Shortly after I started at the Rocky Mount Telegram, local politicians hired Dr. Johnson to do the Twin County Competitiveness Study and last Spring we got the results from that. One of the things Dr. Johnson encouraged the area to undertake was a visioning process where leaders set out a vision for where the region wanted to go and a plan to get there.

In November, leaders had the Visioning and Strategic Planning Process kick-off event and tomorrow night, community members are invited to attend a Regional Visioning Community Academy to learn how to get involved in the visioning process.

Process leaders will explain the first step in the visioning process: study circles, and how residents can get involved in facilitiating the circles or just participating in the four-part discussions fostered by the circles. Residents will have the opportunity to discuss what they'd like to change in the region and what they'd like to see the area become.

Anyone who is interested in the process is invited to attend the Academy from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Rocky Mount/Edgecombe CDC Incubator at 110 Fountain Park Drive in the Battleboro community.

For more information on the visioning process, click HERE.

NOTE: The story about Operation Sentry will run in Saturday's paper, but I wanted to give everyone a glimpse into what we saw. Check Saturday's edition for more information on it!

Yesterday morning, photographer Emma Tannenbaum and myself met with local, state and federal law enforcement for a special joint operation dubbed Operation Sentry, which was targeting registered sex offenders in Nash, Warren and Franklin Counties.

After breaking into teams (9 teams in Nash, 4 in Franklin and 2 in Warren), we went out with two deputies, a marshal and a probation officer to make sure sex offenders in the Battleboro, Gold Rock and Rocky Mount areas were in compliance — meaning they lived where they were supposed to and did not have any contraband.

After going to a few houses where the offenders were already at work, we came across one fellow living at the Red Carpet Inn. We stayed in the car while the officers went to his room, where he was still in bed (and visible to the police thanks to the open curtain). They instructed him to get some clothes on then talked to him for a few minutes. Once they were satisfied he didn't have any drugs or child pornography in the room, we set out for the next offender.

"Most offenders are pretty cooperative," Nash County Sheriff's Deputy Elizabeth Cahoon said.

We were lucky to get assigned to Cahoon's team since she is assigned to track the 141 registered sex offenders in Nash County and could give us a head's up as to what to expect from each encounter.

We went to a house on the western end of Hunter Hill Road before going to the homes of two offenders right by our office at 1000 Hunter Hill Road (the below map is how many are within 3 miles of our office). We learned one offender had sense moved to Connecticut and will likely have federal charges coming their way.

The second offender is classified as an aggravated offender in connection with an indecent liberties with a minor charge from 2003 involving a 12-year-old child. I learned because of the aggravated nature of the charge, he will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life along with other aggravated offenders, sexually violent predators and recidivists.

In the five hours we rode along with the officers, we checked on eight offenders located all over. Some lived out in the country with turkeys (true story) while others lived surprisingly close to my life.

Most of the offenders seemed relatively compliant. We heard other arrests while we were doing checks (if a reporter is doing a ride-along, it is almost always guaranteed that nothing will happen) and authorities announced 19 were arrested during the three county operation, including 14 offenders in Nash County:

• Curtis Miller failure to change address as a sex offender
• Kevin Dozier charged with failure to appear from Jones County
• Ulysees Rogers charged with trespassing
• Melvin Edmonson Jr. charged with failure to comply with child support, resist/delay/obstruct officer
• Michael Cooper charged with failure to appear, possession of Schedule II narcotics
• Rachel Montero charged with failure to register as a sex offender
• Daron Lashawn Battle charged with failure to register as a sex offender
• Edward Stukes charged with failure to change address as a sex offender
• Detron Bennett charged with failure to appear
• Terry Lawing charged with failure to appear
• Ronald Todd Mitchell charged with failure to register as a sex offender
• John Christopher Bailey charged with failure to appear from Johnston, Wake and Franklin counties
• Levis Hicks charged with probation violation
• Danny Lewis charged with possession of Schedule VI narcotics, probation violation, larceny, breaking & entering, expired tag/registration

What do you think of the current laws regulating sex offenders? What do you think about operations like this that crack down on non-compliance among the offenders? Does it make you feel safer knowing authorities are targeting sex offenders who may live near you?

