Vance County Superior Court Session Results in Significant Prison Sentences
Henderson, NC – District Attorney Michael Waters, together with Assistant District Attorneys Melissa Pelfrey and Onica Fuller worked through a criminal calendar consisting of cases brought by both the Henderson Police Department and the Vance County Sheriffs Office during a week-long session of Vance County Superior Court which began May 8, 2017, where Superior Court Judge Michael O’Foghludha presided.
Travis Kingsberry received an active prison sentence of Life without Parole in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Adult Correction (DAC) at the end of a week-long trial where jurors found Kingsberry guilty of First Degree Murder, First Degree Burglary and Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury. The case against Kingsberry stemmed from the 2009 murder of Montrell Alston on Adams Street in Henderson, NC, and was investigated by detectives and patrol officers of the Henderson Police Department under the direction of Chief Marcus Barrow.
Jemel Bullock, a co-defendant of Mr. Kingsberry, received an active prison sentence of 96 to 125 months in the DAC as a result of his plea of guilty to Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon.
Darius Benson, also a co-defendant of Bullock and Kingsberry, was sentenced, pursuant to his plea of guilty, to Voluntary Manslaughter and received an active prison sentence of 71 to 95 months in the DAC. Benson received a mitigated sentence as a result of agreement to testify on behalf of the State against others involved in the 2009 murder of Montrell Alston.
The fourth and final co-defendant of Bullock, Benson and Kingsberry, Alan Gibson, was found guilty of First Degree Murder, First Degree Burglary and Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury by a jury at the end of a trial that began on March 21, 2017. Gibson also received an active prison sentence of Life without Parole in the DAC.
Michael Waters
Vance County High School Graduation Times and Locations Announced
Vance County Schools
For Immediate Release
May 19, 2017
The graduation ceremonies for all of the Class of 2017 members in our four high schools begin next Friday, May 26, with the commencement for graduates at the Vance County Early College High School.
All four of the high school graduation ceremonies can be viewed live on the school system’s website at www.vcs.k12.nc.us.
The Early College commencement will begin at 6 p.m. and will be held in the Civic Center on the campus of Vance-Granville Community College near Henderson.
Our other graduation ceremonies include:
Friday, June 9, at 7 p.m. at McGregor Hall in Henderson for graduates of the AdVANCE Academy at Western Vance High School
Saturday, June 10, at 8 a.m. at McGregor Hall in Henderson for graduates of Northern Vance High School
Saturday, June 10, at 12 p.m. at McGregor Hall in Henderson for graduates of Southern Vance High School
The seating capacity of the McGregor Hall auditorium is approximately 960 people. The number of people admitted for each ceremony will not exceed the number of seats. For the ceremonies for Northern Vance and Southern Vance high schools, tickets will be given to graduates for their family members to attend. Only those people with tickets will be admitted for the ceremony. Only young children will be allowed to sit in the laps of adults. There will be overflow seating for people in the McGregor Hall Gallery. However, these people also must have a ticket for admission.
The doors to McGregor Hall will be opened one hour prior to the beginning of each graduation ceremony.
No types of noise makers, signs, posters, banners, balloons, confetti or any other similar materials will be permitted at any of the graduation ceremonies.
Parking for the graduation ceremonies at McGregor Hall will be available along any of the surrounding streets, as well as the Perry Memorial Library parking lot, the city parking lot in front of the Henderson Police Department along Chestnut Street and the PNC Bank parking lot on Chestnut Street.
VGCC Trustees Add Supply Chain Management to Programs
The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees recently approved the addition of a new curriculum program, Supply Chain Management, to replace Global Logistics & Distribution Management Technology. The action came at the Trustees’ bimonthly meeting on the college’s Main Campus on Monday, May 15.
The Supply Chain Management curriculum prepares students for a variety of careers in distribution, transportation, warehousing, trucking operations, supply chain and manufacturing organizations. Graduates will earn an Associate in Applied Science degree.
Trustees approved adding tracks in Global Logistics Technology and Trucking Operations Management, starting with Fall Semester, which begins Aug. 14. The changes will not affect students who are currently enrolled in the Global Logistics curriculum at VGCC, said Dr. Angela Ballentine, vice president of academic affairs. Courses under the existing program will be available through Spring 2018.
Students pursuing the tracks will be able to progress smoothly from the certificates to the related Supply Chain Management degree, Dr. Ballentine said.
Courses will include Transportation Logistics, Import/Export Management, Purchasing Logistics, Introduction to Trucking, and Fleet Maintenance. The Global Logistics & Distribution Management Technology program is being archived, according to Trustee Barbara Cates Harris, chair of the board’s Curriculum Committee.
The board also acted to terminate the Logistics Management and the Secure Logistics certificates, effective this fall.
Capital Projects
A variety of capital projects are on tap for VGCC, according to a Building Committee report given by Donald C. Seifert, Sr., chair.
Bids have been opened for the renovation of a lab for the Histotechnology program on the Main Campus.
The bid for replacement of the roof of Building 6 on the Main Campus has been awarded to Baker Roofing of Raleigh at a cost of $333,180. The project is scheduled to be completed during the summer.
