Election Coverage: Brame Targets Drug Activity, Addressing Staff Shortage If Elected To Second Term As Sheriff

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-The following is part of WIZS’s continuing coverage of the Nov. 8 election.

Curtis Brame said he looks forward to a second term as sheriff and working collectively with the community to keep Vance County residents safe. During his first term, Brame has had to contend with issues like staffing shortages and increased service calls, deficiencies in the county jail and the burgeoning drug activity. Toss in a two years’ long COVID-19 pandemic, and Brame said it’s been challenging.

But, with his more than 38 years of law enforcement experience, Brame said he knows the “ins and outs, the do’s and don’ts” of the sheriff’s office. “Experience makes the difference.”

Illegal Drug Activity

He said his office gets calls daily about the drug problem, and he said that his personnel cannot do it alone. “We have to educate and train people to say ‘no,’” Brame said in an interview with WIZS’s John C. Rose recorded and aired unedited on Monday.

The traffickers and sellers need to be in jail, he said, but parents have to get more involved in educating their children. “It all comes back to education and training,” he said.

When his office receives a citizen complaint about drug activity, Brame said it’s not as simple as kicking in a door and making an arrest.

“It’s a process,” he explained. Once officers follow up on the complaint and investigate, it’s time to take information to the district attorney and other agencies like the DEA.

Following proper procedure in building a case against a suspected dealer means a better chance of getting a conviction.

Administration

 “The sheriff’s office has a multitude of jobs and responsibilities,” Brame said, from transporting mental patients to processing concealed carry applications and gun permits to making arrests and serving civil summonses. “People don’t realize those responsibilities,” he noted, adding that being a sheriff’s deputy is more than “knocking in doors and serving warrants.”

The caseload is overwhelming for a fully staffed sheriff’s office, but can be almost crippling to an agency that has more than 30 opening between the sheriff’s office and the detention facility.

But Brame said Vance County is not alone – law enforcement agencies across the state and beyond face staffing shortages.

Brame said he appreciates the support from county commissioners and from the county manager to offer incentives for new hires – and for moving forward with a feasibility study to examine just what needs to happen at the jail – repair or replace the 30-year-old facility.

Brame said he stands by his decision to place on paid suspension the three men from his office who face indictments. As stated in previous interviews, Brame said a gag order imposed on him prevents his comment on the case, but said “they want their day in court, I want their day in court.”

Full Audio Interview

The Local Skinny! Advance Auto Partners With Henderson Police

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It may have happened to you before: You’re driving down the street, trying to get from here to there, when you see the blue light in your rear-view mirror, accompanied by the woop-woop of the police car, telling you to pull over.

Such encounters with the police for minor infractions like broken taillights or burned-out headlights could end with the driver being issued a $25 gift card instead of a citation.

That’s exactly what could happen, thanks to a new safety initiative announced Thursday at the local Advance Auto Parts on Raleigh Road.

Advance District Manager Jay Matthews wanted to do something special for Henderson, which has two stores – one at 390 Raleigh Road and one at 400 Prosperity Drive.

Drivers who get pulled over for faulty equipment – think broken or non-functioning lights, for example – will get a $25 Advance Auto Parts gift card to help pay for repairs from Henderson police officers, as a way to encourage them to make those minor repairs.

The program is the only one of its kind in the area, and it’s designed “to increase roadway safety for local motorists,” according to a press statement issued Thursday morning.

Advance’s store team presented Police Chief Marcus Barrow and Henderson police officers with an Advance gift card donation of $1,500 to begin the initiative. “Our local team is thrilled to partner with Henderson Police to promote safer vehicle operations,” Matthews, a Henderson resident, said. “It’s important that motorists on our streets keep vehicle safety top of mind, especially as we’re heading into holiday travel season. We look forward to working with Chief Barrow and everyone on his team on this program while serving our community.”

Barrow said he appreciates community partnerships like this one with Advance.

“Partnerships with a committed community stakeholder like Advance Auto Parts are vital to our success as an agency,” Barrow said. “This partnership will allow us to lessen a financial burden on our citizens and increase vehicular safety, and we thank Jay and everyone at Advance for their support.”

Motorists receiving a gift card may use the card at Advance’s two Henderson locations, throughout North Carolina or online at advanceautoparts.com.

