By: Erin Smith

A crash at the intersection of Broad Street and Poplar Streets in Elizabethtown ended with officers involved in a brief foot chase near the Cape Fear River. According to Lt. Mark McMichael of the Elizabethtown Police Department, officers lost the suspect, 38-year-old John Marshall Rhodes of Myrtle Beach, SC in the woods.

The Elizabethtown Police Department is asking if anyone has seen Rhodes to contact the department at 910-862-3125.

Lt. McMichael said warrants have been issued charging Rhodes with felony hit and run, resisting arrest, reckless driving and violation of the open container law.

Lt. McMichael said that Rhodes was traveling southbound in the vicinity of the Bladen County Courthouse when he struck two vehicles at the intersection of Broad and Poplar Streets.

“He jumped out of the vehicle and took off running and officers chased him,” said Lt. McMichael.

According to Lt. McMichael, officers lost the suspect in the wooded area near the Cape Fear River, but there is no indication that Rhodes actually entered the river. 

Lt. McMichael also said that to his knowledge, Rhodes was not involved in any type of pursuit by law enforcement at the time the crash occurred.

The crash resulted in Theressa Lewis of Elizabethtown being transported to Cape Fear Valley-Bladen County Hospital.

The victims in the second vehicle, Michael Coger of Elizabethtown and his son were not transported to the hospital.

Responding to the accident scene were Bladen County EMS, the Elizabethtown Fire Department, the Elizabethtown Police Department and Bladen County Sheriff’s Office.

Police are investigating a larceny case that happened at Goldstons Beach in the 1600 block of White Lake Drive on Saturday June 4. This occurred sometime between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The victim laid a beach bag that his wallet was in on a pier while swimming. A man is later seen on video using the victim’s Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) card. The suspect used the victim’s ATM card to withdraw an undisclosed amount of money, purchase gas, food, cigarettes, and rent movies from a Red Box.

The suspect is described as an Indian or white male, with a heavy build. He wore American flag shorts, a white shirt, and black sandals with a white Nike symbol.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Mike Salmon by calling 910-862-4057 or electronically msalmon@whitelakenc.org

A former pastor of Mt. Pisgah Church in Clarkton plead guilty to seven counts of embezzlement Thursday and ordered to repay $61,824 to the church building fund.

Retonya Judtha Freeman, 49, was sentenced to 60 years supervised probation and to make restitution by Bladen County Superior Court Judge Douglas R. Sasser under a conditional discharge agreement with the state. If Freeman meets conditions of the sentence, then the charges will be dismissed.

The embezzlement took place over a four year period beginning in 2009 when Mt. Pisgah was raising money to purchase its own place of worship, according to a court summary of the case. The church was renting a building for services at the time.

Freeman had a debit card that had access to the building fund’s money, according to court statements. From Jan. 1, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2013, Freeman used the money for her benefit unbeknown to the congregation.

The church conducted an accounting audit in 2014 and found there wasn’t any money in the building fund account, according to court statements.

“The parishioners were devastated,” Bladen County Assistant District Attorney Quinton McGee told the court. “They had to start all over raising money. They don’t wish any ill will, but they want restitution so they can have their own building.”

The church since has been renamed New Faith Ministries of Clarkton. Freeman currently lives in Wake County.

Two men involved in a series of robberies in Bladen County late last year and earlier this year were sentenced to prison this week in Bladen County Superior Court.

Jerry Britt

Jerry Paul Britt Jr., 42, of Hallsboro, plead guilty to obtaining property by false pretense, felony possession of stolen goods and misdemeanor possession of stolen goods Wednesday under an agreement with the state. He was sentenced to a minimum of six months and a maximum of 17 months in state custody.

Tristan McRae Singletary, 32, of Bladenboro, plead guilty to three counts felony larceny Thursday under an agreement with the state. He was sentenced to a minimum of 16 months and a maximum of 38 months in state custody.

Tristan Singletary

The men were ordered to pay more than $8,000 in restitution to the victims by Superior Court Judge Douglas B. Sasser.

According to a court summary of the case, between Nov. 30 and Dec. 31, Singletary stole several items from his father’s house, including a riding lawn mower, power drills, tools, ring, television, trailer hitch and tools, valued at about $7,700. Singletary was living at the house at the time. Britt pawned the items at several pawn shops in Bladen and Robeson counties, including Pawn South in Bladenboro.

