Maria Parham Marks 100 Years; Looks to Future

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In 1924, a group of five local physicians banded together to open a small hospital, with a vision of serving the community with compassion and care.

A century later, Maria Parham Health commemorates its centennial, with one eye on celebrating the achievements of the past 100 years and the other fixed on continuing to provide the community with compassionate and top-quality health care.

“While we celebrate our past, we are equally focused on the future,” said Maria Parham Health CEO Bert Beard. “We are committed to continuing to provide outstanding healthcare services, investing in cutting-edge technology, and enhancing the patient experience for generations to come.”

In comments during festivities Friday, Jan. 17 – 100 years to the day that the hospital was incorporated – Beard said the hospital’s growth and transformation are testaments to the vision shared by its founders and its current staff and leadership.

“As we reflect on this momentous occasion, we honor not just our hospital’s past, but the people who have made it all possible—our caregivers, our patients, and the community that has supported us every step of the way,” he said. “From our humble beginnings to becoming a trusted leader in healthcare, Maria Parham Health has been a cornerstone of strength and healing, and today, we stand proud of all we’ve accomplished, with much more to come.”

The hospital moved to its current location in the mid-1960’s, costing about $2.25 million. Since then, the campus has expanded, including increased space for patients, modernization and remodeling that cost about $50 million in 2005.

In 2011, Maria Parham Medical Center became part of the Duke LifePoint healthcare system.

Learn more about Maria Parham’s history and services it provides at https://www.mariaparham.com/about.

VGCC MLK 2025: “Where do we go from here?”

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— information courtesy of Vance-Granville Community College Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

Please mark your calendars and join Vance-Granville Community College for a heartfelt celebration honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., hosted by VGCC’s Men’s Achievement Academy and Vance-Granville’s Initiative on Equity for Women (VIEW)!

This year’s celebration will reflect on King’s profound question, “Where do we go from here?” and explore how we can move forward together as a community. The event will honor Dr. King’s legacy by fostering unity, promoting equality, and inspiring collective action towards a more just and inclusive society. Through thoughtful panel discussions and communal fellowship, we will celebrate the progress we’ve made and reaffirm our commitment to continuing Dr. King’s work. Together we will envision a future where everyone can thrive and take steps to make that vision a reality.

  • Tuesday, January 28, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
  • Vance-Granville Main Campus Civic Center (200 Community College Road, Henderson, NC)

All members of our community are invited to attend this free event, along with Vance-Granville’s students and employees. Refreshments will be prepared and served by Vance-Granville’s Culinary Arts program. To help event organizers plan, please RSVP at vgcc.jotform.com/240085947256059 or visit the event page on the College’s website at www.vgcc.edu

 

Vance Charter Lottery Mar. 1; Application Period Runs Jan. 21-Feb. 28 For 2025-26

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The Vance Charter lottery for the 2025-2026 school year will open on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Parents of prospective students have until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28 to complete the online application. Find the application at www.vancecharter.org under VCS Lottery Info.

Because there is a limited number of spaces per class, it is possible more students will apply than there are available openings.  If this situation occurs, the school will admit students through a blind lottery.  Each application will be numbered and the numbers will be pooled per class.  Due to using an automated lottery program, the numbers will be generated randomly until all spaces in each grade level are filled.  The remaining students will be placed on a waitlist in order of their number’s removal through the automated lottery process.

The school will host two informational sessions:  Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. and Feb. 13, also at  6 p.m.

The lottery will be held on Saturday, Mar. 1. Attendance is not necessary, as final results will not be available until verification checks are performed.  Likewise, all applicants will receive email/text notification within one week of the actual lottery  to share final results.

Please remember that siblings of Vance Charter students who do not currently attend Vance Charter School must submit an application to be included in the lottery. This includes incoming kindergarten students.

 

TownTalk: McGregor Hall’s The Spot For Valentine’s Day Dinner And Show

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Make plans to spend this Valentine’s Day by enjoying dinner and a show – right here in Henderson.

“The Bridges of Madison County” opens on Friday, Feb. 14 for a two weekend run at McGregor Hall, and Mark Hopper, McGregor Hall’s executive and creative director, said patrons can choose to dine before the show “with your Valentine or some of your best friends.”

The doors open at 6 p.m. and dinner service in the Gallery begins at 6:15 p.m., Hopper said on Thursday’s TownTalk. There’s plenty of time to enjoy the meal before the curtain rises at 8 p.m.

Visit https://www.mcgregorhall.org/ to purchase tickets online, stop by the box office Monday through Friday between 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. or call 252.598.0662. Discounted rates for tables for 8 are available, too. Other shows are Feb. 15, Feb. 22 and Feb. 23.

There will be a silent auction, which includes stays in vacation homes and a surprise item that Hopper said he’ll wait to reveal. The meal and the silent auction both benefit McGregor Hall.

As for the play, Hopper said the storyline is pretty involved. “It’s not a stereotypical Valentine’s Day kind of thing…(but) the theme of the show is love.”

Readers may remember the 1992 Robert James Waller novel. Moviegoers may remember the 1995 Oscar-winning movie featuring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. And Hopper said there’s “something remarkable in store” for audiences who come to see the McGregor Hall production.

