WIZS Radio Local News Audio 01-28-22 Noon
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Former Vance Superintendent Gregory Dies
Former Superintendent of Vance County Schools Ronald Gregory died on Jan. 21. A graveside service will take place Friday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. at Meadowview Memorial Park. All services will observe COVID-19 protocols of facial coverings and social distancing of six feet or more.
Gregory, 80, retired in 2015 from the school system, having served as principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent, according to information from VCS.”I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Gregory as a Vance County Board of Education member for many years,” said
Vance County Board of Education Vice-Chair Gloria J. White.
“He was surely one of a kind. He always believed that education was the great equalizer between the haves and have nots. He deeply believed that through education people could rise above their circumstances. Mr. Gregory worked tirelessly throughout his career to achieve that goal. This community has lost a great leader and warrior for education,” White said in a written statement to WIZS.
The school district issued this response: “We are truly grateful for his impact on Vance County Schools. On behalf of the Vance County School Board, superintendent and the district, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife and children, as well as the extended family.”
Board Chair Ruth M. Hartness expressed her appreciation of Gregory’s commitment to the school district as well. “Vance County Schools are saddened to hear of the passing of Ronald Gregory,” Hartness said in a written statement to WIZS. “He spent many years with students in his care. He will be missed.
He was the son of the late Edward Gregory and Vertilia Oakley Gregory. He was a former Superintendent of Vance County Public Schools.
He is survived by his wife, Linda Gray Gregory; a daughter, Pherin Gregory of Henderson; two sons, Brandon Gregory of Greensboro and Ryan Gregory of Pleasant Gardens; a sister, Yvonne Kittrell of Bowie, MD; a brother Calvin “Tim” Gregory of Raleigh; and three grandchildren.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 1-27-22 Noon
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The Local Skinny! Cell Phone Tower Is A Win – Win
The shiny new cell tower that was erected on city property by the police training grounds should be operational in the next few months, and Assistant City Manager Paylor Spruill said it’s a win-win for the city and for the cell service provider that owns the tower.
U.S. Cellular “found that location to be a good fit for their network,” Paylor told WIZS News Thursday. The tower that had been there was old and needed some maintenance, but the city and the cell provider reached a deal that suited both sides.
“They took the old tower down and put up the new one,” he said. And the city has “the very top of that tower for their communication.” US Cellular owns the tower and has agreed to maintain it, and for the next seven years or so, won’t be paying any rent. When that period ends, rent payments will begin.
“They gave us prime real estate for the ability to put their own tower there,” Spruill said.
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The Local Skinny! Vance Eats: Ribeyes Of Henderson
When you go to a steakhouse, the usual recommendation is to order the beef. But fearless Trey Snide of WIZS Radio, always looking for a gastronomic adventure, took a different track when he visited Ribeyes in Henderson Thursday.
He ordered the pork chop.
And he was not disappointed.
On Thursday’s Vance Eats segment of The Local Skinny! his pronouncement after tasting the first bite said it all: “I am a happy man.”
The thick slab of pork is specially brined to create a mouth-watering dish, sure to delight the senses. And Trey said there was absolutely no need to add a sauce. The chop took center stage.
No doubt he made Bill Harris’s mouth water back in the studio as well, because before the segment was over, Trey promised to bring his co-worker his own chops back to the radio station.
(This is not a paid ad. Vance Eats on WIZS is a food review.)
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TownTalk: Early Granville County Courts
You won’t find a copy of Leonard F. Dean’s book on the shelves alongside Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason or Carolyn Keene’s Nancy Drew series, but Mark Pace said Dean’s
Courthouses and Courts of Early Granville County, NC is somewhat of a detective story.
Dean’s book tracks down the origins of the court system – and the first courthouses – in old Granville County, and Mark Pace and Bill Harris said it reads more like a detective story than a rehash of researched facts.
