Clerk Of Superior Court Henry L. Gupton Retirement Ceremony

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With the familiar “All rise! Oyez, Oyez, Oyez,” Lt. Ray Shearin opened the Vance County Courtroom on Thursday afternoon, but it wasn’t for a legal proceeding – it was for the retirement ceremony of Clerk of Superior Court Henry L. Gupton.

Looking out over the gathering of well-wishers, Gupton called it “a humbling experience” to see people from across the county and from across the state to be a part of his retirement sendoff.”

“It’s been an honor to serve the citizens for 38 ½ years,” Gupton said. First appointed to the clerk’s position in 2017, Gupton was elected in 2018. He worked in the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and was a magistrate before taking the job as clerk of court.

Retired Superior Court Judge the Hon. Henry W. Hight, Jr., recalled a much different clerk’s office when his father, Henry W. Hight, Sr. was clerk.

There were manual typewriters, inkwells and pens and a cranky mimeograph machine that was used to print the court calendars.

“Henry Gupton was not yet born,” Hight said.

In his roles as a deputy sheriff and magistrate, Hight cited Gupton’s empathy toward people who “wanted to be heard and needed to be respected” as strengths that also would later serve him in his role as clerk of court.

He answered a plea from Franklin County to provide a clerk well-versed in juvenile proceedings when that county’s staff was sidelined by COVID-19. Hight was filling in then, and when Gupton responded, it was “problem solved, thanks to Henry,” he said.

Resident Superior Court Judge John M. Dunlow echoed Hight’s sentiments. When Vance County – indeed, the world – was trying to put in place precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dunlow said Gupton’s concern “shone through. He was genuinely concerned – (for) not just his staff, but every employee that was coming in and out of the courthouse…to conduct business.”

Then, in April 2024, when electronic court filing system went live, the Vance County staff rose to the top as a team that really had a good handle on the intricacies of eCourts.

“Clerks from all over North Carolina were coming here to Vance County to see how they were doing it,” Dunlow said, adding that it was a testament to Gupton’s leadership and to his staff that the local office had become a shining star in program implementation.

The Hon. John W. Davis said he was a young judge when he first met a fellow he said looked an awful lot like Kenny Rogers, who appeared in the doorway of the office where Davis was, “smiling and laughing, just being Henry,” Davis recalled.

“Not long after, you were made clerk of Superior Court,” he said, adding that Gupton has always been a great help to the district court judges. “Anything we ask for, he provide it. He is loving, but he is always the consummate professional…that all of us should try to emulate.”

Sheriff Curtis Brame shared memories of the Brames and the Guptons growing up on Spring Valley Road.

“Henry and I go back a long way,” Brame said. He recalls times when he’d share a meal at the Gupton home and other times that Gupton would come to Brame’s mother’s house to eat.

Working together over the years, whether at the sheriff’s office, as magistrate or clerk of court, Brame said, “We have always had a working relationship together. We didn’t always agree, but we learned to disagree and move forward in unity for the greater common good, not for him, not for me, but the citizens of Vance County.”

“Henry, I appreciate all the years of working with you,” Brame said.

“Congratulations, my friend.”

Click Play for Audio of the Ceremony

TownTalk: Vance County Fire Chief Recaps First 7 Months, Looks Ahead To Future Plans

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Vance County Fire Chief Marvin Harrison has accomplished a good bit since coming on board in April.

From equipment purchases and rebranding efforts to training exercises and team-building opportunities, Harrison can check off quite a few boxes on the “to-do” list.

Like most good leaders, Harrison took some time to think about the future of the department and evaluate what it would take to make sure the department remains ready to serve the community in the long-term.

From that process comes this realization for Harrison: “The future of Vance County is bright.”

Harrison discussed his first months on the job on Thursday’s TownTalk, reflecting on where the department had been and how he hopes to lead it into the future.

Over his career, Harrison said he’s learned from mentors about goal-setting and being prepared. He said he’s got a five-year plan and a 10-year plan for the fire department. It’s just how he operates, he said. And although he’s happy with the state of things as they are now, he’ll probably never be satisfied – things can always be better, he said.