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Home And Garden Show

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 On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Now is the time to start planning your season extension methods. Row covers. plastic , cardboard.
  • If you plan to renovate your lawn do so ASAP.
  • With cooler temps scout your property for fire ants. Granule baits work well when fire ants are foraging
  • Plant a cover crop on vacant areas of your garden, Crimson clover is a good cover crop.
  • Your fall vegetables may need top dressing check your garden journal for when they were last fertilized.
  • Plant trees, shrubs, bulbs, perennials, pansies, strawberries.
  • Now is the time to collect soil samples. Avoid the rush!
  • Harvest sweet potatoes now. Sun cure them by placing them on a trailer and leaving them in sunshine and moving them inside at night. Do this for about 2 weeks after digging.

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The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance 10-11-22

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for October 11, 2022. The Chamber compiles the information, and it is presented here and on the radio. Contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or email Michele@hendersonvance.org to be included.

Name of Business- Maria Parham Health

Title of Job- Nephrology Receptionist; Full time. The receptionist greets visitors, performs and provides clerical support services, operates multiple-call switchboard console and routes calls to the appropriate person.  Qualifications include a high school diploma or equivalent, associates degree preferred. 1yr of prior hospital or healthcare experience preferred.

How to Apply- Apply online at www.mariaparham.com/careers

 

Name of Business- Vance-Granville Community College

Title of Job- Administrative Assistant for the Deans of Students Services/ Call Center Coordinator; Full time. $31,737-$47,606 a year. Manages the reception area to ensure effective and professional telephone, email, and mail communications both internally and externally. Supervises all part-time call center staff and provides assistance to students. Qualifications include Associates degree and at least 1 yr of work experience at a community college.

How to Apply- Apply on VGCC website at www.vgcc.edu/careers

 

Name of Business- Brewer Cycles

Title of Job- Receptionist; Full time/Part time. Work hours are Tues-Fri 8:30-5:30pm and Sat 8:30-3:00pm. Greet and welcome guests as soon as they arrive, manage front desk, stock supplies, answer phones, and run errands. Qualifications include computer knowledge and 1 yr. of customer service is preferred.

How to Apply- Apply in person at Brewer Cycles located at 420 Warrenton Rd Henderson, NC 27537

 

Name of Business- Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

Title of Job- Communications and Administrative Coordinator; Full time. Starting at $43,000/yr. Communication duties include branding, social media, and website development. Administrative duties include purchasing, IT Support, and scheduling. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree preferred. Sound judgement, initiative, tact, and courtesy are required.

How to Apply- Send your cover letter and resume to Communications & Administrative Coordinator at PO Box 709 Henderson, NC 27536

 

Name of Business- Vance County, NC

Title of Job- Sr. Administrative  Support Specialist; Full time. Preforms accounting and budget monitoring functions for the department including monthly reports and reconciliations. Collects and reviews data. Provides customer service. Qualifications include Associate’s Degree. Bilingual applicants strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply- Apply on Indeed or https://nc-vancecounty.civicplushrms.com/CareerPortal/

 

Some of these businesses are present or past advertisers of WIZS.  Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast.  This is not a paid ad.

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The Local Skinny! Zoning And Coding In The City Of Henderson

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About 5 p.m. on Monday afternoon, a group of interested business and community were leaders invited to gather at a local downtown restaurant for a quick bite before walking over to the Henderson City Council meeting that began at 6 p.m.

It’s just one way that this group – participants in a business roundtable group created by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce – can show support and encouragement to city staff and elected leaders and to be more visible partners in helping to grow the local economy.

They plan to meet again in a few weeks, in advance of the November City Council meeting.

The most recent business roundtable discussion occurred Friday, when Corey Williams, the city’s director of code compliance and City Manager Terrell Blackmon shared information about code enforcement and the proper way to go about resolving issues around code violations and nuisance abatement.

Brian Boyd spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny! and he said Williams did a great job “guiding us through and educatying us on code and nuisance abatement.”

The group also discussed a long history of concern for the local area, as business or industry dried up, with little success in recruiting new businesses.
Boyd said it was a case of “if we don’t do something about ‘this,’ it is going to lead to ‘that,’ and ‘that’ is a bad outcome,” he said.

