Day 4: Thursday

57 charges on 48 citations

30 for speeding

One child restraint violation

Two seat belt violations

Five no operators license

One stop sign, stop light violation

Three safe movement violations

Four for driving while license revoked

Four registration violations

Four inspection violations

One open container of alcohol violation

Two drug charges for marijuana

Four wrecks

Notes: “I'm glad to see other than traffic violations we're getting outstanding warrants and guns and drugs off the streets,” Chief Chuck Hasty said.

Miscellaneous: One person was picked up on an outstanding warrant

Detective Jeff Davis of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department said the victim's cards were used to buy an estimated $10,000 worth of clothing and athletic equipment.

Melinda Waterman Guy, 41, of Roanoke Rapids was charged by Davis Thursday, Chief Chuck Hasty said in a statement.

She faces charges of exploiting the trust of the disabled or elderly; identity theft; larceny; possession of stolen goods and an unrelated charged of fraud or disposal of mortgage property involving items from a rent to own business.

Through his investigation, Hasty said Davis learned the victim's credit cards had been used at various locations to buy items.

Guy was jailed on $12,000 bond and has a March 8 court date.

Meanwhile, Davis is continuing the investigation into this matter and charges are pending on other individuals that may have been involved.

Davis said the police department is looking for a man and woman in the case.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the police department at 252-533-2810 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

Wednesday

Investigator Frankie Griffin arrested and charged Megan Rae Faison, 26, of Roanoke Rapids with identity theft.

Griffin began his investigation into the alleged crime after the victim reported on January 2 that someone had obtained utilities by using the victim’s personal information.

Faison was given a $3,000 bond and a court of February 18.

Shortly after 3:15 p.m., Lieutenant Jeff Baggett and Officer Patrick Smith assisted the Mecklenburg, Virginia, Sheriff's Office in locating and arresting Ashley Ann Livesay, 28, of Roanoke Rapids.

Livesay was charged with being a fugitive from another state and was wanted by the Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Office for embezzlement.

She was given a $10,000 bond and a court date of February 13.

Around 7:30 p.m. Lieutenant Perry Parks, Master Officer Gorton Williams and officers Adam Salmon and Jeffrey Mason responded to a disturbance at Fairfield Apartments on Highway 125.

Officers located Darius Dewayne Lewter, 26, and Nathaniel Dion Moore Jr. 24, both of Roanoke Rapids,

Williams spoke with the victim and stated the men were reportedly looking to fight because of a matter that happened the previous evening.

Lewter allegedly tried to kick in the victim’s door to possibly assault the victim.

Williams arrested and charged Lewter with trespassing and resist, delaying or obstructing an officer . He was given a $9,200 bond.

Moore was arrested and charged with resist, delaying or obstructing an officer and was given an $8,000 bond. Both men have February 20 court dates.

Thursday

Around 12:30 a.m. Parks conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle at Highway 158 and Daniels Street after learning the driver had an outstanding warrant.

Deontrae Bachum Harvey, 26, of Roanoke Rapids was arrested for the outstanding order for arrest. During the search of Harvey, Parks reportedly located marijuana and paraphernalia.

A search of the vehicle was conducted and a gun was recovered concealed under the driver’s seat. Parks charged Harvey with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and carrying a concealed gun. He was given a $1,50 bond and a March 20 court date.

Around 6 p.m. Master Officer Chris Babb responded to Belk department store for the report of a larceny.

After speaking with loss prevention, Amber Briana Edwards, 17, of Gaston and Dondril Lenea Powell, 20, of Roanoke Rapids were charged with removing an anti-theft device, larceny and possession of stolen good. They were both given $1,000 bonds and February 11 court dates.

Sergeant Mike Moseley stopped a vehicle for speeding on Highway 48 and Vepco Street.

During the stop Moseley came into contact with the driver, Ronnie Washington, 32. of Roanoke Rapids and the passenger Kendall Avery Long, 26, of Roanoke Rapids.

During the stop Moseley reportedly saw a marijuana cigar inside the vehicle and then located an open container of alcohol.

