Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Vance County Sheriff's Office

Third Arrest Made In Oct. Shooting Death In Williamsboro

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A Vance County man faces charges of first-degree murder in connection with a shooting in Williamsboro in October 2021.

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame said Donte S. Henderson of the New Hope community was arrested Tuesday, June 21 and was charged with first-degree murder, accessory after the fact and shooting into an occupied vehicle. He was placed in the Vance County Detention Center under a $1 million bond.

Brame said his Criminal Investigation Division officers located Henderson and subsequently served the indictments.

No further details of the arrest were given.

Henderson is the third person arrested in connection with the Oct. 30 death of Devontae Cheek, who was shot as he was getting out of a vehicle in the parking lot of the Williamsboro Shell Station. He was taken to Maria Parham Health, where he later died of his injuries.

The Vance County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate this incident, Brame said. Anyone with information regarding this matter is urged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.

Retired EMS Director Doug Logan Named Interim Granville Manager

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The Granville County board of commissioners have appointed Doug Logan as interim county manager to take the reins until a new manager can be hired.

Logan is a Granville County native and retired in 2020 from his role as the county’s emergency services director and fire marshal. He will take over from Michael Felts, who leaves at the end of July to take a job with the N.C. Association of County Commissioners Risk Management Pools.

According to a press statement from Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood, Logan will begin work on July 11 to begin the transition process. He will remain in the manager position until a permanent manager is appointed by the board.

“I’m honored that the board of commissioners placed their trust in me to serve as interim county manager,” Logan said in a prepared statement. “This is my home, and I spent the entirety of my professional life serving the citizens of this county. I can’t wait to get started and help ensure that our residents continue to enjoy the quality of service they have come to expect across all county departments.”

Board Chair Tony Cozart said Logan’s appointment will allow the county time to complete the search process for the next manager. “Doug has proven throughout his career that he is a steady and accomplished leader. We are confident that he is the right person to guide our staff in the coming months,” Cozart said. “We are thrilled that Doug was willing to accept this challenge and we know that he is prepared to step up and continue to serve his fellow Granville County citizens.”

Logan retired in January 2020 after a distinguished career in public service. He began his career with the county with the public school system and then went on to be an emergency medical technician (EMT) with Granville EMS and a firefighter with Granville Rural Fire Department. In July 1994, he became emergency services director and remained there until his retirement.

Following news in May that Felts was leaving, the commissioners engaged the services of Developmental Associates, Inc. to lead the recruitment process for the next county manager. “Recognizing that it would not be possible for this process to conclude before Felts’ last day of employment, the board identified Doug Logan as someone who could shepherd Granville County through this transition,” the statement read.

Since his retirement, Logan has served as an emergency management planner with On Target Preparedness, LLC.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

TownTalk: COVID-19 Vaccines Now Available for Children Under 5

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With COVID-19 vaccines now approved for use with the youngest children – ages six months through 5 years, Granville-Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison encourages parents to ask questions of health care professionals to determine the best course of action when deciding which vaccine to choose.

Harrison spoke on Town Talk Wednesday with John C. Rose and said there is a wealth of information for parents located at www.gvph.org. She said it’s important to get information from trusted sources – like your child’s pediatrician or from the local health department.

Specialized nurses and immunization nurses administer the vaccines at the health department for anyone who wants a shot, including this youngest group of children most recently approved to get the vaccine.

The Pfizer shot is a three-series shot and is cleared to be given to children six months through 4 years. The Moderna shot is a two-dose series and is cleared for children through age 5. Both vaccines are now at the health department, and parents can consult with health professionals before deciding which one to ask for.

“Both are certainly well tested and effective,” she said.

Side effects are similar to those that adults have after getting shots and boosters – swelling and redness at injection site, slight fever or feeling tired for a day or two, but that’s about it, Harrison said.

Vance and Granville counties both have returned to “high” transmission rates recently, and Harrison said as long as the counties remain in this category, she personally will choose to wear a mask when she is indoors with a lot of people. When she’s outside, she opts to not wear a mask.

It’s more difficult for younger children to keep masks on, and to follow the other W’s – “wait” 6 feet apart and “Wash” your hands frequently, she said, so vaccines for this youngest group just makes good health sense.

In fact, masks are not recommended for children ages 2 and under.

Vaccines “are the biggest and most important intervention we’ve had over the last hundred years,” she explained. And the various COVID-19 vaccines are more tested than any other vaccine.

