Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Fire Ant Control
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Man Drowned at Kerr Lake Off Frank Bullock Road
— from a press release courtesy of Sheriff Curtis Brame
On October 17 at approximately 12:44 a.m., Emergency First Responders along with Vance County Sheriff’s Office personnel were dispatched to Kerr Lake at 547 Frank Bullock Rd., regarding a drowning.
According to a witness, the victim—Jody Brooks Massey—attempted to swim out to retrieve a boat that they were on earlier that had drifted away from the shore line.
The witness stated he observed the victim go under water and not resurface.
Shortly after the Vance County Rescue Squad launched its boat, the victim’s body was recovered.
Governor Cooper Awards Seifert State’s Highest Civilian Honor
Birthday presents come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, recipients have an idea of what’s inside a wrapped box before they even open it. Other gifts, however, may be a complete surprise. And that’s what Henderson native Donald C. Seifert got on the occasion of his 90th birthday – a surprise.
From North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
Seifert became a member of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state’s highest civilian honor.
His four children presented him with the framed certificate during a recent gathering that he thought was going to be a celebration of family birthdays. It was a birthday celebration, complete with cake and singing of “Happy Birthday,” but he said he wasn’t expecting what happened next.
“When (son) Clem started his remarks, I started to smell a rat,” Seifert told John C. Rose for Monday’s “The Local Skinny!” broadcast. “I thought, ‘oh me, I’m not prepared for this.’”
With his four children standing before the gathering of about 125, Seifert made his way up to the microphone, collecting his thoughts as he passed through the audience, who was giving him a standing ovation. “I remembered a little story about Rufus Edmisten,” he said, and proceeded to tell the story about the time Edmisten stood before a group that had stood up for him as he approached the microphone to offer remarks.
“He said, ‘Y’all don’t fool me with that standing ovation – you’re just looking for an excuse to stand up, stretch your legs and straighten your underwear.’”
Seifert summed up the remainder of his remarks from Oct. 2 and said he told a story from Ron Cava, pastor of First Baptist Church. He said Cava had shared a quick and easy way to talk about God’s grace and mercy. Grace is when you receive things that you don’t deserve and mercy is when you don’t get something that you DO deserve.
Seifert said receiving the Order of the Long Leaf Pine is definitely an example of God’s grace because he certainly didn’t feel deserving of the honor.
Danny Wright and others would beg to differ, however.
Wright, who serves with Seifert on the Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees, submitted the nomination, and several people in the community who have worked alongside Seifert over the years were asked to submit letters of recommendation to accompany the nomination. Henderson-Vance Chamber President Michele Burgess, Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Executive Director Eddie Ferguson and the Rev. Donald Lowery, rector at The Church of the Holy Innocents all wrote letters in support of the nomination.
In her letter, Burgess cited Seifert’s “tremendous community spirit” and a desire to work for the betterment of his hometown and county as shining examples of his civic leadership. “Mr. Seifert is a man of integrity and is a very respected member of our community. He is fair to all and shows compassion for those less fortunate.”
Seifert serves as assistant treasurer for his church, The Church of the Holy Innocents, and Rev. Lowery said one of the things he relies on Seifert for is maintaining the rector’s discretionary fund. Seifert has “a heart for charitable needs in our community,” Lowery wrote. “As a person who both donates to it…(and) who balances it on my behalf, he makes sure it is able to do the work it is established to do. I am grateful for this.”
Seifert has been a member of the VGCC board for many years and was its chair from 2003 to 2012. His family established an endowed scholarship a few years ago to honor Seifert and his wife of 61 years, Betsy.
“Donald is humble and shuns any limelight; however, his thoughts and counsel have proven time and time again to be encouraging and insightful. Donald not only symbolizes the ‘best in people,’ but he also models those attributes daily in the life he lives,” Ferguson wrote.
One of those attributes, surely, is humility. He said he appreciates the honor, and it was especially meaningful that his children presented it to him.
