Ayana Lewis Appointed To Fill School Board District 4 Seat

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The Vance County Board of Education has appointed Ayana Lewis to serve in the District 4 Board seat after the recent resignation of Edward Wilson, who had served since 2012.

Lewis, a Henderson native, will be sworn in at the board’s next meeting on Feb. 12 at 6 p.m., according to information from VCS Chief Communication Officer Aarika Sandlin.

Lewis, a Democrat, had filed for the District 4 seat and would have been on the ballot in November. Wilson did not file for re-election.

Lewis has close to 20 years of education experience, having previously served in Vance County Schools as Gear Up’s assistant coordinator, as well as bookkeeper and first grade teacher.

She and her husband are co-founders of the Abria Chase Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to the memories of two of their children who lost their lives in a house fire.

Lewis helps other parents who have lost children and she and her husband received the Community Excellence Award from the Full Effect Church of North Carolina in 2023.

Lewis received her bachelor’s degree from N.C. Central University and a Master of Art in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health from Wake Forest University.

Tracy Madigan Honored As Newest Sam Watkins Visionary Award Recipient

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Tracy Madigan, director of the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission, is the newest recipient of the Sam Watkins Visionary Award presented by the United Way.

Madigan said she was among the 40 or so in attendance at the United Way’s annual breakfast when her name was called.

“I was very honored and very humbled,” Madigan said in a telephone interview Thursday with WIZS. “It hit me from left field – I was blindsided,” she said, never expecting that she would follow in the footsteps of previous recipients like Vance County Commissioner  Col. Archie Taylor, George Watkins, Donald Seifert and others who have been honored since the award was established after Watkins’s death in February 2014.

But if anyone deserves an award for being a visionary, it’s the person in charge of reimagining downtown Henderson.

The ever-modest Madigan said that when she accepted the award, she said she was most appreciative, but reminded those gathered that “it’s all about partnership – all of us working together to make things happen.”

Sam Watkins, a driving force in the revitalization effort that produced McGregor Hall, is remembered for the vision he had for Henderson and Vance County through the award.

Madigan said the mission statement of the downtown development commission centers around McGregor Hall, which she called a cultural hub for the five-county area.

In addition to McGregor Hall, Henderson’s downtown is going to be in the spotlight as plans for the S-Line passenger and commuter rail take shape. Having a depot – mobility hub –  on Garnett Street is in the works and Madigan said she looks forward to continuing the city’s initial efforts to make the downtown area more physically attractive as well as a spot for future businesses to locate.

N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon has partnered with N.C. Sen. Lisa Barnes to bring more dollars to the area.

“We’re going to be asking for more, too,” Madigan noted.

Right now, she would like to see more development in and around the downtown area, especially near McGregor Hall and the Police Department. She wants to make Garnett Street more pedestrian-friendly and attract more businesses to the downtown.

She said a carefully placed deli and/or bakery would attract more people to want to come and live in or near the downtown area.

She’s got the vision, and she said downtown Henderson is just one or two projects and a little more initial investment away from taking off. “There’s a lot going one, it just doesn’t happen overnight.”

SportsTalk: Local Coaches Prep For Basketball Tournaments And Spring Sports

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John Hammett and Scottie Richardson may be athletic directors for different schools in different counties but they are both facing the same things: a basketball season that is winding down and the start of spring sports.

Hammett, Oxford Prep’s athletic director, says his boys’ basketball team is having a real strong year despite a loss this week to Vance Charter.  “We’ve got some real good shooters,” Hammett said.  They take on Roxboro Charter Friday night. “Roxboro is young but they have a couple of good player,” Hammett said of the team’s opponent. The girls team is currently 7-9. “They have been getting better throughout the year,” said Hammett.  Oxford Prep has five games remaining before they start the conference basketball tournament.

Meanwhile, at Crossroads Christian, athletic director Scottie Richardson says his girls team will be the second seed for their upcoming tournament. The boys could be.  “We control our own destiny,” Richardson said.   It will take a few more wins in the remaining four games for Crossroads to secure that second seed.

One of the problems both men face is an overlap between basketball and baseball.  “I would like to see both basketball and baseball seasons shortened to eliminate the overlap,” Hammett said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  Richardson said it is difficult to coordinate with coaches when players play multiple sports.

