Vance County Sheriff's Office

A Juvenile Suffering from a Gunshot Wound has Died

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Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame has informed WIZS News that a local 14-year-old juvenile suffering from a gunshot wound has died. Another juvenile, age 15, has been charged in the matter.

In a press release, the sheriff indicated an incident occurred Tuesday, Oct 19 shortly before 12:30 p.m. At that time, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office responded to 318 Foxfire Drive in reference to a gunshot victim, the release stated.

At the scene, it was discovered at the time that a 14 year old had suffered a gunshot wound “causing life threatening injuries and was transported to Duke University Hospital.”

Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigators were able to identify a suspect and obtain a secure custody order for the 15 year old, who was then charged with attempted 1st degree murder.

Thursday afternoon Sheriff Brame wrote by email to WIZS and said, “I am sorry that I have to inform you regarding the attached, the 14 year old gunshot victim died as a result of his injury.”

Sheriff Brame confirmed Thursday afternoon the charges would be upgraded or changed to 1st degree murder.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office (252) 738-2200 or Crime Stoppers (252) 492-1925. Anyone giving information can remain anonymous.

TownTalk: Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society Pays Tribute To Ricky Overby

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Most Friday evenings for almost a decade, Ricky Overby would climb into the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society van, put it in Drive and head out of town on a freedom ride. The thousands of dogs and cats that left Vance County for rescue and adoption groups up and down the East Coast owe their lives – literally – to Captain Ricky.

Overby died Tuesday after a short battle with cancer. But Brandon Boyd, RCAPS President, holds Overby up as an example as someone who selflessly gave of his time to further the RCAPS mission of saving animals.

Overby started out as a driver, Boyd told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk, but as the single van grew to a fleet of vans, Captain Ricky took on more responsibilities with RCAPS.

Boyd remembered his employee – and friend – as loyal and dependable. “He took pride in his work, in his job,” he said. “And he loved saving animals.”

He’d take off usually by 9 p.m. on Fridays, with dozens and dozens of dogs and cats loaded in the van. He’d make numerous stops along his way up the East Coast, his destination sometimes as far North as Albany, New York.

Sometimes, Boyd said, when he found himself awake in the wee hours of a Saturday morning, “I’d call the Captain.” The calls sometimes lasted five minutes; others lasted upwards of an hour, Boyd recalled.

His reputation for a loving, caring person grew as his transports continued – Boyd said it’s difficult to grasp just how widespread that reputation reached.

James Jackson, another local volunteer, stepped in when Capt. Ricky got sick. And Friday night, when Jackson settles in behind the wheel of the van loaded with 50 or 60 dogs and cats headed for New York, he and the other RCAPS volunteers will continue Capt. Ricky’s mission of doing God’s work of caring for animals.

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Rain Chance Didn’t Dampen Success Of Downtown Car Show

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Although the official economic impact has yet to be quantified, Vance  County Tourism Development Authority Executive Director Pam Hester has plenty of anecdotal evidence to show that last weekend’s Show, Shine, Shag and  Dine was a great success.

“The car show (was) fabulous,” Hester told WIZS News. She estimated that between 350 and 400 cars rolled into town to participate in the 19th annual event. Given the concern for COVID-19, plus the fact that there was a good chance of rain, she said she was pleased with the turnout.

This year should have been the 20th anniversary celebration, but COVID-19 put the brakes on last year’s event. Hester said she and her team of volunteers are already making plans to mark the anniversary in special ways for next year.

Attendance was slightly down, but she cited COVID-19 as a factor in that. Hester didn’t have an official estimate, and “it’s so hard to tell when it’s that many people” milling about downtown, she noted.

Hotels seemed to be pretty well booked on Saturday night, and she predicted that was the case for Friday as well. She fielded calls from New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Massachusetts and said that many cars were trailered in. “There were a lot of cars and people that I haven’t seen – lots of new places and new faces,” she said.

She noted that there were fewer vendors and food trucks, but she attributed that to COVID, too. “It’s hard to find help to run (main restaurants and food trucks), and that’s what the vendors were running into,” she said. The food vendors that were there, however, provided delicious food. “One guy sold out of everything he had on his truck,” she added.

A meeting is scheduled for next week to debrief the team of volunteers about what went well and what can be improved upon for next year, when the event turns 20.

TownTalk: Randy Owen Looks To The Future After Retirement

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When Randy Owen says he’s not one to sit around and do nothing, he really means it. Although he is enjoying a short time off at the moment, Owen said he will be officially retired from Vance -Granville Community College on November 1. That also happens to be his first day at his new job as a paramedic at Rex Health Care’s catheterization lab.

Owen spoke with John C. Rose on Town Talk Wednesday, and he said the afternoon’s activities involved playing a little golf. When November rolls around in a couple of weeks, however, he will be working 12-hour shifts several days each week, which he said he looks forward to.

His first career began when he joined the Henderson Fire Department back in 1990. What began as a job as a firefighter and EMT morphed into becoming first a part-time instructor at VGCC and then a full-time instructor and coordinator of fire and rescue training.
“I fell in love with the instruction part of it,” Owen said. He got a certificate to teach CPR and then got his EMS certification. He credits Ranger Wilkerson, Danny Wilkerson and Curtis Tyndall with getting his career off on solid footing.

