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Supplier of Drug Network is Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

Press Release November 5, 2021 , by
Acting Unites States Attorney William T. Setzer
Western District of North Carolina
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Lia Bantavani
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 704-338-3140
SUPPLIER OF DRUG NETWORK IS SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The supplier of a local drug network has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Matthew Wondra, 34, of Murphy, N.C., was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after he is released from prison.
According to court documents and yesterday’s sentencing hearing, in September 2018, law enforcement became aware that Wondra was operating as a supplier for a local drug network in Cherokee and Graham Counties and elsewhere. Court records show that Wondra frequently traveled to Georgia to purchase kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and heroin, which he then distributed to dealers in Western North Carolina. Throughout the investigation, Wondra engaged in multiple drug transactions, and at times possessed firearms in connection with his drug trafficking activities. On one occasion, Wondra put a gun to the head of a person he accused of stealing drug proceeds from him during the course of the conspiracy and he threatened to kill that person. According to filed documents, from September 2018 to August 2019, Wondra was responsible for purchasing and distributing more than 19 kilograms of methamphetamine and over three kilograms of heroin.
On October 30, 2020, Wondra pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. At yesterday’s court hearing, Wondra received sentencing enhancements for weapons possession, making a credible threat, maintaining a premises for the purpose of storing and distributing controlled substances, and for his leadership role during the drug conspiracy.
Wondra’s co-defendants, Jamie Allen and Derek Wilson, were previously sentenced to 10 years and 4.25 years in prison, respectively, for their role in the conspiracy.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Asheville Post of Duty; the Bureau of Indian Affairs; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office; the Swain County Sheriff’s Office; the Graham County Sheriff’s Office; the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office; the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office; the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office; the Cherokee Indian Police Department; the Murphy Police Department; and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.

Haywood man plead guilty to exploitation of a minor

News, Press Release September 29, 2021 , by

A sex offender will spend at least seven-and-a-half years in prison after a probation officer discovered child pornography on the Haywood County man’s phone.

Ronald Lee Smith, 50, this month in Haywood County Superior Court pleaded guilty to nine counts third-degree exploitation of a minor, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.

“This office has zero tolerance for people who possess child porn,” she said. “We prosecute these cases vigorously to both protect future victims and protect the community.”

Maggie Valley police arrested Smith in March of this year.

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bradley B. Letts sentenced Smith to a minimum active term of 10 months in prison for each count of possessing sexually explicit photos of children.

He ordered the sentences be served consecutively, or one after the other.

Smith could serve as much as 15 years and nine months in prison. In North Carolina, felons must serve entire minimum sentences; conduct while serving determines whether maximum sentences are imposed.

In May 2017, Smith pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and, in 2018, to failure to register sex offender.

Assistant District Attorney Jeff Jones prosecuted the case.

Haywood deputies seize 455 grams of heroin, meth, and fentanyl

News, Press Release September 21, 2021 , by
455 grams

Haywood County, NC: During the last six weeks, Haywood County Sheriff Deputies have seized over 455 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin resulting in the arrests of ten people.

By conducting vehicle stops in Canton, Clyde, Waynesville, and on 1-40, several deputies helped make Haywood County an even safer community. “The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office remains focused on doing everything in our power to keep our community safe. A large part of that focus involves keeping drugs off our streets. We will continue to actively patrol all areas of our community to ensure that Haywood County continues to be a wonderful place to live and play,” Sheriff Christopher said.

If you have any information regarding drug trafficking in Haywood County please call the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office Crime Stoppers Tipline at 1-877-922-7463.

Christopher Johnson is charged with:
• Trafficking in Opium/Heroin
• Conspire to Traffic Opium/Heroin
• Child Abuse
And was placed in the Haywood County Detention Center with a secured bond of $250,000.

