Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Program At Farmers Market Matches Funds To Boost Purchasing Power

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The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is filled with fresh local produce on Wednesdays and Saturdays, just waiting to be scooped up and featured on dinner tables across the area.

The market has added a couple of programs that other markets across the state are using to help seniors and others stretch their dollars. The SunBucks and Senior Double Up Food Bucks programs are both ways to encourage eating healthy foods while supporting local farmers and the local economy, said Vance County Cooperative Extension Director Dr. Wykia Macon.

“It seemed like a natural fit because we accept EBT at the Farmers Market and now with Double Bucks, when someone uses their EBT card, we match EBT purchases dollar-for-dollar,” Macon told WIZS News.

Those who use SunBucks and Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) will have their dollars doubled, too, she said.

“It came about after seeing other markets doing the program and realizing that we should be offering the same to our community,” Macon said.

“Since this is our first time with the program, we will learn as we go. Right now, we are limiting the match to $20 per day, so someone could visit the market on Wednesday and Saturday to receive up to $40 Double Bucks per week while we are open on Wednesdays.”

Triangle North Healthcare Foundation offers a grant that provides the matching funds, which, although not unlimited, will allow for many residents to use the benefits before the end of the market season, Macon explained.

TownTalk: Music, Peppers, Pumpkins And More In Granville County

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What do hot peppers, pumpkins and live music have in common? They’re all going to be featured in festivals and events over the next couple of months in Granville County, and Tourism Director Angela Allen shared all the details on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

Main Street in downtown Oxford transforms into a music venue on Friday, Aug. 9. Soule and the Super Band will perform from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring a lawn chair, get comfy and enjoy the tunes.

A couple of weekends after that, music lovers can head over to the Armory at the corner of MLK Jr. Avenue and Spring Street for the inaugural Next Door Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 17.

The festival will take place outside on the grounds of the Armory, Allen said. and will feature six bands performing from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Allen said the music festival gained traction after several local business people were tossing ideas around, and the next thing she knew, the idea became a reality. There will be more than a dozen vendors on site with collectibles, toys and games available on festival day. And, she explained, festival proceeds will go to a local charity.

It’s not too early to mark your calendars for Saturday, Sept. 21, either. That’s the day the annual Creedmoor Music Festival is scheduled to take over downtown Creedmoor, providing lots of music genres from gospel to country and everything in between.

And any time is a good time to visit Cedar Creek Gallery outside Creedmoor, Allen said. The gallery is open seven days a week, and on Aug. 23, visitors will get to see the gallery’s 2024 crop of glass pumpkins, created by local glassblowers. Lisa Oakley’ is set to unveil her limited-edition pumpkin that weekend, as well.

There will be glassblowing demonstrations going on outside, and hundreds of pumpkins ready for purchase in the front room of the gallery through Oct. 31.

Destinations like Cedar Creek Gallery have long drawn visitors from outside Granville County, and Allen said she is pleased to see a similar trend at other events that have taken root over the years throughout the county.

“Thirty or forty percent of the crowd may not even be from Granville County,” she said. She’s delighted to see more people that she doesn’t know at festivals, concerts or retail establishments because it means that more folks are coming from farther away.

Take the annual Hot Sauce Festival, for example.

“It’s the coolest thing that’s SO hot in Granville County,” Allen said. And this year, the festival will span two days – Friday, Sept. 6 and Saturday, Sept. 7. AND, Allen said, organizers have added a salsa category to the competition.

But that’s not the only new addition. The Friday events run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature glow-in-the-dark putt-putt, vendors and music as a lead-in to the daylong Saturday activities – which this year will stretch from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Kids can enjoy a rock-climbing wall, carnival rides and games in the Fiery Fun Zone, she said.

Adventurous souls can sample all the pepper-inspired tastes, from craft beer to ice cream.

Allen won’t be participating in the popular pepper eating contest, “but I’m brave enough to watch it,” she quipped.

Hot sauce enthusiasts from all over show up for the festival, she said.

“This is the hot spot,” she said.

Visit www.visitgranvillenc.com to learn about all the upcoming events throughout the county.

(This is not a paid ad, but Granville Tourism does advertise on WIZS.com.)

NC Governor Logo

Warren County Site Of Upcoming Forum To Discuss Environmental Justice

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People can soon comment on an environmental justice initiative outlined in Gov. Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 292. Warren County has been selected as one of three sites across the state to hold a forum to hear comments from the public about environmental issues.

