On Sunday at  approximately 9:04 p.m., Officer J.Shelburne conducted a traffic stop near Highway 48 and Hinson Street  for a violation.

Marijuana and a handgun were located.

Hunter Medlin, 29, of Roanoke Rapids, was charged with possession of schedule VI and carrying a concealed weapon.

He received a $1,000 bond and March 12 court date.

Officer R. Cross was the charging officer and Shelburne assisted.

On Sunday at approximately 11:47 p.m., Shelburne conducted a traffic stop in the area of the 1000 block of Jackson Street.

During the investigation Cross and his dog, Midas, arrived and assisted.

The passenger was checked and narcotics were discovered.

During the search 1.3 grams of cocaine, a Zolpidem pill, and a straw with a white residue on it were seized.

Troy Carter, 31, of Roanoke Rapids. was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of schedule IV.

Carter received a $2,000 bond and March 7 court date.

Martin said Zolpidem is a sleep aid.

Officers J. Spragins and M. Worrell assisted.

I am a candidate with 34 years of credible law enforcement services in which I have built long lasting relationships with the citizens throughout Northampton County.

I have an associates degree in criminal justice and am currently working on my bachelor’s degree also in criminal justice, along with many hours of law enforcement training.  

I was born, raised, and educated in Northampton County.

I am a member of Allen Chapel AME Church, captain of Relay for Life Team Live, Laugh and Love, member of the Northampton County Special Olympics, chairperson of WIN (Women In the NAACP), second vice president of the Northampton Branch of the NAACP, third vice president of the Northampton County Democratic Women, state trustee of the Northampton County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 47, former organizer and coordinator of the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office Crime Stoppers Program and secretary of the Northampton/Halifax Reentry Council.

The safety of our families, our kids, our seniors, our neighbors, and our friends deserve the best we can offer.

Law enforcement should be about protecting and serving the community in which you love. When I am given the opportunity to serve the citizens of Northampton County you will get to meet the faces of the sheriff’s office.

The employees of the sheriff’s office will be encouraged to get involved in the community in which they work.

The sheriff’s office will be more accessible, responsive, open, more visible, and active throughout the entire Northampton County.

As your sheriff, I will enforce strong public safety, quick and courteous service, proactive law enforcement, strong drug enforcement, safe schools, community involvement and community policing.

I will lead by example and serve the citizens of Northampton County along with my staff with respect, professionalism, and integrity.

Together we can make positive changes in Northampton County.

In all, James Donald Lewter, 49, faces six counts of indecent liberties with a child and one count of false imprisonment.

Five of the indecent liberties counts are from an investigation by Investigator Gorton Williams of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department as is the false imprisonment charge, Captain Bobby Martin said this evening.

Martin said the city’s counts reflect three victims ages 12, 13 and 7 and crimes which allegedly occurred in 2017. The county charge also reportedly occurred last year, Chief Deputy Scott Hall of the sheriff’s office said.

Martin said Williams continues to investigate and further charges from the city police are possible. “We’re still investigating and we ask anyone who has contact with Mr. Lewter that they feel is inappropriate to contact Investigator Williams.”

Martin said the police department received its information on Lewter within the last month.

In a statement, Hall said a report was filed Friday with the sheriff’s office regarding indecent liberties with a child.

Hall said the victim in the county’s case, which was investigated by Detective R.B. Biggerstaff, was a child under the age of 16. Both Hall and Martin declined to release the gender of the victims.

The investigation by Biggerstaff and Williams led to the county charge of indecent liberties with a child against Lewter.

Lewter, who had been detained in Florida two weeks ago because of the Roanoke Rapids charges, was extradited back to Halifax County.

He initially received a $75,000 bond for the city’s charges and he received a $100,000 bond for the county charges. He has a February 21 court date on the county charge and a March 7 court date on the city charges.

Martin said Lewter was reportedly familiar with the victims in the case.

Martin commended the work of Biggerstaff and Williams. “I commend them for utilizing the info they had. When agencies work together to solve crimes like that it’s instrumental and it just goes to show that we’re working together for the citizens of Halifax County.”

Hall said, “We’re working together in an effort that hopefully allows the victims to see some resolution.”

Anyone with further information is encouraged to call Williams at 252-533-2821 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

Roger Warren Allison of Durham, a Republican challenger, filed earlier.

