2014: YEAR in REviEw
January 7, 2015
Donnie Phillips (photos clockwise from top left), who is Flash the clown, looses his pants while dancing in the Shrine parade at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford. Elijah Dabbs recites part of the Gettysburg Address during the opening of a new exhibit at Thornton Library called “Lincoln: The Constitution, and the Civil War”. Seventh-grade teacher Nashaunda Goods dances with fellow teachers during a dance-off as part of a pep rally for students at Henderson Middle School. Jessica West checks out the progress as Beverly Harris shaves her head as part of the St. Baldrick’s Day festivities in downtown Henderson. Janiah Williams zooms down an inflatable slide during Middleburg Fun Day. Mallory Falkner, Savannah Ayscue and Alyssa Falkner ended up at the bottom of the hill differently then they started during their sled ride.
Photos by Mark Dolejs
Who we were and what we did in the Tri-County
2
Year In Review
The Daily Dispatch
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Warren County
MARK DOLEJS / Dispatch file photo
A small garden dedicated to the memory of J. Stewart Wortham and Mary L. Green Wortham, located along South Main Street is part of the charm of downtown Warrenton.
Warren focuses on quality of life BY DAVID IRVINE DISPATCH STAFF
Warren County is building on its assets to improve the economy. Many of the county’s assets — creative individuals and organizations, geography, climate and histor y — can be linked so that they reinforce each other. During 2014, two organizations critical to establishing those links filled leadership positions. Ken Bowman was appointed director of economic development for the county. Charla Duncan was hired as executive director of the Warr e n C o u nt y C h am b e r of C o mmerce. A number of initiatives focused
ESTABLISHED
1881
P.O. Box 7001 (1724 Graham Avenue) Henderson, NC 27536
VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS 252-492-2127
www.vcs.k12.nc.us
on farming, the county’s largest industr y. Working Landscapes, a local nonprofit organization, is using a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to bring organizations and projects together to form a Food Hub. Working Landscapes’ contributions to the hub include Warren FoodWorks, a shared-use kitchen, a cafe and a chopped produce initiative that brings fresh vegetables straight from the farm to consumers. The projects are carried out in two renovated historic buildings in Warrenton. War ren County High School’s garden provides produce directly to the school’s nutrition program.
ESTABLISHED
1908
1020 S. Garnett Street, Henderson, NC
Wester Insurance Agency
252-438-8165
ESTABLISHED
252-438-8099
1941
325 South Garnett Street Henderson, NC Locally Owned & Operated for 73 years.
VANCE FURNITURE www.vancefurniture.com
It is one of only two school gardens in the state that is certified for good agricultural practices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. T h e Wa r r e n C o u n t y F a r m Bureau actively promotes agriculture’s relation to other aspects of the community through projects such as the Farm-City Week luncheon it cosponsor ed with the Chamber of Commerce. Preser ving War ren County’s histor y — whether it’s through such ef for ts as the walking tour of buildings prominent in the lives of the county’s African-American community or Preser vation War renton’s semiannual tours of historic buildings — enhances the
ESTABLISHED
1914
304 S. Chestnut Street, Henderson, NC
252-436-2700 ESTABLISHED
1945
2100 US 1-158 Hwy. N, Henderson, NC
GREYSTONE CONCRETE PRODUCTS, INC.
www.greystone-concrete.com
252-438-5144
quality of life for the residents, even as it raises the tax value of many structures and attracts tourists to the county. The historic downtown district of Warrenton is enhanced by projects like the agreement Town Manager Rober t Davie negotiated with four other small towns to promote their unique histories or the recently received grant to expand Quilt Lizzy. All these represent a diverse mix of assets, but they are linked by their focus on improving life in Warren County. Contact the writer at dirvine@ hendersondispatch.com.
ESTABLISHED
1925
566 Ruin Creek Road, Henderson, NC
www.mariaparham.com
252-438-4143 ESTABLISHED
1946
2362 North Garnett St. Henderson, NC
Year In Review
The Daily Dispatch
3
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Granville County
MARK DOLEJS / Dispatch file photo
Tim Farley talks about his contract as superintendent of Granville County Schools. Farley eventually resigned from the position.
