Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Enjoy Fresh Produce And More From Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market Vendors

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The Vance County Regional Farmers Market will be open one more Wednesday this season before it drops back to Saturday-only hours.

Wednesday, Aug. 30 marks the unofficial end to summertime at the Farmers Market, but Market Manager Pat Ayscue says vendors still have lots of produce as summer transitions to fall.

The vine-ripe tomatoes just keep getting better, Ayscue said. Fruits such as watermelons, cantaloupe, peaches and apples are displayed alongside veggies including peas, butterbeans, okra, sweet corn, squash, zucchini and onions

Ayscue encourages patrons to chat with vendors and farmers about the grass-fed beef and pork – and don’t forget the tasty farm-fresh eggs!

There’s local honey, delicious fresh baked goods as well as fresh-cut flowers and handcrafted items for sale.

The market will be open until sometime in December, Ayscue said. Saturday hours remain 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Stop by and put a smile on a farmer’s face where the produce is so fresh it looks like it’s still growing,” Ayscue says.

And, as always, thanks for supporting your local farmers market.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Drive, just off Beckford Drive, Henderson.

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TownTalk: VGCC Community Engagement Sessions Begin Sept. 7

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A slight turn of phrase can provide a whole different perspective on things, and Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Rachel Desmarais is looking forward to hearing from the wider community as plans for the future develop.

Take the phrase “community college” for example. Change that to “community’s college,” and you gain some insight into plans for an upcoming series of community engagement nights the college is planning.

“We really want to listen to our community,” Desmarais said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. As a way of implementing its new theme, “Your Community, Your College,” Demarais said the meetings are a way to be intentional about creating a plan that will be the best fit for the communities that VGCC serves.

There’s always room for improvement, she said, and getting feedback from these meetings is a good start.

“We don’t want to stop doing something that is helpful,” she said, adding that “feedback is part of the learning process.”

As students in a classroom need feedback on their activities and work, so does an institution like VGCC, she said.

“If you don’t know what you’re doing right or wrong, you’re not learning anything,” she said.

Individuals interested in participating in the meetings are encouraged to RSVP. A link to the sessions is expected to be available on the www.vgcc.edu website Thursday.

Each session will begin at 6 p.m. and will last until about 7:30 p.m. Small groups – each with a VGCC rep and a person taking notes – will discuss various issues related to their community’s needs.

With the understanding that different people and different communities need different things, Desmarais said she wants VGCC to “be a convener and a catalyst” that brings different organizations together to work for common good.

“Little nudges that we each do can have a wonderful ripple effect in the end,” she said.

And that’s the point of the meetings – to point the community’s college in the direction that the community needs and wants in order to grow.

Below is a list of sites and dates for the community meetings: 

  • Thursday, Sept. 7 – Warren County Armory Civic Center, Warrenton
  • Tuesday, Sept. 12 – Perry Memorial Library, Farm Bureau Room, Henderson
  • Wednesday, Sept. 13 – VGCC Main Campus Civic Center, Henderson
  • Thursday, Sept. 14 – Wake Electric Operations Facility, Youngsville
  • Thursday, Sept. 19 – Karl T. Pernell Public Safety Complex, Louisburg
  • Wednesday, Sept. 20 – Mary Potter Center for Education, Oxford
  • Wednesday, Sept. 27 – VGCC South Campus, Room G1131, Creedmoor

Arrest Made In Early-Morning Robbery At Sheetz

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-information courtesy of Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

A Vance County man was arrested early Wednesday by officers of the Henderson Police Department following the report of a robbery at the Sheetz on Ruin Creek Road.

Police officers responded to the call about 1:15 a.m., according to information from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow.

Barrow stated that a middle-aged black male entered the business and demanded the clerk to give him the money from the register or he would shoot. No weapon was seen, but the suspect indicated he had a firearm. The clerk gave the man an undisclosed amount of cash, and he then fled from the store taking a few other items.
Once on scene, the officers were able to gather vital information on the suspect and the vehicle used during the event through video, witnesses and other sources. Officers began searching the area and at 3:30 a.m., an officer observed the vehicle near Dabney Drive and Parham Street.
Taken into custody during a traffic stop at Parham and High streets was Howard Perry, Jr., 55, of Lone Wolf Drive. Perry was charged with robbery and possession of stolen goods. He was placed under a $150,000 bond and transported to the Vance County Detention Center.

