Tag Archive for: #towntalk

TownTalk: HPD Press Release Regarding Saturday Night Shooting

/by

Press Release from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

Just before midnight on Saturday, September 28th, a fight started inside Tiffany’s of Henderson, 110 S. Garnett Street. The altercation continued outside where it was reported that at least two individuals brandished firearms and discharged them.

Law Enforcement was in the immediate area, and was alerted to the situation before 911 was ever called.

The gunfire resulted in five individuals being injured and seeking medical treatment at various area medical facilities. Only two individuals are still under medical treatment and are in stable condition. All others have been discharged.

Investigators of the Henderson Police Department are still working on the details of what occurred and will update this press release as information becomes available. We would like to thank the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office for all that they did in this situation.

We are grateful for the cooperation we have received thus far, but if anyone else has any information they wish to share, please contact us at 252-438-4141, Crime Stoppers at 252.492.1925, through the P3 app, or through Facebook Messenger.

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Granville County Gears Up for Fall

/by

Take a sip of that pumpkin spice latte, a bite from that pumpkin spice doughnut or a whiff of that pumpkin spice air freshener – fall is in the air and that means all things pumpkin in and around Granville County.

Just ask Granville Tourism Authority Director Angela Allen: She’s on a mission to celebrate pumpkins and everything else that goes along with fall, whether it’s the Granville Haunt Farm, glass pumpkins at Cedar Creek Gallery and everything in between.

The Granville Haunt Farm kicks off its 2024 Horror Safari season this weekend – purchase tickets in advance for Friday or Saturdays throughout October at https://www.granvillehauntfarm.com/.

Allen said the spooky fun gets started right around dark and continues through until the last tickets are sold at the 11 p.m. time slot.

Granville Haunt Farm is located at 4534 U.S. Hwy 15 South, about one mile from I-85 Exit 202 at Hwy 15 just outside Oxford.

Just up the road is Dixon Farms, located at 3025 Dixon Farm Rd., which celebrate pumpkins in a more traditional style. They’ll be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. For a $15 admission price, you’ll get to take home a pumpkin and enjoy all kinds of entertainment for children and adults alike, including a corn pile, general store and more!

Allen said Cedar Creek Gallery in Creedmoor is all set to have folks wander through a pumpkin patch of a different sort – the whole front of the gallery is filled with beautiful glass pumpkins created by local artisans.

The gallery is open seven days a week. Visit https://cedarcreekgallery.com/ to learn more.

This coming weekend, come out to the Lord Granville Harvest Show in Butner to see all kinds of farm implements, wander among local vendors and sample lots of good food, including homemade ice cream and sherbet.

There will be an antique tractor show, live demonstrations and a cake baking contest – a little something for everyone.

Admission is $5.

To learn about all the events upcoming in Granville County, visit https://visitgranvillenc.com/.

(This is not a paid ad.)

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Around Old Granville: The Changing Role Of Sheriffs

/by

Sheriffs today have plenty of work to do – after all, they are the chief law enforcement officer in the county in which they serve. But when the concept of sheriff first came to the Colonies, it was a catch-all job, making it a powerful, sought-after position.

The first sheriffs were appointed by the governor, according to local historian and North Carolina Room Specialist Mark Pace, and it wasn’t until 1829 when the job became an elected position.

Pace and WIZS’s Bill Harris reflected on the evolution of the role of sheriff in Thursday’s TownTalk segment of Around Old Granville.

William Perry was appointed the county’s first constable/sheriff back in 1746.

Pace said sheriffs in Colonial and antebellum North Carolina had a lot of power – they did everything from serve warrants and civil papers to collect taxes. There was a little added incentive for this last role, Pace said. “They got a percentage of the taxes that were paid.”

Samuel Benton, who gave the land to form the city of Oxford back in the 1760’s, held the jobs of sheriff, member of the House of Commons, justice of the county court, registrar and clerk of court, mostly simultaneously, Pace said.

These days, Benton wouldn’t have been able to hold the office – state statute says a sheriff can’t hold any two or more appointed office at the same time or a combination of elected and appointed offices.

William Henry Smith was the first sheriff of 16 sheriffs to serve Vance County. Smith and E.A. Powell rotated back and forth for a long time, Pace said, one winning one election cycle and defeated by the other in the following election.