In early January, Britt took part in the theft of a four-wheeler valued at about $5,000 from a residence on Zion Hill Church Road in Bladenboro. He tried to sell the vehicle, but never provided the title.

Britt and Singletary were arrested in March as part of an investigation into a larceny ring in Bladen, Columbus and Robeson counties.

Bladen County Sheriff James A. McVicker said at the time of the arrests that stolen property had been recovered in excess of $20,000 from Bladen County and over $10,000 worth of property from the other jurisdictions.

RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announces that Frank Talmadge Carter, 56, was arrested on June 8, 2016.

On Tuesday, May 25, 2016, a federal grand jury in Raleigh returned a two count indictment against Carter. The indictment charges Carter with conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business, 18 U.S.C. § 371 (Count 1) and conducting an illegal gambling business, 18 U.S.C. § 1955 (Count 2). If convicted of counts 1 and 2 (Conspiracy and Conducting an Unlawful Gambling Business), Carter faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years for each count and a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count or twice gross gain, whichever is greater.

Carter was a resident of Cumberland County at the time of the offenses charged. Cumberland County Sheriff Earl R. “Moose” Butler stated: “The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office has always and will continue to strive to work in conjunction with local, state, and federal agencies to enforce the gambling laws of State of North Carolina and the United States.”

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Department of Homeland Security.

An Elizabethtown man who failed to meet with his probation officer in April has been sent to prison for up to 27 months.

Kevin Russell Wilmont, 28, was found in willful violation of the terms and conditions of probation Tuesday and had his suspended sentence activated by Judge Douglas R. Sasser in Bladen County Superior Court. In April, Wilmont did not meet with his probation officer and was not able to be located.

Wilmont, of Bladenboro, plead guilty on Dec. 2, 2014 to felony assault on a handicapped person stemming from an incident on Sept. 7, 2014, according to N.C. Department of Public Safety records. He was given 30 months of supervised probation.

Wilmont had been placed on probation on at least four other occassions since 2006, state records show. He spent six months in state custody in 2007 on drug-related charges.

A Bladenboro teen was arrested Monday in connection with a home invasion and murder that took place on Old Whiteville Road in Lumberton on Friday.

Dylan Vance Smith, 16, of Bladenboro, was arrested Monday night along with Austin Duncan, 16, of Currie. They were charged with first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and first-degree burglary.

Also arrested were Mitchell Ryan Shaw, 21, and Dominque Delton Page, 16, both of Lumberton. They were arrested on Sunday and are facing charges of first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, first-degree burglary and felony conspiracy.

All four men remain in the Robeson County Detention Center without bond.

According to reports, deputies responded to a call at the residence just after midnight on Friday and found the body of Kyle Bullard, 27. According to authorities, Bullard shared the home with his mother.

Authorities believe that the four men broke into the home to rob Bullard and his mother. According to reports, at least one of the four men had a shotgun.

Stevie Earl Bullard Jr. on Tuesday was ruled to be “capable and competent” to stand trial in July on 17 charges, including nine sex-related charges involving children.

The ruling by Superior Court Judge W. Douglas Parsons in Bladen County Superior Court came after a brief hearing where Bullard requested a new lawyer, a different prosecutor and a change of venue. Danny Britt is the third lawyer assigned to Bullard’s case since charges were filed in January 2014. Bullard requested Robeson County lawyer Troy A. Peters. Parsons denied the requests.

Bullard is charged with two counts of first degree rape of a child, six counts of first degree sex offense with a child, one count of attempted first degree rape, six counts of possession of a weapon by a prisoner, one count of threatening a court officer and one count of injury to personal property. His trial is scheduled to begin July 18 in Bladen County Superior Court.

Bullard was arrested Jan. 16, 2014 after the mother of the two alleged victims, who are sisters, reported the abuse to law enforcement.

As he was leaving the courtroom Tuesday, Bullard claimed “sovereign citizens rights” and called one of his former lawyers, Rob Davis, a liar, and complained to his other former lawyer, Goldston Womble, that he had spent only five minutes with him.

