Warren County Looks To Fill Community Development Division Manager Position

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Warren County is hiring a Community Development Division Manager to provide support across the county in various areas, from housing development projects and workforce development to food security and poverty reduction.

The application is available at the county’s Human Resources website: https://www.warrencountync.com/166/Human-Resources. The position closes on Sept. 13, according to information from Charla Duncan, Warren County Community & Economic Development director.

This is a newly created position, Duncan stated, designed to support various initiatives in the county, including housing, broadband, transportation, recreation, workforce development, and early child development.

“This role will be characterized by a high-degree of initiative and dedication to preserving and producing affordable housing and an ability to work with diverse stakeholders, including local, state, and federal agencies, as well as lenders, private foundations, non-profits, and the business community,” Duncan stated, adding that one role will be to develop and implement a strategic plan to address the unmet housing needs within the county.

The job follows the normal hours of operation for Warren County government – Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., but there will be occasions to work outside those office hours to attend workshops, meetings and special events. It’s mostly an on-site office job with the possibility for some remote work in accordance with county policy.

Read more details below:

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/TYPICAL TASKS:

(These are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.)

  • Work with the colleagues to research and develop land use policies to encourage housing in areas with access to infrastructure and services, as well as address workforce and workforce housing demand
  • Ensure educational and financial assistance programs to homeowners are promoted and fully utilized by residents
  • Develop programs with innovative approaches to affordable and workforce housing
  • Develop homeowner assistance programs
  • Facilitate educational and informational workshops to educate renter and first-time homebuyers on rental assistance program as well as home purchase procedures, finance, and maintenance
  • Manage and oversee programs funding by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and oversees the administration and contract compliance of community development programs such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
  • Maintains up-to-date knowledge of housing and community development activities in the county and across the state, as well as nationwide best practices
  • Develop and recommend policies and programs related to community development programs for the county to consider; prepares reports and delivers presentations to committees and county commissioners
  • Develop and distribute information through a variety of media outlets
  • Facilitate community engagement efforts for program areas
  • Conduct research, compile and analyze data as needed for all departments (related to economic & community development)
  • Write and administer grants related to community development initiatives
  • Analyze and interpret state and federal policy
  • Assist with transportation projects
  • Assist in marketing the county in residential and workforce recruitment efforts
  • Assist in overseeing performance measurement for the Community and Economic Development Office
  • Develop surveys and research tools as needed pertaining to community development
  • Assist in strategic planning and implementation
  • Assist in departmental community and economic development projects as needed
  • Assist with community and economic development budget tracking as needed
  • Serve on county committees as needed
  • Other duties as needed (we’re all on the same team)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge of the local community and region is preferred; ability to research and understand economic and community development concepts and practices; ability to research and understand local, state, and federal laws related to community and economic development; ability to research and understand concepts and laws related to land use and planning and zoning; must be a team player willing to take on tasks aligned with the strategic vision of Warren County and the Community and Economic Development Office; punctual and reliable; effective communicator with both public speaking skills and written skills; can work independently with minimal direction; values rural communities and is community-oriented with great inter-personal skills; eager to serve the greater public, including a diversity of backgrounds and lifestyles; pragmatic and logical, but also excited by innovation and thinking outside of the box.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Preference is for a candidate to have graduated from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in public administration, community development, planning, or social sciences, and have at least four years of work experience related to this role. There is a desire for an advanced degree in any of those areas, but it is not required. There is a desire for a candidate that has previously worked in local government. Experience related to developing and implementing affordable housing and community development programs is desired. Open to considering other combinations of education and experience.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

This is light working requiring minimal physical movement. Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word, and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels, and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer data, visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, operation of machines, operation of motor vehicles or equipment, determining the accuracy and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities; the worker is subject to inside and outside environmental conditions, and atmospheric conditions.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must possess an appropriate driver’s license valid in the State of North Carolina; considerable knowledge of word processing and the Microsoft Office Suite; considerable knowledge of social media platforms. Knowledge of GIS is helpful, but not mandatory.