Controversy surrounds Granville’s school system
BY DAVID IRVINE DISPATCH STAFF
Controversy surrounding Granville County Schools dominated county news during 2014 and resulted in the resignation of the superintendent, defeat of two board members in the spring primar y and a still-divided board at the end of the year. In late 2013, television station WRAL broadcast a repor t on superintendents’ salaries. Then-Granville
SERVING INDUSTRY SINCE
County Schools Superintendent Timothy Farley’s total compensation of approximately $200,000 was revealed to be the second highest in the state for school districts similar in size. In December 2013, Brenda Dickerson-Daniel was elected chair woman of the board, succeeding Leonard Peace. I n F e b r u a r y, s h e called a special meeting at which the board voted 5-2 to hire a law firm to conduct an inves-
1952
tigation of compensation of the district’s top administrators. Voting nay were Peace and board member Patrick Cox. In May the investigators repor ted that school system records showed that top administrators received pay increases that were not voted on by the board. Members of the public expressed their anger — some of it directed toward Farley, some of it toward the board.
ESTABLISHED
1956
523 West Andrews Avenue Henderson, NC
518 W. Montgomery Street Henderson, NC
252-492-7541
ESTABLISHED
1966
ESTABLISHED
were changed to the first Thursdays each month to accommodate Sojka’s schedule. On June 11, the board announced that Farley had resigned and that he would be paid $318,000 to buy out the remaining three years on his contract. In December, when two new board members wer e installed, division on the board was still evident. Donnie Boyd was elected chairman on a 4-3
1958
315 S. Garnett Street Henderson, NC
252-492-1195
ESTABLISHED
1967
60 Zeb Robinson Road Henderson, NC
FOGG’S EXXON
J.M. WHITE FUNERAL HOME 252-492-5139 jmwhitefuneralhome.com
vote, with new board member Tom Houlihan joining Peace and Cox in voting nay. And when the board voted to change regular meeting dates to first Mondays each month, despite Sojka’s unavaibility, new board member Danny Eudy joined Peace, Cox and Houlihan in approving the change. Contact the writer at dirvine@ hendersondispatch.com.
ESTABLISHED
1958
101 S. Garnett Street, Henderson,NC
Thomas Appliance Sales & Service
CITY TIRE, INC.
425 N. Garnett Street Henderson, NC
252-492-5009
Lost in the controversy were statistics showing that Granville County Schools had registered the highest graduation rate in its history or that a number of cutting-edge projects had been initiated during Farley’s tenure as superintendent. In May, the board relieved board attorney Jim Cross of his duties and replaced him with Nick Sojka of Laurinburg. The regular meeting dates of the board
252-430-1111 ESTABLISHED
1968
252-492-3023 ESTABLISHED
1969
700 Vance Academy Road Henderson, NC
KERR-VANCE ACADEMY (252) 492-0018
Rirvin@kerrvance.com
102 Goshen Street, Oxford, NC
LOYD PLUMBING CO., INC
252-492-7177 919-693-2000 252-492-7266 919-693-8872
4
Year In Review
The Daily Dispatch
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Vance County
MARK DOLEJS / Dispatch file photo
The Vance County Board of Commissioners debated for months about the base price for county water trying to come up with a plan that would meet the needs of construction as the system expanded into two phases without the customers to offset costs.
Vance faced tumultuous year By DANIELLE HAIRSTON Dispatch Staff
The Vance County Board of Commissioners faced employee embezzlement, tur nover in key positions and concern over its public water system in 2014. Former county employee Christa Reavis, 41, of 94 Oak Forest Drive, was arrested in August on 80 counts of forger y of instr ument, 79 counts of uttering a forged instr ument and one count of embezzling more than $100,000 after David Beck,
the county’ finance of ficer, r ealized funds had been missing from the tax office dating back to 2009. Felony charges were dropped in November against Reavis because of a lack of evidence; however, Assistant District Attorney Ben Hunter said he intended to pursue the remaining embezzlement and for g er y indictments she faced, which will stretch into the new year. Henderson-Vance Parks and Recreation Department
director Alan Gill announced his retirement in April after more than 30 years. County manager Jer r y Ayscue followed in August; his last day was Dec. 31. After 30 years, he was the first and only person to ever hold the position. Former fire marshal Harold Henrich submitted his letter of resignation suddenly in August. A tough economy fol lowed commissioners into a 16-hour budget work session in June, which resulted in a
4-3 vote for a 1-cent property tax increase. The board also debated for months about whether the base price for county water should be $20, which customers’ contracts were originally signed for, or $30, which would meet the needs of constr uction as the system expanded into two phases without the customers to offset costs. The higher amount was sustained in April. Economic downtur n in the solar panel industr y con-
ESTABLISHED
ESTABLISHED
1972
ESTABLISHED
1975
Great Family Dining ® Cookin’ Up Down Home Cookin’
®
• Good Food • Good Service • Fair Price
444 Dabney Drive Henderson, NC We Welcome Call Ahead Orders
252-492-4040
420 Red Oak Road, Henderson, NC
KIDS WORLD CHILD CARE CENTER & PRE-SCHOOL 252-492-1829
1971
tinued to plague Semprius. The company secured its second extension of its rural development grant awards, which required the company create 58 new full-time positions in an 18-month timeframe or the money be paid back, totaling $500,000. Semprius CEO Joe Carr said at the time 2015 looks more optimistic for the company. Contact the writer at dhairston@hendersondispatch. com.
