Tag Archive for: #butnernews

TownTalk: Granville County Tourism Heating Things Up In June

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With summer just around the corner, Granville County’s calendar of events is heating up with a variety of programs, events and exhibits from Butner to Oxford sure to satisfy everyone’s interests.

Granville’s Tourism Director Angela Allen has a whole list of activities for folks to take part in most any time – summer in Granville County, she said, sort of unfolds – there’s something to do just about all the time.

Looking for an easy way to wind down after work with family and friends? Head to downtown Oxford on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in June for Quittin’ Time. Slow down for a minute and stroll downtown, listening to live music, visiting local retail shops and enjoying small plate and specialty beverages from participating restaurants.

Or head down to Creedmoor’s Cedar Creek Gallery any ol’ time to catch the National Teapot Show, which comes every three years to the art gallery/retail space in southern Granville County. The exhibit features teapots created by artisans and craftspeople from all over, from the functional to the sublime.

Find some fresh produce, local meats and more at the Oxford Armory Farmer’s Market in downtown Oxford on Saturday mornings.

That’s just a sample of what’s available across Granville County this season, and Allen has a whole other list of special events that you’ll surely want to take in.

  • Butner Summer Festival this weekend, June 5-6. There’s a barbecued chicken cookoff, live music, vendors, kids’ activities and more.
  • Juneteenth Freedom Day – in Creedmoor on Friday, June 19
  • Juneteenth Freedom Day – Oxford on Saturday, June 20
  • Bee Jubilee and Food Truck Rodeo – Saturday, June 27 at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center on Highway 15 just south of Oxford

See a complete listing of events taking place in Granville County at www.visitgranvillenc.com

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(The text and audio are not a paid ad. Granville Tourism is, however, an advertising client of WIZS.com.)

The Local Skinny! Good Times to Kick Off May with Granville County Tourism

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Ladies, (and gents, too – why not?)  find yourself a ‘fascinator’ and head to downtown Oxford Saturday afternoon for the Art, Wine and Beer festival. In addition to the titled features, there will be live music and lots of fun activities with a Kentucky Derby theme.

This annual event, hosted by The Hub on Main, takes place on Saturday, May 2 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., but Granville Tourism Director Angela Allen says to come early to eat, walk, shop and enjoy all that downtown has to offer.

Local artists will be on hand with unique, handcrafted items. There will be wine and beer tastings, too.

But downtown isn’t the only happenin’ place in Oxford Saturday.  The ultimate Elvis performance is coming to Thorndale Oaks. Tickets for the “Aloha from Vegas” show are on sale now. Platinum-level tickets are limited to 50 guests – who will enjoy early entry at 5 p.m., front-stage seating, food, a champagne toast and a pre-concert look at what it takes to put on the show.

VIP ticket holders enter at 6:15 p.m. and can be part of a meet-and-greet before the 7:15 p.m. performance, Allen said.

Go to www.visitgranvillenc.com to find out all the details.

Call 919.603.3701 or 919-725-5201 to purchase tickets.

The popular Quittin’ Time cranks back up on Thursday, May 7 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and continues on Thursdays throughout May and June. A variety of downtown restaurants and shops will have small plate offerings and specialty beverages for patrons as they stroll downtown Oxford and enjoy live music, evening shopping in a relaxed atmosphere as the weekend approaches.

Lots of outside seating creates a great social vibe, Allen said, so get ready to chat with friends, new and old during Quittin’ Time.

Allen said the Downtown Oxford Restaurant Initiative – DORI – has a Facebook page that lists participating restaurants and retailers.

Then on Saturday, May 9, Culture Fest comes to downtown Oxford from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s a celebration of diversity and community, Allen said, and will include food, cultural experiences, kids’ activities and more.

Cedar Creek Gallery outside Creedmoor hosts its triennial National Teapot Show, beginning May 15 and continuing through Sept. 14.

This nationally recognized exhibit will feature all kinds of teapots, from functional to creative to artistic, Allen said. Artists from all across the country have submitted entries, she said.

They will be for sale, but they’ll all remain in the gallery for the duration of the exhibit, so visitors can see the artists’ creativity and imagination shining through in these works of art.

Creativity and imagination aren’t only for artisans, however. If you head over to The Ox Theater on May 31, you’ll get to see creativity and imagination in the form of a a Taylor Swift live band tribute. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show, “Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Eras Experience.”