In 1881, Powell is reported to have made a deal with challenger Isaac Jones Young, Pace said, regarding the upcoming election. “I won’t spend a dime if you won’t spend a dime,” Pace said. The two agreed, and Powell soundly defeated Young.

“And the next term, Young spent twice as much as he ever had” to regain the seat.

CLICK PLAY!

 

TownTalk: Darryl Jones – City Road Center for Hope Opens

/by

16. 26. 24. 7. 365.

They could be numbers on a lottery scratch-off card, but for Darryl Jones, shelter program manager at the new City Road Center for Hope Men’s Shelter, they signify a jackpot of a different sort.

The newly renovated space at the former City Road Methodist Church can provide overnight shelter for 16 men, and up to 10 more in the overflow area. That makes 26 altogether who can find refuge, a warm bed and more within the walls of the emergency shelter.

Once open only during the winter months, the shelter now can be open every day, all year. 24/7.

Jones was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk and said the shelter never had to close during the transition from its original space in the basement of First Presbyterian Church in downtown Henderson to its new location at 903 N. Garnett St.

The public is invited to come out and see the transformation in a couple of upcoming events – a ribbon-cutting ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9 and a celebration on Saturday, Oct. 12, also at 10 a.m.

Jones said these events will serve an important dual purpose: first, to show the community the results of their donations and financial support and, second, to show how much the shelter needs to have ongoing support.

When they were in the church basement, the shelter didn’t have utility bills to pay, he said.

“Now, we have to pay that,” lights, water and more are just a few of the ongoing costs the shelter will incur.

Critical ongoing support, will help the shelter “keep moving forward and growing,” Jones said.

“This thing is bigger than me, bigger than our organization,” he said of the overarching concept of homeless ministry.

Following the teachings of Jesus, Jones said the shelter staff and volunteers choose to help the “least” in the community. In this case, it’s men who for a variety of reasons find themselves without housing.

“We’re trying to help homeless people get back on their feet,” said Jones, who once found himself on the receiving end of the shelter services just more than a decade ago. During that time, a man named William James Avery was a volunteer overnight supervisor. He became a member of the paid staff, and the overflow room at the new shelter is named in his memory.

Jones said Avery was looking forward to seeing the shelter in its new space; he died in 2023 at the age of 80.

Jones called Avery a friend and coworkers. “He was a mainstay with Community Partners of Hope for nine years. He was somebody you could always count on…when nobody would show up, he would come.”

Visit www.cp-hope.org to sign up to provide meals, and to learn about other ways to support the shelter.

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Opioid Settlement for Vance County

/by

In the first five months of 2024, there were 13 “fentanyl-positive” deaths in Vance County.

That number represents a 225 percent increase from 2023, when there were four deaths associated with the illicit drug that is wreaking havoc and causing overdose deaths.

The majority of victims are black males, non-Hispanic, in two different age groups – 25-34 and 45-54, according to information shared by Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry during the Sept. 14 annual meeting of the county’s opioid task force.

So far, Vance County has received $1,861,404.66 as part of the multi-year, multi-billion-dollar national opioid settlement. The payouts will take place over an 18-year period, during which Vance County stands to get $6.2 million from the state’s total $1.3 billion.

To date, however, Vance County has yet to allocate a penny of those funds.

“There are no plans in place just yet for the funds,” Perry said in comments during her presentation at the meeting, which lasted less than half an hour.

Perry told commissioners present at the meeting that the local opioid committee has met once and has plans to meet again before the end of the calendar year to render a plan. Commissioners Sean Alston, Yolanda Feimster and Carolyn Faines make up the committee right now, and Perry said others from the community will join.

Recipients of the settlement money have a couple of options from which to choose as they plan how to allocate the funds, and Vance County has chosen the option that calls for supporting “high impact opioid abatement strategies” that include a variety of programs and services, such as the following:

  • evidence-based addiction treatment
  • recovery support services
  • recovery housing
  • employment-related services
  • early intervention programs
  • naloxone distribution
  • post-overdose response teams
  • syringe service programs
  • criminal justice diversion programs
  • addiction treatment for incarcerated persons
  • re-entry programs

Commissioner Archie Taylor said he would like to see additional diversity on the committee – different age groups, ethnic groups, as well as individuals in recovery.

