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Vance County $1.5M Vehicle Lease Agreement Will Save Thousands Of Dollars

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Beginning July 1, Vance County will begin leasing vehicles, a move that County Manager C. Renee Perry said will be “a good cost savings” for the county.

The county commissioners approved moving forward with the plan at a March work session, Perry told WIZS News.

“We’ll no longer purchase vehicles,” she said. “At some point, all of our vehicles will be leased.”

Because the county is on the Local Government Commission’s Unit Assistance List , the five year, $1.5 million dollar plan had to be approved by the LGC, which it did at its meeting earlier this week.

The plan could mean substantial savings for the county as it moves toward replacement of its entire fleet of vehicles.

“Normally, we budget around $480,000 just for new sheriff vehicles,” Perry said.  The cost for the lease agreement works out to be about $300,000 each year of the five-year plan.

“That’s a good thing for Vance County, for sure,” she said.

City Launches “Love-Henderson-Period” Campaign

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The City of Henderson has launched a campaign “to inspire unconditional love” for the place that Henderson residents call home.

The outline of a heart, followed by the word “Henderson,” ending with a period. Put into words, it’s “Love-Henderson-Period.” And City Manager/City Attorney Hassan T. Kingsberry told WIZS News that it’s a campaign that’s being revived now “to instill love, unity and pride in our city because it’s vital to progress.”

The idea has been around awhile, and Kingsberry credits Police Chief Marcus Barrow with its creation.  It’s one that Kingsberry said he likes, and he’s getting behind its hopeful resurgence.

He said the city’s department heads support it, too. The City Council heard some details about the campaign at a recent meeting, during which Kingsberry said he recommended bringing back the idea to them at that time.

The text below is a press release, dated June 1, from the City of Henderson:

“A heart and a period. That’s the symbol and the statement at the center of Henderson’s newest community-wide movement: This bold and heartfelt campaign invites every resident, business, and organization to join in a renewed commitment to love Henderson unconditionally.

The campaign’s message is clear:

‘To love our city unconditionally, where peace prevails in our hearts, progress drives our collective efforts, and pride in our shared vision fuels unity. If we simply love our city without condition, prosperity is no longer just a goal but a promise to each other to uphold a set of values, ensuring a future where everyone thrives together in harmony’

What It Means:

At its core, the campaign celebrates:

  • Peace– creating a community where respect, kindness, and safety flourish.
  • Progress– working together toward innovation, inclusion, and opportunity.
  • Pride– recognizing that our differences are a strength, not a divide.
  • Prosperity– building a thriving future for all who call Henderson home.

Love-Henderson-Period is more than a slogan; it’s a call to action. It asks us to show up for our city, to love it without conditions or exceptions, and to take ownership of the future we all want to see.

We encourage everyone to use #lovehendersonperiod whenever they post positive and encouraging posts that embodies this message.”

 

UPDATED-JUNE 6 AT 12 NOON

The City of Henderson has launched a campaign to encourage the community to Love Henderson. Period.

In a press release dated June 1, 2025, the campaign is a simple message with a bold promise. One word, one symbol and one punctuation mark designed “to inspire unconditional love” for the city. Our city.

The press release reads as follows:

“A heart and a period. That’s the symbol and the statement at the center of Henderson’s newest community-wide movement: This bold and heartfelt campaign invites every resident, business, and organization to join in a renewed commitment to love Henderson unconditionally.

“The campaign’s message is clear:

“To love our city unconditionally, where peace prevails in our hearts, progress drives our collective efforts, and pride in our shared vision fuels unity. If we simply love our city without condition, prosperity is no longer just a goal but a promise to each other to uphold a set of values, ensuring a future where everyone thrives together in harmony.’

“What It Means:

“At its core, the campaign celebrates:

  • Peace – creating a community where respect, kindness, and safety flourish.
  • Progress – working together toward innovation, inclusion, and opportunity.
  • Pride – recognizing that our differences are a strength, not a divide.
  • Prosperity – building a thriving future for all who call Henderson home.

“Love-Henderson-Period is more than a slogan; it’s a call to action. It asks us to show up for our city, to love it without conditions or exceptions, and to take ownership of the future we all want to see.

“We encourage everyone to use #lovehendersonperiod whenever they post positive and encouraging posts that embodies this message.”

TownTalk: Around Old Granville – Natural Disasters

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If you’re a Baby Boomer, chances are you grew up hearing stories from parents or grandparents about Hazel. That’d be Hurricane Hazel, the October 1954 storm that tore through this part of North Carolina on a path that went all the way to Canada.

It’s just one example of a natural disaster that people use as a yardstick of sorts by which to measure other storms. Hazel made landfall in Calabash as a Category 4 storm as it headed straight up the middle of the state on its way north.

