Tag Archive for: #hendersonncnews

Henderson Man Sentenced for Two Counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

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NEW BERN – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that in federal court, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced ISMIL GRAY JEFFERS, 23, of Henderson, NC to 140 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.

JEFFERS pled guilty on November 15, 2016 to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

On September 22, 2015, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance complaint. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found JEFFERS in the bathroom of Auto Connection Used Auto Sales and subsequently conducted a search of his vehicle where a firearm and controlled substances were found. On October 19, 2015, members of the Henderson Police Department conducted a checkpoint traffic stop in which JEFFERS was a passenger in a vehicle. The vehicle pulled away from the checkpoint causing an officer to pursue. The vehicle stopped a short distance later and JEFFERS, a convicted felon, was observed throwing a handgun into a grassy area.

This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.

The criminal investigation of this case was conducted by the Henderson Police Department Police Department, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the North Carolina State Crime Lab. Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette is handling the case on behalf of the government.

USAO – North Carolina, Eastern

Topic: 

Firearms Offenses

New London’s Kevin Chandler Wins FLW Bass Fishing League Opener on Kerr Lake

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HENDERSON, N.C. (March 27, 2017) – Kevin Chandler of New London, North Carolina, weighed a 20-pound, 14-ounce, limit Saturday to win the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Piedmont Division opener on Kerr Lake presented by Navionics. For his win, Chandler earned $8,211.

Chandler said he split his day between fishing rocks in Grassy Creek, and docks and laydowns in the main-river channel. He said every fish he weighed in came on a ½-ounce green-pumpkin-colored Shooter Lures Jig.

“I flipped and made little underhand pitches with the jig because the fish were so shallow,” said Chandler, who logged his fifth career-win in BFL competition. “Every bite came in 1 to 4 feet of water. My medium-heavy Level rod was a big part of my success. It’s got the perfect tip for flipping. I could make soft presentations under everything I targeted.”

Chandler said he spent a lot of his day running, including making 30 to 40 stops in the afternoon.

“I didn’t catch very many fish in one spot,” said Chandler. “My biggest bass – a 6-pound, 4-ouncer – came out of the rocks early on, but I got more bites in the afternoon. The water warmed up a couple of degrees when the sun came up, which helped.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Kevin Chandler, New London, N.C., five bass, 20-14, $6,211 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

               2nd:         Ray Griffin, Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 20-2, $4,001

               3rd:          Mike Miller, Trinity, N.C., five bass, 20-0, $2,101

               4th:          Todd Harris, Clemmons, N.C., five bass, 18-7, $1,403

               5th:          Rodney Bell, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 17-12, $1,202

               6th:          Chris Daves, Spring Grove, Va., five bass, 16-11, $1,102

               7th:          George Lambeth, Thomasville, N.C., five bass, 16-9, $1,302

               8th:          Keith Roberts, Hurt, Va., five bass, 16-1, $902

               9th:          David Wright, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 16-0, $802

               10th:        Scooter Lilley, Williamston, N.C., five bass, 15-13, $666

               10th:        Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 15-13, $666

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.  

Griffin caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces – the largest of the event – which earned him the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $995.

Larry Freeman Jr. of La Crosse, Virginia, weighed in five bass totaling 14 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the Co-angler Division and the top prize of $3,006.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1st:          Larry Freeman Jr., La Crosse, Va., five bass, 14-11, $3,006

               2nd:         Derek Sewell, Forest, Va., four bass, 14-8, $1,503

               3rd:          Graham Burke, Clemmons, N.C., four bass, 13-0, $1,008

               4th:          Randy Ruffin, Norfolk, Va., four bass, 12-9, $1,198

               5th:          Bailey Hollingsworth, Lexington, N.C., five bass, 12-1, $601

               6th:          Jake Rowe, Selma, N.C., five bass, 11-11, $551

               7th:          Francis Andrews, Matoaca, Va., five bass, 11-8, $501

               8th:          Mark Whitman, Elon, N.C., five bass, 11-4, $651

               9th:          Scott Anderson, China Grove, N.C., five bass, 11-2, $401

               10th:        Chris Tucker, Albemarle, N.C., three bass, 10-12, $351

Ruffin caught the biggest bass among Co-angler Division anglers, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 5 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $497.

The top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the region based on point standings, along with the five winners in each qualifying event, will be entered in the Oct. 12-14 BFL Regional Championship on the James River in Williamsburg, Virginia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude outboard.

The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

About FLW

FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

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Vance County Coop Director Morris White to Head Durham Extension

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Vance County,

I have bittersweet news. The good news is that on April 3, 2017, I will begin a great new venture as the County Extension Director for Durham County!  My email address will remain the same and I will continue to serve as the point of contact for the two major programs taking place in Vance County; ECA District Day on April 20th and the Vance County Community Resource Fair on April 27, 2017.

