Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Vipers Look To Go 6 – 1 Against Granville Central

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In his first year as head coach of the Vance County High School Vipers, Coach Wilbur Pender has his team sitting at 5-1. Not bad for a first year coach. When asked if he expected the team to have this kind of success this season he responded, “We could be wherever we worked to be.” Right now that means sitting at the top of the conference. The Vipers are coming off their fourth consecutive victory, a hard fought 18-12 win over South Granville last week.

“They were well coached,” Pender said of the Vikings. “We took whatever the defense gave us. We were efficient enough to make South Granville’s defense stay honest,” Pender added.  With only 1 victory, on paper it looked like South Granville would be easy but the Vikings put up a fight. This week, Granville Central also is, on paper, a solid opportunity for the Vipers to move to 7-1. Granville Central is 0-7 but Coach Pender, who used to coach there, says the team is building things and is very young. With Friday’s game being somewhat of a homecoming for Pender it’s likely Granville Central would enjoy nothing better than taking the Vipers down a notch.

Pender respects what Granville Central is doing but he has been preparing some new wrinkles with the Vipers.  He says he isn’t adding anything new to what has worked but just a few tweaks here and there.

We’ll see those tweaks, perhaps, Friday night at Granville Central. Bill Harris and Doc Ayscue will broadcast the game live on WIZS beginning immediately following the Joy Christian Center broadcast around 6:45 with kickoff at 7 p.m.

 

Hilltop Lumber Recognized

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The lumber and other products sold at Hilltop Lumber for the past 60 years are no doubt found in homes and other building across Granville County – and beyond. Waverly Critcher opened Hilltop in 1961, and the Granville County Chamber of Commerce sent a shout-out to the family-owned business to celebrate its presence in the community for six decades. Critcher’s daughter, Audrey, her husband Mike Duke and their four sons continue the tradition of quality customer service that Audrey’s father considered his number one priority.

Hilltop Lumber was recognized as the Chamber’s Business Spotlight of the Week.

Oxford, NC’s Roundabout

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The much-anticipated roundabout in downtown Oxford is set to officially open Friday morning, following a ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m.

State crews began the project in early June, and it has been the topic of some discussion – pro and con – during the construction phase.

The roundabout replaces a two-way stop at the intersection of Main and Spring streets in downtown Oxford. Original cost projections put the construction at about $200,000 over a period of eight weeks’ time. The project did take longer than expected to complete.

Roundabouts have cropped up recently in towns and in more rural areas. State DOT officials produced a video showing how roundabouts work and how they improve overall safety. More details can also be found by visiting the department’s roundabout webpage.

Finishing Touches – A roundabout traffic sign about to be added to Oxford’s roundabout

Vance Co. Extension with Jamon Glover: Disobedience Pt. 2

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

 

TownTalk: Sons Of American Revolution Hope Upcoming Events Will Draw Interest From Vance & Granville

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Bill Riggan likes to give credit where credit is due. And as a member of the Halifax Resolves Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, that credit involves identifying and marking graves of long-deceased patriots and compatriots and honoring them with an official ceremony.

Riggan spoke with Bill Harris on Town Talk’s tri-weekly history program. He said there are ceremonies scheduled for the next two Saturdays in Franklin County to where a number of graves at several different cemeteries have been identified.

“Not only do you have to find the grave, but they must be marked…and we have to get permission from the family,” Riggan said.

The first ceremony will be Saturday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. in Youngsville at the Winston family cemetery on the grounds of Long Mill Elementary School. Anthony Winston and one of his sons, John Winston, will be honored for being patriots – defined as anyone who contributed service in one way or another to support the Revolution cause.

Whether they held public office, signed the Oath of Allegiance or served in the militia, patriots and their contributions are what SAR members want to commemorate. “Not only just people who were soldiers, but those who contributed to the cause, in our minds, are considered patriots,” Riggan noted.

These ceremonies are actually a pretty big deal, he said, adding that he expects representatives from such organizations as the NC Sons of the American Revolution, as well as their counterparts in Georgia and Virginia. The local Daughters of the American Revolution, local Boy Scout troop and members of the Winston family all will be represented.

Later on Oct. 16, at 2 p.m., the group will travel to Oakwood Cemetery in Louisburg. At this ceremony, Daniel Smithwick, a dentist and well-known historian in Franklin County in the 1930’s, will be remembered. Smithwick was instrumental in reviving the state SAR and in getting the Harrison Macon Chapter of the SAR started in Franklin County. The chapter was named for an ancestor of Smithwick’s wife, and Smithwick “purchased a stone from the government to mark the grave” of Macon, who was a military veteran. The search for that grave marker continues to this day.

