Sheriff’s Office Files Murder Warrant In Connection With Oct. 30 Shooting Death In Williamsboro

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The Vance County Sheriff’s Office has announced that a first-degree murder warrant has been filed in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred late last month in Williamsboro, north of Henderson.

In a press statement issued Tuesday evening, Sheriff Curtis Brame said officials are looking for Tiara Zhane Seaward of 501 Red Clay Lane, Henderson. She is considered a suspect in connection with the shooting that took place on Oct. 30 at the intersection of N.C. 39 North and Thomas Road. Two people were shot, and Devonte Cheek of Henderson died of his injuries at Maria Parham Hospital. The second victim has not been identified as the investigation continues.

Cheek was exiting the passenger side of 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, according to the sheriff’s office.  A dark-colored sedan fled the area headed north on N.C. 39.

That vehicle has been identified as a black 2006 Honda Accord, with license plate JHA-4249. It most likely will have numerous bullet holes on the passenger side and rear area, according to information released by the sheriff’s office.

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.

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 November 16, 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.

JOB OPENINGS IN VANCE COUNTY – Week of November 16, 2021

 

Name of the Company: Kerr-Tarr Regional Council of Government

Jobs Available: Aging Specialist

Method of Contact: For Interested applicants call or go by one of your area NC Works Centers  

 

Name of the Company: Hollander Sleep Products, LLC

Jobs Available: Supervisor ECOM Operations

Method of Contact: For more information call or go by one of your area NC Works Centers

 

Name of the Company:  BB&T Now Truist

Jobs Available:  Bi-Lingual Teller/ Financial Services Representative

Method of Contact:   Applicants can apply @ Truist.com

 

Name of the Company: Vance County Social Services

Jobs Available: Multiple positions open

Method of Contact:  Please go to county website at www.vancecounty.org for more information

 

Name of the Company: Vance County Sheriff’s Department is urgently hiring

Jobs Available:  Deputies,  Investigator,  School Resource Officers,  Office Administrative Assistant and Detention Officers

Method of Contact:  For more information please contact the Sheriff’s office at 252-738-2200 or go by the office in person at 156 Church Street Suite 004, Henderson

 

Name of the Company:  Servpro of Franklin Vance and Granville Counties

Jobs Available: Staff to clean up and restore homes and businesses related to water damage, fires and mold. On- the- job training is provided

Method of Contact:   Stop by the office at 260 Industry Drive off Ross Mill Rd. near Lowe’s or call 252-433-005

 

Name of the Company: Select Tissue of NC

Jobs Available: Class A CDL Truck Drivers

Method of Contact:  Please apply through NC Works

 

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: Police Chief Marcus Barrow; Henderson City Ordinances

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City officials have begun the task of updating ordinances to comply with a Dec. 1 deadline that will affect whether violations are considered a criminal infraction that could lead to arrest or a civil infraction that could result in a fine.

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow explained the process to John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk. After consulting with his officers and staff, Barrow said he identified seven ordinances to be updated first. The City Council adopted the updated ordinances at its most recent meeting.

Back in 2018, Barrow said the state asked cities and municipalities for a list of ordinances that were enforceable by law enforcement personnel. Previously, the wording had indicated that “unless otherwise stated,” all ordinances were enforceable through citation or arrest. However, “a lot of things (have) happened in law enforcement” since then, Barrow said. The state General Assembly attached to a police reform bill that Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law in September a laundry list of items that affect city and municipal governments statewide.

In laymen’s terms, effective Dec. 1, unless specifically stated, all city ordinances are not enforceable by law enforcement officers. Barrow said the state basically changed the way ordinances must be written; “unless the ordinance specifically says it’s a criminal offense, it will not be,” he explained.

The first group of ordinances that were updated and adopted by the City Council are:

  • 7-54.14. – Enforcement (Golf Carts)
  • 10-7. – Loitering
  • 10-20. – Noises – Prohibited acts
  • 10-42. – Weapons, bows, slings, etc. (Discharging firearm in the city)
  • 10-44. – Trespassing on city property
  • 10-45. – Use of city parks within certain hours
  • 10-49. – Concealed weapons on city properties

 

City Manager Terrell Blackmon said this group of ordinances were chosen first because they are important for public safety.

He said a team of city officials is going to review all ordinances in the near future to update wording and possibly remove outdated ordinances.

“(The team) includes both chiefs, the city clerk, city attorney, development services director and myself that will be working on this project,” Blackmon told WIZS News via email. “We may also solicit the services of an external consultant to pull it all together once we have identified other ordinances that may need to be addressed,” he said.

