TownTalk: African American Cultural Museum Looking to Move Within Henderson

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When families outgrow their homes, oftentimes they look for something in the same area with more bedrooms or bathrooms to make everyone more comfortable. That’s kind of what Edith Thompson is hoping to do with the African American Cultural Museum – their Oxford Road location actually used to be a home, but the museum quickly has outgrown its space.

The museum needs more space – inside and out, Thompson told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town.

“We’re excited about the future of the museum,” she said, noting that several groups have visited and held programs there recently. But parking is an issue, she said. And so is the underground oil tank, a relic of an obsolete heating system.

So for now, the museum is on pause for groups to come and visit. And Thompson and others are hopeful to find a spot in downtown Henderson to meet their needs.

“We need more space…we need to expand to incorporate an exhibit on the Henderson community,” Thompson said. A virtual tour will be posted on the museum’s website, www.rebuildcommunitiesnc.org, in the next 30 days or so, she said. A virtual tour will have to suffice, she said, until the museum’s docents once again can entertain face-to-face tours.

Leadership vance, biz exchange for minority businesses.

“We put a lot of money into renovating this space,” Thompson said, so she and other museum supporters are disappointed to have to be looking for another space so soon.

“We do what we must,” she said optimistically. “It’s a good sign that Henderson loves us and is really embracing us.” She said educating young people is a prime mission of the museum, but museum organizers also had a vision that the museum would attract more visitors to the Henderson area.

She said the plan is to be back open in time to celebrate Black History Month 2023. “Excuse us while we take a brief hiatus,” Thompson said. “We will be back.”

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Granville DSS Opens Satellite Office In Creedmoor

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People who live in the southern part of Granville County can cut their drive time to the county’s Department of Social Services – a satellite office officially opened Monday in the Butner-Creedmoor area.

County officials had a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official first day of business for the second DSS location, 2531 East Lyon Station Rd., according to information from Terry Hobgood, public information officer for Granville County.

Residents will be able to receive the complete suite of services currently offered at the Oxford office  at 410 W. Spring St. and the Child Support Office, located at 122 Williamsboro St.

Residents who live or work in  southern Granville County will now have convenient access to these vital county services, Hobgood stated.

“The opening of a Social Services office in southern Granville County aligns with Granville County’s strategic plan, which emphasizes the need to expand county services to reach residents currently underserved due to the  challenges related to transportation, high gas prices, and geographic distance from Oxford,” said Granville DSS Director Adonica Hampton. “We are excited to be able to provide this imperative resource for residents of the greater Butner, Creedmoor and Stem communities, plus any other county residents who may find it more convenient to visit this new office.”

“I could not be happier see this new Butner-Creedmoor office opened to the public,” said Social Services Board Chair, and District 3 County Commissioner Sue Hinman. “We have heard from our residents for so many years that they need more convenient access to county services. Just like we have brought other county services, like libraries and senior centers to Berea, Butner, Creedmoor, Oak Hill, Stovall and Wilton, we are now able to meet our residents where they are, in one of the fastest growing parts of our county. Any time we can make our residents’ lives easier and provide better customer service, we want to be there.”

For more information about the Department of Social Services, please visit the Granville County Website:  https://www.granvillecounty.org/residents/social-services/.

S-Line Rail Corridor

Another Grant Means Another Step Toward ‘All Aboard’ for S-Line Rail

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Plans to bring rail service back to Henderson continue to chug along, and one city council member said he’s been pleasantly surprised at how the S-Line project is coming together.

Garry Daeke spoke with John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk about the recent announcement of a $3.4 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to complete a transit-oriented development study.

“It’s incredible that we’ve been able to get these grants so quickly,” Daeke said. The wheels of government and bureaucracy often move slowly, especially when working with multiple agencies across the local, state and federal levels, Daeke noted. But everything is running along smoothly, including a recent site visit that Daeke said proved quite positive.