Inspired by the pop music sensation’s iconic ‘Eras’ tour, this tribute performance will have plenty of costume changes, lights and more to recreate what Allen said is “a big concert feel in a smaller venue.”

Tickets are on sale at www.oxfordnc.org. Click on Departments then The Ox Theater to find the link.

Find out all the things that are happening across Granville County at www.visitgranvillenc.com.

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TownTalk: Granville County Tourism Kicks Off March Activities With Annual Wedding And Event Expo

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This weekend’s Granville Wedding and Event Expo kicks off a busy month across Granville County, and Angela Allen says there’s no slowing down as springtime approaches.

The wedding and expo event takes place Sunday, Mar. 1 from 12 noon to 3 p.m. at Creedmoor Community Center.

It’s not only for brides-to-be, Allen said on Thursday’s TownTalk. Anybody who’s planning a special event – from a family reunion to one of those milestone birthdays – is welcome to the expo.

“There’s so much inspiration and creativity,” Allen said of the expo, where more than 40 vendors are expected to provide information for everything from event planners to photographers, DJs, caterers and more.

There are a few ways to get registered, she said.

Get in for free with a donation for Families Living Violence Free – either supplies or a monetary donation works.

But if you’re interested in taking it up a notch, purchase a tasting ticket for $10. That way, you can try samples from the 10 food vendors. For $20, you’ll get a tasting ticket and a VIP swag bag filled with goodies.

The expo features local vendors not just from Granville County, but include vendors from Vance, Franklin and Person counties, too.

Go to www.visitgranvillenc.com to register.

Just like a wedding or fancy party, Allen said she’d prefer to have folks RSVP of their attendance. But it’s also fine to just show up at the door, too.

Other March highlights include:

  • Saturday, Mar. 7 – Mardi Gras celebration and silent auction to benefit the Boys & Girls Club at High Rock Farm from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Mar. 7 – Hawley Magic Show at Ox Theater. Jonathan Hawley brings his high-energy family show for a 7 p.m. performance.
  • Friday, Mar. 20 – Mutts Gone Nuts at Ox Theater at 7 p.m. This canine stunt show features a performance by some very talented rescue dogs.
  • Saturday, Mar. 21 – Granville Ambulance Chase and Food Truck Rodeo – downtown Oxford. There’s a 5K, 10K, Fun Run and Family Walk, followed by the food truck rodeo. “It’s all about fitness and a little bit festival,” Allen said. Proceeds support local health initiatives.
  • March 21-22 and 28-29 – It’s going to take two weekends to get in all the activities, food and fun of The Viking Experience. Visit www.thevikingexperiencenc.com to learn more about this immersive experience into the Norse culture.
  • Saturday, Mar. 28 – 2nd annual Bunny Hop Bash at Clement Farm. There will be egg hunts, a bouncy house and, of course, a visit from the Easter Bunny at this event for the whole family.
  • Saturday, Mar. 28 – Paws for Granville – at the Barn at Vino in Stem. Proceeds from this annual dinner and silent auction benefit the Humane Society of Granville County.
  • Sunday, Mar. 29 – Spring Eggstravaganza at Carlee Farms in Stem. There will be activities for the kids, vendors and another appearance by the Easter Bunny.

To learn more about these events and all the happenings in Granville County, go to www.visitgranvillenc.com.

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TownTalk: Festive Times in Granville County

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Santa is going to be one tired fella if he makes good on all his appearances this weekend in Granville County, but if he’s trying to keep up with Granville Tourism Director Angela Allen, he’ll need an energy drink or two to keep him moving.

Allen said the next couple of weekends in Granville County are “jam-packed” with opportunities to get in the holiday spirit, from parades and shows, to special meals and light displays.

!!(The Lighting of the Greens and Christmas Parade has been rescheduled for Thursday, December 19th.)!!

(POSTPONED) First up is the annual Lighting of the Greens on Friday, Dec. 5, beginning with a flurry of activities at 4 p.m. along Main Street.  (POSTPONED) The crowd will gather around the Courthouse at 6:30 p.m. to witness the downtown decorations lighting up to officially kick off the holiday season. Stick around for the parade at 7 p.m., complete with Ol’ Saint Nick himself. He’s giving the reindeer the evening off, apparently, because Allen said to look for him on the back of a fire truck as the parade wends through downtown Oxford.