“Fight For Misty” BBQ Fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 26 At Kerr Lake Country Club

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Come out to Kerr Lake Country Club Saturday, pick up some barbecue plates and let everyone know that you’re supporting the “Fight for Misty” fundraiser.

Pick up barbecue plates, complete with slaw, boiled potatoes, bread and dessert for $12.

No ticket in hand? No problem – you can purchase on site, at 600 Hedrick Drive.

The “Fight for Misty” fundraiser begins at 1 p.m. and ends at 6 p.m.

In 2019, Misty was diagnosed with Cardiac Sarcoidosis, a rare disease that disrupts the heart’s rhythm, blood flow and normal heart function causing very aggressive inflammation around the heart.

She had a pacemaker implanted to monitor her heart rhythm and detect irregular heartbeats. She takes numerous medications and receives regular infustions at Duke University Hospital to reduce inflammation around her heart. Cardiac sarcoidosis has no cure and requires ongoing long-term treatment.

Police Arrest 24-Year-Old On Drug Charges

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From Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

Officers of the Henderson Police Department arrested a 24-year-old Monday as a result of two search warrants carried out simultaneously at two homes in the city.

Taken during the searches were 1,500 dosage units of heroin, 3.5 pills of a Schedule II substance and more than $37,000 in U.S. currency, according to a press statement from Chief Marcus Barrow.

The warrants were for rental properties, one at 910 Buckhorn St. and the other at 929 Carroll Rd.

Leshawn Alston was arrested and charged with trafficking heroin by manufacturing, possession with intent to sell and deliver heroin, trafficking heroin by possession, maintaining a dwelling, misdemeanor possession of Schedule II, and misdemeanor child abuse.

Alston received a $200,000 bond and bonded out immediately, the press statement reported.

Barrow added that the owners of the properties have been sent appropriate letters of notifications regarding legal recourse.

U.S. Department of Justice

Henderson Man Gets 15+ Years For Trafficking Fentanyl, Heroin, Oxycodone

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A Henderson man was sentenced in New Bern Friday to 188 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl and heroin. On May 4, 2023, Tyren Omarious Hargrove, 23, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and fentanyl.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, after receiving information that Hargrove was involved in drug trafficking, law enforcement oversaw multiple controlled purchases of suspected heroin from Hargrove. In June 2022, agents also executed a search warrant at Hargrove’s residence in Henderson where they recovered more than 4,000 dosage units of heroin and fentanyl, oxycodone, and nearly $55,000.

“The outcome of today’s sentencing is the result of a collaborative effort of local, state, and federal resources,” said Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. “Our partnerships are focused on the betterment of our community. I’m hopeful that our community feels the impact of today’s announcement and many others that will be forthcoming.”

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Henderson Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.

 

Fire at Former J.P. Taylor Company Location on J.P. Taylor Road

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Revised and posted at 2:15 p.m. Friday

About 10:30 this morning, a fire broke out on J.P. Taylor Rd. at the location that was once J.P. Taylor Company.

The vicinity of 800 J.P. Taylor Road is now a scrap or salvage yard.

The Rev. Ricky Easter of Victory Baptist Church was across the street, and he told WIZS, “It didn’t appear to be all that much to it,” in reference to the amount of smoke. He said no flames were visible that he saw from his vantage point.

After clearing the scene, Vance County Fire Chief Chris Wright told WIZS, “It was several scrap cars burning, and with assistance from Bearpond and Ladder 18, Cokesbury and Watkins and Vance County Rescue, we were able to mitigate the fire quickly.”

Also, Easter said firefighters arrived quickly, and the overall timeline suggests that the fire did not burn all that long.

