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Angels from page 4CorrectionalOfficerJeff BowersOn Feb. 13, AlbemarleCorrectional Institution’sOfficer Jeff Bowers also knewhe was needed at work, especially aware that a staff shortage was possible that day.But he could not get his truckout of his driveway. The roadconditions were very bad,and he did not call anyone topick him up for fear of putting them in jeopardy.Bowers left his home onfoot at approximately 4:15that morning. He walked more than 6 milesto get to work, arriving nearly 2-and-a-halfhours later.At Albemarle CI, Bowers was hailed as“a shining example of dedication, teamworkand genuine concern for the safety of citizens, staff and facility.”*Among those at MarionCorrectional Institution whowere prepared for the stormwere three nurses who wentabove and beyond the call of dutyto make sure the facility had amedical presence throughout thisordeal.They were:Sonya Brown, third shiftLPN, who worked by herself Feb.NursesRichard Kidd,above, and,right, SonyaBrown andJosephineThompson.12-13, dispensing medications to inmates inregular population and in segregation, aswell as performing normal shift routine jobassignments until relief arrived. First shiftnurses were unable to report for work, soBrown volunteered to stay through firstshift to assist with coverage. She workedapproximately 18 hours.Josephine Thompson, third shift RN,helped out on second shift, often doublingback from third with little sleep duringFebruary. On Feb. 12, during the winterstorm, Thompson drove and picked up oneof the third shift nurses so the Institutionwould have nursing coverage. She followedthat up by coming in early on first shift thenext day and working through second shift,because first shift nurses were unable to report for duty.Richard Kidd, second shift lead nurse,assisted with picking up and taking homestaff on Feb. 12 during inclement weatherto ensure second shift was adequately covered. He assisted with coverage until thethird shift nurse could get in and made arrangements for a ride home with custodystaff on Feb. 13. Later that day, calling in tocheck on staffing, he found that first shiftstaff were unable to report for work. Kiddwent in early to assist with coverage, extending his shift to organize and prioritizeduties within the Medical Department.It was noted that, “while this latestround of inclement weather found manyunprepared, nurses Brown, Thompson andKidd demonstrated a level of professionalism, dedication, and preparedness that setsthem apart from the rest.”*Lillie Balance, program supervisor,Pasquotank Correctional Institution inElizabeth City, said, “We here at PasquotankCI all pulled together as a team to help eachother.”Several staff members who live close tothe prison offered to allow others who werefurther out to stay in their homes so theySee Angels on page 6On The SceneMarch 2014Page 5Angels from page 4way, I told him to get on the rail because he would bewarmer over there. The young man immediately becamebelligerent and he began screaming obscenities. I dialedstar (*) HP, and described the situation to the HighwayPatrol Communication Center operator.Baker finally convinced him to lean on the rail andthat is when Joe sat and sobbed. A minute later, Col. BillGrey of the Highway Patrol arrived. Col. Grey and Bakerthen approached the young man to determine if he wasinjured in any manner and to attempt to determine howhe arrived at that location.A few moments later, Raleigh police arrived on thescene to assist. Joe’s driver’s license and vehicle information was checked, and it was immediately determinedthat a car parked about 50 yards down the roadway wasin fact registered to him.Joe was secured in the patrol vehicle and the focusturned to his vehicle where it was discovered that another male was and had been sitting, observing everythingthat had occurred. This is the very reason that goodSamaritans should always approach these situationswith caution and never alone.The man, sitting in the passenger seat, was also obviously impaired and told the officers that an unidentifiedwoman had been driving. No woman was in sight, andafter a thorough search, no woman was found. It is likelythat the story was made up in an effort to deflect anycriminal charges.It was also determined that Joe’s car was out