Moseley cited Washington for speeding and possession of marijuana. Long was cited for possession of an open container and possession of marijuana and they were released.

Both men have a court date of March 23.

The Roanoke Rapids Police Department is seeking information on an attempted arson at a residence on Duke Street.

Around 11 p.m. officers Mark Oakley and Salmon responded to Duke Street and found that someone had attempted to set a fire at the back of the residence. Hasty said Oakley found charring. The fire department was not called.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

The scope of that work will be revealed in a comprehensive annual report which is in the final stages of completion and will be presented to county commissioners as well as published online and on social media, she said.

The rebranding came about because of a change in public health, she said. “It's more a cultural change. Public health is changing and the county had to keep up. We had to reinvent ourselves. Our motto is public health matters. Public health is the reason we have safe drinking water, it's the reason food we eat in restaurants is safe, it's the reason we've seen a decline in infant mortality, and longer lifespans.”

Public health, she said, is something everyone uses, even if they don't step foot in the clinic in Halifax.

The rebranding has worked, she said. “We're in a very good place. We're hearing more of a buzz, we're making more of an impact, more of a presence. We're making the invisible visible. We're reinvesting in the community.”

Under the umbrella of the public health system are a myriad of services and programs, many with new initiatives for 2015.

The services provided by the system include environmental health, animal control, the health department and clinical services and home health and hospice.

Environmental health includes restaurant inspections, matters related to well and septic systems, childhood lead investigations and public health preparedness and the bioterrorism program.

The health department and clinical services has close to 40 programs it oversees in addition to home health and hospice.

“It runs from infancy to adulthood,” she said, with focuses on immunization, nutrition, social work, and preventive services.

One of the programs, Coordinated Approach to Child Health, is incorporated in all three school systems to emphasize good nutrition and increase physical activity. The system hopes to see that trickle over to family members. “We're building on the Roanoke Valley Health Initiative,” she said.

Another program started last February is the Promoting Positive Parenting Program, which is commonly called Triple P. It is a program that is in partnership with Northampton and Hertford counties. “We're trying to help parents build their skills.”

Burns said she is seeking grant funding, specifically a CDC grant, to start a teen pregnancy prevention program modeled after a successful endeavor in Gaston County. “We need more efforts, more parental involvement, more comprehensive sex education programs in the school systems as well as community engagement and awareness.”

The program comes on the heels of community input given through five teen pregnancy community forums

Halifax currently ranks 13^th in the state teen pregnancy rate. Northampton is seventh and Edgecombe is third. “It's something that affects all of us, our taxes, our unemployment and education. Teen pregnancy is directly correlated to health, poverty the unemployment rate, the retention rate and dropout rate. It puts more of a burden on everyone. It's not just a teen issue, it's a community issue,” Burns said.

Upcoming in March is a Cooking Matters in the Store program to help focus on the obesity problem and better nutrition among low-income families. “It teaches them to shop healthier on a budget. “It's going to focus on cooking and shopping healthy on a budget,” Burns said. “It's about buying in-season, weighing items with the weights in the store.”

Burns said the program will also focus on clipping coupons, reading and understanding food labels. In partnership with the Interfaith Food Shuttle and Food Lion, it will ultimately show how with a $10 gift card, a family of four can eat healthy.

The system will also be starting breastfeeding classes.

“I'm hoping by March to unveil the breastfeeding program,” Burns said, the program targeting high-risk populations. “Not breastfeeding is correlated to chronic diseases.”

She said not breastfeeding can reduce the chances of having a healthier baby. “Breast-fed have babies have less chances of childhood obesity and adult obesity.”

The system has a breastfeeding pier counselor and Rural Health has a counselor. “We are working together to promote breastfeeding with Halifax Regional as well as the breastfeeding task force.”

This program is in conjunction with Northampton and Warren counties as well as various partners, she said.

In animal control, the health system has just entered into a contract with Rainbow Rescue to open an animal rescue and adoption center using the auxiliary shelter on Dog Pound Road off Highway 903 near the Rural Life Center. An official event announcing the partnership is planned in March.

