ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Board of Commissioners approved the county Cooperative Extension office’s request to apply for the Sit Less Work Healthy grant to start a campaign that will encourage county employees and businesses to stay active during their work days.

The grant, though yet to be awarded by the Richmond Community Foundation, asks for $5,068 to provide standing desks, ball chairs and yoga mats for the eight Extension employees. Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Janice Roberts, who focuses on nutrition, will monitor the success of the program with a goal of expanding to create a healthier environment for employees across the county, and potentially Moore County.

At the county meeting, Extension Director Susan Kelly cited sources who describe how sedentary behavior can affect the human body regardless of how much physical exercise a person does.

“Sitting for prolonged periods of time increases risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality and is associated with increased risk of some cancers. Increasing light physical activity, such as standing and walking, engages the muscles and has positive effects on our metabolism and ability to uptake glucose,” Kelly said. “Cooperative Extension seeks to change behaviors by promoting an environment that supports the healthy behaviors we teach.”

The grant would not require the county to contribute any funds.

Richmond County enacted a policy in recent years which allows county employees to get 30 minutes of exercise each day, so long as it is not done at the very beginning or very end of the day. County employees get their workouts at a second-floor gym — stocked with standard exercise equipment that was donated for county use — in the old courthouse.

Law enforcement officers are among the most frequent users of the gym, as well as Extension and Social Services employees. Tiffanee Conrad, a livestock agent with the Extension, said she’s been making use of the gym since the policy was enacted and that she gets more work done after a quick workout in the gym.

“I really appreciate (being able to use the gym),” Conrad said. “It’s great to break up my work day.”

In a column published in the Daily Journal on last month, Roberts argued that exercise is “for everybody, not only for the fit.”

“You should exercise because you were designed to be active!” Roberts wrote. “Our bodies were not made to sit down all day, but somehow we designed our whole lives around sitting down.”

In that same column, she advocated that light exercise done in three 10-minute chunks throughout the day, as opposed to one 30-minute chunk, is actually better for the body. Kelly also noted the limited benefits of a 30-minute exercise last week, saying that it’s a start but “then we go and sit down for another four hours.”

County Manager Bryan Land said he doesn’t have time to take advantage of the 30-minute allotment for exercise, but is open to the idea of using a standing desk in his office, saying he would “definitely give it a whirl.”

“I need to … I could use a little exercise,” Land said.

The grant application is due to the Richmond Community Foundation in mid-April, according to Kelly.

The county approved the appointment of Patricia H. Solomon to fill the remainder of former County Manager Rick Sago’s term on the The Health and Human Services Advisory Board, which ends in February 2019.

The county also approved a request to put four foreclosed properties up for auction: 1285 Derby Road with a starting bid of $6,688,83; a Lincoln Street property northwest of Rockingham with a starting bid of $13,231.01; an Airline Street property in East Rockingham with a starting bid of $3,510.23; and a vacant lot on Hamlet Avenue with a starting bid of $2,493.70.

The starting bids are usually determined by the unpaid taxes owed on the property when it foreclosed, according to Tax Administrator Vagas Jackson. Jackson added that the county could approve a lower bid should no other bids be offered.

Reach Gavin Stone at 910-817-2674 or gstone@yourdailyjournal.com.

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal Tiffanee Conrad, livestock agent with the county Extension office, lifts weights in the gym open to county employees in the old courthouse Tuesday afternoon.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_tiffworkout.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal Tiffanee Conrad, livestock agent with the county Extension office, lifts weights in the gym open to county employees in the old courthouse Tuesday afternoon.

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ELLERBE — The Sandhills AGInnovation Center has won a $14,500 grant to help it grow new farmers in Richmond County.

The “new ideas” grant from N.C. A&T State University will finance staff, equipment and training to help farmers develop vegetable crops to increase and diversify offerings raised locally. The center promises such a program will provide fledgling farms with the knowledge and resources they need, and help established poultry farmers raise more than chickens.

“We (want) home gardeners, small farmers and those who are just thinking about farming and want to get their hands dirty” to use the coming 10-acre demonstration plot, said Davon Goodwin, who manages the center.

“We want anybody in the county that’s into agriculture,” he said Wednesday.

That includes people who don’t necessarily think big: “If you’re a home gardener, we can teach you different techniques,” Goodwin promised.

Goodwin said he also had heard from poultry farmers interested in diversifying, including some who once had farmed vegetables on a small scale but stopped doing so.

“Now, with the facility (to help them), they want to come back to it,” he said.

But first, Goodwin has to stake out the plot and prepare the soil. A greenhouse, raised beds and a tent to protect students from the elements also are in the plans.

Opened last September, the AGInnovation center was supposed to be running at full speed by this month — and in many ways, it is. But demand for its services has been both a blessing and a curse, forcing organizers to rework some of their original ideas.

Earlier this year, the center used $200,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to buy bigger equipment because planners underestimated how much produce would have to be washed, chopped and prepared for sale. One potential distributor, for example, unexpectedly asked the center to process enough carrots to sell to school systems across the state.

Two massive refrigerators at the building at at 1298 Crawford Road, Ellerbe, are up and running, and able to store produce. But a freezer for strawberries and peaches — which will be needed as early as May — also is in the works, to handle produce for sale outside North Carolina. Planners hadn’t counted on that, either.

When Susan Kelly Kelly, director of the Richmond County Cooperative Extension, first floated the idea of a center to county officials in 2013, she said it would be a place where local farmers could sell their products wholesale and where those with a love for fresh produce could learn how to farm. She envisioned it as a cross between the giant “food hubs” found in some areas, and the roadside stand many local farmers depend on for sales.

Richmond County chipped in $150,000, which makes it the center’s owner.

In a sign of cooperation, Moore County paid for a feasibility study.

In 2015, Richmond County representatives applied for a $475,000 grant from the Golden Leaf Foundation of Rocky Mount, which finances the growing of crops other than tobacco. Its stated aim was to “grow new markets (and) keep people on the land.”

They landed the grant, partly on the strength of multi-county cooperation and partly because Moore County resorts will pay a premium for fresh, locally grown produce.

And now the center leans more toward “food hub” and less toward the face-to-face sales of roadside stands.

