Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:
Today’s show answers 4 common gardening questions from listeners about lawn care, gardening, soil amendments, and backyard chickens.
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The Vance County Board of Commissioners and the Vance County Planning Board are scheduled to have a joint work session next week to discuss and review the county’s unified development ordinance.
According to a notice from Clerk to the Commissioners Dywanda Pettaway, the meeting will be held on Thursday, July 9 at 4 p.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room in the Vance County Administration Building, 122 Young St., Henderson.
This meeting is work session #1 regarding the development and review of the proposed county UDO. Discussion will focus on the structure, content and implementation of the proposed ordinance, as well as opportunities for feedback and collaboration between the two boards.
Although open to the public, work sessions do not include public comment periods. The meeting also can be viewed on the county’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUMNYAAhyvKx5leijt5iK6Q
Grab your swim gear and head over to the William & Montgomery Street Park at 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 9 to take part in a fitness campaign! The newest recreation spot that features a splash pad, skate park, walking trail and fitness stations is the perfect spot to cool off from the summer heat.
It’ll be fun for all ages and a chance to check out the all the great ways to get a little exercise and have a lot of fun.
Bring your swim gear, towels and plenty of smiles to enjoy a new place in downtown Henderson to play, connect and create memories.
The park is a collaboration with the city of Henderson, Vance County and the Henderson-Vance Recreation & Parks Department.
The Bearpond Fire Department has been notified that the Vance County Emergency Medical Services ambulance will no longer be stationed at its location, which has prompted some in the community to wonder why.
A statement issued Wednesday from the office of Vance County Manager Renee Perry said that the EMS made the decision based on a number of factors, from call volume and response patterns to personnel burnout and fatigue. It did not, however, mention where the ambulance would be relocated.
In a post Tuesday on its social media page, Bearpond Fire Department leaders said they didn’t know why the change was being made, but added “we feel the need to address this as we have already been flooded with calls about rumors as to why.”
The press statement included information that Vance County EMS had made the decision “only after a thorough evaluation of staffing levels, emergency call volume, response patterns and the overall operational needs of the countywide EMS system.
“It is important for our residents to understand that VC EMS is a countywide emergency medical service,” Perry was quoted in the statement. “Our responsibility is to provide emergency medical care to every resident of Vance County, regardless of where they live. Although an ambulance is no longer permanently stationed at the Bearpond Fire Department, we remain fully committed to responding to emergencies throughout the entire county, including the southern end of Vance County.”
According to the statement, the emergency medical call volume has increased significantly within the City of Henderson and the northern portion of Vance County over the past several years.
“As demand for emergency services has grown, additional resources and personnel have been needed in these areas to maintain timely and effective emergency medical response.”
It continued, saying, “At the same time, EMS experienced numerous occasions when staffing levels were insufficient to consistently keep an ambulance in service at the Bearpond station. Maintaining a unit that could not be reliably staffed was not a sustainable or efficient use of available personnel and resources.”
Additionally, crews assigned to the EMS Main Station have assumed the majority of emergency responses for both the City of Henderson and the northern portion of the county, the statement said. “This sustained increase in workload has placed significant demands on frontline personnel, contributing to fatigue and burnout. Realigning ambulance deployment allows EMS to better match resources with community needs while supporting the health and well-being of the personnel who provide these critical services.”
In its post, Bearpond FD dispelled any notion of discord between it and Vance County EMS or government leaders.
“At no point has there ever been a disagreement between our Department and Vance County EMS or Vance County Government. Also, at no point was there any discussion from our Department to the Vance County government about asking for more money due Vance County EMS utilizing our building and utilities.”
The post concluded with, “We hate to see them leave our fine community but as with most things, needs change with time and we wish VC EMS the absolute best with their future vision.”
The Vance County Historical Society will meet Monday, July 6, 2026 at 5 p.m. to officially install the Vance County Memorial Book that contains the names of Vance County citizens who have died in service to their country.
This meeting is open to the public, and will include a program that will discuss the biographies of some of those who are remembered in the book. The book contains the names of those service members who died in military service since the county was established in 1881.
The meeting will be held in the Farm Bureau Meeting Room of Perry Memorial Library.
Vance County Tourism officials remind folks of the temporary detour that will be in place along Satterwhite Road and Anderson Creek Road on Friday evening to accommodate fireworks traffic.
Traffic will be detoured temporarily for approximately 1.25 hours on Friday evening, July 3 between 9:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. from Satterwhite Point Road (SR 1319) onto Anderson Creek Rd. (SR 1374).
The detour will help reduce congestion and allow for timely clearing of vehicular traffic occurring immediately after the conclusion of the annual Independence Day Celebration and fireworks display at Satterwhite Point Park.
During the detour period, traffic traveling north/northwest on Satterwhite Point Rd (SR 1319) will be halted at the intersection of Anderson Creek Rd. (SR 1374). Traffic leaving the park headed south back toward Henderson will be detoured east onto Anderson Creek Rd (SR 1374) and then south onto Flemingtown Rd (SR 1371) to its intersection with I-85.
The closure/detour is coordinated and executed by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and the NC Highway Patrol.
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A group of local, state and regional partners is teaming up to host a daylong summit in Henderson on July 23 that will focus on closing the “digital divide” in rural areas as a way to improve access to healthcare resources with the ultimate goal of having a positive effect on health outcomes for rural residents.
