As Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame sees it, this county needs a new jail, no two ways about it. He’s said it before and he said it again during an April 15 commissioners’ work session, during which commissioners reviewed several options from an architect’s needs assessment and received an update on current conditions from the sheriff.
Commissioners agree that something needs to be done, but as the old saying goes, “All it takes is time and money.”
Replacing the jail comes with a $42 million price tag, according to the assessment by Moseley Architects. An expansion would cost north of $31 million and repairing the existing facility would cost more than $5.2 million, according to the architect’s report. Board Chair Dan Brummitt speculated that even if the board decided now to build a new jail, it would be between five and eight years before the first detainee would be housed there.
There are no easy answers to the challenges that face the aging jail, but Brame said he’s worried about the lack of basic safety measures being in place – for detainees and for staff.
He said the jail has 20 staff openings right now, and that overnight staffing is sparse at best. Hiring is difficult, he said, partly because of the salary offered and partly because of the jail conditions.
“Pay does help,” Brame told commissioners. “We do need an increase in pay. But they will not come because they feel unsafe … those inmates could take over the facility any time they want to.”
The county recently spent half a million dollars to replace security doors at the jail, but Brummitt said they were not installed properly and the Georgia company that installed them has not returned to finish the job to the county’s satisfaction.
County Manager C. Renee Perry said she would look at the terms of the contract to determine if the county has any recourse in the matter.
There are other more routine maintenance issues that need attention, and the jail does have an employee who handles them, but other issues like replacing light fixtures and moving outlets away from inmates’ reach are things that require an electrician.
And tradespeople don’t want to do the work because it’s unsafe.
“We have an unsafe facility down there,” Brame said, “from the doors, to how it’s designed, to staffing.”
Commissioner Sean Alston said there are federal grants to apply for help with paying for a new jail and he is hopeful that recent talks with Don Davis and others are going to pay dividends in that area.
Perry said she had submitted to Davis two capital projects for funding consideration – the jail and a new EMS building.
It all comes down to safety, Brame said. “We’ve got a lot of dangerous people in our facility,” 40 in jail for murder. Between June 2021 and July 2022, there were 26 major incidents that occurred in the jail, including death, rape and assault.
From 2019 to 2024, Brame said there were 636 incidents at the jail that came in to 911 – from the jail. “Ninety percent of our people are violent offenders,” Brame said.
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Harrington Wanted for Murder
/by WIZS Staff— from Henderson Police
UPDATE 6 p.m. Friday, April 26:
Police remind you to contact law enforcement if you have any information about this incident or the whereabouts of Antarious Tebron Harrington.
UPDATE 2 p.m. Monday, April 22:
On April 15, 2024 at approximately 9:30 p.m., a shooting occurred during an altercation at 1800 Julia Avenue. The victim, Tyquel M. Alston, age 24 of Daffodil Drive, was shot in the yard of the home by the assailant at close proximity.
Alston was transported to an area medical facility where he has succumbed to his injury. Investigators of the Henderson Police Department worked diligently on the case and warrants have now been obtained for the arrest of Antarious Tebron Harrington, age 28 of Barclay Lane, for the murder of Tyquel Alston. Harrington is currently out on pre-trial release for felony drug charges.
If anyone has any information about this incident or the whereabouts of Antarious Tebron Harrington, please contact us through following: Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers at (252- 492-1925 or P3 app), Henderson Police Department’s main number 252-438-4141, Facebook or Instagram, or just call 911.
SportsTalk: Thomas Works At Rebuilding JF Webb Sports
/by Bill HarrisDuring his first year as athletic director for J.F. Webb High School, Keith Thomas has certainly faced some challenges. The school was unable to field a baseball team this season due to a lack of players but Thomas is hopeful this will change. “We have a JV team this year and next year those kids can move up,” Thomas said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.
Building J.F. Webb’s programs back up is all about relationships Thomas said. “Community outreach and putting a good product on the field will help us build relationships,” Thomas added. “We want to win but win the right way,” he continued.