The AGInnovation Center comprises 3,000 square feet of concrete and roofing, including 640 square feet of cooler space. It opened in September and is intended to promote farming in Richmond, Moore and six other counties considered part of the Sandhills region of central North Carolina.

Richmond County has 277 farms, according to the latest figures from the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service. Those include 17 fruit, nut and berry farms, and 19 melon, vegetable and potato farms.

Courtesy photo Davon Goodwin goes over plans for the Sandhills AGInnovation Center with Paige Burns and Tim Hawks of Hawks Builders in 2017.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_aginnovation.jpgCourtesy photo Davon Goodwin goes over plans for the Sandhills AGInnovation Center with Paige Burns and Tim Hawks of Hawks Builders in 2017.

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ELLERBE — One town government won’t have to absorb the cost of convenience for residents who want to pay their bills by credit card because state statute says they won’t.

Ellerbe Mayor Lee Berry and town commissioners were taking the word of the credit card company when they voted 4-1 Monday night to absorb what they estimated would be 57 cents per bill paid with plastic.

But it seems the company was wrong: Businesses can’t charge credit card users more, but governmental units can when they collect “any tax, assessment, rate, fee, charge, rent, interest, penalty or other receivable owed.”

“We ran into the same thing last year, and I looked it up,” said Hamlet City Manager Jonathan Blanton, who cited in an email Wednesday the statute language he had found to ward off Hamlet residents’ criticisms of unequal treatment.

“I’d hate to see (Ellerbe) eat that cost when they don’t have to,” he said, adding that he had contacted the University of North Carolina School of Government to make sure his information was correct.

Ellerbe Commissioner Elsie Freeman had cast the lone vote against absorbing the added cost of allowing the use of credit cards. But on Wednesday, she was happy to hear that wouldn’t happen.

“It’s great news,” she said.

“They said (Monday that) it’s illegal” to charge more, she said. Citing the charges other towns levy, she said, “I’m like, how can they do it if it’s illegal?”

The rules on so-called convenience fees or checkout fees changed in January 2013, as the result of a court-sanctioned settlement among retailers, several large banks, and Visa and MasterCard arising out of a class-action antitrust lawsuit.

Until then, credit card companies had prohibited their customers from levying such added fees during face-to-face transactions but allowed them on internet purchases.

Photo Illustration by William R. Toler | Daily Journal State statute allows local governments to charge a convenience fee to residents who want to pay with a card to cover transaction costs.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_cards.jpgPhoto Illustration by William R. Toler | Daily Journal State statute allows local governments to charge a convenience fee to residents who want to pay with a card to cover transaction costs.

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ROCKINGHAM —The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public’s help in locating a convicted sex offender.

According to an arrest warrant, 39-year-old Dennis Keith Taylor Jr. failed to notify the sheriff’s office of an address change, which is a felony.

The warrant lists Taylor’s last known address as being on Williams Street in Hamlet.

Taylor does not show up in a search of the SBI’s Sex Offender Registry.

Deputies say there is also a federal warrant for Taylor’s arrest, but did not have details.

Taylor is 6 feet, 2 inches tall, about 250 pounds with short brown hair and blue eyes, according to an information sheet. He has storm tattoo on his right arm; a cross, tribal symbol, bat and the name “Zack” on his left arm; and a tombstone with “RIP Ronald Taylor” on his back

He was convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child in 2002 — a charge stemming from the previous year — received a split sentence and spent four months behind bars, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction. He was convicted later that year on misdemeanor charges of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and “other misdemeanant.”

Records show Taylor went back to prison for 13 months the following year when his probation was revoked after being convicted on a misdemeanor charge of assault on a female.

He previously served 18 months, from January 14, 1999 to July 21, 2000, after his probation was revoked from a 1998 conviction on five counts of selling a Schedule II controlled substance, according to state records.

Court records show he has no other pending charges in North Carolina.

Anyone with information on Taylor’s whereabouts is encouraged to call the sheriff’s office at 910-895-3232 or Richmond County Crime Stoppers at 910-997-5454.

According to the sheriff’s office there are 133 registered sex offenders in Richmond County. Last month, the deputy assigned to keep tabs on them performed 32 random checks and all were found to be in compliance.

Reach William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 or wtoler@yourdailyjournal.com.

Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Deputies say Dennis Keith Taylor Jr., a convicted sex offender, failed to register a change of address with the sheriff’s office. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_dennistaylor.jpgRichmond County Sheriff’s Office Deputies say Dennis Keith Taylor Jr., a convicted sex offender, failed to register a change of address with the sheriff’s office. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

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ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of another jury duty scam — this time purporting to come from one of their own.

A would-be scammer has been calling both cellphones and land lines claiming to be Capt. Jay Childers, demanding money be paid for missing jury duty, according to Chief Deputy Mark Gulledge.

Childers is captain of investigations with the sheriff’s office.

When calling the number, the voicemail message purports to be from Childers and asks to leave a message and callback number or call 911 for an emergency.

“There will never be a phone call placed over missing jury duty,” Gulledge said Thursday morning.

“If the sitting judge orders a show cause as to why you have missed juty duty, a deputy in uniform would locate (you) in person” and hand-deliver copy with a file number and the date and court in which you would have to appear, he added.

The key point, Gulledge said, is that jury fines are never collected by phone, mail or the sheriff’s office or any other law enforcement agency.

The sheriff’s office had received eight scam reports between Wednesday and late Thursday morning, according to Gulledge, who added the N.C Attorney General’s office and the FBI have been contacted.

Gulledge said the sheriff’s office also made a reverse-911 call, with the help of Emergency Services Director Donna Wright, to warn residents of the scam.

This is the second jury duty scam targeting Richmond County residents this year.

The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts issued an alert in February warning that Richmond County residents were being “targeted by scammers via email telling them they have failed to report for jury service and may have to appear in court.”

Richmond County Clerk of Superior Court Vickie Daniel said she received a call from a concerned local business owner reporting the scam. Daniel then notified the state office.

The public is encouraged to report suspicious calls or emails to their local sheriff’s office and victims should report it to the N.C. Attorney General’s Office, according to the alert.

Laura Brewer with the A.G.’s office said earlier this year she doesn’t think jury scams are in the top 10 of complaints received each year, however there were quite a few last year.

