Local News - WIZS

CFAP Program Information Session Scheduled for Local Farmers

August 13, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, NC Cooperative Extension

Local farmers are encouraged to participate in an information session on the Coronavirus Food and Agriculture Assistance (CFAP) Program, scheduled for Thursday, August 20, 2020. This event will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held virtually, with registration required via EventBrite.

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities suffering a five-percent-or-greater price decline, or who have had losses due to market supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 and face additional significant market costs. USDA is accepting applications now through August 28, 2020.

Additional crops have been added to the list of eligible commodities. Livestock, wool and dairy farms are also eligible for participation. Visit farmers.gov/cfap to view listings of eligible crops and livestock. Farmers can also get information about what documentation is needed for the application on the CFAP website, farmers.gov/cfap.

The link for registration is https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coronavirus-food-and-agriculture-program-cfap-meeting-tickets-116024730091.

With questions, call the Granville County NC Cooperative Extension Center at (919) 603-1350 or the Granville County
Farm Service Agency office at (919) 693-7345, ext. 2.

Former NFL & Warren Co. Player Sentenced on Drug, Money Laundering Charges

August 12, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 168 months in prison for conspiring with others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and engaging in a money-laundering conspiracy. He was also ordered by the court to forfeit $2,708,000 in laundered drug proceeds.

According to court documents, Richard Dwight Alston, 39, engaged in a multi-year and cross-country conspiracy to traffic in large amounts of marijuana and to distribute that high-grade marijuana to associates in Raleigh.

After several years of investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service, on November 2, 2017, federal agents executed a search warrant for apartments that were suspected to be stash locations for Alston’s large-scale marijuana organization. During the search, agents located over 40 pounds of marijuana and $371,670.00 in United States currency.

Agents were then able to arrange for the delivery of Alston’s next drug shipment on November 6, 2017. On that date, agents arrested two individuals who were responsible for transporting the marijuana intended for Alston and others. A search of their vehicle revealed seven large duffel bags containing almost 200 kilograms of marijuana, along with $67,814 in United States currency. A financial investigation conducted by the IRS revealed that Alston had laundered drug proceeds of over $2.7 million through a business bank account over a period of several years.

The investigation was part of OCDETF Operation Pick Six. An Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) led the investigation, with assistance from the Raleigh Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura S. Howard prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the U.S. Department of Justice’s website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-CR-00005-M.

Warren Co. Coop. Extension Announces Two-Part Horse Pasture Management Series

August 10, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Information courtesy Warren County Cooperative Extension

The Warren County Cooperative Extension Center announces an upcoming Pasture Management for Horse Owners Webinar Series via Zoom platform. Sessions will be held on Thursday, August 13 and Thursday, August 20, 2020, from 12 to 1 p.m.

This two-part series will provide information on forage variety options, preparation, planting and establishment.

Please register online at https://go.ncsu.edu/equinepasturemamagement

NC’s Safer At Home Phase 2 Extended Through Sept. 11

August 6, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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Press Release, Office of NC Governor Roy Cooper

Governor Roy Cooper announced yesterday that North Carolina will remain paused in Safer At Home Phase 2 for another five weeks as students and staff return to schools, colleges and universities, and the state doubles down on efforts to decrease COVID-19 numbers.

“Other states that lifted restrictions quickly have had to go backward as their hospital capacity ran dangerously low and their cases jumped higher. We will not make that mistake in North Carolina,” said Governor Cooper. “In keeping with our dimmer switch approach with schools opening, and in order to push for decreasing numbers which will keep people healthier and boost our economy, North Carolina will remain paused in Safer At Home Phase 2 for five weeks.”

Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services shared an update on North Carolina’s data trends. Dr. Cohen explained that while some of North Carolina’s numbers have mostly leveled, any progress is fragile as other states have shown with sudden and devastating surges in viral spread.

“While overall we are seeing signs of stability, we still have much work to do. Our recent trends show us what is possible when we commit to slowing the spread by wearing face coverings and following those simple but powerful 3Ws,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen, M.D.

Trajectory in COVID-Like Illness (CLI) Surveillance Over 14 Days

North Carolina’s syndromic surveillance trend for COVID-like illness is declining, though remains elevated.

Trajectory of Lab-Confirmed Cases Over 14 Days

North Carolina’s trajectory of lab-confirmed cases has stabilized but remains high.

