Two people were arrested following a domestic dispute yesterday in the Deer Run subdivision in Roanoke Rapids, according to the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office.

Lt. Bobby Martin said in a news release deputies Chris High and Emerson Carroll were dispatched to an assault call.

When the deputies arrived they found Travis Johnson, 35, and Samantha James, 25, in the yard. According to the investigation by the deputies, an argument between James and Johnson ended in a physical assault by both parties.

The deputies noticed scratches on the faces of both individuals and a vehicle owned by Johnson had been damaged by the tires being cut.

Martin said James and Johnson both admitted they assaulted and caused injuries to each other.

Carroll arrested Johnson and charged him with assault on a female.

Johnson was placed in the Halifax County Jail under no bond due to state domestic violence laws.

High charged James with assault and injury to personal property. James also was placed in the Halifax County Jail under no bond due to the domestic violence law.

The injuries the two received from each other were minor and medical attention was not needed. 

Court dates were not available at release time.

More arrests have been made from the investigation of a Sunday pistol whipping, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office said today.

Detective Rich Somogyi said in a news release during the investigation, detectives determined the firearm used in the assault was stolen from a house in Littleton. 

Investigators linked the firearm to an armed robbery of two citizens in the Littleton community.

An officer from the Littleton Police Department was investigating the larceny of the firearm at the time of the investigation of the assault.

Officer Dwayne Daniels from the Roanoke Rapids Police Department located Kendrell Robinson and turned him over to Cpl. Chris Scott of the sheriff’s office.

Somogyi charged Kendrell Robinson, 21, of Roanoke Rapids, with assault inflicting serious injury, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, first-degree burglary, felon in possession of a firearm and felony conspiracy.

Littleton Police Chief Mike Suggs charged Robinson with felony conspiracy, robbery with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of communicating threats and larceny of a firearm.

Robinson was wanted in an assault on Justice Branch Road in Littleton where he allegedly struck the victim several times with a handgun causing severe damage to the victim’s head and face.

Meanwhile, further investigation led Lt. Bobby Martin to serve outstanding warrants on Crashawn Montay Vincent for his involvement in the crime spree. 

Somogyi charged Vincent, 23, of Littleton, with first-degree burglary, felony conspiracy, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and assault inflicting serious injury.

Suggs charged Vincent with felony conspiracy and two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon. Vincent was secured in the Halifax County Detention Center under a $10,000 secured bond.

Somogyi said the matter is still under investigation and more charges are pending. “This is a good example of local officers working together to fight crime throughout the Littleton area of Halifax County,” he said in the news release.

This is not about healthcare. This is about government intrusion. Not just perceived intrusion by the current White House administration, but the former administration, says local Tea Party organizer Pat Croisetiere.

That’s why Croisetiere has organized a Sept. 12 bus trip to Washington to join what is expected to be as many as a million other people who are fed up with everything from bailouts to cap and trade.

Croisetiere organized the Roanoke Valley Tea Party earlier this year and the attendance astounded her. “I expected 50 people,” she told The Spin yesterday. At its peak there were 400 people there and then when Croisetiere looked at the sign-in sheets there were people who signed in as couples, meaning attendance was more like 450 to 460.

“That was with two weeks planning,” said Bobby Norwood, who also plans to attend the September event.

Because of the success of the local Tea Party, Croisetiere believes it’s time to join others who have had enough of big government. A bus with a 55-person capacity is leaving early that morning and there are still a few spots available, she said.

“There’s no one issue,” Croisetiere said. “It’s big government. It’s the culmination of years of cram it down your throat politicians.”

This is neither a right or left wing movement, Croisetiere said, explaining people who were once cast in either ideology have joined the Tea Party movement.

Norwood knows firsthand what government run healthcare is like. He is a veteran who would have to wait two to four weeks to get a doctor’s appointment for a simple health problem. “In my opinion they’re not doing our will,” he said of the government. “They’re doing their will.”

Cap and trade is another issue to which the group is opposed, Croisetiere said.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, cap and trade is an environmental policy tool that delivers results with a mandatory cap on emissions while providing sources flexibility in how they comply. Successful cap and trade programs reward innovation, efficiency, and early action and provide strict environmental accountability without inhibiting economic growth, the agency says on its website.

To Croisetiere, it is more government interference which has the possibility of the government telling people what light bulbs to buy, setting emissions ratings for air conditioners and other appliances. “We’ve always had recycling,” she said. “The thing is it is your choice, it was not being forced upon us.”

Under cap and trade, people won’t be able to sell a house “until the government approves it being green enough,” she said.

If people don’t get involved, Croisetiere said, there is the chance they will be paying for government programs for decades to come. When her daughter asked her why she was getting involved she said she told her, “I’m doing it for you and my grandchildren. Who’s going to pay back trillions of dollars? Your grandchildren and my grandchildren.”

Croisetiere said people in the Tea Party movement are not trying to reach Obama or McCain supporters, but the 100 million people who didn’t vote. “We’re trying to let them know what their vote does mean.”

Currently 45 people have signed up for the trip and the bus holds 55. For more information email Croisetiere at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or log onto the group’s website at www.roanokevalleypatriots.com. The group can also be found on the social networking website Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Roanoke-Valley-Patriots/117041191732.

Despite being late with the August theater lease payment, the city has taken no position on whether that means the $1 million discount Lafayette Gatling will get for making timely payments at the end of the agreement will be applied.

“The lease is strong,” City Manager Paul Sabiston told The Spin this afternoon. “We don’t waive our rights.”

Sabiston in an email yesterday said the Gatlings and L&M Hospitality RR indicated the entire monthly payment of $250,000 was wired to the city. The payments were broken into three wires, Sabiston said.

Sabiston agreed the city walks a fine line between scaring the Gatlings off by enforcing the terms of the contract and protecting the integrity of the document which allowed the Chicago businessman to buy the theater. “We’re glad to get the money,” he said.

Sabiston noted in the email the Gatlings just returned to Chicago this week after spending the weekend in Roanoke Rapids for the recent concert.

Gatling signed papers in March to buy the theater from the city. Timely payments mean Gatling will get a $1 million discount off the $12 million price of the venue.

The city will still have to pay the remaining amount due on the $21.5 million bond package used to finance the theater’s construction, opening and infrastructure needs.

According to the contract, rent payments are considered delinquent if received after the 10th day of any given month. Tenant shall pay the landlord interest at the rate of 10 percent per annum — or such lesser amount as may be the maximum amount permitted by law — on all overdue payments of rent from the due date thereof until payment. Notwithstanding this foregoing, tenant shall not be considered delinquent until after the expiration of five business days following written notice from the landlord.

Sabiston said in the email, not including the August payment of $250,000, L&M Hospitality has paid more than $678,000 since entering the lease and purchase agreements. “The July and August payments alone are $250,000 per month,” he said. “These lease payments are used by the city to repay the debt for the Roanoke Rapids Theatre.”