Now the building has been donated to Trail Life USA and American Heritage Girls.

In 1933, the building, located at 715 Jackson Street, was used as one of the first libraries in Roanoke Rapids, Trail Life organizers said in a news release.

In 1938, RRWC helped to establish the present Roanoke Rapids Library, first located in the old National Guard armory and later in its current location.

“Providing community service and advancing the role of women in society was their initial focus,” Trail Life leader Joe Long said. “Over the 125 years of existence of this organization, their focus has grown to include our global society as they continue to be a force for service and good in the community.”

With women's club membership declining and the costs of building upkeep and maintenance more than fundraising efforts could sustain, the club decided to donate the building, Long said, “Recognizing a desire to see their facility thrive and continue to serve the community for many years to come.”

Troop NC-0100 leaders Long and Scott Joyner are excited about the opportunity to continue the legacy of service with the building donation. “Although the building is in dire need of repair and upkeep and will cost a great deal to maintain, these new leaders are up to the challenge,” Long said. “They have been working diligently renovating another building donated to them by the Strickland Family earlier in 2014 at 7 East 2nd Street in Roanoke Rapids, part of which was the original 2nd Street Lunch.”

Since the formation of Trail Life and Heritage Girl, a Christian-based outdoor and exploration organization, Long and Joyner said in the news release, “The community leaders and businesses in Roanoke Rapids, Halifax County, and neighboring areas have been very supportive of their efforts and have recognized the good things they are doing for youth. For the Roanoke Rapids Women’s Club, this was a perfect opportunity to continue their legacy of service to the community.

“Much like the library they donated many years ago, they now have an opportunity once again to make a difference for many years to come in the life of young people.”

Troop NC-0100 now has more than 40 members and is growing rapidly. “We are trying hard to raise the money fast enough to renovate these historic facilities and keep up with the demand from the youth wanting to be a part of this organization. “

A non-profit tax-deductible organization — The Friends of Moratock Scouters — has been set up to help defray the costs of the renovations,

Anyone interested in making donations can make them out to Troop NC-0100 and mail them to 7 East 2nd Street in Roanoke Rapids or they can call 252-536-9280.

“Renovations cost tens of thousands of dollars,” the leaders said. “It is a great challenge for young people to have to fund-raise for this kind of money and still enjoy all the activities and learning experiences offered by the programs. However, youth are strong and perseverant; they meet these challenges head on as they develop great leadership abilities while learning the importance of values, service, honesty, and respect.”

For more information contact Joyner at 252-536-9280; Long at 252-586-7471, or Ann Hudomint at 252-533-9291 for more information or with questions.

Meetings are held every Monday night at 715 Jackson Street from 7 until 8:30. All youth ages 5 to 18 are welcome. 

Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Chuck Hasty said the matter occurred at Quail Court where officers responded to a 911 call with a person screaming in the background.

Officer Mark Oakley located the victim outside the residence and learned that Lawrence Clinton Johnson III, 20, had allegedly assaulted the child.

Hasty declined comment on how the child was reportedly assaulted, other than saying the child was beaten. He declined to give a specific age of the child but did confirm the youngster was under the age of 12 and not an infant or toddler.

The child's mother was assaulted when Johnson allegedly swung a knife.

Johnson was not at the residence upon Oakley's initial arrival.

EMS was called to treat the victims, who were transported for treatment.

When Oakley went back to the residence to retrieve items for the victim, Johnson was located.

Johnson was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon with a minor present; assault on a child; injury to real property and injury to personal property.

The matter was related to a domestic dispute and Johnson was jailed without the opportunity for bond. He has a March 20 court date.

Officer Adam Salmon assisted in the investigation.

Around 4:30 p.m., officers Gerald Morris and Ryan Cross stopped a vehicle at Roanoke Avenue and 7th Street for a traffic violation.