Tiffany Ward is charged with:
• Trafficking in Opium/Heroin
• Conspire to Traffic in Opium/Heroin
• Maintaining a Vehicle for Controlled Substance
• Child Abuse
And was placed in the Haywood County Detention Center with a secured bond of $250,000.

Harold Taylor is charged with:
• Trafficking in Opium/Heroin by Possession
• Trafficking in Opium/Heroin Transportation
• Maintaining a Vehicle for Controlled Substance
And was placed in the Haywood County Detention Center with a secured bond of $750,000.

Angela Vance is charged with:
• Trafficking in Methamphetamine
And was placed in the Haywood County Detention Center with a secured bond of $250,000.

David Cameron is charged with:
• Trafficking in Methamphetamine by Possession
• Trafficking in Methamphetamine by Transport
• Simple Possession Schedule VI
And was placed in the Haywood County Detention Center with a secured bond of $100,000.

Samantha Contino is charged with:
• Trafficking in Methamphetamine by Possession
• Trafficking in Methamphetamine by Transport
• Trafficking in Opium/Heroin by Possession
• Trafficking in Opium/Heroin by Transportation
• Conspiring to Traffic Methamphetamine
• Conspiring to Traffic Opium/Heroin
• Possession of Schedule 1
And was placed in the Haywood County Detention Center with a secured bond of $250,000.

William Allen is charged with:
• Trafficking in Opium/Heroin by Possession
• Trafficking in Methamphetamine by Possession
• Conspiring to Traffic Methamphetamine
• Conspiring to Traffic Opium/Heroin
And was placed in the Haywood County Detention Center with a secured bond of $250,000.

Tyler Maurer is charged with:
• Trafficking in Methamphetamine by Possession
• Trafficking Methamphetamine by Transport
• Possession with Intent to Manufacture Sell and Deliver Schedule VI
• Possession of Firearm by a Felon
And was placed in the Haywood County Detention Center with a secured bond of $500,000.

Christopher Cutshall is charged with:
• Trafficking in Methamphetamine (2 counts)
• Possession of Stolen Goods
And was placed in the Haywood County Detention Center with a secured bond of $110,000.

Melinda Reamer is charged with:
• Trafficking in Methamphetamine (2 counts)
And was placed in the Haywood County Detention Center with a secured bond of $100,000.

FDA fully approves Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Featured News, Featured Stories, News, Press Release August 23, 2021 , by
pfizer

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.

“The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.” 

Since Dec. 11, 2020, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has been available under EUA in individuals 16 years of age and older, and the authorization was expanded to include those 12 through 15 years of age on May 10, 2021. EUAs can be used by the FDA during public health emergencies to provide access to medical products that may be effective in preventing, diagnosing, or treating a disease, provided that the FDA determines that the known and potential benefits of a product, when used to prevent, diagnose, or treat the disease, outweigh the known and potential risks of the product.

FDA-approved vaccines undergo the agency’s standard process for reviewing the quality, safety and effectiveness of medical products. For all vaccines, the FDA evaluates data and information included in the manufacturer’s submission of a biologics license application (BLA). A BLA is a comprehensive document that is submitted to the agency providing very specific requirements. For Comirnaty, the BLA builds on the extensive data and information previously submitted that supported the EUA, such as preclinical and clinical data and information, as well as details of the manufacturing process, vaccine testing results to ensure vaccine quality, and inspections of the sites where the vaccine is made. The agency conducts its own analyses of the information in the BLA to make sure the vaccine is safe and effective and meets the FDA’s standards for approval.

Comirnaty contains messenger RNA (mRNA), a kind of genetic material. The mRNA is used by the body to make a mimic of one of the proteins in the virus that causes COVID-19. The result of a person receiving this vaccine is that their immune system will ultimately react defensively to the virus that causes COVID-19. The mRNA in Comirnaty is only present in the body for a short time and is not incorporated into – nor does it alter – an individual’s genetic material. Comirnaty has the same formulation as the EUA vaccine and is administered as a series of two doses, three weeks apart.

