WIZS Radio Local News Audio 05-15-23 Noon
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The Local Skinny! Vance Co. Budget Details
Vance County Commissioners have held a couple of work sessions to discuss the proposed 2023-24 budget and the community will have a chance to chime in during an upcoming June 5 public hearing before commissioners decide whether to adopt it.
The details of the roughly $57.5 million budget are contained in a 131-page document presented by County Manager Jordan McMillen. This is McMillan’s final budget presentation before he leaves his position later this month to become Butner Town Manager in neighboring Granville County.
The budget calls for no increase in the property tax, holding at 89 cents per $100 valuation, as well as appropriating more than $1.5 million from the General Fund to plug a gap between expected expenses and expected revenues. The proposed budget is 4.5 percent more than the 2022-23 budget.
Among the budget highlights are improvements to the county’s fire tax fund, which will provide 24-hour coverage in the north and south of the county – all with no tax increase.
On the revenue side, property tax is up some $63 million, which translates into more than $600,000 in additional tax revenue for the county.
Sales tax continues to be the big leader, with expected revenues projected at close to $2 million more than last year. Sales tax is the second largest source of revenue for the county at 21 percent.
Among the budget’s line items are funding for broadband expansion and the economic development strategic plan, as well as preparing for ongoing and increased costs in the areas of community health, education and workforce development training, to name a few.
In all, the county received requests for $7.4 million more than it was able to provide. If all those funding requests were to be granted, it would mean a 25.9 cent tax increase to county residents.
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NC DMV Notes Changes For Teen Drivers
Parents with teen drivers, take note: there are some changes coming to the graduated driver licensing program, and the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles wants to make sure a trip to your local DMV office goes as smoothly as possible.
The General Assembly passed a bill that went into effect earlier this week which requires teen drivers to have their Level 1 learner permit for 6 months before they get their provisional license. Other requirements remain the same: drivers must be at least 16 years old, log 60 hours of driving time, pass a road test and show printed proof of insurance in the teen driver’s name.
This could lead to bottlenecks at the local DMV, as demand for road tests increases so teens can get provisional driver licenses.
“We ask for your patience as we work to accommodate the thousands of teen drivers that are suddenly eligible to take a road test and receive their Level 2 provisional license,” Goodwin said.
One reminder: road tests, which teen drivers must pass to achieve the Level 2 license, will not be scheduled after 4 p.m.
Customers who need to make an appointment for a road test or conduct DMV business as a walk-in have a new tool which will show the current average wait time at their local DMV office. Find it on the https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices. Customers can now hover over the icon marking each driver license office and a box will pop up with the current walk-in wait time. The wait time is defined as the current average length of time from check-in until the customer is called to the workstation for service.
“I’m very excited about this new tool that will show customers the walk-in wait time at driver license offices so they can make an informed decision on which office to go to, or whether to try again another day,” said DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. “This tool will be most useful in the afternoon when our 115 driver license offices are serving walk-ins only.”
During COVID-19 restrictions, the long-standing requirement that teen drivers have their permits for 12 months was temporarily shortened to 6 months; that requirement lapsed at the end of 2022. Furthermore, beginning Jan. 1 2024, the 6-month period will permanently extend to 9 months.
Another change to the graduated driver license process allows Level 2 permit holders to be able to drive one passenger under 21 who is not a family member, if they are being driven directly to or from school. This is in addition to the existing provision allowing one passenger under 21 that is a family member.
Schedule an appointment at https://skiptheline.ncdot.gov/
Sheriff Brame: Four Arrested For Sale, Delivery Of Cocaine and Heroin
Four people were arrested late last week on a variety of charges related to the sale and delivery of cocaine and heroin from a house in Vance County.
The arrested were made as a result of an operation that involved narcotics and CID investigators of the Vance County Sheriff’s office late last week, according to information from Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame.
The operation was focused upon the illegal sale and delivery of both cocaine base and heroin from within the residence located at 226 1st Street, Henderson, NC 27537.
Officers executed a search warrant at the home early in the morning of Friday, May 1. Brame stated in the press release that more arrests are anticipated.
The four people arrested are:
- Maurice Harrison, 60, charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, sell and deliver cocaine, maintain a dwelling to keep/sell a controlled substance. Harrison is in the Vance County jail under a $105,000 secured bond.
- Teelah ElHitu, 36, charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, three counts of sell and deliver cocaine, conspiracy to sell and deliver cocaine, two counts of maintaining a dwelling to keep/sell a controlled substance. ElHitu is in Franklin County jail under a $210,000 secured bond.
- Johnathan Williams, 37, charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, sell and deliver cocaine and conspiracy to sell and deliver cocaine. He is in the Vance County jail under a secured bond of $105,000.