Home Health and Hospice has on average 300 patients a monthly and with unduplicated patients the number is 650 “We provide end of life of care. We want them to be as comfortable as they can be.”

Home health is offered for every age, not just the elderly. It could be someone who has had surgery and is in need of home health.”

Before the rebranding, Burns said there was a disconnect between healthcare providers in the county. Now there is a partnership. “We're working with Halifax Regional and Rural Health. No one can do it by themselves. We are a team.”

The solution is using the sheriff's office as a meeting place to complete these transactions, Sheriff Wes Tripp said.

He said the sheriff's office may also be used for child custody transfers. Advance notice is preferred.

“The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office is inviting the public that is engaged in civil transactions to conduct them at the sheriff's office, where they have a public parking lot being video-recorded, a consistent law enforcement presence and even the ability for a deputy sheriff to witness a transaction in the office,” the sheriff said in a statement.

A notary is also available in the sheriff’s office.

Tripp said the invitation is in response to several fraud and murder crimes across the United States related to these transactions. “Web-oriented transactions, not limited to Craigslist, have increased through the years. Offenders have managed to incorporate scams, robberies, and even murder through on-line sites. We wish to enhance public safety by encouraging the use of our facility.”

Halifax County has not experienced assaults relating to meeting strangers for an on-line transactions, however, Tripp said, “We strongly recommend taking precautions. Always be aware of your surroundings and please report any suspicious activity relating to on-line sales.”

Arrangements may be made by calling the sheriff's office at 252-583-8201.

Major Scott Hall of the Halifax County Sheriff's Office described the matter as a intentional shooting and not a mishap. “We're unsure if the driver was the target but the vehicle does appear to be the target.”

Hall said a passenger was in the vehicle when the shot was fired around 5 p.m.

The shooting occurred near Neuse River Road in the Weldon area.

He declined to say whether the shooter shot at the vehicle from outside or was in another vehicle and declined to specify the gender of the victim.

It is known the suspect fled the area in a silver Chrysler passenger car.

The case remains under investigation and anyone with information is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

In following up on the crash-free week, Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Chuck said this morning, “I think it went pretty good. I'm going to try to monitor the wrecks and see where it goes.”

Hasty said there will most likely be further operations in the future but now it goes back to officer discretion on whether to issue state citations or give city ordinance violations. “My theory is it is up to the officers. They just need to be on the lookout for all types of things. It's our job to keep the public safe.”

As far as the motoring public goes, it is their duty “to obey all traffic laws. That's all we expect of them. Slow down and take your time and get to your place safely and without a ticket.”

Day five of the operation Friday saw 41 charges on 35 citations.

There were five wrecks, one on a private parking lot, one deer collision and a driver who hit a sign and received a DWI.

There were 23 tickets issued for speeding, bringing that total to nearly 130. A basic state citation carries at least a $218 fine.

There were six registration violations for a total of nearly 20.

There were two driving while license revoked violations for a total of nearly 10.

There was one no operators license for a total of seven.

There were two stop sign and stop light violations for a total of 22.

There was one DWI for a total of two.

There was one unsafe movement violation for a total of eight.

There was one seat belt violation for a total of seven and one inspection violation for a total of six.

There were no serious injuries involving the 14 wrecks, Hasty said. There was one gun charge and four drug charges.

The process, approved by county commissioners this morning, will begin with the request for qualifications of architects seeking the use of prototypes which architects believe to be best suited for the new Manning Elementary School project.

Commissioners approved the request of Superintendent Dennis Sawyer on a 5-1 vote, Carolyn Johnson the lone dissenter.

The request comes on the heels of a January 30 letter from Sawyer to County Manager Tony Brown.

In that letter Sawyer writes, “We are open to considering the use of prototypes for the proposed design of a new Manning Elementary School. In fact, according to our research, we had already concluded that the use of a prototype would save the school system funds for the design of the school.”

Sawyer continued in the letter, “However, instead of limiting ourselves to the prototypes maintained by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, we would prefer to issue a request for qualifications seeking the use of prototypes that architects believe to be best suited for the new Manning Elementary School project. We believe the RFQ process would result in better options for the school system and not limit us to selecting a prototype from DPI's website.”

