Virginia Man Sentenced To More Than 14 Years In 2023 Case Involving Vance County Teen

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A federal judge in New Bern sentenced a Virginia man to 174 months in federal prison after he met a minor on Snapchat and manipulated her into sexual activity. On May 7, 2025, David Anthony Howard, II, age 27, pleaded guilty to transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle said, “Criminals who use apps like Snapchat to target and exploit our children are some of the worst offenders we face. We will not hesitate to bring the full force of the federal law down against anyone who preys on minors. Parents deserve to know we are doing everything possible to keep their kids safe.”

Many experts assert that young people who use social media platforms are vulnerable to predators such as the case involving the Vance County teen. A new law in Australia went into effect today that prohibits young people under the age of 16 from having their own social media accounts. A press release issued in July about the new law stated, “Delaying access to social media, including YouTube, until the age of 16 will protect young Australians at a critical stage of their development, giving them three more years to build real world connections and online resilience.”

According to court documents and other information presented in court, in April 2023, a Vance County mother reported that her 15-year-old daughter was missing and possibly being held by an adult male. The FBI, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, the Dinwiddie County, VA Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police determined that the minor was in Virginia with Howard at his residence. Further investigation revealed that Howard met the minor on Snapchat and manipulated her into a romantic and sexual relationship, traveling repeatedly from Virginia to her home in North Carolina to engage in sexual acts with her. He also enticed her to provide sexual images and videos. Finally, on the night of April 22, 2023, Howard tricked her to sneak out of her house and go to his home in Virginia. He kept her at his residence, continuing to sexually exploit her, until law enforcement recovered her five days later.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Blondel, Sarah Nokes, and Ashley Foxx prosecuted the case, and the FBI, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, the Dinwiddie County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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TownTalk: New Council Members Set For Swearing-In Ceremony On Dec. 29

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The two newest members of the Henderson City Council will have to wait until after Christmas to be sworn in. According to City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell, the Dec. 8 meeting that was cancelled because of inclement weather has been rescheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29.

Kenia Gómez-Jimenez and Catherine “Kitty” Miles Gill will join incumbents Garry Daeke and Lamont Noel, who won election or re-election to the Council in the fall elections.

Gómez-Jimenez defeated Ward 1 at-large Council Member Sara Coffey in the Oct. 7 election and Gill defeated Ola Thorpe-Cooper for the Ward 4 seat in the Nov. 4 runoff election.

Gómez-Jimenez expressed disappointment over the delay but said the decision to delay was the right call.

“Of course my family and I, along with our supporters and campaign team, were really looking forward to this Monday,” she said. “It was going to be such a
special moment for us and for our community. But at the end of the day, this really does come down to keeping everyone safe.

After the weather predicted for last Friday, I think many of us, myself included, weren’t sure if we were actually going to get any snow. Our City Manager and his team made the right call in closing City Hall on Monday because the roads really were getting slick that night. So while I’m a little disappointed, I also know December 29 will be here before we know it.

My hope is that the weather cooperates so our citizens can safely attend, be part of this moment, and witness the organizational votes and decisions that will shape the next four years. I truly hope to see you there!”

Kimbrell said finding a good time for all Council members proved to be a little tricky, especially given the holiday season.

“It’s the time of year,” Kimbrell said.”It was difficult finding a day that everyone was available.  With it being such an important meeting, we wanted everyone to be there, especially the four newly elected and the two outgoing members of Council.”

Following the December installation, the Henderson City Council makeup is as follows:

  • Ward 1 – Geraldine Champion
  • Ward 1 at-large – Kenia Gomez-Jimenez
  • Ward 2 – Sam Seifert
  • Ward 2 at-large – Lamont Noel
  • Ward 3 – Garry Daeke
  • Ward 3 at-large – Michael Venable
  • Ward 4 – Catherine “Kitty” Gill
  • Ward 4 at-large – Tami Walker

The council members serve four-year staggered terms, and the mayor serves a four-year term.

In the 2027 municipal elections, Henderson voters will vote for mayor, as well as Wards 1 and 2 aldermen, and Wards 3 and 4 at-large aldermen.

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The Local Skinny! Vance County Train Derailment Spills Dog Food Supplement; No Injuries Reported

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A train derailment last week at Eastern Minerals caused a supplement used in dog food to spill, but officials said there was never any danger to the public or to the environment.

