-information courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina
Two Henderson men were sentenced in federal court Thursday for separate drugs and weapons-related charges.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the sentences were handed down. Details of the cases were included in a press statement issued from Easley’s office Thursday.
Joseph Jones, Jr., also known as “Woo,” was sentenced in Raleigh to 180 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. On Mar. 16, 2022, Jones pled guilty to the charges filed against him.
A second Henderson man, Jamey Owens, 51, was sentenced Thursday in Wilmington, N.C. to 72 months in prison for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in May 2020, Jones, 24, was identified as a heroin dealer in Henderson. The Henderson Police Department utilized a confidential informant to make controlled purchases of heroin from Jones. On Aug. 26, 2020, HPD responded to a call for service regarding a heroin overdose victim, who was stabilized with medical assistance. The victim reportedly purchased the heroin from Jones.
The same day, HPD conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Jones and found him to be in possession of heroin. A search warrant was executed at his residence where more than 1,000 doses of heroin and more than 11 grams of marijuana were found, along with two loaded firearms including a Glock 21 .45 caliber pistol and a Diamondback AM2 9mm pistol. Some of the heroin was bound into “bricks” comprising 50 dosage units and carried stamps such as “Devil’s Reject,” “Maestro,” “Shell,” “Uranas,” “Takeback,” and “Natural Flavor.”
Jones has a lengthy criminal history, including possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule I controlled substance, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and conspiracy to sell or deliver heroin.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Henderson Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the Jones case.
According to court records and statements made during hearings in the Owens case, Henderson police conducted a controlled buy of cocaine from Owens on Jan. 13, 2019 at his home on State Street. Based on the controlled buy, officers obtained a search warrant for the residence, which they executed on January 15, 2019.
Owens was present with his girlfriend. Near a couch where Owens had been sleeping, officers found two handguns. In his bedroom, they found a third pistol, and in a second bedroom they recovered a shotgun. Officers found drugs stashed throughout the house, including cocaine, heroin, suspected ecstasy tablets, and marijuana. They also found four digital scales; ink stamps labeled with “BLACK CEASAR” and green glassine bags, both commonly used to package heroin; two glass Pyrex dishes with a white powdery substance; and over $3000 in cash.
The Henderson Police Department and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
Mt. Moriah AME Zion Site Of Summer Meals Program For Children
/by WIZS StaffMt. Moriah AME Zion Church is partnering with the Durham branch of the N.C. Food Bank again this summer to provide free hot lunches to any child between the ages of 0 and 18 years.
The Kids Summer Meals Program provides hot, catered lunches and snacks to children in the area, beginning June 20, 2022 and continuing through Aug. 5, according to information from Linda Bristow of Mt. Moriah AME Zion. Meals will be served each weekday in the church fellowship hall between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The church is located 5448 Highway 158 Business in Henderson.
VCS Thanks Volunteers For Partnering With Schools During 2021-22
/by WIZS StaffVance County Schools paid a special thank-you to a host of churches and other local individuals and organizations that have partnered with the district’s schools to enhance students’ learning experience.
And this year, Gang Free, Inc. was recognized for its ongoing work with Vance County Middle School.
Melissa Elliott, founder of Gang Free, Inc., was on hand at the partnership recognition ceremony Thursday, June 9 at 3 p.m. at the VCS Center for Innovation. In addition to providing basic necessities for students, their families and the community, Gang Free, Inc. – through a partnership with the N.C. Food Bank – established VCMS as a food bank satellite. Students can make weekly trips through the food bank to take home what their families may need. Community members can access the food bank as well.
Following is a list of volunteers and the schools they partnered with during the 2021-22 school year:
BAT-Mobile Units On State Roadways To Curb Impaired Driving
/by WIZS StaffNorth Carolina drivers in all 100 counties should be on the lookout for the BAT-mobile cruising their local streets this summer. But it’s not the Caped Crusader who’s behind the wheel – it’s your local law enforcement officer, working to get impaired drivers off the road.