An agreement has been signed to begin assessment of exterior masonry repairs needed on the Main Campus. The college is seeking to restore, structurally repair and waterproof building masonry rooflines, walls and bridges. The assessment is expected to be completed in November.
A preliminary design site visit was done in April by BW Architecture of Greenville as the college seeks to renovate a 3,200-square-foot space in Building 10 for the Law Enforcement Training, Fire/Rescue and Emergency Medical Services programs.
The patching and sealing of the parking lots at South Campus was awarded to Carolina Pavement of Cary at a cost of $14,903, with completion scheduled for July 31.
A design agreement was executed with Stanford White Inc. of Raleigh in early April to renovate the existing Welding lab area at Franklin County Campus to add eight welding booths and a demonstration area. Bids are expected to be advertised in July and opened in August.
Other Action
In other action:
- Colton Hayes, student trustee and president of the Student Government Association, used his last meeting to thank the board for the opportunity to serve as student trustee. The first-ever SGA president from one of the early college high schools, Hayes graduated from VGCC on May 12 and will get his high school diploma from Franklin County Early College High School on May 25.
- Trustee Danny Wright, reporting for Sara Wester, chair of the Personnel Committee, reported on new employees, retirements and resignations.
- The trustees approved student, patron, child care and facility rental fees for the 2017-2018 academic year, recommended by the Budget Committee, chaired by Trustee Abdul Rasheed.
- The Investment Committee, chaired by Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., reported on growth in the college’s investments.
- In her report on college activities and upcoming events, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams announced the board will have its annual retreat on Aug. 28.
- Board Chair Danny Wright appointed a nominating committee composed of Frazier, Wester and Harris to prepare a list of nominees for officers for 2017-2018.
Following the regular session, the board entered a Closed Session for the annual evaluation of the president.
The next meeting of the VGCC Board of Trustees will be held on Monday, July 17, at the Main Campus.
–VGCC–
Help patients, honor loved ones by donating blood with the Red Cross
DURHAM, N.C. (May 17, 2017) – Before busy summer schedules set in, the American Red Cross urges eligible donors to roll up a sleeve to help ensure a sufficient supply for patients in need.
Donors of all blood types are needed now to help accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving cancer treatment.
Kenneth Reed gives blood in his son’s honor. When Trace was 8 days old, he underwent heart surgery and received blood transfusions. “It’s the least I can do. If it wasn’t for donors, he wouldn’t be here with us today,” said Reed. “I don’t call it donating blood; I call it donating life.”
Giving blood is an easy and thoughtful way to honor a loved one who has relied on blood products, to follow in the example of a family member who gives regularly or to simply help others.
As a thank you, those who come out to donate May 26-30 will receive a Red Cross-branded visor, while supplies last. Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors can then also visit redcrossblood.org/cedarfair to enter to win one of three grand prize packages for four to Knott’s Berry Farm in California or Cedar Point in Ohio.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities:
Granville
Creedmoor
5/26/2017: 2:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Creedmoor United Methodist Church, 214 Park Avenue
Oxford
6/15/2017: 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Union Bank & Trust Company, 108 College Street
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Person
Roxboro
5/29/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., National Guard Armory, 605 Burlington Rd
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Vance
Henderson
6/16/2017: 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Maria Parham Health, John T. Church Building, 566 Ruin Creek Rd
NC Farmers should prepare for hurricane season
RALEIGH – Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler’s annual plea for farmers to prepare for hurricane season is especially poignant this year, considering many are still recovering from Hurricane Matthew.
“Hurricane Matthew is a painfully fresh reminder of just how important it is to have an emergency plan for your farm, food company or agribusiness,” Troxler said. “Take precautions and think through your plan now, and discuss it with your employees and family. Doing this can help no matter what emergency strikes.”
Scientists at N.C. State University are predicting 11 to 15 named storms in the Atlantic basin this year, numbers in line with the average since 1950. Of those storms, four to six could become hurricanes. The Atlantic hurricane season typically runs June 1 to Nov. 30, but this year has already seen one tropical storm, Arlene, which made a brief appearance in April.
Planning helps farmers protect their families, workers, equipment and buildings, Troxler said. “Livestock operations should maintain emergency plans that address power needs and on-site feed capabilities,” he said. “Also, identify places to relocate animals from low-lying areas. We saw farmers take those precautions before Matthew, and I believe it played a role in reducing animal losses from the storm.”
Farmers and businesses should review insurance policies to ensure they have proper coverage, including wind, hail, flood and catastrophic coverage if necessary. Some coverage takes 30 days to go into effect.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has a website, www.ncagr.gov/disaster, with links and resources for different types of agribusinesses to plan and recover from a disaster. A Farm Emergency Plan Template is available on the site to help organize information that is needed after a disaster.
H/V Chamber Cuts Ribbon for new Downtown Shoe Store
On Thursday, April 27, the Henderson Vance Chamber of Commerce held a Ribbon Cutting ceremony for Fierce Feet by Tweet, a new business in Downtown Henderson. Fierce Feet by Tweet owner, Alisa Alston offers a variety of in trend, casual and formal shoes and accessories, including clothing and handbags.
Hours of operation are 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m, Monday – Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. The shop is located at 133 S. Garnett Street, in historic Downtown Henderson and can be reached at (252) 425-2287.