Santa’s going to make a couple of appearances in the southern part of the county that evening as well – he’ll be at Butner for Christmas in the Park at Gazebo Park on Central Avenue at 5 p.m. then he’ll head over to Creedmoor’s tree lighting at the Community Center, which begins at 7 p.m.

“To me, it’s all about community,” Allen said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. The community comes together – schools, churches, businesses – to show off their holiday spirit and pride for the places where they live. For Allen, the weather may be cold this time of year, but seeing the togetherness all across the county is heart-warming.

Delrayno Baptist Church’s live nativity called Back To Bethlehem will be open for drive-through visitors on Dec. 13, 14 and 15 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The church parking lot is transformed with costumed characters, animals and sets to create something that is historical, traditional and spiritual all at the same time, Allen said.

“It’s a tradition that people don’t want to miss,” she said.

Parades, tree lightings and live nativity scenes may be some of the more traditional options for folks to enjoy, but Allen said Granville County has a nice assortment of unexpected things, too.

Take, for instance, the “Yuletide Experience” that will transform the Viking Experience village area this weekend into a wonderland of holiday festivities – all with “a very unique Norse twist,” Allen said.

Ticket packages are available for the Dec. 6-7 event at their website.
There will be games, holiday shopping and friendly competitions for the whole family.

Want to see what an award-winning light display looks like? Then head over to Campbell’s Christmas Display on Bob Daniel Road outside Oxford, where you’ll experience more than 80,000 synchronized lights creating different displays. The Campbells, you may remember, won first prize last year in ABC’s show “The Great Christmas Light Fight.”

They’ve been creating a light display for more than 20 years, Allen said, and welcome folks to not just drive through, but to stop in and visit. All they ask is that you bring along a donation of canned goods to support ACIM, the county’s food bank.

Campbell’s kicks off the season this weekend and continues through most of the month, Allen said.

“This is really nice that this family has taken it to another level,” Allen said, displaying their generosity by giving back to the community.

Another light display is at Granville Christmas Farm, located just off Highway 15 south of Oxford. From now through New Year’s Eve, carloads of folks will drive along and see vignettes from favorite Christmas movies like Rudolph, Christmas Vacation and more.

If full-length feature movies are more your style, then head over to the newly renovated OX Theater in Oxford’s City Hall on Sunday, Dec. 7 or Monday, Dec. 8 to catch a holiday favorite, The Polar Express. Admission is $5. Visit https://oxfordnc.recdesk.com/ to register or call 919.603.1135. The Sunday show is at 3 p.m. and the Monday show is at 6:30 p.m.

The OX Theater will host Nashville Noel on Sunday, Dec. 14, bringing a blend of country and Christmas and the high-energy of the Nashville scene. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m.

In partnership with the Granville Little Theatre, the OX will host the annual live radio play of the Christmas classic “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Performances are Dec. 11, 12 and 13. The Oxford Prep Jazz Band will perform following the Saturday performance.

Check out all the options and a schedule of all the upcoming events at www.visitgranvillenc.com and follow them on social media channels to stay updated on all the events and programs throughout the county.

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TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Camp Butner

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Soldier Memorial Sports Arena in Butner, which serves as a recreational center as well as the site of the Camp Butner Museum, was built in four days back in 1942 by a special team of builders who traveled about constructing buildings for use at military installations during World War II.

It is one of about 1,700 buildings that popped up like mushrooms across the 60 square miles or so of farmland to provide training facilities for U.S. soldiers. By the time the war ended in September 1945, things were winding down at Camp Butner, and local historian Mark Pace said it gave rise to the town of Butner, a unique town in that, until 2007, was operated completely by the state of North Carolina.

When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided that this part of Granville County would be the site of the camp, they offered landowners cents on the dollar for their property, which happened to be perfect for growing flue-cured tobacco.

“It was a take-it-or-leave it” proposition,” Pace told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Thursday’s Around Old Granville segment. If the offer wasn’t accepted, the government just condemned the property anyway, he noted.

That didn’t sit too well with many landowners, a sentiment that lingers still today with descendants of those farmers, many of whom didn’t return, even after the war ended.

“It was a major upset to their everyday lives,” Pace said, adding that to say the government’s actions were contentious would be an understatement.

More than 425 families – 1,300 people – had to relocate, not to mention churches, school buildings and more than 1,600 graves.