Brewer said office records showed 136 jury duty scam reports in 2017. Twenty of those involved victims losing a total of $37,694.

A press release from last April said victims reported losses of about $1,000 each.

The office issued the following tips to help residents protect themselves:

• Real notices for jury duty arrive by mail.

• Legitimate public officials won’t call to threaten you with arrest if you don’t show up for jury duty or fail to pay a fine immediately.

• Hang up on jury duty scammers and other crooks who try to trick you out of your hard-earned money.

• If someone tries to get you to use a prepaid debit card or a gift card to pay money they say you owe them, you are almost certainly being scammed.

• If you get one of these calls, report it to your local police department and file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or completing the form online at www.ncdoj.gov.

Reach William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 or wtoler@yourdailyjournal.com.

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ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County’s 4-H program has received a $14,825 grant from N.C. A&T University to help underserved children engineer innovative solutions to real-world problems.

The money comes through the university’s Cooperative Extension Service to the local Extension office, which will manage seven one-week summer camps for children ages 10 to 13. Campers may attend a selection or all of the sessions, as their family schedules permit.

“(The camps will) be exposing kids … to things they might not get locally,” by taking them on fields trips, said Alyson Hoffman, who wrote the grant application. Or, the sessions will show campers what exists locally that they didn’t know about.

Camp instructors will teach chemistry — disguised as cooking and baking — as well as beekeeping and food science, Hoffman said Thursday. Because the camp will cover “STEAM” topics — science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics — and not just “STEM,” children also will learn about such things as color and contrast.

“Getting these kids to keep up with their reading and math skills over the summer” is part of the equation, Hoffman said — and they’ll be doing it painlessly, through field trips and hands-on activities.

“(In 4-H) we like to see it, we like to do it, and we like to see them go teach someone else,” Hoffman said.

She has yet to work out all of the details, but Hoffman expects to partner with Discovery Place Kids so campers may use some of the resources the museum has to create what is called “maker space” — room to discover potential, innovative solutions to scientific and other problems.

Claudette Smith, associate administrator for the Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T, waxed enthusiastic about the 4-H program Thursday.

“When this was introduced (to us in a grant application), we thought, ‘This is a great idea for a county like this,’” Smith said.

Richmond County occupies the lowest tier in the state economically. Recent studies on child welfare also have shown than about two-thirds of children in the county live at or near poverty, a situation that can make it difficult to pursue educational experiences.

Camp sessions will run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday for seven weeks. Details will be announced soon. (Preliminary information is available for those who call 910-997-8255 or email alyson_hoffman@ncsu.edu.)

Richmond County’s 4-H also will offer robotics instruction during its 4-H Summer Adventures Program at Millstone 4-H Camp.

Hoffman

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_EXTAlysonhoffman_mug.jpgHoffman

Contributed photo A group of fifth-graders learns how to make paper during Science Adventures at Millstone 4-H Camp.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_4h_making-paper.jpgContributed photo A group of fifth-graders learns how to make paper during Science Adventures at Millstone 4-H Camp.

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ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County Animal Advocates will serve a “spayghetti dinner” Saturday to help keep low-income pet owners from being overrun with unwanted pups and kittens.

The dinner will be 5-9 p.m. Saturday at American Legion Post 49, off Boyd Lake Road in Hamlet. (That’s across from the National Guard Armory.) Cost is $10 for “spayghetti,” garlic bread and a drink. A cash bar will be available for those who wish to wet their whistles otherwise.

“(We’re) just trying to keep as many animals out of the shelter as possible,” organizer Allison Sweatt said Thursday. As for paying for spaying and not neutering, too …

Females “are the ones who have all the puppies and all the kittens,” Sweatt said. And it’s good to start somewhere.

Many low-income people come by their pets the way everyone else does — for free. But then come the costs for food and birth control, Sweatt said — “They love their animals, but they can’t afford (to get them fixed).”

With the money raised, the Animal Advocates will offer a chance to get an animal spayed for $5.

The event is the second of its kind. After the 2014 event, the organization paid for about 250 operations, Sweatt said.

Saturday’s dinner will include eat-in or take out food, “good company” and raffles for sponsor-donated prizes. Former Ellerbe Springs chef Charles Collins will concoct the spaghetti sauce from ingredients he will provide.

The organization will post dates pet owners can make appointments to have their animals spayed. Those who wish to take in their animals should keep an eye on the Facebook page for Richmond County Animal Advocates.

Those wishing for more information on Saturday’s event or the organization may email rcaa.shelterme@gmail.com or check the Facebook page.

Daily Journal file photo Richmond County Animal Advocates is hosting a “spayghetti” dinner on Saturday to help cover spaying costs for family pets.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_mutt_Kasey.jpgDaily Journal file photo Richmond County Animal Advocates is hosting a “spayghetti” dinner on Saturday to help cover spaying costs for family pets.

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ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County sheriff’s deputies arrested three individuals on drug charges in the last week.

Mon-T James Montgomery, 29, of Hamlet was arrested Monday after selling what deputies believed to be crack cocaine to a confidential informant on three occasions, according to a press release.

Montgomery is charged with three felony counts each of selling a Schedule II controlled substance, delivering a Schedule II controlled substance, possession with intent to sell and deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for selling a controlled substance.

He was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a $25,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court April 19.

Montgomery was previously convicted of a Level 5 DWI in December 2014, for which he was sentenced to probation, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.

On March 28, deputies arrested 42-year-old Keith Ronald Paglia and 32-year-old Miranda Blair Sanders, both of Rockingham.

Paglia was arrested following a traffic stop after deputies discovered he was driving without a license and in possession of Oxycodone pills, according to a press release. He is charged with misdemeanor possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and driving without a license. Paglia was jailed under a $2,500 secure bond and has a court date scheduled for April 19.

Paglia is a convicted felon with charges dating back to June 1993 when he was convicted of two felony counts of larceny of over $200, one felony count of breaking and entering, and one felony count of breaking and entering a vehicle. In November of that year he was convicted of one misdemeanor count each of assault on a female, reckless driving, and operating a vehicle without a license, according to state records.

