Horse/Equine Vote March 8th

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Paul McKenzie is the Agricultural Extension Agent for Vance and Warren Counties.  McKenzie wrote the following for WIZS News:

Horse and other equine animal owners/lessors will vote across the state on March 08, 2017 to determine whether to continue to voluntarily assess themselves four dollars ($4.00) per ton of commercial horse feed in order to provide funds to promote the interests of the horse industry.

Morris White, County Extension Director, says the vote in Vance County will take place in the County Extension Center from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Any North Carolina resident who has reached his/her 9th birthday as of January 1, 2017 and who has complete or partial ownership or lease of an equine (horse, pony, mule, donkey or hinny) is eligible to vote.  Individuals must sign a statement certifying eligibility at time of voting.

Since many horse owners work away from home during business hours, a provision has been made for absentee voting. Between the dates of February 20–March 08, horse owners may visit or phone the County Extension Center and request a ballot and absentee registration form. These must be turned in to the Extension office by March 08, and will be counted along with others on March 09.

If the vote is favorable on March 09, the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will continue to receive the assessment funds from manufacturers and/or distributors of horse feed, and will remit the money to the NC Horse Council.  The Horse Council has indicated that the funds will be used for 4-H and other youth and educational programs, trails advocacy, equine research, representation of horse interests in government, marketing programs, enforcement of horse laws, and improved public awareness of diseases and other threats to horses’ well-being.

Many other agricultural commodities have similar voluntary assessment programs.  Horsemen may receive a refund of the assessment by writing to the NC Horse Council within a year of purchase and including proof of purchase.

Franklin County Man Allegedly Shoots Two in Stolen Gun Argument

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Press Release

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit issued warrants on a Franklin County resident. On 02/10/2017, warrants were issued on Jon Edward Check with Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury. On 02/10/2017, Jon Edward Check was arrested by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit. He is under a $40,000 bond.

This incident is alleged to have occurred on 02/09/2017.

Mr. Check is alleged to have shot two victims at his home.

This incident was alleged to been an ongoing dispute over a gun someone had stolen from Mr. Check.

Four individuals came to Mr. Check’s home, an apparent fight ensued and the end result was Mr. Check shooting two victims. One in the legs and the other in the arm.

Both victims were transported by private vehicle to WakeMed North.

Suspect:

Jon Edward Check

136 Elsie Marie Drive

Youngsville, NC 27596

This matter remains under investigation and no further information will be released at this time. If anyone should have any additional information pertaining to this investigation, please contact Detective JC Senter at 919-340-4344.

Warrenton Man charged with Discharging Weapon into Occupied Property

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The Warren County Sheriff’ Office Criminal Investigations Division, arrested Allen Brown of 231 Hester Road, Warrenton, NC on 2/2/2017. Brown was charged with one count of Discharge of a weapon into occupied property stemming from a December 2016 incident involving a shooting into a Warren County EMS ambulance traveling on Hester Road. Bond was set at $10,000 secured, with a court date of 2/22/2017.

Sheriff Williams would like to thank the citizens of Warren County for their continued support in the ongoing efforts of The Sheriff’s Office, in the fight against drug and criminal problems in our county. Anyone with information on this or any other matter is asked to contact investigators at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office at 252 257-3364, M-F, 8 AM – 5 PM, or 252 257-3456 after 5 PM. Callers can also contact the Sheriff’s Office ANONYMOUSLY on our Tip Hotline 252 257-1356 or by email at Eagleeye@Vance.Net.

Silver Alert Issued for Warren County Resident

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MISSING PERSON

Warren County Deputies are currently searching for:
Arnold Lee Henderson
67 year old, Black Male, 5′ 9″, 200 lbs, brown eyes, grey hair.

Last seen walking away from Moore’s Rest Home on Rabbit Bottom Road in Arcola wearing camoflauge jacket with floral patterned sweater underneath and black or blue pants.

Anyone with information on this or any other matter is asked to contact investigators at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office at 252 257-3364, M-F, 8 AM – 5 PM, or 252 257-3456 after 5 PM. Callers can also contact the Sheriff’s Office ANONYMOUSLY on our Tip Hotline 252 257-1356 or by email at Eagleeye@Vance.Net.

Contractor Moves Start of I-85 Lane Shifts in Vance/Warren Counties to Friday

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RALEIGH – Motorists who travel through the work zone for the I-85 upgrade project now under way in Vance and Warren counties will be encountering a series of lane shifts and ramp closures over the next several weeks.

They will start about noon on Friday, Jan. 27, when I-85 South traffic will be shifting over to the northbound side between U.S. 158 Bypass West/Dabney Drive and U.S. 1. The southbound traffic will move to the inside of the northbound side, while I-85 North traffic will shift to the outside.