Over the years, as elections bring different faces to the City Council, Boyd said priorities also changed for Henderson.

“I want to compliment the city and the council members for being so actively engaged right now and for working together on things” that affect the well-being of the city, he said.

The process of enforcing city codes is a legal process, Boyd said. There’s a certain way to go about lodging a complaint or voicing an opinion – it’s “not a text message to a council member or to a city official,” he said.

 

 

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The Local Skinny! Vance County Jail

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The Vance County commissioners continue to move forward to address issues with the county detention center, and at their meeting Monday chose a Raleigh architectural firm to complete a needs assessment and make recommendations and suggestions about whether to repair or replace.

Moseley Architects worked with Granville County to build its newly completed jail complex, and County Manager Jordan McMillen told WIZS News Thursday that county leaders are hopeful that the needs assessment will provide some options for next steps.

The 30-year-old jail has had some deficiencies in previous jail inspections, from damaged ceiling tiles to peeling paint and other areas that need repair or maintenance. But McMillen said options range from construction of a new jail to an upgrade and expansion of the current facility or even embracing the concept of “regionalization with a neighboring county.”

Commissioner Dan Brummitt told WIZS News Thursday that the concept of jail regionalization is a growing trend, loosely defined as a way for counties to pool resources, allowing for inmates and suspects to be housed in a central facility instead of county jails.

But jails need a full roster of county detention officers to operate effectively, and the Human Resources Committee identified the position of detention officer as one of several hard-to-fill positions.

The commissioners approved giving a $5,000 hiring bonus for new detention officers, as well as social workers who work with child protective services at the Department of Social Services.

Commissioners Carolyn Faines, Archie Taylor and Gordon Wilder comprise the HR committee, and they reviewed turnover data and length of vacancies to identify the top three positions, McMillen said.

In other business, the commissioners finalized the sale of the former DSS building to the Henderson Family YMCA.

“This will pave the way for the YMCA to use this property for their programming needs as they look to the future,” McMillen said. The 9,684 square foot building sits on 2.46 acres at 350 Ruin Creek Rd.

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Home And Garden Show

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 On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Nights are getting cooler start planning your season extension measures etc row covers, sheets, cardboard.
  • Don’t be too quick to clean up perennial beds. The dried stalks and foliage can provide overwintering habitat for beneficial insects and cover for birds.
  • With cooler temps scout your property for fire ants. Granule baits work well when fire ants are foraging
  • If you plan to use a cover crop in your vegetable garden, order seed now.
  • Your fall vegetables may need top dressing check your garden journal for when they were last fertilized.
  • Plant trees, shrubs, bulbs, perennials, pansies, strawberries.
  • Now is the time to collect soil samples. Avoid the rush!
  • Educate yourself about invasive species.
  • Clean equipment that you know you are not going to use this fall and store correctly
  • Would you like to grow pecans? Make plans now by researching cultivars and identifying nurseries.
  • Remember Lawnmower safety. Check the lawn for debris, use PPE hearing and eye protection and Please No Extra Riders one seat  equals one person on the mower!

 

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The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance 10-04-22

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for October 4, 2022. The Chamber compiles the information, and it is presented here and on the radio. Contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or email Michele@hendersonvance.org to be included.

Business Name – Versatrim

Job Opening –    Multiple Job Openings:

Maintenance Mechanic – Monday – Friday 8 hour day shift, $18-$20 an hour, full benefits.  Job involves maintaining and performing preventing maintenance onall manufacturing machinery in good working order and communicating/documenting all down-times, breakdowns, and safety concerns to management.  Experience with electrical systems, metal fabrication, and construction knowledge preferred.  Cannot have a fear of heights.

Industrial Electrician  – Day shift 7:30 am – 4:00 pm.  $18-$22 per hour. Install new electrical system as needed, troubleshoot problems with existing electrical equipment, run tests to ensure machinery is ready to operate, maintain repair and maintenance logs/records.  Must have knowledge of industrial equipment installation, calibrating and maintaining circuitry, and familiar with state and national building electrical system requirements.  Position requires a technical diploma or associate degree in electrical or mechanical technology and 4+ years of manufacturing electrical experience.