Organizers say the summit is designed to move beyond discussion and into action by creating a regional framework for collaboration, investment, and measurable outcomes. Participants will explore how broadband can serve as a catalyst for improved healthcare access, stronger workforce participation, economic opportunity, and enhanced quality of life throughout eastern North Carolina.
The Centre for Homeownership and Economic Development Corp. is partnering with state-level departments – Information and Technology and Health and Human Services – along with collaboration from Henderson Mayor Melissa Elliott and numerous other community entities to present the program, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at McGregor Hall in downtown Henderson.
“I’m excited about this,” Elliott said. “I know that collaboration is key…we have to collaborate for the betterment of the whole, to make sure people get the care they deserve.”
She hopes that one outcome of the summit will be to gather data that will be used to craft legislation to take to the General Assembly.
Elliott said she’s working with CHOEDC as program director for the “Here to Help” program that’s getting everything organized for July 23. It’s a 12-month contract that began in September 2025, with $100,000 in funding from the U.S. based biotechnology company Genentech.
Broadband accessibility, Elliott said, is becoming more and more critical for people to get access to health care. Patients increasingly are accessing their medical information through online portals, completing screenings and conducting telehealth visits with their health care providers, she noted.
Rural residents without reliable broadband access may not be able to access those medical services.
“The digital divide was contributing to the health care divide,” Elliott said.
Take the idea of telehealth, for example. Elliott said part of the “Here to Help” program included a survey of individuals who live in Vance and surrounding counties. She said only 23 percent of respondents were familiar with the term “telehealth.”
“There are a lot of people in our community and across the rural spaces – particularly the seniors – that can really benefit from telehealth services,” Elliott said, who called herself a telehealth advocate.
This summit is designed to bring together public health, health care systems, local government, nonprofits, broadband providers, educational institutions and community organizations under one shared vision – greater accessibility to broadband service to ultimately have a positive effect on health outcomes for rural residents.
“Reliable internet access has become a critical component of healthcare delivery, education, workforce development, and economic mobility,” said Glyndola Massenburg-Beasley CHOEDC’s chief development officer.
“Yet many households across Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and surrounding counties continue to face barriers to broadband connectivity, limiting access to telehealth services, behavioral health support, chronic disease management resources, and preventive care,” Massenburg-Beasley said in a press statement.
The use of telehealth is becoming more and more frequent, and it can be a convenient way for patients to be in touch with their physicians or other health care providers. People who live in rural areas where broadband access can be sometimes spotty, can’t take full advantage of telehealth visits.
“Broadband access is no longer a luxury—it is an essential component of access to healthcare,” said Massenburg-Beasley.
Educating the public is a key component, Elliott said. Placing an emphasis on having reliable internet connectivity is more than just a convenience for streaming movies and television shows.“We want to make sure that we have the same access that they have in a Raleigh or a Greensboro or Charlotte. We want our people to have the same access to internet services for health care, education, working – whatever they’re utilizing it for.
The hope is to change the mindset of the end user so it’s not just internet for social media and streaming movies. Elliott wants rural consumers to be able to use internet for doctor’s appointments, prescription refills and more.
“Broadband is health care infrastructure,” Elliott said. “Once people understand that connection, the conversation changes from ‘I don’t need the internet’ to ‘I need access to care.’”
The upcoming summit will take a comprehensive look at the needs of rural residents and then work with community stakeholders including managed care organizations, local governments, faith-based institutions and community stakeholders to come up with ways to expand broadband access, strenghthen digital inclusion that improve health outcomes.
Below are some examples of how different groups can contribute to the overall goal:
Elliott said registration is encouraged, mainly to ensure there’s enough food for everyone. But if you can’t pre-register and would like to come to at least some of the day’s programs, she said by all means, do so.
Contact gmbeasley.com/events to register or to learn more.
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The Vance County Board of Education announced Tuesday that Dr. Destiney Ross-Putney will succeed retiring Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett, effective Aug. 1, 2026.
Ross-Putney already had been selected as interim superintendent when Bennett announced her retirement plans recently, but Board of Education Chairperson Ayana Lewis said Tuesday that the board had determined that she is “the right leader to guide Vance County Schools into its next chapter.”
Lewis said Ross-Putney has shown a commitment to instruction, leadership, innovation and student achievement. “More importantly,” she added, “she understands the unique strengths, challenges and opportunities that exist within our district.
“The board believes her vision, experience and passion for public education make her exceptionally qualified to lead our school district. We are confident she will continue building upon the progress that has been made by helping us move forward with purpose and excellence.”
Currently serving as the district’s chief officer of Instruction and Innovation, Ross-Putney is a graduate of Vance County Schools and began her career as a math teacher in 2008 at Northern Vance High School.
Since then, she has served in numerous instructional and leadership roles, including co-founder of STEM Early High, where she later served as assistant principal. She went on to serve as the Secondary Math Curriculum Specialist, Instructional Technology Facilitator, Executive Director of the Center for Innovation and Professional Learning, and most recently, Chief Officer of Instruction and Innovation.
Reflecting on her appointment, Dr. Ross-Putney said, “I’ve spent my career helping build opportunities for students in Vance County Schools. Now I’m honored to lead the district into its next chapter, with a deep respect for what we’ve accomplished together and an unwavering commitment to doing what is best for children.”