Board Chair Dan Brummitt said the committee was created under the watch of former Chair Feimster and “I don’t have any intention” to change what the former chair had put in place.

Taylor countered a few minutes later by saying that perhaps the matter should be made an agenda item for an upcoming board of commissioners meeting.

Perry said she had recommended to the three-member committee that they may consider as committee members representatives from the sheriff’s office, EMS and others who interact with the affected population on a daily basis.

Brummitt said the committee wants to involve community organizations and those with lived experiences in the decision-making process.

Perry said she would inquire about how surrounding counties are choosing to spend their settlement money and report back to the board.

CLICK PLAY!

TownTalk: Lee Edmonds – Fire Prevention Open House

/by

There’s just something about a fire truck that brings out the little kid in adults, and kids of all ages are invited to come to an Open House at Station #1 on Dabney Drive to see those shiny red marvels up close and personal.

Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds, who has been with Henderson Fire Department for about 10 years, said the fire trucks and free food are all part of a plan to encourage the community to come to the fire station to learn about more about fire safety and the importance of having smoke alarms – working smoke alarms – in their homes.

The Open House will take place on Oct. 9 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the station, located at 211 Dabney Drive.

The Open House is being held during Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 6-12). This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work For You.”

It’s a good idea to have smoke alarms inside every bedroom, Edmonds said, but also outside each bedroom as well.

“A lot of times, it’s not the fire, it’s the smoke that gets them first,” Edmonds said. Working smoke alarms give people time to get out safely if a fire breaks out; they don’t do much good at all if the battery is removed or if the device is removed altogether.

Edmonds reminds city residents that they can all the fire department at 252.430.1877 to request that fire offiicials come out and check their smoke alarms. “We offer that free service,” Edmonds said. “If it does not work, we will replace it, or replace the battery.”

If you live outside the city limits, Edmonds said he can connect you with a representative of county fire department or volunteer fire department to conduct a similar service.

Click Play!

Families Living Violence Free

TownTalk: Families Living Violence Free To Hold Quarter Auction

/by

Families Living Violence Free is based in Granville County, but Executive Director Amy Langston said the nonprofit agency is just a phone call away – 24/7 – for individuals who find themselves in need of help because of domestic violence or sexual assault.

Although their physical location is on the campus of Central Children’s Home in Oxford, Langston said they are available for anyone in and around Vance County as well.

Langston said the trained staff and volunteers bring distinct skill sets to their roles with the organization, which celebrated its 20-year anniversary in May. But what they all share, she added, is a passion for helping the community and the drive and compassion to serve those who find themselves in difficult situations.

Although they do get grants that help provide emergency services like shelter, food and relocation, Langston said FLVF relies on the community for support, too.

The FLVF annual Quarter Auction is coming up Friday, Oct. 4 at Carlee Farms in Granville County, and it’s the perfect time to enjoy an evening while knowing that the proceeds go to help the organization.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner begins at 6:15 and the auction starts at 7 p.m., Langston said. A $25 ticket will get you dinner and a bidding paddle; remember to bring your rolls of quarters, as well as some extra money to shop with a host of vendors that will be on hand.

There will be a silent auction taking place that evening, and a 50/50 raffle, too.

“It is fun, but we know the cause” that we’re supporting, Langston said. Sponsorships are available for the event – Bronze for $50, Silver for $100 and Gold for $200 and up.

“All the support we receive will help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault,” Langston said.

Call 919.693.3579 to purchase a ticket. A special unlimited bid paddle is available for $50, but Langston said there will be a limited number for sale, and tickets are going fast.

Proceeds from fundraisers like the Quarter Auction help support FLVF efforts, which not only involves helping people in crisis but also includes educating the community.

Staff members complete 20 hours of intense training, Langston said, and the numerous volunteers undergo similar training, all to ensure clients’ safety and confidentiality.

Langston said she hopes to continue sponsoring community workshops like one held last week to share information about human trafficking.

“We had a full house,” Langston said, adding that details about future workshops would be forthcoming.

Volunteer applications are available at www.flvf.org or at the office, located at 211 Antioch Dr. Oxford. Volunteers help with donations, accompany clients to court for support, help at community events and more. There are two part-time staff openings – a youth advocate position and an outreach advocate position, Langston said.

