Hillsborough, NC – A Burlington man was accused on Thursday of violating North Carolina’s pandemic restrictions after Orange County deputies responded to a report from a major New Year’s Eve party in Hillsborough.
A tent was set up outside the Palmers Grove Community Center in 1021 Palmers Grove Church Road, and deputies said about 100 people were inside.
Jacob Alfred Kurtis Bethea, who organized the party, dubbed it the New Year in Vale and published it on social media as “the biggest New Year’s party in the state,” officials said.
Party attendees purchased tickets online before receiving the meeting address. MPs found about 10 people armed with semi-automatic revolvers to ensure the party’s safety, and one even carried an AR-15 rifle, officials said.
Bethea, 30, was accused of violating executive orders over mass meeting limits and operating an entertainment facility that was supposed to be closed. The deputies also handed him a pending warrant from Guilford County accusing him of violating the limits of mass meeting at an event in September.
He posted on Facebook on Friday night: “Man, I made news last night, yes, I was arrested for throwing a party for my people, but I don’t care, it’s the fucking new year that we have to have fun. ”