The move into the two-lane, two-way pattern will allow crews to safely work on the southbound side of the highway. That shift is expected to remain in place until November.

The eastbound U.S. 158 ramp to I-85 will remain closed through November as well, while the I-85 South on ramp from Parham Road will be closed, also until November.

By the end of the month, or in early February, traffic in Warren County will undergo the same shift, with I-85 South vehicles being moved to I-85 North to share those lanes between mile markers 224 and 229.

The timing of the shifts and closures is dependent on the progress of the prep work needed to get the roadways ready, as well as weather conditions.

It is all part of a five-year, $137.3-million project that is improving the interstate between Dabney Road in Vance County and the Virginia state line. In addition to repairing the deteriorating road surface, the work calls for replacing the bridges on I-85 and improving bridges over the interstate. That includes raising the clearance on several of those bridges to create safer conditions for tractor trailers traveling underneath them along the interstate.

The improvements are needed because of the expected increase in traffic volume on this key connector highway for travelers and commercial trucking that links cities of the Mid-Atlantic and northeast United States to Greensboro, Charlotte and Atlanta. Traffic is currently at about 37,800 vehicles a day, but is expected to rise to 60,000 per day over the next 20 years.

A project this big means considerable impacts for motorists with lane and ramp closures, traffic shifts and detours continuing through the end of the project in 2020. And it’s not just the interstate that will be affected, as roads such as N.C. 39 and Satterwhite Point Road, which provides key access to Kerr Lake State Recreation Area, will have lane restrictions and closings at times.

NCDOT staff works closely with local officials, towns, schools and emergency services to make sure everyone knows when their areas will be impacted. For more information about the project, you can contact NCDOT Resident Engineer Boyd Tharrington at btharrington@ncdot.gov or (919) 562-7000.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on Twitter.

***NCDOT***

 

2017 Meeting Schedule for the Vance County Regional Farmers Market Advisory Board

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2017 Meeting Schedule Vance County Regional Farmers Market Advisory Board

Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent for Vance and Warren Counties, indicates the board will meet at 2 p.m. on the following dates:

February 2nd
May 4th
August 3rd
November 2nd

All meetings will be held at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Dr. in Henderson.

Any changes to this schedule will be communicated to local media, and also posted at https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu.  Meetings are open to the public.  Questions regarding the Farmers Market Advisory Board may be directed to Paul McKenzie of Vance County Cooperative Extension at paul_mckenzie@ncsu.edu or 252-438-8188.

Additional contact information is as follows:

Paul McKenzie

Agricultural Extension Agent, Vance/Warren Counties
NC Cooperative Extension
305 Young St., Henderson, NC  27536
158 Rafters Ln., Warrenton, NC 27589
https://www.ces.ncsu.edu
252.438.8188 (Vance)  252.257.3640 (Warren)
@pgmckenzie

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

American Legion Post 99 News Release

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The American Legion Post 99 and the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 99 meets every 2nd Monday of the Month at Post 99 located at 1034 Mallard Lane Halifax, Va.

Auxiliary starts at 6:30 p.m. and the Legion begins at 7:00 p.m.

We welcome eligible men and women desiring to assist veterans and/or their families.

Call 434-575-5401 or 434-476-1268 for more information.

(This information came to WIZS via mail)

VGCC Vanguards upset JV Tar Heels with 106-100 victory

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The Vance-Granville Community College Vanguards men’s basketball team achieved one of the most stunning upsets in program history on Jan. 18, defeating the University of North Carolina junior varsity team by a score of 106-100 at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill.

This was VGCC’s second trip to Chapel Hill and the team’s first win over the JV Tar Heels, who were undefeated this season before the contest.

Henderson-based radio station WIZS 1450 AM provided live coverage of the game, just as in the first meeting of the two programs in 2016. “In what was going to be an incredible experience in and of itself for the VGCC Vanguards, they came out more ready to play than the Tar Heels,” reflected Kevin Bullock, who called the game for WIZS. “The Vance-Granville locker room was electric before the game, while the UNC JV locker room was all but silent.”

The Vanguards got off to a strong start, trading leads with the Tar Heels and settling on a 51-51 tie at the half. The back-and-forth continued through the second half toward a nail-biter of a conclusion. After taking a five-point lead and then falling behind by as many as five in the second half, the Vanguards fought back to tie the Heels with two minutes to go.

With 20 seconds left on the clock, the Vanguards pulled away from a 100-100 tie and never looked back, making four straight free throws to seal the victory.

