WIZS Local News Audio 7-22-21 Noon
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Vance Co. Sheriff’s Office Investigates Homicide
On June 11th, 2021 around 4pm, 911 Central dispatched the Vance County Sheriff’s Office deputies to 519 Fields Ave. in Henderson to check on a resident’s welfare.
Upon arrival, the family member that called 911 met the deputies. The deputies, along with the family member, approached the residence to check on the occupant. No one answered the knock on the door or responded when deputies called out.
Upon entering the residence, deputies detected a pungent odor. Moving further into the residence, deputies discovered a body that was later identified as Hiawatha Nicholson, a black male, age 73.
The Vance County Sheriff’s Office along with the State Bureau of Investigations are investigating the death of Mr. Nicholson as a homicide.
Please contact the Vance Co. Sheriff’s Office with any information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects in the death of Mr. Nicholson. The Vance Co. Sheriff’s Office may be reached at 252-738-2200
TownTalk: Repair Cafe Event Coming To Granville County
Don Fick of Repair Cafe NC discusses how his organization repairs many daily household items keeping them out of local landfills.
For complete details and audio click play.
Just because the button on your household gizmo is broken doesn’t mean it needs to go straight to the landfill – it may just need a quick trip to a RepairCafé workshop. There’s one coming up Saturday in Durham, but Don Fick and his crew are coming to Granville County in September.
Fick and Teresa Baker, the county’s recycling and sustainability coordinator, held an interest meeting last week in Oxford and have since scheduled a workshop for Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Granville County Expo Center. Fick joined Bill Harris on Wednesday’s Town Talk to talk about what RepairCaféNC is and what it does.
At its simplest, Fink said, RepairCafé workshops consist of a group of folks who get together and share repair skills to fix broken items that others bring in. There is no charge for the labor, although guests may be asked to reimburse for replacement parts that are used.
In today’s society, disposable items are everywhere – things that once were made to last a long time are now easily – and more economically – replaced. But that “stuff” has to go somewhere. And, usually, that means a landfill.
“The money that the county has to spend to dump a ton of waste is only going up,” Fick said. Individuals don’t really have to think about that, he added. “We toss it in the trash can and the truck comes and picks it up and we never see it again.”
Fick said a mission of RepairCafé is to reduce the amount of waste consumers generate that ends up in landfills. When a lamp stops working and it’s not the light bulb that’s the problem, someone who lacks confidence about making repairs may choose to toss it. But that same lamp may find new life in the hands of one of the RepairCafé “coaches.”
Fick said the volunteers have a 65 percent success rate of fixing the items that they work on. They see a lot of lamps, as well as vacuum cleaners, electronic equipment, necklaces and children’s toys.
He cited one example of a woman who brought in a music box – a gift from her grandmother – that had long ago ceased playing.
“She sat with two of our coaches and together they meticulously cleaned it, lubricated it, worked very carefully on realigning some bent pieces of metal. And after an hour’s work, it was playing music again,” Fick recalled. “We were able to restore her cherished possession,” and she got to share her story and her relationship with her grandmother.
“We’re doing more than fixing stuff,” Fick said. “We’re helping people reconnect with memories and we’re showing appreciation for the stories they bring.”
Fick said the group is looking for volunteers for the Granville County workshop. The volunteer coaches simply have an interest or curiosity of how things work, he said, and have a skill set for making repairs.
The Durham workshop will be held at The Scrap Exchange from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.repaircafe.org to learn more or to register to attend a workshop.
Glen Raven Announces $82 Million Expansion At Norlina Plant
Glen Raven, Inc. Custom Fabrics, LLC, in Norlina announced today (Wednesday, July 21) an $82 million capital investment plan that will create 205 new jobs.
The expansion at the Warren County manufacturing plant will add about $6.5 million in annual salaries, according to a press release from Warren County. Governor Roy Cooper also announced on Wednesday that a performance-based grant of $1 million from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate the expansion.
The Glen Raven Norlina plant opened in 1984. It produces the synthetic yarn used in performance fabrics, including their well-known flagship Sunbrella brand.
Glen Raven plans to renovate the existing building, constructed in 1970, as well as add new buildings and new equipment.
“Glen Raven has been an indispensable fixture of our business community for 37 years. To take part in the company’s realization of their strategic growth doesn’t just feel good; it feels right,” stated Charla Duncan, Warren County economic development director.
“As a halo county of the Triangle, we look very different than our urban and more populous neighbors, and we’re ok with that because we know that Warren County, too, can be a place for sustainability, growth and vitality,” Duncan stated in the press release. “It’s our goal to be a part of the Glen Raven family as well, knowing that in turn, we are also supporting our families here in the community.”
