-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today, LAJOHN CHAMPION, 28, of Henderson, North Carolina was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III to 36 months imprisonment followed by 3 years’ supervised release.
CHAMPION was named in an Indictment on November 29, 2017. On March 5, 2018, CHAMPION pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
On November 17, 2017, members of the Henderson Police Department received information that CHAMPION, a previously convicted felon, was in possession of a firearm and operating a vehicle located at a gas station in Henderson.
Officers responded to the A & A Food Mart in Henderson and observed CHAMPION driving a Honda Accord. Officers, knowing CHAMPION did not possess a valid driver’s license, conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle as it turned into the driveway of a residence in Henderson. As the vehicle came to a stop, CHAMPION fled from the driver’s seat of the vehicle carrying a book bag. Officers pursued CHAMPION and, after searching the area, located CHAMPION coming out of a wooded area. CHAMPION was no longer in possession of a book bag.
In response to the foot chase, a K9 unit responded to the scene and located the book bag near a nearby residence. A search of the book bag revealed a loaded 9mm pistol. CHAMPION was arrested and transported to the Henderson Police Department. CHAMPION acknowledged the firearm belonged to him.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
In support of PSN, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has implemented the Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Henderson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette prosecuted this case.
News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s webpage at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on twitter @USAO_EDNC.
Vance Co. School System Honors Retirees
/by WIZS StaffVance County Schools district officials, school administrators, educators and family and friends honored 36 outstanding associates who are retiring from their positions with the school system during the Annual Retirement Banquet held on Wednesday, June 13, in McGregor Hall Gallery in downtown Henderson.
Each of the honorees were presented with gifts from the school system by Darlynn Oxendine, chairwoman of the Vance County Board of Education, and Dr. Anthony Jackson, superintendent of Vance County Schools.
Dr. Trixie Brooks, assistant superintendent for Instructional Services, was the event’s featured speaker. She praised each of the retiring educators and encouraged all of them to enjoy their retirement after giving so much of their time and talents to local students and colleagues during their careers with Vance County Schools.
Vivian Bullock, who retired from the school system in 2017, provided a very inspirational message from a retiree’s perspective for all of those being recognized. She spelled out 12 priorities that each of them should follow as they enter retirement. Her advice especially focused on being sure they have lots of leisurely time for themselves and quality time with their families.
Vance County Schools district officials, school administrators, educators and family and friends honored 36 outstanding associates who are retiring from their positions with the school system during the Annual Retirement Banquet held on Wednesday, June 13, in McGregor Hall Gallery in downtown Henderson. (Photo courtesy Vance County Schools)
Rachel Bradshaw, music teacher at New Hope and Carver elementary schools, sang and played several musical selections on keyboards during the evening. The Rev. David Pate, pastor of Tabernacle United Methodist Church, provided the invocation for the evening.
Superintendent Anthony Jackson gave closing remarks and he thanked each of the retirees for their service with the school system and wished them all the very best for their futures.
The retirees held a wide range of positions with the school system including, teachers, school administrators, administrative assistants, teacher assistants, counselors, school nurses, maintenance personnel, custodians, bookkeepers, data managers, school nutrition personnel and media specialists.