ESTABLISHED
1972
53 Brookhaven Court, Henderson
3268 Raleigh Road, Henderson, NC
HUMPTY DUMPTY DAY CARE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE CENTERS
C&P BODY SHOP
252-438-8138
252-492-5345
ESTABLISHED
1976
451 Ruin Creek Road Suite 204 Henderson, NC
FOUR COUNTY EYE ASSOCIATES 252-492-8021
ESTABLISHED
1977
5121 Highway 39 South Henderson, NC BREEDLOVE ELECTRIC, INC.
252-438-3421
Year In Review
The Daily Dispatch
5
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Sports
MARK DOLEJS / Dispatch file photo
The Northern Vance football team celebrates their 28-12 win over Southern Vance with the Optimist Bowl trophy. The win also ended Northern’s 24-game losing streak.
Tri-County teams make strides in 2014 BY JOHN HOLT DISPATCH STAFF
It was a successful year in athletics for many of the area high school sports teams in 2014. The Warren County varsity football team ear ned its first postseason victor y since 1998 when they upset No. 4 seed South Columbus 22-17 in the first round of the NCHSAA 2A playoffs. Northern Vance’s football team snapped the state’s longest active losing streak at 24 games when they defeated crosstown rival Southern
ESTABLISHED
Vance 28-12 on Sept. 12. The victor y was the first for the Vikings since 2012. On the hardwood, Warren County’s varsity boys’ basketball team ended their 201314 campaign placing second in the 2A Northern Carolina Conference and advanced to the second round of the NCHSAA 2A playoffs. The Southern Vance varsity girls’ hoops squad concluded their season 22-3 overall, 14-0 in conference play and reached the third round of the state playoffs. The Raiders’ softball pro-
1977
115 North Chestnut Street Henderson, NC
JOURNIGAN’S TIRE & BATTERY SALES & SERVICE, INC. 252-492-4131 ESTABLISHED
1985
ESTABLISHED
gram ear ned their eighth consecutive postseason appearance and three of Southern’s wrestlers qualified for states. Warren County’s baseball program reached the state playof fs for the first time since 2010, and Kerr-Vance Academy’s girls’ basketball, tennis, soccer and volleyball teams each earned state playof f ber ths. The Ker rVance boys’ varsity soccer program won the Coastal Independent Conference and advanced to the NCISAA 1A semifinals.
1979
5230 NC 39 Highway South
Henderson, NC
GRISSOM FERTILIZER 252-492-3662 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7:30AM - 5PM Sat. 7:30AM - Noon
ESTABLISHED
1986
Nor ther n Vance’s boys’ soccer and baseball teams advanced to the postseason. It resulted being the Vikings’ third consecutive baseball postseason appearance, while head coach Benji Nelson was named 3-A Big Eight Conference baseball Coach of the Year. At J.F. Webb, the Warriors’ varsity volleyball team finished 15-8 and made the NCHSAA 3A state playof fs. Webb’s girls track team qualified in five state events, and sprinter Rainesha Taylor was named the conference’s girls
ESTABLISHED
1979
track and field Runner of the Year. Other individual area track performers that qualified for states included Southern’s Ja’Quez Bullock (2A Northern Carolina Conference top athlete for field events), Northern’s Tyrrick Bullock (100-meters) and Tamaj Bullock (100-meters) as well as Warren County’s Starbesha Satter white (200 meters) and Charlie W illiams (high jump). Contact the writer at jholt@ hendersondispatch.com.
ESTABLISHED
1979
183 N. Oliver Dr. Henderson, NC
SATTERWHITE 66 TIRE & AUTOMOTIVE 24 Hour Wrecker Service Specializing in Towing & Recovery of all types of vehicles & trucks.
