City of Henderson Logo

Henderson Mayoral Race Remains A 4-Way Race Following Hearing

/by

The Vance County Board of Elections ruled Tuesday afternoon that Henderson mayoral candidate Greg Etheridge may remain on the October ballot. Etheridge’s residency was called into question, but the board ruled in his favor during a hearing that began at 4 p.m.

Both Etheridge and challenger Sara Coffey, also a candidate for mayor, were present for the hearing, which lasted more than an hour. Coffey said she plans to appeal to the state board of elections; state law requires that appeals be made within 10 days of the local decision. The state board will decide whether to hear the appeal or uphold the local decision.

Etheridge and three sitting City Council members are competing for the office of mayor. Mayor Eddie Ellington announced earlier that he would not seek re-election.  Melissa Elliott and Jason Spriggs are the other mayoral candidates rounding out the field.

The city’s nonpartisan municipal elections will be held on Oct. 10.

Early voting begins Sept. 21 and continues through Oct. 7, and Vance County Elections Director Melody Vaughan said the early voting site again will located at the Dr. Andrea L. Harris Operations Center on Beckford Drive.

The hours for early voting are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Saturday, Oct. 7 hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In addition to the mayor, candidates are vying for four seats on the Henderson City Council. Ward 2 incumbent Mike Rainey faces challengers Sam Seifert and Janice Ward, and four newcomers are in the race for the Ward 1 seat. Geraldine Champion, Symia Crews, Clementine Hunter and Corey Pearson are on the ballot for Ward 1, a seat currently held by Marion Brodie Williams, who did not seek re-election.

In two at-large races, Kory Franklin, Michael Venable and Michelle Wood are on the ballot for Ward 3 and George Daye, Lora Durham and Tami Walker are on the ballot for Ward 4.

The Local Skinny! Daeke On City Opportunities, New Faces On Council

/by

Garry Daeke isn’t up for re-election this year. But the Ward 3 representative on the Henderson City Council said the upcoming municipal election is shaping up to put some new people in leadership roles. And there will be plenty of issues for him and his fellow council members to consider, from housing to downtown revitalization, just for starters.

“Every (election) cycle, we get some new folks in,” Daeke said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! “I appreciate all the new folks and their ideas and the camaraderie,” he added.

As he sees it, council members would be well served to focus on helping to create a path for the city that considers for its residents safety, affordability and living happily together.

Sometimes, he admitted, that takes a little effort.

One project that seems to be gaining momentum is the mixed-use development that is planned for Dabney Road, just behind Aldi and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Originally referred to as Berry Village, recent documents have called it Dabney Village.

Whatever the name, the 123-acre project has cleared all the hurdles necessary to get going in earnest, Daeke said.

“All the city permits are done and it’s ready to begin,” he said. Next up is water and sewer, as well as working with DOT for road configuration and entrances to the community, which will include apartments, townhomes and single-family homes as well as retail and other amenities.

It offers a housing opportunity and a community opportunity that people haven’t had in Henderson, Daeke said.

This is something creative, new and exciting for Henderson, he said. It’ll take some city money up front to get things right, he added, but there should be a good return on that investment, but good planning is key. “This is a very well-planned development,” he said. Developers hope to begin in the spring.

This also is the general area where the city was looking at constructing a new fire station.

“Our fire department is excellent, our (insurance) rating is excellent, our response times are excellent and we want to keep it that way.”

Between new construction and revitalization, there are plenty of reasons to get behind development in the city.

Sometimes, the wheels of progress turn slowly, especially when it comes to waking up a downtown area. But Daeke is watching and waiting – and hopeful.

“We’re going see it go crazy when we get this S Line lined up,” he said, referring to the proposed passenger and commuter rail service that includes a stop in Henderson. When that happens, “you’re going to see downtown as a destination to live, work and play again.”

It takes time to bring projects to full term, and it takes collaboration. But Daeke said it’s worth it.