It’s out there, Riggan said, adding that it, so far, has proven elusive.

Whenever they locate a grave of a Revolutionary War patriot, SAR representatives plan a ceremony to officially commemorate the spot with a footstone that has an SAR logo on it. The stone is installed in such a way that Riggan said future generations will not have to search for and wonder who is buried where.

On Saturday, Oct. 23, the team will be back in Youngsville to honor Francis Timberlake. The Timbelake Family Cemetery is located on property of Hill Ridge Farms, and the cemetery is located nearby on Timberlake Drive. Then, that afternoon, it’s back to Oakwood Cemetery in Louisburg for to honor five more patriots – that’s the maximum number allowed by the national SAR.

Riggan said he expects that there are gravesites in Granville and Vance counties that can be identified as well, and he welcomes participation from anyone in either county to consider joining the local SAR. The Halifax Resolves chapter encompasses eight counties and Riggan hopes to “spread the good word in Vance County” about SAR’s mission.

Becoming a member is not as involved a process as one may think, he said, although it may prove a little involved if genealogy isn’t your thing. Basically, if there is someone in your family who has served the Revolution in some way, you are a candidate for membership.

“It’s been something that’s been very rewarding for me,” Riggan said of his involvement with SAR. “Other than the Mayflower Society and the Jamestown Society, the SAR and the DAR are the gold standard for genealogical societies,” he said.

There’s a lot more to SAR than just attending monthly meetings, Riggan said. “It’s just a subtle way to show patriotism and be involved in things that are important to a lot of people,” he added.

To learn more, contact hrcregistrar@nc.rr.com

Bill Riggan of the Halifax Resolves Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution details upcoming events.

 

The Local Skinny! Night Out Against Crime is Tuesday, Oct. 19.

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Vance County’s Night Out Against Crime is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 19 on Breckenridge Street, and there will be lots of activities for families to enjoy, according to Lorraine Watkins and Tonya Moore, a couple of the organizers for the annual event.

Originally scheduled for September, rainy conditions forced officials to move the annual event to next week, Watkins told Trey Snide during Thursday’s The Local Skinny! program. Fortunately, all the participants are able to attend next week, which both women are pleased about. Activities begin at 4:30 p.m. and conclude at 8:30 p.m.

“It’s going to be absolutely awesome,” Watkins said. “This is going to be one of the best events we’ve ever had.”

Whether you’re interested in getting a free hot dog or Coca-Cola product, or you’re a kid who wants to match his (or her) push-up skills against local law enforcement officers, the evening is sure to be entertaining and fun-filled.

In addition to guest speakers and welcomes from the Henderson Police Department and Vance County Sheriff’s Office, cheer squads from the high school and middle school are scheduled to perform. And right after the Gospel choir Work In Progress finishes its concert, there will be a drawing – hopefully captured live on Facebook – for a $500 gift card to Sam’s Furniture.

COVID-19 vaccines and testing also will be available.

City of Henderson Logo

City Leaders Continue Looking At Ways To Reimagine Downtown Neighborhoods To Attract Growth, Development

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As plans for reimagining and redeveloping neighborhoods near downtown Henderson continue, city leaders are considering ways to improve current areas while understanding how best to create new opportunities for growth.

One way may be establishing an urban overlay district, which was explained to City Council members Monday as a way to allow for multifamily housing units in areas where they currently are not allowed.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon told WIZS News in a written statement that the overlay district is just one aspect of the redevelopment work being planned to “jumpstart” the urban redevelopment area, or URA, in the Elmwood area of Henderson. The groundwork being laid now, Blackmon said, is “designed to entice builders/developers to consider new development, as well as infill development in the city of Henderson.”

As Corey Williams, the city’s development services department director, explained, the city has torn down numerous homes that were either abandoned or in disrepair. But when the properties remain vacant, with no growth or development filling in, the state defines that as “blight.”

The UNC School of Government is working on a study to move the URA forward and to help define the area and offer tools to help remove the blight.

That could mean additional code enforcement, but Williams said the city hasn’t unpacked that part of the toolbox yet.

“I think we can balance it out,” Williams told WIZS News Wednesday. “We’ll build more with less land, make our community walkable, safe and friendly and tie everything back to downtown,” he added. And the infill development can be done in a way that it enhances the downtown area and put neighborhoods within walking distance of downtown amenities.