At some point while serving time for these charges, he escaped from prison but was returned. He served a total of six years and four months for these offenses. Most recently, Paglia served three months in 2008 for misdemeanor convictions of assault on a female and larceny, according to state records.

Deputies arrested Sanders at her residence after she allegedly sold marijuana to a confidential informant. She is charged with two counts of selling or delivering a Schedule II controlled substance, and one count each of possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana and possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule IV controlled substance — all felonies. Sanders is also charged with one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Sanders was jailed under a $5,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court April 12.

She has no prior convictions, according to state records.

All suspects facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Reach Gavin Stone at 910-817-2674 or gstone@yourdailyjournal.com.

Montgomery

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_monTmontgomery.jpgMontgomery

Paglia

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_keithpaglia.jpgPaglia

Sanders

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_mirandasanders.jpgSanders

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HAMLET — Richmond Community College’s Board of Trustee approved at its meeting Tuesday the lease agreement between the College and FirstHealth of the Carolinas for the clinical simulators that will be housed in a section of the former hospital in Hamlet.

The lease agreement gives the College access to 4,106-square feet of the building that is located adjacent to RichmondCC’s main campus in Hamlet. FirstHealth has waived a rental fee as long as the college maintains to use it for educational purposes. The College will be responsible for necessary repairs and renovations of the space.

“We’re excited about this simulation hospital, and we can’t wait to show it off,” said Dr. Dale McInnis, college president. “This will be a tremendous recruiting tool for our nursing program, and it will be a great way to introduce our younger students in elementary and middle school to the power of technology.”

The simulation hospital will be fully equipped with a wide variety of low and high-fidelity programmable Laerdal manikins, video and computer equipment, furniture, office equipment and fixtures, creating a setting in which realistic healthcare experiences can be simulated to meet the clinical training needs of healthcare students and practicing professionals.

“Once we have the simulation hospital in operation, we think people will begin to fully appreciate its value for educational training and professional development,” McInnis said. “With the shortage of nurses in this region, we are all facing the same problems and looking for clinical space and clinical rotations.

“This simulation facility is a good complement, but not a replacement for working with patients and people,” McInnis added.

Once FirstHealth’s board has also approved the lease agreement, the college will move forward with hiring a coordinator to manage the equipment and scheduling its use.

RichmondCC and FirstHealth began discussing the feasibility of a simulation facility in the former Hamlet hospital back in December 2016. McInnis thanked Richmond Memorial Hospital President John Jackson and his team at FirstHealth for their cooperation and collaboration on making this project a reality.

In Other News

The Board of Trustees was informed that the City of Rockingham would be going out for bid on the construction of the Kenneth and Claudia Robinette Building in May. This collaboration among the city, Richmond County, the Cole Foundation, the Community Foundation and RichmondCC will house the Leon Levine School of Business and Information Technology at the intersection of Franklin and Lee streets, which includes the property commonly known as the RW Goodman Building in downtown Rockingham. According to the timeline for the project, the city will let bids on Aug. 15.

Construction is projected to take a year to complete, opening to students Fall Semester 2019. The facility will house college curriculum programs for business and technology, as well as programs and services for the Small Business Center and Workforce and Economic Development division.

Upcoming Events

Dr. Hal Shuler, associate vice president for development, reminded board members about the Anniversary Gala on Saturday, April 14, with live entertainment by the Fantastic Shakers. RichmondCC Foundation’s Distinguished Citizen of the Year, J.C. Lamm, will also be honored at the Gala.

The Gala is the Foundation’s annual fundraiser for the Working Scholarship program, which provides scholarships to working college students who do not qualify for financial aid. The Gala will be held from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Cole Auditorium.

Shuler also informed the board about the inaugural Bass Fishing Classic that will be held Saturday, April 28, from 7 to 11:30 a.m. at the lake on the College’s main campus. Organized by RichmondCC’s President’s Club, the fishing tournament is open to the general public. It is limited to 25 boats. Cash prizes will be awarded for biggest bass (most pounds) and best grouping (five fish or less).

The College is also hosting another unique tournament this spring, but this one will be brought indoors. The Rocket League Gaming Tournament will kick off May 1 with teams of three to five gamers competing in this popular video game. Teams will compete online through the month of May; however, the semi-finals and finals will be a face-to-face tournament on June 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cole Auditorium. This tournament is open to anyone in sixth grade (age 12) and older.

The Rocket League tournament is a fundraiser for the Summer STEM camps held at RichmondCC.

For more information about any of these events, contact Shuler at 910-410-1807 or email whshuler@richmondcc.edu. You can also key in search words on the College’s website, www.richmondcc.edu, to find additional information.

McInnis

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_McInnis-1-Color-199×300.jpgMcInnis

File photo Part of the former hospital in Hamlet will be used to house clinical simulators for Richmond Community College’s nursing program.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_sandhillsRMC.jpgFile photo Part of the former hospital in Hamlet will be used to house clinical simulators for Richmond Community College’s nursing program.

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WADESBORO — Pee Dee Electric is once again partnering with local educators to bring learning to life through the Bright Ideas education grant program. Starting April 1, educators can submit an application for Bright Ideas grants of up to $2,000 for innovative, hands-on classroom projects that would not otherwise be funded. Educators can learn more and apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com.

“The Bright Ideas grant program seeks to encourage teacher originality and student engagement by funding projects that take a creative approach to learning,” said Ashley Haynes, communications specialist for Pee Dee Electric. “ Pee Dee Electric is proud to be part of this long-standing effort to support both education and our local community.”

Pee Dee Electric expects to award $13,000 in Bright Ideas grants this year to teachers in Anson, Moore, Montgomery, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly and Union counties. Grants are available to K-12 teachers for projects in any subject, and educators can apply individually or as a team and must apply online at www.ncbrightideas.com.

Applications will be accepted April 1 through September 19. Teachers who submit their applications by the early bird deadline of Aug. 15 will be entered to win one of five $100 Visa gift cards.

To apply, teachers must include a budget; explain the implementation, goals, creative elements and evaluation of the project; and have approval from their school’s principal. Applications will be judged through a competitive evaluation process, with judges looking for projects that feature inventive and creative approaches to learning. Grant-writing tips can be found at www.ncbrightideas.com.