One thing that health professionals have learned over the course of the pandemic is the unpredictable nature of the virus. “It’s hard to have this much patience with a mutating virus, for sure,” she said. Being vaccinated, however, is “the way we get through to the other side of the pandemic,” she added.

 

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Leadership Granville Deadline Is July 1

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The deadline to register for the upcoming Leadership Granville program is July 1.

Leadership Granville is a program that offers residents of Granville County the opportunity to acquire knowledge of the community and develop leadership potential. It’s a great way for those new to the community to become personally and professionally acquainted with county structure and life, which can benefit present and future leadership. Participants visit local businesses and industry and spend time learning about the county’s history, agriculture and government. The program kicks off in September and concludes with graduation in April.

The application, with program details about schedules and meeting times, can be found on the Chamber of Commerce website:

https://granville-chamber.com/member-services/leadership-granville/

There are sponsorship opportunities available for businesses and other agencies to highlight products and services.

The Silver Sponsor is filled, but the Presenting Sponsor level is available for $2,000, one Gold Sponsor ($1,000) is available, and there are unlimited spaces for Bronze Sponsors ($500) and Lunch Sponsors ($300).

Sponsorships at the presenting, gold and silver levels include registration fee for one participant and various types of recognition at Leadership Granville events and promotional advertising.

Contact Roberson at lauren@granville-chamber.com to learn more.

Completed applications can be emailed to Roberson or sent to the Chamber office, P.O. Box 820, Oxford, NC 27565.

Home And Garden Show 06-22-22

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

 

  • If plants are showing signs of disease take those plants out of the garden contact Cooperative Extension for ID of the disease or insect and we can recommend control measures
  • Conserve water through summer dry periods. Tall fescue can survive 2 weeks without irrigation.
  • Gardens need at least at least 1 inch of water per week its better to water thoroughly once a week than small waterings each day.
  • Closely monitor soil moisture on any trees and shrubs you planted this past spring.
  • Vegetables may need top dressing if plants are a pale green and you haven’t top dressed them in the last three weeks
  • Skin applied insect repellants are safe and effective for minimizing exposure to mosquitos when used according to instructions. But do be extra careful when using them on children.
  • When harvesting vegetables put them in the shade as soon as possible. Harvest early in the morning.
  • Lightly prune ornamental trees and shrubs to keep them neat and tidy. You can also lightly prune fruit trees and grape vines for light air penetration into the canopy and to reduce winter pruning.

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SportsTalk: 7 On 7 Football Makes Positive Impact On Local Youth

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In 2007 both Marcus Henderson and Theo Perry graduated from Southern Vance High School and Perry was a part of the Southern Vance Football team that went to the state championship game. While the Raiders were unable to cap off that season with a state title, both Henderson and Perry have continued to work in football and with youth. With the help of fellow Southern Vance alumni and others such as former Vance County High School Athletic Director Joe Sharrow, Henderson and Perry started the Vance County Venom. The Venom are a 7-on-7 football team that plays in a five-team league during the summer to help keep youth from not only Vance County, but Franklin and Warren as well, off the street and involved with something positive in the way of athletics.

Theo Perry serves as head coach and director of the Venom and Marcus Henderson is an organizer. The Venom are a 501c3 non-profit organization and they hope to provide mentorship to young people and to provide them with guidance as they grow as young men and athletes. As coaches, they try to be positive role models, Perry said. “We want to teach them how to be great human beings and to stay out of the streets,” he said.

“The street loves nobody,” Perry said on Tuesday’s SportsTalk. Henderson says “there are too many distraction for kids” out of school during the summer and the Venom provides kids with an opportunity to do something else to positively impact their lives.

The idea for the Venom came from coaching the Tri-City Seahawks at the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Dept. The Seahawks participate in the East Wake League and kids start playing at four years of age. From the Seahawks the idea of the Venom emerged. Sharrow and Vance County High School Principal Rey Horner agreed to let them use the practice field at the high school and parents helped contribute equipment and fund to buy equipment. And Perry and Henderson chipped in money from their own pockets to field the team, too.

Richard Terry of Eastside Barber in Henderson donated a quarterback tee, which Perry said has proven quite useful. In 7-on-7 football, the QB has five seconds to throw the ball. The tee is equipped with a timer, which has helped the quarterbacks improve their ball release.