- Lindsey Allen, 34, charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, sell and deliver cocaine and conspiracy to sell and deliver cocaine. Allen is in the Vance County jail under a secured bond of $105,000.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 05-11-23 Noon
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Front Porch Bluegrass Show With Tasker Fleming
Tune in to Tasker Fleming’s Front Porch Bluegrass Show on Sunday evenings on WIZS and you’ll surely find yourself tapping your toes to some familiar songs, featuring fiddles, mandolins and more.
But tune in to the program on Sunday, May 21 at 6 p.m. and you may hear some familiar – and local – artists as well.
Fleming said he plans to mark the second anniversary of the show being aired on WIZS with some nods to all things Henderson.
“I’m going to dedicate the whole show” to Vance County, whether he’s featuring local bluegrass musician Wayne Kinton or reminiscing about eating in local restaurants as a child traveling through Henderson on his way to visit relatives in Virginia.
The show originates from Albemarle, in Stanly County, and it is aired on numerous stations in North Carolina and Virginia. He’s in talks now with a station in Galax, VA. “I’ll offer my show to anyone who wants to listen,” he said.
Folks who tune in on May 21 may just hear him tell the story about his days as a new UNC graduate who landed his first job at Vance Senior High School. The superintendent at the time was Wayne Adcock. Fleming said he was the only employee in the school system who could “boast” of having been paddled by the superintendent.
He’d deserved that paddling, Fleming confessed, when he had been a second-grader with Adcock as his principal.
Fond memories of Nunnery-Freeman and Hereford House restaurants are sure to bring back memories, Fleming noted. And bringing up good memories is part of what the Front Porch Bluegrass show is all about.
“I love doing the show,” Fleming said. “I’ve always had a passion for bluegrass.”
Tune in on Sunday evenings and contact Fleming at frontporchbluegrass21@yahoo.com.
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TownTalk: Short To Retire As Director Of Emergency Operations
Brian Short, director of Vance County emergency operations, is retiring at the end of May. But you won’t find him on the golf course or puttering around in the yard for very long – he’ll begin a new state job just four days after he turns over his local duties to Vivian Lassiter, who will serve as interim director.
Short and Lassiter were guests on Thursday’s TownTalk segment to talk about the state of emergency operations in the county and what may lie ahead.
“With the exception of being a husband and a father,” Short said, “this is the most important thing I’ll do in my life.” He started out in 1991 as a part-time 911 dispatcher and rose through the ranks to become its director in 1998.
“I’ve got a lot of faith and a lot of pride in this agency,” Short said. Lassiter said she’s been preparing for this new role as interim director and said she feels confident because of the way Short has prepared her.
“Brian’s worked with me one on one…I feel as ready as anyone else. I believe I’ll do fine (but) I’ve got big shoes to fill.”
Short said he always tried to make sure the emergency operations staff was ready to work outside their comfort zones “so they’d be ready to grow and progress when the opportunity presented itself.”
Having the safety and welfare of close to 50,000 people is a heavy burden, he acknowledged, but he has great confidence in the people who run the 911 call centers and everyone else who responds to emergency situations.
“They’re the ones in there on the front lines, making split-second decisions, making the right calls,” he said.
Today’s local 911 dispatchers have the best equipment and technology available, Short said. You may find bigger operations functioning in larger cities, “but you won’t see one with any more or better technology than what we have,” he added. “We try to always be on the cutting edge.”
Lassiter knows all about that technology – she’s currently the acting operations manager for the 911 center and occasionally fills in as a 911 operator when needed.
“I just enjoy saving lives,” she said. And that desire was only heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I wanted to do more,” she said.
She plans to keep the agency running just like it’s running now. “I think the way that we do things and involving the community is the right thing to do,” she said.
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FarmsSHARE Program Connects Small Farmers, Local Residents With Fresh, Healthy Foods
FarmsSHARE is a program that was started in 2020 by Carolina Farm Stewardship Association as a response to COVID-19. And now, almost three years later, federal and state agriculture officials have funded the program to keep it going – and even expanding its reach to help underserved communities increase its access to fresh, local-grown foods.
Working Landscapes, a Warren County non-profit agency, is one of FarmsSHARE’s hub partners that provides fresh, locally grown produce to three locations in Vance and Warren counties.
FarmsSHARE began as a way to help connect people with healthy food, but it also was a way to provide financial support to small businesses during the pandemic shutdown.
State agriculture officials have gotten $7.6 million to keep the program up and running, working with 15 hub partners and more than 200 community-based organizations across the state to obtain and distribute 133,000 boxes of local food. The farms and food hubs also receive assistance to enter new markets for local food.
Working Landscapes works with local partners Turning Point CDC in Henderson, as well as the H.O.P.E. Regional Medical Clinic and Loaves & Fishes Ministries, both in Warren County.