This BAT-mobile refers to mobile Breath Alcohol Testing Units, used by local law enforcement agencies as part of campaigns to keep impaired drivers off the streets. And Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Mark Ezzell said the technology proves useful in the effort to curb impaired driving.
“BAT-mobiles – while not exactly the same as the one Batman drove – are a pretty critical tool for fighting crime in North Carolina, especially when it comes to impaired driving,” Ezzell said in a press release.
This is part of an ambitious plan to conduct a BAT-mobile enforcement campaign in every North Carolina county in order to curb impaired driving from Memorial Day to Labor Day, which encompasses the 100 deadliest days of the year on the road.
The time of year is especially dangerous for teenagers, who are 16 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal crash during this time period, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
During the 100 Deadliest Days campaign, BAT-mobiles will be used at DWI Checking Stations or during other impaired driving enforcement effort conducted by local law enforcement agencies. Campaigns are generally conducted at locations with a high rate of impaired driving crashes.
BAT-mobiles are operated by the Forensic Tests for Alcohol Branch, a division of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The units allow law enforcement to conduct breath alcohol and other sobriety tests, are fully equipped with the instruments and forms necessary for a law enforcement officer to test and process a driver arrested for an impaired driving offense, and even have office space for a magistrate to operate in order to make the process of charging an impaired driver more seamless.
The N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program provides grant funding to DHHS each year to operate seven units statewide.
Law enforcement agencies interested in taking part in a BAT-mobile campaign should visit the Forensic Test for Alcohol website at or contact Jason Smith, statewide BAT-mobile coordinator, at jason.r.smith@dhhs.nc.gov.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 06-10-22 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Two Local Men Get Prison Terms For Drugs, Weapons Charges
/by WIZS Staff-information courtesy of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina
Two Henderson men were sentenced in federal court Thursday for separate drugs and weapons-related charges.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the sentences were handed down. Details of the cases were included in a press statement issued from Easley’s office Thursday.
Joseph Jones, Jr., also known as “Woo,” was sentenced in Raleigh to 180 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. On Mar. 16, 2022, Jones pled guilty to the charges filed against him.
A second Henderson man, Jamey Owens, 51, was sentenced Thursday in Wilmington, N.C. to 72 months in prison for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in May 2020, Jones, 24, was identified as a heroin dealer in Henderson. The Henderson Police Department utilized a confidential informant to make controlled purchases of heroin from Jones. On Aug. 26, 2020, HPD responded to a call for service regarding a heroin overdose victim, who was stabilized with medical assistance. The victim reportedly purchased the heroin from Jones.
The same day, HPD conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Jones and found him to be in possession of heroin. A search warrant was executed at his residence where more than 1,000 doses of heroin and more than 11 grams of marijuana were found, along with two loaded firearms including a Glock 21 .45 caliber pistol and a Diamondback AM2 9mm pistol. Some of the heroin was bound into “bricks” comprising 50 dosage units and carried stamps such as “Devil’s Reject,” “Maestro,” “Shell,” “Uranas,” “Takeback,” and “Natural Flavor.”
Jones has a lengthy criminal history, including possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a Schedule I controlled substance, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and conspiracy to sell or deliver heroin.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Henderson Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson prosecuted the Jones case.
According to court records and statements made during hearings in the Owens case, Henderson police conducted a controlled buy of cocaine from Owens on Jan. 13, 2019 at his home on State Street. Based on the controlled buy, officers obtained a search warrant for the residence, which they executed on January 15, 2019.
Owens was present with his girlfriend. Near a couch where Owens had been sleeping, officers found two handguns. In his bedroom, they found a third pistol, and in a second bedroom they recovered a shotgun. Officers found drugs stashed throughout the house, including cocaine, heroin, suspected ecstasy tablets, and marijuana. They also found four digital scales; ink stamps labeled with “BLACK CEASAR” and green glassine bags, both commonly used to package heroin; two glass Pyrex dishes with a white powdery substance; and over $3000 in cash.