Barrow said cities, including Henderson, may see an increase in civil actions instead of citations and arrests when ordinances are violated – fines and not crimes, he added. But what happens when someone goes to collect those fines or impose a civil action? “We can always go with them to maintain peace and order,” Barrow said. He predicts that cities and municipalities across the state will have to make some adjustments after the Dec. 1 deadline passes, but he said Henderson is in pretty good shape.

Because the police department is internationally accredited, it had already addressed the majority of tweaks and adjustments called for by the state.

“We’re sitting OK right now,” Barrow said.

 

 

McGregor Hall

McGregor Live! Series Tickets Available Now; Five Shows In 2021-22

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The McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center 2021-22 lineup seems to have something for everyone, from a holiday ballet to the Big Band sound, with a little Parrothead music thrown into the mix for good measure.

Tickets are now on sale for the McGregor Live! Series package and the five individual shows. The ticket booklet is available for $130 plus tax.

Kicking off the 21-22 season is a ballet performance of A Christmas Carol on Dec. 5 at 4 p.m. Then, on Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m., Christmas With The Celts will take the stage.

North Carolina playwright Garrett Davis’s work “Living With Ruthie Mae” will kick off the 2022 offerings on Jan. 16 at 2 p.m.

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville show will be held Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and the season finale is The Duke Ellington Orchestra on April 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Call the McGregor Hall ticket office Monday-Friday between 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. at 252.598.0662 to purchase tickets or visit www.mcgregorhall.org.

(McGregor Hall is an advertising client of WIZS. This is not a paid ad.)
NC Coop Extension

Tobacco Growers Vote Nov. 18 On Whether To Continue Check-off Program To Fund Research

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Update 11-19-21

Paul McKenzie, agriculture agent for Vance and Warren counties, said the results will be available the week of Nov.22.

••••••••••••••

Area tobacco growers join others across the state this week to vote whether to continue a self-assessment of 10 cents per 100 pounds of flue-cured and burley tobacco sold to support tobacco research and education.

The vote will take place on Nov. 18, and Paul McKenzie, agriculture agent for Vance and Warren counties, said a two-thirds vote in the affirmative will mean that the check-off program will be good until 2027.

The check-off program started in 1991 and allocates more than $200,000 annually to tobacco-related research and extension projects at N.C. State University. State law requires a referendum be held every six years.

“This referendum is important to the future of tobacco production in North Carolina,” said Sonia Murphy, president of the N.C. Agricultural Foundation and state check-off coordinator. “Federal funding for tobacco research ceased in 1994, and state support has declined in recent years due to state budget reductions.

“I encourage tobacco growers to vote on this important check-off,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “A two-thirds majority of votes is needed to pass the assessment, so be sure to cast your vote.”

Funds from the check-off are allocated by the N.C. Tobacco Research Commission, whose membership includes the Commissioner of Agriculture, the N.C. Farm Bureau Federation president, the N.C. State Grange president, the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina president and the chairman of the N.C. Tobacco Foundation.

Ballots will be available for tobacco growers at county extension offices on Nov. 18.  Contact your local N.C. Cooperative Extension office for specific information regarding polling locations and times.

Vance County Extension – 252.438.8188.

Granville County Extension – 919.603.1350

Warren County Extension – 252.257.3640

Franklin County Extension – 919.496.3344

The Local Skinny! VGCC Helping Entrepreneurs

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Vance-Granville Community College’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center (EIC) is open for business.    Students and community members attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce recently to mark this momentous occasion.  The Nov. 9 event coincided with Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The EIC is located at VGCC’s South Campus in Creedmoor and serves all four campuses in the VGCC system.

The EIC supports VGCC’s mission of strengthening the state’s economy by helping students and clients living in rural areas achieve their entrepreneurial potential by exposing them to entrepreneurial thinking and entrepreneurial opportunities, according to a press release from VGCC.

By educating, inspiring and supporting a diverse community of learners to achieve professional and personal success, VGCC and the EIC help N.C. entrepreneurs succeed by offering them the training and learning opportunities that prepare them to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and ideas. 

 This effort also enhances VGCC’s Small Business Center offerings of Ice House, Kauffman FastTrack and NC REAL Entrepreneurship training, among others. VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais recently joined other community college presidents in signing the national Entrepreneurship Pledge.

“I think that the Center is a great opportunity for networking, gaining business skills, and preparing for the future in business,” said Tanya Weary, dean of business & industry solutions. “I am really excited for VGCC. This is the start of something that will grow and develop.  The opportunities this innovation environment will create are endless.”   

