– Homicide Suspect Arrested –
– Dr. Jerry Edmonds, VGCC Vice President Appointed to Black Entrepreneurship Council –
– Executive Session of Henderson City Council, Personnel Matter –
– Office Supplies for Vance County Schools Students –
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-Information courtesy Vance County Schools
Vance County Schools will offer free meal boxes for drive-thru style pick-up every Monday in September and October from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Boxes will be distributed at Vance County Middle School located at 293 Warrenton Road in Henderson.
The weekly meal boxes will contain five breakfasts, five lunches and milk containers.
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-Press Release, Department of Justice
The Justice Programs’ Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has received multiple reports that individuals claiming to represent the Department of Justice are calling members of the public as part of an imposter scam. The department strongly encourages the public to remain vigilant and not to provide personal information during these calls, which appear to target the elderly.
Reports to the National Elder Fraud Hotline indicate these scammers falsely represent themselves as Department of Justice investigators or employees and attempt to obtain personal information from the call recipient, or they leave a voicemail with a return phone number. The return phone number directs users to a recorded menu that matches the recorded menu for the department’s main phone number. Eventually, the user reaches an “operator” who steers the user to someone claiming to be an investigator. That “investigator” then attempts to gain the user’s personal information.
“Phone scams are an ugly and pervasive act of victimization. The scams being reported to our National Elder Fraud Hotline are especially heinous because they show the perpetrators are preying upon one of the most vulnerable segments of our society – the elderly,” said OVC Director Jessica Hart. “As if this were not despicable enough, the scammers do so posing as employees of the Justice Department, usurping public trust in the agency that serves as a bastion of fairness and lawfulness while these scams exploit the elderly for financial gain. The first step to identifying these criminals is to have their crimes reported.”
“In a time of a national pandemic it is unconscionable for these scammers to prey upon our nation’s most vulnerable victims by pretending to be associated with the United States Department of Justice,” commented United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. “Your Department of Justice does not do business this way and does not seek your personal identifying information over the telephone. We don’t make threats over the phone; we don’t cut deals over the phone and we don’t use investigators who do it for us.”
Those who receive these calls are encouraged not to provide personal information and to report these scams to the FTC via their website or by calling 877–FTC–HELP (877-382-4357). Fraud can also be reported to the FBI for law enforcement action at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/report-fraud.
The National Elder Fraud Hotline is a resource created by OVC for people to report fraud against anyone age 60 or older. Reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible, and within the first 2–3 days, can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open seven days a week. For more information about the hotline, please visit https://stopelderfraud.ovc.ojp.gov/.
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
-Information courtesy Granville Vance Public Health
Granville Vance Public Health is partnering with Duke University to host a community testing event for community members who may not have a primary care provider and/or those who lack access to transportation and insurance.
The testing event will be held Sunday, September 13, 2020, from 1:30 until 5 p.m. at St James Catholic Church, 3275 US-158 Bypass in Henderson, NC.
Nasal swab test kits will be used and individuals will be contacted with their results 3-5 days after the event.
Testing is free to all who attend, but testing supplies are limited. Pre-registration is required. To pre-register, contact the Health Department at (252) 492-7915.
There are many other opportunities to be tested for COVID-19. If you have symptoms or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, you can call your provider or GVPH to see if you should be tested. GVPH is conducting medical evaluations and testing regularly at both the Vance and Granville County locations.
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-Information courtesy Joyce Davis, St Paul United Church of Christ
St Paul United Church of Christ will hold new voter registration events at the church’s location at the corner of 292 North Lee Avenue in Middleburg, NC.
Registration dates are:
Press Release Update – September 8, 2020
This evening, Henderson Police Department Detectives discovered Se’Quayveon Batchelor was located at the Budget Host Inn, in Roxboro, NC.
Roxboro Police Department was contacted and at approximately 7:00PM, Se’Queayveon Batchelor was peacefully taken into custody by the Roxboro Police Department.
Se’Queayveon Batchelor was served with the outstanding warrants for his arrest in the homicide of Rashod Murphy that occurred on September 3rd. Batchelor has been placed at the Vance County Detention Center without bond, pending future court proceedings.
The Henderson Police Department is grateful for the professional assistance provided by the Roxboro Police Department tonight.
—————————————–
September 3, 2020 – Press Release
At approximately 4:15PM Officers of the Henderson Police Department were dispatched to 409 Neathery Street in reference to a shooting. When Officers arrived they found Rashod Murphy(Age 21) unresponsive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene and the immediate family was informed.
The investigation thus far has led us to obtain warrants for Se’Quayveon Batchelor (Age 22) for 1st Degree Murder, and we believe he is our sole suspect at this time. We do know that the victim and suspect were well-known to each other, and this seems to be an isolated incident. We are still actively working this investigation with tremendous and timely cooperation from our citizens. As to not compromise the integrity of the investigation, no further information will be available at this time. We will update everyone if the situation changes.