Customer Service Representative– Monday-Friday, 8 hour shift, full-time.  $14 per hour. Assist customers with order placement, product inquiries, assist with complaints, and assist with resolving certain issues.  Looking for a steady, patient, relaxed, warm and approachable individual. Professional and courteous with customers with attention to detail. Must be 18 years +.

Color Coordinator/Print Operator– Day shift 8 hour with $14 per hour pay.  Responsible for the custom creation and replication of images to coordinate with customer’s varied flooring planks.  Experience with Adobe Photoshop app to manipulate and replicate a scanned design.  Knowledge of a Mac computer.  Work with other Versatrim departments to ensure that colors are being completed and approved on schedule.  Requires attention to detail, technical capacity, team oriented and results driven.

How To Apply – Apply online at https://versatrim.com/careers.html.

 

Business Name – Belk Department Store

Job Opening –    Sales Team Manager, full-time, mid-senior level.  Management of sales associates to meet or exceed area sales goals through training, coaching, and recognizing sales team associates for improving sales and customer service.  Open and close the store as needed.  Minimum education and experience includes four-year college degree or equivalent education and experience. Leadership experience. Proficient in computer business-related computer software.

How To Apply –  Apply at Belk Store in Henderson, NC.  Apply online at Belkcareers.com.

 

Business Name –  The Sunrock Group

Job Opening – Multiple Positions Open at the Kittrell, NC location.  These include:  Senior Equipment Mechanic (Plant Mechanic Lead); Equipment Operator; and Plant Utility Person. The Sunrock Group seeks individuals who are committed to excellence, who are top producers and who have high standards of individual integrity. In their team environment, dependability, problem-solving skills and personal resourcefulness are paramount. In addition, leadership skills and the desire to set and meet goals are also essential. Above all, The Sunrock Group believes that there is no substitute for good judgment and common sense.

How To Apply – Contact our Human Resources Department in Butner, NC at 855-OUR-ROCK(687-7625) or email  career@thesunrockgroup.com.

 

Business Name – Henderson Family YMCA

Job Opening –   Multiple Part-Time Positions are available.  Bus Driver, Camp Counselor, Pool Life Guard, Night and Weekends Member Services, Nursery Attendant, Substitute Group Fitness Instructor, and a Night and Weekends Wellness Center Attendant.

How To Apply – Apply online at https://www.hendersonymca.org/get-involved/employment-opportunities.  Or stop in at the Henderson YMCA, located on Ruin Creek Road, Henderson.

 

Business Name – Variety Wholesalers/Roses Stores

Job Opening –    Accounts Payable Coordinator, Full-Time position open.  Responsible for ensuring invoices are entered into the accounting system in a timely and accurate manner, reviewing three way match reports, and resolving issues to expedite payment of invoices. High School Diploma or equivalent.  Associate’s degree in business preferred.  5+ years accounts payable experience.  Accurate and efficient data entry skills

How To Apply – Apply online at Indeed.com or online at https://www.rosesdiscountstores.com/careers/

 

Business Name – Quality Equipment – (John Deere Dealership)

Job Opening –   Parts Counter Sales Position Open.  Responsible for selling, receiving, and delivery of parts and accessories. In addition, performs in-store customer service, assists with overall organizational promotion, and assists with parts stocking duties. May assist the Parts Manager in maintaining accurate and on-time reports and records (both customer and internal) relative to the parts department’s operations within the dealership. High School Diploma or equivalent experience. Basic data entry/keyboarding skills. Basic parts and machinery knowledge. Ability to use the John Deere Parts related computer application. Ability to work in a team environment. Ability to work extended hours and weekends. Ability to operate a forklift, preferred.

How To Apply – Apply online at https://www.qualityequip.com/careers.

Some of these businesses are present or past advertisers of WIZS. Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast. This is not a paid ad.

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Windy, Rainy Hurricane Ian Largely Spared Vance County Area

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Residents in Vance County and the surrounding area may be picking up scattered branches and limbs from Friday’s storm, but overall damage was limited to downed trees and minimal property damage. Crews spent Friday evening and Saturday restoring power to customers who lost electricity in the pouring rain and driving wind. On Saturday, 7,028 customers were without power in Vance County.

But all in all, Hurricane Ian could have left a much worse path of destruction as it blew through this part of the state.