OH and btw, I asked why Edgecombe County wasn't included in the operation, but was informed Edgecombe, Wilson and Halifax counties have all had similar operations in past years, but Nash had been skipped until now.

I was overjoyed when my honey brought home these flowers and this balloon for our early Valentine's Day celebration. It wasn't until today that I learned about the serious risk these balloons can pose.

Did you know that the metallic coating in Mylar balloons can cause electrical lines to short and create power outages? I had no idea until I saw a posting on the City of Rocky Mount Facebook page and set out to do a little more research.

It turns out outages across the country have been caused by wayward Mylar balloons getting caught in lines. The metallic coating conducts electricity and can short the wires, which can cause lines to fall — a serious risk to public safety.

Turns out California and other states even have laws in place to prohibit the sale of metallic balloons without being weighted down as well as attaching metallic ribbon to helium-filled balloons.

Here are some tips to avoid causing an outage with your celebratory balloons:

• Never release a metallic balloon outdoors
• Never use metallic ribbon with metallic balloons
• Always deflate metallic balloons and dispose of them properly when no longer in use
• Never release large latex balloons or large bunches of latex balloons because they can strike power lines when released or when they return to the ground.

City of Rocky Mount advises anyone who sees a mylar ballon or other item caught on a power line NOT to attempt to free the item, but immediately call 467-4800 for assistance.

One more safety tip, if a power line falls on your vehicle, do not attempt to escape, but call 911 and wait for emergency crews to arrive and get you to safety.

Did you know this about mylar balloons? 

Concerned residents — well, Apple users at least — can now get information about nearby registered sex offenders at the touch of a button.

N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper debuted the new app yesterday across the state, which allows users of the free app to search within a one-, three- or five-mile radius of their GPS location or an address. Information on more than 14,000 registered sex offenders is combed through to produce a map of nearby offenders. Users can then click on an offender's name and see detailed information, iincluding photos, a physical description, a list of the offender's crimes requiring registration, including the age of the victim (s).

"Knowing where sex offenders live can help you plan for you and your children's safety," Cooper said in a press release. "Families are on the go and we need to make this critical safety information available to them where they are."

Users can sign up for email alerts whenever an offender moves near an address of their choice or receive alerts about particular sex offenders.

"By making the public more aware of the location of registered sex offenders, the new app can also help law enforcement crack down on sex offenders who move without providing a new address as required by law," the release stated.

Offenders are required to register for a minimum of 30 years, but some are eligible to petition removal after 10 years. Other offenders — such as recidivists, aggravated offenders and predators — are on the registry for life, and it is a felony charge for offenders to failure to register with their local sheriff's department.

"Law enforcement works hard to make sure offenders register, and putting this information at people's fingertips can help make sure offenders follow the law," Cooper said in the release.

To download the app, go to ncdoj.gov or the iTunes store. For more information about the registry or to search it, click on the link to N.C.'s Sex Offender Registry on our police page or click HERE.  More information about the app, email and telephone alerts also is available at that site.

Oh and if you are an Android user like myself or have one of those Blackberries, officials said the app is being developed for those platforms too and will be available sometime in the future.

What do you think about having this information available on the go? Have you downloaded it? What do you think of the app?

So this week, the Associated Press ran an article about a housing project in Charlotte called Moore Place, which provides housing (rent and utilities are 30% of a resident's income), counseling, job training, money management instruction and on-site healthcare to the homeless.

The below picture is of Moore Place — a complex of 85 efficiency apartments — that opened recently after 10 years of planning and fundraising the $10 million pricetag primarily from private donors. What do you think of the idea? HERE is the link for more information on the project, which claims to permanently house someone for less than $30 a night (residents do their own cooking and cleaning to keep costs down).

What do you think of the idea? Do you think housing projects like this encourage residents to find jobs and trade in a life on the streets? What do you think keeps people chronically homeless? How big do you think Rocky Mount's chronically homeless population is? Do you think something like this could work in Rocky Mount? How do you think programs like this compare to the services offered by United Community Ministries?

