we have,” he said, “no profession teaches our young kids more about hard work than farming.”

With the rise of urbanization, he said, fewer family farms meant that young folks didn’t have the “opportunity” to pitch in with chores like feeding livestock, chopping wood and all the other daily tasks a farm requires.

Taylor said he learned a lot from farm life, including “teaching me to get up in the morning, get started and get working.”

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The Local Skinny! Henderson Police Department To Participate In CALEA Assessment

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– Press release from Henderson Police Dept. Capt. Chris Ball

The Henderson Police Department will have a site-based assessment in early December as part of the reaccreditation process with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The local police department has held accredited status since 2002.

The evaluation will take place Dec. 9-12, during which time a team of assessors will evaluate the department for adherence to national standards and will identify best practices related to life, health and safety procedures, according to information from Capt. Chris Ball of the Henderson Police Department.

There are 462 specific professional standards the department must comply with to achieve and maintain accreditation status. Reaccreditation is a thorough and demanding process, and successful completion demonstrates that policies, practices and procedures align with the highest levels of law enforcement professionalism.

Accreditation follows a four-year cycle, during which police departments like the HPD must maintain electronic records to prove compliance. The records are reviewed remotely each year, culminating in a site-based assessment in the fourth year.

As part of the process, the public is invited to submit feedback via the CALEA portal at http://cimrs2.calea.org/481.

The purpose of this public portal is to receive comments regarding an agency’s compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services and overall candidacy for accredited status. These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide the participating agency with information to support continuous improvement, as well as fostering the pursuit of professional excellence.

It is important to know that CALEA is not an investigatory body, and subsequently, the public portal should not be used to submit information for such purposes. Additionally, there will be no response other than acknowledgement to submissions; however, the information will be considered in context to its relevancy to compliance with standards and the tenets of CALEA® Accreditation.

Standard titles may be viewed on the CALEA website: https://www.calea.org/node/11406. The Henderson Police Department participates in the advanced level of accreditation. Questions related to the accreditation process may be directed to the Accreditation Manager at bstrother@hendersonpd.nc.gov.

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3 Face Variety Of Drug, Larceny Charges Following Traffic Stop

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— press release from the Henderson Police Department

On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, an officer with the Henderson Department located a vehicle that was involved in a retail theft from Walmart the previous day. The suspect of the larceny was observed in the passenger seat of the vehicle and a traffic stop was conducted. The vehicle and occupants were searched with narcotics and drug paraphernalia being found. As a result, the following individuals were taken into custody and face the following charges:

Jessica Edwards, 40, charged with

  • Misdemeanor Larceny and Felony Tampering with an Anti-Theft Device in relation to the Walmart incident.
  • Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
  • She was also served with outstanding warrants for Misdemeanor Larceny and Habitual Larceny out of Orange County, Misdemeanor Larceny from Wake County, Misdemeanor Larceny from Franklin County, four Orders for Arrest from various counties for failure to appear, and a Felony Probation Violation out of Vance County.

Edwards received a $33,000.00 secured bond for the probation violation and orders for arrest.  She was not given a bond for other charges due to pre-trial release.

Shawn Parham, 35, was served with:

  • Magistrate Summons from Vance County for Injury to Personal Property
  • Misdemeanor Probation Violation, also out of Vance County
  • He was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Parham received a $15,000.00 secured bond for all charges.

James Salmon, 35, was charged with:

  • Two counts of Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Salmon received a $15,000.00 secured bond.

All three were remanded to the Vance County Detention Center.

The Local Skinny! Henderson City Council Takes $275K Loan To Purchase Embassy Block Property

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The Henderson City Council approved Tuesday taking a $275,000 loan to purchase property in the Embassy Block area of downtown to create extra parking and a “pocket” park.

Benchmark Community Bank will provide the five-year amortized loan. The council approved the purchase of the Embassy Block in the 2024-25 budget that was adopted in June 2024.

According to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, the property that the city will purchase is bounded by Young and Montgomery streets. It doesn’t include the part of the property that faces Garnett Street. It is where Falkner Building Supply was located, and is currently part of the McGregor Hall holdings.

The council also approved paying bilingual city employees up to $2,000 extra a year for language services they provide for city business transactions with customers whose first language is not English.

Blackmon told council members that the police department has five employees who fit the bill and there are several other city employees who currently help out when needed. At most, Blackmon estimated that it could mean an extra $20,000 in the budget. The languages needed most are Spanish, Arabic and American Sign Language, he noted.

Employees would have to demonstrate their proficiency by passing an exam; details were not provided about the type of exam that would be involved.

Information in the agenda packet stated that the “objective of the incentive is to establish and strengthen relationships with other communities where English is a second language and to provide language assistance  services on a consistent basis. Additionally, the incentive will be a source for future talent for various positions and retention of multilingual staff.”

The water fountain installation at Garnett and Charles streets will be named in honor of former mayor Eddie Ellington. Ellington was the 39th mayor of Henderson and served two terms from 2015-2023.

Blackmon said the city had fielded several calls from members of the community to request that Ellington be honored in some way. He said the city’s Public Works department will create a sign that will be placed at the water fountain with Ellington’s name on it.

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