In the only other filing today, Norlan Graves filed to run against incumbent Valerie Asbell for District 7 district attorney office.Filing for the May 8 primary ends at noon on February 28.

Castillo, left, and Aguilar

The men, Johan Castillo and Hender Aguilar, were also charged by Weldon police last week for allegedly twice tampering with an ATM off Julian R. Allsbrook Highway.

Enfield police Chief Tyree Davis said in a statement Detective Willie Murphy charged the men with felony card theft with a scanning device.

Installation of the device at an ATM in Enfield resulted in the theft of more than $600 from a victim’s account. The victim came forward on November 17, Davis said.

The theft of the money from the victim’s account came two days after the police department and the United States Secret Service learned the men, who are from Venezuela and have temporary Florida drivers license, possibly installed a skimmer at an ATM in town, Davis said.

Enfield has been working with Weldon and the secret service since confirming a device was installed.

The men received $75,000 bonds in the Enfield case and $100,000 bonds in the Weldon case.

They were scheduled to appear in district court today on the Weldon counts and Wednesday on the Enfield counts.

Weldon police charged the men with two counts each of criminal possession of financial transaction card forgery devices.

Avens said today said the men are suspected of placing skimmers in Fayetteville, Clayton, Raleigh and Louisburg as well as Enfield and Weldon.

The men were arrested Thursday after an anonymous caller reported suspicious activity at a Weldon ATM where a device had been installed late last year.

The men were caught after getting on Interstate 95 by Trooper J.D. Warren of the state Highway Patrol and Weldon Officer Quinton Godley approximately two hours after the anonymous call was received.

Agent C.Babb of the City County Drug Task Force attempted to stop a vehicle for a motor vehicle violation, Captain A.M. Harris said in a statement. Babb attempted the stop shortly after 8:45 p.m.

The driver, later identified as Desmond King, failed to stop for blue lights and siren and sped up, heading west on Julian R. Allsbrook.

Agents, Roanoke Rapids police patrol officers, Halifax County Sheriff’s Office deputies and state Highway Patrol troopers responded.

The chase ended in the 1900 block of Daniel Street and during a search two dosage units and a plastic bag of heroin was seized. The total amount was not immediately known.

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King, 23, of Oak Street, was arrested and charged with felony flee to elude with a motor vehicle, driving while license revoked, fail to heed light or siren, fail to stop for red light, unsafe movement, reckless driving, driving left of center, fail to stop for stop sign and speeding.  

The passenger, Dalonte Bradley, 22, of County Road, Weldon, was charged with felony possession of heroin and possession with the intent to sell/deliver heroin.

King received a $5,000 bond and Bradley a $10,000 bond.

Both have March 21 court dates.

This was the second of three meetings commissioners have had with the county’s three school systems. They met with Halifax County Schools earlier this month and will meet with Weldon City Schools next month.

Robbie Clements, director of facilities and operations for the school system, said the most recent issues to come up at the high school are repair of steps at the senior building and addressing stairwell humidity issues. Those two issues are estimated to cost a total of $70,000.

There are a total of $1,303,000 in capital needs at the high school, he said.

Included in those other needs are replacement of heating and air controls, auditorium fly loft concrete moulding repairs, north end senior building classroom repairs, math and science building chiller overhaul, addressing water intrusion issues and senior building fly loft repair.

The top priorities at Belmont are a chiller rebuild and dehumidifier installation and repair, those projects topping out at $275,000. There are a total of $550,000 in capital needs at Belmont.

Chaloner has $65,000 in capital needs among two projects — repair settled concrete floor in seventh grade and replace rubber mats on seventh grade ramps.

Clara Hearne has $37,000 in capital needs with recently emerging parking lot repairs ranked at top. The parking lot repairs come in at $15,000.

At Manning, where the meeting was held, track repair is needed and the cost is estimated to be $150,000. “It’s in terrible shape,” Clements said.

The maintenance building has about $90,000 in capital needs with parking lot repairs highlighted as the most recent issue to come up. Estimated cost is $15,000.

Central office needs are at $138,000, with boardroom repair shown as the top priority and an estimated price tag of $15,000.