The early courts of Granville County was the topic for the tri-weekly history program on Thursday’s Town Talk. They kicked off the discussion with a quick review of Dean’s book.
“It sounds dry, but it’s really quite good,” Harris said of Dean’s book. Pace agreed, calling Dean a “meticulous researcher…who makes his arguments and backs them up with facts.”
“It’s an interesting story from an interesting time,” Pace said.
The courthouse in downtown Oxford is beautiful and an iconic structure in its own right, but the 1838 structure wasn’t the first official courthouse in Granville County – that was located up near Eaton’s Ferry in the northeastern part of what is now Warren County.
Granville County, remember, used to encompass all of what is now Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties. That area around present-day Eaton’s Ferry was more heavily populated than other areas – folks moved from southside Virginia into that area, Pace said.
As the population continued to grow in other parts of Granville County, people who had business at the courthouse had to travel longer distances to get to the courthouse in Eaton’s Ferry.
But it was Col. William Eaton – considered by many to be the father of Granville County – who helped to change that. Eaton owned the property where the court was located up in the northeastern part of present-day Warren County. And he also offered a more centralized property farther south, which he also owned, on which to locate a court that wouldn’t take so long to get to from the south.
This property, known as Locust Hill, is located on Ruin Creek in present-day Vance County. And it was here where the “new” courthouse conducted business, from processing applications for taverns and canneries to hearing court proceedings and naturalizing citizens. Although there was no actual courthouse, court was convened here. Pace said Eaton also ran a tavern and a store, which benefitted from the additional court traffic.
In 1764, Samuel Benton introduced legislation to move the county seat to his plantation, “Oxford” and gave the land on where the current Granville County courthouse stands.
Benton, a member of the House of Commons, owned all the adjacent property around the parcel he offered for the courthouse, from which the town of Oxford grew.
Call Pace at the North Carolina Room of Richard Thornton library at 919.693.1121 to learn more about how to get a copy of Dean’s book.
TownTalk: Chief Cordell Gives Praise To Henderson’s Firefighters
Firefighters with the Henderson Fire Department stand ready to respond to calls across the city, and earlier this month, they gathered to honor several among their ranks at the 45th annual awards banquet.
Fire Chief Steve Cordell said being a firefighter requires service and dedication and the individuals with the city’s fire department are true public servants. The 45th annual banquet was Jan. 12 at Clearview Church.
Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds received the Firefighter of the Year award and Cordell told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk that Edmonds truly deserves the recognition.
The nominating committee put forth Edmonds’ name because of his behind-the-scenes efforts in navigating the department through new reporting systems with training and troubleshooting.
“Lee was the backbone of all that,” Cordell said. He trained the firefighters and also was the first person to tackle computer-related issues on the trucks or around the station.
“When staffing levels were short, Lee would jump on the truck,” Cordell said. Edmonds would fill in for firefighters who needed to take a day off, which allowed the department to stay fully staffed and ready to answer fire calls.
Edmonds worked his way through the ranks of the fire department, from fireman to engineer to captain over fire prevention and education.
“Lee takes so much pride and (is) dedicated in that job,” Cordell said. Fire prevention is a 365-day event, he added, and Edmonds is in the community every day spreading that message, with eagerness, dedication and enthusiasm.
Firefighter Matthew Pearce was presented the Valor Award, which Cordell explained is given to a firefighter who puts their life on the line to save others. Pearce was at the Dabney Drive Food Lion buying groceries when a man asked if his grandson could see the fire truck. The firefighters took their time and gave the young fellow a tour, Cordell said. But afterward, the little guy, in his enthusiasm, dashed into the path of an oncoming car in the parking lot. “Pearce jumped out, grabbed that kid and spun his back” to the oncoming vehicle. “If anyone was going to take a direct impact, it would be him,” he added.
For unselfishly putting himself in harm’s way, Pearce was awarded the fire department’s highest honor.
