National Weather Service

Hurricane Preparedness Week: Complete Your Written Hurricane Plan

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-Information courtesy Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations

THIS WEEK IS NORTH CAROLINA’S HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS WEEK

All week long, the National Weather Service has issued informative messages to help you prepare for the hurricane season. Today’s topic, the final in the series for this year’s hurricane preparedness week, is complete your written hurricane plan.

The time to prepare for a hurricane is before the season begins – when you have the time and are not under pressure. If you wait until a hurricane is on your doorstep, the odds are that you will be under duress and will make the wrong decisions. Take the time now to write down your hurricane plan. Know where you will ride out the storm and get your supplies now. You don’t want to be standing in long lines when a hurricane warning is issued. Those supplies that you need will probably be sold out by the time you reach the front of the line.

Being prepared, before a hurricane threatens, makes you resilient to the hurricane impacts of wind and water. It will mean the difference between being a hurricane victim and a hurricane survivor.

Here are some things to know about completing a written hurricane plan:

• Writing down your plan will ensure you don’t make mistakes when faced with an emergency.

• Document all of your valuables and possessions with a camera or video camera well before the storm.

• Gather all vital documents, like passports and medical records, and put them somewhere that you can quickly access.

• Make planning and preparedness a family affair to ensure everyone knows what to do.

• Don’t forget to include your pets in your plan.

• Every plan should include gathering non-perishable emergency supplies and assembling a disaster supply kit.

• Share your plan with others in your family, and have an out-of-state friend as a family contact who knows your plan and where you will go during a disaster, so all your family members have a single point of contact.

To make developing your family emergency plan easy, be sure to download a free template that is available online at https://readync.org.

For more information about hurricane preparedness, please visit the following web sites:

• https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare

• https://www.readync.org

City of Henderson Logo

Henderson City Council to Discuss Proposed Budget, Mon., May 13

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-Information courtesy Esther J. McCrackin, City Clerk, City of Henderson, NC

The Henderson City Council will hold their regular meeting on Monday, May 13, 2019, beginning at 6 p.m. in the R.G. (Chick) Young, Jr. Council Chambers of the Municipal Building located at 134 Rose Avenue in Henderson, NC.

Agenda items include:

PUBLIC HEARING

a) Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 19-01, Amending the Zoning Map to Rezone 1337 Dabney Drive (Parcel 0013 03052), 1343 Dabney Drive (Parcel 0013 03001), and 1511 Lynne Avenue (Parcel 0013 03002) from OIA (Office Institutional “A”) District and R-8 (Moderate to High Density Residential) District to B-4 (Neighborhood Commercial) District.

(b) Consideration of 1) Holding a Public Hearing on the Question Annexing 429 Birch Street and 432 Bobbitt Street Pursuant to NCGS §160A-31, and 2) Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 19-16, 1) Extending the Corporate Limits of the City of Henderson, North Carolina; 2) Assignment of Newly Annexed Areas to Ward 4, and 3) Directing the City Attorney to Record Annexation with Vance County Board of Elections, Vance County Register of Deeds and the North Carolina Secretary of State.

NEW BUSINESS

a) Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 19-12, Amending Elmwood Cemetery City Code Article II Section 4-12, Cemetery Maintenance and Operation, and Article IV, Section 4-18, Plants, Flowers, Etc., and Section 4-22, Other Rules and Regulations Enumerated.

b) Consideration of Approval of 1 Ordinance 19-07, Amending Section 10-34 of the City Code Relative to Peddlers, Solicitors, Park Concessions and Food Trucks.

c) Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 19-20, Amending Section 7-48 of the Henderson Code of Ordinances Relative to Specific Streets.

d) Consideration of Approval of Ordinance 19-19, FY19 BA #32, Approving a Budget Amendment to Make Repairs at Red Bud and Industrial Park Pump Stations.

CONSENT AGENDA

All matters listed under the Consent Agenda are considered to be routine or have been previously discussed, and can be approved in one motion unless a Council Member asks for separate consideration of an item.

a) Consideration of Approval of Resolution 19-21, Authorizing the Submission of an Application to the Bureau of Justice Assistance Office for the FY19 Bulletproof Vest Program Grant for the Police Department.

b) Consideration of Approval of Tax Releases and Refunds from Vance County for the Month of March 2019.

