Chamber: New Teacher Gift Bags for 2021

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Some 140 new teachers will arrive soon.

The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce’s annual tradition of new teacher gift bags continues.

Vance County Public Schools, Henderson Collegiate, Crossroads Christian School, Kerr-Vance Academy and Vance Charter School will benefit from your help packing the new teacher gift bags.

The Chamber is looking for donations from local business owners to pack into bags for these teachers including pens, pencils, pads, hand sanitizer, coupons / discount cards, key chains and other thoughtful, useful items.

If you or your business would like to donate an item for each teacher, the Chamber would greatly appreciate it.

Call 438-8414.  Email sandra@hendersonvance.org.

The deadline for donations is Friday, July 23rd.

The Local Skinny! McClary To Speak At Living Stones Church Of God Worship Center in Oxford

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WIZS has been asked to announce the appearance of a special guest speaker at Living Stones Church of God Worship Center.

First Lieutenant Patrick Cleburne McClary, III, USMC, Retired is a Vietnam War hero, and he will speak at Living Stones COG in conjunction with National Purple Heart Day.

National Purple Heart Day is August 7th and “Clebe” McClary, as he is known to thousands, will speak at Living Stones COG on August 8th.

The worship center is located at 6096 Tabbs Creek Road, Oxford.

Andy Roberson, Commander of American Legion Post 60, may be contacted for more information at 252-432-2432.

Praise and worship begins at 10:40 a.m., and guest speaker McClary will begin at 11 a.m.

Edward Woodlief, historian of Henderson American Legion Post 60, told WIZS News, “McClary is the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, three purple hearts, the Audie Murphy award and numerous other awards given him for combat during the Vietnam War. McClary, a South Carolina native, was seriously wounded but continued to lead his men while under enemy fire. After numerous surgeries and a long rehabilitation, he has become the symbol of courage and hope for audiences around the world.”

McClary is online at clebemcclary.com, and the site says, “During the Vietnam War, while some of his contemporaries were staging anti-war protests and desecrating the American flag, the Lowcountry (South Carolina) native was serving as a platoon leader in the First Reconnaissance Battalion. On the battalion’s 19th patrol, the unit was attacked by the Viet Cong. Lieutenant McClary was seriously wounded, losing his left arm and left eye, yet he continued to lead his men. The numerous surgeries and long recovery period that followed could have taken a bitter toll, but he faced his rehabilitation with characteristic determination. In the years since, Lieutenant McClary has become a symbol of courage and hope to the many audiences around the world with whom he has shared his story.”

For more, click play.

Incumbents Only Filers in Kittrell and Middleburg

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All the filers for the upcoming November 2 elections in Kittrell and Middleburg are incumbents, and they all filed this week.

When the filing period closed at noon today (Friday), the filing list included:

  • Jerry Joyner – Mayor of Kittrell
  • Susan Pulley – Town Commissioner of Kittrell
  • Mary Jo Floyd – Town Commissioner of Kittrell
  • Robert Baylor Tunstall – Town Commissioner of Kittrell

The Middleburg list included:

  • Ray Bullock – Mayor of Middleburg
  • Annie Fudge – Town Council of Middleburg
  • Mamie Turner – Town Council of Middleburg
  • Ruth Nance Town – Town Council of Middleburg

Based on the information at hand, there would appear to be no contests.  However, keep in mind Ray Bullock won as a write-in candidate in 2019 over someone who filed.  Write ins can be a factor in such small precincts.  Kittrell is and Middleburg is a complete precinct in and of itself.

In these respective municipalities within Vance County, a voter makes one choice for mayor and choses three from the list of names, or writes in a name, for commissioner/council person.  Tunstall was elected in 2019 by write in as only Pulley and Floyd had filed that year.

Vance County Sheriff's Office

4 Locals and 2 Out-of-Towners Arrested and Charged by VCSO

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– press release –

Sheriff Curtis R. Brame announces the following arrests by the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.  Six Suspects arrested and charged:

Trevor Medlin
199 Woodland Rd
Wake Forest, NC 27587
Age: 29
Charge: Possession of Heroin
Court Date: 07-26-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $5,000.00

Keiontre Maurice Ragland
322 Huff Lane
Henderson, NC 27537
Age: 20

Charges: Maintain a Dwelling Place for Keeping Control Substance
Felony Possession of Marijuana
Felony Possession of “Schedule 1 Controlled Substance
(Psilocybin Mushrooms)
Court Date: 07-26-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $50,000.00

Ta’le Jefferson
233 Gillburg Rd
Henderson, NC 27537
Age: 20

Charges: Carrying a Conceal Weapon
Possession of Marijuana Paraphernalia
Possession of Marijuana up to ½ Ounce
Court Date: 09-16-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $1,000.00

Adam Blake Howard
519 Gillburg Rd Lot #2
Henderson, NC 27537
Age: 27

Charges: Possession of Heroin
Court Date: 07-12-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $10,000.00

Michael Ray Creech
3138 South Center Church Rd
Thurmond, NC 28683
Age: 52

Charges: Possession of Heroin
Court Date: 07-26-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $15,000.00

Tyquan D. Elam
8678 NC-HWY 39 North
Henderson, NC 27537
Age: 25

Charges: Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance (Percocet)
Court Date: 07-26-2021 (Vance County District Court)
Bond: $5,000.00

Police Department One Step Closer To Body-Worn Cameras, If Grant Comes Through

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The Henderson City Council has given the go-ahead for a couple of requests for grant funding to equip police officers with body cams and law enforcement cruisers with additional cameras.