Those retiring and honored were Consuelo Allen of L.B. Yancey Elementary School; April Andrews of Zeb Vance Elementary School; Diane Averett of Carver Elementary School; Sharon Bawcum, administrative assistant to the superintendent; Debora Blackwell of Clarke Elementary School; Paula Boston of Early College High School; Rebecca Burns of Henderson Middle School; Dr. Priscilla Chavis-Lockley of Eaton-Johnson Middle School; Annette Cobb of Northern Vance High School; Cheryl Coplin of Henderson Middle School; Kathy Faulkner of Aycock Elementary School; James Faulkner of Maintenance; Marie Fields of New Hope Elementary School; Willie Fuller of Northern Vance High School; Elizabeth Gremmels of Southern Vance High School; Linda Grissom of Henderson Middle School; Patricia Hight of Eaton-Johnson Middle School; Andrew Hill of Zeb Vance Elementary School; Pam Jackson of New Hope Elementary School; Manuel Jeffers of Zeb Vance Elementary School; Shirley Jefferson of Northern Vance High School; Sylvia Jefferson of New Hope Elementary School; Constance Johnson of Northern Vance High School; Agnes Jover of Northern Vance High School; Joseph McMahon of Eaton-Johnson Middle School; Nancy Paynter of Zeb Vance Elementary School; Ruth Reid of Pinkston Street Elementary School; Carol Shockley of Dabney Elementary School; Patricia Twisdale of Dabney Elementary School; Jan Vaughan of Aycock Elementary School; Marjorie Watkins of Northern Vance High School; Bonita Williams of Clarke Elementary School; Phyllis Williams of Eaton-Johnson Middle School; Robin Wilson of New Hope Elementary School; Ruth Wilson of Career and Technical Education; and Ian Willis of STEM Early High School.
Those attending the event are shown in the accompanying photo.
8th Annual Henderson Kiwanis’ KLCC Golf Tournament, Sat. June 16
/by Kelly BondurantRon Rubin, tournament director for the 8th Annual Henderson Kiwanis Club Golf Tournament, was recently on WIZS’ Town Talk program to provide a history of the organization and its mission and inform listeners of tournament details.
This year’s tournament will feature a four-person superball format and will be held on Saturday, June 16 at Kerr Lake Country Club in Henderson.
Cost is $50 per person or $200 per four-person team and includes green fee, cart and lunch. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required. Fees may be paid at the tournament.
Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. with a shotgun start to begin play at 1 p.m.
Cash prizes will be awarded for first and second place, $400 and $300 respectively. Hole in one prizes will be awarded, including the chance to win a new automobile courtesy of Advantage Ford Lincoln of Henderson.
Various other door prizes will be awarded and chances to enter a 50/50 raffle will be available.
The Henderson Kiwanis Club, which formed 66 years ago in 1952, is part of a global organization of over 600,000 members in 80 countries.
The motto of Kiwanis International is “Serving the children of the world” and, according to Rubin, the civic organization “empowers members to pursue creative ways to serve the needs of children through local service projects and fundraising.”
The annual golf tournament, one of the local chapter’s larger fundraisers, helps the youth of Vance County, specifically. “Every penny we make goes back to kids in our community,” said Rubin.
For more information about the golf tournament or the Kiwanis Club, please call Rubin at (919) 810-2950.
Free Fireworks at Fox Pond Park, Sun., July 1
/by WIZS Staff-Information courtesy Sandra C. Wilkerson, Director of Admin and Events, Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce
Free fireworks will light up the night at Fox Pond Park, 467 Vicksboro Rd., Henderson, on Sunday, July 1, 2018, at 9 p.m.
Fox Pond Park will close at 7 p.m. on the evening of July 1 for normal operations. No parking will be allowed at Fox Pond Park. Visitors may park at the Aycock Recreation Center or the Vance County Fairground for shuttle service to the Park. Shuttling will begin at 7 p.m.
For more information, please contact Tara Goolsby at (252) 438-3948 or email tgoolsby@ci.henderson.nc.us
Fireworks sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department.
(This is not a paid advertisement)
Granville Co. Board of Commissioners to Meet Mon., June 18
/by WIZS Staff-Information courtesy Debra A. Weary, Clerk to the Board, Granville County
The Granville County Board of Commissioners will meet Monday, June 18 at 7 p.m. at the Granville Expo and Convention Center, 4185 US Highway 15 South, Oxford.