North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives have collectively pledged about $600,000 in Bright Ideas funding for the 2018-19 school year. Since 1994, educators statewide have received more than $11.5 million in Bright Ideas grant funding, and over 2.2 million North Carolina students have participated in approximately 11,000 Bright Ideas projects.

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ROCKINGHAM — A suspect in an alleged road rage incident led police officers on a car chase through a residential area, smashing through mailboxes and parked vehicles, before attempting to flee on foot Thursday morning.

A 911 caller described a driver in the U.S. 1 South area trying to run them off the road while wielding a firearm, according to a Friday press release from the Rockingham Police Department. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver refused, instead leading — by witness accounts — at least five police cruisers in a pursuit.

The driver led the officers down Rockingham Road, turning left at McArthur Drive where he clipped two vehicles and destroyed a mailbox on the property of Clay Pegram after a wide turn before turning left on Marshall Avenue, leaving oil and debris in his wake, according to Pegram who was in his home at the time.

Police said the driver continued to Hood Street before bringing the vehicle to a stop and fleeing on foot when he was arrested. Two passengers remained in the vehicle. The driver was identified as 24-year-old Dominique Dontae Everett, of Rockingham.

Pegram said he heard a “horrible noise” around 10 a.m. that he initially thought was a garbage truck until his neighbor banged on his door telling him “Man, you got to get out here.”

Pegram often repairs friends’ cars, and has several vehicles in his yard. Everett struck a blue pickup parked on Pegram’s property, pushing it over a small tree and into a white Volkswagen, also knocking an engine off of its blocks. Pegram said he would have been working underneath his son’s silver pickup when it was struck had he not gone back indoors briefly.

A city employee who was working in the area said he had to make sure his coworkers were out of the road when they heard the sirens around them. “(Everett) really took ‘em on a chase!” he said.

Everett is charged with one felony count each of fleeing to elude arrest, larceny of a motor vehicle, possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana and maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance; two misdemeanor counts of injury to real property and injury to personal property; one misdemeanor count each of possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and resisting a public officer; and two traffic violations — reckless driving to endanger and driving with a limited or revoked license.

He was also charged with a single count of misdemeanor larceny from the Rockingham Walmart in 2016.

Everett was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a $251,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court April 12.

Online court records show Everett is facing pending charges in Durham County — two counts each of selling marijuana, delivering marijuana and possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, one count of felony possession of marijuana and one misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana paraphernalia — and a misdemeanor larceny charge in Wake County.

He also has pending felony charges of having a gun on educational property and violating probation in Durham County Superior Court.

He has not previously been incarcerated, though records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show he was convicted of two misdemeanors charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a place for a controlled substance in 2011, and one felony count of possession of a weapon on a school campus in 2015. He received probation for both charges.

All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Reach Gavin Stone at 910-817-2674 or gstone@yourdailyjournal.com.

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal Two trucks, a mailbox and fence were damaged Thursday morning when police say Dominique Everett led them on a chase through several residential streets.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_chase_wreck.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal Two trucks, a mailbox and fence were damaged Thursday morning when police say Dominique Everett led them on a chase through several residential streets.

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ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office received 183 pounds of unused medicine since its last collection in November, notable both for the fact that residents are disposing of medicine responsibly and also the way that the drugs are recorded.

The last time the sheriff’s office collected unused drugs — part of Operation Medicine Drop ,which is focused on keeping dangerous drugs out of the hands of children or those who would attempt to turn a profit off of them — deputies had to count each individual pill, a process that can take up to a week.

This process could also expose officers to fentanyl, the synthetic opioid with significantly higher potency than heroin, which can be absorbed into the body through inhalation and skin contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. Though officers wear protective gear when counting the drugs, the DEA recently directed local law enforcement to weigh the unused drugs they receive instead, removing the possibility of ingesting fentanyl, which has seen a rapid rise in usage in recent years.

“It was a very time-consuming process,” said Capt. Jay Childers. “It’s a quicker and safer process now.”

This week’s medicine drop recovered 31 pounds of inhalers and liquid medicines, nine pounds of controlled substances, and 143 pounds of prescription drugs, according to Detective Terri Childers. She said the amounts vary — sometimes the drop boxes are packed full in a month and other months they are slow to fill.

Detective Childers said she wasn’t aware of any fentanyl being recovered this time around. The controlled substances that she said they see most often are Percocet and Lorcet, brand names for oxycodone and hydrocodone composites. She added that the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation now has a formula that can determine how many pills there are of certain brands based on the weight, a reversal of the previous process.

Capt. Childers said the vast majority of what they recover is cancer medications and those related to old age, such as blood pressure medication, because families are cleaning out their medicine cabinets after a family member has passed.

Drop-off boxes are available at the sheriff’s office, as well as the Rockingham and Hamlet police departments.

Reach Gavin Stone at 910-817-2674 or gstone@yourdailyjournal.com.

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal Detective Terry Childers weighs a box of unused medicine as part of a new policy to protect officers who previously had to count each pill.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_meddrop_teri.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal Detective Terry Childers weighs a box of unused medicine as part of a new policy to protect officers who previously had to count each pill.

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HAMLET — During their budget workshop Tuesday afternoon, City Council members will consider modifying the way residents are charged for water, a change likely to lower some bills and raise others moderately.

City Manager Jonathan Blanton will propose dropping the current billing method because it’s outdated, and because it forces some customers to pay for water they don’t use. Currently, all customers pay a base charge of $21 monthly, for which they are allotted the use of 25,000 gallons.

“Very few (cities) bill that way anymore,” Blanton said Friday. Instead, most charge a base amount to cover the costs of water infrastructure and delivery, and then charge for the amount of water used.

The regional Lumber River Council of Governments has advised Hamlet that it should charge a $33 base fee, plus $5 per 1,000 gallons of water used — “but there’s no way we can do that,” Blanton said, especially because the town hasn’t imposed a rate change since 2008, when it boosted the base rate from $11 to $21.

“I would like to see that $21 decrease,” Blanton said but did not recommend an amount. He also would like to see sewer rates change from the current $16 base fee, which allows the processing of 25,000 gallons of sewerage.

“It’s possible that some residents who use the least (water or sewer service) would see a drop,” Blanton said, estimating that those whose bills would rise would see no more than a 50-cent increase per month.

