The Local Skinny! Duck Derby Is Just Around The Corner

The 13th annual Ducky Derby is set for Garnett Street in mid-September and Garry Daeke said that after a couple of years of making adjustments because of COVID, the Derby is returning with a full complement of associated festivities.

“This year, we are back to doing  a full street fair and festival,” Daeke told John C. Rose during Monday’s The Local Skinny! segment. There will be food trucks, music and more along Garnett Street beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. The race commences at 2 p.m.

The Derby is an annual fundraiser for Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start, and as FGV Partnership Development Coordinator, Daeke said it’s become a fun time for families and others in the community as well.

FGV staff and board members have tickets for sale – $5 a duck, or purchase a Quack Pack to get 5 ducks for $20. Spend $100 for a “flock” of 25 tickets, Daeke said.

Daeke offered appreciation for the fire department, for their help in turning Garnett Street into a “river” on which the rubber ducks float to the finish line, and to Greystone Concrete Products for their assistance in “releasing” the ducks – from the back of one of their cement mixer trucks.

First prize is $1,000, second prize is 52 weeks of Chick Fil-A, third prize is a $250 gas card and the prize for the last duck to cross the finish line is $100.

In addition to purchase of rubber duck contestants, FGV is accepting sponsors for the event. Sponsorship levels are:

$500 – Super Duck

$250 – Feathered Friend

$100 – Quacker Backer

Buy your ducks today! — https://my.cheddarup.com/c/fgv-smart-start-2022-duckyderby or scan QR code below

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TownTalk: Sandy Smith, NC District 1 Candidate

Sandy Smith said she sees firsthand the adverse consequences of actions taking place in Washington, D.C. Smith said she’s frustrated at the way the federal government is handling issues from illegal immigration to inflation, and as the Republic nominee for the state’s First Congressional District, she said she’s ready to help the country change its course.

Smith won the Republican primary in May, and now faces Democrat Donald Davis and Independent Eshan Patel in the race for the seat being vacated by G.K Butterfield, who is retiring after almost 20 years in the office.

The sprawling district stretches across 19 counties – including Vance, Warren and Franklin – Smith said in an interview with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk.

“It’s a huge rural district,” Smith said. She and her husband live in Nash County, and from their vantage point as farmers and small business owners, she knows “what government over-reach does and how it can strangle us” here in a district that is more rural than urban.

The “out-of-control inflation is extremely crippling to our district,” Smith said. Small bumps employees may see in paychecks can’t keep up with prices at the grocery store and the gas pump.

“We’re here because of the Democrats and the Biden Administration’s policy,” she said, adding that it’s time to “fix our country and reverse those policies.”

Smith, who describes herself as an American Conservative Christian, cited issues including securing the Southern border to combat illegal immigration and stop the flow of illegal drugs as just a couple of problems that she wants to address if she is elected.

She said she wants to focus on domestic production and exploration of oil, adding that American production uses safer technology than foreign production.   Continued reliance on foreign oil opens the country up for a “major disaster,” she said, “making our country very, very weak.”

A strong American makes for a more peaceful world, she said.

Smith said as farmers of 137 acres of row crops in Nash County, she and her husband experience the sting of high input costs like fuel and fertilizer. And as owners of a construction firm, they’ve experienced the hiccups in the supply chain that brings needed materials to finish ongoing projects.

As she has traveled throughout the district to listen to constituents’ concerns, she said she hears similar stories to her own: The majority of them want safe communities, jobs, a secure border, she said. “They don’t want drugs in their community and they want somebody (in Washington) who’s there every single day.”

There are “huge growth opportunities” in the whole district, she said, including Vance County, and she said she’s the leader who can make that growth a reality.

“We do have opportunities in eastern North Carolina,” Smith noted, “and with the right leadership, we can expand that.” One topic is access to broadband internet, which would enable folks “to have jobs instantly rather than wait for a big company to build a facility” in the district. People could work for homes in a variety of jobs web-based jobs, which would put money in their pockets and into the local economy.

“We need somebody who’s going to be faithful to the people of eastern North Carolina,” Smith said.

“What I support is common sense. America first, family first and common sense,” she stated.

Smith said people are excited about her campaign, but she said the change has to happen up and down the ballot, from the school board all the way up to Congress.

She said she looks forward to working with other members of Congress on both sides of the aisle as she represents North Carolina.

Visit Sandysmithnc.com to learn more.