ofgas, likely divine intervention. The results could havebeen catastrophic had he continued driving in his stateof impairment. A trooper transported Joe to jail wherehe faced a host of charges and a 12,000 bond. I laterlearned that he had three prior DWI convictions.Although Joe is in serious trouble, he is alive andhas one more opportunity to re-chart his course in life.I wonder if he will. I wonder if he will recognize what therest of us did that night. I wonder if he will recognize howfortunate he was that on a blistering cold and snowynight, he was rescued from a certain tragic end by people who care, even when the people they help don’t.Joe may not be feeling so lucky today, but he shouldbe thankful for fate bringing the commissioner of LawEnforcement and the commander of the Highway Patrolto his aid. I hope that is a sobering call heard loud andclear and that Joe gets some help before he hurts himself or someone else.*

Angels from page 5could get to work. Balance’s husband gaveseveral staff members door-to-door rides toand from work.“We have continued this kind of helpwith each passing storm,” she said. “As weare known as the ‘Tank,’ I think we havepulled together as a whole like the tracksthat make a tank travel as a whole not as alost machine.”*During the snow and ice storm whichoccurred Feb. 12-14, Catawba CorrectionalCenter had 100 percent of essential staffand management report for duty. The attendance covered all four custody rotationsand correctional officers assigned to 8-hourMonday-Friday positions.Road conditions on I-40 near CatawbaCorrectional Center were treacherous, yetthe facility had 100 percent of staff reportfor duty.On The SceneMarch 2014Correctional staff made arrangementsin advance of the storm to position theirvehicles where they would have access tomain roadways or made arrangements withother employees who had four-wheel drivevehicles. The majority of correctional staffreside in surrounding counties, and sometravel 35-40 miles each way. Employeesencountered roads with snow and ice accumulations ranging 8 to 15 inches.Correctional staff reported early forline-up to be assigned a post, in order toallow the preceding shift extra time to gethome. Officers brought extra uniforms,sleeping bags and other essentials if theywere needed to remain at the facility.It was said that, “Catawba CC is trulyblessed to have a group of employees thatare this dedicated to their job responsibilities and each other.”*Numerous staff members at CaledoniaCorrectional Institution who stayed overnight to help with the facility operations onFeb. 12 due to inclement weather were commended for their hard work, support anddedication:In Operations, Capt. Daryl Williamsand Officers Hidegarde Bobbitt,Linwood Harrell, Frogan Hedgepeth,Regina Powell, Heather Tuck andBarbaraWhitaker.In Unit 2, Officers Charles Barfield andMaurice Dickens.In Unit 3, Officers Courtney Alston,Kathleen Battle and Peter Normand.In Unit 4, Unit Manager Donald Greene,Assistant Unit Manager James Durhamand Officers Patricia Arrington, DavidHartsfield, Christopher Kirton andDavina Sharpe.In Maintenance, Thomas Thomas, MarkLucy and Steve Moore.In Medical, Aundrea Alston.In Transportation, Johnny Arrington,Kevin Craft and Craig Pleasant.*Page 6Among the many critical functionsof a prison is its warehouse, which SgtChristopher Nichols oversees at AlexanderCorrectional Institution. The warehouseprovides all of the cleaning supplies andclothes for the inmates five days a week fora population that amounts to a small city.Icy roads the morning after the snowstorm prevented several warehouse employees from being able to get to work.However, Nichols was determined to makeit to work, and he drove more than 60 milespicking up two other employees on his wayto Alexander.Richard Wilson, Alexancer CI canteensupervisor, said Sgt Nichols is “a very determined and helpful person who helpshis employees and backs them while doing their work and deserves recognitionfor his efforts. He may not have driven alawn mower to work, but his efforts werejust as great. We all appreciate him for theboss that he is.”*Another critical daily function at a prisonis food. A snow storm doesn’t stop the needfor meals three times a day.Stephen W. Smith, correctionalfood service manager III at PiedmontCorrectional Institution, is responsible for3,000 meals per day.“It was critical for all Food Service staffto be on post to ensure that all inmateswere served their meals,” he said. “Many ofour Food Staff live a good distance from ourunit.”Smith used his four-wheel drive vehicleto go “beyond what most would have done”and picked up all employees who were to beon post during the snow.“Mr. Smith is a very dedicated manager,and I am not only blessed but honored tobe a part of his well organized Food Serviceteam,” said Frank Pleasants, a food serviceofficer.See Angels on page 7

