Rockingham County launches new alert system after data breach
Officials say the new ROCO AlertNow platform is a more secure way to get time-sensitive updates, including weather, utility, and emergency notices.
WONDERFUL DRIVER AND A WONDERFUL HUMAN. SEARCH FOR ANSWERS MOVING FORWARD AFTER A DEADLY PLANE CRASH KILLED NASCAR GREG, GREG BIFFLE, HIS FAMILY AND THREE OTHERS. THE NTSB IS ON THE SCENE SEARCHING THROUGH THE WRECKAGE AS FANS ARE REMEMBERING ONE OF THE BEST TO EVER GET BEHIND THE WHEEL. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE FOR YOU ONCE AGAIN ON THIS FRIDAY NIGHT. WE WILL CHECK IN WITH ADRIANNA HARGROVE IN A MOMENT, BUT WE WANT TO START WITH WXII 12. CHRIS PETERSON, WHO IS IN THE ROOM AS FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS, PROVIDED THAT UPDATE. CHRIS, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? LINSEY. NTSB INVESTIGATORS HELD AN INITIAL MEDIA BRIEFING HERE AT THE HILTON GARDEN INN IN STATESVILLE AS THEY BEGIN THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEADLY PLANE CRASH THAT KILLED SEVEN PEOPLE, INCLUDING RETIRED NASCAR DRIVER GREG BIFFLE AND HIS FAMILY. ACCORDING TO NTSB BOARD MEMBER MICHAEL GRAHAM, THERE WERE THREE LICENSED PILOTS ON BOARD THE CESSNA CITATION, OWNED BY RETIRED NASCAR DRIVER GREG BIFFLE. BUT RIGHT NOW, INVESTIGATORS DON’T KNOW WHO WAS PILOTING THE JET. IT TOOK OFF FROM THE STATESVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT JUST A FEW MINUTES AFTER 10:00 THURSDAY MORNING. THE JET WAS IN THE AIR FOR ROUGHLY TEN MINUTES BEFORE CRASHING WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND BACK AT THE AIRPORT. RIGHT NOW, INVESTIGATORS DON’T BELIEVE A MAYDAY CALL WAS EVER SENT OUT, BUT THEY DID RECOVER THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER. IT IS CURRENTLY ON ITS WAY TO WASHINGTON, D.C. TO BE ANALYZED. THE 16 MEMBER TEAM WILL GET FLIGHT TRACKING DATA AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR THE AIRCRAFT. THEY’LL ALSO LOOK AT THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, WHICH INITIALLY BOARD MEMBER MICHAEL GRAHAM SAID WAS A HEAVY DRIZZLE BUT NO WIND. GRAHAM ALSO MADE A REQUEST TO ANYONE WHO SAW THE CRASH, OR HAS VIDEO TO CONTACT THEM AT WITNESS AT. NTSB.GOV. VIDEOS SOMETIMES WILL TELL US A LOT. GIVE US ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MAYBE WHERE THE AIRCRAFT FIRST STRUCK THE TREES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ADDITIONAL VIDEO ON APPROACH WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO US. TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW HIGH OR LOW THAT AIRCRAFT WAS. WITNESSES, SOMETIMES WITH SOMETHING THEY HEARD, SOMETHING THEY SAW. GRAHAM SAID THE TEAM WILL BE HERE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEY HOPE TO GET A DRONE UP IN THE AIR TOMORROW. IT WAS TOO WINDY FOR THEM TO DO THAT TODAY. HE SAID WE CAN EXPECT A PRELIMINARY REPORT IN ABOUT 30 DAYS, BUT THE FULL REPORT WON’T BE AVAILABLE FOR 12 TO 18 MONTHS IN STATESVILLE. I’M CHRIS PETERSON, WXII 12 NEWS. A LOT OF NEW DETAILS THERE, CHRIS. MANY THANKS. OF COURSE, IT IS A SOLEMN DAY FOR RACE FANS, AND IN PARTICULAR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AND AROUND MOORESVILLE WHO KNEW THE FAMILY PERSONALLY. WXII 12 ADRIANNA HARGROVE TALKED WITH PEOPLE THERE ABOUT HONORING BIFFLE AND HIS INCREDIBLE WORK IN RACING. IT’S