“I’m real enthused about the work of DOT – how much time and energy they’ve put into this – they really want to see this fly,” Daeke said. In fact, state DOT officials held a press conference Tuesday morning in Sanford to announce the awarding of the RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Sanford is one of the stops along the proposed S-Line, which includes stops in Apex, Raleigh, Wake Forest, Henderson and Norlina to connect the Raleigh to Richmond corridor.

The City Council is “100 percent excited” about the project, which would include a train station and other possible retail and commercial projects nearby, with the prospect of providing a huge boost to the area’s economy.

The rail would serve passenger and freight traffic, both of which Henderson has experienced in the past.

For Daeke, it’s all about working together. “Collaboration is how things happen,” he said. During the recent site visit, city staff and local officials joined NC DOT staff and railroad representatives to survey existing infrastructure and to envision how the area could be transformed.

The city put up $190,000 for its part of the project, and although Daeke said it’s a lot of money, he said he believes the project will pay big dividends for the city and beyond.

The group took a look at the old First National Bank Building on Garnett Street as a possible station, and Daeke said the reviews were positive. The group took a walking tour and looked at the former bank building as they covered basically the whole block, discussing everything from loading docks and accessibility to parking lots and bike paths.

“This will be the jewel on the new line between Petersburg and Sanford,” Daeke recalled one visitor as saying.

Between the urban redevelopment plans underway and what’s going on downtown with the Downtown Development Commission, Daeke said the state and rail officials who visited were impressed with prospects for the rail hub.

“They said it would be a fantastic site for a train station,” he said, affirming what city leaders had wondered about. “It became very clear that it could work.”

What comes next?

A feasibility study, including a site assessment and preliminary engineering plans, for starters.

But the project includes much more than just situating a train station in town.

The whole notion of a “transportation hub” involves looking at how people are going to get to the station and could include projects from creating bike lanes to widening existing roads. Then there’s the very real possibility of having to build a couple of overpasses for the trains to keep road traffic moving. Where will folks park if they want to catch the train in Henderson and leave their car for a few days?

Daeke said it will be key to take a look at where people gain access to the train and make sure that the area is safe and easily accessible for the community.

“It’s definitely a bigger plan than just building a train station,” he said.

The S-Line is a developing rail corridor that will better connect rural and urban communities, improve and expand freight and passenger services, and significantly reduce rail travel times between Raleigh and Washington D.C. To learn more, visit this NCDOT webpage.

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The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance 08-16-22

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The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for August 16, 2022. The Chamber compiles the information, and it is presented here and on the radio. Contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or email michele@hendersonvance.org to be included.

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Business Name – Holy Innocents Episcopal Church

Job Opening –  Preschool Program at Holy Innocents is hiring.  Looking for 2 individuals to lead the 2-year and 3-year classrooms.  Monday-Friday from 8:15 am – 12:15 pm, beginning September 6th.

How To Apply – Contact Crystal for more information at 252-430-9604 or hinnocentspreschool@gmail.com

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Business Name – Carolina Sunrock – Kittrell, NC Plant

Job Opening –  Opening for a Plant Utility Person. Responsible for general housekeeping and maintenance of the plant.  Benefits include paid time off, plus 8 paid holidays. In this position routine duties are performed with minimal supervision. Standard practices or procedures allow the employee to proceed alone at routine work. Good judgment and common sense is required in all duties and any other tasks assigned. Normal work hours are 7:00 am until 6:00pm Monday through Friday with weekend hours as needed.

How To Apply – Apply at https://jobsearcher.com/c/carolina-sunrock or at www.indeed.com

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Business Name – Maria Parham Health

Job Opening –  Hiring for a Women’s Health Administrative Assistant.  Full-time. Performs receptionist, registration, and clerical duties associated with and scheduled patient admissions.  High School diploma or equivalent required, Associate’s degree in Secretarial Science preferred.  Requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgment and the ability to work with minimal supervision.