The Warren County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to approve a local incentive package to compete for the expansion of the existing Warren County industry.
The total local incentive package offered to Glen Raven includes 10 annual performance-based grants equaling 60 percent of the paid tax liability for the year and a fee waiver of up to $150,000 in county building and inspection fees. The grant will not be issued until the year’s property taxes have been paid.
“This project is a trajectory changer for Warren County. Glen Raven has recognized the value in Warren County, the workforce we can attract, and how that will positively impact their bottom line,” commented County Manager Vincent Jones. “I have to commend our board of commissioners for pushing us as county staff for results, as well as our Warren County team that helped us through this economic development process, especially our community & economic development director, Charla Duncan, who led our efforts.”
“With the devotion and commitment of the county commissioners, coupled with the hard work of our staff, we were able to secure this much-needed economic growth,” stated Tare “T” Davis, chairman of the Warren County board of commissioners. “This expansion speaks to what the citizens have been asking to happen in Warren County — good paying jobs and good opportunity for people to advance. We look forward to a continued partnership with Glen Raven.”
The average salary of the jobs that will be created is predicted to be $31,710, which exceeds the median income for Warren County. Of the total $82 million capital investment, $58 million is in real property and $24 million is in personal property.
“Glen Raven has been an anchor in our local, regional, and state business community for decades. We are thrilled that they have called Warren County home for so long and that they believe our community can help in the growth of their company,” said Victor Hunt, vice-chair of the Warren County board of commissioners and member of the economic development commission board.
Glen Raven, a 2020 Governor’s Export Award Winner (NC), is a global company headquartered in North Carolina, recognized by the state for being a Top Large Business Exporter. Founded in 1880, Glen Raven is a provider of performance fabrics with sales in more than 120 countries.
Duncan, herself a Warren County native, said she hasn’t known a day of her life that Glen Raven hasn’t supported working families in the region.
For more information, contact the Warren County Community & Economic Development Director at 252.257.3114 or charladuncan@warrencountync.gov.
Construction Of New Park Set To Begin Where Vance Hotel Once Stood
Plans for construction of a park near downtown Henderson have been in the works for a couple of years, but Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon said this week that materials have been delivered and a ground-breaking ceremony will be held “in the near future.”
Among the features are a skate park and bike park, a splash pad and outdoor exercise and fitness stations, as well as a picnic shelter and walking trail. Blackmon said the park will be constructed in phases, unless some state grant funding comes through.
“We are a finalist for a state PARTF grant,” Blackmon told WIZS News. If the matching grant is awarded, the project could be completed in its entirety, he noted. PARTF stands for Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.
“Materials for the Williams/Montgomery park were delivered last week. Preparation should begin within the next couple of weeks with grading of the property,” Blackmon said.
A representative from the state recreation commission made a pre-award site visit recently in advance of its August meeting. “Staff is hopeful the city will receive a grant that will allow for the development of the entire park rather than having to phase the park,” Blackmon said.
The proposed site of the park is at the corner of Williams Street and Montgomery Street, where the former Vance Hotel stood. The hotel burned in the 1980’s and the property has remained empty since then.
The Local Skinny! Home And Garden Show With Wayne Rowland And Paul McKenzie
WIZS, Your Community Voice. Thank you for listening!
The Local Skinny! each Wednesday on WIZS is the Vance County Cooperative Extension Service Home and Garden Show.
WIZS Local News Audio 7-21-21 Noon
Thank you for listening to WIZS Radio, Your Community Voice!
TownTalk: Elmwood Area Eyed for Redevelopment
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The city’s re-established Redevelopment Commission is holding a listening session Thursday, July 22 at 6 p.m. to hear from the community about plans for making upgrades to an area known to city officials as the Elmwood Urban Redevelopment Area (URA).
This listening session, which will be held in Perry Memorial Library’s Farm Bureau room, is part of the overall process, according to Assistant City Manager Paylor Spruill. The library is located at 205 Breckenridge St. The redevelopment committee members “need to hear what the public believes are the important issues for redevelopment, especially in that area,” Spruill told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk. He and Council Member Garry Daeke spoke about short-term plans and long-term dreams that just may become reality for Henderson in the next few years.
The Elmwood URA consists of about 200 acres that include both sides of Burwell Avenue, Chestnut Street all the way to Andrews Avenue and almost to Beckford Drive, including Elmwood Cemetery, Spruill said. The city is getting guidance and support from the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative as it continues to refine a detailed plan for redevelopment for the area.