“We’re growing and we hope to have more full-time positions,” she said.

If you are in crisis as a result of domestic violence or sexual assault, call the crisis line at FLVF at 919.693.5700. Spanish speakers can call 919.690.0888.

Click Play!

 

TownTalk: Area Congregations In Ministry

/by

Since 1985, Area Congregations in Ministry has been helping Granville County residents who find themselves facing hardship – and its new executive director, Ann Riley, has seen firsthand faith, through action, in the few short weeks since she’s had the job.

ACIM’s mission has long been to relieve hunger, Riley said on Thursday’s TownTalk. These days, the phrase “food insecurity” is being used to describe how many people find themselves needing the help that ACIM offers.

Any Granville County resident who needs help can come once a month to the 634 Roxboro Road facility on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to get food and other household and personal hygiene items that may be available.

The warehouse shelves contain a variety of items like canned goods, non-perishables and household supplies, Riley said. The walk-in coolers hold fresh produce and the freezers are for meats and other products that are donated.

“We just never know from day to day, from week to week, what’s going to be in those boxes” of food that volunteers wheel out to clients’ vehicles.

She has spent her first few weeks on the job putting some finishing touches on her office and learning the role that so many volunteers play to keep the food bank doors open. She said she is struck by the level of support from the community – from businesses and corporations who donate goods to church congregations who send food, money and people to help out.

It seemed like a natural fit for Riley, who said she has always had a desire, a “want” to help people.

“I have been blessed in my life through many changes and I feel like I can be a blessing to others,” she said.

Volunteers are welcome to help during the hours that ACIM is open, but they also are needed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

“That’s when we do some of our stocking and preparing our boxes for the next day,” she said.

Riley is the only full-time employee of the nonprofit, but Kristine Williford is the warehouse manager and she’s the one who keeps things rolling.

“She is such a vital team member at ACIM,” Riley said. Williford keeps the pantry running smoothly and lines up pickups and deliveries. “She’s invested in what ACIM does,” Riley added.

The Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot is one of the biggest donation events of the year, and she looks forward to an upcoming planning meeting with host church Oxford United Methodist.

“We have a lot of good things coming up,” Riley said, including a planned Open House to allow everyone in the community a chance to come and see the operation first-hand.

“You don’t have to be on food stamps to come and get food boxes,” Riley said. ACIM provides food and other items to anyone facing a hardship – senior adults on fixed incomes, families struggling to make ends meet or someone who’s lost a job or is between jobs.

Although ACIM’s mission is to serve clients who live in Granville County, Riley said she would try to help anyone find resources.

“We want to see them get help, whether we can provide it or someone else can provide it.”

Call 919.690.0961 or visit https://www.acimgranville.org/ to learn more.

 

TownTalk: Night Out Against Crime Tuesday, Oct. 1

/by

The community is invited to the Henderson-Vance County Night Out Against Crime that will be held Tuesday, Oct. 1 beginning at 5 p.m. along Breckenridge Street near the police station.

Local law enforcement agencies and other first responders will join a host of community partners and resource groups that serves as a way to build rapport with civilians and strengthen working relationships among those who protect and serve.

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame said the event “is a great opportunity to get to know them and them to know us.” Too often, Brame said, children interact with law enforcement officers in domestic or otherwise violent situations.

The Night Out Against Crime gives adults and children alike the opportunity to chat and share a positive experience.

Henderson Police Capt. Joey Ferguson said the opening ceremony begins at 5 p.m., and then folks will be free to visit the various booths and tents – and enjoy a free meal of a hotdog, chips and drink. Child attendees will get a swag bag full of goodies as well.

“Last year was really good and we hope this year’s even better,” Ferguson said on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

Brame said he looks forward to the networking opportunity the Night Out Against Crime creates. He makes it a point to visit schools each week “to meet kids where they’re at,” and the annual Night Out event provides another chance for children to see uniformed officers up close and personal.

Ferguson said, “We really enjoy having the opportunity to engage community members – and especially kids,” and Night Out helps shine a positive light.

“They’re not seeing us when they’re at their worst,” he said, “when they’re going through a traumatic situation.”

Click Play!