Kelley Keats plays Francesca, who grew up in World War II Italy, married a GI and moved to Iowa to begin a new life. When Robert shows up to photograph the covered bridges of Madison County, a chance encounter cause Francesca to re-evaluate her life.

“It’s been very rewarding to work on – challenging but rewarding,” Hopper said, heaping praise on Keats, with her experience on Broadway, as well as the “incredible” cast that “makes the transitions with grace and skill.”

This upcoming production is the fourth ticketed show of a five-show series called McGregor Live!, Hopper said ticketed shows make up just a small percentage of what McGregor Hall hosts – something like 10 percent.

The rest comes from rental events and other types of shows, including “Father Figure,” another play by area playwright Garrett Davis. “He’s a very skillful writer,” Hopper said of Davis, who has Warren County ties, adding that most of his shows delve into the health-oriented concerns of the African American community.

“Father Figure” is about a father and son reconciliation, healing and the importance of a father figure in the life of a son. That show is on Feb. 2 at 4 p.m.

The fifth and final production in the McGregor Live! series is Catapult Dance on Mar. 27 at 7:30 p.m. which tells stories through group dance – in shadow. Hopper admits it’s difficult to describe in words just what the show will look like. There’s a video clip on the website.

The troupe was a finalist on Season 8 of America’s Got Talent.

Shows especially for area school students take place later in February and March, including a program on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for older elementary students and a “Faces of Black History” for younger elementary-age students.

The N.C. Symphony returns on Mar. 13 to audiences of fourth graders from the area.

View the complete calendar of events at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/

 

 

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The Local Skinny! “Night To Shine” Returns To North Henderson Baptist Church Feb. 7

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North Henderson Baptist Church is pulling out all the stops again this year for a very special prom night. This year’s “Night to Shine” will take place on Friday, Feb. 7, and Pastor Eddie Nutt said the promgoers will get the royal treatment.

The evening is especially for individuals 14 and older with special needs, Nutt said. It’s just one of many events that will take place that day across the country and the world as part of the Tim Tebow Foundation.

It’s only the second time that the local church has participated, but this is the 11th year that the Tebow Foundation has hosted it. It’s always the Friday before Valentine’s Day, Nutt noted. Over the years, more than 625,000 guests have participated in all 50 states and in 72 countries across the globe.

Things will get underway about 6 p.m. at the church, located at 1211 N. Garnett St., Promgoers will walk the red carpet and will be greeted by paparazzi as they make their way into the church building for an evening of music, dancing and, of course, refreshments.

There will be limo rides “if they want to go out and ride around in the community,” Nutt said on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

If a lady needs a refresh or touchup of their hair or makeup, she can head over to the hair station or the makeup station, Nutt said. Gentlemen can get a fresh shine on their shoes if they need one.

“They’ll get the complete royal treatment throughout the evening,” he said.

The royal treatment continues as, one by one, Nutt gets to place a crown or tiara on each person’s head to crown them King or Queen of the evening.

“Seeing that look in their eyes as their name is called,” Nutt said, “is a heart-touching moment…to see that expression on their face, that they have worth, value – they are kings and queens in God’s eyes.”

Please pre-register for the evening by calling the church at 252.438.8012 or online at the church website, www.nhbcnc.org.

 

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Raising Emotionally Intelligent Kids

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Cooperative Extension

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

Click Play!

Henderson Man Sentenced In Drug Trafficking Case

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— from U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael F. Easley, Jr.

A Henderson man was sentenced to 117 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Kortez Travon Williams, age 26, pled guilty to the charges on Sept. 23, 2024, according to information from U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael F. Easley, Jr.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to conduct multiple controlled purchases of narcotics from Williams. Two days after selling the CI marijuana, Williams sold the CI approximately 400 dosage units of a substance containing fentanyl. One week later, Williams sold the CI almost 500 dosage units of a substance containing fentanyl. During all three controlled purchases, Williams had a firearm with him and visible. Following the controlled purchases, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence, during which they recovered approximately 7,095 dosage units, a firearm, and $12,736.

Williams was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, the Henderson Police Department, and the Vance County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.

One Man In Hospital With Gunshot Wound Following Incident At Gillburg Convenience Store

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— information from Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame

A 22-year-old Henderson man was shot outside a convenience store in Gillburg on Tuesday afternoon.

Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame identified the victim as Kemarreus Jones. In a press release issued Wednesday afternoon, Brame said Jones was transported to Duke Hospital and reported that he is in stable condition.

No other details about his injuries have been released.

At 4:40 p.m., sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a shots fired call at the Best Bet Convenient Store, located at 4765 NC 39 Highway South.

The Vance County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation’s Division/ Narcotics Division responded to the scene to conduct an investigation into the incident. It was discovered that two vehicles, each being occupied by multiple people, had a verbal encounter which turned into shots being fired.

At the time of the press release, this case remains under investigation; however Brame stated there is no ongoing threat to the general public.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Vance County Sheriff’s Office at 252.738.2200 or Henderson-Vance Crime stoppers at 252.492.1925. Cash rewards are available for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the people involved in this incident and information can be anonymous.