The Roanoke Rapids Police Department reported the following:

• On Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the downtown Food Lion, a 50-year-old woman was accosted in the parking lot and robbed, Chief Jeff Hinton said.

A man armed with a knife and a second person with him took the victim’s purse and fled on foot.

While searching the area, a witness told police the two fled to 134 Hamilton St. Police arrested Phillip Bernard Brown, 35, of 134 Hamilton St., for robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon and possession of stolen property. He was jailed on $25,000 bond and has a Sept. 30 court date.

Also arrested was Ian Barkley Coles, 17, of 134 Hamilton St. He was charged with aid and abet robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of stolen property. He was jailed on $10,000 bond.

• Also on Saturday police received a 3 a.m. call to the 500 block of Hamilton Street. Someone went in while the people were sleeping and left a pair of sneakers and cap in the inside. Nothing was taken. The case remains under investigation.

A second person has been charged in a November, 2007, larceny on Piney Grove Church Road in Littleton, according to the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office.

A riding lawnmower and a four-wheeler were stolen from the property.

Detective Tyree Davis said in a press release the first arrest in the case was made in July when Solomon “Wilson” Thomas Johnston was charged.

Today, James “Lou” Edward Hall Jr., 22, of Roanoke Rapids, was charged.

Davis charged Hall with one count of felony larceny of a motor vehicle and one count of misdemeanor larceny. He was given a $5,000 bond and his court date is set for Sept. 23. The riding lawnmower was recovered.

A Scotland Neck area woman was charged this morning in a domestic assault.

Detective Rich Somogyi of the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release Deputy Buford White responded to an assault in the Scotland Neck area of Halifax County. 

When Deputy White arrived he found the residents fighting in the house.  The victim was bleeding from the head and the arm. 

Wilma Crandall was holding an axe handle.  Halifax County EMS transported the victim to Our Community Hospital in Scotland Neck where he was treated for his wounds. 

Deputy White took Crandall into custody and she was later charged with assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury.  Crandall was placed into the Halifax County Jail under no bond with a court date of Sept. 9.

Charles Davis wants businesses involved with the Roanoke Rapids Theatre.

That was his message today to members of the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce where he was the guest speaker.

Davis is at the theater for 90 days and part of the funding to bring him to Roanoke Rapids was done through a grant from Roanoke Electric, its CEO, Curtis Wynn, said following the presentation.

Roanoke Electric also has office space in the theater for its nonprofit arm which helps and positions minority construction companies, a possible sign construction on land surrounding the theater is forthcoming.

Wynn introduced Davis to the audience. “As a community, we’re fortunate to have his talent to get things running with the theater.”

Davis was brought in to help theater owner Lafayette Gatling with ideas to promote the theater and has been in the area for two weeks.

He said his goal is not only to help the theater prosper, but help the community prosper. “It’s Roanoke Rapids time to grow,” he said.

Davis comes from Biloxi, Miss., small town USA, he said. He has been in the entertainment industry for 15 years, not only working on casino projects in Mississippi, but planning shows like Cirque du Soleil, Lord of the Dance and Broadway shows. He was involved in planning one of the big inaugural balls, he said.

His purpose for speaking at the chamber today was not to introduce himself but to harvest ideas. “I’m really interested in what you guys think. It’s your theater.”

The theater has a show Saturday at 5 p.m. where Percy Sledge is the headliner, Davis said. A rodeo on green space around the theater is planned for Sept. 12 and 13, he said.

Davis is working with the Gatlings to bring acts like Kenny Rogers and Brooks and Dunn to the theater along with a variety of other acts.

The theater is planning to have yearly subscriptions where businesses may buy tickets. “We can have shows catered to you,” he said. “Entertainment has always been a thing to cater to clients to make (your business) grow. We want to get all your comments and see what we can do collectively as we grow to make your business grow.”

Davis said he was not opposed to staying beyond the 90 days to help the theater. He said the theater must look to a regional perspective to help the venue grow.”We have to use small town USA as a selling point,” he said. “We have to market that slant as a selling point.”

Because the casino business was group tour driven, Davis said he knows that aspect of the theater business. He said there are several attractions in the area which lend itself to tour groups such as Sylvan Heights in Scotland Neck. If the theater is successful other businesses in the community will be successful. “I like the slogan this is Carolina crossroads,” he said.

One of the things he addressed when talking about the subscription programs was having certain performances at the venue be sponsored by businesses, especially on shows like the Broadway productions.

Answering a question by The Spin, Davis said he couldn’t comment much on a proposed expansion of the theater. “I think everyone would like to see expansion and see growth. I don’t know that it’s not going to happen. It’s a matter of time. It’s a matter of resources.”

Currently there are no plans to have a house band at the theater, Davis said, like was done when the theater was managed by Randy Parton. “We’re just going to try to bring in shows from the outside. I think that’s been tried already. I’m not sure we might have some house shows at some point.”

Davis said afterward things were going well. “I’m really trying to learn the community and who’s who.”

He reiterated he was willing to stay beyond the 90 days. “If they want me to stay I will probably be willing to stay.”

Davis believes the theater will grow. “I think so,” he said. “It’s a matter of time. The community needs to get behind the theater. It’s a matter of time and planning.”