CLOSED SESSION

a) Pursuant to G.S.§143-318.11 (a)(6) regarding a Personnel Matter XIV.

WORK SESSION

a) Consideration of Stormwater Utility Ordinance.

b) Consideration of Beckford Drive Widening Project.

PROPOSED FY20 BUDGET PRESENTATION (To be Distributed at Meeting)

U.S. Department of Justice

One of Three Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry Charges Found in Granville Co.

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-Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging JOSE JESUS CAMACHO-JARAMILLO, age 29, of Mexico, AGUSTIN NUNEZ-LEONARDO, age 20, of Mexico, and LORENZO OROCIO-CRUZ, age 35, of Mexico, with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.

If convicted of illegal reentry of a deported alien, CAMACHO-JARAMILLO, who was previously convicted of Unlawful Entry, deported twice, and then found in Johnston County; NUNEZ-LEONARDO, who was previously convicted of Unlawful Entry, deported three times, and then found in Wake County; and OROCIO-CRUZ, who was previously convicted of Unlawful Entry, deported twice, and then found in Granville County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_ENDC.

Granville County Logo

Granville Co. to Hold Budget Work Session – May 14

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-Information courtesy Debra Weary, Clerk to the Board/Assistant to the County Manager – Granville County

BUDGET WORK SESSION 2019

Granville County will hold a budget work session on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at 8 a.m. at the Granville Expo Center located at 4185 Highway 15 South, Oxford.

Town Talk 05/10/19

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News 05/10/19

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H-V Emergency Operations

Short: Unpredictability of Recent Hurricanes Shows Need for Early Preparations

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Brian K. Short, director of emergency operations for Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations, was on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss North Carolina’s upcoming 2019 hurricane season.

All week long, WIZS, in conjunction with NC Hurricane Preparedness Week, has brought listeners and online viewers hurricane safety tips courtesy Short and the Emergency Operations Center.

Short said now is the best time to prepare for hurricane season, which begins June 1 and ends November 30.

“It is never too early to make sure you and your family will be taken care of when disaster strikes,” Short proclaimed.

While the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be slightly below average due to an expected weak El Nino effect, Short said it only takes one storm to wreak havoc on a community.

“It only takes one hurricane for your area to have a disaster with a lasting impact for months or even years.”

Short, who has worked with hurricane preparation and cleanup efforts for 29 years, pointed to recent hurricanes Florence and Michael as examples of how unpredictable storms can be.

“With Florence, the local area fared better than we thought; Michael ended up being a little worse than we expected,” said Short. “It goes to show that you can never let your guard down with these storms. You always have to be vigilant.”

Of all the safety tips and suggestions, Short believes the most important is to have at least a 72 hour supply of the essentials for all family members in your household, and to keep those essentials in a water-tight container.

Essentials include drinkable water, medications, eyeglasses, non-perishable food items, flashlights, batteries, first aid supplies and important home and health/insurance documents. With water, specifically, Short recommends three gallons per person, per day for three days.

Many people already have these items in their home, Short stated; it’s often a matter of getting all supplies together in one place and properly securing them against storm or water damage.

“If we are significantly impacted by a storm, we won’t be the only area nearby affected. If that is the case, Vance County and North Carolina resources will be spread thin and it may take at least that long [three days] for help to reach you. We ask you to be as self-sustainable as you can possibly be to protect yourself, your family and emergency personnel,” Short urged.

For additional tips on hurricane preparations and to stay up-to-date on the latest weather developments, please visit ReadyNC.org or https://www.vancecounty.org/em.

Smartphone users can also download a free app at https://www.readync.org/EN/DOWNLOADAPP.html. This app provides information regarding storm preparedness as well as current road conditions, local weather, power outages and storm shelters.

To hear the Town Talk interview with Brian Short in its entirety, click here.

H-V Job Readiness Program Offers Youth Summer Employment Opportunities

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-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center

The Henderson-Vance Job Readiness Program offers Vance County teenagers ages 14-18 job training and possible job opportunities.

All applicants must be enrolled in school and must register for and attend three days of unpaid training on June 17-19, 2019. The training will teach the job skills needed for HVRPD’s summer youth employment opportunities.