At its July 12 meeting, council members approved grant proposals that Police Chief Marcus Barrow and staff have prepared. “Our officers have been asking for them for several years,” Barrow told WIZS News Thursday. He said if the application is approved, it will provide half the money needed to equip the officers with body-worn cameras. “We are seeking a grant that has a 50 percent match. The match funds would come from asset forfeiture funds or state treasury funds, which both are only used by law enforcement,” he added.

Barrow said his department does have some in-car cameras now, but so far, no body cams. “The cost to outfit an agency our size has been prohibitive in the past and we felt that this was an opportunity to seize assistance,” he said. The cost lies mainly with data storage, not in the camera itself, he explained, adding that many law enforcement agencies are faced with a similar challenge. All data should be kept for at least 90 days, he said, but tagged information may need to be kept forever.

If the department does get the grant funding for $48,958, the chief said it would set into motion additional regulations and policies for the department to follow. “I am sure there will be some growing pains associated with the use of body cameras,” Barrow said, “but we will educate and train the use to be muscle memory for the officers and use corrective action for any misuse.”

City Manager Terrell Blackmon said since the police department is an accredited department through the Commission for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), “Chief Barrow has taken the time to develop standards for our officers based on best practices from around the country and from our accrediting agency.”

“I’ve always stood by my position that we would not introduce this product unless and until we could afford to properly apply it,” Barrow added.

The second grant for $21,599 is for purchase of three WatchGuard Video Camera systems and does not require matching local funds and would be shared with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, according to information from the city council agenda. The city would get almost $13,000 and the county would get just over $8,600.

City of Henderson Logo

CITY INVITES COMMUNITY INPUT ON ELMWOOD DISTRICT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN ON JULY 22nd

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The recently reestablished Henderson Redevelopment Commission is holding its first public listening session on Thursday, July 22, 2021 in order to learn about community priorities and goals for redevelopment in this greater Orange Street area neighborhood. The session is open to all and participants can attend in-person or join by Zoom or phone. The listening session will be facilitated by staff of the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative (DFI).

DFI has also released an online survey for anyone interested in commenting on a set of proposed redevelopment goals for the area. The survey, along with additional information about the Redevelopment Commission’s efforts, including a boundary of the proposed Elmwood District redevelopment area, are available at ci.henderson.nc.us/URA.   

Comments shared through the online survey and during the listening session will help to inform the direction of a redevelopment plan currently being drafted by the Redevelopment Commission, with support from UNC DFI. The plan is intended to guide future City activities in the proposed Elmwood District URA including efforts to attract new private investment and address the neighborhood’s housing, public health and safety needs. To attend in person, you are invited to Perry Memorial Library, 205 Breckinridge St., Farm Bureau Room. The meeting will take place from 6-7:30pm.

Join by Zoom: https://unc.zoom.us/j/96903327572

Or you may join by phone (toll free) at: (855) 880-1246 Meeting ID: 969 0332 7572

The online survey and updates on the Redevelopment Commission are available at ci.henderson.nc.us/URA

H-V Industrial Park Phase III

Shell Building Project Continues Forward For Industrial Park

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Plans are moving along for construction of “shell” buildings at the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park to entice prospective businesses and industries to locate here, according to Henderson-Vance Economic Development Director Christian Lockamy.

Lockamy told WIZS News Wednesday that he briefed the Economic Development Commission Board at the July meeting, the first in-person meeting in over a year.

“They seemed to receive it well and ultimately voted unanimously to move it forward,” Lockamy said. Next steps include conducting research on potential construction partners and investigating financial models, building specs and, of course, cost.

The plan is to convene the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park Commission later in the summer to give the same presentation and work through some of the specifics left to be ironed out. Once he meets with that group, he said the proposal will go back to the commissioners as a formal recommendation. At that time, Lockamy said the process can move forward as a Request for Proposals is issued.

As part of the planning, the City of Henderson will be a co-applicant with the county on the Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant application for completion of sewer utilities and roads at the park. Similarly, the N.C. Department of Transportation will be a co-applicant because it will be responsible for future road maintenance.

Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon said, at the June Henderson City Council meeting, this is merely a formality required by the EDA.

“We should know if we are successful in obtaining the EDA grant later in the summer,” Lockamy explained. Having co-applicants sponsor the overall effort and providing additional information in the grant application hopefully will “tighten up the request and ensure all documentation is in place.”