Tag Archive for: #vancecountynews

Vance County Early College Alums Invited To Come Share In Homecoming Festivities Sept. 22

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-information courtesy of Aarika Sandlin, VCS chief officer of Communication & Innovative Support

Attention, all graduates of Vance County Early College High School! You’re invited to come back and enjoy Homecoming festivities later this month, alongside current students and others.

Things “kick off” with a tailgate experience on Friday, Sept. 22 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Vance County High School. It’s a time to mingle with old friends, make some new memories and enjoy some food and drinks.

The fun continues at 7 p.m. at the football field – come cheer the team to victory. The highlight of the evening will take place at halftime when the Homecoming King and Queen will be crowned.

Aarika Sandlin, VCS chief officer of Communication & Innovative Support, explained that each high school – Vance County High and the Early College High School – crowns its own king and queen for Homecoming. “”It worked great last year, so continuing that excitement” is the goal for this year, she said. Students from all the schools play as Vipers for athletics, she continued.

Her favorite tagline is “In Vance County, we are all Vipers.”

If you need to find something special to wear that shows your VCEC spirit, look no further than VCEC Spirit Wear.

Before the big game, make sure to gear up in style! Explore the collection of spirited merchandise, specially designed for current students, proud alumni, and more. Grab your favorite items to showcase your VCEC pride wherever you go.

Mark your calendars, spread the word, and let’s make this Homecoming event a truly unforgettable event. Whether you’re a former student, a current attendee, or part of our wonderful community, we can’t wait to see you there!

To learn more, contact Vance County Early College at 252.738.3580.

Deputies Arrest Two On Drug Charges, More Following Traffic Stop

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-information courtesy of Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame

Two people face a variety of charges following a motor vehicle stop made early on Friday, Sept. 1.

Deputies from the Vance County Sheriff’s Office stopped a car about 3:30 a.m. on Southerland Mill Road for a revoked license plate, according to information from Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.

A search of the vehicle resulted in drug charges for the driver,

Devonte Venable, 26,  and passenger Kiana Epps, 22, Brame said in a statement to WIZS News on Tuesday.

Venable and Epps were each charged with possession of heroin. Venable also was charged with driving while license revoked and displaying a revoked registration plate, in addition to having outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court and for violating probation.

Epps also was charged with two counts of failure to appear in court, one count of second-degree trespass, resisting a public officer and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. She was placed under a $51,000 secured bond and has a court date of Sept. 22, 2023.

Venable was placed under a $90,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 19, 2023.

Both were transported to the Vance County Detention Center.

 

 

N.C. Rep. Sossamon To Sponsor Sept. 18 Meeting To Learn About Broadband Progress In The Area

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Want to learn more about the state of broadband internet access in your area?

Rep. Frank Sossamon has organized a community forum to share information about what may be in store for the area with regard to broaband internet access.

The meeting will take place on Monday, Sept. 18 at Perry Memorial Library, 205 Breckenridge St. and will begin at 6 p.m.

Staff from the N.C. Department of Information Technology are scheduled to be present to provide residents with the most up-to-date information about this issue.

 

VGCC Logo

VGCC To Host Community Engagement Nights

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Vance Granville Community College has scheduled a series of “Community Engagement Nights” through its four-county service area to allow individuals to partner with school leaders and plan for the future. The first one is Thursday, Sept. 7 in Warrenton; please RSVP to let college officials know you’re planning to attend.

The discussions will be from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to information from VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.

VGCC strives to be a catalyst in developing strong communities where everyone can experience a fulfilling quality of life, which comes “through educating, inspiring and supporting a diverse community of learners to achieve professional and personal success.”

 

VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais and attendees of the events will engage in strategic planning activities, which will help leaders make recommendations about various areas of the institution. Light refreshments will be served.

Attendance at each event is limited; sign up at www.vgcc.edu/events.

Below is a list of the Community Engagement Night sessions:

 

  • Thursday, Sept. 7 – Warren County Armory Civic Center, Warrenton
  • Tuesday, Sept. 12 – Perry Memorial Library, Farm Bureau Room
  • Wednesday, Sept. 13 – VGCC Main Campus Civic Center
  • 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
Vance County Logo

Brodie Road Convenience Site Now Open On Sundays

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The Brodie Road waste convenience site will be open on Sundays beginning this Sunday, Sept. 3, a move that county leaders hope will be helpful for residents and also reduce the amount of illegal dumping that occurs in the area.

The site is located at 900 Brodie Rd.and will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays throughout the year, according to Jason Falls, county solid waste director.

“This is a service improvement approved by the Vance County Board of Commissioners to improve access for customers as well as a way to decrease illegal dumping in the area,” Falls said in a press statement. This is the only change planned in operating days/times, he noted. All other convenience center hours of operation remain the same.

Falls also reminds residents to secure their loads when hauling trash to the convenience centers. Call Falls at  919.691.0928 if you have questions.

 

Vance County Sheriff’s Office Makes Drug Arrest

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-information courtesy of Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame

Members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office made an arrest late last week after serving a search warrant at a home located on Raleigh Road.

Rufus Kenneth Williams, 51, was charged with one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine and felonious possession of cocaine, according to a press statement issued Tuesday afternoon by Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.

Brame stated that a search warrant was issued for 3777 Raleigh Rd. as part of an ongoing investigation into citizen complaints of illegal drug sales occurring at the residence.

