Entries by Laura Gabel

TownTalk: From An Owner’s Perspective – WIZS Radio

Editor’s note: WIZS part-timer Jayden Watkins took some time to sit and chat with John Charles Rose for Thursday’s segment of TownTalk. In what amounts to a role-reversal of sorts, Watkins was the interviewer who posed questions to John Charles to learn more about his life’s work and his vision of the radio station’s role […]

Local Airport Authority Role Is To Manage, Protect Land, Flight Patterns

Although Henderson gets top billing in the name, the Henderson-Oxford Airport is actually located in Granville County, and the Airport Authority that oversees its operation is owned by both Vance and Granville counties and by both cities. David Thomas of Henderson is the current chair of the Airport Authority and Jon Carver of Oxford is […]

TownTalk: Causey Talks Insurance Rates, Hurricane Helene Cleanup and More

N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and his team at the Department of Insurance are advocates for consumers when it comes to claims disputes or proposed rate hikes for automobile or home insurance. But it was when Causey was trying to call attention to the health of first responders that he got his own wake-up call, […]

Cyber “Event” Disrupts Water Bill Payment Process For City Customers

City officials are blaming a recent “cyber event” for a disruption in the way residents’ water bills are generated. The problem was brought to light three weeks ago – on Feb. 20 – and, as a result, some computer systems the city uses had to be taken offline. At Monday’s City Council meeting, City Manager/Attorney […]

TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Historical Markers

The state’s very first official historical marker was erected in 1936 – just a year after the Highway Historical Marker Commission was established. But where was it placed? Any ideas? If you said Granville County, you’d be correct. The first marker honors John Penn, one of North Carolina’s three signers of the Declaration of Independence. […]

The Local Skinny! Granville’s Creative Lifelong Learning Presents “The Regulators: Right Or Wrong” Debate

Before the American Revolution, North Carolina and the other 12 Colonies pretty much operated independently – the idea of a unifying federal system wouldn’t be a “thing” until the Constitution was ratified in 1789, replacing the Articles of Confederation, which largely preserved the sovereignty and independence of the 13 Colonies. A fellow named George Sims […]

TownTalk: GVPH Director Lisa Harrison Keeps Eye On Health Issues, Funding For Federal Programs Like Medicaid, WIC

In addition to all the health-related issues that Granville Vance Public Health Director Lisa M. Harrison monitors, lately she’s been keeping a close watch on what’s happening in Washington, DC as politicians consider cost-saving measures to address a focus on government efficiency and tax cuts. For Harrison, what happens in Washington has a direct effect […]

TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Walter Alexander Pattillo

Walter Alexander Pattillo was a Baptist preacher, newspaper publisher and accomplished farmer who established a dozen churches in and around Old Granville County. He died young – age 57 – but his legacy has had a lasting impact throughout the area. Local historian Mark Pace said Walter Pattillo was born in 1850, the son of […]

TownTalk: Commissioners Question District 3 Hopefuls

In a special called meeting Monday afternoon, Vance County Commissioners heard from the four candidates vying for the open District 3 seat on the board. At the conclusion of the meeting, which lasted less than an hour, Chairwoman Carolyn Faines said she would like to reconvene next week – at a second special called meeting […]