According to Wikipedia, sovereign citizens believe they are answerable only to their particular interpretation of common law and not subject to any statutes or proceedings at the federal, state or municipal levels.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Womble, who has practiced in Bladen County for about 40 years, and Davis, who has practiced in Bladen County for about 20 years, testified that during their time with Bullard that they had no concerns about him understanding the charges against him.

Assistant District Attorney Glenn Emery submitted a a recent evaluation performed by Dr. LaVonne Fox, who is the senior psychologist at Central Regional Hospital in Butner. In her report, Fox said that Bullard refused to cooperate and suggested he was malingering, which is a term used when a patient is intentionally falsely or exaggerating physical or psychological symptoms for personal gain. Fox said she was unable to give an opinion on Bullard’s evaluation based on the examination, but she said she reviewed a prior evaluation and found that Bullard’s IQ was in the average range.

Haywood Lee Lewis, who is one of two men charged in the shooting death of Bryan Barnette Bellamy Jr., will not face the death penalty, the state announced. He had bond set at $500,000 during a hearing Monday in Bladen County Superior Court.

Lewis, 38, of Elizabethtown, was arrested April 21 and charged with first degree murder as a result of the shooting that took place at 1817 Elkton Road in Clarkton, according to court records.

No decision has been made whether to seek the death penalty against the other defendant, 24-year-old Christopher Jaquan Smith, assistant District Attorney Quintin McGee said.

Lewis was transferred from Bladen County Jail to Central Prison in Raleigh soon after his arrest for medical treatment. He has stage four bone marrow cancer, according to court testimony.

Michael Willis, who is Lewis’ lawyer, requested a $25,000 secured bond. “He doesn’t want to die in jail for something he didn’t do,” Willis told the court during Monday’s hearing. “I believe my client is not receiving the care he needs.”

Lewis’ fiance, Susan Montgomery, testified during the hearing that Lewis was at her house when she left to take her son to school between 8:30 and 9 a.m. on the day of the shooting. “He doesn’t even know the person who was shot.”

A call was placed to the Bladen County 911 center about 9 a.m. in reference to the shooting, according to Bladen County Sheriff James A. McVicker.

Montgomery testified that she had seen Lewis on Sunday, June 12 and that he had recently had two heart attacks. She said that Lewis was getting better treatment for his cancer from his doctors in Wilmington and Chapel Hill than he is in prison.

McGee countered that Bellamy, who was 21, had robbed Lewis and that Lewis hired Smith “to beat up Bellamy.” Smith told investigators that when Bellamy came outside his home that morning that Lewis produced a weapon and fired four shots, McGee said.

McGee requested Lewis continue to be held without bond and that the state is well-equipped to take care of his medical needs. If a bond was set, that it be at least $1 million.

Superior Court Judge W. Douglas Parsons set bond at $500,000 and, if Lewis posts bond, that he be placed under in-home electronic monitoring. Parsons said that Lewis is “a threat to the community,” noting that Lewis has had two prior assault with deadly weapon convictions in the past 10 years.

A Bladenboro man received a suspended sentence and placed on 24 months supervised probation Monday in Bladen County Superior Court for his role in the theft of ATVs in the Bladenboro area under an agreement with the state.

Dillon Alexander Britt, 20, also was ordered to submit to a drug assessment test and credited with time already served in Bladen County Jail.

Freeman will go to a sober-living community in Asheville for treatment, then return to Bladen County, according to his lawyer, Rob Davis.

“He has a substance abuse problem,” Davis told the court. “His drug problem is the basis for all of this, and he admits it.”

Freeman was part of an investigation of a larceny ring that covered Bladen, Columbus and Robeson counties, according to the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff James A. McVicker said in March that more than $20,000 in stolen property from Bladen County had been recovered, and more than $10,000 from the other jurisdictons. “We recovered four wheelers, tools, lawn mowers, trailers, and other property,” McVicker said. “These individuals were targeting barns, sheds and outbuildings and most of their thefts occurred during daylight hours when homeowners were away.”

Freeman plead guilty to the theft of a four-wheeler valued at $5,000 from a home on Berry Lewis Road in August 2015. Freeman sold the vehicle for $500 to a man in Pembroke, according to a court summary.

In January, a woman who lives on Zion Hill Church Road noticed her ATV valued at $5,000 was missing. Freeman and Jerry Paul Britt Jr. had taken the vehicle and sold it for $1,600, according to a court summary.

