Super Bowl Champ Ellis Wyms to Participate in Community Day, Sat. Aug 4

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-Information courtesy Chalis S. Henderson, Executive Director, Turning Point Community Development Corporation

Ellis Wyms, Super Bowl Champion and Founder of Athletes For Computer Science, in collaboration with Oasis of Hope Ministries and Turning Point CDC, will host the 9th Annual Community Day on Saturday, August 4 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in Henderson, NC.

This free event is open to the public and will include a number of activities for all ages to enjoy including: distribution of 150 backpacks and school supplies, free haircuts, free hotdog meals, UNC Mobile Kidney Center, Microsoft One Hour of Code workshop (10:30-11:30 a.m.), wet zone, game zone, Vance County Mobile Food Market, a four car seats giveaway by Vance County Safe Kids, free books from Vance County Smart Start, and many more community resources and entertainers.

“This annual event is an opportunity for our ministry and community development organization to give back to our communities by sharing our resources and enjoying a day of fun activities for the entire family,” said Chalis Henderson, executive director of Turning Point Community Development Corporation. Turning Point is the community development arm of Oasis of Hope Ministries.

Ellis Wyms will be at the event sharing information about “Athletes For Computer Science,” co-facilitating the coding workshop with Microsoft, and leading activities for the participants.

 

WHEN:            

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Community Yard Sale: 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Community Day: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

 

WHERE:     

Oasis of Hope Ministries

2495 US 1/158 Business (N. Garnett St.)

Henderson, NC 27536

 

Search Committee Appointed To Seek Next VGCC President

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College 

A search committee of six members of the Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees has been appointed to find a successor to Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the college’s president who is taking a position with Duke University in August.

Deborah F. Brown has been appointed chair of the search committee, and Herb Gregory will serve as vice chair. Rounding out the committee will be N. Annette P. Myers, Abdul Sm Rasheed, Donald C. Seifert, Sr., and Sara C. Wester.

Trustees Chair Danny W. Wright made the appointment at the board’s regular bi-monthly meeting on July 16 at the college’s Main Campus.

Dr. Williams, the sixth president of VGCC, announced her plans in May to take the position of Vice President for Durham Affairs at Duke University, effective Aug. 13.

Looking back at her tenure at Vance-Granville, Dr. Williams offered her reflections to the Trustees, recalling the support given to the college through grants, donations and governmental and community partnerships; the thousands of students who have been educated and have graduated; and a supportive faculty, staff and Board of Trustees.

“I have one big wish for a bright future ahead for Vance-Granville Community College,” she said. “I appreciate the opportunity that you all have provided for me to serve over the past six and a half years. It’s the people who have really made this a special place and a great experience for me. I will forever be grateful. And I will forever be a Vance-Granville Vanguard.”

NC Coop Extension

Vance Co. Cooperative Extension Offers Exciting Programs for Youth & Adults

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Turner Pride, director of Vance County Cooperative Extension, was on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk to discuss the center’s many upcoming programs and events.

Cooperative Extension is active in every state in the country and is funded through each state’s university. “We are fortunate enough to have two [funding] universities in North Carolina – North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T,” said Pride.

Both NC universities provide research-based information for Cooperative Extension’s four program areas including 4-H, Community & Rural Development, Agriculture and Family & Consumer Sciences.

The ever-popular 4-H programs target youth ages 5-19 and offer training in life skills with an agricultural twist.

“Right now there is a big push to form 4-H clubs of five youth and one adult leader based on a specific interest,” Pride said.

One such special interest 4-H group may be formed after the upcoming Livestock and Horse Interest meeting is held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, 2018, at the Vance Co. Cooperative Extension Center. Youth interested in livestock and horses are encouraged to attend.

Four Vance County youth are attending 4-H Congress, a youth leadership conference, this summer at NC State University. Part of the requirements for successful completion of the program is their participation in a community service project.

Assisting with these programs is Cooperative Extension’s new 4-H agent and Oxford native Lina Lue. “Lina attended NC State and majored in extension education, so she’s tailor-made for our position here and we’re very excited to have her on our team,” said Pride.

Pride also announced that Vance County Cooperative Extension is working regionally with Warren, Franklin, Granville and Person counties, as well as with the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments and the Department of Agriculture on an agriculture app for phones.

“This will be an app for your phone that promotes local food, farmers market information, restaurant information, etc.,” said Pride. “We are really excited for the direction the app can go in, especially for the profitability of our farmers.”