BEEN AN EMOTIONAL DAY HERE AT THE MEMORIAL, CREATED BY RACING FANS FOR GREG BIFFLE. NOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LAYING FLOWERS ON THE PLAQUE HONORING HIM, WHICH WAS CREATED BY THE NC AUTO RACING HALL OF FAME. RACE FANS LIKE JOE SALEEM HAVE BEEN AT THE MEMORIAL MOST OF THE DAY, PAYING THEIR RESPECTS AND SHOWING SUPPORT. JOE DESCRIBES GREG AS HAVING A LAID BACK PERSONALITY AND REMEMBERS HIS GENEROSITY FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS. ONE FOND MEMORY IS WITNESSING GREG GET INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME, AND ONLY TWO MONTHS AGO, HE RECEIVED THIS HONOR OF BEING INDUCTED INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA AUTO RACING HALL OF FAME. RIGHT DOWN ON THAT CORNER IS WHERE HE WAS INDUCTED, AND TWO MONTHS LATER, WE’RE HERE. SUCH A SUCH A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT FROM JOY, TO ABSOLUTE SADNESS. THOSE WHO KNEW GREG PERSONALLY SAY HE WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR HIS INCREDIBLE SPORTSMANSHIP ON THE RACETRACK, AS WELL AS HIS PHILANTHROPY FOR HELPING OTHERS IN MOORESVILLE ADRIANNA HARGROVE, WXII 12 NEWS. AND THAT IS CERTAINLY A SENTIMENT REPEATED BY THOSE WHO KNEW BIFFLE’S LEGACY, BOTH ON THE TRACK AND OFF THE TRACK. I SPOKE TO SOMEONE HERE IN THE TRIAD WHO SAYS THE DRIVER WAS ONE OF THE GREATS, OF COURSE, BUT HE WANTED TO DO EVERYTHING HE COULD TO HELP OTHERS OFF THE TRACK, TOO. YOU NEVER EXPECT IT TO HAPPEN. AND AND WHEN IT DOES, IT’S JUST SUCH A SHOCK. THE RACING COMMUNITY IS GRAPPLING WITH A TREMENDOUS LOSS, BOTH ON THE TRACK AND OFF. HE WAS A GREAT RACE CAR DRIVER, BUT HE WAS A BETTER PERSON. I MEAN, HE WAS ONE OF THE FINEST PEOPLE YOU’D EVER MEET, AND HE’S ALWAYS HAD A SMILE, ALWAYS FRIENDLY. AND AND HE WAS ALWAYS VERY APPROACHABLE. I NEVER, EVER REALLY SAW HIM IN A BAD MOOD. HE WAS ALWAYS HAPPY GO LUCKY AND AND HAPPY IN LIFE. GREG BIFFLE, KNOWN AS THE BIFF, WAS ONE OF NASCAR’S 75 GREATEST DRIVERS BY BECOMING ONE OF THE TOP 75 DRIVERS IN NASCAR. I MEAN, THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE YEARS THAT THAT HAVE RACED WITH NASCAR, AND HE’S ONE OF THE GREATEST. COLBERT SEAGRAVES IS THE SON OF NASCAR HALL OF FAMER RALPH SEAGRAVES AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. FEW PEOPLE IN THE TRIAD KNOW MORE ABOUT NASCAR’S HISTORY THAN HE DOES. GREG WAS. HE WAS A BRIGHT STAR OUT ON THE WEST COAST. THAT’S WHERE HE GOT HIS START. HIM, KEVIN HARVICK, THOSE GUYS, THEY THEY WERE THE WEST COAST GUYS THAT CAME IN AFTER JEFF GORDON. AND AND HE WAS. ACTUALLY DISCOVERED BY BENNY PARSONS. BIFFLE WAS THE FIRST DRIVER TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BOTH THE NASCAR TRUCK SERIES AND THE XFINITY SERIES. AND HAD 19 WINS IN THE CUP SERIES. HE WAS ALWAYS A VERY, VERY TOUGH COMPETITOR, A GREAT RACE CAR DRIVER, AND HE WAS ALWAYS WELL LIKED BY THE COMPETITORS AND THE FANS. BUT OFF THE TRACK, WHAT SET BIFFLE APART IS THAT HE WAS A HUMANITARIAN WHO CARED FOR HIS COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE HELENE. HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN FLYING HIS HELICOPTER, TAKING SUPPLIES IN AND GETTING PEOPLE SEARCHING, SEARCH AND RESCUE. IN FACT, THEY THREATENED TO ARREST HIM AND HE JUST WENT AND DID WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO. HE LEAVES BEHIND A LASTING LEGACY, NOT ONLY