“It was one of the proudest and most humbling experiences of my life,” he said, reading from the letter of thanks that he sent the governor. And so as to put a face with a name, Seifert said he enclosed a photograph of him, his wife, their children and grandchildren taken the night he was presented with Cooper’s gift.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-18-21 Noon
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TownTalk: American Legion Works to Better the Community
Ticket sales for Friday’s chicken plate fundraiser at the American Legion hut in Henderson have been brisk – so brisk, in fact, that Andy Roberson, commander of local post 60 said if you haven’t gotten a ticket yet, you’ll have to rely on luck to snag a plate.
“We’ve actually sold 1,150 tickets,” Roberson told John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk. “That’s the most we’ve ever done.” They shoot for 1,200 plates each time, he said. The fundraiser begins at noon and ends at 2 p.m.
There are usually some no-shows, however, and the cooks always prepare 50 or so extra plates, so if you’re feeling lucky, there’s a chance you can get a plate closer to 1:30 or 2 p.m. without a ticket.
Roberson said the legion post tries to hold the fundraiser twice a year – April and October – and tries hard to avoid other community fundraiser dates.
Next year, the local post will celebrate 100 years of service in the community, Roberson noted. But it wasn’t too long ago that the post was in danger of having its charter revoked for lack of membership and activity.
Roberson has been involved with Legion Post 60 for about five years. Numbers had dwindled as members aged, he said, and he credits Ed Blue for keeping the post afloat. Blue’s efforts, along with a policy change that removed active military service as a requirement for membership.
The ranks have swelled to 125 members today, Roberson said, adding that service members who served in Afghanistan and Iraq now join veterans who saw action in Vietnam and Korea.
Roberson said it’s just as important for the legion to support the community as it is for the community to support the legion’s efforts.
In addition to raising money to send students to participate in Boys’ State and the N.C. State Highway Patrol Student Academy, Roberson said annual countywide oratorical contests the Legion sponsors could lead to thousands of dollars in scholarship money for local winners who win competitions at higher levels.
In addition, he said a local Girl Scout troop meets at the Legion building.
But mostly, the legion is active to support veterans’ needs, he said. Whether it’s building a home ramp or better accessibility or arranging transportation to the VA hospital for appointments, the legion wants to be available for veterans.
They meet on the third Thursday of the month, gathering at 6 p.m., sharing a meal and then having a meeting about 7, he said, and extends the invitation to any service member to consider joining.
“If you have a DD-214 with an honorable discharge,” you’re eligible to join.
“We all have something in common in that building,” Roberson said.
“If you’re a veteran and you need some help, you call and we’re going to do everything we can to help you,” he said, from help with military service records or getting paperwork squared away to get VA services. “Whatever it takes, we will try our best to get it done.”
Roberson hopes to join Mako Medical and Chick-fil-A again this year to provide meals for veterans. The tentative date is Nov. 5 when veterans can “drive by and get a bag with some food in it,” Roberson said.
Having such good community partners makes for a good relationship, he added. Other projects in and around the legion have been completed by others in the community, Roberson said. There’s a firepit with five benches representing the five branches of the military that was a scout project, and Franklin Brothers Nursery installed mulch and other landscaping during a recent facelift. The family of Harold Ivey donated a new heating and air system in memory of their loved one as well, he said.
“It just shows what you can do in a community where people want to be tied in to veterans,” Roberson said.
Contact Roberson at 252.432.2432 to learn more.
Vance Water District Gets $4.4M In Grant, Loan Program For Improvement, Expansion
The Vance County Water District is one of four in the state that will benefit from a federal program to help rural communities improve drinking water for its residents.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Vance County is set to get $1.6 million in loan and an additional $2.8 million in grant funds to build its Phase B waterline expansion project, according to a press statement from the USDA.
According to the statement, upgrades include installing 23 miles of water mains and expansion of the county’s coverage to 210 rural residents within the Kittrell township.
“Rural Development is providing much needed assistance to help rebuild these dated water systems in rural North Carolina,” said USDA Rural Development State Director Reginald Speight.
USDA water and environmental programs help rural communities obtain the financing and technical assistance necessary to develop, maintain and improve drinking water and waste disposal systems, Speight added.