Residents are invited to complete a survey in advance of Thursday’s meeting. Find the link to the survey at https://ci.henderson.nc.us/government/boards/redevelopment_commission.php as well as more information about the URA process. The meeting is open to the public. The Zoom link is https://unc.zoom.us/j/96903327572 or call toll-free
(855) 880-1246 to listen by phone. The meeting ID is 969 0332 7572.
Daeke said the city has done a good job in the past few years of removing homes that are dilapidated or otherwise substandard. The removal of those structures leaves vacant properties that can now be built on again. The city has been able to accumulate a fund balance that can be used to create affordable housing and direct money to make improvements in neighborhoods. “It will give us the ability and the authority to make wholesale changes in these neighborhoods,” he said, including sidewalks and parks – all of which contributes to increased property values that benefit the immediate area and the city.
Spruill said that Henderson needs 3,000 units of affordable housing now, according to a study that the UNC DFI conducted. And that doesn’t include other types of housing that would be expected for a community the size of Henderson to have, he added. The housing boom that the Raleigh-Durham and Chapel Hill areas have been experiencing for a while is creating a ripple effect that reaches to this area, Spruill noted. People can’t afford those hot housing markets, so they are “beginning to look here to find a place they can afford and where they want to live.” With the redevelopment plan as a guide, we can reach out to the development community, partner with them to make that happen, he added.
The city council has funded another DFI study to look at the Flint Hill community. Continued support, guidance and recommendations from this group helps municipalities like Henderson interpret state regulations and guides them through the necessary steps before recommending a workable plan. “I’m glad to have them here,” Spruill said of the UNC DFI team. “They’ve been a great help.” Once the redevelopment commission completes its work, the plan will go to the planning commission before taking its final form for presentation to the city council for adoption.
Between redevelopment plans and additional talk about placement of a train station for proposed rail service – both commuter and high-speed trains – Henderson is in a good place for improvements.
Daeke said the city council, along with city staff, have been laying the groundwork over the past few years to support the upgrades and said several things, including this redevelopment project, are finally coming together – now it’s time to put the funds behind them to make them happen. “I’m very proud to be a resident of Henderson most of my life,” Daeke said, and predicted that, 10 years from now, the community will be looking back proudly at the work being considered now.
Raleigh Rd. Baptist Church to Host Vacation Bible School
Raleigh Rd. Baptist Church will be holding Vacation Bible School from August 1st through August 5th from 5:30 to 8:30 each night for ages 4 through 12 with dinner served at 5:30. The bible school will focus on a study of God’s creation including a biblical look at creation, the great flood, dinosaurs, cavemen and how different civilizations came to be. The church invites children to enjoy an evening of fun with recreation, music, crafts, snacks and to learn something along the way. The church is located at 3892 Raleigh Rd. in Henderson. For more information call 252-492-4911.
Enrollment Saturday is July 31st at Vance Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College will hold “Enrollment Day” on Saturday, July 31, from 9 a.m. until noon, at all four of its campuses.
VGCC staff members will be available during those hours to provide information on the enrollment process, academic programs and student support services, including financial aid. Advisors will be available to help students register for Fall Semester classes. In addition, refreshments will be available for visitors who attend Enrollment Day, while supplies last.
The day will include a New Student Orientation session on the Main Campus from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. Students may also complete orientation in an online format.
The Fall Semester begins Monday, Aug. 16. Both eight-week and 16-week classes are available.
“Vance-Granville Community College offers more than 40 credit programs to help students earn certificates, diplomas and degrees in preparation for careers or transfer to a university for a four-year degree,” said Kali Brown, VGCC’s dean of student access and support. “Enrollment Day is the perfect time to get ready for the new semester.”
Attendees can find out about numerous resources to help them pay for college, including the new Longleaf Commitment, an opportunity for eligible Class of 2021 North Carolina high school graduates to have their tuition and fees covered for up to two years.
VGCC’s Main Campus is located on Poplar Creek Road in Vance County (about midway between Henderson and Oxford) at the intersection with Interstate 85 (Exit 209).
The Franklin County Campus is located just west of Louisburg on N.C. 56.
South Campus is on N.C. 56 between Creedmoor and Butner.
The Warren County Campus is located at 210 West Ridgeway Street (U.S. 158 Business) in Warrenton.
For more information on Enrollment Day, call (252) 738-3234 or visit any campus.
Additional information about enrollment is available at www.vgcc.edu/enroll.