Hamlet is “so low” in what it charges that it has lost competition for some grants, Blanton has told council members. But a large increase — such as the one COG recommended — doesn’t sit well with council members, who say they’re concerned about people earning low incomes.

The water-rate change is only one proposal among many in an $8 million budget proposal that largely guarantees everything the council agreed to by consensus during their budget workshop March 2.

Highlights of the 2018-2019 budget proposal include:

Administration: $21,000 for a car for the performance of official tasks. “It’s in the draft,” Blanton said, “but it’s probably going to get cut.” Council members did not agree on the need for a new car during the budget workshop in March.

Fire Department: Financing for a used pickup firefighters would refurbish, and six air packs to replace outdated ones that don’t send out an alarm when a firefighter falls inside a blazing building. Chief Calvin White had asked for four air packs — at $6,800 apiece — but council consensus set the number he could order at six instead. The department already has seven — enough so that teams of firefighters can share as they rotate into and out of a fire — but Hamlet remains the only local department that does not have new air packs for all firefighters.

Parks and Recreation: $60,000 to repave the basketball courts at South Hamlet Park.

Police Department: One new Dodge police cruiser, the lease of four portable Tsunami cameras to monitor crowds during city events ($24,000) and additional money for a narcotics officer ($48,000). The amount for the narcotics officer might not result in the hiring of an officer, Blanton said. Instead, the city could present an existing officer with additional duties and add to his or her salary.

Public Works: $39,000 for a truck to pair with the leaf-and-limb grinder, and $26,500 for a truck for the water-distribution division. Public Works Director Billy Stubbs commonly looks for bargain used trucks at government auctions.

Blanton and Finance Director Jill Dinkins did not include higher employee salaries in the proposed budget nor one to increase property taxes, which stand at 66 cents per $100,000 of assessed valuation — the highest rate for any city in Richmond County.

Direction on a potential pay raise would come from the council, Blanton said. Last year, after some discussion, council members agreed on 2 percent raises.

The bottom line for the proposed 2018-19 budget is $8,246, 575, which Blanton said he expected to drop. It would necessitate taking $178,000 from budget reserves, in addition to the $526,000 the council took out last year to make budget.

“I’d love to stay below eight (million),” Blanton said, “but (the cost for) everything’s on the rise.”

Two bright spots: This will be the first full sales tax year for the Dairy Queen, and mark the opening of La Cabana and Jerry’s Diner. Sales taxes from Hamlet’s ABC store also rose at least $10,000 to $40,000 last year and may go even higher this year, Blanton said.

“Police (also) have done really well with seizures” related to criminal charges, Blanton said. In fiscal 2017, he said, such seizures resulted in more than $12,000 in income.

Mayor Bill Bayless was in City Hall on Friday but had not yet seen the budget. Still, he said, he expected it to be spot on because Dinkins “always gets it right on the money.”

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Richmond County has been chosen to receive $21,212 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs.

The selection was made by a national board that is chaired by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consist of representatives from American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; The Jewish Federations of North America; The Salvation Army; and the United Way Worldwide. The local board was charged to distribute funds appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high need areas around the country.

A local board will determine how the funds awarded to Richmond County are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies. The local board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds made available under this phase of the program.

Under the terms of the grant from the national board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must:

• be private voluntary non profits or units of government;

•be eligible to receive Federal funds;

• have an accounting system;

•practice nondiscrimination;

• have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and / or shelter programs; and

• if they are a private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board.

Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.

Richmond County has distributed Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds previously to: Our Daily Bread; Southern Mission Ministries; Helping Hands of Hamlet – Back Pack Pals; Richmond County Aging Services; New Horizon’s Life and Family Services; Samaritan Colony; and The Salvation Army.

Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program Funds should contact Michelle Parrish at 910-997-2173 for an application or email michelleparrish@bellsouth.net.

The deadline to receive applications is Monday, April 23, 2018 by 2 p.m. No late applications accepted.

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Man, woman charged with assaulting each other

HAMLET — A man and woman arguing about ownership of $60 late Tuesday were slapped with misdemeanor assault charges when their argument turned violent, police reports show.

Deja Nicole Smith, 22, of Southern Pines was charged with simple assault and Jacob Ryan Carver, 24, of Airport Road, Rockingham with assault on a female. Both charges were misdemeanors.

Officers took Smith and Carver from the site of the alleged argument — Piney Pointe Apartments — to the Richmond County Jail. They are both scheduled to appear in court April 23.

Online court records show Carver also has a May 7 appearance in Richmond County Superior Court on three felony drug charges.

He was convicted of assault on a female in October 2016, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.

Teen accused of incest

ROCKINGHAM — Police arrested 16-year-old Tyrion K. Travers of Ellerbe on Monday, charging him with having sex with a relative, who is under the age of 13.

He is charged with one felony count of incest. The warrant for Travers’ arrest does not specify the age of the alleged victim but explains that the charge, G.S. 14-178(B)(1)(A), is given when a person has sex with a child who is under the age of 13 while being at least 12 years old and is at least four years older than the child.

Travers is being held at the Richmond County Jail under a $100,000 secured bond. He has no prior offenses, according to state records.

He is scheduled to appear in court on April 26.

Teen charged with rape

ROCKINGHAM — Sheriff’s deputies Monday arrested 16-year-old Cody A. Harding of Hamlet on rape charges.

He is charged with one felony count of second-degree forcible rape, according to warrants for his arrest.

Harding is being held at the Richmond County Jail under a $100,000 secured bond. He has no prior convictions, according to state records.

He is scheduled to appear in court on April 26.

Man accused of shoplifting

HAMLET — Julian Robinson, 45, of Hamlet was charged Monday with one misdemeanor count each of second-degree trespassing, and shoplifting and concealment of goods, police reports show.

Robinson, who has no known address, was taken from the Alco convenience store on West Hamlet Avenue and jailed at the Richmond County Jail in lieu of a $500 secured bond.

Online court records show Robinson also has pending misdemeanor charges, including two counts of larceny and one count each of first- and second-degree terspassing.

He was scheduled to appear in court on all charges Friday.

Robinson has been convicted on multiple counts of misdemeanor and felony larceny since 1990, state records show, including larceny of dogs in 2011.

