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Henderson Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession Charge

May 2, 2018/by WIZS Staff

-News Release, U.S. Department of Justice

The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today, WENDELL ROUSE, JR., 32, of Henderson, North Carolina, was sentenced to 97 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.

ROUSE was named in a two-count Indictment on July 25, 2017 charging him with two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. On January 29, 2018, ROUSE pled guilty to one of those two counts.

Investigation was initiated by the Henderson Police Department (HPD) on June 20, 2017, when officers responded to reports of a gunshot victim. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen by a .380 caliber bullet. Seven shell casing of the same caliber were recovered from the scene. Further, the screen door of the residence had been shot out and there were three bullet holes in the side of the residence. Notably, the victim was shot from the outside while he was inside the residence. Three children were also in the residence at the time.

Later the same night, while continuing their investigation, officers heard a gunshot nearby and then observed ROUSE as he walked through the crime scene tape and headed to the victim’s residence. ROUSE was instructed to raise his shirt to reveal his waistband. After hearing those instructions, ROUSE turned away from the officers and started to reach for something on his person. ROUSE was then handcuffed and searched where officers recovered a .380 handgun from his waistband. Ballistics later matched the defendant’s handgun to the bullets recovered from the scene.

In summary, ROUSE is responsible for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. At sentencing, the court determined that a cross reference to attempted murder under the sentencing guidelines was appropriate in this case.

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.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Henderson Police Department, the North Carolina Crime Laboratory, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette handled the prosecution of this case for the government.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s webpage at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_EDNC

H-V Chamber of Commerce Announces 2018 “Meet Me in the Street” Series

May 2, 2018/by WIZS Staff

— courtesy Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce | John Barnes, President ~ 252-438-8414 ~ info@hendersonvance.org ~ Facebook

The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is proud to host another season of “Meet Me in the Street”, a series of concerts offered free to the local community. Presenting sponsor for this year’s events is NC Towing & Recovery.

The first concert of the year will be held on Thursday, May 3, 2018, and will feature “The Konnection Band”. This band is a local favorite and is one of the East Coast’s premiere party bands, specializing in a variety of music including Top 40, Rock, Country, R & B, Beach and Oldies.

The second concert is set for Thursday, June 14, 2018, and will host “The Castaways”. A reputable band known throughout the South, The Castaways posses over fifty years of experience in the beach music industry. From its beginning in Durham, NC in 1961, The Castaways have been pleasing audiences with their unique flavor of Beach, Soul, and Rock N’ Roll for generations of fans. With eight members on stage, The Castaways bring a full sound that includes live horns, versatile vocals covering a variety of music and high energy. Don’t be surprised if you hear some current country, Top-40, or a little southern-rock as well!

The third and final concert of the season is on Thursday, September 27, 2018, and will feature “Liquid Pleasure”. After more than two decades of bringing audiences to their feet, this band has become a multi-cultural icon. Veteran member Melvin Farrington says “We love being in touch with people like us, who love a variety of good music, and appreciate hearing it performed live”. Liquid Pleasure presents a mix of Oldies, Beach Music and Disco.

In addition to the live music and dancing, a kids section will also be included this year.

Sponsors for this year’s concert series are Duke Energy and Maria Parham Health – Gold Sponsors; BB&T, Mars Petcare, Wake Electric Membership Corporation and Walmart DC #6091 – Silver Sponsors; and 3hc, Benchmark Community Bank, Carolina Sunrock, Express Employment Professionals, Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission and Waste Industries – Bronze Sponsors. Contributing Sponsors are CenturyLink, Coastal Federal Credit Union, Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission, Hoyle’s Tire & Axle, NC Motorsports Park and Woodforest Bank.

Promotional Sponsors are Brewer Cycles, Fidelity Bank, Satterwhite Point Marina, Servpro and Union Bank.