Key to VGCC’s win was a balanced offense that featured six players scoring in double figures: NiQuan Cousins (30 points), TyQuon Reid (22), Chris Pernell (16), Jaylen Jones (11), Calvin Malik Manley (11) and Kenneth Finley, Jr. (10). Cousins was also the Vanguards’ leading rebounder (14). He leads the nation in rebounds per game (14.5) for NJCAA Division II. Cousins recorded three assists and three blocks, as well. Manley contributed seven rebounds to the winning effort. Jones led in steals (4).

The Tar Heels were led in scoring by Lucas Bouknight of Greensboro, with 21 points. An article in the student newspaper, the Daily Tar Heel, concluded that the JV “basketball team wasn’t just outplayed — UNC was outworked.” The article quoted Hubert Davis, the former Tar Heel guard and 12-year NBA veteran who coaches the JV squad, as saying, “Congratulations to Vance-Granville Community College. They earned it….I just felt like the entire game they were the tougher team. They were the team that worked the hardest, that wanted it more.”

Bullock, the WIZS sportscaster, concluded that “Carolina was hampered by poor free throw shooting and live ball turnovers. Vance-Granville was able to capitalize on those opportunities and shot the ball better than they had all season. It was the UNC JV team’s fourth game in nine days, which allowed the Vanguards to get out and run on Carolina and wear them down in the second half. NiQuan Cousins, Jaylen Jones, TyQuon Reid and the rest of the Vanguards will never forget the day they went to Chapel Hill and beat the Tar Heels.”

VGCC’s next home game is set for Saturday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m., when the Vanguards face a conference opponent, Guilford Tech Community College, at Aycock Recreation Center in Henderson. Admission is free.

 

Warren County DUI Case

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WARRENTON, NC— A session of Warren County Criminal Superior Trial Court was held during the week of January 17, 2017, and presided over by the Honorable Michael O’Foghludha. During the week long session the District Attorney’s Office presented the case of State vs. Harold Jay Whitney. Mr. Whitney was represented by attorney Mitch Styers.

Mr. Whitney was charged with Driving While Impaired and Driving Left of Center after being stopped by Troopers Burrell and Settles of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol on May 23, 2014. Both Troopers testified that Mr. Whitney was driving on the wrong side of the road near the intersection of Churchill Road and U.S. 158 in Warren County.

Mr. Whitney was either unable or unwilling to produce a breath sample, so there was no exact determination as to the level of alcohol in his system.

Jurors had to rely on observations and testimony regarding his ability to complete the performance testing conducted by Trooper Burrell. The case was presented to a Warren County Jury by Assistant District Attorney Mark L. Gregory, and the jury returned a guilty verdict.

Mr. Whitney was sentenced to a 30 day active sentence which was suspended for 12 months of unsupervised probation.

(Press Release from the DA)

Red Cross critically needs donors after winter weather adds to severe blood shortage

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RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 18, 2017) – Following several rounds of severe winter weather in many parts of the country, the American Red Cross urges eligible blood and platelet donors to help restock its shelves to overcome a shortage.

Since Dec. 1, about 300 blood drives across 27 states have been forced to cancel due to inclement winter weather, resulting in more than 10,500 blood and platelet donations going uncollected. Despite the weather, hospital patients still rely on transfusions.

Blood donor Jim Taylor knows how it feels to have a loved one waiting for a transfusion. His son Aaron was born with a rare liver condition. In the short two months of his life, he received 115 blood products. Taylor said each transfusion gave his family more time with Aaron, so he encourages others to give.

“When the Red Cross says there is a shortage, they are not exaggerating,” said Taylor. “I now know from experience that what they are saying is somewhere there is a father waiting on the donation that will save his son’s life. When the Red Cross asks for help, what that means is a new dad is praying for a miracle.”

To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donors are encouraged to make appointments and complete the RapidPass online health history questionnaire at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to save time when donating.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Franklin

Franklinton

1/28/2017: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Franklinton Baptist Church, 102 West Mason St.

Granville

Creedmoor

1/27/2017: 2:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., Creedmoor United Methodist Church, 214 Park Avenue

Oxford

2/10/2017: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Granville County Shrine Club, 706 Roxboro Road

Stem

2/7/2017: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Granville Central High School, 2043 Sanders Rd

Person

Roxboro

1/26/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., National Guard Armory, 605 Burlington Rd

1/29/2017: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., Theresa Baptist, 3919 Chublake Rd

2/10/2017: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Roxboro Police Department, 109 Lamar St.

Vance

Henderson

1/28/2017: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. James Catholic Church, 3275 US 158 Bypass

2/14/2017: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Vance Granville Community College, 200 Community College Road

Warren

Norlina

1/25/2017: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., St. Pauls Lutheran Church, 438 Ridgeway Drewry Road

How to help

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

 

(Press Release)