His record also includes convictions of selling a Schedule II controlled substance, damage to property, assault by pointing a gun and resisting a public officer.

SUV impounded after DWI charge

HAMLET — If he had stayed put, Ignacio Arroya Gonzalez probably would have been told only to turn down the music playing at a home he was visiting on West Hamlet Avenue, police Capt. Randy Dover says.

But Gonzalez and a number of other men hopped into a car and drove off when police arrived Saturday, Dover said this week. That resulted in a misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired by alcohol or other drugs, police reports show.

Gonzalez, 31 and a resident of St. Pauls, was taken to the Richmond County Jail, where he was booked under a $500 bond. His vehicle, a 2002 Ford Explorer, was impounded.

Teen leads cops on chase

HAMLET — Refusing to pull over for speeding citation, 17-year-old Jordan Cameron of Rockingham instead led officers of at least three Richmond County law-enforcement agencies on an extended chase in the wee hours of last Friday, police reports show.

Cameron, of Collins Church Road, was charged with felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle, a blue 2008 Cadillac CTS. He was taken to the Richmond County Jail, and booked under a $5,000 secured bond.

He is also charged with fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon against emergency personnel — both felonies — driving with no operator’s license, reckless driving to endanger, failing to stop at a stop sign or flashing red light and possession of counterfeit instrument, currency or check.

The car, stolen in Salisbury, was impounded.

All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Vickie Taylor probably won’t leave her husband Robbie’s side for the two to four weeks he’s in the hospital in Charlotte, after upcoming heart surgery. And the couple’s friends want to make sure she can stay.

Which is why Neil Parrisher has organized a corn hole tournament, hot dog lunch, and a series of raffles and auctions to cover expenses the family will incur by remaining by Taylor’s side.

“I know going through stuff like this is a big strain on the family,” said Parrisher, director of public safety at Richmond Community College and a friend of Taylor’s son Robbie (Robert Lee Taylor III), RCC’s vice president for workforce and economic development.

“A lot of people care about him,” Parrisher said this week. “I can tell by the outpouring of support.”

Robert Lee “Robbie” Taylor Jr., 64, was a police officer in Hamlet before moving to the Rockingham department and eventually earning the rank of lieutenant. His father, Bobby (Robert Lee Taylor Sr.), and son Robbie (Robert Lee Taylor III) both were sheriff’s deputies.

A “straight-up nice guy,” according to friend and retired deputy Larry Smith, Taylor suffered a heart attack about 2o years ago, at age 45, and then underwent a quadruple bypass. He was five years older than his dad was when a similar attack killed him.

Recently, said son Robbie, Taylor has suffered “a couple episodes where he couldn’t breathe” — a seemingly unlikely situation for a man who once played “every sport he could.”

Formerly a candidate for a heart transplant but now too weak to be considered for one, son Robbie said, Taylor instead will be outfitted with an LVAD, a surgically implanted mechanical pump that helps the heart move more blood with less work. (“LVAD” stands for “left ventricular assist device” because it steers oxygen-enriched blood from the heart’s left ventricle to the aorta.)

Taylor III said of his father that he “didn’t realize how many people he knew … that thought well of him.”

As for his mother, he said, “I would be surprised if she leaves” Taylor Jr.’s side.

“If I can get her to come home at all, I’ll be lucky,” he said.

Former Rockingham Police Chief Eddie Martin brought up Taylor’s situation at Hamlet City Council on Tuesday, asking for “prayers and thoughts.” On Wednesday, he described Taylor as “a good guy, an enjoyable guy and … well liked.”

It always has stuck in his mind, Martin said, that Taylor never missed a day of school from grade one to 12. That, Martin said, demonstrated determination and integrity — qualities he said Taylor displayed until he was forced to retire on disability after suffering his heart attack at police headquarters.

Taylor’s brother Stevie retired from the Hamlet Police as a captain within the last year, Martin said.

“They’re all good people,” Martin said of the family —“just good people.”

Contributed photo Robbie Taylor is promoted by then-Rockingham Police Chief Eddie Martin. A benefit will be held April 21 to help cover medical expenses for a heart surgery.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_robbietaylorpinning.jpgContributed photo Robbie Taylor is promoted by then-Rockingham Police Chief Eddie Martin. A benefit will be held April 21 to help cover medical expenses for a heart surgery.

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HAMLET — Richmond County Schools has equipped five of its most architecturally vulnerable buildings with cameras and entrance buzzers to improve student and staff safety, Operations Director Dennis Quick told School Board members Thursday.

Teams comprising school resource officers, other representatives of local law enforcement, the schools’ maintenance director and building principals chose the five schools because visitors to their campuses were especially difficult to monitor or even see. (The school district asked that the schools not be named in the interests of safety.)

“Our goal is to have (buzzers) in all of our schools within the next two years,” Quick told board members during a work session before their regular meeting.

Last month, the school system began examining each school in the district, taking into consideration both school grounds and interiors, which they have been inspecting for such things as:

• landscaping. Do bushes or trees grow over windows or provide hiding places on school grounds?

• structure. Are doors and windows vulnerable? Do walkway covers provide ways for intruders to climb onto a second floor?

• signs. Are visitors notified immediately that they may not enter without visiting the office first?

Teams have kept an eye out for things that could be fixed immediately, such as graffiti in the bathrooms or on outside walls, and given principals permission to address those concerns immediately, Quick said.

But some things may take longer, such as rerouting traffic flow to ensure that parents and buses don’t crowd each other, or that the way is always clear should law enforcement be called.

The safety teams have their work cut out for them at some schools, Quick and Superintendent Cindy Goodman noted.

For example, Richmond Senior High School alone has 87 doors that must be locked and monitored. And teachers at other schools who lock entry doors may find themselves circling a building after recess in order to get back to class with their sweaty students.

Eventually, Goodman said, the school system wants to have keyless entry for all doors. That way, only certain people will be able to gain access.

At their regular meeting after the work session, the board:

• Welcomed a contingent of art teachers who have planned the first auction of student art, “For Love of Places: A Remix of Locations,” which will be 5-7 p.m. May 1, at Leath Memorial Library in Rockingham. The event, said art teacher SaraBeth Dew of Hamlet Middle School, would “offer legitimacy to the creative and technical skills” of students by awarding them 100 percent of the money bid on their creations.