Trajectory in Percent of Tests Returning Positive Over 14 Days

North Carolina’s trajectory in percent of tests returning positive is stable but still elevated.

Trajectory in Hospitalizations Over 14 Days

North Carolina’s trajectory of hospitalizations is beginning to level.

In addition to these metrics, the state continues building capacity to be able to adequately respond to an increase in virus spread. These areas include:

Laboratory Testing

While testing turnaround times have improved, the number of tests done has decreased over the past week. Testing is a priority for anyone who has symptoms or those who may have been exposed to COVID-19, including:

Anyone who has attended a mass gathering including a protest.
Anyone who works in a setting at higher risk of exposure such as a grocery store, restaurant, gas station, or childcare program.
People who live or work in high-risk settings such as long-term facilities, homeless shelters, correctional facilities or food processing facility.

Tracing Capability

We continue hiring contact tracers to bolster the efforts of local health departments. There are over 1,500 full-time and part-time staff supporting contact tracing efforts, including the 615 Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) contact tracers.

Personal Protective Equipment

Our personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies are stable.

View the slides and graphs from today’s presentation.

Read the Executive Order.

State Sees Year’s First Cases of Often Fatal EEE Disease in Horses

August 4, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, NCDA&CS

Four horses have recently tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE) in North Carolina. The horses were located in Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus and Durham counties. These are the first cases of EEE reported this year.

“In 2019, there were only two reported cases of EEE in horses in North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The fact that we have doubled the 2019 number already, points to a need to be extra vigilant and vaccinate your equine. Mosquito season in North Carolina has several more months to go.”

EEE causes inflammation or swelling of the brain and spinal cord and is usually fatal. Symptoms include impaired vision, aimless wandering, head pressing, circling, inability to swallow, irregular staggering gait, paralysis, convulsions and death. Once a horse has been bitten by an infected mosquito, it may take three to 10 days for signs of the disease to appear.

“If your horses exhibit any symptoms of EEE, contact your veterinarian immediately,” said State Veterinarian Doug Meckes. “It is imperative that horse owners keep their vaccines current, talk to their veterinarian about vaccinating equine as soon as possible against EEE and West Nile virus.”

The vaccinations initially require two shots, 30 days apart, for horses, mules and donkeys that have no prior vaccination history. Meckes recommends a booster shot every six months in North Carolina because of the state’s prolonged mosquito season.

Mosquitoes can breed in any puddle of water that lasts for more than four days, so removing any source of standing water can reduce the chance of exposing animals to WNV or EEE. Keeping horses in stalls at night, using insect screens and fans and turning off lights after dusk can also help reduce exposure to mosquitoes. Insect repellants can be effective if used according to manufacturers’ instructions.

People, horses and birds can become infected from a bite by a mosquito carrying the diseases, but there is no evidence that horses can transmit the viruses to other horses, birds or people through direct contact.

While there is no vaccine to protect people from EEE, people can protect themselves with repellents and by judicious suppression of mosquito populations, especially in areas near freshwater hardwood swamps.

VGCC to Offer New Customer Service Excellence Program

August 4, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College has scheduled a new, mostly-online program designed to equip area residents with the customer service skills that are critical to the success of all businesses and organizations. The “Customer Service Excellence” program is set to be offered four times this fall.

In each case, students will only attend the first class in person at one of VGCC’s campuses. The rest of the program (totaling 24 hours) will be completed online from the comfort and safety of students’ homes or offices.

The class that begins at the college’s Main Campus (near Henderson) will be held August 24 – September 13; at the Franklin County Campus (Louisburg), September 14 – October 4; at South Campus (Creedmoor/Butner), October 5-25; and at the Warren County Campus (Warrenton), October 26 – November 15. Students are reminded that masks or face coverings are now required for everyone while indoors on campus.

The first few classes within the program will introduce the basic concepts of customer service, including how to handle difficult customer interactions; enhance participants’ communication skills; and examine customer relationship management (CRM), which can lead to growing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Next, students will learn critical problem-solving and troubleshooting skills, as well as basic computer skills for the workplace. Then, participants will gain skills that can help them secure employment, including career/resume development, and job interview techniques. A section on financial literacy will help students learn strategies for managing money, budgeting and saving.