252-492-4488 ESTABLISHED
1986
115 N. Garnett St., Henderson
Stainback, Satterwhite, & Zollicoffer, PLLC
General Practice of Law • Criminal • Domestic • Personal Injury • Real Estate • Wills • Estate Probate
Paul J. Stainback • Michael E. Satterwhite John H. Zollicoffer, Jr. • D. Rix Edwards Scott D. Dennis
252-438-4136
ESTABLISHED
1988
INCORPORATED
DONALD D. PERGERSON Attorney at Law BRANDI RICHARDSON Attorney at Law • 235 Dabney Dr., Henderson, NC
We are a debt relief agency We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code
252-492-7796
133 Raleigh Road Henderson, NC
220 Dabney Drive Henderson, NC
Henderson, NC Angie, Ben, Dave, Gerry, Jason, Josh, Mike, Scott & Terrance 24 HOUR ALARM MONITORING for $16/month CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE
AUTO MART of HENDERSON 252-438-5928
Burglar Alarms • Fire Alarms Video Surveillance
252-438-3888
252-430-9694 252-438-7181
6
Year In Review
The Daily Dispatch
Henderson
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Cops/Courts
Arrests made in 7 of 8 homicides By SARAH MANSUR DISPATCH STAFF
The city of Henderson saw turnover is several key positions during 2014.
MARK DOLEJS / Dispatch Staff
City sees turnover in key positions By SARAH MANSUR DISPATCH STAFF
City hall saw some major staf f changes this year with the planning director, city manager, city attorney, and recreation and parks director all leaving their posts. Alan Gill retired as the Recreation and Parks Director in June after 30 years with the city. Kendrick Vann, a Southe r n Va n c e H i g h S c h o o l alumnus, is the city’s new director. Vann has worked at the city of Durham Parks and Recreation Department since 2005 as assistant recreation super visor and recreation super visor of special programs. Former city attorney John Zollicof fer, 78, announced his retirement in September. He ser ved as city attor ney for more than 40 years.
Rix Edwards, a member of Stainback, Satter white & Zollicoffer, became the city’s primar y attor ney after Zollicoffer’s departure. Er ris Dunston, who ser ved as planning director for almost nine years, resigned in April for a city manager position in Halifax County. Corey Williams, formerly the code compliance director, was interim planning director. He will lead the recently formed Development Ser vices Department — which was created by combining the code compliance and planning and community development departments. This new depar tment has two divisions: code compliance, and planning and community development. In addition to the director, the department will have
ESTABLISHED
three full-time positions: city planner, zoning administrator and code enforcement inspector. Ray Grif fin, who retired in November, had worked as Henderson’s city manager since September 2008. He left the city to spend more time with his family, who had been living about 200 miles away in Virginia. Ed Wyatt is filling in as interim city manager — a position he held for the city in 2008. Assistant City Manager Frank Frazier said he has enjoyed working with Wyatt. “He is a ver y knowle d g e a b l e c i t y m a n a g e r, and he is ver y experienced in many projects as they relate to water and sewer,” he said. Contact the writer at smansur@ hendersondispatch.com.
1989
ESTABLISHED
Celebrating 25 Years in Business!
Owner: Robert Ellis, Jr.
DAVIS-ROYSTER FUNERAL SERVICE, INC.
252-492-9781
1994
Under New Management as of May 2010
1991
926 S. Garnett Street, Henderson, NC
robertsairbrushshop@ embarqmail.com
ESTABLISHED
Vance County and Henderson saw a total of eight homicides during 2014. For seven of the eightcases, a suspect has been arrested and charged with murder. The first shooting death of the year in Vance County was Jan. 13 when 51-yearold Edward Proffitt, of 179 Wendy Court, Henderson, killed 19-year-old David Harris, who died of three gunshot wounds to the chest. A grand jur y in Vance County declined to indict Prof fitt with murder because he claimed he was acting in self-defense. The second homicide took place March 24 when 55-year-old Ahmed Shahit was shot during a robbery while he was working at the BP station at 615 Raleigh Road, Henderson. Diaquan Jameek Waddell and Marvin Hargrove Jr. are charged with the murder of Shahit. Lloyd Woodlief, 84, of 430 Cricket Creek Lane, was killed in this year’s third homicide. He died from blood loss after being shot once with a shotgun. Woodlief’s son — 49-yearold Peyton Woodlief — and 11-year-old grandson have been charged in his death. Quincey Gregory, 29, of 426 Ford St., Henderson, was the fourth homicide victim of 2014. He was fatally shot on West Rockspring Street on Aug. 24. Kyshaun Nor rell, 17, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Gregory’s shooting. Norrell, of 640 Ransom Contact the writer at St., Henderson, also faces charges of assault with a smansur@hendersondispatch. deadly weapon with intent to com.