Millenials, Gen Xers and Gen Zers will be able to tell stories about Florence, Fran and Floyd, but hurricanes are just one category of natural disaster that has struck this area. WIZS’s Bill Harris chatted with local historian Mark Pace to remember a number of historic events that affected the four-county area in Thursday’s TownTalk segment Around Old Granville.

“What made Hazel so remarkable,” Pace said, was that it was very short-lived. After making landfall on the coast, it reached this area by about 2 p.m. “By 3:45, it was gone from Vance County,” he said. “It came through like a freight train.”

Forty-two years later, Hurricane Fran took more or less the same route as it rolled through North Carolina, killing 36 people and causing extensive damage in September 1996.

Hazel’s fierce winds snapped off a lot of the trees halfway up, Pace said, and it brought great destruction in a short period of time.

This area was also subjected to what is called “the Great Storm of 1893,”

“People didn’t have to worry about the electricity going out,” Pace said, because there weren’t many places that had it. “In a lot of ways, they were able to deal with the effects of the storm a lot better” than we do today.

Over the years, information from climatologists and weather forecasters help prepare for weather events like hurricanes, but people don’t always have a lot of advance warning about tornadoes.

And this area has had its share of tornadoes. Just last year, Epsom experienced a rash of tornadoes, spawned in the remnants of Tropical Storm Debbie. They were relatively weak – F-0 and F-1 – but that’s strong enough to cause damage.

In the Oak Hill community in northern Granville County, a tornado flattened Oak Hill School in November 1952, Pace said. Luckily, it was after school had let out, so there were no injuries. But the yearbook in subsequent years was renamed ‘The Tornado.’

Other tornadoes have demolished warehouses and killed more than a dozen people in Warrenton in 1936, homes in Huntsboro in 2016 and tore roofs off the Medical Arts building on Ruin Creek Road in 1988.

And while nobody welcomes hurricanes and tornadoes, there are plenty of people who wish for a good snowfall every winter – none more than schoolchildren. And probably a teacher or two.

But even the biggest snow fans may balk at the possibility of having 2 feet of snow on the ground. That’s what Warren County got during a massive storm in 1856.

Henderson got close to that – 22.5 inches – in 1922, which collapsed a couple of tobacco warehouse roofs and part of the Corbitt Factory, Pace said.

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Granville County Library System

Granville Library System Kicks Off Summer Reading Program June 7

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–information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood

The Granville County Library System kicks off its summer reading program Saturday, June 7 with a Comic-Con at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford. Events and programs will run throughout the summer at all four branches of the Granville County Library System.

Participants at the Comic-Con can learn about all the great things happening across the library system this summer. Register to keep a reading log to win prizes.

Comic-Con will also include sword fighting and cosplay demonstrations, and there will be food trucks and other craft vendors on hand, too.

Mark your calendars for another summer highlight – the Blow-Out Party at the Granville Athletic Park on Monday, June 30. It’s a chance for participants to take part in family-friendly yard games, face painting and free ice cream from Southern Snow.

Other program highlights for the summer include:

  • Bob Ross Painting Party on June 19 at Thornton
  • Eco Explore on June 20 at Berea Branch
  • Tie Dye Extravaganza at South Branch on July 2
  • Chalk Painting at Berea on July 11
  • Mario Kart Tournament at Thornton on July 15 and South on July 23
  • Teen Chef Competition on July 17 at Thornton

Weekly recurring events include:

  • Mondays: Lego club at South
  • Tuesdays: Storytime at South and elementary activities at Thornton and Stovall libraries
  • Wednesdays: Storytime and family art workshops at Thornton
  • Thursdays: Special events including Bright Star Theater, Museum of Life and Science and Japanese Drumming (These events will be held in the morning at Thornton and in the afternoon at South)

For the full schedule and more information about the four branches of the Granville County Library System, visit  https://granville.lib.nc.us/.

Visit any of the four branches: Richard H. Thornton, located at 210 Main St., Oxford;  South, at 1550 South Campus Dr., Creedmoor; Stovall, 300 Main St., Stovall; and  Berea, 1211 US Highway 158, Oxford.

Ronald Garrett Appointed To Lead State USDA Farm Service Agency

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Ronald Garrett has been appointed State Executive Director for the USDA Farm Service Agency in North Carolina.

Garrett began his new role on May 5. As SED, he is responsible for overseeing the delivery of FSA programs to the state’s agricultural producers. The commodity, conservation, credit and disaster assistance programs ensure a safe, affordable, abundant and nutritious food, fiber, and fuel supply for all Americans.