In total there are $2,333,000 in total capital needs for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

That number is subject to change, Clements said, once he surveys principals on what their needs may be in the upcoming fiscal year.

He told Commissioner Carolyn Johnson he could not say with certainty how much the requests made by principals would add to the capital needs. “We have a lot of issues at the high school. I don’t foresee any big ticket items.”

Clements and school Superintendent Dain Butler said following the meeting they don’t expect the requests to significantly increase what was presented at the meeting.

“We’ve been good stewards with our lottery funds,” Chief Finance Officer Andrea Midgette told the boards.

She said the school system will be repaying $200,000 from lottery funds towards the Manning debt annually.

“I think you’ve done a good job handling money,” Commissioner Linda Brewer said. “Thank you for the hard work you do.”  

Meanwhile, discussion during the meeting turned to school security, which Commissioner Patrick Qualls said is an issue which will not only have to be addressed within the Roanoke Rapids system, but the other school systems in the county.

During the current fiscal year, Roanoke Rapids has added additional cameras at Belmont and Chaloner, spending $10,000 for each school

Additional cameras are included in the 2018-2019 capital outlay requests for the high school and Clara Hearne.

All schools except the high school have a buzz-in system, Clements said. “We have a tremendous amount of cameras in the district.”

Qualls said additional security measures is something which will have to be discussed.

“It’s sad we have to turn our schools into prisons,” Commissioner Marcelle smith said. “(Security) is high on my list.”

Qualls said afterward it’s an issue which has to be discussed “for future planning. There’s a lot of technology out there."

Approved a rezoning request from Anthony R. Dickens to rezone a 6.5-acre tract of land from R-40 residential to B-4 commercial district. The land is adjacent to the western right-of-way  of Highway 125 and south of American Legion Road. There has been no stated intended use of the property or any proposed development plan, city planning and development staff has stated in documents.

Heard City Manager Joseph Scherer’s report which included a statement Roanoke Rapids Graded Schools Superintendent Dain Butler and police Chief Chuck Hasty have reviewed and discussed district plans for a response to an active shooter. “Their plan meets the basic requirements to address serious concerns like assembly areas for students, parents, teacher actions, overall responsibility responding to an active shooter and other topics,” his report said.

The school district and police department are planning to conduct an active shooter drill to test the district’s plan.

Scherer also gave an update of upcoming state Department of Transportation projects which include:

Interstate 95, welcome center building upgrades, ramp improvements and new guardrails.

Bridge replacements in Halifax County.

The turn lane extension project at Exit 173 for I-95 northbound traffic.

The Premier Boulevard extension and Highway 125 widening projects.

Roanoke Avenue resurfacing in which the contract should be let next month.

Heard from 10-year-old Elijah Lee who has already been approved by the police department for a permit to hold a walk at Centennial Park from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. to raise awareness of child abuse.

The event is planned for March 3.

Avens received the nomination at the chief’s conference in Cherokee last month.

“I’m thankful to my peers who voted for me,” he said in a recent interview. “I appreciate the opportunity to serve. It gives me a chance to be in the know of what’s going in law enforcement.”

District 9 encompasses 17 counties. “Region 9 has the biggest area to cover. It actually gives me a chance to build relationships with other chiefs and stay informed and keep them informed.”

Avens said departments in the district all face the same problems from opioids to gangs and legislative issues. “We may be small but we have the same things as metro departments, personnel funding issues, new training. I get to be the voice for small towns.”

Being a member of the association, he said, helps departments get information they may not otherwise know is out there. “By not going, you’re not in the know. There’s grants out there. There’s so many resources out there.”

Information gained from other departments will help his own department, he said. “My goal is to make this department better, have professional development. We have good officers here.”

The event will be held March 1 at 10:30 a.m. at The Hen and the Hog at 16 South King Street.

The launch will include a brief overview presentation of the program.  

The program represents the joining of three historic towns — Edenton, Halifax and Warrenton — to market and promote themselves as connected tourist destinations under the Discover History Worth Repeating program.

It includes a passport tour which leads visitors through the participating towns.  

Passports are stamped at each historic, merchant, or artisan location.  

Hands-on activities in each town are tailored for children and adults: Resigning the resolves in Halifax, building architectural elements in Warrenton and cruising the bay where the Tea Party occurred in Edenton.  

