U.S. Department of Justice

Drug Trafficking/Firearms Conviction Gets Henderson Man 16 Years in Prison

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that United States District Judge James C. Dever, III, sentenced MARK ANTHONY CRUDUP, 27, of Henderson to 192 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised released.

On April 15, 2019, CRUDUP pled guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and THCa products.

On October 29, 2015, CRUDUP, a convicted felon, was located at a residence in Henderson where a search was executed and was found in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol.

In an unrelated incident, on September 15, 2018, the Henderson Police Department (HPD) attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by CRUDUP who fled from the officer at speeds of 60 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. While fleeing, CRUDUP tossed a large bag containing approximately 474 grams of marijuana from the vehicle. Then, CRUDUP jumped and ran from the vehicle on foot while holding a firearm with an extended magazine.

The pursing HPD officer gave chase and caught up with CRUDUP and a struggle ensued during which he bit the officer’s arm.

Throughout the struggle, CRUDUP remained armed with the loaded firearm and when he and the officer fell to the ground, CRUDUP’S firearm was pointed at the officer. CRUDUP also pulled at the officer’s duty belt.

Additional officers arrived and officers placed CRUDUP into custody at which point they found heroin laced with fentanyl in his pocket. The firearm was loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition and had been reported stolen.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Since 2017, the United States Department of Justice has reinvigorated the PSN program and has targeted violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case is also part of the Take Back North Carolina Initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Henderson Police Department, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, and the Oxford Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the case for the government.

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Vance Co. Board of Elections to Conduct Seminars on Voter ID Requirement

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-Information courtesy Faye M. Gill, Director, Vance County Board of Elections

The Vance County Board of Elections will hold an educational seminar about voter photo identification requirements at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 13, 2019, at Vance-Granville Community College in the Civic Center room in Henderson. 

There will be another educational seminar at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 15, 2019, at E.M. Rollins School in the auditorium.

The seminars are free and open to the public.

Beginning in 2020, voters will be required to provide photo identification before they vote. This includes both in-person and by-mail voting, with some exceptions. In November 2018, North Carolina voters approved an amendment to the N.C. Constitution to require voters to present photo ID at the polls.

Session Law 2018-144 requires each county board of elections to hold at least two voter ID seminars before September 1, 2019. Attendees also will receive information about voting options, including absentee-by-mail, One-Stop early voting and Election Day voting. Information about provisional voting, the availability of free North Carolina voter ID cards and residency requirements for voting also will be provided.

For more information on the voter ID requirement in North Carolina, please go to www.ncsbe.gov/Voter-ID.

Please contact the Vance County Board of Elections at 252-492-3730 or send an email to fgill@vancecounty.org if there are any questions.

Town Talk 07/29/19

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Town Talk is a public affairs presentation of WIZS News.

News 07/29/19

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City Council Approves $126K Contract for Aycock Rec. Center Gym

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In a special called meeting held July 25, Henderson City Council members authorized the award of a $126,172.25 construction contract to Sport Court Carolina, Inc. for the Aycock Recreation Center Gym Floor Replacement Project.

On June 10, 2019, the Council authorized the expenditure of funds for the replacement of the Aycock Recreation Center gym floor as part of the 2020 Fiscal Year budget.

The project includes 12,800 square feet of removal and replacement of gym flooring.

Flooring renovations include adding durable composite material with a wood appearance. The composite will have a 5 mm pad underneath to allow for bounce, with another hardened composite base under the pad.

According to reports, the gym floor will be the darker of the composite tiles shown below, with the center court and lanes consisting of the lighter composite.

The project was first open for bids on July 8, 2019. With no bids being made, the project was re-bid July 18, 2019, and the low bidder was Sport Court with a bid of $126,172.25.

The only other bid was Synergy Building Group at $148,500.

Aycock Rec. Center has announced that they will be closed for renovations beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 26 and will reopen on Saturday, August 31, 2019.

The outdoor track will still be available for use.

On June 10, 2019, the Henderson City Council authorized the expenditure of funds for the replacement of the Aycock Recreation Center gym floor as part of the 2020 Fiscal Year budget. The project includes 12,800 square feet of removal and replacement of gym flooring. Flooring renovations include adding durable composite material with a wood appearance.

Fourth Person Arrested in Murder of Adonius Hawkins Jr.

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-Information courtesy Henderson Police Department

Late yesterday afternoon, Thursday, July 25, 2019, Tyleak Hargrove, age 27, the fourth person wanted for the murder of Adonius Hawkins Jr, was taken into custody from underneath a residence on Vance Street.

He has been turned over to the custody of the Vance County Jail without bond pending a court appearance.

Late yesterday afternoon, Thursday, July 25, 2019, Tyleak Hargrove, age 27, the fourth person wanted for the murder of Adonius Hawkins Jr, was taken into custody from underneath a residence on Vance Street. He has been turned over to the custody of the Vance County Jail without bond pending a court appearance. (HPD photo)

I Voted Sticker

City of Henderson Election Filing Closed; Elliott Files for 3rd Ward At-Large Seat

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-Information courtesy Melody Vaughan, Deputy Director, Vance County Board of Elections

The extended filing period for the City of Henderson’s Alderman 3rd Ward At-Large seat ended at 12 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Melissa Elliott of West Lake Drive in Henderson was the only person to file for the seat.