 

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Incentives For Forest Management

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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Henderson Man Charged in Federal Court with Dealing Heroin and Fentanyl

— courtesy U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of North Carolina

A federal grand jury returned an indictment today (Friday) charging a Henderson man with possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.

According to the indictment and other information presented in a criminal complaint, Tyren Omarious Hargrove, 21, sold heroin laced with fentanyl to a confidential informant working with the Henderson Police Department in May 2022. On June 3, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence associated with Hargrove and found more than 4,000 dosage units of heroin laced with fentanyl and almost $60,000 in U.S. currency. Hargrove, who was on post-release supervision by the state of North Carolina at the time of the offense, was arrested on various state charges but quickly bonded out of state custody. He later failed to appear for court in Vance County Superior Court. On June 22, 2022, Hargrove was located by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol during a traffic stop. Hargrove initially yielded to the traffic stop but then fled, leading troopers and deputies from the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office on a chase reaching speeds of approximately 115 mph. After a tire deflation device was deployed, Hargrove’s car was disabled, and he attempted to flee on foot. After a short foot chase, Hargrove was apprehended.

If convicted, Hargrove faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Henderson Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and the District Attorney’s Office for the 11th Prosecutorial District are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Granville County Library System

Berea Library Patrons Can Check Out N.C. Arboretum ecoEXPLORE Kits

-Information courtesy of the Granville Library System

The Granville County Library System, in partnership with the North Carolina Arboretum, will now offer ecoEXPLORE discovery kits for patrons to check out. These backpack-based kits include binoculars, a camera, a bird call, a magnifying glass, and more to encourage science and nature exploration through participation at https://www.ecoexplore.net/

Participants earn badges as they gain knowledge about the environment and the creatures that live nearby while earning prizes for exploration.  The kits, designed for children ages 5-13, promote “citizen science” and getting kids outdoors.

The discovery kits will be available to check out at the Berea Branch Library, located at 1211 U.S. Hwy 158, north of Oxford. It’s best to call the library in advance – 919.693.1231 – to make sure kits are available for checkout.

In addition to this program, the Berea Branch Library has also been designated as an ecoEXPLORE hotspot and will be establishing a wildlife viewing area and pollinator -friendly garden for patrons to use and explore. A volunteer workday will be held Aug. 27 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon to install the garden.

Volunteers can sign up by calling the library or filling out the form at https://tinyurl.com/garden-help-signup.

Also, as part of the ecoEXPLORE program, the library will be hosting an “All About Owls” event on Thursday,  Aug. 18, at 5:30 p.m. A naturalist will present information about ornithology (the study of birds) and provide more information about the ecoEXPLORE program.

For more information about this exciting addition to the services offered at the Berea library, call 919-693-1231 during its hours of operation: Tuesday and Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Thursdays 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Henderson Police Arrest 2 On Drug Charges

Two people are in the local jail facing drug charges after Henderson police served a narcotic search warrant.

Officers with the Henderson Police Department served warrants at a residence on Beacon Avenue in response to several drug complaints, according to a press release from Chief Marcus Barrow posted Thursday on social media.

Robert Archie, Jr., 43, and Chanyille Davis, 36, were arrested, each charged with one count of possession of cocaine, one count of maintaining a dwelling place for a controlled substance and one count of possession of stolen goods.

Seized from the residence was an undisclosed amount of cocaine, drug manufacturing equipment and a television.

Both Archie and Davis were placed under $21,000.00 secured bonds and were remanded to Vance County Detention by Magistrate Small-Bowens.

Take Kerr-Tar COG Survey By Aug. 19 To Weigh In On Economic Development

The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments is asking for help from all those who live or work in the region – Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin, Person – as it gathers information to develop a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.

The CEDS team has created an online survey that is open now through Aug. 19 which seeks input about the region’s strengths, challenges and opportunities. Data from the survey will be used to inform policymakers across the regions about what is going well, what needs improvement and ways to guide focus areas over the next five years.

Anyone who lives, works or has an interest in the Kerr-Tar region is encouraged to take part in the online survey.