Angels from page 6Smith explained that Piedmont CI hastwo facilities nearly a mile apart, and eachhas two shifts.“Me and my staff have to be at work,and if that means that I have to go pickthem up at their residence because theycan’t get out, then that’s what I do. I depend on my employees to help me.“But the inmates have to eat, whetherit snowed or not. When you have to feeda thousand men three times a day, you dowhatever it takes to get the job done.”*Food Service Manager II MargaretMorgan, Swannanoa CorrectionalCenter for Women, showed howmuch she cares for the prison’skitchen staff. She went to work withher bags packed and a cot, preparedto endure the storm and cover thekitchen post.Once the snow began, Morgansent home the staff that was alreadyat work, and she called and told others who were scheduled to work to stayhome and stay safe, because she had it under control. She was thanked for her leadership.*Neuse Correctional InstitutionFood Service Officer Clarence Smithtook the time to pick up co-workerswho couldn’t get to work during thesnow storm.He volunteered to stay over if hewas needed, and went in extra earlyto assure staff coverage. He statedthat he would do whatever it takes toto keep moving forward.*Fountain Correctional Center forWomen in Rocky Mount faced the possibility of a severe staff shortage when most ofthe second shift personnel called in unableto get to work due to the weather. However,On The SceneMarch 2014At Dobbs YouthDevelop-mentCenter, Kinston,Shirley Waters,right, a 24-yearveteran who hasseen “a lot” ofbad weatherdays, and JamesCherry, a twoyear employee,were still hard atwork during thesnow storm. Itwas work as usual, getting up early in the morning,making sure their homes and families were takencare of and then heading off to work to make surethe students got hot meals.evening of Feb. 14. They went to work prepared with extra clothes, toiletries and food.Millsaps took groceries to feed employees,and, in the absence of the facility’s cooks,the extra-duty staff prepared meals for thejuveniles. An upbeat and positive attitudewas maintained during the situation.A January snow storm staff needwas also covered by Millsaps, Keller andHedrick, who worked 48 hours straight.*first shift staff remained on post, some untilthe next day. The coverage was providedwithout complaint.*Participants in a Juvenile Facilitiesleadership meeting during the storm heardreports about teamwork throughout detention and development centers, from folksdriving each other home or picking othersup who felt uncomfortable driving on theroads, or just picking up extra tasks or doingall they could to get to work because theyknew their co-workers and the childrenwere counting on them. Juvenile Justicehad transportation teams on the road aslate as 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday during theextreme traffic situations that occurredwhen the snow hit quickly.*Several employees at Alexander YouthDetention Center in Taylorsville worked extra hours to ensure safety and supervisionof the juveniles while also keeping otheremployees from having to travel in thetreacherous weather.Dee Sullivan and Karen Millsapsworked from the morning of Feb. 12 untilthe evening of Feb. 13. Josh Keller andWill Hedrick worked from Feb. 12 until thePage 7Above, officials in a State Highway Patrol telecommunications center watch a monitor displaying an image of a truck accident takenby a traffic camera. Some telecommunicators, those who take*47 calls and handle other emergency communications, stayedovernight in their centers rather than trying the dangerous venturehome. The overnighters found it “interesting” trying to sleep in aplace equipped with motion-activated lights. Simply rolling overwould turn the room’s lights on.The deadline for entries for the2014 Department of Public SafetyBadge of Excellence awards ofrecognition has beenextended to April 7. Back to Index

