TownTalk: The Future of Economic Development in Vance County

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Economic development across Vance County seems to be perking up, and if 2022’s report is any indication, the trend is on an upward trajectory.

County Economic Development Director McKinley Perkinson is scheduled to present a review of 2022 at tonight’s monthly meeting of the county commissioners, and she’s going to paint a rosy picture.

She joined John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk and hit some of the highlights from last year, but looked forward to the coming months to talk about what’s on the horizon for Vance County.  (Listen Here)

Between investments and expansion, 2022 brought more than $12 million to the county, Perkinson said. “That’s a very positive number for Vance County,” she noted.

This year will see the completion of the shell building during Phase III at the industrial park, as well as an additional 19,000 square-foot building that will be marketed as flex retail space.

“Steel is actually going up on the walls today,” Perkinson said of the shell building. The additional flex retail space will hopefully be a place that will offer restaurant space for workers to grab during the day as well as provide some retail opportunities for area residents.

The bids are set to go out soon to identify a contractor to complete the additional sewer line project and road paving at the industrial park.

With more than $760,000 in federal grant money, coupled with more from the N.C. Department of Commerce, this project will result in completed water and sewer lines and replacement of the current gravel road into the park, Perkinson said.

There are many signs of economic activity across the county, from expansions at M.R. Williams, Robco and Walmart to new retail shopping and restaurants – Perkinson listed Marshall’s, Petco, Jersey Mike’s and the new construction of Mazatlan on Ruin Creek Road – “there’s a lot of big investments being made in the county.”

Perkinson said Robco is “a huge asset to have as an industry partner in Vance County.” The aluminum dock manufacturer got its start here and now sends its products to be installed in lakes and waterways across the country.

Robco and the industrial park are located very close to U.S. 1, which connects Vance County with points south, including Raleigh.

Perkinson said Vance County is well positioned to land more business and industry from counties like Wake and Durham where land is at a premium.

Those small- to medium-sized companies are “looking north,” she said, for more affordable spots to set up shop. Having a completed shell building will “put us a little bit ahead of the competition.”

The downtown area also is getting a bump in interest, with the addition of several new businesses along Garnett Street. “We have hit the ground running,” said Perkinson, who also serves on the Downtown Development Commission. “It’s truly amazing to see all the businesses that are opening up in Henderson…(people) have access to so many things that weren’t here before.”

The Bridges on Parkview is another such example – it’s an upscale assisted living retirement community, Perkinson said, that’s going up beside the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.

The construction alone will create about 40 jobs, she said, and, once completed, it will offer a nice independent living option for older residents looking to simplify their lifestyle.

 

 

West End Baptist

West End Community Watch Meeting Mar. 21

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Join the West End Community Watch for its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 21.

The speakers for the meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will be Paul Ross, executive director of the Henderson Family YMCA, according to an announcement from Claire Catherwood.

Members of law enforcement also will be present to provide a police report.

The meeting will take place in the fellowship hall of West End Baptist Church, 619 Dabney Drive.

Red Cross Announces March Blood Drive Dates

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The American Red Cross has announced several opportunities to donate blood across the four-county area in March, which also marks the 80th annual observance of the national organization.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the original proclamation in 1943, but the American Red Cross was established more than 140 years ago by Clara Barton, a nurse who tended wounded soldiers during the Civil War. In 1869, she learned about the Red Cross during a trip to Switzerland and subsequently founded the American Red Cross in the United States.

Whether it’s donating blood, setting up emergency shelters and providing emotional support to those whose lives have been affected by storms, fires or other natural disasters, the American Red Cross honors the legacy of its founder.

“When help can’t wait during emergencies, people in North Carolina rally together to provide relief and hope for neighbors in need,” said Barry Porter, regional CEO of  American Red Cross North Carolina. “This humanitarian spirit is at the heart of our community, and we are proud to honor all those who make our mission possible during this year’s Red Cross Month celebration. You can join in their commitment by donating, volunteering, giving blood or platelets, or taking a lifesaving skills course.”

If you can’t donate blood or platelets, you can always donate money or volunteer your time. Visit redcross.org to learn more. Later this month, on Mar. 22, the organization celebrates Red Cross Giving Day, a campaign designed to raise money to help provide shelter, food, relief items and support to individuals who have suffered disasters large or small.  Visit redcross.org/givingday to give.

Blood drives happen all year long, but when individuals donate blood, platelets or plasma in March, they will receive by email a $10 Visa prepaid card. And they also will be automatically entered for the chance to win a $3,000 Visa prepaid card.

Consider signing up for one of the following local blood drives:

Vance County

  • Friday, Mar. 17: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Maria Parham Health, 566 Ruin Creek Rd.
  • Tuesday, Mar. 28: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Kerr Lake Country Club, 600 Hedrick Rd.
  • Thursday, Mar. 30: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., Raleigh Road Baptist Church, 3892 Raleigh Rd.

Granville County

  • Friday, Mar. 24: 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Creedmoor United Methodist Church, 214 Park Ave., Creedmoor

Warren

  • Saturday, Mar. 11: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Reverend C.H. Building, 130 Saponi Trail, Warrenton

Franklin

  • Tuesday, Mar. 28: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Rock Spring Baptist Church, 34 Rock Springs Church Rd., Louisburg
  • Friday, Mar. 31: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., State Employees Credit Union, 28 Burke Blvd., Louisburg

TownTalk: Geneaology Basics, Pt. 2

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There is so much information at our fingertips in the 21st century world of genealogy, but people who want to learn more about their ancestors still have to use those tried-and-true research to obtain the most accurate results.

