— Press Release Information from Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame

On or about the 30th day of October 2021, units with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office responded to the intersection of Thomas Road and N.C. 39 North, Shell Service Station, regarding a subject possibly having been shot.

While traveling to the scene, it was advised that two individuals had just arrived at Maria Parham Hospital. Both were suffering from gunshot wounds. It was determined that one of the individuals had in fact been shot while standing in the parking lot of the Shell Station. The victim, identified as Devonte Cheek of Henderson, was pronounced deceased at MPH.

The second victim has been identified. However, the identity is being withheld for the victim’s safety as well as to preserve the integrity of an ongoing criminal investigation. The second victim is expected to recover from all injuries sustained.

It is believed that Cheek was exiting a motor vehicle to enter the Shell Service Station when unknown subjects opened fire from the intersection of Thomas Road and N.C. 39 North. The suspects were operating a dark in color sedan and fled the area headed north on N.C. 39.

This incident is being investigated by the Vance County Sheriff’s office with the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.

Update 10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov 2 — Local Municipal Election Results in Vance County

All election results are unofficial until canvassed by the Board of Elections.

There were no contested races in Middleburg or Kittrell with all incumbents re-elected.

Jerry Joyner received eight votes for Mayor of Kittrell. There were five write-in votes.

With the option to vote for three of the names on the ballot or write in a name for Town of Kittrell Town Commissioner, Mary Jo Floyd received 12 votes, Robert Tunstall received 12, and Susan Pulley received nine. There were three write-in votes.

For Middleburg Mayor, Ray Bullock received 22 votes, and there was one write-in vote.

For Town of Middleburg Town Councilman, with the option to vote for three of the names on the ballot or write in a name, Ann Fudge received 21 votes, Ruth Nance received 18 and Mamie Turner received 17.

There was an 18.97 percent voter turnout across the two municipalities.

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Update Monday, Nov 1 —

Despite the City of Henderson municipal elections being delayed until 2022 pending potential redrawn district lines resulting from the 2020 Census, there are two other municipalities in Vance County that will have candidates on the ballot Tuesday.

In Middleburg, Ray Bullock’s name will be on the ballot for mayor, and three names will appear for town council. Annie Fudge, Ruth Nance and Mamie Turner are the names on the ballot and voters are to vote for three.  In all instances the candidates are incumbents.

Similarly in Kittrell, voters select three. And again in Kittrell, three names appear, all incumbent: Mary Floyd, Susan Pulley and Robert Tunstall.

The incumbent Jerry Joyner is running unopposed for mayor of Kittrell.

Barring a write-in candidate winning, the names on the ballot are all but certain to get elected.

Interestingly, both municipalities have a total of 98 eligible voters.

Now-retired Vance County Elections Director Faye Gill provided that nugget of information late last week. The 21-year veteran of the Board of Elections retired October 29.

Melody Vaughan became the new Vance County Elections Director Nov. 1. She has been with the board since 2013. She told WIZS New in August, “I have the confidence to do what is asked of me and I will do it to the best of my abilities.”

The aforementioned City of Henderson, non-partisan municipal elections will be delayed until March 8, 2022. Henderson is one of more than 30 municipalities across North Carolina that will delay elections originally scheduled for later this year.

According to an earlier press release from the North Carolina State Board of Elections, candidate filing periods for the delayed elections will be held either in December 2021 or January 2022, depending on when each municipality completes the redrawing of its districts.