Entries by Laura Gabel

Veterans Monument Installation On Track For July 4 Dedication

If all goes as planned, the new Veterans Memorial will be officially unveiled at a ceremony on July 4, a fitting day as the nation officially celebrates its 250th birthday. Hartwell Wright, American Legion Post 60 commander, said the fundraising efforts are paying off, but there’s more to do. The July 4 ceremony will be […]

TownTalk: Around Old Granville – 250th Anniversary of the USA in Old Granville County Part 2

With the nation’s approaching 250th birthday as a backdrop, WIZS’s Bill Harris and local historian Mark Pace continue their conversation about people, places and events from right here in the four-county area, “Old Granville County.” Franklin County’s Regiment of Militia was officially formed in January 1779, in the middle of the Revolutionary War. This group […]

TownTalk: Fund Balance Props Up “Flat” Proposed $51.7M City Budget

Just one day after presenting the recommended $51.7 FY 2027 budget, the Henderson City Council scheduled a work session Tuesday at 5 p.m. to begin the process of adopting a final version by the end of June. Finance Director Joey Fuqua told Council members Monday that this was a “very difficult budget, very sobering.” The […]

TownTalk: Chamber’s “State Of” Event Features The Case Made For Data Centers

Economic Development Director Ferdinand Rouse was the guest speaker at the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce’s “State of” luncheon on Tuesday to talk about the current state of local economic development. Most of Rouse’s presentation dealt with plans, goals, strategies that need to be in place to attract business and industry before he touched on what […]

TownTalk: Vance County Manager Presents FY 26-27 Budget

County Manager Renee Perry presented the 26-27 budget to commissioners on Monday. The proposed general fund budget is $72.47 million, which represents an 8.97 percent over last year’s budget. The budget maintains the current property tax rate and there would be no change in the fire tax, Perry said. About $7.5 million would be appropriated […]

TownTalk: CultureFest Coming to Downtown Oxford May 9

CultureFest returns to downtown Oxford on Saturday, May 9 for its sixth year celebrating cultural diversity through music, dance, food, language and the arts. Hosted by the John Chavis Historical Society, CultureFest also is a nod to the legacy of Dr. Helen Chavis Othow, the society’s founder and the person who spearheaded the very first […]

TownTalk: Business Spotlight – Ninja Realty

For James Hutson, it all started with a 1994 green Thunderbird. And a personal desire to keep moving forward. That T-bird was Hutson’s first car, and he bought it with money he earned from having yard sales. Even then, as a teenager, Hutson was a salesman. He said he sold whatever he could get his […]

SportsTalk: Former Vance County AD Joe Sharrow Named NCHSAA AD of the Year

Joe Sharrow is a familiar name around Vance County. Although Sharrow didn’t grow up here, he claims Henderson as his second hometown because he grew here, with more than 10 years working in Vance County Schools and becoming a high school athletic director – first at Southern Vance and then at Vance County High School. […]