Sawyer said following his presentation to the board the decision to go in this direction comes from a board meeting in January where commissioners delayed approving state lottery funds so the system could begin building an athletic complex on the former Patterson Mill site off Tenth Street.

During discussion at that meeting the topic of construction of a new Manning school came up. “The athletic complex and Manning are both important,” Sawyer said outside the board room. “We're just looking at different funding.”

In this morning's meeting, Commissioner Rives Manning said, “We really need to start looking at architects and make sure we can get one we can afford. It has to be affordable and not a grandiose Taj Mahal.”

Sawyer told the board the school system plans to look at two schools, an intermediate school in Hoke County and a middle school in Greene County.

Brown said by going this route it will give the county better feedback on the cost of doing this with the hopes it will come under an initial estimate of $22.8 million.

“We're not asking for any money,” Sawyer said. “We do want to peruse prototypes. We want to be a team player and be transparent. The longer we wait the more expensive it's going to be.”

Said board Chair Vernon Bryant following the meeting, “This is a major step in building a new Manning school.”

Bill Hodge, a member of the group, told the board during a community issues portion of the meeting today the organization “applauded commissioners for bringing in outside experts from Evergreen Solutions for ideas on operational improvements. But we have been gravely disappointed that this board has not implemented any cost-saving recommendations in the two-and-a-half year-old report.”

Hodge said, “The opportunities for cooperation and collaboration among the three districts still exists. Changes could save millions of administration dollars which can be redirected into academic enhancement opportunities. But it will take leadership to develop partnerships that can benefit all three districts — your leadership.”

Hodge said following the meeting his talk, which focused on funding inadequacies, was not a veiled attempt to bring the merger issue back on the table, but an effort to to begin serious deliberations on the Evergreen study.

“A sense of urgency exists concerning the inferior academic performance of all three school districts,” he told the board. “Of the 115 school districts in North Carolina, Halifax County schools is ranked last, Weldon third from the bottom. Roanoke Rapids, historically an academically high-achieving system, is now in the bottom 40 percent — not even average.”

He told commissioners the disparity in the county's current appropriation to surrounding school districts is glaring. “Last year, the six countywide school districts surrounding Halifax County received an average appropriation 76 percent higher than the three Halifax districts.”

Halifax County provided $774 per pupil while neighboring counties provided $1,670 per pupil. “Our neighbors have increased their support of public education approximately 50 percent on average over the past 10 years compared to only an 18 percent increase for our students.”

School spending in Halifax County, he said, comprises 69 percent of Halifax County Schools local expenditures; 43 percent of Roanoke Rapids and 25 percent of Weldon's. “Neighboring Tier 1 counties provide 84 percent of their school districts' total expenditures.”

Roanoke Rapids and Weldon, Hodge said, have received $33.5 million of supplemental and sales taxes over the last nine years while Halifax County has received nothing.

A proposed supplemental tax referendum for the county school system was defeated in May of 2012.

Hodge told the board the county school system has the highest teacher turnover rate in the state — a 28 percent annual average over the last five years while Weldon had the fourth at 23 percent. “Last year, 98 percent plus of North Carolina teachers received a supplement. Halifax County Schools and Weldon City Schools did not. Roanoke Rapids teacher supplements were 42 percent below state average.”

Said Hodge: “Halifax's children cannot afford to lose the best teachers in their classrooms. Quality teachers are the most important factor in a sound, basic education.”

The group, Hodge said, believes Weldon and Roanoke Rapids taxpayers are getting short-changed while funding for the county school needs to change. “Roanoke Rapids and Weldon's extra supplemental funds should be used to supplement a sound, basic education, not pay for basics. Districts could use their supplemental funds to expand Pre-K programs; fund academic enrichment or increase tutorial programs as well as implement or increase teacher supplements. Halifax commissioners are not funding a sound, basic education for any of Halifax County's children, regardless of their street address.”

