The state of the community has taken its lumps over the past year with the economy, but there are still positive signs, speakers said at the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of Our Community luncheon at Kirkwood Adams Community Center today.

Audience members listened as Hobgood Mayor Tim Purvis, Roanoke Rapids Graded Schools District Board Chairman Vernon Bryant and Halifax County Board of Commissioners Chairman Gene Minton shared their views on the state of the county.

Purvis described Hobgood as a community of volunteers who work together on projects, whether it is the annual Cotton Festival or its fireworks show.

The mayor said, however, “When I talk about my vision, my picture is not a rosy one.”

He said costs have increased, electricity is going up. A proposed coal tax could raise the price of electricity 40 to 70 percent should it pass, he said. “People in small towns can’t afford it,” he said.

He said the system is broken, Washington is broken. “We need to get practical people making common sense decisions,” he said.

Education, which would be a topic throughout the event, has to start at home, the mayor said. “Parents have to be held more accountable to what their children are doing in school. Take kids that don’t want to be in school out and put them in some trade school. You would see the SAT scores go up.”

The success of small towns like Hobgood depends on the success of Roanoke Rapids, Purvis said, adding decisions made in Washington now to 10 to 15 years ago have also affected small towns. He also said the entire county must market the Roanoke River because it is one of its biggest assets.

Bryant said the city school system has long been a leader in the state, the first to have 12 grades and the first to offer kindergarten. Three of its four schools this year made ABCs of Education and Adequate Yearly Progress marks with Roanoke Rapids High School just missing the mark.

Bryant said it is important to encourage students to go to college. “We’ve got to change the focus on how we do business,” he said. “We have to encourage kids to enter college.”

Minton said Halifax County was able to weather the financial crisis without having to raise taxes, furlough or lay off employees.

In the tight times the county opened a new airport which outgrew its 18 hangars before opening. Now more have to be built, he said.

Minton said he expects the economy to rebound. “I expect better times,” he said.

The county is poised for that rebound with a 700-acre industrial park near the airport the county is working to get certified. The economic development commission, tourism and other agencies have done a good job selling the county, he said.

On education, Minton said, “The county is committed to education. Our goal is to give equal funding to every single school district in Halifax County.”

Minton believes the days of strife over a chairperson stalemate are over. “We’ve broken down barriers and have common goals,” a statement to which members of the county chapter of the NAACP looked at each other mockingly after Minton said it.

He said the county installed a new courthouse security system and has finally found a company for the Littleton industrial building. The company is FASTA and it represents a $2.5 million investment in the town and 105 jobs.

Meanwhile, chamber Chairman Preston McElheney, speaking at the beginning of the event, wanted to kick off the Roanoke Valley Promise, finding ways of assuring students in Halifax County have a chance to earn a two-year community college degree.

The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies were involved in two separate foot chases last night with both ending in arrests.

Detective Jonathan Merritt said in a press release the first chase landed Jermaine Samuel Bowser, 30, of Roanoke Rapids, in jail after he was apprehended by Deputy C. Scott and Roanoke Rapids Police Department officers in the Daniels Street area of Roanoke Rapids.

While patrolling the South Rosemary area, Deputy Scott observed Bowser walking from Oak Street onto Daniels Street.

Deputy Scott knew of some outstanding warrants on Bowser involving child support orders and domestic violence related charges.

After confirming the warrants were still active, Deputy Scott approached Bowser and that’s when Bowser took flight, running toward Willow Street.

After a brief foot chase Bowser was located hiding behind a shed on Daniels Street where he was taken into custody.

Bowser was charged with the two child support orders as well as the assault on a female charge. Deputy Scott also charged Bowser with resist, delay and obstructing an officer.

Deputy J. Sealey also had charges on Bowser for resist, delay and obstruct for running from him on the initial domestic violence call on Aug. 2.

Bowser was held in the Halifax County Jail under no bond for the domestic violence charge, $500 cash for the child support orders and $1,000 secured bond on the resisting arrest charge.

Bowser is scheduled to appear in District Court on both Sept. 8 and 30 for the pending criminal charges.