Filing for the 3rd Ward was extended with the approval of the State Board of Election last week due to the failure of any candidate to file during the original July 5 – 19 timeframe.

With filing now closed, candidates for the October 8, 2019, City of Henderson election are:

Office Position: Mayor – City of Henderson

Name: Edward (Eddie) Harry Ellington

Residential Address: 2223 N Woodland Road Henderson, NC 27536

Mailing Address: Same as residential address

Telephone Number: (252) 430-4018

Date of Filing: 07/05/2019

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Office Position: Mayor – City of Henderson

Name: Sharon Kay Owens

Residential Address: 815 E Montgomery Street Henderson, NC 27536

Mailing Address: Same as residential address

Telephone Number: (252) 820-0574

Date of Filing: 07/18/2019

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Office Position: Alderman 1st Ward – City of Henderson

Name: Marion Brodie Williams

Residential Address: 338 Hamilton Street Henderson, NC 27536

Mailing Address: Same as residential address

Telephone Number: (252) 767-3977

Date of Filing: 07/05/2019

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Office Position:  Alderman 2nd Ward – City of Henderson

Name: David Michael (Mike) Rainey

Residential Address: 2747 Fairway Drive Henderson, NC 27536

Mailing Address: Same as residential address

Telephone Number: (252) 492-6787

Date of Filing: 07/16/2019

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Office Position: Alderman At-Large 3rd Ward – City of Henderson

Name: Melissa Elliott

Residential Address: 115 Westlake Drive Henderson, NC 27536

Mailing Address: Same as residential address

Telephone Number: (252) 438-7004

Date of Filing: 07/22/2019

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Office Position: Alderman At-Large 4th Ward – City of Henderson

Name: George McArthur Daye

Residential Address: 919 N Pinkston Street Henderson, NC 27536

Mailing Address: Same as residential address

Telephone Number: (252) 432-6659

Date of Filing: 07/19/2019

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Office Position: Alderman At-Large 4th Ward – City of Henderson

Name: Jason Albert Spriggs

Residential Address: 222 Turner Avenue Henderson, NC 27536

Mailing Address: Same as residential address

Telephone Number: (919) 514-5136

Date of Filing: 07/05/2019

 

Facility Upgrades to Close Aycock Rec. Center Through August

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-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center

The Aycock Recreation Center will be closed beginning Saturday, July 27 and reopening on Saturday, August 31, 2019.

On Friday, July 26, the center will close at 6 p.m.

During this closure, we will be making upgrades to the facility. Patrons may still utilize the outdoor walking track.

For more information, please contact Tara Goolsby at (252) 438-3948 or tgoolsby@ci.henderson.nc.us

 

VGCC Pins 19 Practical Nursing Graduates

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Nineteen Practical Nursing graduates were honored for their completion of the one-year program at Vance-Granville Community College during a pinning ceremony on July 24 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus.

Upon receiving their diplomas, the graduates are now eligible to sit for the national exam for licensed practical nurses (NCLEX-PN).

Nineteen Practical Nursing graduates were honored for their completion of the one-year program at Vance-Granville Community College during a pinning ceremony on July 24 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus. Front row (L to R): B. Williams, L. Clayton, M. Wanjiku, E. Ogachi, T. Onchiri, M. Casady, S. Mugambi; Second row (L to R): S. Nyambariga, J. Kortor, C. Howarth, S. Wilson, M. Sellers, S. Alston, C. Blakenship; Third row (L to R): S. Hawkins, M. Goedeker, T. Adesina, B. Kilmer. (VGCC photo)

Among the Practical Nursing graduates recognized at the ceremony were Candice Howarth of Bullock; Mary Wanjiku of Cary; Shaquile Hawkins and Sharlett Wilson, both of Creedmoor; Timothy Adesina and Justin Kortor, both of Durham; Stephanie Alston of Henderson; Laveasta Clayton of Knightdale; Megann Casady of Louisburg; Mikayla Sellers of Middleburg; Brittany Williams of Oxford; Marylou Goedeker, Sylvia Mugambi, Stephen Nyambariga, Esther Ogachi and Teresa Onchiri, all of Raleigh; Cindy Blankenship and Suzanne Wiley, both of Wake Forest; and Bryanne Kilmer of Youngsville.

Welcoming remarks were offered by Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC’s vice president of academic affairs; Erica Jastrow, the chair of the college’s Nursing Department; and Candice Howarth, president of the Practical Nursing Class of 2019.

“Our Nursing program goes all the way back to 1970, almost to the founding of this great institution, of which we are celebrating 50 years of existence this year,” said Dr. Brown. “Now we are proud to add to that history the Practical Nursing Class of 2019, a diverse group of students from several towns in our region.” While many members of the class have chosen specific nursing specialties for their careers, many also plan to continue their education, he said.  He encouraged the graduates to “aspire, accelerate and achieve in every walk of life.”

“With success comes great responsibility,” Jastrow noted in her remarks. “The work that these graduates did a year ago was work for their future selves that are here graduating today. I hope that others are inspired by your success to begin working toward their future selves. We at VGCC would love to have the opportunity to work with others to help them achieve their personal and professional goals.”

News 07/26/19

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