Board Chair Vernon Bryant said following the meeting there were preliminary discussions of the Evergreen report at its retreat in December. “We're going to do it,” he said. “Within the next 30 to 60 days.”

County Manager Tony Brown said probably the earliest the study could be discussed would be in March.

(A video of the second robbery may be found at the end of this story)

The first robbery occurred around 7 p.m. at Staples as an employee was counting money and was grabbed by the hair, Chief Chuck Hasty said.

The suspect demanded the money and the employee complied.

The suspect left the store with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The suspect may be a black male and there is no known vehicle or travel description at this time.

BP robbery

Around 10 p.m. officers responded to the BP New Dixie Mart on East Tenth Street

A store employee was putting stock up when a white male armed with a knife entered the store and approached the employee, demanding the money from the register.

The employee complied and the suspect fled the store with an undisclosed amount of cash, running towards the rear of the building in the direction of Eleventh Street.

The suspect is described as a white male about 5-feet 3-inches tall wearing a camouflaged hat, dark-colored clothing and a mask.

A Weldon Police Department dog assisted with a track.

Anyone with information about these two robberies is encouraged to call the police department at 252-533-2810 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

He began his career at the Roanoke Rapids Mill in 1981 as an E&I apprentice.

He has held ever-increasing responsibilities in Maintenance and Information Technology in both mill and corporate roles. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the American Intercontinental University.

He and his wife, Caffie, reside in Garysburg. Edmonds has two adult children and three grandchildren. Floyd has been named safety manager for the mill.

She joined KapStone in 2013 as a human resources generalist at the Roanoke Rapids Mill.

Prior to joining KapStone, she served as human resources and safety manager at Reser’s Fine Foods in Halifax.

Previously, she was a health and safety manager with West Point Stevens in Roanoke Rapids and a human resources/benefits coordinator at Safelite AutoGlass Corporation in Enfield. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations from North Carolina State University.

She has earned the Professional in Human Resources certification.

She and her husband, Keith, reside in Roanoke Rapids and they have one daughter.  

It is a decision that could end up in court as Franklin Jones, an attorney who practices law in Halifax and represented MaSuki, said he believes there is a case for appealing council's decision.

He declined to go into specifics, saying, “By the rules of ethics I can't comment on a potential pending court case.”

Council decided following a lengthy public hearing it disagreed with two key elements in the conditional use permit application, going against findings by the city's Planning and Development Department that the development would not injure adjoining property values and would be in harmony with the surrounding area.

Councilman Wayne Smith, who gave the most detailed reasons for voting against the permit, said during a break following the vote, “I feel like we made the right decision.”

Asked about the potential for litigation, Smith said, “I don't think it will (go to court). Time will tell.”

Smith cited what he called conflicting statements made by Thomas Barrett, a certified property appraiser, on the impact the fair market value complex would have on the existing homes in the community.

He said the residential section of the community would be sandwiched between the MaSuki development and the nearby Fairfield Apartments, which are subsidized apartment units.

Smith said property owners who bought homes at Cross Creek based their decision to do so on the original 2005 council decision to rezone the land off Highway 125 as a planned unit development.

Referring to Mark Gregory, developer of the proposed apartment complex, Smith said, “Mr. Gregory purchased land zoned as a planned unit development with the hopes of changing the zoning the city council had set. I hope we don't get investment and speculating mixed up. The homeowner purchased the housing as an investment that would appreciate in the future. Although speculators are making informed decisions, speculation cannot usually be categorized as traditional investing.”

Jones, in closing arguments before the vote was taken, implored council to only consider evidence in the case. “We've had a number of people who have valid interests. They had legitimate concerns. Concerns don't mean you should consider them. You have to apply the law. You are sitting as a juror in a criminal case. You have taken an oath that you will uphold and follow the law.”

Jones said planning and development did a thorough job before the matter went to the planning board and then to city council, which last month decided to withhold making an immediate decision on the conditional use permit.

Jones said expert testimony was provided that traffic coming to and from the complex would not overburden Highway 125.