For anyone who drives, I think it is safe to say that the fear of hitting something or someone is everpresent. For anyone who has hit something or someone, I think it also is safe to say that it is one of the worst feelings, especially if what you hit is a living thing.

I hit a stray dog a few years back and it was one of the worst feelings in the world. I immediately stopped, tried tending to it as best as I could while balling and eventually felt it die. It was agony for the dog, but for me as well. I will never forget that experience and am sure others share that sentiment with me.

So when I heard about a dog being hit last Thursday night, my heart sank. I understand the "its just an animal" sentiment, but any animal lover knows that statement is just that, a statement, and nothing more, especially if the animal is a pet.

In this incident, a 6-month-old puppy ran out the door and into traffic. The dog, Diamond, avoided getting hit by at least three cars only to be hit by a Nash County deputy. The incident was witnessed by one of the luckier drives who missed the dog and stopped when he saw it hit. The deputy kept driving, but returned minutes later.

Statements from those involved attest that the deputy was apologetic, but the witness was frustrated the deputy didn't offer to do more. Eventually the dog's medical expenses were paid by the witness and the local humane society, so she is now recovering with her owner in Spring Hope.

The question is this, do you think the deputy should have done more? Do you think he should be punished for the incident or do you think it was happenstance like hitting a deer who jumps infront of traffic? Who, if anyone, is to blame for the incident? What would you have done if you were the deputy? What would you have done if you were the witness? 

I have never sprayed paint at anything but a craft project or aimed a baseball bat at anything but a ball, so the recent incident at Faith Christian School has highlighted the fact that I have never nor will I ever understand the point of deliberately causing damage to someone else's property.

Rocky Mount police arrested four Nash Central High students Monday for causing nearly $10,000 in damage to the private school's athletic facilities. No cause for the damage or how they were caught was released.

Thankfully the community rallied around Faith Christian School as they worked to repair the damage, but I still am left with the question of "why." I mean, I can rationalize (*not justify*) stealing baby formula if you can't afford it, but what is the point of wreaking havoc just for laughs?

Other cities I have lived in have taken a stand against graffiti by starting community efforts to paint over the damage caused by these vandals, and it seems like a similar program might be good for Rocky Mount. I mean, I know several places around town that have had words and symbols painted on Dumpsters and buildings for months now. Technically it is up to the property owner to paint over the damage, but that is not always a feasible option depending on what the property is and how large the damage is.

I think it would behoof us as a community to come together and stand up against people who do this type of behavior whether it is for kicks — like it seems the Faith Christian incident was for — or for gangs who do it to declare territory. If we remove the graffiti as quick than vandals can do it, they will learn that the behavior is not acceptable and move elsewhere.

What else do you think could be done to discourage this type of behavior? What do you think should be done to the teens who damaged Faith Christian?

Last night, a Wilson man held police at bay for a more than 12-hour standoff stemming from officers attempting to serve involuntary committment papers on him. Eric Radke reportedly posted a number of threatening posts on Facebook ("I hate everyone and if you come to my house I'm gonna shoot you," etc.), which may have sparked the commitment papers, but it was Radke's gunshot into the air when police arrived that led to the standoff.

Eventually police deployed tear gas canister's into his home and he surrendered just before 6 a.m. this morning. Police said he was taken to hospital to be evaluated. No charges have been filed yet.

Our paper did not cover the standoff because it happened in Wilson County and we are a Twin County paper, but I have covered a couple in the past and each time, I am left wondering "WHY!?!"

I took the above picture during a June 10, 2010, stand off where a man barricaded himself from marshalls attempting to serve murder warrants from another state. Robert Looney used his girlfriend as a shield and started a 10-hour standoff with authorities that ended with him taking several bullets, but survived.

A few years back, I covered another standoff near Greensboro where the man held his girlfriend hostage and eventually surrended to police following nearly 20 canisters of tear gas being shot into his rural home.