The track team is doing well this season. “I like our kids. They have a positive attitude,” Thomas said. He was with the track team in Louisburg for a meet on Thursday.
Softball is also on its way back after two years without a team and the numbers are growing. Football is also bringing in more student athletes as well. Thomas was an assistant football coach with the Warriors before taking over as athletic director. This is Thomas’ first AD job and he says it has been an interesting learning experience. “I’ve picked up a lot on the fly,” Thomas said of his first year.
Shriners Fish Fry is May 8th
/by WIZS StaffThe 60th annual Shriner’s Fish Fry is coming up on Wednesday, May 8, and plans are well underway to provide another great plate of fish with all the sides to raise money for the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital.
The Tri-County Shriners will be out in full force from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to provide plates of steaming hot fish at 210 Industry Dr., between Mako and Servpro.
Plates are $10 each and although tickets are available for purchase ahead of time, no ticket is necessary – the Shriners will happily take your money in exchange for a plate of fish, slaw, potato salad and hush puppies, said Donald Seifert, a Tri-County Shriner who spoke with WIZS on Thursday’s TownTalk.
“The lines flow smoothly and there’s very little waiting,” said Seifert, as he explained the easy, drive-through process.
Delivery is available for 10 or more plates. Contact Seifert at 252.438.8355 or Ray Fields at 252.813.7665 to set up a delivery on Fish Fry Day.
They planned for 1,700 plates at last year’s event, and Seifert said the club’s goal each year is to raise $10,000 for Shriner’s Children’s Hospitals. There are 22 hospitals and five burn centers across the country, all of which provide care and treatment – free of charge – for children up to age 18. Shriners also provide transportation to patients and a family member to receive the care they need.
“It’s one of the reasons our Shriners’ Fish Fry has lasted so long,” Seifert said. “It’s for a good cause.”
Last year’s proceeds approached the $10,000 goal, he said. “Our biggest days, we’ve exceeded the goal,” but he predicted that, on average, each fish fry has netted $8,000.
A conservative figure for the fish fry’s 59 years is just shy of half a million dollars.
The volunteers who help behind the scenes and on fish fry day have a good time together, Seifert said, “but there’s so much work to be done on the day of the fish fry, everybody has to be productive to turn out that many plates. It takes a lot of help.”
He said the Shriners appreciate the support of the community each year and they look forward to another successful fundraiser.
“The community has always turned out, and we’re thankful for that,” he said.
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TownTalk: More On Vance County Jail
/by WIZS StaffCLICK PLAY – More information on conditions at the Vance County Jail.
Dr. Cindy Bennett Named 2024 George Watkins Citizen of the Year
/by WIZS StaffThe 2024 George Watkins Citizen of the Year award honors Dr. Cindy Bennett, superintendent of Vance County Schools. The awards dinner will be held Thursday, May 16 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Henderson Country Club.
The goal of the awards dinner is to bring more than 100 top leaders in business and the community to celebrate the honoree, and to raise $75,000 to support Scouting programs in the Occoneechee Council, which includes Vance and Granville counties.
Tickets are $50 each, but sponsorships also are available, according to information from Event Chair Ronald Bennett, vice president of Supply Chain at Variety Wholesalers, Inc. and the number of tickets to the dinner depends on the sponsorship level.
Through Scouting, local youth develop character, citizenship, leadership, patriotism, self-reliance and personal fitness. Proceeds from the fundraiser help remove financial barriers for youth to participate in Scouting and provide additional outreach programs to serve at-risk youth in our most under-served communities throughout the Occoneechee Council.
The award is presented annually to extraordinary community leaders in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the quality of life in the Eno River District and who best exemplify the Scout Oath Law.
Sponsorship levels are:
· Golden Eagle – $10,000
· Silver eagle $7,500
· Benefactor Sponsor $5,000
· Eagle Sponsor $2,500
· President’s Circle $1,200
· 2 Scout Sponsor – $600
· 1 Scout Sponsor – $300
To obtain a copy of the sponsor application – click here – or contact Adam VanStedum at the BSA Occoneechee Council office in Raleigh at 919.500.6445 or adam.vanstedum@scouting.org.