How To Apply – Apply online at https://lifepoint.taleo.net/careersection.  Or apply at www.indeed.com.

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Business Name – Schewels Furniture Company

Job Opening –  Hiring for an Office Associate.  Part-time or Full-time.  Hiring immediately for individual with a pleasing personality, a team player who responds well to pressure. Has the ability to effectively deal with the public.  Must be efficient working with numbers and the handling of monies.  Needs the ability to accurately maintain a cash drawer with no significant problems. Must have demonstrated skills in typing, use of computer and various other office machines. Complete the terms on a charge sale, process cash sale transactions, and answer the telephone and use the intercom in a professional manner.

How To Apply – Apply at www.indeed.com.

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Business Name – Eckerd Connects

Job Opening –  Youth Counselors are desperately needed!  Eckerd Connects is a Manson, NC at-risk girl’s camp (ages 13-17). The girls are court ordered to be there and they need strong role models and positive guidance.  Applicants need to have a high school diploma and at least 2-years experience working with youth, counseling, or non-profit, such as a daycare, coaching, or homeless shelters.  Or a degree in any type of Human Service or Social Service field.

How To Apply – Contact Lorena Marquez, Recruiter for more information or send your resume to lmarquez@eckerd.org.  828-358-8895.

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Business Name – Truist Bank (former BB& T Bank) – Dabney Drive in Henderson

Job Opening –  Senior Relationship Banker.  Requires previous banking experience.  Full-Time.  Monday – Friday.  Benefit Package. Applicants need excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including a desire to interact with clients and prospects.  Demonstrated proficiency in basic computer applications, such as Microsoft Office.

How To Apply – https://careers.truist.com/job/16401950/sr-relationship-banker-henderson-main-henderson-nc.  Questions, contact April Alston, Branch Manager.

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Some of these businesses are present or past advertisers of WIZS.  Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast.  This is not a paid ad.

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Domestic Situation in Public with Shots Fired

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— HPD press release — 

This afternoon at approximately 1:30, officers were dispatched to the area of 1207 Dabney Drive in reference to a domestic situation involving a firearm. When officers arrived, the suspect, Rosalyn Henderson (age 44) had already left, but the victim, Antione Watson (age 48), was still on the scene and described the incident to officers.

Mr. Watson stated this had been an ongoing dispute in the county, at or around his home on Carey Chapel Rd, for the past several weeks. He stated he had obtained domestic protection orders against Ms. Henderson on the ninth of this month.

Mr. Watson and other witnesses stated that Ms. Henderson was waiting at the business and discharged a firearm at him. No one was struck by the discharging of the firearm and the suspect, Ms. Henderson, immediately fled from the scene.

Investigators took out felony warrants on Ms. Henderson for the incident and they worked with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office to locate her. The Vance County Sheriff’s Office found Ms. Henderson on Brunswick Lane, outside of Middleburg, and also recovered the suspected firearm used in this incident.

Ms. Henderson is currently being interviewed on this matter and the county’s previous occurrence(s). Bond information will be forthcoming.

Mike Waters

Remaining Defendants Sentenced in Robert Webber’s Murder

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Two men were sentenced last week in Granville County Criminal Superior Trial Court in connection with a 2019 murder in Oxford, bringing the total to four men charged, prosecuted and sentenced in connection with the homicide.

Michael Lewis and Andre Jones were sentenced to active terms of imprisonment for their involvement in the drive-by shooting death of Robert Webber on June 17, 2019.

Lewis was sentenced to between 240 and 300 months in prison; Jones, who pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to second-degree murder was sentenced to 48-70 months in prison.

In May, two other men were sentenced for their role in Webber’s death, which occurred about 9:45 p.m. at 1110 College St. near Granville Health Systems. The victim was 18.

Granville Vance Public Health Logo

Granville County Has First Case Of Monkeypox; Vaccines Ordered

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Granville County has its first confirmed case of monkeypox, and local health department officials said that they’re waiting for vaccines to arrive, but don’t have any at the moment.