Upcoming Events:

Kerr-Tar Beekeepers Association – meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m.

at the Vance County Cooperative Extension Center, 305 Young St., Henderson

 

Organic Vegetable Production Workshop – Monday, July 23, 2018, at 6:30 p.m.

Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson

Discuss principles of organic production, organic certification, plant disease prevention, pest prevention and how to plant organically

 

Growing the Fall Garden Workshop – Monday, July 30, 2018, at 6:30 p.m.

Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson

Discuss fall vegetables, nutrient needs and season extension frost protection techniques

 

Vance County Regional Fair – August 8 – 12, 2018, at the fairgrounds on Hwy 39

4-H Livestock Show on Saturday, August 11, 2018

 

Parenting Lunch & Learn – Wednesday, August 15, 2018, at 12 p.m.

Perry Memorial Library, 205 Breckenridge St., Henderson

For parents and children entering Pre-K or kindergarten

Tips on preparing children for school – door prizes, books and school supplies

 

Parenting Series: The Incredible Years – September 12 – December 19, 2018

Held each Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Vance County Cooperative Extension Center

Parents and children between the ages of 3-5 are invited to attend. Catered meal and childcare provided. Transportation provided as needed. Register by calling Cooperative Extension. Grant funded through the Smart Start Partnership for Children.

 

For more information on Vance County Cooperative Extension or to register for a program, please call (252) 438-8188, visit their website at vance.ces.ncsu.edu or stop by the office at 305 Young Street, Henderson.

Vance County Logo

Commissioners to Discuss Relocation of Vance County Dept. of Social Services

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-Information courtesy Kelly H. Grissom, Clerk to the Board, Vance County

The Vance County Commissioners’ Properties Committee (Brummitt, Taylor, Wilder) is scheduled to meet Monday, July 30, 2018, at 3:30 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Conference Room, Vance County Administration Building, 122 Young Street, Henderson, NC.

Topics to be discussed include an offer on a foreclosed property and relocation of the Department of Social Services.

All commissioners are invited to attend.

City of Henderson Logo

Food Trucks in Downtown Henderson Still a Possibility

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On Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program, Downtown Development Director Kaine Riggan addressed the recent discussion on allowing food trucks to park and operate in the downtown Henderson area.

At their July 9 meeting, with a vote of 5-3, the Henderson City Council nixed a proposal to allow food trucks to operate in designated areas downtown.

Gavin Jackson, owner of Gavin’s Grub Hub, proposed parking and serving food from his food truck in the City-owned parking lot at the corner of Garnett and Orange streets, next to Gupton’s Sporting Goods.

Garry Daeke, a member of the Henderson City Council, called in during Town Talk to provide insight into the Council’s initial decision. Referring to the Council, Daeke explained, “I don’t think anybody is afraid of having food trucks downtown. Most of us are fairly progressive and we think it is a good idea.”

According to Daeke, the outcome of the vote was simply a matter of the City Council not having enough information. “It comes down to having the information to make an informed decision,” said Daeke. “At the last meeting, we didn’t have enough information to make a decision.”

Riggan explained that he moved quickly when he learned of Jackson’s interest in bringing his food truck downtown. “I went at the speed of light to the City and said ‘hey, let’s make this happen.’ So that was a five-day process and I think that ended up being what caused us to get slowed down.”

A typical procedure for such a request, according to Daeke, involves a proposal that goes before a committee to review for liability issues, a discussion on fairness to other businesses, a public hearing to allow the community’s opinion to be heard and then a vote from the City Council.

In reference to the disappoint that the community has expressed in the initial vote, Daeke said, “I think if that process had been done, none of this would be going on now. If we had that process, it would have come up at our August meeting and we would have voted for it and moved on.”

Riggan agreed with Daeke’s sentiment and stated, “That was my first presentation for the City Council, so I’m still learning. I walked out of that meeting and got some advice from the Assistant City Manager about some things I could probably have done differently.”

All hope is not lost for downtown food trucks, as Daeke said he felt sure there would be an upcoming public hearing to discuss the matter further. “We’ll get that ordinance, probably at the next [City Council] meeting and it will have details about the responsibilities of both parties, then a public hearing and then a vote.”

Both Riggan and Daeke expressed their appreciation for all of the local talk this issue has generated. “This has created some great discussion and a lot of community input. We just didn’t get it in the format that we could act on,” said Daeke.

