WIZS Radio Local News Audio 08-30-23 Noon
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Driving This Holiday Weekend? Remember: Booze It And Lose It
State and local law enforcement officers will be out in force over the holiday weekend and beyond as part of the “Labor Day Booze It & Lose It” campaign, so as you plan to enjoy a last summertime hurrah, make sure those plans include having a designated driver. Don’t drink and drive.
Increased patrols and checkpoints will be conducted statewide through Sept. 10, to keep impaired drivers off North Carolina roads. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein helped lead Monday’s kickoff event at the Davidson County Rest Area off Interstate 85 South. “Keeping people safe has to be Job One for all of us,” Stein said. “If you drink and drive, you will get caught. Protect yourself and others – never operate a motor vehicle if you’ve been drinking.”The “Booze It & Lose It” campaign aims to eliminate impaired driving using outreach and stepped-up law enforcement efforts. Nearly every law enforcement agency in North Carolina participates in the 29-year-old campaign. “This Labor Day, we want you to plan ahead by arranging a sober ride home from any festivities that might involve alcohol or other impairing substances,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program, a part of the N.C. Department of Transportation. “Law Enforcement will be working extra patrols during this campaign to keep all motorists safe by catching those who don’t heed this message. There’s really no excuse.”
Alcohol is a leading contributor to fatal crashes in North Carolina, according to crash data compiled by the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles. Between 2017 and 2022, North Carolina has averaged more than one alcohol-related vehicle fatality each day. Last year, there were 462 alcohol-related fatalities on North Carolina roads and 16 of those deaths came during the Labor Day period.
TownTalk: Hester Discusses Shell Building And Development
It was just last fall when local government officials and others gathered at the Industrial Park outside Henderson to break ground on construction of a shell building.
Today, that building is ready to be upfitted to suit a potential buyer’s needs. County Commissioner Tommy Hester said the building is under contract to a manufacturing firm, but the company isn’t ready to make a public announcement just yet.
Hester, who chairs the Industrial Park Board, said construction went smoothly since that chilly November groundbreaking.
The idea was simple: Put up a building and have everything in place for a manufacturer or other commercial entity to come in and finish out the space to suit its particular needs.
As for this shell building, Hester said the new owner will probably still have to put in another $1 million or more to complete the building.
“You don’t want to finish it because you don’t know what upgrades they’ll want,” Hester said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. “You try to hit all of the major things that you think they’ll need,” he added. The building has a layer of gravel and a vapor barrier, as well as cargo doors and it’s expandable to 97,000 square feet.
“You’ve just got to have flexibility,” Hester said, to accommodate a variety of prospective buyers.
Hester said he predicted this building would be sold before it could be completed, and that’s just what has happened.
“I think we can do it again,” he said.
The county purchased the land for the park for $1.6 million. Add the infrastructure – with grants and from the state and federal departments of Commerce to offset costs – and the park has roads and water and sewer services. The road should be completed in December, Hester said.
The county made an investment, and Hester said it’s paying off.
“Success builds on success,” he said. “If you don’t invest, you don’t get a return.” More manufacturing means more local jobs and more money flowing to county coffers in the form of taxes.
“We’re in the right location at the right time,” Hester said of Henderson and Vance County’s proximity to Wake and Durham counties.
35 or 40 jobs over 2 or 3 year period, where growth is burgeoning.
It’s not just growth in the commercial sector, either. Hester cited housing developments in the county that could add 1,000 more homes in the next three to five years.
“The more rooftops you get here in this community, the more retail, the more you can help with quality of lives of citizens,” Hester said.
“It’s all happening faster than I thought,” he acknowledged. “I think we’re getting ready to grow.”
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The Local Skinny! Upcoming Events At Perry Memorial Library
The official first day of autumn is still a few weeks away, but fall programs at Perry Memorial Library are getting started this week.
Youth Services Director Melody Peters said things are shaping up for a wonderful fall at the library – come on in and have some fun!
Mother Goose story time is starting back up after a short end-of-summer break, Children 0-5 are welcome to come hear a few stories, sing a few songs and get some wiggles out, Peters said Tuesday on The Local Skinny!
Before children can read the words on a page, Peters said, they really need to hear the stories read to them.
Children pay attention to the voices as the stories are read aloud, she noted. All the senses are firing in a child’s first two years, so she takes care to choose books that are visually appealing written by diverse authors.
“It’s a fast, full 30 minutes,” Peters said of the weekly story time. “We’re not sitting still for this…we’re goint to have that song and move their bodies,” she said. They “practice” sitting while the stories are being read, but other than that, there’s a good bit of activity.
The story time uses themes and the first one is “On the Farm,” followed by “Apples” and “Fall.”
Story Time is all about “quality, not necessarily quantity,” she said. “You want to leave them wanting more.”