All concerts are free to the public and will be held at the corner of North Garnett and Breckenridge Streets from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting the Chamber at 252-438-8414 or jay@hendersonvance.org

St. Baldrick’s Day Event – Sat. May 12 at Fox Pond Park

May 2, 2018/by WIZS Staff

The Henderson Police Department, in conjunction with the Aycock Recreation Center and Chick-fil-A of Henderson, is sponsoring a St. Baldrick’s Day event titled Cops vs. Cancer to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping fight childhood cancer.

This year’s event will be held at Fox Pond Park, 467 Vicksboro Rd in Henderson, on Saturday, May 12, 2018, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Games and prizes, 50/50 raffles and concessions will be available.

A Kolor4Kure Fun Run will also be held, with open registration from 10 – 10:45 a.m.

Head shaving begins at 1 p.m.

For more information, please call 252-432-1558 or visit the event website for more information or to donate.

Granville Chamber of Commerce Announces 2018 “Alive After Five” Series

May 2, 2018/by WIZS Staff

— courtesy Granville County Chamber of Commerce | Ginnie Currin, Executive Director ~ 919-693-6125 ~ ginnie@granville-chamber.com

15th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHAMBER’S ALIVE AFTER FIVE OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES

Thursday evenings ~ 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

May 10 – Oxford Downtown Parking Lot “Gary Lowder & Smokin’ Hot Band”

August 16 – Butner Gazebo Park “The Konnection Band”

October 13 – Oxford Downtown Parking Lot “Jim Quick & the Coastline Band”

The fifteenth-anniversary celebration of the Chamber’s ALIVE AFTER FIVE series will kick off in downtown Oxford’s parking lot at Littlejohn and Gilliam Streets. GARY LOWDER & SMOKIN’ HOT Band will be performers for the evening.

This band is “known as a Soul, R & B party band,” based out of North Myrtle Beach, SC. Their musical repertoire coves decades of hits from your favorite artists and genres of music including soul, rhythm and blues, funk, reggae, jazz standards, country, 50’s, 60’s and Carolina Beach Music.

In addition to performing some of the most current hits that are topping the charts today, the group has had many successful chart-topping hits on local radio and internet stations across North and South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and Florida. Garey Lowder & SMOKIN’ HOT are comprised of multi-talented musicians who have come together to produce incredible performances each and every time they take the stage.

The Carolina Beach Music Association awarded Gary Lowder & Smokin’ Hot with DC of the year in 2013 at the Alabama Theater for “Soul Therapy”. In 2014, the group was nominated for Group of the Year. In 2015, Gary Lowder & Smokin’ Hot was nominated for thirteen Carolina Beach Music Awards, with J.K. Loftin, group guitarist being honored with Engineer of the Year.

Suicide Prevention Training – Thurs. May 3

May 2, 2018/by WIZS Staff

Granville County Public Schools will be hosting a QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention training session in conjunction with Cardinal Innovations Healthcare on Thursday, May 3, 2018, from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford.

Every 15 to 20 minutes, a person in the United States dies by suicide. This evidence-based training is designed to teach anyone how to save a life through three steps:

Question a person about suicide

Persuade the person to get help

Refer the person to the appropriate resources

Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to appropriate help. QPR can be taught in 1-2 hours.

This training is free and recommended for educators, parents, and community members.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

City of Oxford, Upcoming Public Works & Personnel Meetings

May 2, 2018/by WIZS Staff

Information courtesy of Cynthia Bowen, City Clerk, City of Oxford

The Public Works Committee for the Oxford Board of Commissioners will meet on Monday, May 7, 2018, at 1 p.m. The meeting will be held in the 1^st Floor Training Room City Hall, 300 Williamsboro Street. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the paint for the City of Oxford Water Tanks.

The Personnel Committee for the Oxford Board of Commissioners will meet on Monday, May 7, 2018, at 2 p.m. The meeting will be held in the 1^st Floor Training Room City Hall, 300 Williamsboro Street. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss Personnel Evaluations of the City Manager and City Clerk.

All those interested are invited to attend.