Franklin County 911 Answering Point Facility Has Ribbon-Cutting Sept. 12

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Join Franklin County leaders next week for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new 911 Emergency Communications Public Safety Answering Point.

The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the facility, located at 287 T. Kemp Rd., Louisburg.

 

TownTalk: Green-bOURG Doing More Than Just Removing Junk And Appliances

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A relatively new business in Henderson that provides cleanup and cleanout services is available to help folks with junk removal and so much more.

Bill Dunston is a retired psychotherapist who relocated to the area from Pennsylvania. His business is called Green-bOURG Appliance and Junk Removal. The second part of the name is self-explanatory, but what in the heck is Green-bOURG?

Dunston answered that question and more on Thursday’s TownTalk. It’s a European term, he said, that evokes a sense of wholesomeness. It means “green grass, clean,” Dunston explained.

He chose the name so his enterprise would stand out and he could try some distinct branding.

“I want it to be unique, I want it to be different,” he added.

And it is unique. Dunston wants to especially help a demographic that he calls “unbefriended seniors.” It’s that group of older individuals who may not have family or friends to ask for help when they need it.

Unfriended seniors, he said, “have little to no resources – they don’t have kids, etc.” to provide help when it’s needed.

Dunston wants to use his business as a way to provide resources to that particular population who may feel isolated or not able to participate in activities as they once had been able to.

“I find that there’s a lot of work being done here, but we‘re not really identifying the top tier needy,” Dunston said. And he wants to be part of the solution and do more to identify and help a group of people that sometimes gets overlooked.

With a masters in counseling, Dunston has a good handle on how to help, and further studies at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business provides a good base for how Green-bOURG should operate.

When he worked in Philadelphia, he didn’t have to look hard to find people in need. “The need is right there in your face, it’s easy to identify,” he said.

His goal is to identify people in the community to reach out to and provide resources.

Whether clients want to reclaim their garage, haul an appliance and more to the landfill or clean out an apartment so they can get their security deposit back, Green-bOURG may be able to help.

Dunston said he hopes to be a way to link people in the community to resources they may not be aware of. With a business plan that begins with operating from the heart, Dunston said he believes he can do a lot of good in the community.

Learn more at www.Greenbourg.com or phone 919.500.2027 or 252.476.7619.

(This text and audio is not a paid ad.  The business does, however, have ads on WIZS Radio.)

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The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood Keeping Interiors Smelling Fresh

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For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.

If the inside of your vehicle has lost that “new car smell,” there are a couple of things to check on before you hang another one of those air fresheners on the rear-view mirror.

If your car is a 1990’s model or newer, did you know that it probably has a cabin air filter?

Those things help keep dirt, dust – and smells – from penetrating the vehicle’s interior.

Not sure? Ask the staff at Advance Auto Parts for a little assistance. District Manager Michael Puckett said a clogged cabin air filter could be the culprit for that lingering smell.

Those filters function much like the air filters in your home, Puckett noted on Thursday’s installment of Pop The Hood.

The filters help to trap the dust and dirt and help keep your car’s dashboard and other flat surfaces clean.

If those surfaces need a good wipe down, Advance Auto has a full selection of products to help.

Once you’ve got the interior dusted and gleaming, it may be time to add a fancy scent.

There are plug-in types and sprays in addition to the iconic rectangular tags that hang from the rear-view mirror.

There’s one scent called “New Car Smell,” but Puckett said he’s partial to Cherry himself.

Whether it’s a cleaning product, cabin air filter or other item to help keep your vehicle’s interior shiny and squeaky clean, visit either of the Advance Auto Parts locations in Henderson – on Raleigh Road or just off Dabney Drive – for all your car care needs.

The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS.  Safety First!  Always seek proper help.  This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.