Britt and Tristan McRae Singletary plead guilty earlier this month for their part in the ring. Britt He was sentenced to a minimum of six months and a maximum of 17 months in state custody. Singletary was sentenced to a minimum of 16 months and a maximum of 38 months.

by Joy Warren

The Town of White Lake Board of Commissioners met in regular session Tuesday evening.  The proposed budget was presented to the Budget Committee on May 31, 2016 and a public hearing was held tonight for comments from the public.  There were no comments and Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2016-17 Budget Ordinance as presented with no tax increases.

In administrative matters Council approved Utility Releases ($2,864.72); released the delinquent utility accounts as presented; released the 2005 uncollected ad valorem taxes as presented; excused Debra Vocke as an ETJ member of the Planning and Zoning Board of Adjustment; adopted the Police Department’s FY 2016/18 Strategic Plan as presented; approved budget amendments for street repairs and wastewater pumping; and adopted a resolution authorizing the closure of the Sidewalk Enhancement Project Phase II capital project.

Rossie Bullock, Area Office Director for USDA notified Mayor Womble that the grant application submitted for the multi-use path was not selected.  Eddie Madden advised staff that USDA is unable to approve the Town’s application until the matching source of funds is in place and will ask the Town to resubmit the application once the PARTF funding has been awarded.  Madden expects the PARTF award date to be in September.

Lt. Mike Salmon was recently notified that the Police Department had been awarded the Governor’s Crime Commission Grant.  The grant has no required local match and can be used for the purchase of equipment and/or overtime resources with a minimum of $3,000 and a cap of $24,500 in federal funds per agency.

The Planning Board at their May 19, 2016 meeting made a recommendation to the Town Board of Commissioners to forward a copy of the letter from Andy and Camille McDowell, a copy of a list of “Items of Discussion” submitted by Planning Board Member Dean Hilton and a current listing of properties that are in the process of being declared unsafe/abandoned be provided to the Board for the Board to take prompt corrective action in accordance with Article XV, Chapter 151: Buildings and Building Regulations.

The municipal complex will be closed Monday, July 4, 2016 in observance of the Independence Day.   A public works employee will be on call to respond to any water/sewer emergencies.   

On the night of May 21, 2015, Charles Anthony Jacobs and Geneva Beasley were in Bladen County Hospital’s emergency room. Both were covered in blood from injuries suffered during an altercation.

Was it, as the prosecution contended, domestic violence when Jacobs barged into a camper and stabbed his ex-girlfriend four times with his knife before Beasley sliced his face with a box cutter?

Or, as the defense contended, did Beasley attack Jacobs with the box cutter, nearly slicing out one of his eyes, outside a camper off Scrub Oak Road in Elizabethtown before Jacobs grabbed his knife and stabbed Beasley in self defense?

Jacobs, 44, was on trial, charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and assault inflicting serious injury. The trial began Monday in Bladen County Superior Court.

Late Wednesday afternoon, a jury of six men and six women found Jacobs guilty of assault inflicting serious injury. Judge W. Douglas Parsons sentenced Jacobs to a minimum of 45 months and a maximum of 66 months in state prison.

“Domestic violence is always a serious matter and must be treated as such,” assistant District Attorney Quintin McGee said in a statement. “I’m thankful that the jury listened to the facts in this case, found the truth, and held Mr. Jacobs accountable for his actions on the night in question.”

Jacobs’ lawyer, Andrew Wall, questioned the credibility of the testimony of Beasley and her sister, Betty Alford, during his closing arguments before the jury, and said that Jacobs never was given an opportunity to tell his side of the story to investigators. Investigators never took prints from the weapons and never tested the blood inside the camper or outside on the ground to determine whose blood it was, Wall said.

Wall noted that Jacobs previously had been assaulted by Beasley and “knew what she could do.”

“What would you do in that situation?” Wall asked the jurors. “Exactly what Charles Jacobs did and do what is necessary to protect your life. … Charles Jacobs’ story makes sense. He hid nothing from you.”

Beasley and Jacobs had an on-again, off-again relationship since 2014, according to testimony, and, at times, lived together. The couple had broken up two weeks prior to May 21, 2015, because, Beasley testified, that Jacobs had assaulted her.