WITHIN THE RACING COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO WELL BEYOND. THEY LEAVE A LEGACY BEHIND, AND THEY’LL BE REMEMBERED FOREVER. THEY’LL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. BIFFLE WAS ALWAYS DOING THINGS TO HELP OTHERS, AND HE HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE NASCAR HALL OF FAME. WE ARE ALSO BEGINNING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THAT FATEFUL PLANE, AS WELL. THEY’VE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY FAMILY MEMBERS AS CRAIG WADSWORTH. HE’S BEEN DESCRIBED AS A FRIEND OF BIFFLE’S WHO HELPED WITH ODD JOBS, AS WELL AS DELIVERING SUPPLIES IN THE WAKE OF KILLEEN. THERE’S ALSO DENIS DUTTON AND HIS SON, JACK. ACCORDING TO OUR SISTER STATION IN ALABAMA, THE SON WAS AN AVIATION STUDENT AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY. YOU CAN FIND MANY MORE TRIBUTES COMING IN FOR THE VICTIMS, AS WELL AS NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRASH AND THE INVESTIGATION ON THE WXII 12 NEWS MOBILE APP AND OUR WEBSITE. THAT’S ALSO WHERE YOU CAN SEE
Rockingham County launches new alert system after data breach
Officials say the new ROCO AlertNow platform is a more secure way to get time-sensitive updates, including weather, utility, and emergency notices.
Rockingham County residents now have a new way to get time-sensitive updates from local officials.The county has rolled out ROCO AlertNow, a replacement emergency notification system launched after a data breach impacted the previous platform. The new system is designed to provide a more secure option for sharing urgent information with the public.>> For information about the data breach, click here.ROCO AlertNow can deliver messages by phone call, text and email, depending on the preferences users select when they sign up. Residents can also add an address to receive alerts tied to their specific area, along with countywide notifications.Alerts will be issued by Rockingham County officials and 911 Communications and may include weather-related messages, utility notices and operational updates. Coverage includes Reidsville, Eden, Stoneville, Madison, Mayodan, as well as unincorporated parts of the county.You can sign up for notifications from ROCO Alert now here. Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.
Rockingham County residents now have a new way to get time-sensitive updates from local officials.
The county has rolled out ROCO AlertNow, a replacement emergency notification system launched after a data breach impacted the previous platform. The new system is designed to provide a more secure option for sharing urgent information with the public.
>> For information about the data breach, click here.
ROCO AlertNow can deliver messages by phone call, text and email, depending on the preferences users select when they sign up. Residents can also add an address to receive alerts tied to their specific area, along with countywide notifications.
Alerts will be issued by Rockingham County officials and 911 Communications and may include weather-related messages, utility notices and operational updates. Coverage includes Reidsville, Eden, Stoneville, Madison, Mayodan, as well as unincorporated parts of the county.
You can sign up for notifications from ROCO Alert now here.
Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.