The loan and grant program serves people and businesses in eligible rural areas with populations of 10,000 or less. It provides money for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal and storm water damage.
The Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program is awarding $272 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater across 37 states and Puerto Rico, affecting more than 270,000 residents.
Granville Tourism Director Angela Allen Completes 3-Year Program To Be ‘Travel Marketing Professional’
Granville Tourism Director Angela Allen has completed a three-year program to become officially designated as a travel marketing professional from the Southeast Tourism Society Marketing College.
Allen was among about 60 other tourism professionals recognized for completion of the program recently at the STS Connections Conference in Spartanburg, SC.
Allen has been in her role as tourism director since April 2015. She is responsible for administrative and marketing work in the promotion of travel and tourism in the county. In 2017, Allen was named a “Rising Star” in the tourism industry when she received Visit NC’s Destination Marketing Award for bringing statewide attention to the county she serves, according to a press release from county public information officer Lynn Allred.
(Left to right) Angie Zok of the Miles Partnership; Monica Smith, President and CEO of the Southeast Tourism Society; Granville County Tourism Director Angela Allen; and Berkeley Young, Provost, Southeast Tourism Society Marketing College.
From seasonal attractions like strawberry picking and Haunt Farms to annual events like the Hot Sauce Contest and Brides on Wheels, Allen is ready to provide information about events and destinations in Granville County.
The STS Marketing College Program provides tools and working knowledge to travel and tourism professionals that can be used to promote destinations, attractions and events. Topics covered in the training include online marketing strategies, effective print publications, research strategies, community engagement, economic impact and budgeting.
As a newly minted travel marketing professional, Allen joins a network of more than 1,200 colleagues from 13 states and the District of Columbia who have completed the program, which was established in 1992.
To learn more about Granville County tourism, visit www.granvillecounty.org.
Renovated Franklin Plaza New Home to Several County Agencies
Several Franklin County offices have moved to newly renovated space in Franklin Plaza on Bickett Boulevard.
The phone numbers remain the same, but the Board of Elections, Veterans Services and the Franklin Senior Center all now have office suites at 279 Bickett Boulevard, according to information from county officials.
The space also offers a multi-use, convertible space that can be used for training sessions and large group gatherings, according to information from County Manager Kim Denton.
“Franklin County has recognized the need for expanded facilities to serve our growing population and support for this project is very much appreciated,” Denton stated.
Stay tuned for a grand opening in November during which time the public is invited to tour the facility and learn more about available services.
- Veterans Services, Suite 200, 919.496.1939, mailing address: P.O. Box 128, Louisburg, NC 27549
- Board of Elections, Suite 300, 919.496.3898, mailing address: P.O. Box 180, Louisburg, NC 27549
- Senior Center, Suite 400, 919.496.1131, mailing address: 279 S. Bickett Blvd., Louisburg, NC 27549
Visit www.franklincountync.us for more information.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 10-15-21 Noon
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SportsTalk: Vance Charter Women’s Basketball Hoping For A State Championship
With basketball season only about a month away expectations are high for the women’s varsity program at Vance Charter. “It’s the most excitement we’ve had going into a season in a long time,” says coach Brian Howard. The Knights, who return every player from last year’s team, are looking to this year as an opportunity to make a state championship run. Coach Howard says tryouts have gone well and this year he held summer workouts for his players for the first time. “We had about 80% participation,” Howard said. That meant some players would leave work, come to practice and then return to work. He is very pleased with the maturity level his four returning seniors are showing. “They have shown tremendous growth and are the leaders of the team,” says Coach Howard.
They won’t be relying only on their talented seniors. Last year’s undefeated J-V team was undefeated and many of those players are now freshmen and they will also play a huge role in the success the Knights are hoping for.
Coach Howard says that while some of his players do play multiple sports, they are very, very dedicated to the basketball program at Vance Charter. All of these factors figure into the belief that Vance Charter may indeed make a run at a state championship this season.
The road to that championship begins next month against Franklin Academy. A team who, at this point, Coach Howard knows nothing about. He’s not really too worried about that. “We just have to handle our business,” Howard said to Trey Snide on Thursday’s SportsTalk.