On the day of the attack, Beasley was living in a camper owned by Linwood Johnson, and Jacobs was living in his camper next door off Scrub Oak Road, according to testimony. Johnson died earlier this year.

In the early evening on May 21, 2015, Beasley, Jacobs, Alford and Johnson got into a car together, stopped at an ABC store and a “drug house” in the White Oak area, according to testimony. Jacobs admitted he drank most of a fifth of liquor while Beasley testified she had about half of a bottle of King Cobra 40. Jacobs admitted smoking crack while Beasley said she “had a puff.”

When the group returned to the campers, Beasley went to Johnson’s camper and Jacobs went to his camper, according to Beasley’s testimony.

According to Beasley, she “had a bad feeling that night. I’ve never had a feeling like that in my life.”

Jacobs began calling her names from outside, Beasley testified. She called 911 “because I was scared for my life.”

Beasley said that Jacobs then came into the camper, pushed her down on the bed and got on top of her. “After I felt the sting (of being stabbed), I cut him (on the face),” she testified. “I already had the (box cutter) out because I was afraid for my life.

Beasley suffered an injury to her left lung, spleen and the back of her left shoulder from the stabbings, according to testimony.

Beasley said after the stabbing she waited on her bed for law enforcement to help because “I was bleeding to death.”

Meanwhile, Jacobs had gone outside as law enforcement arrived. Officers twice used a Taser to subdue him before taking him to the hospital. He later was charged in the case and spent five months in Bladen County Jail, according to testimony.

According to Jacobs’ testimony, he, along with Beasley and Alford, went to Jacobs’ camper and Johnson went to his camper after the four returned to the property that evening. After about 40 minutes, Jacobs told Beasley she needed to leave since Beasley had taken out a restraining order against Jacobs, Wall told jurors.

Beasley left, but got mad and started hollering at Jacobs and calling him names, Wall said. Jacobs goes outside and the next thing he realized is that blood is running down his face from where Beasley had slashed him, Wall said, so he bends over and is hit in the head by Alford, who then jumps on his back while Beasley is still slashing his face.

Jacobs is bleeding profusely as he hears the sirens of law enforcement approaching, Wall said. “He tries to get to them and is hunched over. Then, he’s tazed and goes to the hospital for treatment.

“This is what happened to this man and he’s the defendant.”

McGee, in his final arguments to the jury, said, “Charles Jacobs is not entitled to his self defense claim.

“I told you (at the start of the trial) that Charles Jacobs is innocent until proven guilty. That cloak of innocence has been removed. Geneva Beasley was at home and attacked. It’s domestic violence in the flesh.”

The jury agreed.

The US Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday that the federal investigation into the death of Bladen County teen Lennon Lacy has been closed.  According to reports, officials with the US Attorney’s Office said there is no evidence to bring federal civil rights charges in Lacy’s death.

Officials with the US Attorney’s office said in a press release that officials from the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the FBI met on Thursday with Lacy’s family to tell them about the decision.

In August 2014, Lacy was found hanged on a children’s swing set in Bladenboro. At the time, Lacy’s death was called a suicide by investigators but the family and the NAACP called for a further investigation as they believed Lacy was murdered.

After a thorough review of the evidence, the Justice Department concluded there was no evidence to suggest Lacy’s death was a homicide, according to reports.

DURHAM NC- The NC NAACP Lawyers and the Mother of Lennon Lacy, have just finished an overview with the FBI regarding the circumstances surrounding the death of Lennon Lacy. The Family and the NC NAACP have asked the U.S. Department of Justice for an extensive review of Lennon Lacy’s death.

The NC NAACP Lawyers along with President Barber and the Lacy family are going to review all the information they have received and will comment on these matters after the review. 

By: Erin Smith

District Attorney Jon David met with community leaders and the Lacy family on Friday afternoon at the Bladen County Courthouse to discuss the official closing of the investigation into the death of Lennon Lacy of Bladenboro.

“We’re going to go a step further (than the federal report) and call it suicide,” said David.

Lennon Lacy, a 17-year-old student at West Bladen High School, was found hanging by his neck from a children’s swingset in a Bladenboro mobile home park on the morning of Aug. 29, 2014.