“Our scientific and medical experts conducted an incredibly thorough and thoughtful evaluation of this vaccine. We evaluated scientific data and information included in hundreds of thousands of pages, conducted our own analyses of Comirnaty’s safety and effectiveness, and performed a detailed assessment of the manufacturing processes, including inspections of the manufacturing facilities,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “We have not lost sight that the COVID-19 public health crisis continues in the U.S. and that the public is counting on safe and effective vaccines. The public and medical community can be confident that although we approved this vaccine expeditiously, it was fully in keeping with our existing high standards for vaccines in the U.S.”

FDA Evaluation of Safety and Effectiveness Data for Approval for 16 Years of Age and Older

The first EUA, issued Dec. 11, for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older was based on safety and effectiveness data from a randomized, controlled, blinded ongoing clinical trial of thousands of individuals.

To support the FDA’s approval decision today, the FDA reviewed updated data from the clinical trial which supported the EUA and included a longer duration of follow-up in a larger clinical trial population.

Specifically, in the FDA’s review for approval, the agency analyzed effectiveness data from approximately 20,000 vaccine and 20,000 placebo recipients ages 16 and older who did not have evidence of the COVID-19 virus infection within a week of receiving the second dose. The safety of Comirnaty was evaluated in approximately 22,000 people who received the vaccine and 22,000 people who received a placebo 16 years of age and older.

Based on results from the clinical trial, the Pfizer vaccine was 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 disease.

More than half of the clinical trial participants were followed for safety outcomes for at least four months after the second dose. Overall, approximately 12,000 recipients have been followed for at least 6 months.

The most commonly reported side effects by those clinical trial participants who received Comirnaty were pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills, and fever. The vaccine is effective in preventing COVID-19 and potentially serious outcomes including hospitalization and death.

Additionally, the FDA conducted a rigorous evaluation of the post-authorization safety surveillance data pertaining to myocarditis and pericarditis following administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and has determined that the data demonstrate increased risks, particularly within the seven days following the second dose. The observed risk is higher among males under 40 years of age compared to females and older males. The observed risk is highest in males 12 through 17 years of age. Available data from short-term follow-up suggest that most individuals have had resolution of symptoms. However, some individuals required intensive care support. Information is not yet available about potential long-term health outcomes. The Comirnaty Prescribing Information includes a warning about these risks.

Ongoing Safety Monitoring

The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have monitoring systems in place to ensure that any safety concerns continue to be identified and evaluated in a timely manner. In addition, the FDA is requiring the company to conduct postmarketing studies to further assess the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis following vaccination with Comirnaty. These studies will include an evaluation of long-term outcomes among individuals who develop myocarditis following vaccination with Comirnaty. In addition, although not FDA requirements, the company has committed to additional post-marketing safety studies, including conducting a pregnancy registry study to evaluate pregnancy and infant outcomes after receipt of Comirnaty during pregnancy.

The FDA granted this application Priority Review. The approval was granted to BioNTech Manufacturing GmbH.

Related Information

Former-Haywood man pleas guilty to trafficking opiates

News, Press Release July 4, 2021 , by
guilty

A former Haywood County resident will spend from 70 to 93 months in prison after admitting this week in Jackson County Superior Court to drug- and firearm-related charges.

District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said Jon Banton Legere, 45, who has at various times listed addresses in Canton, Cullowhee, and Sylva, pleaded guilty Monday to possession firearm by felon, larceny of a firearm and trafficking in opiates by transportation.

The charges stem from two separate traffic stops that occurred last spring.

On March 4, an officer with Sylva Police Department observed Legere, whose license had been revoked, driving a vehicle on Cope Creek Road toward N.C. 107.

After the officer stopped Legere, a drug dog alerted on the vehicle’s driver door. The officer found a pipe with white substance on its end. A stolen pistol was hidden in a hole beneath the steering wheel.