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Mike Waters

Local Man Enters Guilty Plea, Sentenced to 50-61 Years For 2019 Murder

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-information courtesy of the office of  District Attorney Mike Waters

A Henderson man was sentenced to 50-61 years in prison in the 2019 shooting death of his former girlfriend.

Javius Donte Perry, 28, entered a guilty plea to one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in the Feb. 9, 2019 incident. Three women, including Ilana Jones, were in a vehicle parked in a driveway on Charles Street when the suspect opened fire.

The investigation was led by the Henderson Police Department, and District Attorney Mike Waters and Assistant District Attorney Charity D. Wilborn prosecuted the case, which was heard by Superior Court Judge Josephine Kerr Davis.

Officers responded to the scene in the early-morning hours of Feb. 9, and located 18 shell casings in the area surrounding the vehicle. Jones died at Duke Medical Center. The vehicle had more than a dozen bullet holes in the passenger side of the windshield, as well as the front and rear passenger windows and back glass.

Mike Waters

Superior Court Session Hands Down Sentences In Several Local Cases

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A Creedmoor man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison recently for a 2022 incident that occurred at a local food mart.

Jordan Lee Turnage had pleaded guilty to discharging a weapon into occupied property and one felony count of inciting a riot for the May 28 incident, which involved gunfire at Gate City Foods and North Henderson Heights Apartments on West Andrews Avenue. His case was heard during a session of Vance County Superior Court, held during the week surrounding Aug. 23, with Superior Court Judge Josephine Kerr Davis presiding.

The office of District Attorney Mike Waters was represented by assistant DAs Charity D. Wilborn, Beau Boyer, Theodore “TJ” Marsh, and Walter T. Ramsey.

In other cases before the court:

  • Datwain Scott Henderson pleaded guilty to one count of discharging a weapon into a moving vehicle for shooting a Wake Electric Membership Corporation vehicle on June 23, Henderson was sentenced to 20-36-months in prison, suspended for 24 months. Henderson was placed on supervised probation, which includes 60 days in the Vance County Jail.
  • Richard Durham, pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine (28-199 grams) and was sentenced to a 35-51 month active prison sentence. Durham was ordered to begin serving that sentence once his current sentence has been completed.
  • Kelly Jean Hemann pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking of methamphetamine (28-199 grams) and possession with intent to sell, deliver and manufacture Hemann was sentenced to two active prison sentences of 16-29 months, and 6-17 months, to run consecutively.

TownTalk: Rebuilding Hope Chicken Plate Fundraiser

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Rebuilding Hope is making plans for its barbecued chicken fundraiser later this month, and Randolph Wilson invites the community to come on out on Friday, Sept. 29 to buy the plates to support the group’s efforts.

Tickets are $10, and Wilson said last year’s drive-thru process worked so well that they’ll probably do it the same way this year.

“Last year, we did it in a hurricane,” Wilson said on Wednesday’s TownTalk, so this year should be a piece of cake.

Thanks to the support, dedication and hard work of volunteers, the chicken plate fundraiser is a big success. Wilson, who is founder and director of the non-profit, said they’re getting all the details worked out to make sure things run smoothly on chicken plate day.

Plate pick-up continues from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you order five or more plates, delivery is available.

Rebuilding Hope send volunteer crews out to Vance and surrounding counties to help people with home repair projects and construction projects.

This summer’s Servants on Site program built ramps and put five roofs on homes in the area. And there were 32 participants in the Kids Construction Camp, which provides hands-on training for young people who want to learn more about using hand tools.

It’s a volunteer-driven organization, and Wilson said the volunteers that give their time and talent to Rebuilding Hope have created something special.

“I can’t ask for better volunteers – they do a fabulous job,” he said. “You’d be surprised at the skills that come here every week.”

The organization has been at its current location, 414 Raleigh Rd., for about seven years. Locally known as the former Coca-Cola Bottling Co., the familiar sign on the front of the 1930’s-era brick building offers visitors a reminder of the building’s past.

Rebuilding Hope is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.rebuildinghopeinc.com to learn more or call 252.438.5132.

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