Both of these experiences taught me a number of things:

• If you are the one who is causing the standoff, you will likely get shot or come out crying once police have said "enough is enough, let's end this."
• If you are the neighbors around one of these standoffs, you might as well assume you aren't getting close to your house for at least 24 hours.
• If you are a friend or family member of the suspect, you can expect to answer a bunch of questions by law enforcement and by the media that all go something like "why would he/she do this?"
• If you are a reporter who might cover one of these events, PLAN AHEAD. Have drinks, food, stuff to keep you entertained, power cords for all your gear and even a pillow and a blanket in your car because you will likely be in it for the long-haul.

Unfortunately, regardless of the lessons I've learned a long the way, I still can't answer that question of "why" someone or anyone would think it is okay to shoot at or even just threaten to shoot at cops or anyone else... It is not going to end well for anyone involved.

Why do you think people like Radke or Looney do things like this? Do you think authorities should end these quicker by shooting first and asking questions later?

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said the above quote during a 1964 speech at Oberlin College, but they ring true today nearly 50 years later.

I'm sure you have all guessed by now that I am an optimist, but MLK day brings it out in me more than many other days.

It is a day where we celebrate the legacy of a man who inspired everyone to dream. It is a day where we celebrate a man who gave everything for what he believed in. It is a day that many people get off from school and work, but choose to spend it serving others. And no matter who you are, that is a great legacy regardless of your thoughts on civil rights.

I spent the morning at the Unity Breakfast and listened to the words of Dr. Dudley Flood who spoke about inspiring generations of our youth to reach for their dreams by being heroes they can look to and model their lives after. It was a great message that I think everyone can learn from (and if you missed it, I'm sure the city and WHIG will show clips from it).

What has MLK and those he inspired led you to do in your own life? How did you spend Monday honoring the legacy he left behind? How will you use his work to affect what you do in the future?

Sure you may be facing struggles right now, but I hope you will find solace and inspiration in Dr. King's words from his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech in Memphis Tennesee in 1968: "Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around. That's a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars."

On November 19, 2011, Juan De La Cruz bought a beer and was just leaving Turner's Mini Mart when a group of teenagers allegedly decided to take that simple pleasure from him.

The teens — three 16 year olds, two 14 years olds and a 13 year old — beat him up, stole the beer, a $1.99 and fled the scene. The teenagers left him without regard for the severe head injuries they inflicted upon him.

The teens were caught within a few days and charged with assault and robbery, but De La Cruz, 67, was taken to Nash General Hospital and flown to Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, where he was listed in critical condition for more than a month. He was eventually taken off life support and died on Saturday.

The elderly man was a Rocky Mount homeless resident for several years. Many remembered seeing him ride around town, but how many noticed his absense? How many questioned what had happened to him?

What made these teenagers think this man's life was worth a beer and $1.99? Where were the parents when this man was being beaten unconscious? Did these teens suffer any reprocussions while they awaited trial?

The number of questions this incident raises about our society is innumerable, but they all revolve around why. What do you think could be done in the future to ensure De La Cruz's death was not in vain?

Everyone was dressed to the nines this morning to welcome Rocky Mount's new Police Chief James Moore to town. The Wilmington police band even played a thunderous fanfare for Moore, who served with the department since 1988. The City Council chambers were packed with police officers, department heads from throughout the city and members of the public hoping to catch a glance of our new chief. 

"A new beginning" was the prominent theme throughout the ceremony with Moore promising to instill hope in the community while staying grounded and speaking honestly. He spoke of not being able to leap tall buildings in a single bound or stopping a speeding train, but stirring the pot and bringing change.

"One thing about me, its why I moved to the human resources department in the city of Wilmington (for an interim position for a year), I constantly challenge policies. It is what I believe in," Moore said. "I am going to try to make sure the department and the city is maximizing its potential."

City officials were encouraged by Moore's mindset and said they will be as supportive throughout the transition.

"We expect a lot from our new chief, but I assure you that you have total support — not only mine, but the entire City Council as well," Mayor David Combs said.

Did you show your support for Moore by showing up to Tuesday's ceremony? How do you think the event went? What is your first impression of him? What changes do you think need to be made?