Expert testimony was provided that over a 12-year period similar complexes did not affect property value unless they directly backed up to adjoining property, Jones said.

The only property the proposed complex would back up to is property MaSuki owns, said Jones. “The only one affected would be MaSuki.”

He said remarks made by residents on the impact of property values were purely speculative. “If we only allowed sentiment by neighbors we would have no growth. Growth causes good things.”

Addressing the proposal's harmony with the surrounding area, Jones said, referring to Fairfield, “There is an apartment building adjacent that's not fair market value but subsidized housing. This is a fair market value project. If you don't approve it here, where would it be approved?”

January 30

Around 1:30 p.m., Officer Scott Blythe responded to Belk on Premier Boulevard for a larceny.

The officer earned that Jermaine Jerome Green, 39, of Littleton had allegedly removed several items from the business.

Blythe arrested and charged Green with larceny and possession of stolen goods.

Green was also served an outstanding warrant from Guilford County for larceny by defeating anti-theft device.

He was given a $6,000 bond and a court date of February 27.

Around 3 p.m. Officer Jason Williams arrested and charged Brittany Zeaji Williams, 21, of Roanoke Rapids, with three counts of identity theft and two counts of financial card fraud

Williams began his investigation on December 29 after the victim reported that Williams had taken a debit card and credit card and used it at various businesses.

Williams was given a $20,000 bond and a court date of March 18.

January 31

Around noon, officers assisted the Sussex County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office in locating a wanted person.

Lieutenant Charles Burnette, Master Officer Roy Ball and Blythe located Christopher Dale Gay, 33, of Weldon, in the 1000 block of East Tenth Street after receiving information from Sussex County.

Gay was arrested without trouble and charged with being a fugitive from another state. He had an outstanding warrant for forgery and uttering from Sussex County.

Gay was given a $15,000 bond and a February 18 court date.

Around 9 p.m., Officer Chris Biggerstaff responded to Walmart on a larceny call.

Biggerstaff spoke with loss prevention, which pointed out William Lewis Moncure, 24, of Roanoke Rapids.

Biggerstaff spoke with Moncure about the larceny and recovered the items that had been taken.

Biggerstaff arrested and charged Moncure with larceny and possession of stolen goods.

Moncure was given a $500 bond and a February 20 court date.

Master Officer Mark Peck assisted Biggerstaff.

February 1

Around 5 p.m., Master Officer Roy Ball received a complaint about a kidnapping.

Ball responded and spoke with the victim about the matter.

The victim and Kasey O’Neil Tanner 26, of Gaston, were staying at a motel together.

The victim said during the stay there was an argument over money and Tanner allegedly assaulted the victim and would not let the victim leave the room.

The victim had some injuries that Ball had Halifax County EMS come to check.

Ball obtained warrants onTanner for kidnapping, assault on a female, larceny, interfere with emergency communications and communicating threats.

Tanner surrendered to the police department Monday around noon and was served the warrants.

He was jailed without the opportunity for bond and given a March 25 court date.

February 2

Around 5 p.m., Officer Mark Oakley responded to Food Lion on Roanoke Avenue about damage to property.

Oakley spoke with a store employee who told him that two juveniles were shooting BB guns at the store front.

Oakley located the juveniles in the area and recovered a BB pistol.

The juveniles were turned over to their guardians and the case was referred to Juvenile Services for further action.

February 3

Around 8 p.m. Blythe responded to Walmart for a larceny.

Willie Thomas Batchelor, 53, of Enfield had allegedly taken an item from the store without paying for it.

Blythe arrested and charged Batchelor with larceny, possession of stolen goods and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Batchelor was given a $1,500 bond and a February 27 court date.

Ball and Blythe assisted.

Around 10:30 p.m. Blythe responded to Interstate BP for a trespasser.

An employee said Reginald Eugene Hardy, 25, of Jackson had been banned from the property but was on the property soliciting customers. Hasty declined comment on whether Hardy was soliciting by begging for money or soliciting sexual services.

Blythe located Hardy and arrested and charged him with trespassing.

Hardy was given a $500 bond and a February 27 court date.