Legere was convicted in 1995 in Cumberland County of four counts breaking and entering. State law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms.

On April 9, a deputy with Jackson County Sheriff’s Office stopped Legere on Grindstaff Cove Road, again driving with a revoked license. Additionally, there was an outstanding warrant for Legere’s arrest.

In the vehicle, the deputy and Sylva Police Department officers discovered a baggie containing 9.80 ounces of fentanyl and fentanyl precursors, as well as scales and a revolver and bullets. The items were hidden behind a false panel near the fuse box.

“It was a dangerous cocktail of illegal drugs,” Assistant District Attorney Chris Matheson said.

Matheson prosecuted the case. Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bradley B. Letts handed down the mandatory minimum sentence.

Haywood man receives maximum sentence for fatal DWI-related car crash

News, Press Release July 4, 2021 , by
DWI
District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said a Haywood County man will serve the maximum sentence possible in prison after entering Alford pleas Friday in Macon County Superior Court to a DWI crash that left two dead.
Suspects who enter Alford pleas do not admit guilt but accept there is sufficient evidence to convict and agree to be treated as guilty.
A blood sample showed Jeremy Michael Clark, 28, of Canton, had used methamphetamine prior to an Oct. 31, 2018, wreck on U.S. 64 near Winding Stairs Gap in Macon County.
While heading west, his pickup truck crossed the two-lane highway’s centerline and smashed head-on into a vehicle heading east.
Clark’s girlfriend Megan Lurae James, 26, the mother of their two children and a passenger in the truck, died at the scene. Sixty-year-old Roger Dooley of Lake Wales, Florida, who was driving the vehicle Clark’s truck hit, died seven days later in a Georgia medical center.
Roger Dooley’s wife, Brenda Dooley, was airlifted to Mission Hospital in Asheville with life-threatening injuries, including multiple broken bones and a lacerated spleen.
Roger and Brenda Dooley were married for 23 years and had three sons between them.
“I’m here to give a voice to my husband and myself,” Brenda Dooley told Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Bill Coward in a victim-impact statement.
She recounted her husband saying, just prior to the crash, “This guy is going to hit us head on, and I’ve got nowhere to go.” She looked up from reading a magazine to see Clark’s truck in front of their vehicle.
Michelle McGuinness, Megan James’ mother, also provided a victim-impact statement. She spoke directly to Clark, saying,
“You have ruined so many lives because of your actions.”
Assistant district attorneys Jason Arnold and Jim Moore prosecuted the case.
“As the court decides the path forward, the victims have come into this court for active consecutive sentences,” Arnold told Judge Coward. “As this court makes its search for justice in this case, the state of North Carolina (the District Attorney’s Office) can’t see how you could reach any other determination.”
Judge Coward sentenced Clark to a total time of 165 to 232 months for two counts of felony death by vehicle and felony serious injury by vehicle.
He ordered Clark to pay $7,840 in court fees, submit a DNA sample and undergo a substance-abuse assessment.

Guatemalan school teacher plead guilty to two counts of second-degree forcible sex offense

News, Press Release June 17, 2021 , by
guatemalan school teacher guilty
Using threats of harm to the victim’s family, a Guatemalan school teacher sexually abused a teen in that country and, in 2018, from August into November, in Haywood County.
On June 10, following jury selection the previous day for the Haywood County Superior Court trial of Jose Vicente Ax Sub, 37, Assistant District Attorney Kate Robinette won a 404B pretrial motion.
Senior Resident Bradley B. Letts’ decision would have opened the door for Robinette to admit prior, bad-act evidence involving Ax Sub.
Instead of proceeding with the trial, however, Ax Sub opted to plead guilty two counts of second-degree forcible sex offense, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.
Letts sentenced Ax Sub to 10 years in prison in the N.C. Department of Corrections.
“On Nov. 7, 2018, after the worst beating by the defendant yet, the victim got the courage to leave the defendant and sought out shelter,” Robinette told the judge.
“The defendant then left threatening messages for the victim, stating that he would harm him and his family if the victim did not return. The victim told his boss what had been going on, and the boss took the victim to Haywood County Sheriff’s Office for help.”
The FBI and Maggie Valley Police Department investigated the case.