In addition, while Vance County begins its search for the next director, our Vance County 4-H Agent (Turner Pride) has been appointed by our District Director to serve as Interim Director.  It is my sincere hope that you will show Turner and the entire team the same support you have shared with me over the years.

The sad portion of the bittersweet news is that I will truly miss Vance County.  Over the last four years, you all have greatly impacted both my professional and personal life.  I have become a better person as together, we have accomplished so much.  From the Vance County Community Resource Fair​ to the ​Voices of Vance, Community Voices project, I ​thank you for allowing me to serve as your leader.  I know from the sacrifices you all have made to make our work successful that it is because of people like you “Goodness Grows in Vance”.

So let us continue to remain in touch as Vance County continues t​o be a place where the seeds of goodness can continually grow.

With sincere gratitude,

Morris White

Morris F. White, III

County Extension Director

NC Cooperative Extension
Vance County Center

305 Young Street

Henderson, NC 27536

Trustees Approve Budget Requests For County Funding

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The Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees approved a proposed total budget request of $3,071,984 for the 2017-2018 fiscal year for Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties at its bimonthly meeting on the college’s Main Campus on Monday, March 20.

VGCC’s budget requests, which include $2,493,174 in current expenses and $578,810 in capital outlay, now go to the board of county commissioners in each of the four counties served by VGCC. The capital outlay budget is composed of $95,960 in recurring needs and $482,850 in one-time needs.

Of the $2.49 million current expense county budget, $1,146,197 is being proposed for Vance County for the Main Campus and the nursing simulation lab at Maria Parham Health; $752,184 for Granville County for Main Campus, South Campus and the Culinary Arts location in Oxford; $225,625 for Warren’s campus; and $369,168 for Franklin’s campus.

Of the $95,960 in recurring capital outlay requests for facility improvement needs, funding by county is: Vance, $41,220; Granville, $28,740; Warren, $6,000; and Franklin, $20,000.

The college is requesting the one-time capital outlay funds of $482,850 for the Main Campus in accordance with VGCC’s Capital Improvement Plan submitted to Vance County, said Steven Graham, VGCC’s vice president of finance and operations. Vance and Granville share in the funding of the campus between Henderson and Oxford on a 3:1 ratio. A total of $362,138 is being requested from Vance County and $120,712 from Granville.

The proposed budget for the four counties represents a $61,451 increase over the 2016-2017 current expense budget and a $30,000 increase over the current year’s recurring capital outlay.

At the Main Campus, the increase in current expenses is being requested in order to maintain plant operations at the current level of service, to cover merit-based pay adjustments, and to fund a full-time safety coordinator position to lead campus compliance safety regulations and to develop, maintain and coordinate environmental, health and safety programs and training for the college, according to Graham. At each of the three satellite campuses, the current expenses are level with 2016-2017 funding.

“The college is requesting additional recurring capital funding from Vance and Granville counties in the total amount of $30,000 to perform a backlog of mid-sized repair projects and to maintain the adequacy and use of existing facilities going forward,” Graham added.

In addition, the college has currently earmarked funds from the Connect NC Public Improvement Bond, approved in a March 2016 state referendum, in the amount of $6,705,695 to fund major capital improvements to the Main Campus buildings and infrastructure. Other bond funding has been planned for other campuses as follows: South Campus, $325,000; Franklin Campus, $202,260; and Warren, $65,000.

Trustee Abdul Rasheed, chair of the board’s Budget Committee, described the budget as essential to helping Vance-Granville fulfill its role in providing the education and job skills training needed by area citizens. “It’s everything about the future of the area we serve,” Rasheed said.

County funding represents approximately 9 percent of the college’s overall budget.

New Medical Office Pathways

The trustees voted to approve two new curriculum programs and terminate a third. The board is adding to the Career and College Promise pathways program for high school students the opportunity to earn certificates in Medical Office Administrative Assistant I and II, effective this fall. A certificate in Medical Transcription Specialist will be terminated in the fall.

The Medical Office Administration curriculum prepares individuals for employment in medical and other healthcare related offices. The new Level I certificate pathway will be a 17-credit-hour program with classes in computers, keyboarding, medical terminology, medical insurance billing, and office procedures. The Level II pathway, an 18-credit-hour certificate, will have courses in word processing, medical legal issues, office ethics, healthcare customer relations and electronic healthcare records.

The certificate program that is being terminated will allow currently enrolled students to finish their certificates, according to Trustee Barbara Cates Harris, chair of the board’s Curriculum Committee.

State Budget Priorities

The North Carolina Community College System has adopted three budget strategies for the current session of the North Carolina General Assembly, VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams informed the trustees.