The city also may be able to acquire properties that can be bundled to create larger chunks of continguous land, which could be beneficial for further development.

Most developers, he said, aren’t interested in doing all the infrastructure work needed to develop properties – it’s almost become the work of the city, he said. The city “can do the enforcement, put the pieces together and put it out (there) and market it to developers.”

With guidance from the council and the redevelopment commission, Williams said he sees a bright future for neighborhoods like those in the Elmwood URA.

The School of Government study showed that Henderson needs 3,000 additional housing units to accommodate residents. The Elmwood URA can’t handle that many single-family dwellings, so the overlay district would allow for mixed-use residences, from townhomes and condos to single-family homes. Key to this development is affordability to homeowners, he noted. In a mixed-use plan, there is room for renters and homeowners.

Development of a land use plan and updating the zoning ordinances may be in order as the city continues to look at ways to create neighborhoods in and around downtown. A unified development ordinance is something that Williams said may be in the city’s future. Such an ordinance would be a strategic way to approach development.

At the end of the day, Williams said, it is key to understand what the residents can afford. Single-family homes at $150/square foot may not be realistic. “I think if we can do some things that are affordable, but mixed-use, not just for moderate income…we’ll have a better standard of quality than we have had in the past.”

TownTalk: Infinite Possibilities Shines A Light On Domestic Violence Awareness

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Erin Carter says events like the one coming up Saturday at Aycock Rec Complex are about more than awareness – it’s a public demonstration of support to show victims and survivors of domestic violence that they aren’t alone in the fight to put an end to what has become all-too-common in society.

Carter and Bretanya Simmons work with Infinite Possibilities, Inc., a place where victims of abuse can go for support and help during a crisis. Carter is a victim’s advocate and Simmons is a court advocate and also works with area youth struggling with domestic violence situations.

The “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” event will start at 10 a.m., Carter told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk.

“Events like this show our clients that we are all on the same page,” Simmons said. “It’s important for our clients to see us outside our roles sometimes,” she added.

Carter and Simmons are hoping to see lots of like-minded walkers Saturday. “We are hoping for a great turnout,” Carter said, adding that participants just need to show up, sign in to get a number from the information desk and be ready to walk by 10 a.m.

The main office is in Henderson, and Simmons’s office is in Warrenton, right beside the magistrate’s office.  Clients often are referred to her when they come in to get restraining orders for partners or spouses, she said. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said she saw an uptick in clients. But volume fell, she said, as the pandemic wore on: victims were stuck at home with their abusers, she said, and didn’t have an opportunity to seek help.

“Once the world stopped, and the majority of (people) were working at home, we didn’t see as many coming in – they didn’t get that time they normally would to reach out and get help with their situation,” Simmons said.

Those “situations” aren’t limited to physical abuse, Carter said. “Domestic violence is so much more than just physical abuse,” she added. Just because we don’t see bruises or other physical harm, doesn’t mean it’s not domestic violence, she said. There’s emotional abuse, financial abuse, spiritual abuse, as well as cyber bullying.

“That’s why education is so important,” Carter explained. “If we are educated, then we can help someone else.” Being able to create a conversation with someone you suspect may be a victim of domestic violence can be the first step to getting help for that person. “Create a conversation – not a coercive conversation, but an empathetic conversation, a gentle conversation…to provide information, could go a long way to help someone,” she said.

The Infinite Possibilities hotline is 252.425.2492. Learn more at infinitepossibiltiesinc.net or find them on Facebook.

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Vance County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Brame Reports Arrests In Recent Vehicle Break-Ins, Theft of Catalytic Converters

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The Vance County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that two men have been arrested and charged in separate incidents – one involving theft of catalytic converters and the other with breaking into vehicles in the Dabney community.

According to information from Sheriff Curtis R. Brame, the criminal investigation division of the sheriff’s office arrested Dakota Wilson of Chase City, VA on Tuesday on three counts of felony larceny and three counts of injury to property to obtain non-ferrous metal – catalytic converters. The thefts were concentrated in the southern part of the county. Wilson was given a $120,000 bond and transported to the Vance County Detention Center. He has a court date of Nov. 16, 2021.

Orlando Lucas of Kittrell was arrested on Monday and charged with two felony counts of breaking and entering of a vehicle and one count of felony larceny. He was placed in Vance County Detention Center under a $60,000 secured bond. He has a first court appearance on Dec. 20, 2021.