The Halifax County Sheriff's Office is looking for Travis Young, 31, of Roanoke Rapids, after a deputy observed suspicious activity in the Carolina Rest Home Road area yesterday.

A vehicle and foot chase ensued.

Further investigation lead to Deputy C.T. Jenkins to obtain warrants for: Felony flee to elude arrest, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to heed to blue light and siren, speeding 90 mph in a 55 mph speed zone, reckless driving and littering.

Young has a lengthy criminal history. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts is asked to call Halifax County Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.

A foot chase today led to the arrest of a Garysburg man on a breaking and entering charge, according to the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office.

Detective Rich Somogyi said in a press release Deputy Joe Puhak stopped a vehicle in the Weldon area. 

The driver and occupants fled on foot. Puhak chased them and caught Tavio Lamont Taylor, 24.  Puhak's investigation led to Taylor's arrest for several outstanding warrants, one of which was for armed robbery.

Somogyi assisted Puhak with the investigation, which led to Taylor's arrest for breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering. 

Taylor was charged with breaking into a residence and taking property in the Weldon area.  Taylor was placed in the Halifax County Jail under a $22,500  bond and is scheduled to appear in Court on Sept. 30.

Enrollment in the Halifax County school system is down by about 400 students thus far, its spokesperson said yesterday.

The number of students within the system determine the funds it receives from the state and the decrease could mean the loss of three or four teachers, Keith Hoggard said.

If the decrease holds it could also mean a $3.2 million loss in state funding.

The funds the school system receives or a decision on what happens with teachers won’t be made until school has been in session for 10 days, he said.

For the past five years the school system has lost 200 students a year, Hoggard said. “We’ve lost more than anticipated if this holds up,” Hoggard said, “But we could gain students by the end of next week.”

The drop in students was around 500 but the system gained about 120, according to attendance figures yesterday, Hoggard said.

There are several reasons enrollment is down, Hoggard explained. “A lot of them are are going to early college.”

Early college is a program offered at Halifax Community College where students take their regular school work while also taking college courses which give them enough credits for a two-year degree or two years of credits to take on to a four-year school.

Many parents are putting their children in charter schools, he said, and some are taking students to neighboring school districts including Northampton, Warren, Edgecombe and Nash-Rocky Mount. There has also been a steady population decline with the number of people with children because of factories closing, meaning people are leaving the area to find jobs.

There are currently 3,885 students in the school system. “We’re hoping to get a few more back. It’s only the fourth day of school. We picked up 120 and hope by the end of next week to pick up 100 to 200 more,” Hoggard said.

If state funding should be cut by the end of the 10 days, Hoggard said the school system would have to look elsewhere to make up funding.

Two arrests yesterday show the meth problem may be getting closer to home.

While there have been no documented cases of meth labs in the county, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office yesterday arrested and charged two women for the illegal purchase of  pseudoepherine/epherdrine, Lt. Chuck Hasty said in a news release.

Hasty said narcotics Agent Tim Harris conducted an investigation dating back to April of last year. Harris arrested Connie Crews Hux, 42, and Ruby May Holcomb, 64, both of Roanoke Rapids for exceeding the pseudoepherine/ephedrine limits. 

Hux was charged with 13 counts and Holcomb was charged with 16 counts. 

Hux has a $5,000 bond and Holcomb has a $2,500 bond with their court date scheduled for Nov. 4.

Hasty said North Carolina law prohibits the purchase of more than two packages of certain products containing pseudoepherine/ephedrine per day and more than three packages of certain products containing pseudoephedrine/ephedrine within a 30-day period. 

Businesses are required to keep a purchase log of each sale of certain products containing the drugs and must maintain them for two years. Business are required by law to provide this information to law enforcement per request.

These are common substances used to make methamphetamine.

Meth has become a popular drug because it cheaper and has a more potent high, Hasty said in a telephone interview yesterday. Whether the arrests signal there are active meth labs in the county is a matter that remains under investigation, Hasty said.

Methamphetamine starts with the pseudoeherine or ephedrine and other household products are added to make the drug. Some of those products are paint thinner; drain cleaner, anhydrous ammonia, acetone and lithium batteries.