“FSA State Executive Directors serve in a critical role carrying out USDA’s mission at the state level — ensuring that our focus is on meeting the needs of local agricultural producers by putting farmers and ranchers first,” said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “Rural communities need our support now more than ever. Our newly appointed state leaders bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to their position as SED and they will play an integral role in shaping the future of agriculture in their state.”

Garrett served as an FSA county Executive Director for more than 34 years. He started his career with FSA as a county Operations Trainee in 1991 and worked in several county offices after completing his training. Garrett has received numerous awards from the National Association of State and County Office Employees for service to his community, FSA and agriculture. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business management from N.C. State University.

In a press release announcing the appointment, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said, “When America’s farming communities prosper, the entire nation thrives. This new group of USDA appointees will ensure President Trump’s America First agenda is a reality in rural areas across the country. I am grateful for the leadership of these new state directors and look forward to their work reorienting the agency to put Farmers First again.”

Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: When the Money’s Tight

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Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Jamon Glover

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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TownTalk: N.C. Strength Sports Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony June 21

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The Brick Power Team will host an induction ceremony for the N.C. State Strength Sports Hall of Fame on June 21 at 220 Seafood Restaurant in Henderson.

Harry Orr said Randy Perry and Will Lynch are this year’s honorees.

Orr, executive director of the statewide group, also is part of the Brick Power Team, said the honorees will receive plaques to recognize their accomplishments and contributions to the sport of powerlifting and weight lifting.

The Brick Power Team is an outreach ministry of Freedom Life Church of God and raises money for worthy causes with weightlifting competitions.

He said the group is accepting donations to help defray costs associated with the event.

All donations are tax-deductible.

“Any donations will be appreciated, whatever size,” Orr said.

The Brick Power Team will have a fish plate fundraiser on Monday, July 28 at 220 Seafood Restaurant, with most of the proceeds going to Freedom Life Church of God, which Orr said is instrumental in the work of the Brick Power Team.

“The Brick Power Team is putting it on,” he said. “Whatever we get out of that, we give most back to the church.”

Tickets are $10 and plates are take-out only.

Contact Orr to find out more about sponsoring the induction ceremony or to learn more about the hall of fame or the Brick Power Team at 252.432.4196 or email horr2553@yahoo.com

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TownTalk: Progress Being Made In Repairs To Vance County Jail

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners offered thanks Monday – and a round of applause – to show their appreciation for the work that Special Projects Coordinator Frankie Nobles has done so far to tackle a long “to-do” list at the county detention center.

In providing an update on the progress made since he was given the lengthy list of repairs and maintenance projects, Nobles told commissioners he reckons about half of the items have been addressed so far.

“We’re going to work until we can get them (done),” he told commissioners during the regular monthly meeting.

Commissioner Tommy Hester said, “I want to say thank you, because this guy is doing a great job.” With that comment, the board offered a round of applause.

The state of the jail has been an ongoing topic of discussion for commissioners, and it’s just one of the five corrective action items that were included in a letter from the state dated April 1. In the letter, the state outlined required steps county leaders must take to get the facility back in compliance.

Commissioners took steps to put the repairs and maintenance under the supervision of the county rather than the sheriff’s office, and that’s when Nobles took over.

County Manager C. Renee Perry said, “We’ve been getting things done under Frankie’s leadership.”

Nobles added that the state is “very happy” with the progress that’s been made thus far.

In response to a question from Commissioner Tommy Hester about whether he’s had difficulty getting the work done, Nobles said, “Everybody that I’ve talked to has been caught up and paid except one,” who still has four invoices that haven’t been paid for. Commissioners had received reports that work wasn’t being completed either because workers weren’t being paid or because of safety concerns. For now, that challenge seems to be less of a problem than before.

The list of completed tasks is impressive, from power washing interior walls, ceilings and floors to replacing expired fire extinguishers and generator batteries. Broken glass has been removed and replaced, as well as air filters on the two-year-old units that apparently hadn’t been replaced since October 2023.

“Those units were completely stopped up,” Nobles said, adding that he didn’t know how they were still operational.

So after the paint, toilet and shower repairs and replacements, holes in walls patched and bunks bolted anew to walls…what’s left?

“The big stuff,” Nobles said. Things like locks on doors, the camera system, among others.

But for now, the county is happy – happier – because the state is happy as Nobles leads the effort to put more repairs in the “completed” column on his “to-do” list.

Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones told commissioners on Monday that the RFQ – request for qualifications – process closed just a couple of hours before the meeting began. There was one reply to the RFQ, which sets in motion the design/build process county leaders are considering for a new facility. The RFQ is scheduled to come before the commissioners on July 7 for possible approval. Commissioners will receive for review a copy of the RFQ before the July meeting, she said.

 

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