There are just a couple of openings right now, if you don’t include a few more positions that weren’t funded, he said. Coming from a larger department to Vance County, Harrison recognized that there simply aren’t the same number of firefighter positions available to a department this size.

“You can never have enough personnel,” he added. Sending a couple of dozen firefighters to a fire call simply doesn’t happen here – it’s more like between 5 and 10.

And because departments have to be ready to cover each other and respond to calls, Harrison said strengthening collaboration is critical.

“In Vance County, we have been asked to do a lot more with less,” he said, adding that he is impressed with the commitment he sees from firefighters in the area to be willing to step in to provide mutual aid.

“Their call can become my call,” Harrison said. “We all have to do our best and always ensure we are communicating with each other to provide the best public service we can.”

As for equipment, Harrison emphasized that purchases his department makes is for equipment that can be used by any of the volunteer departments when it’s needed.

“If we purchase equipment, we want to make sure that all departments know they’re not just for us, they’re for everybody – for every one of the other departments in the county if they need it.”

There’s already a new boat and a couple of UTVs and hopefully some dive equipment will be selected soon. And certainly plans are still underway for a new station, he said.

“Day by day, week by week, we are getting better…We have a game plan (and) we are working to get more,” Harrison said. “We need a lot more, honestly.” Part of that equipment includes trucks. “We need a new fleet in here in our department as soon as possible,” Harrison said.

“We’re just trying to cover all areas and thoroughly planning for the future in Vance County because we want to be mentioned with the ‘best of the best’ when it comes to fire departments and public service.”

 

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TownTalk: County Fiscal Operations Policy Stalls In 3-3 Board Vote

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners did not approve a proposed fiscal operations policy presented Tuesday during a special called meeting.

The vote was 3-3, with Commissioners Leo Kelly, Carolyn Faines and Charisse Fain voting in favor and Commissioners Yolanda Feimster, Valencia Perry and Dan Brummitt voting against. Commissioner Tommy Hester was not in attendance.

In presenting the document for their consideration, County Finance Director Stephanie Williams explained to commissioners the need to have a comprehensive policy in place.

The 30-page document includes “clear, uniform standards” across all county departments to ensure compliance governing the county’s finances.

“You want to hold people to a standard, but you have to give them standards to put in place,” Williams said.

County Manager C. Renee Perry stated that the county has never had such a policy.

“This is really big for us, for sure,” Perry told commissioners.

Williams said she found an 8-page policy when Perry brought her on board.

“No way you can run a county with eight pages of policy,” she said, adding that although the League of Municipalities doesn’t mandate counties to have fiscal operations policies, she stressed “the absolute importance we have a policy to move forward.”

The existing document addresses topics including debt, cash management and budget policy, but doesn’t include policy about bidding, purchasing and cash handling – internal controls that have been found lacking in recent LGC audit findings.

Perry asked commissioners to send her via email any questions or concerns regarding the proposed policy by Dec. 29.

The commissioners will gather for their annual retreat on Friday, Dec. 19. Their next regular meeting will take place on Jan. 6, 2026.

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TownTalk: Dwaynna Ramsay Graduate Speaker at WGU

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Growing up in Jamaica, Dwaynna Ramsay wanted to be a pharmacist. She excelled in school, and set her sights on college to continue on the career path she dreamed of.

She was accepted into a couple of different schools, but money was tight, and Ramsay said she deferred her dream so she could work and earn money.

“I never stopped believing that learning was my key out,” Ramsay said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

She certainly isn’t the only person to tell a similar story, and she won’t be the last. But, as a teacher today in Vance County Schools, she wants her students to hear her message: Your struggles do not define who you are.”

And that was the message she delivered in Atlanta last month in her commencement address during last month’s graduation exercises for Western Governor’s University, when she received her master’s degree in education technology and instructional technology.

Ramsay’s path is different than the one she had envisioned when she was a high school student in Jamaica, but it is a path that has her inspiring students to keep their sights on their goals and dreams and to believe in themselves.

In 2021, her husband, Kemar Morgan, took a job in Warren County Schools. He is a CTE teacher and has classes in brick masonry and construction math.