Please register at the Aycock Recreation Center, 307 Carey Chapel Road in Henderson.

Please contact Shantel Hargrove at 252.430.0382 or shhargrove@ci.henderson.nc.us  or Gregory Kelly at 252.431.6099 or gkelly@ci.henderson.nc.us for more information.

Thornton Branch Introduces ‘Seed Library’ & Community Garden

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-Press Release, Granville County Government

The Richard H. Thornton branch of the Granville County Library System continues to offer innovative services by introducing a “Seed Library” and community garden to residents and library patrons. Now available to the public is a card catalog filled with vegetable seeds, as well as herbs and berries that can be “checked out,” taken home and planted in family gardens.

According to Adult Services Librarian Ashley Wilson, families can come in, browse through the “card catalog” that has been stocked with a wide variety of seeds, and select what they would like to grow. Collards, cucumbers, corn, melons, squash, tomatoes, peas, peppers, okra and other vegetable seeds have already been prepared and are available in starter packs, which include growing instructions.

The Richard H. Thornton branch of the Granville County Library System introduces a “Seed Library” and community garden to residents and library patrons. Now available to the public is a card catalog filled with vegetable seeds, as well as herbs and berries that can be “checked out,” taken home and planted in family gardens. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt)

With a limit of three packs of seeds per family, it is hoped that those who begin their own gardens will share seeds after harvest to keep the project ongoing from season to season.

“The community played a large role in the plant and seed selections at the library,” Wilson notes. “We asked what they would like to see growing – most said tomatoes – so we made sure we offered tomatoes. The library values community input in all our projects and this one wouldn’t have been possible without it.”

Packets offered were also selected based on local soil conditions and other criteria that would make them “region friendly,” with many of the seeds available being donated by interested community members in support of this project.

To continue the message of sustainability through gardening, the Thornton Library also announces the addition of an on-site community garden. Planted just outside the front entrance and in the surrounding area, plantings include strawberries, peas, okra and other seedlings, as well as lavender, mint and cooking herbs.

“Visible and open access gardens are a way that my family has always enjoyed the growing season, especially when we didn’t have a place to grow ourselves,” Wilson explains. “Open gardens also gave us a chance to learn about new plants or varieties we may not have seen before.”

To continue the message of sustainability through gardening, the Thornton Library also announces the addition of an on-site community garden. Planted just outside the front entrance and in the surrounding area, plantings include strawberries, peas, okra and other seedlings, as well as lavender, mint and cooking herbs. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt)

Through mulch donated from a local business and in garden beds constructed by library staff and volunteers, seedlings are just now peeking through the soil. Taller plantings and bush varieties such as tomatoes and blueberries can also be spotted along the library’s exterior walls and around the corner to the side entrance.

As these plantings grow and mature, community residents are encouraged to come by and keep track of the garden’s progress, and to share in the harvest once the produce has reached its peak.

To provide hands-on instruction in using fresh ingredients in the kitchen, cooking demonstrations and samplings have been scheduled at the Thornton Library during the month of May, with all ingredients provided. The “What’s Cooking at the Library” series kicked off on May 8 with a class on making homemade pasta. Demonstrations continue on May 15 with Sultan’s Pilaf, and on May 22 with Versatile Salads and Dressings. These programs are being held at 2 p.m. in the library’s large conference room.

The Richard H. Thornton Library is located at 210 Main Street in Oxford and is one of four branches of the Granville County Library System, which also includes the South Branch in Creedmoor, the Stovall Library and the Berea branch.

For more information about programs and presentations offered through the Granville County Library System, visit  https://granville.lib.nc.us/ or call 919-693-1121.

Vance County Logo

Vance Co. Properties Committee to Discuss Relocation of Senior Center

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-Information courtesy Kelly H. Grissom, Executive Assistant/Clerk to Board, Vance County Board of Commissioners

Vance County’s Properties Committee is scheduled to meet Friday, May 17, 2019, at 8 a.m. in the Administrative Conference Room, Vance County Administration Building, 122 Young Street, Henderson, NC.

The main topic to be discussed is the proposed relocation of the Vance County Senior Center.