The NCCCS is seeking “technical adjustments” to correct a salary loss error from 2016 and to secure an adjustment for enrollment growth. The community college system wants to ensure that business and industry have quick and easy access to a highly-skilled, well-trained workforce and ensure that students have an awareness of quality, well-paying career opportunities. To continue to provide business and industry with a highly-skilled workforce pipeline, community colleges must have a stable and solid foundation of operations, as outlined in the priorities.

Legislative priorities include investment in workforce training, funding additional career coaches, increasing student completion, rewarding colleges for outcomes, stabilizing budgets and raising faculty and staff salaries.

A key goal of NCCCS is to provide an affordable pathway for students to earn a baccalaureate degree through a Community College Transfer Incentive program, according to the NCCCS. The initiative seeks to reward completion and provide incentives to students who choose a North Carolina community college transfer program by providing a scholarship to students who complete an associate degree and then transfer to either an institution of the University of North Carolina system or a private college or university in North Carolina. Under such a plan, students would save in the area of $20,000 in tuition, fees and housing costs, while the state would save approximately $8,000.

Other Action

In other action:

  • In his Building Committee report, Donald C. Seifert, Sr., chair, said bid awarding is pending for the roof renovations for Building 6 on the Main Campus, a project that is expected to be completed during the summer term. A lab is being renovated for the new Histotechnology program, also slated for completion this summer.
  • Trustee Sara C. Wester, chair of the Personnel Committee, informed her fellow board members of the plans for the annual evaluation of the president, and she reported on new employees, retirements and resignations.
  • The Investment Committee, chaired by Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., reported on growth in the college’s investments.
  • Colton Hayes, student trustee and president of the Student Government Association, detailed recent and upcoming events for students.
  • Dr. Williams announced the following events: Fifth Annual Dinner Theater, April 27-28; Vance-Granville Community Band concert, May 1; Endowment Fund Golf Tournament, May 2; and Graduation, May 12. She said the board will have its annual retreat on Aug. 28.

The next meeting of the VGCC Board of Trustees will be held on Monday, May 15, at the Main Campus.

Butterfield Statement on the Republican Healthcare Bill Failure

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WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today released the following statement after Republicans pulled their healthcare bill from the House Floor:

 

“From the very beginning, the American people said ‘NO’ to Trumpcare.  They said NO to paying more for less care, NO to kicking 24 million people off of their coverage, NO to stripping funding from Medicaid.  The people rejected Republican attempts to take away access to preventive, mental health, and maternity care.  The people of the First District fought Republican attempts to take healthcare from over 80,000 of our friends and neighbors.  In rallies, town hall meetings, letters, and phone calls, voters reminded Republicans that they did not want to turn back the clock on healthcare.

“The lesson from today is that when people unite for the common good, they will never be defeated.  I hope President Trump and Speaker Ryan take note.”

https://butterfield.house.gov

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Local Chambers of Commerce to Host Administrative Professionals Luncheon

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The Granville County Chamber of Commerce, together with Franklin, Warren and Vance Chambers, and the Small Business Center of Vance-Granville Community College,  are sponsoring the annual Administrative Professionals Luncheon.

This year’s event is being held Wednesday, April 26 at noon, at Henderson Country Club.  Business owners and administrators are encouraged to treat their administrative professionals to lunch, networking and an interesting presentation in observance of Administrative Professionals’ Day.

Lunch reservations are required ~ $20/person by April 14th to either of the Chamber’s offices – 919.693.6125, wanda@granville-chamber.com or 919.528.4994, tawheeler@granville-chamber.com.

Henderson Lions Announce April Meetings

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April 13 Thursday

The Henderson Lions will meet at the Henderson Country Club at 6:30 p.m.

The speaker will be Marion Perry.

 

April 27 Thursday

The Henderson Lions will meet at the Henderson Country Club at 6:30 p.m.

The speaker will be Lion Wayne Faber – VIP Fishing Tournament District Chair.

 

VGCC well-represented at regional community college awareness event

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WILSON, N.C. — Vance-Granville Community College shared the spotlight with eight other community colleges from the region on March 22, when Wilson Community College hosted a press conference for the “North Central Prosperity Zone,” a 15-county area of the state that includes the four counties served by VGCC: Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren.

This first-of-its-kind event was designed to showcase the community college story. “We’re celebrating the vital role that community colleges play in our 15 counties,” said Dr. Tim Wright, president of Wilson Community College, in his welcoming remarks. Several community college presidents, including VGCC’s Dr. Stelfanie Williams, were in attendance.