Speaking of more, that’s exactly what teens in grades 6-12 are getting in this season’s Life Hack series, Peters said. To kick things off, there’s STEM gaming fun in the Maker Space in September. From using the popular Wii system to learning about robots, tweens and teens can come together and just get used to coming to the library and using the creative space.
In October, they’ll have a chance to learn about electricity and actually have some hands-on learning by making electric circuits. Peters found a grant to purchase some kits filled with dozens of projects for the teens to learn with.
In November, a local bank representative is going to navigate youth through the ins and outs of personal finance. Although it’s pretty simple to wave your phone in front of a device to pay for something, the time will come when young people will need to be a little more tuned in to paycheck information, bank deposits and checking accounts.
Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about all the programs and services available for children and grownups alike.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 08-29-23 Noon
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TownTalk: Henderson Police Work With Federal Task Forces To Get Results
It’s always a good day when a police chief receives positive comments about his officers’ professionalism and thorough investigations. And Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow is hearing those kinds of comments from federal district attorneys, including the head of the U.S. Eastern District Court of North Carolina.
Barrow said he got a call two Fridays ago from U.S. Attorney Michael Easley Jr. himself in connection with a federal case.
“I was honored that he called me,” Barrow said on Monday’s TownTalk. “He spoke to me and praised the work that we’ve been able to do.” Easley complimented the local department on their professionalism and the way they put cases together, Barrow said.
In a recent press release regarding the sentencing of a local man in federal court, Easley commented: “The Henderson Police Department has made major investments in the federal partnership and the people of Henderson are safer for it. This city is bringing every law enforcement tool to fight the opioid crisis, and we are proud to partner with state and local police and prosecutors to fight fentanyl trafficking and save lives.”
“We’re well established in the federal system,” Barrow said, for the way “we produce great cases,” from creating reports to collecting and processing evidence.
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Some members of the local police department serve on different federal task forces of the Drug Enforcement Agency, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Barrow said, which provides a path for some cases to be tried in federal court.
“We truly did a big investment into the federal program,” Barrow explained. With input from local district attorneys to decide which cases – usually involving guns and drugs – should go to federal court, Barrow said the trials and sentencing can happen in a “pretty swift” manner.
The main thing, he said, is that “they are removed from our community – they are the worst of the worst.”
Barrow said his department also can assist other agencies.
“It’s a big collaborative effort on our part. We’re just trying to get everybody on board…We’re just looking at the best solution for our community,” he said.
The officers who participate on the various task forces are just part of the resources that Barrow said he needs to help keep Henderson and its residents safe.
He would like to purchase something called True Narc, a system that can safely field test narcotics and protect officers from exposure to harmful drugs like Fentanyl.
He said this system will produce an immediate test result when officers are out in the field. And he’s investigating ways of paying for it.
“Instead of using taxpayers’ money, I’d rather use drug dealers’ money,” he said.
The Eastern District includes Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties among the 44 easternmost counties of North Carolina. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
The Local Skinny! Gain Computer Skills At VGCC Franklin Campus Training Hub
Vance-Granville Community College, in partnership with a Wake Forest company, has opened up a computer hub at its Franklin Campus to improve the community’s access to technology.
Not only will DigitalBridge provide classes to help individuals learn how to use technology, but the hub is a place where people can come in a get a document printed, for example.
Stephanie Tolbert, VGCC dean of Business, Applied Technologies and Public Services, said the training hub addresses three challenges underserved communities face when it comes to using technology: connectivitiy, affordability and workforce skills training.
The hub is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Franklin Campus, located at 8100 Hwy 56 just outside of Louisburg. Additional times and days are available by appointment, Tolbert noted during Monday’s TownTalk.
They had a ribbon-cutting recently and have placed signs outside and in to direct people to the hub.
“We are ready, willing and able to help,” Tolbert said. “Just come to Franklin Campus and walk right into the lab.”
Let’s say you received a document via email, but you need help printing it, Tolbert said. Stop by the hub and get help making a copy. Or say you want to add a certain technology certification to boost your resume – there are more than 130 courses available in a self-paced format, Erica Hixon said.
And it’s all provided at no cost to the participant, Hixon, DigitalBridge’s project lead, said.
The information is all tailored to the individual, depending on goals and skill levels, Hixon said.
“Training is offered in-person or remote,” she added, with career coaches available to guide their efforts.
Whether it’s learning how to print a document, complete an online application all the way up to learning to write computer code, there’s something for everyone. A simple assessment will help target skill levels, so students won’t have to sit through learning information they already know.
It’s all about helping people get jobs, or get better jobs, while they’re gaining confidence with using technology.
“DigitalBridge is an initiative that serves to meet people where they are,” said VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.
The idea for the training hub began when VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais was at a national community college conference on entrepreneurship, Tolbert said. Once Desmarais learned about the Wake Forest group, the links were established and the training hub is the result.