The order reestablished an Environmental Justice Advisory Council and calls on state agencies to develop and track goals to improve environmental justice in North Carolina.

The Advancing Environmental Justice initiative aims to ensure that everyone, no matter their race, income, or location, has access to clean air, water, and soil, according to information at https://publicinput.com/NCEJ. The program focuses on helping communities that are most affected by pollution and climate change, such as communities of color, low-income neighborhoods and indigenous groups.

“Environmental justice means equal access to a healthy environment for all,” said Dr. Virginia Guidry, the council co-chair and Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch head at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. “Equal access requires meaningful involvement in decision making that affects our health, well-being and environment.”

The order called for the creation of a mapping tool to provide information about environmental justice issues and help the public identify areas that need attention. People can explore the interactive map, which includes climate, demographic, environmental, transportation and health data and more.

The order also encouraged public participation, giving everyone a chance to voice their concerns and contribute to the decision-making process regarding environmental issues. Several opportunities are on the horizon.

A statewide virtual meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1 via GoToWebinar. This initial meeting will serve as the public launch of the initiative, providing an overview of the goals and objectives and giving communities the chance to offer input.

Warren County will be one of three sites to host in-person forums during August. Warren County’s is Aug. 15; the other forums will be held in Asheville on Aug. 8 and Duplin County on Aug. 22. An in-person Environmental Justice Advisory Council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 24 in Halifax County. Specific locations for these meetings will be posted on the public input page once determined, according to a press release from NCDOT.

“The Governor’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council, pursuit to Executive Order 292, is committed to helping state agencies leverage spatial analytic tools and data-driven strategies and tactics to reduce exposures to life-threatening environmental contaminants and the over-concentration of noxious facilities and locally unwanted land-uses in the state’s historically marginalized communities,” said Dr. Jim Johnson, the council co-chair and the William R. Kenan Jr. distinguished professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, and director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center.

More information on the environmental justice initiative in North Carolina can be found on the governor’s webpage.

Clearview Church Hosts ‘Night of Gospel Praise’ Aug. 4

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Clearview Church is hosting a “Night of Gospel Praise” Sunday evening, featuring Jimmy and the Sound Barriers among other performers who will present a Gaither-style concert to benefit Anchor of Hope.

The evening begins at Sunday, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. at Clearview, located at 3485 Hwy. 158 Business. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted.

Barrier and wife Kay are just two of the individuals teaming up to put on the event. Kay leads the church’s Anchor of Hope ministry, which provides support to those near and far. The prayer group involves about 70 women who lay hands on and bless the blankets before they are delivered to those in need. It’s a symbol of God’s love, she said, and that those who have reached out for prayer are not alone.

“We try to reach out to people going through trials and storms in their life,” she said on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

One aspect of the ministry involves praying over blankets that are distributed to those battling illness or other life-altering events.

In addition to the blankets, the ministry provides food gift cards and gas cards to help with essential items when disaster strikes.

“It’s a comfort to know that people are praying for you,” Jimmy Barrier said. The proceeds from the Sunday concert goes directly to the ministry.

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TownTalk: Mary Emma Evans’s Legacy Lives On With Foundation

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The Mary Emma Evans Foundation is hosting a school supply giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 17 and Director Phyllis Evans and her daughter Phylicia are encouraging the community to step up and make some donations between now and then.

Evans is the daughter of the late Henderson City Council member, who died in 2011. She and other family members established the foundation to honor the memory of a woman who gave tirelessly to the city of Henderson as a pastor, advocate and elected city official.

But in order for the giveaway to take place, the community needs to step up and bring donations to the foundation’s office – any basic items such as notebook paper, pencils, pens, binders, composition books will do, she said. Please donate between now and Aug. 10 so there will be time to get the supplies organized in time for the back-to-school event.

The giveaway will take place at the foundation’s office, 901 Dorsey Ave. (just behind the post office on Garnett Street) from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Stop by to pick up some basic school supplies and stay for a “meet and greet” with hometown celebrities Varonica “VV” Mitchell and her sister, Danielle.

Varonica is the star of “The VV Show” and Danielle has her own tutoring enterprise and is known for her involvement with the I Dance Praise Academy. The Mitchell’s office is conveniently located right beside the foundation’s office, Evans said.

She said she’s happy to partner with the two Mitchell sisters “before they go off and do great things,” she said. “Come on out on the day and meet these celebrity guests.”

Visit https://www.maryemmaevansfoundation.org/ to learn more or follow the foundation on FaceBook to learn about the various community projects, from the Cook’s Chapel food pantry to the monthly prayer sessions and Bible study.

