UNC Football Rallied in the Second Half to Defeat Miami, 41-31

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— text and picture by Patrick Magoon freelance writer for WIZS

Despite a slow start, the North Carolina Tar Heels’ dynamic offensive unit rallied in the second half to defeat the Miami Hurricanes. With a win against the Hurricanes, the Tar Heels are 6-0 for the first time since 1997 and remain undefeated in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“Tonight was a heavyweight fight from start to finish,” said UNC head coach Mack Brown.

In his second game with UNC, wide receiver Tez Walker routinely broke free from coverage, catching nine passes for 132 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Omarion Hampton, with grit and determination, gained 197 yards on 24 attempts and scored a touchdown.

UNC took an early lead after reaching the end zone on their second possession of the game. Quarterback Drake Maye led his team 91 yards in three minutes, capping off the drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Walker.

Then Miami matched UNC’s energy, marching 89 yards in less than three minutes. However, UNC defensive Lineman Jahvaree Ritzie forced a fumble inside the one-yard line to maintain the one-score advantage. Roughly five minutes later, Miami reached the end zone after completing four plays for 63 yards.

Towards the end of the first half, Hampton ran rampant, evading tackles to accumulate 41 yards on seven carries. From the two-yard line, Hampton plowed into the end zone to tie the game at 14-14.

With less than a minute to spare in the first half, Miami executed seven plays for 57 yards to set up a 28-yard field goal.

After trailing at the half, UNC put 21 points on the board in the third quarter to establish a substantial lead. In the third quarter, Walker broke loose, catching touchdown passes on back-to-back offensive possessions.

UNC’s robust defensive unit forced a fumble and interception on Miami’s first two second-half drives.

“Probably the difference in the ballgame was forcing four turnovers and giving none,” said Brown. “We forced two interceptions and two fumbles.”

Although Miami gained momentum in the fourth quarter to outscore UNC 14-6, the constant pressure from UNC’s defense was overwhelming. With the game clock winding down, Maye handed the ball off to Hampton, who ran 60 yards to the Miami 10 to put the game away.

Henderson Mayor Runoff Election Set For Nov. 7; Early Voting Begins Oct. 19

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Significant updates and changes have occurred since this original post on Oct. 13.  It is strongly recommended that you review the new information available as of 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 17, 2023 in bold rather than the original post.

The Vance County Board of Elections has called for a “recess” in the post-election canvass process – that 10-day window following an election that officials have to verify and certify results.

This action comes one week after the Oct. 10 nonpartisan municipal elections in Henderson that included contests for four City Council seats and a four-candidate field for mayor.

A runoff had been set for the mayoral contest, but those plans also were put on hold earlier today, per the N.C. State Board of Elections. The recess means that none of the contests have been certified.

In a meeting held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Vance Board of Elections Chair James Baines issued the following statement:

“The Vance County Board of Elections is recessing Canvass completion for the Municipal Election that occurred on 10-October-23 because the State Board of Elections has not yet completed the investigation regarding the geocoding issue. Canvass will reconvene once the State Board of Elections notifies the County Board of the completion of the investigation and resolution to the issue.”

As elections board members explained, the process of certifying election results considers all contests as one process; results must “be submitted to the state at once,”  board member Cathy Clodfelter said Tuesday. So because all of the results have not been certified, none of the contests has been certified.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Vance County Board of Elections Director Jennifer Cocklin informed WIZS News that early voting – set to begin in two days’ time – would not begin as previously announced.

Cocklin read the brief statement to WIZS News from the state board of elections:

“The results of the 10-October-2023 Vance County municipal election have not been officially declared by law, therefore the run-off election cannot be called for at this time.”

A glitch in geocoding is at the heart of the issue, and elections officials acknowledged the state board of the possible problem. As part of election coverage to announce the unofficial results on Oct. 10, WIZS included a statement from Baines that was issued after the polls had closed:

“The Vance County Board of Elections is aware of a geocoding issue that may have caused some voters in the city of Henderson elections to receive a ballot in Tuesday’s election that did not have the correct alderman ward contest. The County Board immediately notified the State Board of Elections, which is working with the county to determine how many voters’ ballots were affected. Election night results are always unofficial, and the post-election canvass process will ensure that the votes are counted correctly for each contest. Election officials will provide additional information about this situation as it becomes available.”

Cocklin provided few details about next steps, but she said she has provided information to the state board as it is requested.
“They’re asking us and we’re providing information as quickly as we can,” she said. “The only thing I know is they are working on it,” she said, “meeting every day – at least once every day.”

Just in case you need a refresher course in civics, here’s some information from the state board of elections website:

“Results on election night are unofficial. Canvass is the official process of determining if the votes have been counted and tabulated correctly, resulting in the authentication of the official election results.

For close elections, the canvass period is especially important. During this time, elections officials count absentee ballots that came in before the deadline and research provisional ballots to determine whether they should be counted.

