Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

The Local Skinny! Granville Co. Appoints New Sheriff

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John Blackwell Hardy, III was appointed (today) Monday to be the Granville County Sheriff by the board of commissioners, but part of the terms of his appointment include him not running for sheriff in 2022 and not publicly endorsing any candidates for the seat.

Hardy is a graduate of J.F. Webb High School and UNC-Chapel Hill. The board announced its selection at a special called meeting this morning (Monday). He fills the remainder of the term of Charles R. Noblin, Jr, who resigned on Oct. 27, 2021. That term ends on Dec. 5, 2022, according to county attorney Jim Wrenn.

Hardy will assume all duties and powers of the position following the administration of the oath of office.

He has served for a few months as a deputy sheriff in the Court Security Division with the Granville County Sheriff’s Office, according to a statement from Granville County, and has held numerous jobs within the  law enforcement community, including about three years in the patrol division for the Oxford Police Department, where he achieved the rank of corporal.

He received his certification in Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) from Vance-Granville Community College and has more than 25 years of military and law enforcement experience. He began his career in 1987 with the North Carolina Army National Guard. Hardy was an infantry officer in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve for 17 years, achieving the rank of major.

Concurrently, through much of his time in the Army Reserve, Hardy completed 25 years of service in federal law enforcement as a correctional officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (assigned to FCC Butner) and a deputy U.S. marshal assigned to the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Speaking on behalf of the Board of Commissioners, County Attorney Jim Wrenn stated, “the Board of Commissioners made a concerted effort to recruit a qualified individual to shepherd the Sheriff’s Office through this transitional period until the citizens of Granville County have the opportunity to choose their preferred candidate in the upcoming elections.”

In a written statement, Wrenn said “the board of commissioners believe that John Hardy will continue his distinguished career of public service by successfully guiding the Sheriff’s Office to the conclusion of the current term in the dedicated and professional manner shown throughout his career.”

The commissioners chose Hardy based on his extensive supervisory leadership and educational accomplishments, including his distinguished service as an infantry platoon Leader with the 101st Airborne Division during Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Executive Officer and Company Commander with the 108th Training Division of the U.S. Army Reserve, acting supervisory deputy with the U.S. Marshals Service, and acting sex offender investigations coordinator and member of the Critical Incident Response Team with the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the press statement.

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Town Talk Logo

TownTalk: Politics And Its Impact On Local Law Enforcement

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Local politics in Vance County certainly lends credibility to the adage that there are two sides to every story.

The three sheriff’s deputies that remain on suspension with pay want their day in court, and District Attorney Mike Waters said he predicts that a trial could be late summer 2022 or later in the making.

But Sheriff Curtis Brame said he feels like it’s a ploy to wait until after the 2022 elections to decide the fate of the three deputies.

John C. Rose spoke by telephone to both Waters and Brame today (Monday), and both men sounded frustrated with the situation and progress – or lack thereof.

The deputies were indicted earlier this year and Brame said it was his decision, upon hearing from an independent investigation, to suspend the deputies with pay. During a recent county commissioners’ meeting, a member of the public asked the commissioners just how long the deputies would continue to draw their pay while on suspension.

Waters agreed that it was up to the sheriff about what to do with his employees. “He always has discretion about how he’s going to deal with his employees going forward,” Waters said.

“I know I can’t do this indefinitely,” Brame acknowledged. But he contends that politics is playing a role, adding that he feels the district attorney is dragging out the process, “and that puts the burden on me.”

Brame also said he predicts the cases will not be resolved before the 2022 elections. And he blames that on politics, too.

Waters said additional orders will be released soon that will “illuminate” details of the internal investigation of the sheriff’s office as well as release transcripts that presently are sealed.

Waters said the sheriff has made some statements that he “vehemently” disagrees with regarding the case, but he didn’t elaborate for publication. And, because it is an ongoing investigation and it will be litigated, he cannot discuss details on the record.

Brame said all he and his deputies want is to have their day in court.

On that statement, he and the district attorney agree.

“Yeah, there will be a day in court,” Waters said.