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WIZS Radio Henderson Local News 04-25-24 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Biting, Pt. 2
/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.
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SportsTalk: KVA Graduate Joins The Iron Dukes
/by Bill HarrisDuke, NC State and UNC…them’s fightin’ words around here. Loyalty to your favorite university sports team is just part of growing up in North Carolina. What do you do if you are a graduate of NC State, UNC and work for Duke? That’s the unique situation that Kerr Vance Academy graduate John Averette finds himself in.
Averette, who was a guest on Wednesday’s SportsTalk, started off as an undergraduate at NC State. “Getting into sports management at NC State was an accident,” Averette said. He was thinking about going into business but was placed in the sports management program. “I didn’t know anything about it,” Averette added.
During his time with the Wolfpack, he interned with Wolfpack Sports Properties and when he completed his time at NC State he moved over to UNC to work with the Rams Club as an intern. Once he graduated from UNC, he went into the job market where he landed a position with the Iron Dukes.
“I do a lot of fundraising,” Averette said. According to Averette, sports management is more than just fund raising. “There are hundreds of people behind the scenes,” he said. All of the athletic events and people fall under the sports management umbrella.
Averette credits Kerr Vance Academy for giving him the foundation to succeed in his current profession. “They are a great school for having a college prep environment. They teach the little things to get you ready for the college environment,” Averette said. They just don’t teach you who to pull for.
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TownTalk: Sheriff Brame Discusses Detention Center With County Commissioners
/by Laura GabelAs Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame sees it, this county needs a new jail, no two ways about it. He’s said it before and he said it again during an April 15 commissioners’ work session, during which commissioners reviewed several options from an architect’s needs assessment and received an update on current conditions from the sheriff.
Commissioners agree that something needs to be done, but as the old saying goes, “All it takes is time and money.”
Replacing the jail comes with a $42 million price tag, according to the assessment by Moseley Architects. An expansion would cost north of $31 million and repairing the existing facility would cost more than $5.2 million, according to the architect’s report. Board Chair Dan Brummitt speculated that even if the board decided now to build a new jail, it would be between five and eight years before the first detainee would be housed there.
There are no easy answers to the challenges that face the aging jail, but Brame said he’s worried about the lack of basic safety measures being in place – for detainees and for staff.
He said the jail has 20 staff openings right now, and that overnight staffing is sparse at best. Hiring is difficult, he said, partly because of the salary offered and partly because of the jail conditions.
“Pay does help,” Brame told commissioners. “We do need an increase in pay. But they will not come because they feel unsafe … those inmates could take over the facility any time they want to.”
The county recently spent half a million dollars to replace security doors at the jail, but Brummitt said they were not installed properly and the Georgia company that installed them has not returned to finish the job to the county’s satisfaction.
County Manager C. Renee Perry said she would look at the terms of the contract to determine if the county has any recourse in the matter.
There are other more routine maintenance issues that need attention, and the jail does have an employee who handles them, but other issues like replacing light fixtures and moving outlets away from inmates’ reach are things that require an electrician.
And tradespeople don’t want to do the work because it’s unsafe.
“We have an unsafe facility down there,” Brame said, “from the doors, to how it’s designed, to staffing.”
Commissioner Sean Alston said there are federal grants to apply for help with paying for a new jail and he is hopeful that recent talks with Don Davis and others are going to pay dividends in that area.
Perry said she had submitted to Davis two capital projects for funding consideration – the jail and a new EMS building.
It all comes down to safety, Brame said. “We’ve got a lot of dangerous people in our facility,” 40 in jail for murder. Between June 2021 and July 2022, there were 26 major incidents that occurred in the jail, including death, rape and assault.
From 2019 to 2024, Brame said there were 636 incidents at the jail that came in to 911 – from the jail. “Ninety percent of our people are violent offenders,” Brame said.
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Home And Garden Show
/by Bill HarrisOn the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
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