Just like the recreational facility, the barracks, roads and other infrastructure was built in an incredibly short time, Pace said, and by August 1942 the camp was operational – complete with air field, a railroad spur line, churches, a hospital and even a radio station. Construction went on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in response to the national emergency – remember, the United States had just entered into the war in December 1941, after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

Camp Butner took $28 million to build in the early ‘40’s, Pace said. In today’s dollars, that sum would hover around half a billion dollars. Workers got paid $1.25 an hour, which would be about $30 an hour in today’s money.

Because so many young men were fighting in Europe, local farmers faced a labor shortage. They had a hard time getting all the work done on the farm – crops still had to come in, the dairy cows needed milking and the cash crop – tobacco – had to get in the barns.

“Some of the prisoners were allowed to leave the camp and go to work,” he said. And the government said farmers had to pay them wages.

After the war ended, only about half of the land was sold back to the original landowners, their descendants or others. Pace said one man from Durham bought 3,000 acres for the grand total of $10,000. No need to break out the calculators – that’s less than $3.50 an acre.

The National Guard kept about 5,000 acres and the state of North Carolina bought what was left – for the grand sum of $1.

And that’s how all those state-run facilities came to be located in Butner – the alcohol rehab center, Murdoch center and more, Pace said.

Today, the population of Butner is about 8,600. Where soldiers once trained and POWs were housed are now subdivisions and other trappings of post-War suburbia. Many of the buildings are gone, but some – like the sports complex – remain. St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church occupies a former church building at Camp Butner, for example.

There’s probably no community like Butner in the entire country, Pace mused.

Butner has a rich past for a town that’s been incorporated less than 20 years.

The Camp Butner Museum is open the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pace invites the public to come visit the museum, which has many artifacts and photos. The address is 416 24th St., Butner.

 

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Granville County Chamber of Commerce

‘Alive After Five’ Season Finale This Evening In Butner’s Gazebo Park

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There’s still time to grab your shaggin’ shoes and head down to the Butner Gazebo Park for the season finale of Alive After Five, presented by the Granville County Chamber of Commerce. The Band of Oz will perform today from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and admission is free.

Gazebo Park is located at 410 Central Ave. in Butner, NC 27509.

There will be food vendors on site, as well as a contingent of cyclists from Cycle North Carolina who are in the middle of their annual ride from the mountains to the coast. The group is stopping over in Granville County before continuing their ride eastward.

 

U.S. Department of Justice

Butner Federal Inmate Sentenced to 30 Months for Weapons Possession

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

An inmate housed at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina (“FCC Butner”) was sentenced yesterday to 30 months of incarceration for possessing weapons inside the federal prison.

According to court documents, Gerald Wayne Timms, 59, was found by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) staff to be in possession of multiple homemade sharpened objects on two separate occasions in May 2019 and again in September 2019.

BOP staff found the weapons inside Timms’ assigned cell during routine searches. Timms was charged by way of a two-count indictment for violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1791, possession of contraband in prison. On February 19, 2020, a jury found Timms guilty of both counts. Timms received 30 months on each count to be served concurrently.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. BOP Special Investigative Services investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Brooks Storus, Genna D. Petre, and Michael Bredenberg prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the U.S. Department of Justice’s website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00428-FL.

N.C. Air National Guard Flyover ‘Operation American Resolve’ to Include Butner, NC

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Press Release, North Carolina Air National Guard

The 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard will be conducting a one aircraft C-17 flyover of various North Carolina cities, hospitals, and food banks on Thursday, May 7, 2020, as part of Operation: American Resolve.

The flyover is to demonstrate the Department of the Air Force’s continued readiness during the national COVID-19 response while saluting the American heroes at the forefront in our fight against COVID-19. These flyovers will incur no additional cost to taxpayers and are being conducted as part of regularly scheduled training.

The C-17 will depart the Charlotte Douglass International Airport at 10 a.m. and travel to the locations listed below.

Please remember proper social distancing and protective measures while viewing.

Questions can be directed to the 145th Airlift Wing, Public Affairs Office at 910-916-0868.

Route of Flight:

All times are subject to change.