 

Click Play – about the 17 minute mark starts the politics and law enforcement part

 

NC Coop Extension

Tips for Starting a Fruit Orchard

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Who doesn’t enjoy an apple or a peach pulled right from the tree?  Or gathering pecans for a perfect pie right from your own backyard? If you are considering starting an orchard of your very own then Wayne Rowland of the Vance Co. Extension Service has some advice for you.

The climate and soil in our area is good for planting an orchard according to Rowland. “Site selection is the most important decision,” Rowland said about starting your own orchard.

In order for your orchard to produce the highest quality and quantity of fruit it’s important that the fruit trees have full sunlight. Correct spacing and pruning of trees will be helpful in keeping that all important sunlight on the trees. “It’s important that the trees don’t shade each other,” Rowland said of proper spacing.

Temperature is another important consideration. Some trees are more tolerant of late season freezes than others. Peach trees, in particular, are not fond of late season frost or freezing temperatures whereas pecan trees are a bit more hearty when it comes to cold weather.

If you need more information about planting an orchard call Wayne Rowland at the Vance Co. Extension Service at 252-438-8188.  The Coop Extension Report can be heard as part of the Local Skinny on WIZS Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 11:50am and the Home and Garden Show airs on Wednesday at 11:30am.

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Granville Vance Public Health Logo

COVID-19 Cases Up In Vance, Granville; No Omicron Reported

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Although the omicron strain of COVID-19 has been identified in several counties in North Carolina, there have been no cases found in Vance or Granville counties –  so far.

The Delta variant continues to pose problems for the community, and Granville Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison said cases are up in both counties her department covers. In the 7-day period ending Friday, there were 118 new cases in Vance County. The percent positivity rate in Vance County is 9.4%.

In the same period in Granville County, 124 new cases were reported. The percent positivity rate in Granville County is 5.3%.

In Vance County, 63% of those over the age of 5 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 57% are fully vaccinated.

In Granville County, 67% of those over the age of 5 have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine and 63% are fully vaccinated.

When asked by WIZS about urban and rural areas and the local situation with COVID-19 and its variants, Harrison said, “we are seeing an increase in cases overall, and per capita, rural and urban are both seeing increases at about the same rate – rural areas may eclipse urban in this next wave actually since our vaccination rates are lower.”

“Omicron is in about 35 states, but no, we don’t see a lot of it yet in NC… I suspect it will rapidly increase in the coming weeks. Hopefully it will not overtake Delta, but we know it spreads super-fast and it could. Even if it doesn’t cause disease that is as severe as Delta, if there’s more of it over time, we still have to worry about our hospitals’ capacities to address the severely ill,” Harrison cautioned.

“The very best tool we have to fight this virus and protect our health care system is vaccination,” Harrison said. “We are grateful we have safe and effective vaccines for those 5 and older, and we are seeing more and more people decide to get their booster, which is important to ensure the immune system is as strong as it can be against any new strains of the virus.”

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Council Approves Amendments To Wards; Minor Changes May Affect Voters’ Polling Places

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The city of Henderson’s population decreased by 2 percent since 2010, according to 2020 Census data, and the City Council approved changes this week to the municipal voting districts to reflect that change.

According to 2020 Census data, 15,060 people live in Henderson. The deadline to approve changes is today (Friday). The council approved the changes at its Dec. 13 meeting.

The city’s Development Services Director, Corey Williams, presented information about the redrawn ward boundary lines to the council during the Monday meeting. The city began the task of redistricting the wards in September, when information from the recently completed Census was received.

Federal law requires that the wards have balanced populations, and the ward maps were redrawn to within 1.5 percent of each other, according to information from the city council minutes.

The council held a public hearing on Nov. 30 to share the information and to hear from citizens. City Manager Terrell Blackmon said the current maps needed to be adjusted to comply with federal and state laws.

The four wards had minor adjustments, but Ward 1 saw the biggest drop in population, according to Census figures. Ward 1 basically comprises the north and east sides of Henderson.

At the public hearing, Williams said the ideal population average for each ward is 3,762. The redrawn districts show that the existing four wards are balanced to within 20 people.

Anyone interested in knowing whether their ward information has changed should contact the Vance County Board of Elections at 252.492.3730.

Read the complete public notice and view ward maps at https://henderson.nc.gov/.