• Set June 12-15 for summer remediation sessions throughout the district. Students who have not scored “proficient” or who have not passed end-of-course tests will be able to study and then retake the tests. All elementary and middle schools will offer remediation, as well as RSHS (in biology and English 2), the Ninth Grade Academy (in Math 1) and Richmond Early College (in all classes with end-of-course exams).

• Voted to offer to the county as surplus the vacant Rohanen Middle School. Rohanen students moved to Cordova Middle School this year, leaving their former building uninhabited.

• Approved the schedule for the 2018-19 school year. Aside from moving a couple of workdays, the schedule is very similar to the one for this academic year — although Board Chair Wiley Mabe noted that such things as snow made schedules “a moving target.”

Daily Journal file photo Several Richmond County schools are adding cameras and taking other measures to improve security for students and staff.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_rcs_police.jpgDaily Journal file photo Several Richmond County schools are adding cameras and taking other measures to improve security for students and staff.

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SOUTHERN PINES —Police in Moore County have charged a Richmond County teen for killing a pregnant Lee County teen and her unborn child.

Brian Lovon Little, 18, of Robin Covington Road, Rockingham, is accused of killing 18-year-old Aiyonna Clarice Barrett of Sanford, who was in the late term of her pregnancy, earlier this week.

Barrett’s body was found in a vehicle on a dirt road off of South Gaines Street around 7:45 Sunday evening, according to the Southern Pines Police Department.

Police say Barrett “was pregnant with a ‘full-term’ unborn child who was additionally deceased.”

Little is charged with one count each of first-degree murder and murder of an unborn child and is being held without bond in the Moore County Detention Center. Records show he was booked at 12:23 a.m. Friday. He is scheduled to appear in court April 24.

Police are scheduled to have a press conference at 2 p.m. Friday.

The Daily Journal will update this story as more information becomes available.

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SOUTHERN PINES — Police in Moore County have charged a Richmond County teen with killing a Lee County teen pregnant with their unborn child.

Brian Lovon Little, 18, of Robin Covington Road, Rockingham, is accused of killing 18-year-old Aiyonna Clarice Barrett of Sanford, who was in the late term of her pregnancy, earlier this week. Lt. Kyle Marsh confirmed investigators have sufficient evidence to believe that Little was the father of the baby.

Southern Pines Police Chief Robert Temme said there is no reason to believe there is any remaining threat to the community.

Barrett’s body was found in her vehicle on a dirt road off of South Gaines Street around 7:45 Sunday evening, according to the Southern Pines Police Department. Deputy Chief Nick Paladori said Barrett suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Police say Barrett “was pregnant with a ‘full-term’ unborn child who was additionally deceased.”

Barrett recently transferred from Richmond Senior High School and was a senior at Southern Lee High School, according to WRAL-TV. Little graduated from Richmond Senior High School in 2017, and played defensive back for the Raiders football team in 2016.

Investigators recovered a gun they believe was used in the crime, though it is unclear where the weapon was found, and they are continuing their analysis. They recovered other evidence at the scene, but could not release further details. Marsh could not comment on whether Little acted alone in the killing, and reiterated that there is no ongoing threat to the community.

Marsh said a motive had not yet been established and the investigation is ongoing.

Little was arrested at 11:28 p.m. Thursday. Investigators have interviewed Little multiple times since his arrest.

He is charged with one count each of first-degree murder and murder of an unborn child and is being held without bond in the Moore County Detention Center. He is scheduled to appear in court April 24.

He has no prior convictions, according to Capt. Charles Campbell, information officer for the Southern Pines Police Department.

The lead law enforcement agency in the case is the Southern Pines Police Department, with support from the State Bureau of Investigation, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rockingham Police Department.

The Daily Journal will update this story as more information becomes available.

Little

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_brianlittle.jpgLittle

Gavin Stone | Daily Journal Southern Pines Police Chief Robert Temme speaks to reporters about the murder of 18-year-old Aiyonna Clarice Barrett during a press conference Friday afternoon.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_murder_pressconf_sp.jpgGavin Stone | Daily Journal Southern Pines Police Chief Robert Temme speaks to reporters about the murder of 18-year-old Aiyonna Clarice Barrett during a press conference Friday afternoon.

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HAMLET – A cadre of fourth- and fifth-graders from Monroe Avenue Elementary School tucked three fledgling chaste trees into newly dug holes Friday, tamping down the dirt around them with the backs of shovels and bottoms of tennis shoes.

All of students wore dark green aprons proclaiming them “conservation rangers,” denoting participation in a tree-care and -planting program sponsored at their school by the Hamlet Tree and Beautification Group, which also organized the “Trees Are for Bees” Arbor Day celebration.

“Bees have got a lot stacked against them,” Ranger Jack Taylor of the N.C. Forest Service told those gathered for the occasion at Main Street Park.

“We, as stewards of the land and stewards of the forest, can do a lot to promote bees.”

The day also included a mandatory reading of Joyce Kilmer’s “only God can make a tree” poem, a tree rap, bee trivia and continuous reminders that trees help guarantee a healthier future for everyone.

Mayor Bill Bayless also read a “whereas”-loaded proclamation of Friday as Arbor Day in Hamlet, noting that “wherever planted, (trees) offer a source of joy and spiritual renewal.”

Three fifth-graders were honored for prize-winning posters made to honor the day: Addison Baldwin, first; Zoey Williams, second; and Karma Lindsey, third.

The posters will be displayed for a month at the Hamlet Library.

As the event drew to a close and the children and tree ladies dispersed, a fat bumblebee made lazy circles over the shelter at Main Street Park.

Ranger Jack Franklin supervises students from Monroe Avenue Elementary School during Friday’s Arbor Day commemoration at Hamlet’s Main Street Park. Franklin told the students trees needed to be planted in wide holes so their roots could spread.

https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_treeplant_18.jpgRanger Jack Franklin supervises students from Monroe Avenue Elementary School during Friday’s Arbor Day commemoration at Hamlet’s Main Street Park. Franklin told the students trees needed to be planted in wide holes so their roots could spread.

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