A Weldon area man was arrested Thursday after about a mile-and-half chase on Trueblood Road and Highway 125, Lieutenant Chuck Hasty of the Halifax County Sheriff’s reported in a news release.

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The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office reports several people were arrested over the weekend with drugs and weapons charges.

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It was supposed to be an all-day training event, a duplex in poor condition used for firefighter training and then allowed to burn to the ground. When fire hit the attic a few hours into the session on Rapids Street today, commanding officers gave the order to halt the training and let the house burn. It was something Roanoke Rapids Fire Department Chief Gary Corbet and Halifax Community College fire and EMS instructor Kevin Kupietz prepared for. “That’s why we have all the lines on the ground,” Corbet said.

Kupietz said because the fire hit the attic early, there was no reason to continue the training and risk injury to a firefighter. Had it been a real fire, firefighters would have attacked it, Corbet said, instead, firefighters stayed on both sides of the building to keep the radiant heat from melting vinyl on neighboring property. The fire department notified people in the neighborhood of the live burn several weeks in advance, handing out flyers They also removed windows from the structure, stabilized the floor and cleared bushes. Many people from the neighborhood came out to watch, many bringing lawn chairs and taking photos of the event. Dean Van Dyke, who just moved in across the street, had coffee and doughnuts ready for the firefighters.

“I have an appreciation for anyone who works for a living,” he said. Corbet explained the owner of the duplex requested the fire department burn the building. “It was run down,” he said. “The flooring was collapsed and the joists were rotting.” For the fire department, it was chance to do several types of training. “We do like the opportunity,” Corbet said. “We have several new firefighters who haven’t had the chance for live training.” With assistance from the Davie Volunteer Fire Department, which supplied tankers, the fire departments and the Roanoke Valley Rescue Squad were ready for a full day of training. They planned rapid intervention drills simulating situations where firefighters were trapped.

“We’re trying to help the fire department with rapid intervention and getting firefighting experience,” said Brian Hux of Roanoke Valley. Thus far there have been no situations calling for the rapid intervention team, Hux said. “Roanoke Rapids has been quiet. They haven’t had any structure fires that required an internal attack. It’s been quiet, which is a good thing.” They were able to get some training in before the fire reached the attic and compromised the safety of the house for training. During one session, one firefighter sustained a mild burn to the back of his neck when overhead flames licked his neck. The firefighter, Richard Cooke was OK and was treated at the scene. Soon after, the fire reached the attic and the training was called off. “We expected it,” Corbet said, “Because of the condition of the house."

It was a birthday party, only the guest of honor was not there. He was on the minds of everyone who attended, however, from shirts with his photo on it, to a cowboy motif, to his friends and family being there. This was Dylan Moore Day and the man who pushed for this day to honor the boy who died on July 26 after a battle with a rare blood disorder was pleased. “It tickles me to see kids running around,” said Anthony Finney at the American Legion building Friday. “Really, this is what it’s all about. It’s a birthday party for Dylan.” Finney used the social networking website Facebook to draw attention to his belief there should be a day honoring the 8-year-old. Today there are 1,146 members of that page. The strapping Finney said there will always be a place in his heart for the youngster who touched his life although he never knew him. “Dylan’s impact on me is something I’ll carry for the rest of my life.” He said just by seeing photos of the boy he learned that while life ends for all, it doesn’t mean you go around moping. “He helped me to hold my chin up and keep my head forward.” To rally for the day, Finney said, was special for him. “It’s something I have personally done to make a difference the way he made a difference for me.” Paula Elias, who served as the master of ceremonies for the event, called Dylan “a strong little cowboy.” Roanoke Rapids Mayor D.N. Beale, who read the proclamation city council approved last month, told the audience, “Sometimes our plans don’t coincide with God’s plans. God knew what he was doing. He knew it was time for Dylan to come sit by his right side.” Louise Bailey, the mayor pro-tem of Gaston, where the Moore family lives, also read a proclamation from her town. “Today is a special day for all of us,” she said, recalling serving with the boy’s father, Peanut, on what was then the Gaston Volunteer Rescue Squad. “We were all saddened by his passing.”

The owner of an animal rescue store on Roanoke Avenue has been charged in a fraudulent computer-buying scheme allegedly using bogus state purchase orders, the Roanoke Rapids Police Department reported this afternoon. Deputy Chief Adam Bondarek said in a news release that on Thursday search warrants were executed at 1330 Hamilton Street and the Second Chance Animal Rescue Store located in the 300 block of Roanoke Avenue, which is run by Rose Nicholson Cohen, 54. Police were investigating a fraud case that was forwarded by the State Capitol Police.  Bondarek, who declined to comment beyond the news release, said 16 stolen computers and other electronic devices had been sent to the residence with fraudulent purchase orders mimicking state purchase orders.  The fraudulent purchase orders were in the name of an employee at the state Office of Information and Technology Services and were sent to Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Company. The items were being shipped to 1330 Hamilton Street in Roanoke Rapids. Bondarek said a search of the house led police to recover six stolen Dell laptops and five HP laptops valued at $16,169.  Further investigation led Detective Sergeant Jeff Baggett to discover Cohen already mailed five additional HP laptops to the African country of Ghana and that two IPAQ business messengers had been sold on eBay earlier. At the time the stolen laptops were recovered, some of those items were currently posted on eBay for sale. A total of $25,122 worth of computer equipment had been fraudulently obtained and sent to 1330 Hamilton Street since July, Bondarek said. Today Baggett arrested Cohen, charging her with three counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense, two counts of felony possession of stolen goods and two counts of felony conspiracy. Cohen was placed in the Halifax County Jail under a $25,000 secured bond.    The investigation continues between Roanoke Rapids and the State Capitol police.