Serena Aycock, one of the members of the newly formed Vanguard Entrepreneurship Club, was on hand to take part in the ribbon cutting.  “I am absolutely inspired and honored to attend this great community college,” Aycock said. “I feel the energy of success in this room during this unforgettable ribbon-cutting event.”

The Center has had support from NC IDEA.  NC IDEA is an independent private, 501(c)(3) foundation whose vision is to help North Carolinians achieve their entrepreneurial ambition to start and grow high potential companies. NC IDEA fosters sustainable economic development with competitive grants and programs for entrepreneurs and funding to strengthen the North Carolina entrepreneurial ecosystem.  Thom Ruhe, President & CEO was present to support VGCC’s continued entrepreneurial efforts.   Also present were Dr. Rebecca Corbin, President & CEO of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship; Alyssa Martina, Director of Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship for Elon University; and Dr. Rudi Colloredo-Mansfeld, Senior Associate Dean for Social Sciences and Global Programs, UNC Chapel Hill were present to support VGCC’s entrepreneurial efforts;  and representatives from the four counties that VGCC serves.

To learn more about VGCC’s entrepreneurial endeavors, contact Tanya Weary at wearyt@vgcc.edu or 252.738.3521.

Grace Ministries

TownTalk: Grace Ministries Prepares 2000 Meals for Thanksgiving

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G.R.A.C.E. Ministries is partnering with several churches in Vance and Granville counties to distribute a couple of thousand plates of food Saturday, Nov. 20. Jamie Elliott, one of the founders of G.R.A.C.E. Ministries, said he welcomes the community to come join in, whether you’re interested in helping prepare the food or whether you want to come and pick up plates for you and your neighbors.

Elliott spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk and he said the food has been purchased, but added that monetary donations surely would help replenish the coffers – checks written to G.R.A.C.E. Ministries may be mailed to P.O. Box 316, Henderson, NC 27536.

In addition to eat-in and take out plates at the G.R.A.C.E. Ministries location at 961 Burr St., Elliott said West End Baptist, Island Creek Baptist and West Oxford Baptist churches all will be distributing plates on Saturday as well. West End will be set up at Henderson Family Dentistry, 560 Dabney Dr., Island Creek will be distributing food at its location, 950 Stagecoach Rd. and West Oxford will be giving out plates from their location, 627 Hillsboro St., Oxford.

Plates should be ready for pickup around lunchtime, but volunteers should plan to arrive by about 8:30 a.m. “Those cooking will be on site about 3 a.m.,” Elliott said. “Grab some friends and come on out,” he said. “We’ll have a good time (while) serving the Lord.”

There will be little time for relaxing after the Saturday food event, Elliott said, because as soon as they wrap up the pre-Thanksgiving meal, “we’ll put all our attentions on the toy drive” for Christmas.

New or very gently used toys will be collected in advance of the Dec. 18 program at G.R.A.C.E. Ministries. Elliott said he sincerely hopes that, this year, children can return to the church, hear a Christmas story and receive a gift. Visit graceofhenderson.org to learn more about the upcoming events.

G.R.A.C.E. Ministries works in the four-county area to reach those struggling with addiction. Weekly recovery meetings are held on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at 961 Burr St., Elliott said. Resources are available to help those in need.

Contact Elliott at 252.204.3617 or Bobby West at 252.432.7124 to find out ways to help with these holiday events.

 

Vance County Schools Logo

VCHS Theater Arts Class Creates Winning Video For Statewide Contest

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A team of theater arts students at Vance County High School won first place in a statewide video contest sponsored by the N.C. School Boards Association.

Board of Education Chair Linda Cobb and board member Ruth Hartness recently accepted the award on behalf of VCHS.

Teacher Samantha Campbell and her theater arts class produced the video, titled

Each year, the NCSBA gives a theme upon which school districts develop the video, according to Aarika Sandlin, director of communication & marketing for VCS.

“Vance County High School theater art students were up to the challenge and worked together to create a video that encompassed the theme, but also elements of our district,” Sandlin told WIZS via email.  We are elated that our theater arts class has once again come out on top! Ms. Campbell’s class developed an idea and worked together to make it come to life. We are elated that our theater arts class has once again come out on top!” she added.

The students’ video was among 31 videos submitted. VCHS has brought home top honors in 2018 and 2019, Sandlin noted.

The video borrows from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and features a parent struggling to decide whether public schools can overcome challenges, from integration to COVID-19.  She is visited by ghosts of education past, present and future before making her decision. The video is 1:34 minutes long and uses silent-movie techniques of mood-setting music and alternating script and film to create a vintage feel. In the end, the parent, Yvonne Vance, makes her decision about her daughter’s education.

View the video: https://www.vcs.k12.nc.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=25&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=6505&PageID=1.