ROBERT’S AIRBRUSH SHOP 2958 NC Hwy 39 South Henderson, NC
kill inflicting serious injury, two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, discharging a firearm on educational property and discharging a firearm in the city limits. The fifth homicide also took place Aug. 24 when Vance County sherif f ’s deputies found Gwendolyn Leake, 58, dead in her home at 125 Bearpond Road, Lot 4. She died from severe head trauma. William J. Small, 42, of 125 Bearpond Road, Lot 3, was charged with firstdegree murder in connection with Leake’s death. The sixth homicide happened Sept. 21 when Tisha Hargrove was found dead in her home at 124 N. Bullock St., Henderson. Gregor y Lamant Baskett — who was Hargrove’s boyfriend — is charged with first-degree murder in this case. In a shooting death recorded Dec. 14, Leon Perry, 52, of 198 Tulip Drive, died from multiple gunshot injuries. For ty-two-year-old Steven L. Battle, who is Perry’s uncle, has been charged with first-degree murder. In the year’s final homicide, the stabbing death of 57-year-old James Reavis, of 673 Highland Ave., became Vance County’s eighth homicide of 2014 . He was found unconscious at his home on Christmas Eve around 2 p.m. He later died of his injuries. Henderson police officers charged 52-year-old Larr y Patton, of the same address, with first-degree murder.
252-492-6911 ESTABLISHED
1999
“Getting You Connected For Life”
ESTABLISHED
1999
RICK EDWARDS ELECTRIC 225 N. Oliver Drive, Henderson, NC
TL PERKINSON WRECKER SERVICE 252-492-7548
•Residential & Commercial •Bucket Truck •Sign Lighting •No Job Too Small Licensed & Insured In NC & VA
(252) 438-4856 Phone & Fax (252) 438-0147 Mobile www.rickedwardselectric.com ricke@nc.rr.com
1227 Dabney Drive Henderson, NC
VANCE CHARTER SCHOOL 252-431-0440
The Daily Dispatch
Year In Review
7
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Education
MARK DOLEJS / Dispatch file photo
Alvonte Yancey takes a picture with Kristen Lawrence (back, from left), Stanton Fields, Anissa Williams (front, from left) and Sandra Wiggins before graduation activities got started at Southern Vance.
County schools see more students graduating on time
ESTABLISHED
2001
124 Main Street Oxford, NC Serving Vance and Granville Counties for more than 10 years!
By DANIELLE HAIRSTON Dispatch Staff
The most notable change in Vance County Schools this year was its 2014 graduation rates. The district improved its dead last spot and is now ranked 110 out of 115 counties in Nor th Carolina for producing students who finish school in four years, according to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s reports released in September. Youth who entered Vance County high schools in 2010-2011 and graduated on time increased 8.1 percentage points and now rests at 73 percent, setting a record high for the county since the state began collecting cohort data. The district r eceived grants and sponsorships throughout the year to pour into Common Core — which state lawmakers want to replace — by partnering with local churches and the United Way of Vance County for summer camps and reading rallies. Some if its schools, however, still str uggled to produce on end-ofgrade tests, based on state end-ofgrade repor ts released in November. They showed about half of the schools under performed in reading or math — six schools had passing rates below the state’s average for each subject. The Nor th Car olina General Assembly produced the first raise for public school educators in four years, approving salar y increases ranging from about $100 a year to a little less than $6,000. The change sparked controversy with some veteran educators, whose pay raises came in at the lower end of the scale. After several teacher resignations and incidents of crime, drugs and disruptive students at Northern Vance High School, parents reestablished the school’s parent teacher organization after three years of inactivity. Contact the writer at dhairston@ hendersondispatch.com.
919-693-1730 ESTABLISHED
Tommie Reed celebrates as students get seated for the Northern Vance High School graduation ceremony in June. MARK DOLEJS / Dispatch file photo
ESTABLISHED
2005
120 Industry Drive Oxford, NC
AA SELF STORAGE with climate controlled units
www.aa-self-storage.com Mon.-Fri. 9AM - 6PM • Sat. 8AM - 2PM • Closed Sun
TOLL FREE 1-866-825-8854
919-690-8822
2001
420 Raleigh Road Henderson, NC
AA SELF STORAGE with climate controlled units www.aa-self-storage.com
Mon.-Fri 9AM - 6PM, Sat. 8AM - 2 PM Closed Sun.
TOLL FREE 1-866-825-8854 252-433-0236
A8
The Daily Dispatch
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Wednesday, January 7, 2015