Buncombe County man plead guilt to first-degree statutory sexual offense

News, Press Release April 19, 2021 , by
first-degree statutory sexual offense
A Buncombe County man pleaded guilty in Haywood County Superior Court on April 6 to two counts of first-degree statutory sexual offense and four counts of indecent liberties with a child, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.
Nathanial Shane Lewis, 44, of Buncombe County, will serve 190-288 months in prison. Senior Resident Court Judge Bradley B. Letts also ordered Lewis be placed on three years of supervised probation when released.
“After a long and difficult year with the pandemic, jury trials have resumed, and my office has prioritized our older and more serious cases,” said District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch.
With a jury available for the resumption of trials, Lewis entered the plea: He’ll spend at least 15 years and 10 months, and as much as 24 years, in prison.
In open court, Lewis admitted he had inappropriately touched and molested a minor child on four separate occasions, during the second half of 2016.
“Children are among our most vulnerable,” Welch continued. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute crimes against children in the 43rd Prosecutorial District.”
Assistant district attorneys Jeff Jones and Kate Robinette prosecuted the case.

Governor Cooper Honors North Carolina’s Black Health Leaders

Community, Press Release February 12, 2021 , by
African Americans

RALEIGH: Today, Governor Roy Cooper recognized and honored North Carolina’s African American leaders and organizations in health and medicine for their contributions to heal and care for their communities.

“I am grateful for all of the African American leaders who have served our state through their efforts in health and medicine,” said Governor Cooper. “As we celebrate their achievements, we must acknowledge that North Carolina still has work to do to ensure equitable health systems for all North Carolinians.”

Governor Cooper proclaimed February as Black History Month in North Carolina at the beginning of this month.

In June 2020, Governor Cooper signed Executive Order 143 which established the Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental, and Health Equity Task Force. This Task Force is working to address the disparities in our health care and economic institutions for communities of color that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, Governor Cooper and top health officials have made equity a top priority. North Carolina has been recognized nationally for state efforts to track data about race and ethnicity in vaccinations and COVID-19 cases. North Carolina continues to reach out to communities of color with focused outreach and ensuring a portion of vaccines every week go to underserved communities.

This year’s honorees include:

