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Shovels at the ready, Sampson Community College officials and representatives of local industry dig up some dirt at Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony.
With a few words of gratitude and some tossing of dirt, ground was broken Monday at the site of what will be the Industry Partners Ammonia Refrigeration Building at SCC, to be located at the back side of the campus behind Warren Student Center.
The groundbreaking occurred with help from local school and government officials, pork and poultry officials, contractors and others armed with shovels, all who have had a part in the building’s construction coming to fruition. It has been a long time coming and is something that could very well shape the future of the college and county as a whole, said Aiken, president at SCC.
“It’s particularly something we’ve looked forward to for some time,” Aiken said at the ceremony. “We decided there really was a need for that in the industry. Everyone here sees that need.”
Ammonia is widely used as refrigerant in industrial facilities such as meat, poultry and fish processing facilities, as well as dairy and ice cream plants, wineries and breweries and other such facilities. For larger cold storage facilities, ammonia has become the ideal refrigerant because it produces the greatest net refrigerating effect.
SCC would be among just a handful that offered training in its use.
“We would be the fourth place in the country to offer this kind of training,” he remarked. “You really have to do something to distinguish yourselves among other community colleges. I really think this is our opportunity.”
Aiken said he and others visited officials at a similar ammonia refrigeration facility in Atlanta, Ga. — the nearest one to Clinton — during a “goodwill trip” to solicit feedback on the potential success of one in Sampson County. The message? If you build it, they will come.
Strickland said that, of the $1.4 million SCC was able to generate, all of it has come by way of grant money and donations — not the wallets of those in the community.
“There have been many red letter days in Sampson County and at Sampson Community College,” he said. “I don’t think anything passes today’s. The $1.4 million has come to the community college by way of grants and contributions. That is a lot of money, especially when you think of it in terms of the economy and the state budget.”
He called the outpouring “tremendous.”
Last year, Sampson Community College received $900,000 from the North Carolina Community College Facilities and Equipment Grant Fund. The college also received $300,000 from the Golden Leaf Foundation for program equipment, as well as a $250,000 pledge from the industry to help establish the program.
“Without these people and donations, we would not be where we are today,” Aiken attested.
“This is what happens when people come together” added Strickland. “The county is grateful to Sampson Community College for what they have done. We’re going to experience positive things from this program. It’s going to be an even greater day when we start to dig up this dirt and then enroll students. It’s going to all be positive.”
On Monday, Aiken thanked many, specifically the Golden Leaf Foundation, Butterball, Prestage Farms and Smithfield Foods for their donations toward the program.
Aiken recalled contacting Bill Prestage, CEO of Prestage Farms, about the program and getting a surprised reaction — and good feedback. He pointed to Prestage as a key proponent in the college’s push to acquire funding for its ammonia refrigeration program.
The 5,000-square-foot facility, to be built by Evans Builders Inc. of Wilson, will house state-of-the-art equipment and provide hands-on training for both the beginner and the seasoned operator. It is set to open February 2010.
Rep. Larry Bell, D-Sampson, co-sponsored House Bill 276 with Rep. J.H. Langdon, R-Johnston, to establish the ammonia refrigeration program at Sampson Community College. Both represent portions of Sampson County.
The bill appropriated from the General Fund to the Community Colleges System Office the sum of $1 million for the 2007-08 fiscal year to establish such a program. The act became effective July 1, 2007.
“Had it not been for his support in this project, it would not have happened,” noted Aiken. “We are particularly grateful for his role in making this happen.”
Bell said that approximately $70 billion in state revenue comes from agriculture and agribusiness. Bell, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, said he knows the importance of cultivating that resource. The ammonia refrigeration program is very much a part of that.
“I hope this is a facility we can all proud of,” said Bell.
Among the many others receiving Aiken’s thanks were Dan Gerlach, president of Golden Leaf Foundation, who said he was similarly pleased with being able to assist “the number one agriculture county in North Carolina.”