ByWay Foods Hub is one aspect of the Working Landscapes operation, works out of two downtown Warrenton locations. The primary location is on Franklin Street, on a repurposed historic site that once housed a cotton gin and flour mill. That’s where the fresh-cut vegetable operation is based. It’s also where the team manages the CSA-style program provides fresh, healthy foods to community residents.
“Creating more opportunities for North Carolinians to source local products from North Carolina farmers is beneficial all around, for consumers, farmers, and our local food supply long term,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Expanding FarmsSHARE…is expected to strengthen and expand our efforts and allow food hubs to connect and develop relationships with socially disadvantaged farmers, small farmers, and small businesses to the benefit of local farmers and communities.”
Funding for the program comes from the American Rescue Plan. Questions regarding how to participate as either a farmer or distribution site should be sent to Kana Miller, Local Food Distribution Coordinator, kana@carolinafarmstewards.org and 919.542.2402 ext. 831.
Upcoming Blood Drives In The Area
May is Trauma Awareness Month, and American Red Cross encourages individuals to sign up to give blood at upcoming local drives as a way to help in situations where every second counts.
Blood products – blood, plasma and platelets – can provide lifesaving care, but hospitals often struggle to keep sufficient supplies on hand.
Did you know that Type O is the universal blood type? Donors who have Type O Negative blood are especially needed now, according to information from the local Red Cross office in Raleigh.
Type O Negative blood can be used in emergency situations when there’s no time to determine a patient’s blood type; Type O Positive blood can be transfused to Rh-Positive patients of any blood type.
As a thank-you, all donors who come in to give blood between now and May 19 will get a $10 e-gift card. And anyone who gives at any time during the month of May will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to the MLB All-Star Game in Seattle, WA.
The prize package includes two tickets to the 2023 MLB® All-Star Game® thanks to the support of Fanatics, round-trip airfare, four-night hotel accommodations, a $750 gift card and more. Additionally, those who come to give May 20-31 will receive an exclusive Red Cross beach towel, while supplies last.
The prizes are just a small way to say thank you to donors who give blood, but the larger reward is knowing that your donation helps keep hospital blood banks full and ready to help in the event of a medical trauma.
Visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1.800.733.2767).
Upcoming blood drives:
Vance
Henderson
5/15/2023: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Maria Parham Health, 566 Ruin Creek Rd.
5/23/2023: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Henderson Family YMCA, 380 Ruin Creek Rd.
5/30/2023: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Central Baptist Church, 2574 Ruin Creek Rd.
Granville
Creedmoor
5/26/2023: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Creedmoor United Methodist Church, 214 Park Ave.
Franklin
Louisburg
5/22/2023: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Senior Citizens Center, 279 S. Bickett Blvd.
TownTalk: Kerr Lake Regional Water Systems Keeps The Water Flowing
A recent groundbreaking ceremony at the city’s water treatment facility is a tangible indication that all the t’s have been crossed and the I’s dotted to set in motion an expansion project that will, once completed, double the facility’s output to as much as 20 million gallons of water a day.
This is good news for the current 55,000 customers who rely on the Kerr Lake Regional Water System, but Water Resources Director Christy Lipscomb said increased capacity also will allow for growth.
Lipscomb was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk and explained just what the almost $80 million expansion project would involve and when it is expected to be completed.
“I am very excited,” Lipscomb said. “This will give us more tools in our toolbox to treat the water and some of the things that show up in the water.
As water testing improves, the EPA and the state set forth regulations that water systems must comply with. “We have to meet (the regulations) and know that it’s going to be safe for the customers,” she said.
The existing system is what Lipscomb calls a “conventional” system, and the plan is to add on to the current building to add a super pulsator system – or Super P, for short.
“It’s like the conventional system, but it runs more efficiently and effectively,” she said of the Super P.
And while there presently no problems with contaminants in the water, having this newer style of system with activated carbon will help if problems arise in the future.
If all goes according to plan, the project will take between 20 months and 30 months to complete, but it will allow for up to 20 million gallons of water a day to be treated and returned to customers for use.
The City of Henderson is the managing partner of the regional water system and has a 60 percent ownership; the city of Oxford and Warren County each have a 20 percent ownership.
Right now, Lipscomb the different entities aren’t using all the water that is allocated to them on paper, which helps the system stay ahead of the game.
On an average day, the water plant treats 7.1 million gallons. When that capacity more than doubles, it could be a game-changer for the area.
Once there is more capacity, customers like Henderson, Oxford and Warren County can use that as a drawing card for economic development.
The plan is to use the Super P as the main treatment source, but keep the conventional system as a backup, just in case. And then, later, a second Super P would be installed and the conventional system would be decommissioned, Lipscomb said.
She said customers shouldn’t see any disruptions in service or changes in water quality because of the expansion.
“They shouldn’t experience anything disruptive,” she said, adding that the city would send out notices if something were to occur that would affect water customers.