Entries by Laura Gabel

The Local Skinny! Council Approves Pay Increases For City Employees

In a unanimous vote Monday, the Henderson City Council approved a pay increase for all city employees, tacking on close to a 20 percent increase in payroll costs in the city’s budget. The increase will be retroactive to sync with the pay increase given to police and fire department employees. City Manager Terrell Blackmon said […]

Rep. Sossamon Hosts Upcoming Forums About Dementia, Alzheimer’s

State Rep. Frank Sossamon is hosting forums in Vance and Granville counties to share information with the community about Alzheimer’s disease and how to spot early-warning signs of dementia. The first forum will be held on Monday, Sept. 23 at Clearview Church, 3485 US -158 Business in Henderson. The event will be from 6 p.m. […]

EnTech Mobile Lab Brings Technology To VCS Students

Vance County Schools and community leaders were on hand Wednesday, Sept. 4 to officially roll out the EnTech Mobile Lab, a lab on wheels that will give students hands-on experiences with various forms of technology. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Vance County High School to launch the lab, during which time Superintendent Dr. Cindy […]

TownTalk: Around Old Granville: A Visit To Cokesbury And Vicksboro

The North Carolina Room at Thornton Library in Oxford is full of all kinds of books, maps and bound volumes of all sorts and conditions. And cookbooks. “I must say, God bless people who do cookbooks,” said Mark Pace, North Carolina Room specialist and local historian. Located among all those historical tomes are more than […]

TownTalk: Budding Chefs Can Sign Up For 4-H Cooking Teams

If Micah Sharpe can get young people to buy in to 4-H at an early age, the chances are better that they’ll stick with it through their teenage years. And if some of those youngsters are interested in learning their way around a kitchen to create healthy, nutritious foods, the Vance County 4-H Youth Development […]

TownTalk: Frank Sossamon – Litter Clean Up Program

In speaking with constituents across Vance County, State Rep. Frank Sossamon said he picked up on a familiar theme: litter. “Litter kept coming up as our Number 1 problem,” Sossamon said. “It’s a plague on our county.” And he’s making a connection with the trash that fouls the roadsides and public safety. A public safety […]

TownTalk: Introducing Matthew McLaughlin, Kerr-Vance Academy

Matthew McLaughlin said he didn’t set out to be a school administrator – he really wanted to be a middle school band teacher. And McLaughlin was quite happy doing just that for many years. Now, after close to two decades in the field of private education, he finds himself not in front of a bunch […]

Visitor Spending In Warren Totals $73M In 2023 – Up 10.8 % From 2022

  -information courtesy of Warren County Government   Visitor spending in Warren County reached an impressive $73 million in 2023, marking a notable 10.8% increase from the previous year. This exceptional growth rate not only highlights the county’s rising popularity but also positions Warren County as a leader in the state for visitor spending growth. […]

TownTalk Around Old Granville: Forgotten Historical Figures, Pt. 2

Remember Soupy Sales? What about Charlie Briggs? Both were television stars, before streaming became a preferred way of watching shows certainly before binge watching was a “thing.” But both men share something else in common: They are both from the area known as “Old Granville County” and were the topic of Thursday’s TownTalk segment of […]

TownTalk: Catfish Drop for New Year’s by Vance County Tourism

New York City’s Times Square has that iconic glittery orb. Raleigh has a giant acorn. Shoot, Mt. Olive has a giant pickle covered in lights. But this New Year’s Eve, families can head out to Satterwhite Point to witness a first: a giant blue catfish drop to usher in 2025. It’s all part of a […]