Two Shot, One Dead, Merriman St.
Two Shot, One Dead, Merriman St
On March 20, 2018, around 11:00 PM, officers with the Henderson Police Department were dispatched to the 400 block of Merriman Street. Once on scene officers located a vehicle that had been shot. The occupants of the vehicle received gunshot injuries and were transported to area medical facilities for treatment. One victim, Darrion Richardson, age 23, succumbed to his injuries. The second victim is still receiving treatment for his or her injuries.
We are currently gathering information and investigating this incident in conjunction with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. We urge members of our community to come forth with any information that may lead to the arrest of the individual(s) responsible for this crime and any other heinous crime.
Please contact the Henderson Police Department at 252-438-4141, Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925, or use the P3 app on a smartphone or tablet device. Callers may remain anonymous. Crime Stoppers offers rewards for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of suspects involved in criminal acts.
Authority: Chief M.W. Barrow
Zeb Vance Ruritan Club Boston Butts for Easter 2018
— submitted by Edward Woodlief
The Zeb Vance Ruritan Club will be cooking and selling BOSTON BUTTS for EASTER. Pre-sale only $25.00. Orders must be in by Sunday March 25th . They will be ready for pick-up Good Friday March 30th , from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bearpond Fire Department parking lot at 325 Bearpond Rd. in Henderson. Contact any Ruritan member or phone 252-767-4044.
Proceeds to benefit local student scholarships and club projects.
(WIZS Radio and WIZS.com will be glad to make just such an announcement for your non-profit, church or civic club. Please fill out the form at https://wizs.com/psas/ to have your Public Service Announcement aired and published or email johncharles@wizs.com for more information.)
Union Chapel United Methodist Church Stew 4-7-18
The fine folks and excellent cooks of Union Chapel United Methodist Church are about to cook some more delicious stew.
Edward Woodlief submitted the following announcement:
The Methodist Men of Union Chapel United Methodist Church, 6535 Raleigh Road, are having their Stew Sale, Saturday, April 7. $8.00 per quart. Orders are pre-sell only: You can place your order by phoning John Frazier at 252-438-7788. Stew orders will be ready for pickup at the church in Kittrell from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
(WIZS Radio and WIZS.com will be glad to make just such an announcement for your non-profit, church or civic club. Please fill out the form at https://wizs.com/psas/ to have your Public Service Announcement aired and published or email johncharles@wizs.com for more information.)
City of Henderson Updates (March 2018)
By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor for Hire
Garry Daeke, a 13-year member of the Henderson City Council, recently spoke on air with WIZS to answer questions and provide listeners with City of Henderson updates.
Breckenridge Pavilion:
The proposed Breckenridge Pavilion, to be located near the Henderson Police Department, will serve as the last piece of the overall Breckenridge Commons project and as the corner piece of the block.
According to Daeke, the importance of the project has led the City to reexamine best practices to ensure a satisfactory final result.
“We had gotten some initial startup on the pavilion last year and we thought it would be going very quickly, but as we looked at it further, we decided that we really needed to do some landscaping on that lot,” said Daeke. “We decided that we need a landscape architect to give us a layout for the whole activity.”
While no date has been set for estimated completion, the City expects to receive the architect’s layout in the next few weeks.
“It will certainly cost a little more to complete, but we decided that we needed to do this right,” Daeke said.
Former Bank Building in Downtown Henderson:
Daeke said that while a few people have expressed interest in the vacant former bank building in the downtown area, none have been completely willing to follow the building covenants.
“The City really wants to maintain the façade; however, not everyone wanted to maintain the façade or keep the old architecture,” said Daeke.
Additional covenants include maintaining the lobby area of the building and maintaining and utilizing the vault in some way.
The building is currently for sale.
City of Henderson Tax Base:
The City’s tax base has remained stagnant over the past decade, especially in regards to residential growth.
“The tax base hasn’t grown at all like we’d like for it to grow, especially residential. We aren’t building many houses inside the City limits,” Daeke said.
Daeke also sees future potential issues with a stagnant tax base and the City budget. “We have to plan for reoccurring expenses,” said Daeke. “We gave raises [to City employees] last year and we love to be able to do that, but that’s a cost every year down the road. If you don’t have growth, where do you find the money?”
Fire Department:
According to Daeke, the City has known for years that there is a need to realign the two existing fire stations and add a third station.
“Some businesses have come in on both ends of town and wanted to be annexed,” Daeke said. “We did that, but it is a little problematic in that we then stretch our service base. The police and fire department have to respond farther out to the east and the west.”
Currently, a new fire engine is being custom built for the City to the tune of $560,000. The engine takes approximately one year to build and is on the City’s budget for the next fiscal year.
Daeke credits Fire Chief Steve Cordell and his men for doing a great job with the resources they have available, “Chief Cordell does an excellent job with the fire department. We’ve got some excellent young men working there. They are always training and are on spot every time they’re called. We are really proud of them.”
Other Miscellaneous Items:
- The recent inclement weather has delayed the demolition of the former Abagayle’s Books building, but the project is expected to be completed soon.
- The City is currently discussing a redevelopment plan. “We want to layout a redevelopment plan to highlight certain areas where we would like to see growth as well as open it up for investment in other areas,” said Daeke.
- Turnover in the fire departments and police departments is an ongoing concern. According to Daeke, it has become increasingly difficult for the City to compete with neighboring communities such as Wake Forest and their higher pay rates.
- Daeke commends new Henderson Downtown Development Director Kaine Riggan, “I think Kaine Riggan is doing a great job. He’s got a lot of experience and a lot of energy. He thinks outside of the box and I’m excited about all of the things he is going to pull together.”
Daeke will be back on the air with WIZS in the next three months to provide additional City of Henderson and Henderson City Council updates.
Community Partnership for Pets Continues Local Support (March 2018)
Frankie Nobles, chief of Vance County Animal Services, informed WIZS News of additional support from Community Partnership for Pets.
In a press release, Nobles said, “Vance County Animal Services is pleased to announce that they are a recipient of a $5,000.00 Spay/Neuter Grant from Community Partnership for Pets.”
The grant was applied for on March 12, 2018 and will be used for:
Spay/Neuter for citizens in the community who are considering adopting pets from Vance County Animal Shelter.
Free spay/neuter for pets that have been at the shelter for an extended period of time and are deemed for rescue only.
Nobles said in the press release, “These funds will be a great help to getting animals out of the shelter. We anticipate with this assistance more citizens will be able to adopt and more rescue organizations will be interested in rescuing the animals from Vance County.”
Murder Suspect Turned Himself In (3-16-18)
Update:
March 16, 2018
On Friday, March 16, 2018, Marcus Small, 31, turned himself into law enforcement authorities. Mr. Small was charged with First Degree Murder and received no bond.
If anyone should have any information related to this case, they are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925 or the Henderson Police Department at 252-438-4141. Crime Stoppers offers a reward for information that may lead to an arrest. Callers may remain anonymous.
Press Release – March 12, 2018
On Friday, March 9, 2018 around 11:55 p.m., members of the Henderson Police Department responded to the 100 block of Parham Road in reference to someone being shot. Upon arrival, officers located Emmanuel Hargrove, 31, with a gunshot wound. Vance County EMS responded to the scene and transported Hargrove to Maria Parham Health. Mr. Hargrove succumbed to his injuries. Members of the Henderson Police Department Criminal Investigation Section are investigating the incident.
If anyone should have any information related to this case, they are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925 or the Henderson Police Department at 252-438-4141. Crime Stoppers offers a reward of up to $2,000 for information that may lead to an arrest Callers may remain anonymous.
Authority: Chief M.W. Barrow