Turnout from kids has been excellent and they have played games throughout the month of May in Franklinton; they’ll travel to Fuquay-Varina for a make-up tournament this weekend. Additionally, the kids involved with the Venom have had the opportunity to attend football camps with NFL players. Perry said he tells his guys to wear their jerseys to the camps – it’s just one more way to get their name out there. “We’ve gotten so much exposure,” he said. “Exposure is the key – when it’s time for these kids to go to college…you never know who’s out there watching them at an early age.”

“It’s bigger than football,” says Henderson. These young athletes also participate in volunteer work and reach out to the community. Perry says they want to teach how to become correct young men. They both praise the parents who have taken time to bring their kids to practice and games and have supported the Venom in general.

If you would like to help support the Venom, donations can be made to Vance Co. Venom Inc. The mailing address is 1025 Pinkston St., Henderson NC 27537 or via cashapp at $flySantana.

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The Local Skinny! Acquest Group Partners With City On Garnett St. Property

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In the spirit of true public-private collaboration, a portion of South Garnett Street is getting a new lease on life. Alex Green, vice president and director of operations with Acquest Group is set to close on the purchase of property at 411 S. Garnett St. The city has purchased a lot next door, and, together, the area is gearing up for big things.

“We’re very excited to be partnering with the city,” Green told WIZS during a recent interview. The partnership will result in a mixed-use of retail space and restaurants at street level, with condominiums or apartments above.

“It’s absolutely going to change Henderson for the better and we’re so excited about it,” Green said. The interview aired on Tuesday’s The Local Skinny!

Green said the main restaurant space is spoken for, but there should be enough room for a smaller café style shop and one more retail outlet.

While there will definitely be new construction going up, Green said the hope is to keep as much of the existing building as possible. “It’s a beautiful piece of history for Henderson’s downtown and also has some interesting architectural pieces on the inside,” she said.

The area will be transformed into a space for fun activities, live music outdoors on summer evenings, Green said.

Seeing the potential in a location is half the battle, Green said. “That’s part of the challenge when you come into these awesome small towns in rural communities,” she said. It’s like putting together a puzzle – taking empty lots and abandoned buildings – and transforming them to becoming places of community.

Building community also supports generational wealth and keeps money in the local economy.

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TownTalk: Stay Safe This Summer

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– compiled courtesy of N.C. Dept. of Insurance and American Red Cross

As the weather heats up this summer, folks around here may head out to enjoy Kerr Lake or area swimming pools. It’s fun to cool off with water activities like swimming and boating, but it’s important to keep safety in mind.

According to information from the Red Cross, an average of 11 people die each day in the U.S. from unintentional drowning – and one in five of those are children 14 or younger.

The Red Cross Swim app, sponsored by The ZAC Foundation, has safety tips as well as kid-friendly videos and activities. There’s a free Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers online course in English or in Spanish to provide additional information about water safety and handling water emergencies.

Other tips include:

  • Swim in a lifeguarded area. Always designate a “water watcher” whose sole responsibility is to keep a close eye and constant attention on everyone in and around the water until the next water watcher takes over.
  • Drowning behavior is typically fast and silent. Unless rescued, a drowning person will last only 20 to 60 seconds before submerging. Reach or throw, don’t go! In the event of an emergency, reach or throw an object to the person in trouble. Don’t go in! You could become a victim yourself.
  • Preventing unsupervised access to water, providing constant, active adult supervision and knowing how to swim are critical layers of protection to help prevent drowning.
  • Classes to learn how to swim are available for both children and adults. Check the map for Learn-to-Swim providers in your community. Everyone should learn first aid and CPR too, so they know what to do in an emergency.

It’s important to keep in mind that safety hazards lurk on dry land, too. And N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and the Safe Kids North Carolina program are reminding people of the dangers of leaving children and pets in cars as summer temperatures climb.

Causey, who also serves as the Chair of Safe Kids NC, observed how quickly a vehicle can heat to dangerous – and sometimes deadly – temperatures.

“Summers are great in North Carolina, but the warmer temperatures also mean the very real danger of heatstroke,” Causey said in a written statement. “It only takes 10 minutes for the temperature inside a car to rise to unsafe levels.”