According to David, the Bladenboro Police Department and the SBI, initially investigated the case. The goal was to determine the manner of death and whether anyone was criminally responsible for Lacy’s death.

David said that he was personally notified shortly after the discovery of the body. He said he also met with the Lacy family within a short period of time after the investigation began.

David said he convened a meeting in September with members from the community to discuss the investigation. He said he assured the family there would be a comprehensive investigation and that the investigators would “go where the evidence leads.”

David said a comprehensive investigation was conducted by the Bladenboro Police Department and the SBI and the case had begun to garner national attention. 

“Our approach never changed or wavered,” said David.

He said he and his staff held a press conference in the courtroom of the Bladen County Courthouse where the announcement was made that there was no evidence of foul play or wrong doing. He said that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People had planned a march in Bladenboro and were asking for a federal investigation. 

David said in an effort to be thorough and transparent, he asked the U. S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI to review the matter.

“We welcomed the scrutiny of the federal investigation,” said David.

According to a release, the FBI declined to open a formal investigation but instead agreed to do an assessment. The assessment included reviewing the SBI file and the BPD file and conducting follow-up interviews as necessary.

Members of the US Attorney’s Office met with the Lacy family on Thursday to discuss their findings. The US Attorney’s Office found there is no evidence to bring any civil rights charges in the case and closed the case.

“All credible evidence suggests that Lacy died as a result of suicide,” said David. “We are not going to distribute any facts of the case at this juncture.”

In a release from David’s office, it reads, “Some have suggested that the quality of the initial law enforcement investigation was lackluster. In my analysis, this is simply untrue. The FBI assessment has confirmed my initial opinion that the investigation conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Bladenboro Police Department was complete, thorough, and professional. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the hard work and dedication of SBI Special Agent Paul Songalewski who went above and beyond the call of duty to see that justice was done in this matter.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the Lacy family during this difficult time and I encourage the community to support them in their time of need,” said David.

He concluded his statement by saying the investigation is now closed.

The North Carolina NAACP issued a statement on Thursday saying their attorneys and the Lacy family will review the federal report and issue a statement at a later time.

By: Erin Smith

A proposed gun rights amendment may soon be voted on in the NC House that, if approved, would allow folks to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.

NC law currently requires a person to have a concealed carry permit in order to carry a weapon in their purse or hidden on their person. State law currently requires folks who are seeking a concealed carry permit to complete an eight hour class and a firing range test, criminal background check, and then a six month waiting period.

If the proposed guns rights amendment is approved, all of those requirements would end.

The proposed NC House Bill 1148, if approved, would place a referendum before the people in November that would allow voters to choose whether or not to remove language from the General Statutes that prohibits concealed carry without a permit. If approved, it would open up the possibility of concealed carry to everyone, according to reports.

Currently, the bill has been referred to the Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.

This bill comes up for consideration after the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled concealed carry is unconstitutional and not protected by the Second Amendment.

To read the proposed bill in its entirety click here.

Governor Pat McCrory joined law enforcement officers, first responders, legislators and health care officials today at the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office to sign legislation making naloxone, a life-saving opioid reversal drug that has already saved 3,300 North Carolinians, more accessible.

“Addressing mental health, substance use, underage drinking and drug overdose have been primary focuses of our team since day one,” said Governor McCrory, who prioritized these issues in his first State of the State address. “Signing this legislation builds on our success and will save lives throughout North Carolina. I want to thank our legislators for unanimously passing this bipartisan initiative.”

The legislation represents an early accomplishment of the Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Substance Use, which delivered a report to Governor McCrory in May recommending expanding capacity for opioid treatment services, medications and overdose prevention, such as naloxone.

Beginning at 2 p.m. today, pharmacies in North Carolina will begin making naloxone available without a prescription. North Carolina is the third state in the country to issue a standing prescription order statewide for naloxone.

“We listened and are aware of how many families will find hope and help from the wide availability of naloxone,” said DHHS Secretary Rick Brajer, who co-chaired the Governor’s Task Force. “This law is the catalyst we need to help protect people across our state.”

In North Carolina, more than 1,000 people die each year from prescription opioid and heroin overdoses. One out of four autopsies performed by state medical examiners are on those whose deaths are from drug overdose.