And that’s when her association with Vance County Schools began, with Ramsay becoming a permanent substitute at Vance County Middle School.

She acknowledged the “culture shock” and said the job taught her to be patient. It wasn’t easy, but she persevered. “Every day I kept going back,” she explained, and it wasn’t too long before she was invested in her students’ lives.

“Once you get to know that and understand their challenges, you realize they need a ‘constant,’” Ramsay said. “Yes, the grades do matter, but we have to be that ‘constant’ in their lives.”

So when kids fail tests or don’t do homework or get off track in some other way, they can count on Ramsay saying, “I’m going to believe you can do it until you can believe you can do it.”

The young people she connects with in school demonstrate a variety of aptitudes that they simply haven’t recognized or tapped into, she said.

During her speech to her fellow graduates, she offered a tip of the mortarboard to Dr. Stephanie Ayscue, who Ramsay said decided to give her a chance.

“She was not only a leader, but my mentor,” she said later. “She was always so encouraging. I want to be someone like that, not just for students but for anyone who encounters me,” she said during TownTalk.

Her path may not have been a straight one, and it certainly was strewn with challenges and obstacles to overcome. But scholarships came through to pay for tuition – more than once – and Ramsay said her faith buoyed her when she lacked the energy to keep up with family, work, and school.

One low point came when she failed a test – she never failed tests, she said. After a couple of weeks of feeling sorry for herself, some words of encouragement from her husband and a dream that she said she could recall word for word the next day, something changed.

“I got up and studied a little harder and actually passed with almost 100 percent,” Ramsay said. “The second and third exams, they were pretty hard, but I aced them, too.”

“If you fail something right now, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be forever,” Ramsay said. It’s what she told herself then and it’s what she shares with her students now.

“You own your failure. It’s ok to fall down,” she said. Remember, your struggles don’t define your value.

Find Ramsay’s speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj4Cy82ZC1M

 

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TownTalk: The Blast Newspaper!

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There are so many ways to get news and information these days – the more traditional methods like radio, television and print media often take a back seat to the ubiquitous screen.

When the COVID pandemic shut down Faicia Elliott’s radio advertising job, she hatched a plan to get a real newspaper in the hands of young people.

And that’s how The Blast got its start. Today, the newspaper is published monthly and is distributed free for the community to enjoy.

“Kids are on electronics for everything,” Elliott said on Monday’s TownTalk. “My vision was to have them to be able to have something tangible in their hands and to promote literacy.”

Fourth graders in Vance County Schools get copies each month, and Granville County Public Schools and Person have been added to the list, too.

It’s a one-person effort, with Elliott choosing the content, selling the ads and even distributing the 3,700 copies each month.

Printing is done at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford print shop, a point of pride for Elliott because she likes to shop local.

The Blast began as a for-profit enterprise, and after a few years, Elliott said it became a nonprofit – which means she can apply for grants. She also has advertising clients, some of which have been clients since the paper’s inception.

“It’s working, or they would not keep paying for it,” Elliott said.

As for the newspaper’s content, Elliott said she likes to include word games and other activities that get the whole family involved.

“It is important to me to promote literacy and family togetherness,” she said. “It’s a really fun paper.”

King Features Syndicate provides all kinds of content for the “big” papers, but they also provide content for The Blast. “I called them and said this is what we do, could you give me some content,” Elliott recalled, “and they gave me some puzzles for minimal (amount) compared to what the big papers pay.”

The newspaper contains nothing political, Elliott said, and it’s not pushing any agendas.

Readers of the current issue will learn, however, that Today, Monday, Dec. 15 is National Cupcake Day. The monthly calendar noting those special, silly days is a staple of The Blast.

She also includes local activities on a town calendar. This month includes dates for Christmas parades, for example, but she also likes to include what’s going on at the libraries and with the different recreation departments.

Another staple – and a favorite of Elliott’s – is the fishing page. Everybody can fish, she said, and there are so many fishing tournaments that take place locally, she wanted to include a page devoted to the sport and to learn more about fish.

That’s where the fish facts come into play. “I like that page because it’s fun to find those facts,” she said. Add that to her list of responsibilities. Fish Fact Finder.