Asheville, NC (10:50 a.m.) – Mission Hospital, Manna Food Bank, Black Mountain Neuro-Medical Treatment Center
and J.F.K. Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center

Morganton, NC (11:02 a.m.) – Broughton Hospital, J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center

Hickory, NC (11:07 a.m.) – Frye Regional Medical Hospital

Statesville, NC (11:12 a.m.) – Iredell Memorial Hospital

Winston Salem, NC (11:21 a.m.) – Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, Bowman Gray Campus, Second Harvest Food Bank of NW, NC

Greensboro/Burlington, NC (11:30 a.m.) – High Point Regional, Moses Cone Memorial Hospital, Lab Corp Burlington Corporate Headquarters

Chapel Hill, NC (11:39 a.m.) – UNC-Chapel Hill Hospital

Durham, NC (11:42 a.m.) – Durham VA Medical Center, Duke University Hospital

Butner, NC (11:46 a.m.) – Central Regional Hospital, Murdoch Developmental Center, R.J. Blackley Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center

Raleigh, NC (11:50 a.m.) – UNC REX Hospital, NC National Guard JFHQ, Wake Med Hospital, Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC, Duke/Raleigh Hospital, Downtown Raleigh

Goldsboro, NC (12:09 p.m.) – Cherry Hospital, O’berry Neuro-Medical Treatment Center

Wilson, NC (12:15 p.m.) – Longleaf Neuro-Medical Treatment

Greenville, NC (12:21 p.m.) – Vidant Medical Center, Walter B. Jones Alcohol & Drug Abuse Treatment Center, Greenville Veteran’s Health Care Center

Kinston, NC (12:28 p.m.) – Caswell Development Center

Jacksonville, NC (12:35 p.m.) – Onslow Memorial Hospital

Wilmington, NC (12:48 p.m.) – New Hanover Regional Medical Center

Charlotte, NC (1:25 p.m.) – Harris Teeter Distribution Center, Novant Health Presbyterian Med Ctr, Atrium Health Charlotte, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina

MISSION COMPLETE

Warrants Obtained on Five Suspects in Carolina Chicken & BBQ Shooting

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-Information courtesy Butner Public Safety’s Facebook page

On April 19, 2019, at 11:48 p.m., Butner Public Safety received a report of shots fired at the Carolina Chicken and BBQ Restaurant. Officers found that two people were shot during the incident. The victims were transported to Duke University Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

The shooting took place outside of the restaurant when two groups of individuals started shooting at each other. Seven vehicles and the Carolina Chicken and BBQ building were also struck by gunfire. There were over seventy shell casings and nine guns seized from the scene.

As a result of the investigation by BPS investigators, Sgt. N. L. Williams obtained warrants on the following five people:

Joshua Lamont Glover Sr., 40, of Creedmoor, was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, six counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and two counts of shooting into a moving vehicle. Mr. Glover Sr. was issued a secured bond of $540,000 by Magistrate H. G. Herring Jr. and placed in the Granville County Detention Center.

Joshua Lamont Glover Jr., 20, of Roxboro, was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, six counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and two counts of shooting into a moving vehicle. Mr. Glover Jr. was issued a secured bond of $350,000 by Magistrate S. E. Evans and placed in the Durham County Detention Center.

Armonde Raheem Landis, 19, of Creedmoor, was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, six counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and two counts of shooting into a moving vehicle. Mr. Landis was issued a secured bond of $540,000 by Magistrate H. G. Herring Jr. and placed in the Granville County Detention Center.

Antrown Lamont Nickerson, 37, of Oxford, was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, six counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and two counts of shooting into a moving vehicle. The warrants on Mr. Nickerson are still outstanding.

Amani King, 18, of Creedmoor, was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, six counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and two counts of shooting into a moving vehicle. The warrants on Mr. King are still outstanding.

Additional charges are possible as this investigation continues. If you have any information that may aid with the investigation, please contact Sgt. N. L. Williams at Butner Public Safety at (919) 575-6561 ext. 111.

American Flag

‘Freedom Fest’ to Raise Money for Children of Fallen Soldiers

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

The Chosin Foundation will hold a “Freedom Fest” on Friday, September 28, 2018, at Soldiers Memorial Sports Arena, Butner

Show starts at 4 p.m.; event ends at 10 p.m.

Live music will be provided by former Army medic Ian Wagner. Mature (PG-13) performances by comedians Jiovani, Angel Perez, Tank Smith, Ben Brainard, Freddy Valoy, Tim Payne and Marcus Crespo.

Local food, beer and wine will be served. Proceeds benefit children of fallen soldiers.

Tickets are $10 online, $15 at door. Veteran tickets are $10.

For more information on “Freedom Fest” or the Chosin Foundation, please visit www.chosinfoundation.org.

(This is not a paid advertisement)