For more information or to print a passport visit www.historyworthrepeating.org.  

Preprinted passports are available at any of the following locations:

Edenton:   

• Historic Visitors Center – 108 N. Broad Street
• Penelope Barker House – 505 S. Broad Street
• Edenton Bay Cruises – S. Broad Street on the water
• 309 Bistro & Spirits – 309 S. Broad Street
• Downtown Café and Soda Shoppe – 301 S. Broad Street
• Edenton Coffee House – 302 S. Broad Street
• Waterman’s Grill – 417 S. Broad Street
• Edenton Bay Trading – 407 S. Broad Street
• Chowan Arts Council and Gallery Shop – 504 S. Broad Street

Warrenton:

• Jacob Holt House – 122 S. Bragg Street
• Quilt Lizzy – 117 E. Market Street
• Town Hall – 133 S. Main Street
• Hardware Café – 106 S. Main Street
• Robinson Ferry Restaurant – 111 N. Bragg Street
• Scarlet Rooster – 117 N. Main Street
• Friends Two – 126 S. Main Street

Halifax:

• State Historic Site – 25 Saint David Street
• Halifax Town Hall – 24 S. King Street
• The Hen and the Hog Restaurant – 16 S. King Street
• Bass House Antiques – 13 N. King Street

James Edward Mills of Scotland Neck filed today, making him the second challenger after Terry Buffaloe of Roanoke Rapids filed last week for a seat on the county board.

Mills and Buffaloe are challenging incumbents Vernon Bryant, Rives Manning and Patrick Qualls.

On Tuesday, incumbent Susie Lynch Evans filed to retain her seat on the Halifax County School Board.

Incumbent school board member Joyce Lashley has yet to file.

Current board chair Claude Cooper filed last week.

The filing period for the May 8 primary ends February 28 at noon.

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The unknown woman entered the store, took electronic chargers off the shelf and left.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Lieutenant Charles Vaught at 252-533-2819 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

On Wednesday at approximately 1 a.m., Deputy W. H. Wheeler stopped a vehicle for a motor vehicle violation in Weldon.

Wheeler noticed an open container of alcohol inside.

Continued investigation led to the discovery of a cigarette pack which had two individual bags of cocaine inside.

Wheeler arrested and charged Adriane Deamaine Pender 39, of Weldon, with felony possession of cocaine.

He also issued Pender two citations for possession of marijuana less than 1/2 ounce and possession of an open container in the passenger area of a motor vehicle.

Pender received a $5,000 bond and was placed in the Halifax County Detention Center with a March 21 court date.

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On February 18 at around 5 a.m., deputies responded to Justice Branch Road in Littleton regarding a possible burglary in progress.  

While in the area Deputy P. Moyer attempted to stop a vehicle matching the description of a possible suspect.

The driver failed to stop and a pursuit ensued.

The brief chase ended when the driver stopped on Ferguson Street in Littleton and abandoned the vehicle.

Moyer gave chase and apprehended the person, identified as Ricky Edmonds, a short distance later.

Edmonds, 51, of Littleton, was charged with felony flee to elude, possession of a stolen vehicle, speeding, careless and reckless driving, resist an officer, driving while license revoked, drive left of center, and stop sign violation.

Investigation determined the vehicle Edmonds was operating was stolen from an address in Littleton.

Officer E. Johnson was the charging officer for the vehicle theft.

Edmonds was placed in the Halifax County Detention Center under a $75,000 bond and a March 7 court date.

The burglary investigation continues.

On February 16 at around 4:30 p.m., Corporal B. Council noticed two people in the parking lot at the Medoc Gas Station in a heated argument with the potential of it leading to a fight.

Council detained them for further investigation.

During his investigation, Council learned of an armed robbery which occurred in the parking lot prior to his arrival.

One of the people he detained, Desmond Tremaine Norwood, was identified as the alleged robbery suspect after the victim returned to the scene.

Council arrested and charged Norwood, 25, of Rocky Mount, with common law robbery, assault and battery, and communicating threats.

Norwood was placed in the Halifax County Detention Center on a $20,000 secured bond.

He had a first appearance Wednesday and will return to court on March 21.

Hall said the person Norwood was initially arguing with had nothing to do with the robbery and the argument had nothing to do with crime.

