Tag: rowan county
“One pill took her daughter”: Fentanyl Crisis turns personal at Salisbury Roundtable
Congressman McDowell pledges to fight fentanyl crisis in North Carolina after losing his brother to an overdose.
SALISBURY, N.C. — The fentanyl crisis tearing through North Carolina isn’t just a public safety threat — it’s personal. At a high-level roundtable this week in Salisbury, that reality hit home as lawmakers, prosecutors, and grieving families joined forces to demand action.
Congressman Addison McDowell, who convened the meeting, opened with a message that carried more weight than politics.
“Getting it off our streets is just the first step,” McDowell said. “Prosecuting those who profit from fentanyl is a major step as well.”
For McDowell, the fight is more than a policy priority — it’s a personal mission. His younger brother died from a fentanyl overdose, a tragedy that inspired his run for Congress.
“We want to stop the deaths that come with this poison,” he told the room, surrounded by district attorneys, sheriffs, and special agents.
Among the voices calling for change was Barbara Walsh, founder of the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina. She clutched a photo of her daughter, Sophia, as she told the story no parent should have to repeat.
“Sophia was 24. She went to visit friends in Watauga County. On her way out of town, she stopped for water,” Walsh said. “That bottle, unknown to her, had just eight nanograms of fentanyl. It was enough to kill her.”
Her story silenced the room — a chilling reminder that behind the data are names, faces, and futures cut short.
“It’s more than a number. Every photo is just one ripple in a massive pond of fentanyl deaths,” Walsh said.
Local sheriffs echoed her urgency, pointing to limited resources and the growing reach of drug trafficking networks.
“What I’ve seen in three years as sheriff — this is a local resource issue,” said Rowan County Sheriff Travis Allen.
Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers added, “We can’t fight this alone. We have to work with partners — every agency, every county.”
The roundtable, titled “Prosecuting the Poison,” ended with a commitment to tougher laws, better coordination, and faster action.
For leaders like McDowell and families like the Walsh’s’, that commitment can’t come soon enough.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, help is available. Contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
Sheriff: Infant exposed to fentanyl, 2 arrested in Rowan County
ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — An infant was rushed to the hospital after being exposed to fentanyl, according to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.
“[The baby] was completely blue, and I said, ‘God there’s no hope for that baby,’” said one neighbor who saw the infant as she was being loaded into an ambulance.
Deputies responded to calls regarding the incident around 2:58 p.m. Saturday, July 20, at a home along Sides Road. An 11-month-old infant was found unconscious and not breathing, and was transported to an area medical center after NARCAN was administered at the scene.
“You don’t hear a lot of stories about infants being injected with NARCAN because NARCAN is a very strong, powerful drug itself,” said Rowan County Sheriff Travis Allen. “But when it’s a life or death situation, you don’t have anything to lose.”
A state trooper happened to be in the area when the call went out.
“If a guardian angel was going down the road, it was Trooper Eagle,” Sheriff Allen continued. “His CPR efforts before EMS and fire got there most likely saved the child.”
Following an initial investigation, deputies said that the mother, Jamie Robertson, retrieved a baby bottle from the father’s vehicle. She, her daughter, and James Danielson then fell asleep until Robertson awoke to the baby gasping for air and struggling to breathe.
“The mama she was just tore up,” the neighbor who did not want to be identified continued to say. “She really loved that baby, but she was hung up on drugs.”
Both Robertson and Danielson later admitted to investigators that they had injected fentanyl while in bed with the baby before falling asleep. Unsanitary conditions, along with various items of drug paraphernalia, drug residue, and uncapped syringes were found at the home.
“They both admitted to injecting each other and then passing out with the child in the bed with them, so it’s just severe neglect on their part,” said Sheriff Allen.
Danielson and Robertson have both been charged with felony neglect child abuse-serious bodily injury, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
Both have been placed in the Rowan County Detention Center under a $100,000 secured bond.
The infant has been released from the hospital into DSS custody and is expected to make a full recovery.