Upon service of the warrant, and a brief foot pursuit of the suspect who was later taken into custody, members of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office located and seized cocaine and other assorted paraphernalia related to the sell, possession, and use of illegal narcotics.

Williams was given a $54,000 bond. He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday, Aug. 28

Local Man Faces Drug Charges Following Traffic Stop

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-information courtesy of Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame

 A Henderson man faces drug charges following a traffic stop conducted by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics unit in mid-August.

According to a press statement issued late Tuesday afternoon by Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame, a vehicle driven by Devon Rhodes was stopped and officers developed probable cause to search the vehicle’s interior.

During the search an amount of heroin, cocaine, cocaine base “crack” and marijuana was located and seized.

Rhodes was arrested and charged with one count each of possession with intent to sell and deliver heroin and cocaine, as well as a felony charge of maintaining a motor vehicle to transport a controlled substance. He also was charged with two misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

He was released after securing a bond set in the amount of $20,000.

Maria Parham Health Schedules Free Prostate Screening Event Sept. 14

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Maria Parham Health has scheduled its annual free prostate screening for Thursday, Sept. 14.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month, and Maria Parham is offering the screening event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at its Henderson location on Ruin Creek Road

The American Cancer Society recommends that all men 50 and older should be screened annually – those in high-risk groups including African American men and males with a family history of prostate cancer should start at age 45.

No appointment is needed.

Visit https://www.mariaparham.com/ or call 252.436.1656 to learn more.

State Highway Patrol

Driving This Holiday Weekend? Remember: Booze It And Lose It

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State and local law enforcement officers will be out in force over the holiday weekend and beyond as part of the “Labor Day Booze It & Lose It” campaign, so as you plan to enjoy a last summertime hurrah, make sure those plans include having a designated driver. Don’t drink and drive.

Increased patrols and checkpoints will be conducted statewide through Sept. 10, to keep impaired drivers off North Carolina roads. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein helped lead Monday’s kickoff event at the Davidson County Rest Area off Interstate 85 South.  “Keeping people safe has to be Job One for all of us,” Stein said. “If you drink and drive, you will get caught. Protect yourself and others – never operate a motor vehicle if you’ve been drinking.”The “Booze It & Lose It” campaign aims to eliminate impaired driving using outreach and stepped-up law enforcement efforts. Nearly every law enforcement agency in North Carolina participates in the 29-year-old campaign.   “This Labor Day, we want you to plan ahead by arranging a sober ride home from any festivities that might involve alcohol or other impairing substances,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program, a part of the N.C. Department of Transportation. “Law Enforcement will be working extra patrols during this campaign to keep all motorists safe by catching those who don’t heed this message. There’s really no excuse.”

Alcohol is a leading contributor to fatal crashes in North Carolina, according to crash data compiled by the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles. Between 2017 and 2022, North Carolina has averaged more than one alcohol-related vehicle fatality each day. Last year, there were 462 alcohol-related fatalities on North Carolina roads and 16 of those deaths came during the Labor Day period.

TownTalk: Henderson Police Work With Federal Task Forces To Get Results

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It’s always a good day when a police chief receives positive comments about his officers’ professionalism and thorough investigations. And Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow is hearing those kinds of comments from federal district attorneys, including the head of the U.S. Eastern District Court of North Carolina.

Barrow said he got a call two Fridays ago from U.S. Attorney Michael Easley Jr. himself in connection with a federal case.

“I was honored that he called me,” Barrow said on Monday’s TownTalk. “He spoke to me and praised the work that we’ve been able to do.” Easley complimented the local department on their professionalism and the way they put cases together, Barrow said.

In a recent press release regarding the sentencing of a local man in federal court, Easley commented: “The Henderson Police Department has made major investments in the federal partnership and the people of Henderson are safer for it. This city is bringing every law enforcement tool to fight the opioid crisis, and we are proud to partner with state and local police and prosecutors to fight fentanyl trafficking and save lives.”

“We’re well established in the federal system,” Barrow said, for the way “we produce great cases,” from creating reports to collecting and processing evidence.

Click Play for Barrow on WIZS TownTalk

Some members of the local police department serve on different federal task forces of the Drug Enforcement Agency, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Barrow said, which provides a path for some cases to be tried in federal court.

“We truly did a big investment into the federal program,” Barrow explained. With input from local district attorneys to decide which cases – usually involving guns and drugs – should go to federal court, Barrow said the trials and sentencing can happen in a “pretty swift” manner.

The main thing, he said, is that “they are removed from our community – they are the worst of the worst.”

Barrow said his department also can assist other agencies.

“It’s a big collaborative effort on our part. We’re just trying to get everybody on board…We’re just looking at the best solution for our community,” he said.

The officers who participate on the various task forces are just part of the resources that Barrow said he needs to help keep Henderson and its residents safe.

He would like to purchase something called True Narc, a system that can safely field test narcotics and protect officers from exposure to harmful drugs like Fentanyl.

He said this system will produce an immediate test result when officers are out in the field. And he’s investigating ways of paying for it.

“Instead of using taxpayers’ money, I’d rather use drug dealers’ money,” he said.

The Eastern District includes Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties among the 44 easternmost counties of North Carolina. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms and narcotics.  The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.