Bill Harris and Mark Pace, North Carolina Room Specialist at Oxford’s Thornton Library discussed different types of records, from family Bibles to courthouse files in Thursday’s tri-weekly history segment of TownTalk.

Before the days of online subscriptions that help individuals fill in family tree information, genealogists had to go to the source; oftentimes, that was the local courthouse.

“The court was all powerful back in the day,” Pace said, adding that you can find “all sorts of crazy records,” from the usual wills and deeds, to the bounty that someone was paid for bringing in a wolf hide.

Court records are considered “primary sources,” Pace said, as are family Bibles, tombstones and church records.

“Secondary sources are a little trickier to document,” he continued. A secondary source may be something like a newspaper article or obituary and books on local history, all of which technically contain second-hand information.

Of course, there are many books that chronicle the history of a place or a family that are considered very reliable and upon which many genealogists rely for information.

Pace said in his 40-plus years of researching history of some sort or another, he said it’s always gratifying to find that bit of missing information that had previously eluded him.

“You’ll hear a ‘whoopee’ in a quiet library,” he said, and it’s a sure sign that another researcher has found an elusive tidbit as well. “They’ve found what they’re looking for,” he said. “It‘s very rewarding.”

 

 

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The Local Skinny! Fentanyl Summit Saturday

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More than 13,000 people have died in North Carolina alone in the past nine years from fentanyl. A half-day family summit will be held in Raleigh on Saturday, designed to be part awareness, part education, and part support for those who have family members who have died from fentanyl poisoning.

“Poisoning” is the term Patricia Drewes prefers to “overdose” when describing the unintended deaths that occur all too frequently, especially with teens and young adults.

Drewes founded Forgotten Victims of North Carolina following the 2019 death of her daughter Heaven. She spoke with John C. Rose on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny! and said the summit has reached its capacity and will not be able to accept additional registrations.

Within a few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the now-familiar phrase of “the 3 W’s – Wear, Wash, Wait” became a household term. Drewes said there needs to be a similar campaign to warn and educate the public on the dangers of illicit fentanyl.

“Commercials, billboards – we need to be teaching it in schools, discussing it in our churches,” Drewes said. “I don’t feel like North Carolina is doing enough,” she said.

She said law enforcement officers should carry Narcan – a overdose antidote of a sort – on their belts just like they do other useful tools like flashlights. Often, they arrive on the scene before EMS and administering Narcan could save a life.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is among those scheduled to speak, as well as victims’ family members, state and federal law enforcement and representatives of local nonprofits.

Drewes and Barb Walsh, executive director of Fentanyl Victims Network of NC are among the organizers of the summit, which will be held at the McKimmon Conference Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

One of the goals of the summit is to educate and increase awareness, but also to let families know that they are not alone in their grief or in their struggle.

Drewes’s group has grown to five chapters that covers at least half the state; email her at patriciadrewes@yahoo.com to learn more about Forgotten Victims of North Carolina.

Following are some sobering statistics regarding fentanyl use in North Carolina:

  • 8 deaths each day in North Carolina from fentanyl
  • N.C. ranks 6thin fentanyl fatalities
  • Fentanyl is the leading cause of death in N.C. and the U.S. for people 18-35
  • 88 percent of all N.C. medicine/drug toxicity deaths involve fentanyl

 

 

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SportsTalk: Rigsbee Relies On Youth For KVA Baseball

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Kerr-Vance Academy’s young baseball team is coming off of a 4-1 win over East Wake Academy on Wednesday.  While it was a good win for Kerr-Vance, Coach Mike Rigsbee knows his team is very young.  “We are young but we are talented,” Rigsbee said on SportsTalk on Thursday.  “We are relying on our junior and our sophomores,” Rigsbee continued.  Junior, as in singular. Kerr-Vance’s team only has one junior this year and no seniors at all. The team is also made up of three sophomores, five freshmen along with two 8th graders and one 7th grader.

“Our older kids embrace the younger ones. Kids start at a young age and they have to hustle and control their emotions,” Rigsbee explained.  Youth is not all he has to be concerned with though as weather is playing a factor.  With recent rains leaving the Kerr Vance field drenched, the upcoming game against Thales Academy is likely to be postponed. Rigsbee said the field at Kerr Vance is notorious for poor drainage.

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Police Chief Barrow Likes How LPR Technology Can Aid Law Enforcement

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Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow sounded pretty impressed with Flock Safety’s device that reads license plates and said he hopes Henderson joins the growing ranks of cities in the area that are using technology to help combat crime.

The LPR – license plate reader – is a device that does exactly what its name implies – it reads the license plates of vehicles that pass by it.

Barrow told WIZS News Wednesday that an LPR provides real-time data to law enforcement agencies. “If we put an alert on a certain tag,” Barrow said, “it’ll send us (information) that tells us that vehicle has passed by.”

If an LPR detects that a vehicle has passed by the same LPR for, say 30 days, it’s a safe bet that the person driving that vehicle lives in that general area. That’s when police officers can zero in on that area and search for the car and then locate the person they’re interested in talking with.

Barrow said Wake Forest, Louisburg, Durham and other places in the area are testing the waters as LPRs gain popularity. And Raleigh is “inundated” with them, he said.

He plans to bring the request before the City Council at their next meeting.

LPRs are “vital,” to law enforcement, he added.

“If I can pull it off, it’ll help us out tremendously,” Barrow said.