His second career will be challenging, but it’s a challenge he said he looks forward to. “I love a challenge,” he exclaimed. “I’m really, really looking forward to doing some patient care.”

Whether it’s caring for patients, co-workers, family or his community, Owen does so with a smile and great enthusiasm.

He said he is grateful for the support that he and his family have received in the past few years since his daughter Reagan’s diagnosis with acute myeloid leukemia. There have been fundraisers and many other expressions of support as medical bills continued to mount.
“It was very, very stressful,” he recalled, when Rae Rae spent eight long months at Duke for treatment. Community support “touched us in such a special way,” he said. Right now, she’s doing well, although she faces a pulmonic valve replacement in the future. “She should be put in line pretty soon,” he said.

In his new job, he’ll work fewer days, but longer shifts, and the schedule is more flexible. This is another aspect of the job that appeals to Owen because that means he can donate his time to help with other organizations.

Amanda Riggan, founder of Hungry Heroes, called him recently and asked whether he could help with an upcoming event in the area. “I just jumped on board and said, ‘most definitely!’”

“It’s amazing what she does for our public safety people,” he said of Riggan and the organization that provides meals and stocks kitchens for first responders like firefighters and rescue personnel.

Offering food to those who serve in their community is a little “give back,” he said. “One little thing we can do is feed them.”

In his role as coordinator for the fire and rescue training program at VGCC, Owen saw to it that the 50-plus agencies in the four counties that VGCC serves had the appropriate training classes.

One program that he remembers well involved helping first responders deal with stress.

The idea was to debrief after a traumatic event like a fire or a car accident, let folks explain their role and “get it off their chest and grieve about it.”

It’s important for supervisors and chiefs to monitor their team for signs of stress and get on top of it quickly, he said. “Stress is a big part of this job – It takes a special person to do it.”

Owen should know.

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GVPH Director Lisa Harrison In President’s Role At National Association Of Health Officials

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Granville-Vance Public Health Director Lisa M. Harrison is the 2021-22 president of the board of directors of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), which represents nearly 3,000 local health departments across the country.

“It is a privilege to serve as NACCHO’s board president while public health continues to work so diligently during the pandemic to prevent disease and promote health,” Harrison said in press release from the national organization. “I have been in awe of our public health workforce for a long time, but these last two years have been a constant reminder of their tireless dedication to and focus on community.   We are fortunate in the United States to have hundreds of thousands of public health workers across nearly 3,000 local health departments fighting a hard fight at the tip of the spear against COVID-19, against underfunded and outdated systems that can hinder more than help get the job accomplished, and against misinformation that spreads more quickly than fact.  I look forward to working with our partners at all levels to ensure the critical public health system receives long-term sustainable solutions.   In the meantime, you can count on your local health department for vaccines, case investigation, contact tracing, outbreak investigation, data management, education, outreach, infection control, and a host of important partnerships to leverage local community health efforts.”

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and our county and city health departments, we welcome and look forward to Lisa’s strong leadership of local health departments as we continue to respond to COVID and address the myriad of public health priorities facing our communities and our country at this crucial time in our history,” said NACCHO Chief Executive Officer Lori Tremmel Freeman.

Harrison has been the director of the GVPH since 2012. Her previous roles in North Carolina public health have been in research, practice, and policy development.

Harrison has served as the performance improvement manager for the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH), where she worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a public health infrastructure grant for performance improvement. Prior to that, she participated in the North Carolina 2020: A Better State of Health initiative with the North Carolina Institute of Medicine.  In addition, she worked on the development of the Quality Improvement 101 curriculum for local public health agencies; and established a quality improvement training program for the North Carolina public health workforce.

Harrison has been a member of the public health field for more than 20 years. She has served as the director of the Office of Healthy Carolinians and Health Education at the NCDPH, led the Public Health Incubator Collaboratives Program at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, and directed the Southeast Public Health Leadership Institute (SEPHLI) at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health where she continues to stay connected as adjunct faculty in the Public Health Leadership Program.  In 2015, Harrison served as the North Carolina Public Health Association president where she continues to stay involved connecting public health research and practice.

About NACCHO’s Board of Directors

NACCHO is governed by a 22-member board comprising local and tribal health officials who are elected by their peers, as well as three ex-officio members representing partner organizations.

As the governing body, NACCHO’s Board of Directors establishes the association’s strategic direction and initiatives, sets the annual legislative agenda, approves official policy statements, ensures that annual goals are met, and provides financial oversight. The Board is NACCHO’s public face, and represents members in matters of policy, public health practice, and collaboration with health partners in the public and private sectors.

NACCHO’s Board is led by four executive officers. In addition to Ms. Harrison, this includes:

  • President-elect Margaret Jahn, MS, MPH, Director, Freehold Area Health Department, Freehold, NJ
  • Vice President Pramod Dwivedi, DrPH, MS, MSW, MA, Health Director, Linn County Public Health Department, Cedar Rapids, IA
  • Immediate Past President Jennifer C. Kertanis, MPH, Director of Health, Farmington Valley Health District, Canton, CT

The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for October 19, 2021. The Chamber compiles the information, and it is presented here and on the radio. Contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or email christa@hendersonvance.org to be included.