Capt. William Boyd was presented the Chief’s Award, which is given to a firefighter who performs his work but who also contributes to the community away from the fire station. Boyd is a deacon in his church, a family man and he also volunteers as a coach for the local high school football team.
“Not only does he give to his church, his family and community, he served our country,” Cordell said of Boyd.
Cordell said it’s been fun to watch Boyd grow as a firefighter. First as an engine captain and now a company officer, he “takes his wealth of knowledge and takes his company of men and tries to make his firefighters better than when they came into the station” every day, he added.
Cordell also acknowledged that his department honored him with an award of appreciation, an act that rendered him speechless at the banquet and an act that, days later, he said he still is processing.
“It’s a moment that I never would have expected, but it meant the world to me,” Cordell said.
“My job is to fight for those (firefighters) to make sure they have tools and equip to be safe and to do their jobs – they’re my family. Cordell’s assessment? The city of Henderson has a great fire department,” full of individuals that work together to save and protect and serve.
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It’s Tax Time! Electronic Filing Could Speed Returns
–information courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service
The 2022 tax filing season is off and running and the IRS is asking taxpayers to take extra precautions to file an accurate tax return electronically, which could help speed refunds. This year’s deadline to file is April 18, according to information from the IRS.
Employers are busy preparing those 2021 tax statements for employees, which usually arrive by the end of January.
More than 160 million individual tax returns for the 2021 tax year are expected to be filed, with most before the April 18 tax deadline.
Most taxpayers face an April 18 deadline this year due to the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C falling on April 15. The deadline to file taxes in North Carolina is April 18.
IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig noted that taxpayers need to take special care this year due to several critical tax law changes that took place in 2021 and ongoing challenges related to the pandemic.
“IRS employees are working hard to deliver a successful 2022 tax season while facing enormous challenges related to the pandemic,” Rettig said. “There are important steps people can take to ensure they avoid processing delays and get their tax refund as quickly as possible. We urge people to carefully review their taxes for accuracy before filing. And they should file electronically with direct deposit if at all possible; filing a paper tax return this year means an extended refund delay.”
For most taxpayers who file a tax return with no issues, the IRS anticipates they will receive their refund within 21 days of when they file electronically if they choose direct deposit – similar to previous years. Last year’s average tax refund was more than $2,800.
“There are simple steps that people can take that will help them navigate this challenging tax season,” Rettig said. “Filing electronically and using online resources instead of calling are just some of the steps that can help people avoid delays.”
“IRS employees will do everything possible with the available resources to serve taxpayers this year,” Rettig said. “We will work hard to deliver refunds quickly, serve as many people as possible and work to catch up on past tax returns affected by the pandemic.”
Consult a local tax professional or your personal tax consultant for guidance on completing tax returns. Following is a list of tips from the IRS:
Fastest refunds by e-filing, avoiding paper returns: Filing electronically with direct deposit and avoiding a paper tax return is more important than ever this year to avoid refund delays. If you need a tax refund quickly, do not file on paper – use software, a trusted tax professional or Free File on IRS.gov.
Avoid delays; file an accurate tax return: More than ever this year, the IRS urges people to make sure they’re ready to file an accurate tax return. An accurate tax return can avoid processing delays, extensive refund delays and later IRS notices.
Special care for EIP, advance Child Tax Credit recipients: The IRS also encourages caution to those people who received a third Economic Impact Payment or advance Child Tax Credit in 2021. Taxpayers should ensure the amounts they’ve received are entered correctly on the tax return. Incorrect entries when reporting these payments mean the IRS will need to further review the tax return, creating an extensive delay. To help taxpayers, the IRS is mailing special letters about the stimulus payments and advance Child Tax Credit payment amounts. People can also check the amount of their payments in their Online Account available on IRS.gov.
Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit refunds: By law, the IRS cannot issue a refund involving the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit before mid-February, though eligible people may file their returns beginning on January 24. The law provides this additional time to help the IRS stop fraudulent refunds from being issued.