It’s been nearly 14 years since the building at that same location, that still read J.P. Taylor across the top but was then being used as a storage facility for a different company, was totally destroyed by fire.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Health Department Gets Award For Efforts To Promote Breastfeeding To WIC Clients

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Granville Vance Public Health is one of eight agencies across the state to receive recognition for its efforts to promote a strong breastfeeding program among clients who participate in a federal assistance program for women and young children.

The health department received the USDA Breastfeeding Gold Award of Excellence, according to information from the health department.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known familiarly as WIC, is a program of the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of  Agriculture that provides healthcare and nutrition to low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women and to children under the age of five.

GVPH’s WIC program was selected for its strong commitment to the implementation and maintenance of their Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program program, as well as the effectiveness of the office’s peer counselor program and the extent to which the agency has partnered with other entities to build a supportive breastfeeding environment for women participating in WIC.

“We are pleased to have our GVPH BFPC program recognized with the Gold Award,” stated GVPH WIC Director Lauren Faulkner. “This program has increased participation through referrals received from our WIC nutritionists, taking this program from eight participants in October 2021 to 108 participants in June 2023.”

Currently, the health department has two certified lactation counselors and two designated breastfeeding  experts, with a goal of having all nutrition staff in both clinics become designated breastfeeding to manage complicated breastfeeding issues.

Breastfeeding offers significant health benefits. It lowers a baby’s risk of various illnesses, including ear infections, asthma and respiratory infections. It helps moms recover much faster from childbirth, and it reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and certain breast and ovarian cancers.

Henderson Police Make Drug Arrest At Local Motel

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–press release from Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

On August 15, 2023, officers of the Henderson Police Department served a narcotics search warrant for a room at the Budget Host Inn, located at 1727 N. Garnett St.

During the service of the warrant, officers seized approximately 100 dosage units of heroin, 6.8 grams of marijuana, “crack” cocaine, drug manufacturing equipment, and $1,754.25 in U.S. currency. Tecory Hester, 43, who police said is a resident of the Budget Host Inn, was the focus of the investigation. Hester was arrested on the scene.

Hester was charged with one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver heroin, felony possession of cocaine, simple possession of Schedule VI, possession of drug paraphernalia, and one count of maintaining a dwelling place for a controlled substance.

Hester received a $50,000 secured bond, which he posted prior to being transported to the Vance County Detention Center.

 

 

 

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Interim County Manager Explains Details Of Fire Study Process

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Vance County Interim County Manager Scott Elliott has a unique vantage point as plans for the county’s fire services study makes their way from start to finish.

In his role as county manager, he’s responsible for providing guidance and support to county commissioners – the board voted to conduct the study – while making sure that the paid fire personnel are doing their job – he’s their boss, after all.

Elliott spoke to WIZS News Wednesday afternoon and acknowledged the fire services study has been the topic of some discussion in the community.

“It’s an issue that people are passionate about and have feelings about,” Elliott said.

Commissioners had discussion – rather heated at times – during their meeting last week, about whether the public safety committee should have oversight of the fire study.

Elliott recommended that this should be a matter for the full board, but most commissioners did not see it that way – the vote was 4-3 to have the public safety committee, the fire commission oversee the project, with Elliott’s input.

“They’re the decision makers at the end of the day,” he said, “We have to respect that.”

He said, however, that he and county staff have the responsibility of guiding the commission and leading them along the right path.

The path to a completed fire study is expected to take consultants AP Triton about four months to complete.

Elliott said he asked Vance County Fire Chief Chris Wright to direct any questions from the media to the county manager’s office instead of fielding the inquiries himself. That way, Elliott said, Wright can “focus on providing fire services he currently has on his plate.”

“Until we have results of fire study, we thought it’d be better … to not have county staff taking positions on things when we don’t know what the outcome of the study will be,” Elliott noted. Even once the recommendations are submitted to the full board, Elliott said there’s no way to know now if commissioners will implement them.

There are a lot of questions swirling around about what the fire services study will bring forth, but Elliott said he’s confident that it will be a comprehensive study of the existing system – including the Golden Belt Fire District and all the volunteer districts across the county.

“It shouldn’t be a complicated study or analysis,” he said. “They’re to give us their professional analysis of our system…and how to make it better.”