VGCC President Dr. Williams Recognized For State Award

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Dr. Stelfanie Williams, Vance-Granville Community College’s president, was recognized on July 16 for her honor as the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges President of the Year for 2018.

Jim Rose, vice chair of the State Board, presented Dr. Williams with a plaque at a dinner held in the Civic Center on Main Campus prior to the regular bimonthly meeting of the VGCC Board of Trustees.

“I’m here to celebrate Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of the college here and the President of the Year for all 58 community colleges,” said Rose. “We had a grueling and tough interview process that you go through” to be selected as the President of the Year, he added. “Dr. Williams really took our committee by storm and it was an easy choice for us to make.”

Jim Rose, vice chair of the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges, left, presents the State Board’s President of the Year Award to Dr. Stelfanie Williams, Vance-Granville Community College’s president, at a dinner on July 16 in the Civic Center on the Main Campus. (VGCC Photo)

Appointed by the governor to the State Board, Rose chaired the special committee to select the 2018 award recipients. He is regional president for the Raleigh market at United Community Bank, serving on the finance, legislative and policy committees of the 21-member board.

“I think about Dr. Williams as a lifter of people,” he said. “I believe the administration that she has built here and the culture that she has built here is one of lifting up people.”

He cited several accomplishments of Dr. Williams during her tenure at Vance-Granville, among them unprecedented grant funding, development of career training programs in Advanced Manufacturing, the increase in the use of technology for online instruction, accelerated College Transfer opportunities, and the nationally recognized VanGuarantee need-based scholarship program.

“This is truly an honor, and I thank you, Mr. Rose, and the State Board for selecting me and recognizing the great work taking place at Vance-Granville Community College,” Dr. Williams said. “I know that you all do a lot of work leading and supporting the great 58 community college institutions. We appreciate that. I’m really glad to work at the greatest institution out of the 58.

“As I think about the Trustees (of Vance-Granville) and look around the room and see the wonderful leadership and support you provide, this truly is a great institution, a great place to learn and to work. And I’m grateful to each and every one of you for your support and your guidance over these years as we have led and served together.”

Dr. Williams was joined at the dinner by members of her family, Trustees who are currently serving on the board, former Trustees who served during her tenure, and the spouses of Trustees.

Dr. Williams has announced she is taking the position of Vice President for Durham Affairs at Duke University, effective Aug. 13. “Dr. Williams has laid a great foundation for us to continue to go forward with, and we’ll certainly miss her,” said VGCC Board of Trustees Chair Danny W. Wright, who thanked Rose and others for their attendance.

A Bit of Magic Coming to Perry Memorial Library

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-Information courtesy the Perry Memorial Library website

“Professor Obediah’s Magical Emporium” 

Perry Memorial Library – 205 Breckenridge St., Henderson

Tuesday, July 24, 2018, at 3 p.m. in the Farm Bureau Room

Return to the Victorian Era and the world of science fantasy with Professor Obediah. Miracles occur before your very eyes with creativity and imagination beyond belief!

Part of the summer program for kids series.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

U.S. Department of Justice

Goodall’s Life Sentence in Kidnapping Case Affirmed

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

First Assistant United States Attorney G. Norman Acker, III announced that the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence of SHAMEIKA GOODALL, a/k/a Donna Diva, 32, of Covington, Georgia, who was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III in June 2017 to life imprisonment for kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

This case involved a conspiracy to kidnap relatives of attorneys that Kelvin Melton, a founding leader of the United Blood Nation, blamed for his conviction and life sentence on two charges pertaining to a 2011 gang-related shooting in Raleigh, North Carolina. In March and April 2014, from the maximum security unit at Polk Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina, Melton dispatched three kidnapping teams whose intended targets were family members of the state prosecutor who worked on his case and his state defense counsel. He intended to use the attorneys’ relatives as hostages to extort the dismissal of his life sentence.

On April 5, 2014, one of the kidnapping teams violently abducted Frank Janssen, the state prosecutor’s father, from his home in Wake Forest, North Carolina, and transported him to an apartment in Southeast Atlanta. There, Mr. Janssen remained bound to a chair and held in a small closet until the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team rescued him at 11:55 p.m. on April 9, 2014. Just hours before the rescue, Melton called and instructed the kidnapping team (including the member recruited by GOODALL) to find a location, dig a hole, kill Mr. Janssen, and then bury him.