LitterFree NCPhotos by Ryan Guthrie, staff photographer.Trooper Michael Baker.Cleaner SaferMORRISVILLE A new campaign hasbeen launched to make North Carolinasafer by making it cleaner.On March 10, Gov. Pat McCrory,Public Safety Secretary Frank L. Perryand North Carolina State Highway PatrolCommander Col. Bill Grey kicked offLitter Free NC, a statewide anti-littercampaign to reduce the amount of litterin our state by educating the public aboutlitter’s harmfuleffects on public‘We take pridesafety, wildlife andin the healththe environment.“North Caroand beautylina has one of theof our state.’most beautiful, diGov. Pat McCroryverse landscapesin the nation,”McCrory said. “From the mountains tothe coast, we take pride in the healthand beauty of our state. Litter Free NC isnot only going to help us preserve NorthCarolina’s natural beauty, but also prevent hazards that pose a risk to travelers,wildlife and their habitats.”Litter is a public safety hazard and aneyesore. It puts motorists at risk, harmswildlife and their habitats, and pollutesSee Litter on page 9On The SceneMarch 2014Page 8

Watched by several troopers and DPSSecretary Frank Perry, Gov. Pat McCrory toutsthe need to make North Carolina cleanerthrough the Litter Free NC initiative.On The SceneMarch 2014Litter from page 8the environment. Millions of taxpayer dollarsare spent each year to pick up and remove roadside litter. The North Carolina Department ofTransportation spent more than 16 million intaxes to pick up and remove approximately 7million pounds of roadside litter in 2013.“Litter Free NC will combine education andenforcement efforts to reduce the amount oflitter in North Carolina,” Sec. Perry said. “Peoplemay think litter is a victimless crime, but it impacts people’s safety and well-being, the state’sbudget and shows disregard and indifferenceto the environment and the North Carolina wecall home. Millions of tax dollars are used everyyear for clean-up. Please join us in spreadingthe word about Litter Free NC, because a cleanstate is a safer state.”Col. Grey, commander of the State HighwayPatrol, spoke about the patrol’s litter enforcement program and the dangers litter presentsto motorists. In 2013, the State Highway Patrolcited 497 drivers for littering and 545 driversfor unsecured loads.Through the LitterFree NC program, motorists will be able todial *HP on a cellularphone to report littering and unsecuredloads. xPage 9 Back to Index

Guard celebratesHeritage MonthBy Sgt. Leticia SamuelsRALEIGH Through a proclamation signedby Gov. Pat McCrory, March became amonth for the promotion of the NorthCarolina National Guard and an opportunity to inform and educate citizens on all theprograms and benefits that the Guard offerscommunities.“For 377 years, the National Guard hasbeen alive and well,” said Maj. Gen. GregLusk, adjutant general of North Carolina.On March 24, 1663, the CarolinaCharter granted the early colonial government here the authority to “ levy, musterand train men ” in order to defend theproperty and peoples of the Carolinas. TheNCNG has been on duty ever since.“During my first 13 months in office, wehave had two of the biggest snow storms inhistory, and the National Guard has beenthere,” said Gov. Pat McCrory when hesigned the proclamation.North Carolina National Guard citizensoldiers and airmen for 351 years havebeen trusted by their neighbors to beararms in defense of liberty, state and nation.Heritage Month gives our soldiers and airmen a chance to show our citizens what wedo as we defend our nation overseas andtrain and deploy to support civilian authorities across the state.