During the interaction with the occupants, the officers could reportedly detect the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

The driver was identified as Travis Leon Webb. 34, of Roanoke Rapids and the passenger was identified as Antonio Lamont Baker, 33, also of Roanoke Rapids.

During a search of the vehicle officers allegedly discovered cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The officers charged Baker with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine; possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana; conspiracy, and possession of marijuana.

Webb was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine; possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana; conspiracy; maintaining a vehicle to keep a controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting, delaying and obstructing an officer.

Baker was given a $15,000 bond and Webb was given a $20,000 bond. They have February 13 court dates.

Lieutenant Jeff Baggett assisted with the arrest.

Around 5 p.m., Officer Patrick Smith responded to the 1300 block of East 9th Street for a domestic dispute.

During the investigation Smith noticed that both parties reportedly involved had injuries.

Smith arrested and charged Amerchi Norrieale Johnson, 26, for assault and Gregory Donate Hardy, 31, for assault on a female. They are both from Roanoke Rapids and were both held without the opportunity for bond. They have February 13 court dates.

Officer Jeffrey Mason, Lieutenant Andy Bryant and Deputy Chief Andy Jackson assisted in the investigation.

Around 10 p.m, Sergeant Daniel Jenkins responded to the Hampton Inn following a report of a person begging for money.

Jenkins came into contact with Reginald Eugene Hardy, 25, of Jackson, and warned him about trespassing.

Jenkins received a second call to the business about Hardy and cited him for trespassing, escorting him off the property.

He has a February 9 court date.

Day 3: Wednesday

40 charges on 36 citations issued

21 for speeding

Five for stop sign, stop light violations

Three passing violations — one on Old Farm Road, one on Bolling Road and one on Roanoke Avenue at West Fifth Street

One inspection violation

Three registration violations

Three seat belt violations

Two drug charges

One carrying concealed weapon violation

One driving while license revoked

One wreck that was not serious.

Notes: Chief Chuck Hasty said one person was picked up on an outstanding warrant.

The panel had its organizational meeting today in Halifax. In making introductions, several of the members had compelling reasons for wanting to take part.

“We need to clean the county up and everybody be brothers and sisters,” said the Reverend Andrew West of the White Oak community.

For Yvonne Solomon, it was about coming up with solutions in North Carolina's weak mental health system while W.C. Crickmore said, “I want to be involved and want my county to be best place to live.”

Florine Bell, who has long been involved with issues in the Lincoln Heights community, told Tripp and Chief Deputy Bruce Temple, “Having lived in Baltimore, I learned to recognize crime on the streets. I never thought I would see the day crack cocaine would become a part of our streets.”

Vernon Moseley is concerned about the heroin problem. “We're in pretty bad shape. I didn't realize about how heroin is running rampant. I want to see what I can do to help make the county a better place to live.”

Northampton County Sheriff Jack Smith sent an investigator, John Jenkins to observe. “He likes what you are doing here. He's thinking of doing the same thing in our community.”

Will Richardson represents the Hollister community. “The county can't do it all by themselves,” he said. “We have to be their eyes and ears out here.”

Frank Avent, who is from Hobgood and serves on the Halifax Development Commission, sees an economic angle in lowering crime in the county. “You've heard me say working together works. It's not just a slogan, it's actuality. If we can work together we can get a lot accomplished. We're trying to bring good jobs, to do that we have to have a good sheriff’s office.”

The Reverend C.E. McCollum, who has pastored Oak Grove Baptist Church for 40 years and Piney Grove Baptist Church for 38, said he wants to see fair and equitable treatment for all people and has started a Real Talk program that crosses racial lines. “I'm invested in this community,” he said. “I want to see fair and equitable treatment to all people.”

Having worked in prison education for 30 years, McCollum, who will chair the panel, said, “When I see so many lined up to go to the court system, we need to make an impact any way we can.”