The Henderson Police Department and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
SportsTalk: Elliott Prepares For First Season As VCHS Football Coach
/by Laura GabelAaron Elliott, the new head football coach for Vance County High School, has had a few days to watch his players during workouts this week. And he’s pretty impressed with what he sees so far, he said on Thursday’s Sports Talk.
Elliott joined Bill Harris, Doc Ayscue and George Hoyle and said he liked the level of leadership the players have shown so far. And he hopes that as the summer continues, the numbers of young people interested in wearing the Vipers uniform will grow.
“My biggest challenge so far has been numbers,” Elliott said. And in between workouts, watching last season’s film and meeting with his coaching staff, Elliott has been spending a lot of time fielding calls from student athletes about possibly returning to the team. He also said he’d heard from almost 20 rising 9th graders who are thinking about playing.
Whether he’s talking to players, prospective players, their parents or his staff, Elliott has spoken consistently about, well, consistency.
“I’m trying to incorporate and bring a philosophy of being consistent,” he said, “gaining trust of players and (others)…that I’m here to stay.”
This is Elliott’s first head coaching job, but he previously had been an assistant with Nash Central High School, and at Louisburg High before that.
He draws from his experience as a line coach to work with others on his staff, some of whom are returning for the upcoming season. “I will be the offensive coordinator and calling the plays,” Elliott said, but added that he would offer additional help wherever it was needed.
The offensive line will be a little young because of several seniors graduating, but the defensive line only lost one player to graduation, and there are several athletes that are at the ready to fill that position. “We should be fairly good defensively,” he said.Without giving away too much from the playbook, Elliott said he plans to run a spread offense with some run-pass options. It’ll be senior QB Nazir Garrett’s responsibility to make good reads, he noted, and to make good decisions about what to do with the football.
And he plans to incorporate special teams into every practice. “To me, special teams is important – you can get turnovers, you can change the momentum of the game” with special teams.
The team will continue with morning workouts Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and participate in a couple of camps over the summer, starting with a camp at N.C. State next Thursday. The first official week is the first week of August, and that’s when the team moves to afternoon practices.
“All in all, these guys are in pretty good shape,” Elliott said. Several players said they’d been working during the off-season, he added. “I wouldn’t say they’re ready to play a football game tomorrow night, but I feel comfortable come August.”
TownTalk Trivia 06-09-22
/by Bill HarrisA special Thursday edition of TownTalk Trivia.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 06-09-22 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
The Local Skinny! Business Spotlight: Satterwhite Pt. Marina
/by Laura GabelThe season is heating up on Kerr Lake as warmer weather brings out boaters and campers, and that’s just fine for Scott and Catherine Hughes, owners of Satterwhite Point Marina and Rudd’s Creek Marina near Boydton, VA.
The Hughes family is celebrating 30 years at Satterwhite Point Marina, and Catherine told John C. Rose Thursday during the business spotlight feature of The Local Skinny! segment that they work hard to provide good service to folks visiting the lake and they strive to be good community partners.
“It’s hard to believe that Rudd’s Creek has been open for eight years,” she said, adding that husband Scott basically duplicated at Rudd’s Creek what he’d built at Satterwhite.
The marinas have boat storage options in wet slips and she said the hope is to have Drystack storage at the Virginia marina in the next year or so. Right now, that option is only at Satterwhite Point.
Both marinas have lakeside stores with discount marine supplies, lake gifts, signs, snacks and more.
“We always try to support the communities in Henderson and in Mecklenburg County, VA as well,” Hughes said, “ and we appreciate the support we get as well.” She said great employees, great customers and a great place to work make for a winning combination.
“We think we’re lucky to be able to be able to work right on the lake,” she said. “Sometimes it can be demanding or stressful, but the majority of the time, it’s just beautiful.”
CLICK PLAY!
Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Biting, Pt. 3
/by Bill HarrisListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
Click Play!