Finally, students will prepare for the National Career Readiness Certification exam.

“This program is designed to equip employees with the skills needed to provide outstanding customer service by building and maintaining mutually-beneficial relationships,” said VGCC Dean of Business & Industry Solutions Tanya Weary. “These classes teach participants how to achieve customer service excellence while building a robust, skilled workforce for our local employers in any number of sectors.”

The instructor for the program is Alex Madrigal.

The program costs $70 but will be free of charge to participants who qualify through a Human Resources Development (HRD) waiver.

For more information, contact Kyle Burwell, Director of Occupational Extension, at (252) 738-3276 or burwellk@vgcc.edu.

To register, visit https://www.vgcc.edu/coned/hrd/.

Latest on Isaias for WIZS Area

August 3, 2020/by John C. Rose

* CHANGES TO WATCHES AND WARNINGS: The Tropical Storm Watch has been upgraded to a Tropical Storm Warning for Franklin, Harnett, Hoke, Wake, and Warren Counties. — Click For The Latest

WEATHER.GOV/RALEIGH – https://www.weather.gov/raleigh

NWS RALEIGH – https://www.facebook.com/NWSRaleigh

NWS RALEIGH – https://twitter.com/NWSRaleigh

The latest on Isaias for the WIZS listening area – 1450 AM / 100.1 FM / Live Stream

THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BRIEFING WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK:

https://www.weather.gov/media/rah/briefing/NWSRaleighLatestBriefing.pdf

____________________________________________________________________________________

(Update 9:30 a.m. – 8/3/2020) — update written and provided by Brian Short, Henderson-Vance Director of Emergency Operations

Click here for the Isaias briefing as of 9:30 a.m. on August 3. Overall, the local situation remains the same as in previous updates.

Presently, we remain under a Flood Watch and are just outside the boundary of counties who are under a Tropical Storm Watch (though that will likely change to include us).

We are forecast to receive wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph, with rainfall estimated between three and six inches. We should begin feeling the effects late this evening and in the overnight hours into Tuesday. With this much rain and gusty winds, we could certainly have downed trees and power outages.

As of today at 8 a.m., we have activated our Emergency Operations Center in a monitoring capacity and have escalated to a Level 2 status. We will be issuing a local Proclamation of a State of Emergency later this morning just to be on the safe side.

One particular emergency protective measure that could be implemented would be a vehicle curfew. If enacted, this would apply only to the municipal city limits of Henderson and not all of Vance County. Additionally, this limitation would only be imposed if power is lost due to the storm and would only be for the overnight hours beginning at 8 p.m. and lasting until 6 a.m.

Beginning this evening, we will be overstaffing the 911 center, and it will remain overstaffed throughout the day on Tuesday.

At this point, we do not plan to open any shelters as we do not believe they will be needed. However, we remain ready to do so if the situation worsens.

We will be coordinating our preparedness activities with our local and state response partners, and we are encouraging our citizens to continue their own local preparedness efforts.

____________________________________________________________________________________

(Update 12 Noon – 8/2/2020) — update written and provided by Brian Short, Henderson-Vance Director of Emergency Operations

Attached (above links) is the morning forecast from the National Weather Service for Tropical Storm Isaias. (Those links above will stay current with subsequent updates.) The storm continues to shift west with each update, and the current track continues to bring it inland through our state following the I-95 corridor. At present, we are forecast to receive some pretty strong wind gusts that at times could reach tropical storm strength as well as between 4 and 6 inches of rain. The rainfall will occur over a relatively short period of time, so localized flooding and flash flooding is certainly possible as are downed trees and power lines.

Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations

Our office is continuing to monitor the storm closely. We will make a decision early tomorrow (Monday) about declaring a local state of emergency for this event. We will also decide early tomorrow (Monday) regarding the implementation of any additional emergency protective measures.

Remember it is still not too late to work on your emergency supply kit (on Sunday and early Monday) and begin some basic preparedness activities if you have not done so already.

We will continue to forward along additional information as it is received.

The National Weather Service in Raleigh has issued a Flash Flood Watch for a portion of central North Carolina, including the following areas: Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Orange, Person, Richmond, Scotland, Vance, Wake, and Warren. The watch presently is in effect from Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon.

In an earlier statement from Brian Short, he said:

Keep in mind that we are now entering peak hurricane season, and the tropics have already been very active. The time to prepare is now and not when the winds begin to blow.