North Carolina’s Good Samaritan Law, signed by Governor McCrory in 2013, cleared the way for law enforcement to carry and use naloxone. It is now carried by officers at more than 70 law enforcement agencies across the state, including the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department which has administered more than 600 doses since 2014. In 2015, North Carolina reached a major milestone when the number of opioid overdose reversals from the use of naloxone exceeded the number of overdose deaths.

Authorizing the standing order for naloxone is the latest in a series of commitments by Governor McCrory to support those living with substance use disorders. In addition to the Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force co-chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Rick Brajer and N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Martin, the governor also established the Crisis Solutions Initiative and the Governor’s Substance Abuse and Underage Drinking Prevention and Treatment Task Force which resulted in the statewide Talk It Out initiative.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, dial 911. For more information about available services and treatment options, go towww.crisissolutionsnc.org?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

The Columbus/Bladen Task Force completed an eight month long investigation into the distribution of cocaine in both Columbus and Bladen Counties. 

Hernan Castro-Baza, 24, of Bolton was arrested and charged with one count of carrying a concealed firearm, two counts of trafficking cocaine, one count of possession with the intent to sell and/or deliver marijuana, two counts of maintaining vehicle/dwelling/place for use, sale, or storage of controlled substance and one count OFA for failure to appear on possessing cannabinoids issued by the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. His bail was set at $195,000.

The Columbus/Bladen Task Force determined that Castro-Baza was responsible for distributing cocaine in the eastern portion of both Columbus and Bladen Counties.  A search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence, 232 Old 211, Bolton, NC.  Detectives seized approximately 1.5 kilos of cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, along with a concealed firearm from the defendant in this investigation.  The items were stored in both his residence and inside of his vehicle that was parked on the property.    

On June 22, 2016, at the conclusion of the investigation, the Columbus/Bladen Task Force arrested Castro-Baza. He was then processed at the Columbus County Law Enforcement Center where he was incarcerated. 

This continues to be an ongoing investigation. 

Sheriff Hatcher wants to thank Sheriff McVicker and the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this operation. 

The N.C. Governor’s Highway Safety Program and state and local law enforcement kickoff their annual Fourth of July Booze It & Lose It – Operation Firecracker enforcement campaign on Friday, June 24,  2016. 

Since its inception 22 years ago, the Booze It & Lose It campaign zeros in on drunken drivers with innovative and extensive impaired driving enforcement and education.  Nearly every law enforcement agency in the state participates in the campaign through continually running sobriety checkpoints in all North Carolina counties. The Operation Firecracker campaign has proven particularly effective in catching impaired drivers and helping to combat impaired driving fatalities during the Fourth of July holiday.

Elizabethtown Police Chief Tony Parrish stated that the department will be proactive in conducting driver’s license checkpoints in an effort to remove drunk drivers and help  keep local streets safe for everyone. 

“We hope to accomplish this by partnering with the Bladen County Sheriff’s Department, along with the State Highway Patrol.  The ultimate goal is to get through the holiday period with no traffic fatalities.” said Chief Parrish.

This weekend, officers from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s law enforcement division will participate in Operation Dry Water, an annual nationwide campaign that reminds boaters to never operate a boat while impaired.

“All public waterways in North Carolina are subject to additional patrols this weekend,” said Maj. Chris Huebner of the Wildlife Resources Commission. “It’s always a good idea to designate a driver, both for boating and for the drive home. In North Carolina, a driver or boat operator with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher is subject to arrest.”

Operation Dry Water is incorporated into North Carolina’s multi-agency “On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign. During the campaign, wildlife officers from the Commission and troopers from the State Highway Patrol on the highways work together to promote public safety.

Organized by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the U.S. Coast Guard, Operation Dry Water began in 2009 with the purpose of reducing boating fatalities involving alcohol. The use of drugs and alcohol affects safe operation of motor vehicles and watercraft – one in every four vehicle and boating deaths are impairment-related. Curbing the number of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities is key to achieving safer and more enjoyable recreational boating.

Drinking affects the skills necessary to operate a boat, including:

• Peripheral vision and ability to focus

• Judgment and rational decision-making

• Balance and equilibrium

• Coordination and reaction time

For more information on safe recreational boating or to enroll in a free boating education course by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, go to http://www.ncwildlife.org/Boating.aspx?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss or call 919-707-0030.