Agenda items include:
– Contingency Summary
– Budget Amendment #8
– Capital Project Ordinance – 2018 GAP Phase III
– Capital Project Ordinance – Oxford Landfill Closure/Post Closure 2018-2019 – Budget Amendment #1
– Grant Project Ordinance – CDBG Scattered Site Program – Closeout
– Recognition of Service – Susan L. Cottrell
– Presentation – Opioid Litigation
– Granville County 2018-2019 Agreement with the NC Department of Health and Human Services
– Agreed-Upon Procedures to Confirm Medicaid Eligibility
– VARONIS Datalert Software Permanent License
– NACo Voting Delegate Designation
– Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Request
– FAA Tower Site on Mountain Road is Available for Public Benefit Conveyance
– City of Creedmoor Resolution Requesting County Inspection Services
– Granville County Veterans Affairs Committee Request
Crosson Named Principal of Pinkston Street Elementary
/by WIZS Staff-Press Release, Vance County Schools
Congratulations to Dr. Jacqueline Batchelor Crosson, who has been appointed as the new principal of Pinkston Elementary School.
Dr. Crosson most recently served as the assistant principal for Pinkston Street and L.B. Yancey elementary schools. She has over 20 years of experience in education with Vance County Schools.
She succeeds Heddie Somerville, who was named the new principal for Vance County Middle School for 2018-2019.
Dr. Jacqueline Batchelor Crosson is shown at right as she joins Superintendent Anthony Jackson in announcing her new appointment to Pinkston Street Elementary School staff members. (Photo courtesy Vance County Schools)
Henderson Rec. Players to Perform “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
/by WIZS Staff-Information courtesy Crystal G. Allen, Henderson-Vance Recreation Program Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center
Get your tickets now for the Henderson Rec. Players’ summer production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Based on the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors from the Bible’s Book of Genesis, this uplifting and energetic musical is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2018 with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Under the local direction of Jo Ellen Nowell and Mark Hopper, “Joseph” will feature a large cast of all ages. Jonathan O’Geary will serve as choreographer for the production.
Performances will be held at the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center on:
Friday, July 6 @ 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 7 @ 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 8 @ 2 p.m.
Saturday, July 14 @ 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 15 @ 2 p.m.
Tickets are available for $15 at the McGregor Hall Box Office, 201 Breckenridge St. in Henderson, by calling (252) 598-0662 or visiting www.mcgregorhall.org.
For more information, please contact Crystal Allen at (252) 431-6091 or email callen@ci.henderson.nc.us
(This is not a paid advertisement)
A Goodbye From Former Warren Co. Chamber Executive Director Craig Hahn
/by WIZS Staff— courtesy The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County | info@warren-chamber.org ~ Facebook
— by Craig Hahn
It is with great sadness that I let you know I submitted my resignation recently to our Board of Directors as the Executive Director of The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County. My final day as Director was May 31.
Please know that I have tried for many months to find any other solution beyond leaving this wonderful job working for you and the Chamber; however, circumstances have made it necessary to make a change to focus on providing support for my family.
Working with the Chamber and with all of you has been a dream-come-true for me…promoting a community that I love dearly, working with incredible local businesses, telling stories (and learning those stories from the experts) and hopefully, making a difference in the quality of life for all of us here in Warren County. If there were any other option available to me, I would have chosen it over this.
Kathleen (Rose) Derring is the new President of the Board of Directors and is working with the rest of the Board to revamp and continue the operations of the Chamber to serve you and our Warren County business community. The email newsletter will continue to be delivered each week with a new editor.
Again, thank you for your support, belief and friendship. I know that the future is bright for Warren County and this wonderful business community.
-Craig Hahn
Heavy Equipment Operator Course Returns to VGCC’s Warren Campus in July
/by WIZS Staff-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
WARRENTON — The Heavy Equipment Operator course will be offered by Vance-Granville Community College starting Tuesday, July 10, at the college’s Warren County Campus.
A Short-Term Workforce Training Grant from the N.C. Community College System will be available to cover the cost of tuition and books for qualified students taking the nine-week course, according to Kyle Burwell, VGCC’s director of occupational extension.
“This course presents an excellent opportunity for students to learn the techniques and safety aspects of operating heavy equipment while exploring the various types and functions of the equipment,” Burwell said. “Students completing the course come away from it with the general understanding to secure a job for a company preparing a site for the construction of buildings, roadways and other structures.”