In addition to the survey, the Kerr-Tar COG has scheduled in-person meetings to gather comments and opinions. The Vance, Franklin and Warren meetings were held earlier this week, and the Granville and Person meetings will be held on Tuesday, July 26, according to iformation on the Kerr-Tar COG webpage. The Granville meeting will be held at the Granville County Convention & Expo Center, 4185 U.S. Hwy. 15 in Oxford between 10:30 a.m. and 12 noon; the Person County meeting will be held in the Person County office building auditorium, 304 S. Morgan St., Roxboro between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Visit https://www.kerrtarcog.org/ to access a link to the survey, or simply click the link here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/survey-taken/?sm=fOW9Nqb_2BYpcyo73LmBCJHylTUVcNu_2BdTkwHeMJJTE7uFIIVtxeK2Pr3Zt_2BS2TjVcmEgkHM4BUUAyp0bavgB9TMZlZl_2BfCFp0WhBOvhzEAn8_3D

Keep Pets’ Safety In Mind – Never Leave Them In Vehicles

  -information courtesy of American Red Cross Eastern North Carolina Region

The excessive heat that has been reported all across the country is not to be taken lightly, and the American Red Cross urges everyone to take precautions to avoid dangerous – and sometimes deadly – situations.

Pet owners are especially encouraged to keep their pets’ best interests at heart by never leaving them in vehicles, even for just a few minutes while running errands.

“It’s critical that you don’t leave your pet in a hot vehicle, even for a few minutes,” said Barry Porter, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross Eastern North Carolina Region. “The inside temperature of the car can quickly reach 120 degrees in minutes, even with the windows cracked open.”

The advice for humans is to stay inside and out of the heat, if possible, and to stay hydrated to prevent medical emergencies like heat stroke. The same is true for pets – keep them inside, out of the heat, and make sure they have access to cool, fresh water all day long, according to advice from the Red Cross.

And just like humans, animal also can suffer heat stroke. Animals can suffer heat stroke in warmer weather. Dogs especially vulnerable are those breeds with short noses or snouts – think boxers and bulldogs – as well as overweight animals, or those with an extremely thick coat or who have been diagnosed with other upper respiratory problems.

Some of the signs of heat stroke to watch for:

  • Heavy panting and inability to calm down, even when lying down
  • Brick-red gum color
  • Fast pulse rate
  • Unable to get up

If you suspect your pet has heat stroke, take their temperature rectally. If the temperature is above 105 degrees, cool the animal down. The easiest way to do this is by using the water hose. Stop cooling the animal when the temperature reaches 103 degrees. Bring your pet to the veterinarian immediately as heat stroke can lead to severe organ dysfunction and damage.

RESOURCES Download the Red Cross Pet First Aid app for step-by-step instructions for first aid emergencies, toxic substances, a pet profile for storing tag ID, photo and medical information, early warning signs for when to contact a veterinarian and an animal hospital locator. You can find it in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross, texting GETPET to 90999 for a link to download the app or going to redcross.org/apps.

You can also take the Red Cross Cat and Dog First Aid online course so that you’ll know what to do in an emergency until veterinary care is available. Access the course on your desktop or tablet and go through the content at your own pace.

The interactive course includes:

  • How to determine a pet’s normal vital signs so owners can notice if there are any irregularities
  • Step-by-step instructions and visual aids for what to do if a pet is choking, needs CPR, has a wound, or is having a seizure; and information on preventative care, health and tips for a pet’s well-being.

Find more information about pets and their safety during warm weather here.

Granville County Sheriff

Granville Deputy Cleared Following Officer-Involved Shooting

A Granville County Sheriff’s deputy has been cleared in connection with an officer-involved shooting incident that left one man dead in February 2022.

District Attorney Michael D. Waters released a 7-page report Tuesday stating that “there is no legal basis for pursuing criminal prosecution in this matter.”

Sheriff’s deputies were called to a domestic disturbance at a home on Reavis Road on the afternoon of Feb. 9. Makari Jamel Smith had been at the home, but had left, armed with a shotgun. He later returned to the home, and law enforcement officials from the sheriff’s department and the town of Stovall were present as the situation unfolded.

According to the report from the District Attorney’s office, “the single most important piece of evidence” is the video footage that captured the interaction between the deputy and Smith. After some back-and-forth dialogue between the two, Smith raised the shotgun and shot at the deputy. The deputy fired three shots in response.

The report stated that deputies at the scene properly collected and secured the deputy’s gun and body-worn camera.

In his conclusion, Waters said the events leading to Smith’s death”should reinforce the need for continuing efforts of law enforcement to find more effective avenues to help defuse volatile situations that may arise during a mental health crisis.”