As a nonprofit, Elliott has a board to help manage and oversee the organization, but the day-to-day falls to her. “I am it,” she said, “and it is not easy, but it’s important to me.”

And it’s important to her that the young people have access to information that they enjoy and have fun with. That’s how the paper got its name, in fact. “We wanted the kids to have a blast.”

Find TheNCBlast on Facebook, use ncblastsales@gmail.com or pick up the phone and call 919.482.9335 to learn more.

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Virginia Man Sentenced To More Than 14 Years In 2023 Case Involving Vance County Teen

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A federal judge in New Bern sentenced a Virginia man to 174 months in federal prison after he met a minor on Snapchat and manipulated her into sexual activity. On May 7, 2025, David Anthony Howard, II, age 27, pleaded guilty to transporting a minor across state lines to engage in criminal sexual activity.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle said, “Criminals who use apps like Snapchat to target and exploit our children are some of the worst offenders we face. We will not hesitate to bring the full force of the federal law down against anyone who preys on minors. Parents deserve to know we are doing everything possible to keep their kids safe.”

Many experts assert that young people who use social media platforms are vulnerable to predators such as the case involving the Vance County teen. A new law in Australia went into effect today that prohibits young people under the age of 16 from having their own social media accounts. A press release issued in July about the new law stated, “Delaying access to social media, including YouTube, until the age of 16 will protect young Australians at a critical stage of their development, giving them three more years to build real world connections and online resilience.”

According to court documents and other information presented in court, in April 2023, a Vance County mother reported that her 15-year-old daughter was missing and possibly being held by an adult male. The FBI, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, the Dinwiddie County, VA Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police determined that the minor was in Virginia with Howard at his residence. Further investigation revealed that Howard met the minor on Snapchat and manipulated her into a romantic and sexual relationship, traveling repeatedly from Virginia to her home in North Carolina to engage in sexual acts with her. He also enticed her to provide sexual images and videos. Finally, on the night of April 22, 2023, Howard tricked her to sneak out of her house and go to his home in Virginia. He kept her at his residence, continuing to sexually exploit her, until law enforcement recovered her five days later.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Blondel, Sarah Nokes, and Ashley Foxx prosecuted the case, and the FBI, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, the Dinwiddie County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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TownTalk: New Council Members Set For Swearing-In Ceremony On Dec. 29

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The two newest members of the Henderson City Council will have to wait until after Christmas to be sworn in. According to City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell, the Dec. 8 meeting that was cancelled because of inclement weather has been rescheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29.

Kenia Gómez-Jimenez and Catherine “Kitty” Miles Gill will join incumbents Garry Daeke and Lamont Noel, who won election or re-election to the Council in the fall elections.

Gómez-Jimenez defeated Ward 1 at-large Council Member Sara Coffey in the Oct. 7 election and Gill defeated Ola Thorpe-Cooper for the Ward 4 seat in the Nov. 4 runoff election.

Gómez-Jimenez expressed disappointment over the delay but said the decision to delay was the right call.

“Of course my family and I, along with our supporters and campaign team, were really looking forward to this Monday,” she said. “It was going to be such a
special moment for us and for our community. But at the end of the day, this really does come down to keeping everyone safe.

After the weather predicted for last Friday, I think many of us, myself included, weren’t sure if we were actually going to get any snow. Our City Manager and his team made the right call in closing City Hall on Monday because the roads really were getting slick that night. So while I’m a little disappointed, I also know December 29 will be here before we know it.

My hope is that the weather cooperates so our citizens can safely attend, be part of this moment, and witness the organizational votes and decisions that will shape the next four years. I truly hope to see you there!”

Kimbrell said finding a good time for all Council members proved to be a little tricky, especially given the holiday season.

“It’s the time of year,” Kimbrell said.”It was difficult finding a day that everyone was available.  With it being such an important meeting, we wanted everyone to be there, especially the four newly elected and the two outgoing members of Council.”