  • Maude Lee Bryant of Chatham County – Midwife with birthing practices that were known statewide; instructor on traditional birthing to UNC Medical School students
  • Emma Dupree of Pitt County – Herbalist and healer; winner of the Brown-Hudson Award by the North Carolina Folklore Society and the North Carolina Heritage Award
  • Leonard Medical School at Shaw University – The nation’s first four-year medical school and the first medical school for Black students between Washington, D.C. and New Orleans; over 400 Black physicians trained here
  • M.T. Pope of Wake County – One of the earliest graduates of Leonard Medical School and one of the first licensed Black physicians in North Carolina; practiced in Charlotte and later established a practice in Raleigh
  • L.A. Scruggs of Wake County – One of the earliest graduates of Leonard Medical School and one of the first licensed Black physicians in North Carolina; the first attending physician at St. Agnes’ Hospital for Negroes in Raleigh; professor at Shaw University and St. Augustine’s University; co-founder of the Old North State Medical Society
  • John T. Williams of Mecklenburg County – One of the first Black diplomats in the U.S. under President William McKinley; one of the earliest graduates of Leonard Medical School; one of the first licensed Black physicians in North Carolina
  • Joyce Nichols of Person County – First female and first African American female formally educated as a physician assistant; helped to establish the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants
  • Ernest Grant, Ph.D., of Buncombe County – First male president of the American Nurses Association
  • Kizzmekia Corbett, Ph.D., of Orange County – Led a team of investigators with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in research to find a COVID-19 vaccine
  • Dr. William Cleland of Durham County – First African American pediatrician in Durham; ran four well-baby clinics for the Durham County Health Department
  • Dr. Frederick Burroughs of Wake County – Raleigh’s first Black pediatrician; City of Raleigh Hall of Fame member; American College of Pediatricians fellow
  • Dr. Aaron McDuffie Moore of Durham County – First Black medical doctor of Durham; prominent leader in the African-American community
  • Dr. Dewey M. Clayton III of Person County – First Black doctor in Person County; civil rights leader who helped filed lawsuits to integrate Person County schools and Person Memorial hospital
  • Dr. John Thomas Daniel, Jr., of Durham County – First African American president of the North Carolina Board of Medical Examiners
  • Thereasea Clark Elder of Mecklenburg County – Charlotte’s first Black public health nurse; integrated Mecklenburg County’s Public Health Department
  • Dr. Leroy Darkes of Wake County – UNC internal medicine physician; dedicated the majority of his career to providing care for elderly and senior patients
  • Dr. Michelle Bucknor of Wake County – Chief Medical Officer of UnitedHealth; leading advocate for social determinants of health and improving health care outcomes
  • Eugene Woods of Mecklenburg County – President and Chief Executive Officer of Atrium Health; advocate for protecting and expanding health care coverage for all and achieving equity of care by eliminating disparities
  • Dr. Charlene Green of Guilford County – President of Old North State Medical Society
  • Rep. Carla Cunningham of Mecklenburg County – North Carolina House of Representatives Member for the 106th District; member of the North Carolina Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services; former hospice nurse
  • Dr. Laura Gerald of Robeson County – President of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust; former State Health Director at North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; former public health physician at Robeson County Public Health Department
  • Marilyn R. Pearson, M.D., of Johnston County – Public Health Director and Medical Director for Johnston County; Congressional District 7 Representative for NC Medicaid Medical Care Advisory Committee; 2015 North Carolina Health Director of the Year
  • Dr. Goldie Byrd of Forsyth County – Director of Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity
  • Dr. Charles Johnson of Durham County – First Black professor at Duke Medicine
  • Old North State Medical Society in North Carolina – One of the oldest medical societies for African Americans in the United States; formed to protect the rights of African American physicians
  • Brigadier General Clara M. Adams-Ender of Johnston and Wake Counties – First woman to receive a MA in Military Arts and Sciences from U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; first African American nurse corps office to graduate from United States Army War College; participant in Greensboro sit-ins
  • Dr. Samuel Gray of New Hanover County – One of the first resident physicians at Community Hospital in Wilmington; filed a civil suit against James Walker Memorial Hospital for admitting privileges
  • Dr. Alvin Blount, Jr., of Guilford County – First African American in North Carolina to be certified by the American College of Abdominal Surgeons; first Black surgeon admitted to the medical staff of Cone Hospital; litigant of the Simkins v. Moses H. Cone Hospital suit that desegregated hospitals throughout the South
  • Dr. William Green Torrence of Buncombe County – Established Asheville’s first Black hospital, Torrence Hospital
  • Dr. James F. Shober of Forsyth and New Hanover Counties – First known Black physician with a medical degree to practice in North Carolina; opened his medical practice in Wilmington
  • Charlotte Rhone of Craven County – First Black registered nurse and first Black social worker in New Bern; charter member of the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses
  • Carrie Earley Broadfoot of Cumberland County – Co-Founder and first President of the North Carolina Association of Colored Graduate Nurses; served as Superintendent of Nurses at St. Agnes Hospital
  • North Carolina Association of Colored Graduate Nurses in Forsyth County – Founded by five nurses to provide professional development opportunities for Black nurses in North Carolina; advocated for Black nurses’ rights and helped advance health initiatives in Black communities

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