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The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood Changing A Tire

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For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.

Count yourself lucky if you’ve never had to change a tire on your vehicle.

Count yourself luckier still if someone taught you how to change a tire, just because it was something you needed to know.

Thursday’s Pop the Hood segment features some key reminders about being safe when changing a tire, especially if you’ve been stranded by the side of the road.

It’s tricky enough to remember all the steps when you’re in your level driveway on a sunny day when the temps are mild and there’s no rain in sight.

But blowouts never occur when it’s convenient, so it’s vital to keep safety in mind when you’ve got to remove one tire and put another one on.

First of all, make sure the jack is rated for your vehicle and is properly placed before you attempt to lift the vehicle- don’t use cinder blocks to hold up a car. It’s a bad idea.

Once you’ve got the bad tire off and you’re ready to mount the spare in its place, make sure it’s properly seated. Seat the tire by putting the first two lug nuts on hand-tight. Then introduce the other three lugs and tightening every other one until you’ve gotten them all. The tightening pattern to remember is 1, 3, 5, 2, 4.

It’s a process that takes time, but it’s worth it to get the torque specifications right – too loose, you’ve got problems. Too tight, different problems.

If the circumstances aren’t right, the main order of business is to get the vehicle safely off the road and get help.

The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS.  Safety First!  Always seek proper help.  This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.

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TownTalk: Human Trafficking and Putting a Stop to It

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North Carolinians can take pride in knowing that this state we call home is a destination for many tourists each year. The interstate highway network helps folks travel easily from Manteo to Murphy, Henderson to Charlotte and just from about anywhere to Raleigh with minimal effort.

Those very things that make the Old North State an attractive spot for visitors, however, also get the attention of some other individuals: human traffickers, whom U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina  Michael F. Easley, Jr. called one of the biggest threats and most insidious to our society.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Easley spoke with WIZS on Thursday’s TownTalk to discuss just what the state is doing to fight the problem.

Easley created a task force to combat human trafficking in the Raleigh/Cary area, and earlier this week announced that a second task force has been formed to work with counties to the East near the coast.

These task forces bring together local law enforcement agencies with state and federal agencies to create a strong one-two punch to catch and prosecute people who engage in human trafficking and prostitution.

“We have taken a victim-centric approach,” Easley said. “We’ll hit it with law enforcement,” Easley said of uncovering illegal operations, “but we’ll also have social workers, service providers and mental health professionals” on hand to assist those who have been victimized.

He praised the efforts of the FBI for their work in disrupting these trafficking networks and said the agency has “an incredible victim support system to help (victims) get their lives back on track and stabilized.”

He also praised the efforts of local law enforcement agencies, calling Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow and Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame “reliable partners” who are both in his speed dial.

And he called District Attorney Mike Waters “one of the most forward-leaning prosecutors” he knows. “He’s an incredible partner and somebody I count on to help unravel these cases.”

Traffickers are masters of manipulation, he said, and they prey on the most vulnerable in society – often, these are young people.

They seize control, little by little, he explained, and bring their victims under their full control.

“They control their victims, but they’re not bound in chains,” Easley said. “The chains are invisible.”

Some signs to look for include individuals who are not in control of their own documents, like a passport or driver license. They aren’t allowed to speak for themselves, or they often wear the same clothes day after day and only carry cash.

These are all those “invisible chains that bind a victim to a trafficker,” Easley said.

Perhaps most chilling was Easley’s comment about protecting young people from becoming victims of human traffickers: “Any kid who has a smartphone is a target,” he said. “There are groomers online who are trying to cleave them away” from parents and their community.

It may start with the victim agreeing to send one nude photo to an online groomer, he said, before that trafficker has the leverage needed to target another victim.

“We will break down and eliminate this insidious crime,” he said. “We can’t do it alone; we’ve go to do it side by side with local police and law enforcement.”

If you or anyone you know needs help or has information to provide regarding a potential human trafficking situation, please contact law enforcement by calling 911 if the situation appears unsafe, or contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline:

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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Parenting Separately

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Narcotics Detectives Chase Suspect, Seize Vehicle

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Vance County Sheriff’s Office Press Release Information:

On Friday, January 19 members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics unit attempted to conduct a vehicle stop at the intersection of Bearpond and Peter Gill Road.