In every county, the canvass meeting when the results are certified is 10 days after Election Day. Because elections thrive on transparency, the canvass meeting is open to the public.”

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Original Post Oct. 13, 2023:

County elections officials have confirmed that a runoff election to determine the next mayor of the City of Henderson is set for Tuesday, Nov. 7. Residents will be able to vote early, beginning Thursday, Oct. 19.

None of the four mayoral candidates received the 50 percent plus 1 vote needed to be declared the winner in Tuesday’s nonpartisan municipal elections; Melissa Elliott led the field with just more than 48 percent of the vote, and Greg Etheridge requested a runoff on Wednesday. That request was granted when it became clear that the provisional ballots would not be enough to give Elliott the necessary votes to prevent a runoff.

The person who receives more votes will be declared the winner.

The early voting period will run from Thursday, Oct. 19 until Friday, Nov. 3.  The Monday-through-Friday hours are 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The location is the Dr. Andrea Harris City of Henderson Operations Center on Beckford Drive.  And just as was the case for the recent municipal election, the final Saturday before the runoff date will feature early voting as well.  That lone Saturday, Nov. 4, features early voting hours of 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

If all of that seems familiar, it is because essentially it’s the same in principle as the election that was just held.  The new director of the board of elections, Jennifer Cocklin, told WIZS News the early voting had “to be done the same way.”

And when the runoff date of Nov. 7 arrives, voters will be able to return to the nine precincts used most recently and vote from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.

Chamber Businesses Can Nominate Students For ‘Spotlight’ Recognition Through Oct. 31

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The Granville County Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee continues its initiative to recognize local students who are involved with Chamber businesses – whether through volunteerism or as a paid employee.Nominations are due by Oct. 31 to the Chamber office.

To be eligible, students must be Granville County residents or attend one of the following schools: Granville Central High School, J.F. Webb High School, South Granville High School, Oxford Preparatory School, Falls Lake Academy, Granville Early College, Granville Academy, or Phoenix Academy.
Nominating a Granville County student who works for your organization will not only spotlight them, but your business as well. Once a spotlight student is chosen, the Chamber will notify your business.
The selected student will be asked to submit a short bio to be included in information that will be included in the public announcement. In addition, these students will be recognized at our Annual Chamber of Commerce banquet.
Every student who is nominated will have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship that will be awarded in June 2024 from the Chamber.
Submit nominations to cynthia@granville-chamber.com.
Find the nomination form at the following link here.

Granville DSS Director Named; Swearing-In Ceremony Oct. 16 at 4 P.M.

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The Granville County Board of Social Services has announced that LaToya Davenport Toussaint has been selected to be the director of the Granville County Department of Social Services. Toussaint will be formally appointed and sworn in at a special meeting of the Board of Social Services at the Granville County Convention and Expo Center on Monday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m., and then introduced to the county commissioners on the same day at 7 p.m.

Toussaint brings more than 17 years of experience in human services in North Carolina and Florida, where she has worked in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, Toussaint was the senior deputy director of Health and Human Services in Wake County,  where she oversaw administration and operations. Before that, she worked for several years in Florida as human services administrator with Broward County, near Miami.

“I am excited and truly honored to be selected as the next Granville County director of Social Services,” Toussaint said. “I can’t wait to work alongside our dedicated and talented Social Services staff, board of Social

Services, county manager, and the board of county commissioners to support Granville County and the Department of Social Services. I’m excited to be a part of a caring and engaged Granville community.”

Toussaint is a native of Jacksonville, Florida and holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Science and a dual master’s degree in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.  She recently relocated to North Carolina in 2022 with her husband, Kertus, along with their eight-month-old son Austin. In her spare time, she loves to travel internationally and create new and exciting memories as a first-time mom.

“We could not be more thrilled to have LaToya come to Granville County as our new director of Social Services,” said Board of Social Services Chair and County Commissioner Sue Hinman. “She brings so much experience to this position from her time in Florida and Wake County and we know that she is the perfect person to lead this department into the future.”

Toussaint began her career in child welfare as a case manager for the Florida Department of Children and Families, working directly with children who were victims of abuse and neglect and managing various programs for community-based care agencies in foster care and adoption. Toussaint’s time in Florida allowed her to collaborate with agencies across the state along with a diverse group of community providers. She also served on local and statewide committees and work groups that continue to influence decision making across Florida.

She has been a National Peer Reviewer with Council on Accreditation since 2018, was recognized by Nonprofits First of Palm Beach County as a Rising Leader in 2016 and honored on Legacy Magazines’ 40 Under 40 list of recognized professionals from across Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties in 2017.

Warren County Has Additional Drop-Off Locations For Discarded Meds

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There are two additional locations in Warren County where residents can drop off unused or outdated prescription medications, thanks to some federal grant funds for rural communities.