In addition to non-perishable food and water, hurricane emergency supply kits should include:

• First-aid kit
• Weather radio and batteries
• Prescription medicines
• Sleeping bag or blankets
• Changes of clothes
• Hygiene items such as toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and deodorant
• Cash
• Pet supplies including food, water, bedding, leashes, muzzle and vaccination records.

If you live in a storm surge hurricane evacuation zone or if you’re in a home that would be unsafe during a hurricane, figure out where you’d go and how you’d get there if told to evacuate.

We will continue to issue additional updates as they are received or our situation changes.

Please follow Vance County Emergency Operations on Facebook to stay informed on current preparedness efforts and other storm-related information.

More information on severe weather and hurricane preparedness is located at www.ReadyNC.org.

Cardinal Innovations Healthcare to Host ‘4 County Community Connections Fair’

July 30, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Information courtesy Cardinal Innovations Healthcare

Join Cardinal Innovations Healthcare this August to learn about available mental health resources and services for kids and families in Vance, Granville, Franklin, and Warren counties. This event – 4 County Community Connections Fair – is designed for children and families.

Due to COVID-19, there have been some changes to ensure everyone’s health and safety. This event will be held drive-thru style where children and families will receive:

• Drawstring bags stuffed with school supplies

• Facemasks (Pack of 4)

• Meals from Subway (while supplies last)

• Community Providers and Resources Flyers and Videos

• Access to the Virtual Key Note Speaker focusing on the #mentalhealthmatters theme to challenge the stigma of mental health and substance use

WHEN AND WHERE:

Tuesday, August 18, 2020 ~ 2 to 6 p.m.

Granville County

Granville Expo Center – 4185 US Highway 15 South Oxford, NC 27565

Wednesday, August 19, 2020 ~ 3 to 7 p.m.

Vance County

Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center – 200 Community College Rd Henderson, NC 27537

Warren County

Warren County Armory Civic Center – 501 US Hwy 158 Bus E Warrenton, NC 27589

Franklin County

Vance-Granville Community College Franklin Campus – 8100 NC-56 Louisburg, NC 27549

Sponsors: 4 County Juvenile Justice Behavioral Health Team (JJBH), Vance Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, Warren Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, Granville Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, Franklin Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, Gang Free, Inc. and Cardinal Innovations Healthcare.

For more information, please email Whitney Robertson at Whitney.Robertson@cardinalinnovations.org.

Video Footage, Seized Shotgun to be Analyzed in Officer-Involved Shooting of David Brooks, Jr.

July 29, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, Office of Michael D. Waters, District Attorney for the Eleventh Prosecutorial District

On Wednesday, July 29, 2020, District Attorney Michael D. Waters and Assistant District Attorney Hollie Y. McAdams appeared in chambers before the Honorable Cynthia K. Sturges, Resident Superior Court Judge of the Ninth Judicial District. The District Attorney‘s Office asked the Court to release the dash camera footage of the July 24, 2020, officer-involved shooting which lead to the death of David Brooks, Jr.

The family of David Brooks, Jr. and Chief David Hess of the Roxboro Police Department both consented to the release of the video footage and Judge Sturges signed an Order to that effect.

This video footage along with a shotgun seized from the scene as evidence by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), will be sent to the North Carolina State Crime Lab for further analysis. This forensic testing may take several weeks to complete.

If you witnessed the incident on July 24, 2020, involving the Roxboro Police Department, and you have not been interviewed yet, please call the SBI at (919) 779–8188 during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.). After hours and on weekends, please call 1–800–334–3000.

The District Attorney‘s Office will await the results of the complete SBI investigation before making any determination about whether the use of force was appropriate.

COVID-19 Drive-Thru Testing Event in Warrenton – August 6

July 29, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Information courtesy Warren County Government

A COVID-19 drive-thru testing event will be held on Thursday, August 6, 2020, from 4 until 7 p.m. at Coley Springs Missionary Baptist Church (224 Parktown Rd. in Warrenton, NC).

No appointments are needed. Testing is available for the uninsured and insured with no co-pay. Please bring your ID and insurance card if you have one.

To learn more, please contact:

HOPE Regional Medical Clinic (252) 517-9090

Warren County Health Department (252) 257-1185