Lenne Ward grew up in Enfield, left and came back 10 years ago to make a difference, she said. “It was nothing like when I was growing up. I'm a concerned and active citizen in Enfield. We're dealing with a lack of police officers. We've really been hit hard. There are plenty of days we don't have any officers. The citizens are feeling they're alone. Anything I can do to help I'm here. I do believe it will get better.”

For the Reverend O.D. Sykes, part of his reason for being on the panel is personal. “My nephew was murdered shortly after Sheriff Wes Tripp was elected,” he said, referring to the Derrick Arp case. “We were in contact. He did everything he could to help us.”

Sykes wants to search for solutions to stem the tide of crime in the community. “There's so much crime, so many murders but we can make it a good place to live.”

The aim of the sheriff's office, Tripp said, is to listen to that advice. “I work for you,” he said. “I think it's important for you to give us advice on how to better serve you.”

Temple said one of the next steps is for members of the panel to tour the sheriff's office. “The short-term goal is to introduce you to the sheriff's office. You can't advise us if you don't know us.”

Sheriff Wes Tripp and Chief Deputy Bruce Temple today told a newly formed citizens advisory panel that it is looking at ways to recruit qualified deputies, add deputies to its current seven-officer shifts and ways to do effective welfare checks for elderly citizens.

“We need help recruiting people,” Tripp said.

The standards under which the sheriff's office can hire deputies are exacting, Tripp said — candidates must be 21-years-old, have no felonies. Five worthless check charges make a person ineligible for consideration.

Then there is the matter of starting pay. At $27,911, the starting pay of a Halifax County deputy is lower than starting pay for police officers in Scotland Neck, Enfield and Littleton.

Temple encourages those who can meet the eligibility requirements and are considering a career in law enforcement to pick up an application at the sheriff's office.

Tripp is also conducting a study to determine whether the judicial district merger may allow him to free up some bailiffs and put them on the road, meaning eight-deputy shifts rather than the current seven.

Meanwhile, Temple said, “We want to provide seniors who are 65 and older and with basic welfare checks daily. We're looking at how we can implement that.”

Trooper J.D. Warren of the state Highway Patrol said the crash occurred around 9:30 a.m.

Warren said driver inattention caused the wreck in which the rig overturned and logs were spilled onto the roadway.

The driver, James McCray, was transported to Nash General in Rocky Mount for treatment of minor injuries.

The highway was closed for approximately 2 ½ hours to clean up the wreck.

Clarice Bowser Booth, 57, was charged with possession of firearm by a felon and possession of non-tax paid alcohol.

Task force Agent D.R. Radford said it was not clear whether Booth was reportedly buying the moonshine and there was no evidence to suggest she was making it. Speculation is the moonshine was for personal use, Radford said.

Task force agents went to the residence shortly before 10:45 this morning following a three-month investigation into citizen complaints and Radford's own probe.

He declined comment on what the nature of the complaints were.

The agents reportedly found one handgun and one long gun, along with the moonshine.

Booth was given a February 25 court date and $2,500 secured bond.

Citizens are encouraged to call the Halifax County Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444 to report any drug activity.

Day 4: Thursday

57 charges on 48 citations

30 for speeding

One child restraint violation

Two seat belt violations

Five no operators license

One stop sign, stop light violation

Three safe movement violations

Four for driving while license revoked

Four registration violations

Four inspection violations

One open container of alcohol violation

Two drug charges for marijuana

Four wrecks

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

Miscellaneous: One person was picked up on an outstanding warrant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Both men have a court date of March 23.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The system will also be starting breastfeeding classes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There was one DWI for a total of two.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The suspect demanded the money and the employee complied.

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

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

BP robbery

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

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

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

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

A Weldon Police Department dog assisted with a track.

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

Edmonds has been named area process manager for Electrical and Instrumentation Maintenance and Reliability.

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

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

He and his wife, Caffie, reside in Garysburg. Edmonds has two adult children and three grandchildren.

Floyd has been named safety manager for the mill.

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

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

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

She has earned the Professional in Human Resources certification.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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