Around 11:30 p.m. Officer Jamie Hardy saw several people sitting in a car at Ninth and Cedar streets. Street and Cedar streets.

During the encounter Officer Hardy spoke with the driver and passengers of the vehicle.

Kerry Lamont Woodley, 35, of Roanoke Rapids attempted to run away.

Officer Hardy found Woodley had heroin, marijuana and cocaine.

Hardy arrested and charged Woodley with possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule I, possession of schedule I, possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule VI and was served an outstanding order for arrest from a previous drug paraphernalia charge.

Woodley was given a $10,350 bond and an April 22 court date.

Ball and Officer Greg Colson assisted.

Thomas Hill, 57, was last seen around 8:15 a.m. when he left for his job at Greensville County Public Schools.

Hill, who resides in the 100 block of Blanks Lane in Emporia, works in food services for the school system.

Greensville County Sheriff James Edwards told Richmond TV station WTVR Hill might be driving a blue 2010 Ford Taurus with Virginia plates XFG-3083

Sheriff Edwards said Hill suffered medical issues, but those issues did not include dementia.

He told the TV station Hill’s family had no idea where their loved one might be. Foul play is not suspected at this point.

Sheriff’s deputies are actively searching Emporia for Hill. Anyone with information about Hill is asked to call the sheriff's office at 434-348-4200.

Detective W. Murphy Jr. said Jelisa Shantel Smith, 26, was charged on warrants he obtained for filing a false police report to a police station and misuse of 911 systems.

Smith filed a report with the sheriff's office in January alleging she was raped, kidnapped and held for a week.

Murphy said his investigation found no evidence the woman had been raped. He declined to discuss motive.

Smith was given a $1,500 bond and has a February 25 court date.

The help comes through grants received through Halifax Helps, the administrative organization for Operation Round Up offered by the Halifax Electric Membership Corporation.

Hollister Elementary School will start a Backpack Buddies program to provide children in need with healthy weekend meals during the school year.

The children will receive a backpack containing several balanced meals and two healthy snacks at the end of every week.

The Halifax Helps grant of $1,000 will get this program under way.

Left to right:  Charles Guerry, Halifax EMC, Executive Vice President, Beverly Walker, Halifax EMC, Board President, Yvette Richardson, Social Worker for Halifax County Schools, Linda Nyborg, Iluka, Program Director for Adopt-A-School, Debbie Hardy, Halifax Helps Board President

Northwest Halifax High School also received a grant from Halifax Helps.

Their $2,000 funding will be used to purchase specialized software technology for their Exceptional Children Program.

Recent studies have shown that the new software developed for autistic students has shown remarkable improvement in their learning abilities.

With the budget shortfall from normal funding, this grant will help the EC program secure this technology.

For more information on these programs, contact Duna Dickinson at the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce at 252-519-2612 or email sdickinson@rvchamber.com.

“I'm super excited,” she said as the crane began lifting the crated return vent and then placing it on the ground.

The return vent was one of two pieces delivered today to make up the new dehumidification system at the center, replacing the original one in which two components failed.

(More photos on our Facebook page)

The heat of the water was turned down May 1 and with that decision the center saw about an 80 percent drop in attendance, Coker said.

Now, Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon said, “We can run the water temperature up to 87 degrees and go back to business as usual.”

Once the new dehumidifier is operational, Simeon expects attendance to rebound and the usual series of therapeutic classes offered return. “We'll be back to normal operations, classes and participation within six weeks.”

Coker has fielded numerous questions from people eager to return to the pool.

The return vent is taken out of the crate.

Preparing for today's delivery, Simeon said, meant electrical upgrades, a fair amount of duct work and construction of a concrete pad on which to place the $275,000 system.

Jim Miller, a Roanoke Rapids engineer, was instrumental in helping the city find the new equipment at the right price. “I looked at companies and narrowed it down to five.”

From that list, “We narrowed it down to Dectron,” a Montreal-based company. “It's the largest of them all.”

Side by side.