The vehicle fled the scene and led narcotics detectives on a vehicle pursuit that ended on Walter Grissom Road in the edge of Franklin County.

The driver was apprehended and identified as Kenneth Jerome Harris of Kittrell.

During the investigation, crack cocaine was seized. Harris was charged with Possession of Cocaine, Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell, Deliver Cocaine, Maintain Vehicle for Keeping and Selling a Controlled Substance and Felony Flee to Elude Arrest.

Harris’s vehicle was seized under the NC Run and Done Law. Harris was placed in the Vance County Jail under no bond for 48 hours.

Mike Waters

Two Men Sentenced During Recent Granville County Criminal Superior Court Session

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-information courtesy of District Attorney Mike Waters

Two men were sentenced last week during a session of Granville County Criminal Superior Court, one receiving an active sentence of between 21 months and 35 months for driving while impaired and the other one between and 5 and 7 years for trafficking cocaine and related offenses.

According to a press release from District Attorney Mike Waters, Jose Antonio Guillen was found guilty by a Granville County jury of driving while Impaired, driving while license revoked for an impaired driving offense. After that verdict, Guillen pleaded guilty to habitual DWI, in that he had three prior convictions of DWI within 10 years before this date of offense. Guillen was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Josephine Davis to an active sentence of 21 to 35 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

On Sept. 24, 2022, Guillen approached a checking station set up by members of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. After an investigation, it was determined that he was in fact impaired while operating the car, and his license was revoked because of a previous Driving While Impaired conviction from Wake County. The North Carolina State Highway Patrol investigated that case. The State of North Carolina was represented by Assistant District Attorney Allison Capps.

Orlando Latta faces up to 7 years after pleading guilty to two counts of trafficking in cocaine and possession of a firearm by a felon for offenses that were discovered after a traffic stop on I-85 in Granville County on Dec. 14, 2021.

Latta pleaded to possession of a handgun by a convicted felon,and 30 grams of cocaine. This incident was investigated by a deputy with the Granville County Sheriff’s Office.  Latta also pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in opiates or heroin, and possession of a firearm by a felon, for offenses that were discovered after a traffic stop on Gate #1 Road in Butner on Apr. 4, 2022.  During that stop, Latta was found to be in possession of two firearms as a convicted felon, and over 8 grams of Fentanyl. This incident was investigated by Butner Public Safety, Judge Davis sentenced Latta to an active sentence of 70 months to 93 months in the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. The State of North Carolina was represented by Assistant District Attorney Allison Capps.

TownTalk: Rep. Sossamon Voices Concerns About ‘Gas Station Heroin’

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N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon, recently appointed to serve on the House Select Committee on Substance Abuse, said he would like to see the state ban the sale of products that contain tianeptine, which is being referred to as “gas station heroin.”

Sossamon was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk and said eight other states have banned the drug and he said North Carolina should join them.

“North Carolina should follow suit,” he said. “The easiest and quickest thing to do is just ban it,” he said.

Tianeptine is not approved for medical use by the Food and Drug Administration, although it is an ingredient in a number of widely available products sold at gas stations and convenience stores as “cognitive enhancers,” according to information on the FDA website.

It is an opioid type drug linked to overdoses and death, Sossamon explained. He said he looks forward to the first meeting of the substance abuse committee, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. in Raleigh.

He said the committee will hear from experts and others whose loved ones have died from taking the drug. “I don’t know what all we’ll recommend, but I hope it will be effective to protect the citizens of North Carolina.”

The drug is used in other countries to treat depression and anxiety, but in the U.S. it is a Schedule I controlled substance. This means it has a high potential for abuse, Sossamon said.

“When you begin to read some of the material, it’s a no-brainer that it should be banned.”

Whether it should be a permanent ban or just a pause is part of what the committee can determine during its research and investigation into the issue.

The FDA is sometimes slow in taking action to ban something, and that’s why states have taken steps to prevent the products from being sold.

“The drug, evidently, has some positive effects if it’s used properly,” Sossamon noted, but if it is not regulated there’s a greater likelihood for abuse. It can come in pill or powder form and Sossamon said it’s even in a product that looks like a lollipop.

“We’ve got to ban it until we know more about it,” he said. “I don’t want it on my watch that somebody dies when I had a voice and an opportunity to ban it.”