“In 2014 I ran as a virtual unknown and garnered 35 percent of the vote. Today, I am a local police chief with a record of success in ridding the community of crime and drugs, Davis said.”

Today, Tyree comes to the citizens of Halifax County with a verifiable record of success which he believes can be taken to the sheriff’s office to improve law enforcement in Halifax County as a whole. 

When Starting his law enforcement career in 2003, Tyree dedicated his career to enforcing local, state, and federal laws.

Since his start, he has amassed many supervisory assignments and accomplishments to include the positions of corporal, narcotics agent, and sergeant in the investigations division. 

Tyree was hired as a captain with the Enfield Police Department and promoted to chief of Police in five months. “When I was hired as the chief of police, I promised I would hire and promote the best officers for the position, based on training, education, and experience. Not based on who you know, or the buddy system,” said Davis.

As a result of great leadership, officers and deputies from local agencies have chosen to join Chief Davis and the Enfield Police Department team in their effort to focus on combating crime and enforcing the law. 

Davis is also proud that, “not only do we have one of the most diverse departments in Halifax County, but one of the most well-trained departments as well. It is my belief that a well-trained officer is a more confident and productive officer.” 

When Tyree started with the Enfield Police Department, including himself they he had five officers, but were supposed to have 12. Not only did he fill the open positions, he did so with some of the most well-trained, experienced, and proactive officers in each position.  

“When I first started in Enfield, you could drive down the street seeing people openly drinking beer and selling drugs as if it was supposed to be part of everyday life. We were getting reports of people firing shots most nights of the week. Now you come through Enfield and it’s a whole different town,” said Davis. 

To accomplish the goal of disrupting the criminal element in Enfield, we have done the following in the last three years:

• Served more search warrants related to criminal or drug offenses than has been recorded for the past decade. 
• Recovered more illegal weapons and drugs (including opioids) than in the last decade. 
• Charged, validated, and recorded more gang members than at any time in the history of the Enfield Police Department. 
• First agency in Halifax County to charge individuals with “committing a crime for the purpose, and benefit of a gang.” (Provides for a sentence enhancement at conviction)
• We have also started charging our common thieves and repeat offenders, with the crime of being a “habitual offender,” which will enhance their sentence when their case is disposed of. 

To emphasize this, “since my appointment as Chief of Police, Enfield has seen up to an 81 percent reduction in crime. I can’t help but think the citizens of the entire county of Halifax would benefit from that as well. I will use every legal tool at our disposal to ensure law enforcement in Halifax County is again viewed as a deterrent,” said Davis. 

Community service is also on Davis’ radar.  He has partnered with local schools, the public library, motorcycle clubs, civic groups, local churches, and private citizens to have an impact on local kids and the community. Not only have these efforts served Enfield, but the Hollister, Medoc, Ringwood, Tillery, Scotland Neck and Hobgood areas as well. 

But, “As a law enforcement officer my main concern and focus will be to provide safety and security to the community,” stated Davis. “If the community is safer kids will be more likely to come to our parks. Elderly people will be more inclined to take walks or sit on the porch and citizens will be more likely to have sporting events in our community. It doesn’t matter how many bicycles you hand out. If the neighborhoods are not safe and the kids are too afraid to ride the bicycles then what’s the point of having a bicycle? Therefore, most of the actions and programs that have been started at the Enfield Police Department were done so to make our community safer.”

Tyree’s training, education and experience, more than qualifies him for the position. 

Tyree’s educational and professional accomplishments are as follows:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice – Kaplan University
• Masters Degree in Public Administration – Capella University (Completion in September)
• Diploma in Computer Technology – ECPI Institute of Technology 
• Law Enforcement Management Institute – Coastal Plains Law Enforcement Training Center
• Advanced Law Enforcement Certification – NC Sheriff’s Training and Standards
• Advanced Law Enforcement Certification – NC Criminal Justice Training & Standards
• Basic Law Enforcement Training – Coastal Plains Law Enforcement Training Center 

The two Advanced Law Enforcement Certifications are the highest certifications you can obtain based on training, education, and experience. Tyree has also been recognized as an “Elite” law enforcement officer for the State of North Carolina.

