NEWTON GROVE — To fill a void in the Newton Grove Police Department, Chief Greg Warren introduced Brent Hall as a full-time officer during Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting.
Hall was previously sworn in as an auxiliary officer for the town and served with the Clinton Police Department for several years. He is a Clinton native and is a volunteer football coach for the Clinton High School Dark Horses.
“He’s a volunteer coach at the other black and gold school,” Warren said with humor during a Monday meeting. “We’ll have to get him transferred down here to Hobbton. But he does put in his time up at Clinton High School, reaching the youth and that’s one big thing for me. That’s where we can start and keep going.”
Warren added that Hall assisted him with technology and computer matters for departments. Hall is currently in training and will begin early November. The search began in August after longtime officer Sgt. Norbert Edwards retired after spending 14-years as a full-time officer. He was once honored as the North Carolina State Grange’s law enforcement officer of the year.
Currently, law enforcement protection is provided by several auxiliary officers and three full-time employees serving the area. The auxiliary officers work for one day each month to help with coverage or when full-time employees are not available.
Special Olympics funds raised
The police department and Commissioner Alan Herring also discussed Saturday’s “Circle City 5K/1M,” calling it a success. The event was associated with the North Carolina Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run. It raised $2,700 with proceeds going toward the program, which is the state’s largest sports organization for children and adults with disabilities. During the year, the department collected a total of $7,000 for Special Olympics.
Warren thanked volunteers such as Johnston Community College’s nursing program for their assistance. The students brought snacks, fruit and water.
“We greatly appreciate them coming out and supporting us,” Warren said.
Herring also thanked Warren, his family, officers and other volunteers for their efforts.
“They did a great job organizing this thing,” Herring said. “There were many volunteers who helped and it was very well planned and very put together. Everybody enjoyed it.”
Historic House discussed
During Monday’s Mayor Gerald Darden mentioned possibilities of making upgrades to the historic home of Dr. John Carr Monk, a famous physician and Catholic religious leader in the 1800s.
Darden was contacted with interest from Lynn Mobley, of Texas; and Ann Herring, a member of a group involved with moving the house (previously at Erwin Drive) to its current location next to the park off 701 Highway. Darden said there’s a possibility that the town will look into putting funds into improvements, with the assistance of Mobley and Herring.
More details regarding the project will be announced in the future.