“I just want to say thank you,” McCrorysaid.McCrory spoke to the more than 400Guardsmen and civilian employees attending the proclamation signing, telling abouthis grandfather’s service in WWI.On The SceneMarch 2014Gov. Pat McCrory signed the official proclamation deeming March as North Carolina National Guard’s HeritageMonth at Joint Force Headquarters on March 6. On March 24th, 1663, the Carolina Charter granted the rightto “ levy, muster and train men ” to defend the property and peoples of the Carolinas. Gov. McCrory alsoshook the hands of soldiers while thanking them for their service.Photo by Sgt. Leticia Samuels, NCNG Public Affairs“He was a pharmacist from Milwaukee[Wisconsin] when he signed up in 1918 tofight,” McCrory said. “At the processing station, the clerk did not know how to spell hisoccupation, so the clerk wrote ‘farmer,’ andhe was responsible for caring for the hundreds of horses in his unit.”The Guard is one of the oldest institutions in our state and has served with distinction in World War I, World War II andthe Global War on Terror. Countless business, civic and religious leaders served inthe NCNG throughout its history.Overseas, the NCNG is decisively engaged with its State Partnership Programsin Moldova and Botswana and continuesto mobilize units for overseas contingencyoperations.Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 21,000Page 10N.C. National Guardsmen have been deployed for wartime service. The NCNG wasthe first to deploy a reserve componentattack aviation battalion into Afghanistanin 2002, and the only state to have anArmored Brigade Combat Team deploytwice as a maneuver brigade commandingits own battle-space in Iraq.During that same time frame, the NorthCarolina National Guard has provided morethan 6,100 citizen soldiers and airmen for“state active duty” missions as directed bythe governor or at the request of otherstates.“It’s not if we are ready, it’s whenwe are ready, I know the North CarolinaNational Guard will be there,” McCrory said.“They live by their motto, Always Ready,Ready Team!” x Back to Index

Left, a delegation from Botswana, ledby Tebelelo Mazile Seretse, center, thecountry’s ambassador to the United States,visited North Carolina under the StatePartnership Program to explore differentavenues that the Botswana Defence Forceand their government can use to enhanceways of life in Botswana and combat hugeissues such as poaching and first responseoperations. With the ambassador were Col.Bruce N. Thobane, Botswana Defence,Military and Air Attache; and Jed TaroDornburg, international relations officer– Botswana and Malawi at U.S. Departmentof State. Photo by Sgt. Leticia Samuels, N.C.National Guard Public Affairs.Botswana ambassador to US confers with NC National GuardBy Sgt. Leticia SamuelsRALEIGH Ambassador Tebelelo MazileSeretse, the first female ambassador ofBotswana to the United States, visitedNorth Carolina for three days in supportof the State Partnership Program, a program to foster stronger civil and militaryrelationships between the U.S. and foreigncountries.Seretse visited the North CarolinaNational Guard Joint Forces Headquartersin search of new ways to combat the poaching problem in Botswana. Botswana hasthe most diverse and sought-after touristdestination in the world, the OkavangoDelta, which has the largest population ofelephants in Africa.Seventeen percent of Botswana’s landsare dedicated as wildlifeThe ambassadorpreserves, a reflection of thecountry’s dedication to itslearned about lonatural resources. Seretse,cal emergencywith Col. Bruce Thobane, asenior Botswana Defenceresponse caForce leader, work to findpabilities fromthe newest and most effiN.C. Emergencycient ways to enforce antipoaching operations.Management.Army Maj. Clay Jackson, StatePartnership program coordinator, briefedthe ambassador on techniques for protecting wildlife from poachers, including theuse of unmanned aerial vehicles to bettersurvey large areas of elephant habitat.“Botswana has been a major leader inanti-poaching, and we hope that our workwith the Botswana Defense Force will be abeacon to other countries,” Jackson said.Army Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, adjutantgeneral of North Carolina, met with theambassador to discuss poaching issues, theefforts of Botswana’s president in protecting wildlife and the ongoing relationshipbetween the Guard and her country.The ambassador learned more aboutlocal emergency response capabilities fromDarlene Johnson with North CarolinaEmergency Management. Johnson gav

Correctional Institution became the "poster child" for job dedication, when he decided that he could get to work by riding his lawn mower to make the 9-mile trip from Valdese to Morganton. After two hours and a fuel refill stop, McCall arrived safely. * Angels Down and out, dangerous, too Correctional Officer Thomas McCall making