The college has worked with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to help course completers find jobs with companies that contract with the State.
“This is a new career opportunity that Vance-Granville began offering just a few years ago with training that previously had not been available in our service area,” Burwell said. Classes will be held on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays, July 10 to Sept. 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break.
Above: Matthew Paynter trains on a motor grader simulator in a classroom on the college’s Warren County Campus during a previous Heavy Equipment Operator course. (VGCC photo)
The Heavy Equipment Operator training program has three computerized training simulators, offering a safe and efficient way to train new operators in a risk-free environment, Burwell said. Highly detailed and realistic lessons teach proper operator technique, machine controls, and safe operation. The simulators feature real-world situations, job site hazards, safety violations, hand signals, equipment damage, budget-based scoring, and replica machine controls.
Each simulator allows students to train virtually on different types of equipment: a motor grader, a four-wheel drive loader and a backhoe. Students use foot pedals, joysticks and steering wheels that mimic those found in actual heavy equipment, while large computer monitors in front of them display a virtual job site in the first-person style of a video game. VGCC students use the equipment not only for practice and experience but also for testing that is required to pass the course.
The instructor for the course will be Steve Buus, who earned his diploma in Heavy Equipment Operation from Wake Technical Community College. Buus has held various positions with Caterpillar and similar companies as an operator and manager of heavy equipment. He has 30-Hour OSHA Certification in Construction Training from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
To register for the course, students may visit www.vgcc.edu/schedules/occupational-extension-schedule.
Students interested in applying for the grant should contact Kyle Burwell at (252) 738-3276 or burwellk@vgcc.edu.
Henderson Man Sentenced to 36 Months for Felon in Possession of Firearm Charges
/by WIZS Staff-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. announced that today, LAJOHN CHAMPION, 28, of Henderson, North Carolina was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever, III to 36 months imprisonment followed by 3 years’ supervised release.
CHAMPION was named in an Indictment on November 29, 2017. On March 5, 2018, CHAMPION pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.
On November 17, 2017, members of the Henderson Police Department received information that CHAMPION, a previously convicted felon, was in possession of a firearm and operating a vehicle located at a gas station in Henderson.
Officers responded to the A & A Food Mart in Henderson and observed CHAMPION driving a Honda Accord. Officers, knowing CHAMPION did not possess a valid driver’s license, conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle as it turned into the driveway of a residence in Henderson. As the vehicle came to a stop, CHAMPION fled from the driver’s seat of the vehicle carrying a book bag. Officers pursued CHAMPION and, after searching the area, located CHAMPION coming out of a wooded area. CHAMPION was no longer in possession of a book bag.
In response to the foot chase, a K9 unit responded to the scene and located the book bag near a nearby residence. A search of the book bag revealed a loaded 9mm pistol. CHAMPION was arrested and transported to the Henderson Police Department. CHAMPION acknowledged the firearm belonged to him.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
In support of PSN, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has implemented the Take Back North Carolina Initiative. This initiative emphasizes the regional assignment of federal prosecutors to work with law enforcement and District Attorney’s Offices on a sustained basis in those communities to reduce the violent crime rate, drug trafficking, and crimes against law enforcement.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Henderson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette prosecuted this case.
News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s webpage at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on twitter @USAO_EDNC.
Kittrell Community Watch to Meet Thurs., June 21
/by WIZS Staff-Information courtesy Edward Woodlief, Kittrell Community Watch
The Kittrell Community Watch will meet Thursday, June 21, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Union Chapel United Methodist Church, 6535 Raleigh Road, in Kittrell, NC.
The speakers for the meeting will be Amy Daniels, RN, MDS and Raven Sanford RN, MDS of Kerr Lake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. They will highlight patient referral, care and rehabilitation information on cerebrovascular accidents (strokes) as well as information on the care and rehabilitation for orthopedic patients who have received a knee/hip replacement.
Even if you live outside the Kittrell area, you are welcome to attend.
Light refreshments will be served.