Following the December installation, the Henderson City Council makeup is as follows:

  • Ward 1 – Geraldine Champion
  • Ward 1 at-large – Kenia Gomez-Jimenez
  • Ward 2 – Sam Seifert
  • Ward 2 at-large – Lamont Noel
  • Ward 3 – Garry Daeke
  • Ward 3 at-large – Michael Venable
  • Ward 4 – Catherine “Kitty” Gill
  • Ward 4 at-large – Tami Walker

The council members serve four-year staggered terms, and the mayor serves a four-year term.

In the 2027 municipal elections, Henderson voters will vote for mayor, as well as Wards 1 and 2 aldermen, and Wards 3 and 4 at-large aldermen.

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TownTalk: A Ride Around Town; Met Police Chief, Stopped by Central Fire Station

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When everything shuts down in advance of inclement weather, city and county residents can rest assured that law enforcement officials and other emergency personnel remain vigilant during the worst of it to keep everyone safe. And in this case, the winter weather advisory was a sign of frigid temps, which can even hard on the folks who get to stay inside.

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Just because the area didn’t exactly experience blizzard conditions in this most recent weather “event,” the fact that schools and other agencies were closed surely cut down on the volume of traffic on the roads.

Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said his officers had received only two reports of traffic accidents – a fender-bender on Dabney Drive and a second involving one vehicle sliding off the road along a shaded portion of Beckford Drive, as of 11 a.m. Tuesday.

“You’ll get humbled real quick out there,” Barrow told WIZS. You’re driving along, then all of a sudden, there’s a shady spot that’s iced over. And that’s when accidents can occur, again in reference to conditions as of 11 o’clock in the morning Tuesday.

Police patrols were on the lookout for motorists or others in distress while the wintry mix fell during the day and then overnight, he said.

City government offices opened at normal hours Tuesday, but Barrow said he had officers monitoring road conditions and reporting back.

But even when city offices are closed – as they were on Friday and again on Monday – it’s not a day off for many city employees, including police officers and public works employees.

Barrow said Public Works Director Lee Owen and his team were throwing salt and sand where they could, but “with the ice situation, there’s not too much that we have that will help that situation.”

Individuals who stayed indoors while the winter weather advisory was in effect likely faced challenges of staying warm. And Henderson Fire Chief Tim Twisdale and Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds reminded residents to keep some basic safety tips in mind during these cold snaps.

If you use a space heater, please remember that they should be plugged directly into a wall outlet – no drop cords or power stips!

“Around this time of year, around Christmas, we usually see an uptick in fires,” Twisdale said “when additional heat becomes necessary.”

Make sure there’s at least a three-foot clearance around any supplemental heat source you use in your home.

If that supplemental heat source is a kerosene heater, remember to use the correct type of fuel. And never mix different types of fuel!

If you’re burning fossil fuels, whether it’s oil, natural gas or wood logs, it’s a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector installed in your home. And if you hear an annoying “chirp” from your smoke detector, it means it’s time to replace the battery.

City residents can place a call to the fire department at 252.438.7315 to request a replacement smoke detector.

Alert, NC Christmas Parade Sat., Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.

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Who: Larry Ayscue

What: Alert Christmas Parade

When: Saturday, December 13 at 2 p.m. but come about an hour earlier if you want to be IN THE PARADE.

Where: “A-lert,” the community that’s just over the Franklin/Vance County line beyond Epsom, near the intersection of Alert and Jordan School roads.

Additional Details: Good old-fashioned entertainment. Larry Ayscue is one of this year’s parade organizers, but he also is credited with being the original organizer of that first parade 35 years ago. He told WIZS back in 2024, “I would love to get the word out, just come and see it – check it out and see what you think of it,” he said on WIZS TownTalk last year. Unlike Christmas parades that are held inside town or city limits, Alert’s parade isn’t fettered by rules and regulations. “Alert is not a town,” Ayscue said. “I always tell people, don’t come expecting a town – it’s just a little community.” No forms to fill out, no official lineup to follow translates into good, old-fashioned fun, with “a lot of hollering, wavin’ and carrying on,” he said. “We’ve had people to tell us that they’d rather be in that parade than any other one they’ve ever been in,” he added. “It’s just a lot of fun.”  For more information, call 252.343.9275.

TownTalk: 12-08-25

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