GOODALL appealed her conviction and sentence to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, arguing that the district court erred when it admitted at trial evidence of other bad acts, when it applied certain enhancements at her sentencing, and when it sentenced her to life imprisonment. The Fourth Circuit rejected each of GOODALL’s arguments. With respect to GOODALL’s lifetime term of imprisonment, the Fourth Circuit noted that “numerous conspirators involved in this case each received a lengthy sentence for their individual role in the conspiracy, thus Goodall’s life sentence was not unusually disproportionate.” The Court further recognized that Goodall elected to go to trial and maintains her innocence, unlike some of her co-conspirators who “assisted the FBI in rescuing the victim, decided to plead guilty, cooperated in the investigation, and testified against Melton and Goodall at their trials.”

First Assistant United States Attorney, G. Norman Acker, III, commented: “This crime was monstrously cruel to the victim and his family and a clear attack on our criminal justice system. Those who strike at the peace and security of our community will be held accountable. The affirmance of Goodall’s sentence and conviction reflects this reality. We will continue our efforts to ensure that convicted prisoners cannot reach out from their cells to threaten others and conduct criminal enterprises.”

This case was investigated by the FBI Charlotte, FBI Atlanta, the Wake Forest Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation with assistance by the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Raleigh Police Department, Durham Police Department, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Garner Police Department, North Carolina Highway Patrol, RDU Police, City-County Bureau of Investigation, the Cobb County Police Department, Alpharetta Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina handled the prosecution and appeal of this case.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit hears appeals from the nine federal district courts located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia, as well as from federal administrative agencies. More information about the Court can be found on its website, https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov. The Court’s opinion in this case can be found at: https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinions/174383.U.pdf, and the United States Attorney’s previous press releases regarding this case can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usaoednc/pr/goodall-found-guilty-kidnapping-case-wake-forest-man and https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/goodall-sentenced-lifeprison-kidnapping-case-wake-forest-man.

News releases are available on the U.S. Attorney’s webpage at www.justice.gov/usao-ednc. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_EDNC.

News 07/18/18

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Planning Board Denies Request to Restrict Downtown Business Hours

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In a unanimous decision Monday afternoon, the Henderson Planning Board, a recommendation board to the Henderson City Council, denied a requested amendment to zoning ordinance language that would place restrictions on the operating hours of downtown Henderson businesses.

The Henderson Police Department, in conjunction with Development Services staff, made the request to restrict hours of operation for nightclubs, taverns, lounges and dance halls in the B-1 district to Sunday through Thursday from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 a.m. to midnight.

The request also stipulated that restaurants in the B-1 district obtain a special-use permit if offering live music or dancing.

Vance Johnson, Henderson’s assistant chief of police, spoke on behalf of the police department and stated that the amendment was requested due to the volume of 911 calls received late at night, specifically as it related to the multiples businesses that have occupied 200 S. Garnett St. since 2012. The building was most recently the location for Flickers Sports Bar.

According to Johnson, police reviewed data from 2012 to 2014 and found that 63 calls were made after 10 p.m. on weekdays and after midnight on weekends at the 200 S. Garnett St. location.

“These were all serious calls,” said Johnson. “During some of those calls, police had to deploy gas to disperse the crowds.”

Johnson said the most serious of these incidents involved a young man being shot in the head after being caught in cross-fire. “Calls were nonstop when this location was open. Every morning after this business would close, we’d walk around the property and find beer and liquor bottles, shell casings and bullets.”

Henderson City Planning Director Corey Williams clarified that although much of the data focused on specific downtown locations in the past, the proposed amendment – if approved – would cover the entire B-1 downtown district.

Once the public hearing portion of the meeting was open for citizen input, attending community members ranging from long-standing downtown business owners to downtown development staff were vocal in their disapproval of the amendment.

The majority of those who spoke emphasized the importance of attracting and retaining downtown businesses, a goal they felt would be hindered by restrictions on operating hours.

Holding individual downtown business owners responsible for security was offered as a counter solution to restricting hours.

“Warrenton’s City Manager shared with me that whether than restricting hours, they wrote an ordinance that required a security plan that was approved by the police department,” said Henderson Downtown Development Director Kaine Riggan. “I think there is a better solution here than limiting hours that are going to keep me from being able to market properties downtown.”

After closing public commenting, the Planning Board voted to deny the requested amendment. Restricting hours on downtown businesses will not move forward to the City Council for review at this time.