“When you evaluate my education, training, experience, and accomplishments I think that you will find that I have put in my ‘time” and research, and I am ready to take the reins of law enforcement in Halifax County,” Davis said. 

The biggest driving force for Tyree is his family. High school sweetheart and wife of 13 years, Arnette Davis (Professor at Halifax Community College), son Jaden, and daughter Avery. “Every decision I make affects the community that they will grow up and live in, and I don’t take that lightly,” says Davis.

Davis reiterated, “For the last sixteen years I’ve held mostly supervisory positions. I have followed, supervised, and led many different types of people, from many different walks of life. I lead by example in both my personal and professional life. I make sure that others are held accountable for their actions, and I expect to be held accountable for mine as well.  As your sheriff I will make sure that I bring the same motivation and proactivity to Halifax County as I did in Enfield. You can see by my record that I am fair, firm, and consistent. I am a man of my word, and my word is my bond.

“I warn you, please don’t wait until you or your family become a victim before you see that we need change, by then it may be too late. Therefore, I ask you to vote Tyree Davis for sheriff on May 8th. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.”

This morning around 8, agents, with assistance of the Scotland Neck Police Department, executed a search warrant in the 500 block of East Ninth Street.  

Agent D.J. Epperson has received several complaints of drug activity at this residence.

During the search of the residence, with the assistance of task force dog Tony, agents seized six bindles of heroin and drug paraphernalia.

Epperson charged A’Zhavion Wiggins, 17, of the residence, for possession of drug paraphernalia and served him with an outstanding warrant for simple assault.  

Epperson has obtained warrants for the arrest of Connie Wiggins, 52, of the residence, for felony possession of heroin and maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance.

Mr. Wiggins received a $300 bond and March 21 court date for the drug paraphernalia charge and a $500 bond and February 27 court date for the simple assault warrant.

Anyone with information on Ms. Wiggins or anyone with information on suspected drug activity is encouraged to call the City County Drug Task Force line at 252-535-1257, Halifax County Crimestoppers at 252 583-4444 or log on to www.halifaxsheriff.com to submit a tip.

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On Wednesday shortly before 4:30 p.m., agents, the Scotland Neck Police Department and deputies of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence in the 200 block of West Twelfth Street.  

Epperson has received several complaints of drug activity at this residence.

During the search of the residence, marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia were seized.

Epperson cited Kassia Blanding, 49, of East Thirteenth Street, with a North Carolina Uniform Citation for possessing marijuana up to one-half ounce and possession of drug paraphernalia.   Blanding has a March 21 court date.

Working with Sallie Surface, the executive director of Choanoke Area Development Association of NC, the HCC child care center leads the way in opportunities for children in the Roanoke Valley.

It is the only five-star-rated center in Halifax County, earning the rating through the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

As part of the initiative, the NC State University College of Landscape Architecture is designing the new outdoor learning environment to engage children in STEM learning from an early age.

“We all need to remember that wherever we are, we need to do the best we can for our children and families around us,” said Surface.

Presenting the purpose behind the design was Robin Moore, professor of landscape architecture and the director of the National Learning Initiative at NC State.

“The purpose of the NLI is to create healthy human development and a healthy biosphere for generations to come,” Moore said. “The focus is on getting students connected to nature and knowing their impact on the world and earth.”

According to Moore, there are approximately 240,000 children, ages 2-5, enrolled in the 5,000 licensed childcare centers in North Carolina.

As part of the NLI, he and his staff are working to create Preventing Obesity by Design environments for childcare centers to combat the effects of childhood obesity.

Research shows that physical activity increases by 22 perceny with the POD OLEs.

As part of the process for developing a STEM OLE, a partnership with Lowes Distribution proved to be the final catalyst to success.

Daniel Lovett, special assistant to the president and director of the Title III & PRIDE Programs at HCC, said the generosity of Lowes and regional director Nathan Sidden altered the project into much more than imagined.

As the project grew, Sidden and his team increased the Lowes giving, transforming the current playground into a top-notch facility.

Originally, Lowes was going to provide a covering for the outdoor walkway.

After visiting the site, Lovett said Sidden came back with even more.

Lowes donated rubberized mulch for the playground, making it safer for the children.

Finally, to complete the initial stage, Lowes provided sod for the remainder of the playground.