One location is at the Warren County Senior Center, located at 435 W. Franklin St. in Warrenton and the second drop-ff site is at Lake Gaston DrugCo in Littleton, according to information from Crystal Smith, senior assistant to Warren County Manager Vincent Jones.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Office was awarded annually $25,000 for a three-year period from the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, a federal program under the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. The grant comes from Nash UNC Health Care; the primary goal is to partner with stakeholders and provide awareness of substance and opioid use disorder throughout the county through presentations and various community events, Smith said in a press statement.

The sheriff’s office is working with the Warren County Health Department and Warren County EMS to implement the program, which includes a drug take-back program twice a year and education components aimed at prevention. Further outreach plans are being developed for the school setting, to be completed in spring 2024.

Big Ruin Creek Missionary Baptist Church Celebrates 143 Years Sunday

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Big Ruin Creek Missionary Baptist Church is observing its 143rd anniversary Sunday and invites the community to join in the celebration.

The worship service begins at 11 a.m. Pastor Charles W. Burwell will deliver the sermon; Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m.

The C.W. Walton Voices of Praise will provide special music for the occasion and a meal will follow the service.

The church is located at 16 Big Ruin Creek Lane.

Anyone unable to attend in person can view the service online, which will be livestreamed on the church’s Facebook page.

 

Henderson Man Dies In Early-Morning Shooting; Manson Man Charged

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A Manson man faces a first-degree murder charge in the early-morning shooting death of a Henderson man.

Daniel Blake Grissom died from his injuries and the condition of a second male victim is unknown at this time.

In a press release issued this afternoon, Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame said Eric Ryan Hill was taken into custody without incident. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 200 block of Gillburg Lane and found the two men who had been shot. They were taken to area hospitals. The name of the second victim has not been released.

Few details are available, but a social media post by the sheriff’s office before 8 a.m. today included a photo of the suspect and said he had been seen driving a white Ford Explorer in the vicinity of the Sheetz on Ruin Creek Road at 7:47 a.m.

It is unclear where or when the suspect was apprehended.

Detectives from the Vance County Sheriff’s Office are handling the investigation.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.

Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Take A Week Off Before Facing Carrboro

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The Vance County Vipers are guaranteed to remain 8-0 until, at least, October 20.  Why? Because the team has a late season bye week.

According to Head Coach Aaron Elliott, it’s time for one.  “I didn’t realize how beat up we are,” Elliott said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  Several players are banged up including quarterback Javion Vines-Holder who has a bruised hip.  That injury occurred in the second half of the Vipers’ 14-0 win over South Granville.  The week off will help not only Vines-Holder but several other Vipers.

Elliott said the win over South Granville was hard fought.  “They were physical and disciplined,” said Elliott of the Vikings. “Their defense really stood out,” Elliott continued.  Things will likely be less contested on the 20th when the Vipers travel to Carrboro which has struggled through much of the season.  “They can throw the ball.  They have a good, solid quarterback,” Elliott said.

Meanwhile, Elliott was happy that the Vipers’ JV team has won the conference championship and is 6-0 with two games remaining on the schedule.  Once the JV team finishes up around 15 of those players will be moving up to the varsity team just in time for the state playoffs.

 

The Local Skinny! Duke Remote Area Medical Clinic Update

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The Remote Area Medical pop-up clinic that set up shop back in May provided $186,000 in free medical, dental and vision care to people who attended the weekend event.

Saajan Patel and Anvi Charvu, both upperclassmen at Duke University, helped to organize the two-day clinic and provided a follow-up report on Thursday’s The Local Skinny!

“The clinic went really well,” Patel said.

Health professionals were able to attend to 230 different patients who came to the parking lot of Vance Charter School where the pop-up clinic was held.

In addition to many children seeing a doctor for the first time, Patel said there were 30 dental cleanings performed, 92 tooth extractions and 140 pairs of glasses made on the spot to give to those in need.

This is the second year that RAM has had a clinic in Henderson, and Charvu attributed this year’s success to having more volunteers to help things run more efficiently and smoother.

“Our first year, we had a limited number of volunteers, so we had a limited capacity,” Charvu said. This year, clients could pretty much walk in and be served, she added.

Duke sophomore Grace Wang is helping to plan next year’s clinic, which will most likely take place in February 2024. Wang said she was impressed with the “amazing energy” of the volunteers and the health professionals who provided the care during the May clinic.

Don’t want to wait until February? There’s a RAM clinic at Nash Central High School in Rocky Mount this weekend, Patel said.

The pop-up clinics are “band aid” solutions to the overarching challenge of health care inequities, Patel said. RAM clinics are free and open to anyone – with or without insurance.

The May clinic demographics broke down like this: 48 percent of clients were African American, 20 percent were Hispanic; 79 percent had not completed a college degree and 64 percent had neither dental nor vision insurance.

“We want to continue expanding and educating everyone” on how to solve the challenge of health care inequity, Patel said. Wang said the RAM organizers are partnering with local agencies like the health department, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation and others to help make a difference.

“We want to support the health of this county in more ways than one,” Wang said.

Visit www.ramusa.org to learn more or to view the clinic schedule.

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