The sole student selected to speak at the conference was a VGCC student, Christopher Blue of Henderson. A student in the Vance County Early College High School program, Blue is set to graduate soon with his high school diploma and his associate’s degree from the college. He recalled learning about Vance County Early College in the eighth grade and seizing the educational opportunity in front of him.

“My mom became a registered nurse by going to Vance-Granville Community College, so I knew that it would be an ideal place for me, as well,” Blue said. “Now being a Super-Senior (fifth-year student) at Early College, I can honestly say Vance-Granville did not disappoint me in the least. I did not know back in eighth grade about all the opportunities I would have here.” VGCC, he noted, is more than just a school. “It gives you an opportunity to be part of a family,” Blue said. “I’ve built tremendous relationships with so many people here at Vance-Granville. I also love how VGCC gives the students leadership opportunities.” Blue joined the college’s Male Mentoring Success Initiative as a high school junior, eventually becoming its recorder/treasurer and receiving an award for his involvement in the program.

“At Vance-Granville, I’ve grown as a person and as a student,” he said. In the fall, Blue plans to continue his education by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public health with the ultimate goal of becoming a prosthodontist, a type of dentist who specializes in dental implants. In essence, he wants to “create smiles,” he said. Meanwhile, he also focuses on passing on the knowledge he has gained to youth by serving as a mentor to children at the Vance County unit of the Boys and Girls Club of North Central North Carolina. “I always tell the kids to take advantage of every opportunity you have,” Blue said. He ended his remarks, saying, “Thank you, Vance-Granville, thank you, Early College, and go Vanguards!”

Other speakers at the event represented community college presidents, trustees, business partners and instructors. Each detailed how the colleges serve their communities and make a difference in the lives of their students on both an academic and economic level. “Absent community colleges, the state of North Carolina and our individual communities would be poorer in quality of life and in hope for the ability of our people to improve their lives,” said Wright, the WCC president. He noted, as examples of the system’s impact, that virtually all North Carolina law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians are trained at community colleges, as are half of the state’s nurses.

Each of the nine community colleges represented at the press conference also brought a display or demonstration to highlight programs they offer. VGCC’s display focused on the Welding Technology and Mechatronics Engineering Technology programs. Welding student Josh Pfohl of Wilton joined VGCC Applied Technologies department chair Keith Shearon and TechHire project manager Ken Wilson in presenting the frame of a car that, when complete, will race in a national competition.

The North Central Prosperity Zone press conference was one of eight such regional events being held across the state ahead of the March 29 “Community College Day” at the North Carolina General Assembly. All the local and state recognition events were organized by the N.C. Association of Community College Presidents to bring awareness to the programs and services offered by the 58 community colleges.

–VGCC–

Granville Chamber Requests Nominations for Small Business of the Year Award

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The four area Chambers of Commerce – Granville, Franklin, Vance and Warren, along with Vance-Granville Community College’s Small Business Center, are sponsoring the annual Small Business Award Luncheon May 3rd at Henderson Country Club.

The criteria is as follows:

  • Employs a maximum of 50 people
  • Member of the Chamber and located in the county
  • Viable, on-going business for three or more years
  • Provides critical service or product
  • May have overcome diverse or extraordinary circumstances to remain in business
  • Business is supportive of community growth sustainability
  • Is not a governmental agency or municipality

Anyone may nominate a business they feel deserves recognition and meets the criteria.

Companies may nominate themselves.  Past Granville County recipients are:  Cardiovascular Care; Stovall’s Gifts;  Preferred Communications; Royster, Cross and Hensley; House of Ribeyes; Lewis Electric of Oxford; The School of Graphic Arts,  Express Employment Professionals, Oxford Ace Hardware, Creedmoor Drug Company, Whitco Termite and Pest Control, F. O. Finch Insurance Agency and Floyd Management and Realty.

Nomination forms are available from a Chamber office or from the website, www.granville-chamber.com and are to be returned to the Chamber by April 13th.

 

DA’s Office Brings in special prosecutor to prosecute DWIs

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Oxford, NC – The District Attorney’s Office, in cooperation with the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, is pleased to announce that Special Prosecutor Jonathan Evans will travel to the Ninth Prosecutorial District to prosecute DWIs.
Jonathan Evans was born in Gainesville, Florida, and grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina. He graduated from John T. Hoggard High School and attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Criminal Justice. He then studied at North Carolina Central University School of Law, where he participated in internships in the District Attorney’s offices in New Hanover, Durham, and Wake Counties.
Jonathan later joined the Durham County District Attorney’s office in 2014, beginning in District courtrooms and later taking on a role in Traffic court. He eventually entered the role of handling DWI and traffic-related appeals, as well as felony cases connected to impaired driving. In his current position, Jonathan will to assist Assistant District Attorneys and law enforcement across the state with experience in research, training, and litigation.

Michael Waters