Press Releases

The State Highway Patrol honored 55 sworn and 11 civilian members today during a promotional ceremony held at Colonial Baptist Church in Cary. The ceremony began with an invocation offered by Pastor Steve Stadtmiller followed by the singing of the National Anthem by Trp. Joey Garrett.  Offering welcome and remarks to those in attendance, Colonel Glenn McNeill Jr. spoke of the expectations required by each individual rank.
The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Anthony Wilde as the new superintendent at Craggy Correctional Center in Asheville. He replaces Marty Galloway, who retired on Jan. 1. Wilde, 49, had been the Assistant Superintendent of Custody/Operations at the facility since 2016.
The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Cynthia Thornton as the new Region Director for the Central Region with an office in Raleigh. Thornton, 50, had been the facility administrator at Harnett Correctional Institution since 2013 where she was responsible for the overall operations at the facility, including offender custody, facility security, food service, medical, maintenance, educational services and other programs. In her new position, Thornton provides oversight to the region’s 15 correctional institutions.
State correctional officers and local law enforcement are seeking Rutherford Correctional Center minimum custody inmate Jeremy Keith Fincannon (#1384359), who was determined to be missing after a 7:30 a.m. routine count of offenders on Thursday. 
Help is now available for local governments working to recover from Hurricane Florence, with more than $7 million in grants and loans already provided, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) has launched two programs to assist local governments that are struggling financially in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
The N.C. Department of Public Safety honored a dozen Division of Prisons staff members today in their individual fields as Employees of the Year for their exemplary work or generous acts that benefited the agency and their communities. “These are remarkable individuals who exemplify the dedication and professionalism of the agency,’’ said Director of Prisons Kenneth Lassiter. “They are special people. Some may be future leaders of the agency. Some have made a huge difference in just a few months.”
As portions of western and central North Carolina prepare for another round of winter weather expected to begin tonight, Governor Roy Cooper reminds people to be prepared and to be cautious when traveling in wintry conditions. “Parts of North Carolina are expecting snow and ice and I urge everyone to keep a close eye on the forecast,” Gov. Cooper said. “Though Western North Carolina is more accustomed to winter weather than other parts of our state, people in the path of the storm need to get ready and not take unnecessary chances,” said Governor Cooper.
The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named Peter Buchholtz as the new Region Director for the South Central Region with an office in McCain. Buchholtz, 53, had been the facility administrator at Morrison Correctional Institution since 2012 where he was responsible for the overall operations at the facility, including offender custody, facility security, food service, medical, maintenance, educational services and other programs.
The Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice has named LaDonna Browning as the new Region Director for the Western Region with an office in Valdese. Browning, 48, had been the facility administrator at Foothills Correctional Institution since 2012 where she was responsible for the overall operations at the facility, including offender custody, facility security, food service, medical, maintenance, educational services and other programs.
Area residents can get tips and advice on how to protect their families and their homes from future disasters at community mitigation resiliency workshops. Before Hurricane Florence arrived, you may have thought your home would never flood. At this event, FEMA mitigation specialists will help you find your home on the floodplain map and explain what that means to you. You might be surprised to learn where your home is on this map and how that will impact you and your loved ones in the future.