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H* See Opinion/Forum pages on A6&7 *
• See Sports on page Bl* %
Volume 43, Number 24
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
—THURSDAY, February 16, 2017
Traffic stop Ml gets support
Reps. Hanes, Conrad back
measure on how to deal
with law enforcement
BY CASH MICHAELS
FOR THE CHRONICLE__
A bill that, if enacted, would requite
the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles to
begin producing driver license handbooks
that instruct motorists, especially young
drivers, on how to properly and legally
conduct themselves while engaging with
law enforcement during traffic stops, has
been pro
posed.
It is get
ting bi-parti
san support
in the state
House by
two members
of the
Forsyth
aeie
„onri
county
gation.
The pro
posed measure is important, at least one
law enforcement official says, because
while police, sheriff’s deputies and state
troopers are rigorously trained on how to
act and react
during traffic
stops, much
of the driving
public, espe
cially young
people, don’t
realize that
the slightest
provocative
Mstm
Hanes
be mistakenly
interpreted as a
threat by that officer, and end fatally.
It’s one of the reasons many black par
ents say they have “the talk” with their
driving age teenage children on how to
follow the instructions of law enforcement
when stopped on the road, the first rule
being keep your hands plainly in sight, and
don’t move unless the officer either
instructs you to, or you advise the officer
accordingly. If passed, “at the request of
the Department of Public Instruction, the
Division shall provide free copies of the
handbook to that Department for use in the
program of driver education offered at
public high schools."
While Section 1 of the bill, once signed
into law, becomes effective January 1,
2018, the remaining sections become
effective beginning with the 2017-2018
See Traffic Stop on AS
Photo by Tcvin Stinson
A group of youngsters show off their dance moves during the Kiddie Valentine's Day Prom on Friday, Feb.
10.
PIPA hosts first Kiddie
Valentine’s Day Prom
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
The tumbling mats at Positive Image
Preforming Arts (PIPA) were rolled up and
the red carpet was rolled out last Friday
evening as 100 children attended the
organizations first annual Kiddie
Valentine’s Day Prom.
The event held at the PIPA headquar
ters on North Patterson Avenue was
designed to teach young ladies and gentle
men how to dress up, manners, etiquette,
and how to socially interact without using
a cell phone or iPad. Complete with' three
separate dance floors for children in pre
school, elementary, and middle school, and
a live performance from local recording
artist Young Reid, the Kiddie Prom had
everything you would expect to see at a
traditional high school prom.
PIPA owner Courtney Porter said she
decided to host the event after coming
across a photo of her cousin attending a
similar event in 1953 with the local Jack
. and Jill Chapter. Porter said, “There once
was a time where boys and girls would
dress up for dances, cotillions, and ball and
it was OK.
“It wasn’t considered to be grown or
inappropriate. These were events that were
tailored to teach Our boys and girls how to
be classy. Unfortunately, there are not
many opportunities to get dressed up, but
we felt like this was a perfect opportunity
to do so.”
Although many of the children attend
See Prom on A2
Jemel Williams takes a
photo with his daughter
Zara during the first
Kiddie Valentine’s Day
Prom held last week.
New HP
commander
seeks to build
stronger ties
McNeill has links to W-S
area
BY CASH MICHAELS
FOR THE CHRONICLE
If you personally knew the N.C. Highway Patrol’s first
African-American commander, the late Col. Richard
Holden Sr., then you know Col. Glenn McNeill today, that
agency’s newest leader.
Humble but strong, principled and devoted to service,
it is no accident tnat MciNem
asked Holden, one of the
first blacks to become a state
trooper, to be his mentor
many years ago, and learned
those basic tenets of man
hood, and law enforcement,
from him.
“I loved that man,”
McNeill says. “When he
walked into a room, you
knew he was in charge. I
looked up to him the way he
carried himself, the wav he
loved his family, and how I_1_IMM_L__Li_I
active he was.in the commu- McNeill
nity. To sit in an office that
he once occupied ... I’m humbled by this experience and
having this opportunity, but I just don’t think I’m worthy.”
“If I end up being half the colonel that he was,”
McNeill continued, “I will consider that to be a blessed
tenure.”
As of last Friday when he was swom-in as the new
commander of the 1,600 troopers of the State Highway
Patrol (SHP), Col. Glenn McNeill now has that chance. In
an exclusive interview. Col. McNeill pledged to lead a
patrol that looks like the citizenry it’s sworn to protect and
serve.
“One of the things that will be a priority in my admin
istration is our retention, and our recruitment of more
females and minorities, with the ultimate goal of the
Highway Patrol working toward representing and looking
like the population in our state,” McNeill said.
See New on A8
>N SALEM. NC 27101-4120 01
Thought Force releases recomendations to reduce poverty
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The Winston-Salem Poverty Thought Force
presented its recommendations to reduce local
poverty on Monday, Feb. 13.
“This is the beginning, but hopefully, maybe
five years or six years from now, we can look
back and say this is the day we started making a
change here in Winston-Salem and Forsyth
County,” said Mayor Allen Joines, during the
event at City Hall.
Joines announced the creation of the Thought
Force in October 2015 to find ideas to decrease
the city’s poverty rate, which was 23 percent in
2015. The 22-member committee is chaired by
Wake Forest Provost Rogan Kersh and is made of
community leaders. This includes City Council
Member Derwin Montgomery, who heads the
Bethesda Center for the Homeless, who said
poverty was a great “moral challenge” for the city
and county.
Kersh said the group spent more time talking
to those in the community than meeting with
themselves. It held five World Cafe meetings to
solicit ideas from the public, which the commit
tee narrowed down. A sixth cafe was held to get
See Poverty on A8
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