Se’Quayveon Batchelor’s whereabouts are currently unknown and we are asking the public to call us, message us through Facebook, use the P3 App, or call Crime Stoppers(252-492-1925) with any information on his location. Please do not approach him, as he is considered armed and dangerous. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of perpetrators.
Authority: Chief M.W. Barrow
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-Information courtesy the City of Henderson
Henderson Mayor Eddie Ellington has requested a Special Called Meeting of the Henderson City Council for Wednesday, September 9, 2020, at 6 p.m.
The purpose of this meeting is to hold a Closed Session Pursuant to G.S. .§143-318.11 (a)(6) regarding a Personnel Matter.
This meeting will be held in Council Chambers, 134 Rose Avenue, Henderson, NC. The public is welcome to observe the taking of the roll and adjournment. Citizens and/or staff are not allowed into the Executive (Closed) Session.
– Warrants for Se’Quayveon Batchelor for 1st Degree Murder Remain Unserved –
– Vance County Schools and the Vance County Public School Foundation Both Recipients of Walmart Grants –
– Vance Co. Board of Commissioners to Hold Monthly Meeting Tues., Sept. 8 –
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The following is a message to North Carolina voters from Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections:
It is illegal to vote twice in an election. N.C.G.S. § 163-275(7) makes it a Class I felony for a voter, “with intent to commit a fraud to register or vote at more than one precinct or more than one time…in the same primary or election.” Attempting to vote twice in an election or soliciting someone to do so also is a violation of North Carolina law.
There are numerous checks in place in North Carolina that prevent people from double voting. Electronic pollbooks with information about who has already voted are used at every early voting site. If a voter tries to check in who has already voted, they will be prevented from voting a regular ballot. A voter will be offered a provisional ballot if they insist on voting, and this ballot will be researched after Election Day to determine whether it should be counted.
On Election Day, voters who have voted absentee are removed from the pollbook, which is updated before voting starts at 6:30 a.m. Absentee ballots that are received on Election Day are not counted until after the election, and this prevents double voting.
Also, the State Board conducts audits after each election that check voter history against ballots cast and would detect if someone tries to vote more than once in an election. Because absentee ballots and early voting ballots are retrievable, if someone tries to get around the system, their ballot can be retrieved and not counted, so it will not affect the outcome of an election.
The State Board has a dedicated investigations team that investigates allegations of double voting, which are referred to prosecutors when warranted.
If you request an absentee by-mail ballot but decide later that you would like to vote in person instead, you may. You should discard your absentee ballot. Do not send it back in.
If you have already placed your ballot in the mail but are not sure whether it has been accepted by your county board of elections, North Carolina offers a few ways to check the status of your absentee by-mail ballot without leaving your home.
Voters can:
The State Board office strongly discourages people from showing up at the polls on Election Day to check whether their absentee ballot was counted. That is not necessary, and it would lead to longer lines and the possibility of spreading COVID-19.
North Carolina elections officials encourage voters to request their ballot as soon as possible and return it as soon as they are ready to do so. By doing so, you can track your ballot and ensure your vote counts.
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
-Information and photo courtesy Vance County Schools
Walmart recently awarded a $5,000 grant to Vance County Schools (VCS) and a $5,000 grant to the Vance County Public School Foundation (VCPSF). The grants were provided upon the recommendation of the local Walmart Distribution Center/Transportation Office after its review of the needs in Vance County.
The Vance County Schools grant will provide opportunities to all students within the school district as art teachers are outfitted with document cameras for their classrooms. Mr. Markoch, Vance County Schools Director of Fine Arts, shares that “these devices will provide our students with increased technology as an additional resource for bringing instruction to students and modeling projects at all grade levels, both while we are teaching virtually and later when we are back together in our buildings. This will expand classroom accessibility for all of our students.”
Grant presented to Dr. Trixie Brooks, VCS Assistant Superintendent; Aarika Sandlin, VCS Public Information Officer; and Andrew Markoch, VCS Director of Fine Arts, during a Check Presentation Ceremony at Walmart Distribution Center in Henderson, NC.
The Vance County Public School Foundation grant will help create Arts and Rec toolkits for elementary-aged students. Each kit will contain various items for students to utilize at home, allowing them greater access to areas of the arts and physical
education.
VCPSF is partnering with local businesses, churches and organizations to maximize the efforts of this program. Aarika Sandlin, Public Information Officer for Vance County Schools, shares “whether students are receiving instruction at home or in the classroom, access to resources is one of the keys to success for students. This grant, along with partnerships throughout our community, makes it possible for us to provide our families with Arts and Rec toolkits, and, for that, we are extremely grateful.”