Avoid phone delays; online resources best option for help: IRS.gov is the quickest and easiest option for help. IRS assisted phone lines continue to receive record numbers of calls, more than the agency can handle with its limited resources. Avoid delays: Check IRS.gov first for refund information and answers to tax questions. Establishing an Online Account on IRS.gov can also help taxpayers get information quickly. The Online Account feature has recently been expanded to allow more people to gain access.
Don’t normally file a return? Consider filing for CTC, other valuable credits: For people who don’t normally file a tax return and didn’t file a 2020 return or use the Non-Filers tool, they can still qualify for important credits they’re eligible for, including the Recovery Rebate Credit (stimulus payment), advance Child Tax Credit or the Earned Income Tax Credit. The IRS encourages people in this group to file a 2021 tax return so they can receive all the credits for which they’re eligible.
Online options for free help; answers to common questions: Use IRS.gov to get answers to tax questions, check a refund status or pay taxes. There’s no wait time or appointment needed — online tools and resources are available 24 hours a day.
Other free options for help: IRS Free File is available to any person or family who earned $73,000 or less in 2021. Qualified taxpayers can also find free one-on-one tax preparation help around the nation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs.
2020 tax return still being processed? Tips to help with filing 2021 tax return: For people whose tax returns from 2020 have not yet been processed, they can still file their 2021 tax returns. For those filing electronically in this group, here’s a critical point. Taxpayers need their Adjusted Gross Income, or AGI, from their most recent tax return when they file electronically. For those waiting on their 2020 tax return to be processed, make sure to enter $0 (zero dollars) for last year’s AGI on the 2021 tax return. Visit IRS.gov for more details.
April 18 tax deadline: The filing deadline is April 18 for most taxpayers; automatic six-month extensions of time to file are available for anyone by filing Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
Feb. 1 Ribbon-Cutting To Rename City Operations Center For Dr. Andrea Harris
The City of Henderson’s operations and service center will be renamed for Dr. Andrea L. Harris at a ribbon-cutting ceremony next week.
The public is invited to attend the event, which will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. at the facility, located at 900 S. Beckford Dr., according to information from County Manager Terrell Blackmon.
The City Council voted in 2021 to rename the center in honor of Harris, who grew up in Henderson, began her teaching career here and was a community activist on the local and state levels. She died in May 2020.
Harris was an advocate for contractors and the building industry and she also was a civil rights leader, which made the operations center a very fitting site – the operations center is the largest voting location during city and county elections.
She was active locally and participated on a variety of boards, councils and commissions.
Harris received many accolades and awards over the years, including the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from three governors and an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Bennett College.
In 2018, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Duke University’s Samuel Dubois Cook Society.
She was a member of the Oxford-Henderson Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and a life member of the NAACP. Harris was a trustee and member of Kesler Temple AME Zion Church. She was small in stature but a forced to be reckoned with. She was always willing to be a “voice” for the underrepresented, breaking down socio-economic, racial, and gender barriers as a broker for change and equality for ALL people.
Home And Garden Show
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
- If you have brushy areas you can clean that brush out now because you can see what you are cutting.
- Be very cautious about using bulk manure or hay as a mulch or amendment in your garden due to the risk of herbicide carryover.
- Check house plants for insects and rotate your plants around your table to maintain their shape.
- Get ready to fertilize your tall fescue lawn. Pick up a slow release turf fertilizer for application in mid-Feb. It’s fine to use one combined with crabgrass preventer, but I recommending avoiding other combinations.
- Prepare your pruning equipment because pruning season is fast approaching.
- You may want to go ahead and make sure any power equipment you will need this spring starts easily and runs well. If not, you still have time to service it before spring.
- Check seedlings growing indoors, light and moisture are key.
- If you have fruit trees, do some research on proper pruning techniques. Call us for reference materials, or check the internet for instructional videos.
- Plan on growing a new vegetable this year that you haven’t grown before.