Granville-Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison said they were notified Friday afternoon about the case in Granville County, one of 138 cases of monkeypox in the state.

“Although GVPH does not yet have vaccine on site, we have ordered the vaccine and we have a relationship with both Durham and Wake counties who are two of the sites that received monkeypox vaccine in NC in the first few weeks,” Harrison said in a weekly communication statement.

Harrison and her staff have been monitoring COVID-19 updates for the past two years, and recently have had to put monkeypox on their radar screen.

Both counties remain in the “high” community spread category for COVID-19, Harrison noted. Vance County has reported a total of 126 deaths from COVID-19; Granville County has reported 118 deaths.

The BA.5 variant is now most prevalent as indicated by the data dashboard. For the most up-to-date information, visit  https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard.

The Kaiser Family Foundation website has helpful information on monkeypox. View the FAQ section here.

Below is a bulleted list of statements about monkeypox, who is getting sick and the role of vaccines in curbing spread: 

  • ALL of the cases in NC so far have been in men ages 18-65
  • Transmission happens through skin-to-skin contact, and occasionally contaminated items
  • Symptoms include: Lesions on the skin, fever and swollen lymph nodes
  • Monkeypox impacts people of all sexual orientations
  • Monkeypox has been declared a public health emergency of international concern
  • Vaccine supply will continue to increase and we should have some locally soon — the sooner an exposed person gets the vaccine, the better.
  • Both smallpox and monkeypox vaccines are effective at protecting people against monkeypox when given before exposure to monkeypox

 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Jynneos vaccine to allow health care providers to administer it via intradermal injection for individuals 18 years of age and older. Intradermal injection uses one-fifth the size of dose as subcutaneous injection, allowing the U.S. to stretch the current limited vaccine supply to reach more patients. The updated EUA is based on a 2015 study that showed a smaller dose of the vaccine injected intradermally generated a similar immune response to a larger dose injected below the skin. The EUA also allows for the use of Jynneos vaccine in individuals younger than 18 at high risk of monkeypox infection though via the original subcutaneous injection route.

The Local Skinny! Business Spotlight Shines On Autobrite Car Wash

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AutoBrite Car Washes Inc.’s location on North Cooper Drive features touchless washes, but Manager Patrick “Bubba” Glosson said there are a few extra features that make the business special.

Glosson spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Business Spotlight segment of The Local Skinny! and discussed how things are going so far.

They’ve been open for about four months, and patrons who bring their vehicles choose from four different wash packages – $10, $15, $20 and $25 – and then there’s the $40/month “Wash Club,” which allows customers to come every day if they choose.

All the selections include free use of the vacuums, Glosson said. “Anything you left under the seat, it will grab,” he said, adding that the vacuums are self-serve. There also are cloths and window cleaner available at the vacuum stations for patrons to use.

The only hands-on part of the whole process, he said, occurs before the actual wash. “We prep every car,” he said, “to remove mud, bugs – stuff like that. We try to get it off before it enters the wash.”

Glosson said he enjoys working with customers and he and staff are ready to help folks choose the type of wash that best suits their needs. And customers? “They see it’s a simple process and they love it,” he said.

“Prepping the cars is pretty fun,” he said, and admitted that he gets special satisfaction from helping to clean up vehicles that really muddy or that have been left sitting under trees for a while.

Once the pre-wash prep is complete, customers drive into the wash bay area, slip the vehicle into neutral, and the automated process takes care of the rest.

“The brushes are really soft…like a neoprene fabric, (and) hold no water, hold no dirt,” Glosson said, which helps to protect paint finishes on new cars and on older ones, too.

Glosson said he’s seen brand-new Corvettes pull in for a wash, and he’s also seen 60’s model Chevrolet trucks come in, too.

“Older or newer, it doesn’t matter,” he said.

AutoBrite Car Washes, Inc. is owned by Thomas Howell; Melanie Hutson is vice president.

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