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Name of the Company: Vance County Sheriff’s Department

Jobs Available:  Sheriff’s Office has openings for 5 Deputies, 2 School Resource Officers and 1 Administrative/ Front Office person. The Detention Center has 12 vacancies for Detention Officers and 1 part-time opening for the kitchen

Method of Contact: For more information visit vancecountysheriff.org or call Sheriff Office @ 252-738-2200

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Name of the Company: George’s Restaurant of Henderson

Jobs Available: Looking to fill all positions

Method of Contact:  Please stop by the business at 210 N. Garnett St. to apply in person

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Name of the Company:  Hollander Sleep Products, LLC

Jobs Available: Operator Sewing Machine II and Utility I

Method of Contact:   Interested persons who want to apply please contact NC Works Office

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Name of the Company: First United Methodist Church of Henderson

Jobs Available:  Director of Children and Youth Ministries – This is a salaried position working directly under the supervision of the Pastor and is ultimately responsible to the Staff Parish Relations Committee for the development and promotion of a comprehensive and effective ministry to children and youth.

Method of Contact:  To apply email cover letter and resume with at least three professional references to Pastor George Loveland at George.loveland@nccumc.org

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Name of the Company:  Roses/ Variety Distribution Center

Jobs Available: General Warehouse Associates, Lift Drivers, Team Leads, Yard Drivers, Housekeeping/ Custodial, Supervisors. Available shifts 1st and 2nd  Monday- Friday, Saturday overtime as needed. Potential to earn up to $20.00 an hour, Sign on bonus of $1500.00 and attendance bonus.

Method of Contact:  Apply in person at NEW Roses Distribution Hiring Center located at 218 S. Garnett Street, Henderson, hours are Monday and Wednesday 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30am – noon and 1:00pm – 4:oopm.

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Name of the Company: Walmart Distribution Center – Henderson

Jobs Available: HR Clerk Part-time, Asset Protection Associate, Area Managers, Operations Manager, Order Filler/Freight Handler and Forklift Drivers, Loader Wrapper, Unloading/ Receiving

Method of Contact: For full listings and more information go to https://careers.walmart.com/us/jobs 

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Name of the Company: Granville Vance Public Health

Jobs Available: Front Office Manager for Clinical Services – A minimum of five (5) years of administrative experience in personnel budgeting, research or administrative management is preferred. The candidate must also possess knowledge and a strong command of principles and practices of effective communications both orally and in writing. Graduation from a 4 year college or university and one year experience or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Method of Contact:  Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, sample of written work (one page), completed State application, college transcripts and three work related reference contacts via email to humanresources@gvdhd.org or mail to Human Resources Manager, Granville Vance District Health Department, Post Office Box 367, Oxford, NC 27565

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Some of these businesses are present or past advertisers of WIZS.  Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast.  This is not a paid ad.

 

TownTalk: Harry Coombs Talks Military History

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The 6th annual military history show will take place on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Henderson-Oxford Airport in Granville County. And coordinator Harry Coombs says it’s on track to be even bigger and better than last year, when the event netted $1,700 to benefit the local veteran’s affairs committee.

“I expect the crowds to be pretty large,” Coombs told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk segment. The free outside event may have ebbs and flows between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., but there will be plenty for folks to see and do all day long, Coombs said.

The helicopter rides were a big hit last year, and plans are to have two choppers on hand to accommodate the crowd and keep lines short. Tickets for the helicopter ride are $40 a person, up a bit from last year’s price to offset rising fuel prices.

There are more than 70 items that are part of a silent auction, and Coombs said there is a Facebook page that has some images of the items, which range from home and garden items to a military uniform and other patriotic items. Local veteran Mike Scott has donated some handcrafted wood burnings that will be among the auction items.

The silent auction will close bids at 2 p.m. and then winners will be announced, he added.

Coombs said he has been involved in similar events before, and decided to start one himself when trying to come up with an idea that would benefit the veterans in the area. “I just wanted to do something to give back to the community in some way,” he said, adding that the airport venue was available for the first event, so he decided to stage it there.

There’s a chance that a military-colored Stearman biplane once used for military training may make an appearance, he said.

All types of military equipment will be on display, from World War I and II, and military re-enactors from the Carolinas and Virginia will be on hand representing military service from as far back as the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, he said.

Some of the re-enactors are military veterans, Coombs said, and others became interested because they had family members who served and they like to research and find out information about the military.

Coombs said the re-enactors won’t just be representing the U.S. military, but said German, British and Russian soldiers will be included in this year’s event. Although most of the uniforms are reproductions, other items that will be on display have come from various places – from the Internet and estate sales to donations from veterans themselves who brought souvenirs home when the war was over.

The airport is located at 6514 Airport Road, Oxford, NC 27565.

To learn more or to volunteer for Saturday’s event, contact Coombs via phone call or text at 919.691.7697.