“Working as a team, with others, to accomplish things for your community – it’s a wonderful thing to do.”

Click Play!

N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon Plans Sept. 16 Meeting To Discuss Future Of Broadband Internet In Granville

/by

N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon will be in Oxford on Saturday, Sept. 16 to have a dialogue about broadband internet access – how to improve it, why it’s important and its future role in daily life.

The town hall-style meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the Granville County Expo Center, 4185 U.S. 15 South, Oxford.

“In today’s interconnected world, access to reliable and high-speed internet has become an essential utility, impacting education, healthcare, business and communication,” according to a press release from Sossamon’s office.  “Unfortunately, many members of our community still face challenges in accessing quality broadband services, hindering their ability to fully participate in the digital age.”

Representatives of the N.C. Dept. of Information Technology will be present to share information during the meeting, whose purpose is to facilitate an open and informed discussion about the state of broadband internet access in Granville County and to explore potential solutions and opportunities for improvement.

The meeting will feature informative presentations and will allow those in attendance to voice concerns, ask questions and contribute their perspectives.

“Fight For Misty” BBQ Fundraiser Saturday, Aug. 26 At Kerr Lake Country Club

/by

Come out to Kerr Lake Country Club Saturday, pick up some barbecue plates and let everyone know that you’re supporting the “Fight for Misty” fundraiser.

Pick up barbecue plates, complete with slaw, boiled potatoes, bread and dessert for $12.

No ticket in hand? No problem – you can purchase on site, at 600 Hedrick Drive.

The “Fight for Misty” fundraiser begins at 1 p.m. and ends at 6 p.m.

In 2019, Misty was diagnosed with Cardiac Sarcoidosis, a rare disease that disrupts the heart’s rhythm, blood flow and normal heart function causing very aggressive inflammation around the heart.

She had a pacemaker implanted to monitor her heart rhythm and detect irregular heartbeats. She takes numerous medications and receives regular infustions at Duke University Hospital to reduce inflammation around her heart. Cardiac sarcoidosis has no cure and requires ongoing long-term treatment.

Police Arrest 24-Year-Old On Drug Charges

/by

From Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow

Officers of the Henderson Police Department arrested a 24-year-old Monday as a result of two search warrants carried out simultaneously at two homes in the city.

Taken during the searches were 1,500 dosage units of heroin, 3.5 pills of a Schedule II substance and more than $37,000 in U.S. currency, according to a press statement from Chief Marcus Barrow.

The warrants were for rental properties, one at 910 Buckhorn St. and the other at 929 Carroll Rd.

Leshawn Alston was arrested and charged with trafficking heroin by manufacturing, possession with intent to sell and deliver heroin, trafficking heroin by possession, maintaining a dwelling, misdemeanor possession of Schedule II, and misdemeanor child abuse.

Alston received a $200,000 bond and bonded out immediately, the press statement reported.

Barrow added that the owners of the properties have been sent appropriate letters of notifications regarding legal recourse.

U.S. Department of Justice

Henderson Man Gets 15+ Years For Trafficking Fentanyl, Heroin, Oxycodone

/by

A Henderson man was sentenced in New Bern Friday to 188 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl and heroin. On May 4, 2023, Tyren Omarious Hargrove, 23, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and fentanyl.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, after receiving information that Hargrove was involved in drug trafficking, law enforcement oversaw multiple controlled purchases of suspected heroin from Hargrove. In June 2022, agents also executed a search warrant at Hargrove’s residence in Henderson where they recovered more than 4,000 dosage units of heroin and fentanyl, oxycodone, and nearly $55,000.

“The outcome of today’s sentencing is the result of a collaborative effort of local, state, and federal resources,” said Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. “Our partnerships are focused on the betterment of our community. I’m hopeful that our community feels the impact of today’s announcement and many others that will be forthcoming.”

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Henderson Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.