The dehumidifier, Miller said, is designed to draw moisture out of the building to keep wooden I-beams inside from rotting and preventing mold.

It draws out between 20 to 30 gallons of moisture per hour said Tom Bender of Pemberton Incorporated, which will install the system and perform annual maintenance.

Miller is also a pool user and was pleased to help the city in its search for the right equipment.

He also can't wait to take the plunge. “I used the pool. When I looked at the temperature, I got interested in getting it back up. I'll be right back in there when the water warms up.”

In Halifax County, both Northwest and Southeast high schools exceeded expected growth.

Pittman Elementary and William R. Davie Middle School exceeded expected growth.

In Roanoke Rapids, Chaloner Middle School and Manning Elementary School exceeded expected growth.

In Weldon, Weldon Middle School and Weldon High School exceeded expected growth.

In Northampton, Gaston College Preparatory exceeded expected growth.

Schools meeting expected growth

Aurelian Springs Elementary

Dawson Elementary

Enfield Middle

Inborden Elementary

Scotland Neck Primary

Belmont Elementary

Weldon Elementary

Central Elementary in Northampton County

Northampton County High School

Willis Hare Elementary

Schools not meeting expected growth

Everetts Elementary

Hollister Elementary

Roanoke Rapids High School

Roanoke Valley Early College

Conway Middle School

Gaston Elementary

Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School

In a statement, Roanoke Rapids Graded Schools District Superintendent Dennis Sawyer said city schools continue to exceed or meet state growth levels. “The report card, which is based on the 2013-2014 school year, showed Chaloner Middle School and Manning Elementary School exceeding state growth and Belmont Elementary meeting the state’s growth standards.”

Sawyer said the report card also looks at class size, attendance, school safety, instructional resources and teacher quality.

At the high school level, the state took into account not just performance on End of Course tests but also the ACT, math course rigor and graduation rates. Roanoke Rapids High School, Manning Elementary and Chaloner Middle all received a letter grade of C, while Belmont Elementary received a letter grade of D.

“We’re encouraged with our progress,” said Sawyer. “We’ve had these numbers for quite some time and have been able to implement changes and strategies in the classroom to improve this school year. Additionally, our Board of Trustees adopted a comprehensive strategic plan last month called Vision 2020. That five-year plan is already serving as a catalyst for our district’s work to further strengthen quality teaching and learning, student engagement, collaboration and community support.”

The state Department of Public Instruction calculated this year’s letter grades on a 15-point scale, with 80 percent based on proficiency and 20 percent on growth.

State legislators have decided to calculate next year’s grades on a 10-point scale, meaning that a school could score a 71 this year and receive a B, yet could improve to a 79 next year and receive a C.

“While Raleigh’s assessment of school districts across the state may be difficult to understand, it’s important to note that our students cannot and will not become lost in state and federal statistics,” Sawyer said. “It is our job as educators to make sure every child graduates. Reports like these only tell part of the story. There is no way to truly measure the creative learning opportunities occurring in our classrooms on a daily basis. For that, I think we can give our teachers and parents an A+.”

A statement from the county school system is expected Friday. No one was immediately available for comment at Weldon this afternoon.

The case against Gloria Coley Silver of Hollister, who was arrested today, goes back to a March, 2014 report filed by the victim's mother, Lieutenant Harold Phillips said.

Silver, who was entrusted to look after the child,  4 at the time, was arrested today after months of investigation, Phillips said.

The victim would stay with Silver while the child's mother was at work, sometimes late into the night depending on the mother's work schedule, Phillips said.

Phillips described the abuse as physical abuse that occurred once. While he would not elaborate, he did confirm medical attention was sought for the child.

Silver was given a $5,000 unsecured bond and March 25 court date.

Captain Anzell Harris said officers were dispatched to the scene shortly after 8 p.m. and learned the victim was shot in the arm and grazed in the chest. The victim was transported for medical treatment. The injuries are not considered to be life-threatening.

Harris declined comment on the type of weapon used or whether the shooting occurred outside or inside the house.

As of this report investigators were trying to develop a suspect in the case and the motivation is not immediately known.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.