RRSpin - News

Details: Lance Martin; News; 10 August 2009; 3719

The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office reported the following over the weekend:

• Deputy G.H. Teal arrested a Northampton County man for drug related charges and outstanding warrants. Teal stopped a vehicle traveling on MLK Avenue in Enfield for a seat belt violation, Detective Jonathan Merritt said in a press release.

Teal asked the passenger to provide identification but he could not, giving a name the officer felt was false.

After asking the passenger to exit the vehicle, the passenger produced ID, identifying him as Devon Michael Everette, 18, of Seaboard.

Everette was taken into custody for giving a false name. During a subsequent search, three small bags of marijuana were located as well as two blunt cigars. After transporting Everette to the sheriff’s office, Teal found out Everette was listed as a wanted person by Probation and Parole in Northampton County.

Everette was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, resist, delay and obstruct an officer and the probation violation from Northampton. He was held in the Halifax County Jail under no bond due to the probation violation and has a Sept. 2 court date.

• On Saturday Detective Doug Pilgreen said deputies arrested 52-year-old Bradley Walker Wilson from Monroe for misuse of a 911 system. Wilson made several non-emergency calls to Halifax County 911. During the investigation it was discovered Wilson had an outstanding order for arrest from Mecklenburg County for failure to appear on charges of misuse of 911 systems.

Wilson was placed under a $1,750 bond and has a court date in Halifax County on Aug. 26 and a court date in Mecklenburg County on Sept. 2.

Details: Lance Martin; News; 10 August 2009; 858

The city will lose two-thirds of its beer and wine revenues after the state approved its budget last week, Roanoke Rapids Finance Director MeLinda Hite said today.

That equals $44,646.

“The municipal share, distributed in May 2010, will be reduced by two-thirds, and cities and towns should reduce their expected beer and wine tax revenues by two–thirds for 2009-2010 to reflect this reduction,” she wrote in a memo for department heads. “The distribution formula for beer and wine tax revenue distribution will be adjusted for 2010-2011, and the funding level will be restored for the May 2011 distribution.”

The state took away those funds to help combat its own budget deficit.

“That hurts,” Hite told The Spin. That was money already budgeted that must now be pulled from the city’s budget.

The city must also try to make up that money, Hite said. She said the city will wait for new City Manager Paul Sabiston to come onboard before investigating how to make up that money.
The city has made significant strides in improving its fund balance since the end of last fiscal year.

Measures taken by council when the city learned in February it faced a $664,000 shortfall mean when it closed the books at the end of June, its fund balance increased 8.9 percent for a total of 17.2 percent. That represents a $1.9 million unreserved fund balance. Fund revenues for the year are expected to increase by more than $900,000.

The money is revenues which come from the sale of beer and wine in the city.

Details: Lance Martin; News; 10 August 2009; 1265

An arrest warrant has been issued in a home invasion that occurred Thursday on Collins Avenue in Meadowbrook Trailer Park, Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Jeff Hinton said.

Salil Naimo, 20, of Weldon, is wanted for damage to property and felonious breaking and entering after he allegedly kicked a door in at 160 Collins Ave around 2 p.m.

The house was occupied. Once he saw people were inside he fled, Hinton said.

Details: Lance Martin; News; 10 August 2009; 1024

The Roanoke Rapids Police Department reported the following:

• On Aug. 5, officers stopped Quinton Lee, 21, a passenger in a car which was stopped for a traffic violation at 4th Street and Starke Avenue.

Lee, of Pleasant Hill, would not answer questions and when he opened his mouth officers discovered he had two small bags of cocaine under tongue, Chief Jeff Hinton said.

Lee was arrested for possession of cocaine and jailed on $7,500 bond.

• On Friday, Capt. Andy Jackson and Detective Jeff Baggett charged Daryl Johnson of 318 Madison St. with possession of drug paraphernalia after receiving complaints of drug activity in that neighborhood

Details: Lance Martin; News; 08 August 2009; 1010

Now that it’s official, Anthony Finney is anxious. His actions snowballed and turned into an avalanche of support — 964 people on the social networking Web site Facebook who believe Dylan Moore’s memory should be honored with a special day.

The support began when Finney posted the page soon after the child died from a rare blood disease on July 26.

On Tuesday night at its 7 p.m. meeting at the Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall on Jackson Street, city council will vote on a resolution declaring Sept. 18 Dylan Moore Day.

“I am anxious for Tuesday night to get here,” Finney said in e-mail correspondence with The Spin Friday. “I cannot wait to see how many people will come out and support this and watch this take place. I wouldn't miss it for anything.”

More important, Finney said, “I am just glad that the Mayor and City Council and citizens of Roanoke Rapids agree that Dylan was a special young man that deserves this honor. And I hope someone will help me in planning the first Dylan Moore Day on September 18, Dylan's birthday. I am not sure what I would like to do at this point, but I was thinking of maybe just a candlelight gathering at his gravesite or the family home. A way to say thank you without having to say anything at all. Because that's how Dylan helped me, by saying nothing at all. He was just Dylan.”

Finney has discussed the movement with Dylan’s family. “I went to visit with the Moore Family as soon as I heard that Mayor Beale would be signing the proclamation at the next council meeting. It was the first time I had met them, and we had a wonderful time talking. They shared stories about Dylan with me, and I shared with them how Dylan had inspired me to pick my head up and live again.”

Finney, a strapping 6 feet, 2 inches tall man weighing 275, a graying goatee and two large pierces in each ear along with a small one in his eyebrow, wasn’t sure how the family would react to him visiting.

His fears were allayed. “They are an amazing family to be around. The presence of strength in them is astounding. Betsy spoke softly, and fondly of her late son. Though I could hear the hurt at times, she never shed a tear,” Finney said. “I knew they were at peace with their son’s passing. I choked up as I talked about the young man whose pictures really said a thousand words to me time and time again. It was amazing and entertaining, especially to hear about Dylan and his $5 million check from the doctor in Norfolk.

“As I said my good-byes, I stood to leave the home, and was met with the open arms of Betsy Moore. The hour or so we had shared talking had made me feel warm even after the chilling rain, but now I felt like family. Honestly, I cried as I left, and drove past Dylan’s gravesite. He had a strong family. And for an hour I got to share some time with that family.”

Mayor D.N. Beale said the city was glad to do this. “When I attended the service I never met Dylan Moore. Once I walked out of the service I thought I knew him. It really was amazing how he touched so many hearts. You could almost picture him with hat and guitar standing on stage. He was definitely a showman.”