Across the country each year, 35 to 40 children die because of heat exposure in cars. In fact, 53% of child heatstroke deaths occur because a caregiver has forgotten a child in the car. Since 1998, 32 children have died in North Carolina from a being left in a hot vehicle. July is the deadliest month for cases of vehicular hyperthermia in children, but the danger spreads from March through November in our area due to the subtropical North Carolina climate.

Pets are also susceptible to even mildly hot temperatures in vehicles, where an animal in a car on an 80-degree day can experience temperatures close to 100 degrees after 10 minutes and close to 115 degrees after 30 minutes.

Symptoms of overheating in pets can include:

  • Excessive panting or difficulty breathing
  • Increased heart and respiratory rate
  • Drooling
  • Mild weakness or stupor
  • Collapse

“Even the best of parents and pet owners can make the deadly mistake of leaving their child or animal unattended, and that’s why we’re trying to educate people before a tragedy can occur,” Causey said. “These statistics demand the increased education of all parents and caregivers that it is never safe to leave a child or animal unattended in a vehicle.”

For more tips on how to avoid heat-related incidents, visit https://www.ncosfm.gov/community-risk-reduction/safe-kids/heatstroke-never-leave-your-child-alone.

Heat Safety Tips:

  1. Hot cars can be deadly. Never leave children or pets in your vehicle. The inside temperature of the car can quickly reach 120 degrees.
  2. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.
  3. Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone or who are more likely to be affected by the heat.
  4. If you don’t have air conditioning, seek relief from the heat during the warmest part of the day in places like schools, libraries, theaters, malls, etc.
  5. Avoid extreme temperature changes.
  6. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Avoid dark colors because they absorb the sun’s rays.
  7. Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day.
  8. Postpone outdoor games and activities.
  9. Take frequent breaks and use a buddy system when working outdoors.
  10. Check on animals frequently to ensure that they are not suffering from the heat. Make sure they have plenty of cool water and shade.

Excessive heat can lead to sunburn, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If someone is experiencing heat cramps in the legs or abdomen, get them to a cooler place, have them rest, lightly stretch the affected muscle, and replenish their fluids with a half a glass (about 4 ounces) of cool water every 15 minutes.

If someone is exhibiting signs of heat exhaustion (cool, moist, pale or flushed skin, heavy sweating, headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness and exhaustion), move them to a cooler place, remove or loosen tight clothing and spray the person with water or apply cool, wet cloths or towels to the skin. Fan the person. If they are conscious, give small amounts of cool water to drink. Make sure the person drinks slowly. Watch for changes in condition. If the person refuses water, vomits or begins to lose consciousness, call 911.

HEAT STROKE LIFE-THREATENING Heat stroke usually occurs by ignoring the signals of heat exhaustion. Heat stroke develops when the body systems are overwhelmed by heat and begin to stop functioning. Signs include hot, red skin which may be dry or moist; changes in consciousness; vomiting and high body temperature. Call 911 immediately if someone shows signs of heat stroke. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the person’s body by immersing them up to their neck in cold water if possible. Otherwise, douse or spray the person with cold water, or cover the person with cold, wet towels or bags of ice.

PET SAFETY

  • Animals can suffer heat stroke, a common problem for pets in the warmer weather. Dogs with short noses or snouts, like boxers or bulldogs, are especially prone to heat stroke, along with overweight pets, those with extremely thick fur coat or any pet with upper respiratory problems such as laryngeal paralysis or collapsing trachea.
  • Some of the signs of heat stroke in your pet are heavy panting and being unable to calm down, even when lying down, brick red gum color, fast pulse rate and being unable to get up.
  • If you suspect your pet has heat stroke, take their temperature rectally. If the temperature is above 105 degrees, cool the animal down. The easiest way to do this is by using the water hose. Stop cooling the animal when the temperature reaches 103 degrees.
  • Bring your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible as heat stroke can lead to severe organ dysfunction and damage. Download the Red Cross Pet First Aid appfor instant access on how to treat heat stroke, other emergencies and general care for cats and dogs and take the Cat and Dog First Aid Online Training.

The Red Cross app “Emergency” can help keep you and your loved ones safe by putting vital information in your hand with more than 35 customizable severe weather and emergency alerts. The Red Cross First Aid app puts instant access to information on handling the most common first aid scenarios, including heat emergencies, at your fingertips. Download these apps for free by searching for ‘American Red Cross’ in your app store or at redcross.org/apps. Learn First Aid and CPR/AED skills (redcross.org/takeaclass) so you can help save a life.

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