Following is a list of the council members and the wards they represent:

Ward 1:

Marion B Williams

Sara Coffey, at-large

Ward 2:

Mike Rainey

William Burnette, at-large

Ward 3:

Gary Daeke

Melissa Elliott, at-large

Ward 4:

Ola Thorpe-Cooper

Jason Spriggs, at-large

Granville Co Sheriff

Granville Commissioners To Meet Monday To Appoint Sheriff

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The Granville County board of commissioners is expected to announce the appointment of a new sheriff on Monday, according to information from the clerk to the board Debra Weary.

The board will convene Monday at 9 a.m. at the Granville County Expo & Convention Center, 4185 Hwy. 15, south of Oxford.

Senior Deputy Chris Smoot has been acting sheriff since late October 2021, when Sheriff Charles R. Noblin, Jr. resigned, according to information provided in October by county attorney Jim Wrenn. Although Noblin’s name was named in the investigation, he was not indicted. In October, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told WIZS News that because Noblin resigned, he would not be subject to criminal investigation or prosecution; rather, it was “a matter that is appropriately handled administratively.”

Noblin had been sheriff since January 2020, when he was appointed following the suspension of then-sheriff Brindell Wilkins.

Wilkins and three deputies were charged with multiple counts of obtaining property by false pretenses for falsifying training certificates back to 2012.

North Carolina Dept. Of Revenue Program Helps Businesses Affected By COVID-19 Pandemic

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The North Carolina Department of Revenue’s Business Recovery Grant Program is making one-time payments to eligible businesses in the state that have suffered significant economic loss because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The deadline to submit an application is Jan. 31, 2022. Visit https://www.ncdor.gov/business-recovery-grant to learn more.

According to the NCDOR website, there are two types of grants available for businesses that had at least a 20 percent loss of business during the pandemic:

  • A hospitality grant for eligible arts, entertainment, and recreation business, as well as eligible accommodation and food service businesses such as a hotel, restaurant, and bar (NAICS codes 71 and 72).
  • A reimbursement grant for eligible businesses not classified in NAICS Code 71 and 72, and which did not receive funding from other relief programs including Paycheck Protection Program, COVID-19 Job Retention Grant, and EIDL Advance.

The amount an eligible business would receive is a percentage of the economic loss or $500,000 whichever is less. NCDOR will reduce grant amounts if the total amount of grants requested exceeds the maximum amount of funds authorized for the for Business Recovery Grant by the state of North Carolina.

Grant amounts will be determined at the conclusion of the application period. All payments will be made by check, mailed to the address provided by the respective business once the amounts are determined after the application period closes.

 

 

SportsTalk Omari Allen Signs Letter Of Intent With ECU

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Vance County High School’s 2021 football season resulted in a trip to the state playoffs. One of the big reasons, and that’s a term that certainly fits this story, is Omari Allen. Allen was a lineman for the Vipers and a good one.  Good enough to garner the attention of East Carolina University.  On Wednesday, Allen signed his national letter of intent to play for the Pirates.  Allen received an official offer this past June and Allen spoke with his coaches at length about the decision to attend ECU.

At yesterday’s signing, held at the school’s library, Vance Co. High School Athletic Director Joe Sharrow said he was very, very proud of Allen’s accomplishments over the course of his high school career.  “Allen embodies the term “leadership”,” said Head Football Coach Wilbur Pender. “He provided great input and feedback to the coaching staff,” Pender continued. Allen credits Pender with turning the school’s football program around and said it has been fairly easy navigating the changes that have come through the school with different head coaches and the consolidation of Northern and Southern Vance that happened during his high school football career.

In addition to his coaches and Vipers players, Allen had many family members present. Allen’s mother described her son as a gentle boy who was always huge. “Every mom know it’s a lot taking care of a child. It’s not always easy,” she said. She said Omari had great support from the coaching staff. “He’s worked really hard but I’m not ready for him to leave,” she added.

His grandmother was also in attendance at the signing ceremony and said it was a bittersweet day. She said Omari would do anything for her such as mowing grass and other household chores. She also said he really enjoys her cooking.

Allen took the signing opportunity to thank all of the school’s staff, coaches, players and family members who have made it possible for him to continue his football journey at East Carolina.  Allen says he plans to play 10 to 15 plays a game as a freshman and to make an impact immediately at ECU.