Each Monday, Cook’s Chapel welcomes the community to choose items from its food pantry, Evans said. On Tuesdays, the foundation office is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for residents to pick up emergency food boxes, clothing and more.

The foundation recently was approved to provide weekend meals to Vance County high school students.

No doubt, Mary Emma would be pleased with the way family members and others are uniting to make their community a better place.

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TownTalk: Rebuilding Hope’s Kids’ Construction Camp

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There’s still time to sign youngsters up for next week’s Kids’ Construction Camp at Rebuilding Hope. The three-day camp is free, and Rebuilding Hope’s Director Randolph Wilson says the camp is a fun way to introduce young people to the trades as well as to community service.

The camp runs from Monday, Aug. 5 through Wednesday Aug. 7 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Raleigh Road headquarters.

Children in grades 3-6 will learn how to use hand tools, but also will be introduced to new-fangled equipment like nail guns and screw guns, Wilson said.

They’ll also learn some basics about electricity and plumbing, as well as hanging Sheetrock and laying shingles.

There is a Bible study component, too, which Wilson said is just as important as learning about trades.

“We need to get back to teaching people about trades,” he said on Monday’s TownTalk. Who knows? Maybe this construction camp will be the place where a young boy or girl develops a passion for a particular trade, he said.

“We’re excited – and we have fun. The kids enjoy it,” Wilson said.

Wilson and co-director Tom Wille oversee the various projects and programs at Rebuilding Hope, from next week’s camp to the recent Servants on Site and ramp construction across the area.

The SOS was a huge success, with 85 young people coming together to put six roofs on in just four days’ time.

“We had a great week,” he said. The youth worked all day – with a daily lunchtime devotional with the residents they were helping – and then had a worship service each night.

“It’s a great time of helping people, also a time of sharing the love of Christ in the community they were working in,” Wilson said.

And when the Kids’ Construction campers and SOS participants get a little older, Wilson said he would welcome them to help out with ramp construction – so far this year, teams have built 90 ramps, on a pace to beat last year’s 116 total.

“We can’t keep up with the ramps,” Wilson said, noting that they’ve got a wait list of close to 25 now. “We need volunteers – people who have a passion to get out and help their community.”

Visit https://rebuildinghopeinc.org/ to learn more about how you can help.

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Man Shot Dead in His Own Car, Found in Road on West Andrews

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Press Release —

On July 25, 2024, around 7:47 PM, a patrol officer with the Henderson Police Department located a vehicle in the roadway between Beck Avenue and Ford Street on W. Andrews Avenue. When the Officer approached, they found that the driver had been shot.

Vance County EMS responded, and the victim was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The victim was identified as Christopher Joyner, 26, of Henderson. Further investigation into the incident revealed that Mr. Joyner had been shot by an individual or individuals that were in the vehicle with him at the time of the incident.

At this time, Jah-meer Spann, 19, of Henderson has been arrested and charged with murder. He received no bond and was remanded to the Vance County Jail.

Members of the Henderson Police Department Criminal Investigations Division continue to work diligently to fully uncover what occurred, and we urge anyone who may have information related to this incident to contact the Henderson Police Department at 252-438-4141, Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925, or use the P3 app on a smartphone or tablet device. Callers may remain anonymous. Crime Stoppers offers rewards for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of suspects involved in criminal acts.

As always, we are greatly appreciative of our citizens for their willingness to help us solve such heinous crimes.

Authority: Chief M.W. Barrow

(On 7-30-24 this story was corrected from its original version by WIZS staff so that it indicates West Andrews Avenue rather than East Andrews Avenue.)

One Dead, Two Injured In Early-Morning Shooting Wednesday On Gholson Place

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A 21-year-old died from a gunshot wound in the early-morning hours of Wednesday, July 24 in what law enforcement officers have ruled a homicide.

Tabyious Cheek, 21, died from injuries in the shooting and two other gunshot victims were transported to Duke University Hospital for treatment, according to information Friday from Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.

Brame stated that deputies and members of the Henderson Police Department responded to Maria Parham about 12:39 a.m. Wednesday in reference to three gunshot victims.

Omir Gibbs, 19, and a 16-year-old juvenile were taken to Duke from Maria Parham.

It was determined that the incident occurred on Gholson Place in Henderson, Brame stated.

The investigation into this incident is still ongoing and anyone with additional information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office at 252.738.2200, or Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925 or through the P3 app.