Emergency Management Services Director Brian Short said there were more than 30 reports of trees down in the area, as well as numerous alarms, fire alarms, traffic accidents and electrical-related calls, Short said, but no major injuries or deaths were reported as a result of the storm.

“All of our public safety agencies worked well together throughout the storm as they always do. Our 911 telecommunicators worked very hard answering your calls for help and coordinating our field response personnel,” Short said. “Fire and rescue crews worked tirelessly responding to trees down, keeping roadways clear and responding to fire-related alarms and other calls. Our EMS crews responded to numerous accidents and medical related incidents and our law enforcement officers patrolled areas without power, and responded to numerous alarms and traffic accidents,” Short reported.

Thankfully, the area saw mostly just rain and wind, which gusted up to the 35-37 mph range and the rainfall measured at the emergency operations center was 1.81 inches.

A wind gust of 39 mph was recorded at the emergency operations center in downtown Henderson, Short said in a written statement. And three inches of rain was the highest amount recorded in the county.

At the height of the storm, more than half a million customers were without power in the Carolinas, and Duke Energy had 10,000 crew members out working to get the power back on. As of 11 a.m. today, there were just under 100 households in North Carolina still waiting to get power restored.

Ian had departed the area by Saturday, and the cleanup and recovery process could be undertaken in earnest, Short said in a report issued over the weekend.

“The most intense weather did not arrive until around 5 p.m. Gusty winds and heavy rains caused downed trees and power outages as well as localized flash flooding, as predicted,” Short said. The highest wind gust recorded at the County Emergency Operations Center was 39 mph. Our data matches that captured by the National Weather Service as well,” he noted.

The Local Skinny! Clayton Homes Of Oxford Supports KidsCan! At Duke Cancer Institute

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Clayton Oxford is known as #929 in the larger corporate family that is Clayton Homes, so what better day than Sept. 29 – 9/29 – to kick off the local manufacturer’s monthlong fundraising effort called Pink October?

One long table in the breakroom at the Knotts Grove Road plant was filled Thursday with all sorts of sweets for the first of several events of Pink October. Sandra Santos, Clayton Oxford’s team member experience manager, said the bake sale would probably earn close to $400 toward a $20,000 goal. Add that to $3,700 from “Stronger Together” t-shirt sales, and they’re about a fifth of the way there. And it isn’t even October yet.

Santos said other events will be held throughout the month – hotdog lunch fundraisers, 50/50 raffles and a carnival closer to Halloween are just a few of the fun things planned.

Clayton Oxford raises money each year for Duke Cancer Institute, Santos said. The roughly 220 team members had no problem meeting last year’s goal of $15,000, and Santos predicts this year will be no different.

On hand for Thursday’s kickoff event was Kristy E. Sartin, director of external relations for Duke Supportive Care and Survivorship Center. Sartin’s program is part of the umbrella organization that is Duke Cancer Institute, which provides a range of services – at no cost – to cancer patients and their families.

Leslie Dixon, a customer care advocate for Clayton Oxford, is one such patient.

Dixon was diagnosed with melanoma in late 2020, and she said she received “amazing care” not only from her medical team but also from the folks at Duke Cancer Institute. The KidsCan! Program helped her young son process his mom’s diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

“KidsCan! helped with counseling and tutoring for my son, who was 10 at the time of my diagnosis,” Dixon said Thursday. The support he received from KidsCan! gave him a different outlook on cancer, she said.

“KidsCan! gave him an outlet and access to therapists for counseling,” Dixon said. And, he realized “they can also help me get my math grade back up,” she added.

“KidsCan! is a great program,” Santos said, “that provides support for children and teenagers…who can share their concerns and be treated with love and respect.”

Dixon said that during her six years at Clayton Oxford, there have been a number of fellow employees who have gotten a cancer diagnosis. They all went to Duke for their treatment, so it’s easy to support programs like the Duke Cancer Institute and KidsCan! because those programs have helped their friends and fellow team members.

“We’re part of a wonderful company,” Santos said. One of their core values is Do Good. And Pink October fits perfectly with that value, she said. “We do it and we serve our community in this way. We do good because it is good for everybody.”

To learn more, visit http://www.dukecancerinstitute.org/ and click Supportive Care.

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