 

TownTalk: Remembering Dr. Marion Lark

/by

Colleagues and community members are remembering their beloved friend and pastor, Dr. Marion D. Lark, who died late Saturday, Aug. 19. Lark came to The First Baptist Church in Henderson in 1973 and was minister there for 29 years.

“It’s a sad day for First Baptist Church and for our community,” remarked Senior Minister Ron Cava as Sunday’s worship service began. “Our beloved senior minister emeritus …entered his rest last evening.”

A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church Henderson, Wednesday, August 23, 2023 at 3 P.M. by Dr. Ron Cava, Dr. Glenn Phillips and Dr. Phil Young.  A private interment will be held for the family.  

“He will be sorely missed,” Cava told the congregation Sunday morning. “His impact in this congregation, in this community…cannot be quantified.”

Dr. Phil Young, First Baptist’s longtime minister of music, remembered his friend fondly. “We remained close friends after our retirement,” Young said Monday on TownTalk. “I will miss him terribly…how often I have thanked God that we were able to work together and what a blessing he has been on my life. He was a great preacher and a great pastor and we will miss him.”

Mark Hopper, FBC’s minister of music until 2022, expressed sadness and disbelief. “He has been such a constant North Star in my life for 22 years,” Hopper wrote in a statement to WIZS News.

“Marion Lark was integrity personified,” he said. “He was first and foremost a pastor in the way of Jesus: feeding the hungry, caring for the sick. He was completely devoted to his wife Jean in good times and bad.  He loved his congregation like his own family, and he saw First Baptist’s role in making Henderson a place where Christ was shown and not just talked about.  He commanded respect through humility and through modeled action and servant leadership. He was a fine musician, was unbelievably well-read, and was the definition of wisdom.  The loss to First Baptist, to Henderson, and to the Christian community is immense.”

The Rev. Dr. Paul Baxley remembers his time learning from and alongside Lark. Baxley, now executive coordinator for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, was 23 years old when he was selected to be associate minister at First Baptist. “He offered trust, encouragement, patience, grace and support to me in really definitive years of my ministerial life,” Baxley said of his fellow pastor and friend.

“Dr. Lark created an environment at The First Baptist Church in which the colleagues who were called to serve with him could use their gifts, grow in ministry and thrive. I was by no means the only person who benefitted richly from the freedom he provided and the trust he extended,” Baxley said in a statement Monday to WIZS News.

One of those individuals was Amy Russell. When she came on staff at First Baptist, Lark was retired and simply a member of the congregation. But Russell, now associate pastor of children and families at First Baptist Greensboro, said he supported her growth and development as a minister.

“After each sermon he would give feedback,” she said in a statement to WIZS News, “from ‘that one really made me think’ to ‘I struggled with that text, too’” Russell said.

“He was unafraid to share the truth of the gospel and it was always a privilege to get to hear him preach. He built a legacy at First Baptist Church of Henderson that shaped the congregation and the community. But he didn’t build a legacy for himself. He built a legacy as an outgrowth of his deep love for the church and for Henderson and Vance County.”

Henderson City Council member Garry Daeke shared a memory that he said resounds with him to this day. There was some discussion about downtown development – not a heated debate, but the topic had everybody involved and working hard to find a compromise and move forward.

It was Lark’s advice that Daeke tries to keep in mind with every decision he makes: “‘If we are to err, let’s err on the side of grace.’”

Daeke called Lark a “consummate gentleman who loved his community.” Lark always had time to discuss issues in the community, he added. “He would always thank me for my service.”

“Dr. Lark simultaneously embodied what it meant to be a deeply committed pastor to a congregation while also working actively for the well-being of a much larger community. He gave his life and his gifts for almost 50 years to Henderson/Vance County and to The First Baptist Church. In these ways, he was an embodiment of what it means for a pastor to be a community leader,” Baxley said.

CLICK PLAY for TownTalk Broadcast

CLICK PLAY for WIZS News Broadcast