According to Lovett, the Lowes partnership has been critical in improving the lives of area children.

Michael Elam, president of HCC, recognized the efforts of Lowes and Lovett, adding the long-term impacts of this project will greatly benefit the Roanoke Valley.

“This childcare center now becomes a STEM school for all four school districts,” Elam said. “They are looking to the universities around us, but not to HCC. By creating this pipeline, we increase the opportunities for our students. We start them at a young age and make STEM a part of their lives. After gaining their education, they stay here to impact the Roanoke Valley with their skills and knowledge.”

Connie Wiggins of Scotland Neck was wanted following the execution of a search warrant by the task force Thursday morning.

Enfield police Chief Tyree Davis confirmed the 52-year-old woman was the same person the task force wanted. A spokesperson for the task force could not immediately be reached for comment this afternoon.

Davis said in a statement Wiggins came to the police department around 1:30 and was arrested by Detective Graham Page on the task force warrants of felony possession of heroin and maintaining a vehicle or dwelling place for a controlled substance.

Wiggins was processed at the Enfield Magistrates Office and given a $5,000 bond.

The task force said Thursday agents, with assistance of the Scotland Neck Police Department, executed a search warrant in the 500 block of East Ninth Street.  

Agent D.J. Epperson had received several complaints of drug activity at this residence.

During the search of the residence, with the assistance of task force dog Tony, agents seized six bindles of heroin and drug paraphernalia.

Sykes, a minister and member of the Weldon City Schools Board of Education, filed for the at-large county commissioner race on Thursday.

His filing for a spot on the county board now pits three challengers against incumbents Vernon Bryant, Rives Manning and Patrick Qualls. Terry Buffaloe of Roanoke Rapids and James Mills of Scotland Neck are the other two challengers in that race.

Withdrawal from the senate race now currently leaves Toby Fitch of Wilson as the sole contender in the May 8 Democratic primary, however he will face competition from Republican Richard Scott of Scotland Neck in November.

Current Enfield police Chief Tyree Davis filed to run against incumbent Sheriff Wes Tripp Thursday.

The filing period ends February 28 at noon.

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It is an investigation which led to an additional nine pounds being seized, City County Drug Task Force Captain A.M. Harris said in a statement.

The nine-pound seizure was not in Halifax County and not in a neighboring county, Harris said this morning, declining to pinpoint the exact location.

Authorities are not releasing the names of who was arrested in Roanoke Rapids or from whom the nine pounds were seized.

“Right now we just want to inform the community of the different drugs which are available in the Roanoke Valley and this is still being investigated,” Harris said when asked this morning who was arrested in the case.

The Roanoke Rapids seizure conducted by deputies of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office D Squad resulted not only in the 26-gram seizure of psychedelic mushrooms, but  290 grams of marijuana, 27 suboxone strips, drug paraphernalia and currency.

In the statement Harris said agents continued to follow up because of the large amount.  

It was during the follow-up investigation agents were contacted by federal authorities and began working together sharing information to identify the Roanoke Valley source of supply.

Due to the initial investigation of this case and the continued investigation of the task force, federal and local agencies seized an additional nine pounds of mushrooms and drug paraphernalia.

In the statement Harris said, “Psychedelic mushrooms, street name ‘shrooms,’ are used as a recreational drug. It affects and alters your thinking process, causes you to see unusual things while your eyes are opened or closed and will alter your sense of time.”

They can be eaten, chewed with food or boiled with tea.

Lieutenant J. Bozard, Sergeant R. Ball, Corporal M. Bishop and Deputy J. Pignanello of the sheriff’s office conducted the initial investigation.

Halifax County Sheriff Wes Tripp said Octavis Montrell Davis, 22, allegedly assaulted the victim, Danny Ray Arrington, 55, Thursday night at a residence in the Justice Branch Road area of Littleton.

At the time, Arrington was transported to a local medical center for treatment but due to the severity of his injuries was airlifted to a another facility.

Arrington died Saturday from the injuries he sustained from what Tripp described as a physical assault.

The sheriff said this evening he was not prepared to discuss motive in the case. He described Arrington and Davis as associates.

On the night of the assault Davis was charged with attempted murder and jailed on $1 million bond.

After the murder charge was served he is now jailed without opportunity for bond and has a March 7 court date.