Bridge repairs begin

The Town of Hillsborough will perform maintenance on the Exchange Park Lane Bridge this week.

Work should be completed by the end of the week, weather permitting. Drivers are advised to use caution in the area and to be alert for lane closures.

The repairs to the bridge’s expansion joints and sidewalks were recommended by the N.C. Department of Transportation, which performs biannual bridge inspections and makes recommendations on maintenance items to ensure the longevity and safe use of bridges. The Hillsborough Town Board approved $42,000 at its regular meeting in November to fund the repairs.

For more information, contact Public Works Director Ken Hines at 919-732-1270 Ext. 78.

Clauses set to visit

Police Department

The Hillsborough Police Department welcomes help in giving a toy gift to each child who visits Santa and Mrs. Claus at the main station on Dec. 13.

The Clauses will make their annual visit to the Police Department’s lobby, where children will be able to share their Christmas wishes. Each of the past three years, about 200 children of all ages have visited the station at 127 N. Churton St. for a chance to see Santa and to give him their Christmas list.

The Police Department would appreciate donations of new, unwrapped toys to give to the children who visit. Toys for children of all ages may be donated, as teenagers and infants also often visit. No toy weapons or candy should be donated.

For more information, contact Cpl. Tereasa King by email or by phone at 919-732-2441 Ext. 26.

Investigators receive

advanced certificates

Two Hillsborough Police Department investigators were awarded Advanced Law Enforcement Certificates from the N.C. Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission in November.

Sgt. Scott Nicolaysen and Investigator June Solomon received their certificates Nov. 16, making them the eighth and ninth active Hillsborough officers to be awarded an advanced certificate. The certificate, which can take many years to achieve, recognizes law enforcement professionals for attaining a significant combination of formal education, supplemental training and experience.

Nicolaysen manages Hillsborough’s Criminal Investigations Unit and is responsible for investigations of property, violent and narcotics-related crimes. His unit’s clearance rate that exceeds state and national averages.

“Sgt. Nicolaysen is extremely knowledgeable and has been a solid resource for me,” Police Chief Duane Hampton said. “He is a true asset to the agency. In addition to managing his staff and their investigations, he carries his own load of cases and always seems to be on top of the crime trends we are facing. I could not ask for a better investigations sergeant.”

Nicolaysen joined the Police Department in 1999, as a patrol officer responsible for responding to calls for service and taking proactive enforcement action. He was promoted to investigator in 2002 and then sergeant in 2005, when he was assigned to manage the Criminal Investigations Unit.

Solomon joined the department in 2002 as a patrol officer. She was promoted to investigator in 2006 and has worked both narcotics and criminal investigations during her tenure in the Criminal Investigations Unit.

“She is dedicated to what she does and tenacious in her pursuit of offenders,” Hampton said. “She is genuine and compassionate with the victims and provides the communication and support that is needed to help them move past being victimized.”