Willie Jacobs, vice chairman of the SCC Board of Trustees, summed up the sentiments of many in attendance at Monday’s ceremony,
“This has been a much anticipated event,” said Jacobs. “We consider this facility and this program as another jewel in the crown of Sampson Community College. It is another fine demonstration of the cooperation between the college and the business community of the area and we certainly hope this effort will be beneficial to all who have had a part in making this facility and this program possible. On behalf of the college and its trustees, we say thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 121, or by email at sicrime@myclintonnc.com.
D.A. Won't Prosecute Narcotics Deputy's Cases
Reece Murphy
Reporter
District Attorney Dewey Hudson has sent out a letter to judicial officials in Sampson County saying he will no longer prosecute cases involing a narcotics officer with the Sampson County Sheriff's Office.
The letter, dated June 30, says the decision was made after a review of dismissed felony cases assembled by Deputy Bobby Smith of the sheriff's Special Investigations Unit.
"Effective immediately, my office will no longer prosecute any criminal cases in which Sampson County Deputy Bobby Smith is a material witness," the letter says. "In the interest of justice, I am requesting judicial officials to not issue any new criminal process at his request or in which he is a material witness.
"I feel compelled to do so after a review of several dismissed felony cases for lack of evidence and false and misleading information contained in his reports," Mr. Hudson says in ending the letter.
The Daily Record missed phone calls by Mr. Hudson returned yesterday afternoon and he was unavailable for comment as of press time this morning.
It is not immediately clear how many cases were among the "several" mentioned in the letter and it is not known how many past cases the decision will affect.
According to sheriff's Chief Deputy John Connerly, Deputy Smith has 16 years experience in law enforcement. Chief Deputy Connerly said Deputy Smith originally worked for the Sampson County Sheriff's Office from 1993 to 1996 before leaving for stints at the Clinton and Goldsboro Police departments.
He said Deputy Smith returned to the Sampson County Sheriff's Office in 2006 and shortly thereafter began working as a narcotics officer in the Special Investigations Unit.
Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton stood by Deputy Smith and said he was a good officer who was dependable, conscientious and hard working and said none of the cases involved any illegal activity on Deputy Smith's part.
"He is a good officer and certainly has credibility and respect and would not do anything except what needs to be done," Sheriff Thornton said.
"It wasn't a matter of him doing anything that's not legal, it was not doing the reports correctly, in haste leaving things out that were omitted, not by design ... incomplete reports," he said. "When you field 25 to 40 calls a day (on drug tips), it's overwhelming. I make them investigate all of them."
Sheriff Thornton said he spoke to Mr. Hudson and his staff before the letter was sent and thought they had worked things out by checking the facts of the cases in question with Deputy Smith and devising plans with Mr. Hudson's staff to address their concerns.
Sheriff Thornton said he was not sure how many cases Mr. Hudson considered in making his decision. He said he understood Mr. Hudson did what he felt he needed to do as the district attorney though the sheriff disagreed with it.
Sheriff Thornton said he felt Deputy Smith should be given the same presumption of innocence afforded to all under the law.
"Certainly if a suspect in a crime is entitled to due process and consideration, you know certainly those of us in law enforcement are due the same," he said.
Sheriff Thornton said the move could potentially be career-ending for Deputy Smith as a drug agent. He said while the department is forced for the most part to accept Mr. Hudson's decision, he understood Deputy Smith is considering legal action on his own.
Sheriff Thornton and Chief Deputy Connerly both said Deputy Smith will remain employed with the sheriff's office.
Chief Deputy Connerly said he planned to move Deputy Smith to a position overseeing booking operations at the jail. He said Deputy Smith is currently out of work for reasons unrelated to Mr. Hudson's decision, but is expected to return to work soon.
He said he has spoken to him recently.
"He's very distraught over it," Chief Deputy Connerly said. "When the letter first came out he couldn't understand why it was done."