Merritt also reported Brad “Teaboy” McDaniel, 32, of Enfield, was arrested and charged after hiding in an apartment following a foot chase in Enfield.

Deputy G. H. Teal was patrolling the U.S. Highway 301 area when he noticed McDaniel traveling on a red scooter going toward the Carriage House Apartments.

McDaniel was traveling well above the legal speed limit for the scooter so Teal initiated a traffic stop. When Teal attempted to stop McDaniel, he fled on the scooter toward the back of the apartment complex, eventually colliding with a sandbox and then running on foot.

After further investigation Teal gained information leading to McDaniel’s capture in one of the apartments close by.

Also charged was Brian Oneal Tillery, 28, of Enfield for resist, delay, and obstruct an officer for attempting to prevent officers from taking McDaniel into custody.

Tillery was held in the Halifax County Jail under a $500 bond with a Sept. 30 court date. McDaniel was held in the Halifax County Jail under a $2,500 bond with an Oct. 28 court date.

The gun possibly used to shoot a security guard Saturday was discovered by a citizen doing yard work near the back alley of 9th and Monroe streets yesterday morning, Roanoke Rapids Police confirmed this morning.

The gun was possibly ditched when the boy charged in the shooting was fleeing from police Monday, Deputy Chief Adam Bondarek said.

The gun will be processed and could be sent to the State Bureau of Investigation lab for further testing, Bondarek said.

Yesterday officers wearing blue Latex gloves inspected the weapon and turned it over to detectives for further investigation.

Bondarek said the police department was appreciative of the citizen tip leading to the recovery of the weapon. “Their help may have a taken a gun off the street that a child could have picked up,” he said.

The boy wanted in the shooting, Andrew Bell, 17, turned himself in Tuesday night after Deputy Fred Whitaker of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office encouraged him to do so. Bell turned himself into the Roanoke Rapids Police Department around 11 p.m.

Bell was jailed on $50,000 bond and his court date is scheduled for Dec. 16.

Bell was wanted in the non-fatal shooting of Michael Proctor, a security guard at the former Rosemary mill, who was working when the boy allegedly approached him on an orange bicycle and demanded his money or wallet around 11:30 Saturday night.

Proctor told Bell he had neither and identified himself as a security guard. Bell allegedly shot him in the arm with a small caliber revolver. The shooting occurred in the 13th Street area of the former mill site.

Police got a break in the case Monday when officers from A Squad and the detective division spotted Bell around noon on an orange bike, a gun noticeable in his waistband.

The officers attempted to stop him and Bell fled, allegedly stealing another bike to make his getaway. While Bell got away, officers were able to identify him and obtain warrants for his arrest on charges of attempted robbery, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, flee to elude arrest and larceny of a bicycle.

Proctor, who was treated and released from the hospital, walked to the intersection of Roanoke Avenue and 13th Street to use a cell phone and call for help.

The investigation into the shooting of a 3-year-old girl Sunday night is a slow, methodical one, Lt. Bobby Martin said this morning.

“We’re making sure what we do is done in the child’s best interest,” the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office investigator told The Spin.

Martin said he is receptive to the opinions of the public who believe an arrest should already be made in the case.

He said, however, “We have to go through case law and see what will apply. There is a lot of legwork. We’re making sure it’s done right for the child’s best interest.”

Martin said the sheriff’s office continues to work closely with the District Attorney’s office on the case.

Meanwhile, Martin said the child is recovering from surgery to repair wounds sustained from the single gunshot wound to the abdomen. She remains in the intensive care unit of Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville.

Martin declined to elaborate on details of the case until the investigation is completed.

The shooting remains listed as accidental.

It occurred in the Myrick Estates subdivision in the Littleton area.

The Halifax County Sheriff's Office investigated a break-in at Enfield Tractor Company.

The investigation was conducted by Deputy Dreher Bozard with the assistance of Detective Rich Somogyi. 

Deputy Bozard's investigation led to the arrest of Douglas Silver, 44, of Enfield. 

Silver was charged with breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and possession of stolen property. 

Silver was placed into the Halifax County Jail under a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 9.

Silver was in custody serving a sentence for several prior break-ins.