“We had to go all the way to a conference to be introduced to someone in our own backyard,” Tolbert said. Desmarais recognized the need for the community, she said, adding that it’s not just a good partnership for the institution, but also for the community.
Learn about all the services the hub can provide by visiting https://mydigitalbridge.org/ or by calling 919.246.5700.
AAA Offers Reminders About Sharing The Road With School Buses
-information from N.C. Department of Insurance and AAA
More than 1.5 million students across the state started a new school year today and AAA and the N.C. Department of Insurance have some important reminders when it comes to sharing the roads with buses transporting their precious cargo – schoolchildren.
It’s not new information, but the reminders bear repeating this time of year, with school bells ringing in Vance, Granville and Franklin counties. Schools on year-round calendars, charters and Warren County schools have been in session for a few weeks, but many other young people have enjoyed summertime for a bit longer.
N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey also serves as Chair of Safe Kids N.C., and he reminds everyone to keep safety in mind when walking, driving or riding the bus to school.
“We all have an important role to play in keeping our children safe,” said Causey. “Drivers need to be on the lookout for crowded crosswalks and school buses on the road and parents need to talk to their children about the importance of traveling to school safely. It only takes one mistake to cause a tragic injury or death to a child.”
Statistics highlight the need for a call to action. On a typical day, more than 14,000 school buses carrying nearly 800,000 students operate on North Carolina roads. According to DOT, there were 1,075 crashes involving school buses in 2022. A total of 786 people were injured and eight people died.
There were also 5,189 charges for speeding in a school zone and 968 charges for failure to stop for a stopped bus.
In addition to the safety concerns these charges carry, they also hold repercussions to motorists’ auto insurance premiums. Passing a stopped school bus can result in the motorist adding four insurance points to their policy and potentially doubling their auto insurance premiums.
As part of its School’s Open Drive Carefully campaign, AAA reminds motorists to:
- Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.
- Come to a complete stop. Research shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods. Always come to a complete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding.
- Eliminate distractions. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing.
- Share the road with bicyclists. Children on bicycles are often inexperienced, unsteady and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and a bicyclist.
- Talk to your teen. Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for teens in the United States, and nearly one in four fatal crashes involving teen drivers occurs during the after-school hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Get evidence-based guidance and tips at TeenDriving.AAA.com.
Motorists are required to stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing and STOP arms extended. The only exception is on a divided highway with a raised divider. Here’s a breakdown of the rules of the road as they relate to buses:
- Two Lane Street – All drivers moving in either direction on a two-way street must stop for a school bus displaying a stop signal and must remain stopped until the road is clear of children AND the school bus stop arm is withdrawn.
- Multi-Lane Paved Median – All drivers moving in either direction must stop for a school bus displaying a stop signal and must remain stopped until the road is clear of children AND the school bus stop arm is withdrawn.
- Divided Highway – Traffic approaching an oncoming school bus does not need to stop if there is a raised barrier such as a concrete divider or at least five feet of unpaved space separating the lanes of traffic. However, these motorists should slow down and watch for students loading or unloading from the bus.
Students who are walking or riding their bikes to school have some important safety reminders as well.
Walkers:
- Pay attention at all times. Avoid texting or wearing headphones, so you can detect nearby traffic.
- Use sidewalks where available. If not, walk against the direction of traffic so you can see oncoming vehicles.
- Make yourself easier to be seen by wearing reflective, bright colored clothing.
Bicyclists:
- Wear a helmet and neon or bright colored clothes.
- Ride in the same direction as traffic and stay as far to the right as possible. Use bike lanes when you can.
- Do not wear headphones so you can detect approaching traffic.
- Cross the street at intersections. Do not pull into the roadway from between parked cars.
Armed Henderson Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
— Press Release courtesy of U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of North Carolina
A Henderson man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl and possession of firearms. On March 20, 2023, Neno King, 31, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
“The Henderson Police Department has made major investments in the federal partnership and the people of Henderson are safer for it,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This city is bringing every law enforcement tool to fight the opioid crisis, and we are proud to partner with state and local police and prosecutors to fight fentanyl trafficking and save lives.”
Chief Marcus Barrow of Henderson PD stated: “This is just another example of our collective efforts to make our community safer. I’m hopeful the impact is felt across our community.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled purchases of heroin suspected of containing fentanyl from King in the Spring of 2022. In March 2022, agents executed a search warrant at King’s residence in Henderson where they recovered three firearms and a substance containing fentanyl.
King has prior felony convictions for possession with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver heroin (2013), possession of heroin (2015), possession with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver heroin (2016), and fleeing and eluding arrest in a motor vehicle (2016).
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Henderson Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-00173-FL.
Updated August 24, 2023