The incident occurred at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3, according to CSX officials.

Clean-up of the product, a food grade Zinc used as a dog food supplement, was completed the same day that it was spilled, according to Vance County Emergency Management Specialist Willie Kearney.

Kearney said he and Vance County Assistant Fire Chief Adam Pegram met with a CSX Hazmat responder and the rail inspector to discuss details of the incident. “Everything is good to go,” Kearney said, adding that CSX representatives would most likely be invited to attend an upcoming Local Emergency Planning Committee meeting in 2026.

According to witnesses, the train derailed between the Peter Gill crossing and Eastern Minerals facility crossing on Raleigh Road.

CSX officials said one of their trains derailed three cars – two on their side, one upright – on an industry track located near Bearpond Road. No injuries were reported and no waterways were impacted.

 

 

 

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TownTalk: A Ride Around Town; Met Police Chief, Stopped by Central Fire Station

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When everything shuts down in advance of inclement weather, city and county residents can rest assured that law enforcement officials and other emergency personnel remain vigilant during the worst of it to keep everyone safe. And in this case, the winter weather advisory was a sign of frigid temps, which can even hard on the folks who get to stay inside.

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Just because the area didn’t exactly experience blizzard conditions in this most recent weather “event,” the fact that schools and other agencies were closed surely cut down on the volume of traffic on the roads.

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said his officers had received only two reports of traffic accidents – a fender-bender on Dabney Drive and a second involving one vehicle sliding off the road along a shaded portion of Beckford Drive, as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.

“You’ll get humbled real quick out there,” Barrow told WIZS. You’re driving along, then all of a sudden, there’s a shady spot that’s iced over. And that’s when accidents can occur, again in reference to conditions as of 11 o’clock in the morning Tuesday.

Police patrols were on the lookout for motorists or others in distress while the wintry mix fell during the day and then overnight, he said.

City government offices opened at normal hours Tuesday, but Barrow said he had officers monitoring road conditions and reporting back.

But even when city offices are closed – as they were on Friday and again on Monday – it’s not a day off for many city employees, including police officers and public works employees.

Barrow said Public Works Director Lee Owen and his team were throwing salt and sand where they could, but “with the ice situation, there’s not too much that we have that will help that situation.”

Individuals who stayed indoors while the winter weather advisory was in effect likely faced challenges of staying warm. And Henderson Fire Chief Tim Twisdale and Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds reminded residents to keep some basic safety tips in mind during these cold snaps.

If you use a space heater, please remember that they should be plugged directly into a wall outlet – no drop cords or power stips!

“Around this time of year, around Christmas, we usually see an uptick in fires,” Twisdale said “when additional heat becomes necessary.”

Make sure there’s at least a three-foot clearance around any supplemental heat source you use in your home.

If that supplemental heat source is a kerosene heater, remember to use the correct type of fuel. And never mix different types of fuel!

If you’re burning fossil fuels, whether it’s oil, natural gas or wood logs, it’s a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector installed in your home. And if you hear an annoying “chirp” from your smoke detector, it means it’s time to replace the battery.

City residents can place a call to the fire department at 252.438.7315 to request a replacement smoke detector.

TownTalk: 12-08-25

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We thank you for listening!

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Selling Timber

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Wayne Rowland, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

The selling of timber can be once in a lifetime, so you must have a good knowledge of timber sales.

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Vance Commissioners’ To Hold Special Called Meeting For Public Hearing On Zoning Requests

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners will hold a special called meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. to hold public hearings on several zoning requests and to receive and potentially approve a fiscal operations policy.

According to information from Clerk to the Board Dywanda Pettaway, Board Chair Carolyn Faines called the meeting, which will be held in the commissioners’ conference room of the county’s administration building, 122 Young St.

The two rezoning requests – (ZMA25-003 & ZMA25-004) – are pursuant to Section 11.2(D)(1) of the County Zoning  Ordinance and N.C. G.S. 160D. Article 6.

A second public hearing regarding two rezoning requests – (ZMA25-003 & ZMA25-004) – pursuant to Section 11.2(D)(1) of the County Zoning  Ordinance and N.C. G.S. 160D. Article 6. Action may be taken following the public hearings to adopt the proposed requests.