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Data Center Developer Files Plan With County Amid Talk Of Moratorium, UDO Revision

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A data center developer has sent a letter to county leaders stating that it has “reluctantly” made a decision to file a plan for development of a site along U.S. Hwy. 158.

The letter, dated Sept. 9, was sent via email to the Vance County Board of Commissioners and the Vance County Planning Board in care of County Manager Renee Perry and was signed by Tom Natelli, with Natelli Holdings.

“Given the extensive efforts already underway and our ongoing reliance on the current County ordinances governing land use and development of this site, we have been closely following the discussions around the possible imposition of a moratorium and adoption of new regulations under the existing or revised UDO to more fully regulate Data Centers. The uncertainty this causes is very problematic for us at this stage of our efforts. We therefore reluctantly made the decision today to file a plan for development of the site.”

The county is in the process of updating its UDO – Unified Development Ordinance – and Natelli cited several proposed items within that document that “would need some refinement to be workable in the circumstance.”

Included along with the letter was a “red-lined” copy of the UDO with preferred edits to wording regarding everything from setbacks and buffers to cooling systems and decommissioning protocols.

Natelli said they’ve conducted a wide range of planning, engineering and design work “to confirm that a data center campus can be responsibly developed on this site,” along with environmental impact studies and talks with Duke Energy to make sure adequate energy is available “without causing adverse consequences” to the local community and ratepayers.

He said community engagement meetings would be planned at an appropriate time; there are still details that “must all come together for the project to be viable,” Natelli stated.

Acknowledging that he did not believe they’d be able to satisfy everyone, “I do think we can try to reasonably address matters of concern and explain how we intend to responsibly approach development of this campus.”

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Vance Commissioners Set Public Comment Period Sept. 14 To Consider Data Center Moratorium, Zoning Amendment Info

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a legislative hearing for Monday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. to receive public comments about two topics surrounding data centers – including the possible adoption of a 60-day moratorium and the proposed zoning ordinance amendment that deals with data center development.

The hearing is on the agenda for the regular commissioners’ meeting, which will be held in the commissioners’ meeting room, located on the second floor of the county administrative office building, 122 Young St. The agenda can be found at https://www.vancecounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Masterfile-1.pdf.

According to published legal ads notifying the public about the hearings, the moratorium ordinance being considered would address “the acceptance, processing, and approval of development applications for data centers submitted after the adoption of the moratorium within Vance County.

Questions can be directed to Vance County Planning Department at 252.738.2080. For more information, visit

https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/planning-and-development/planning-board/.

Individuals with a disability who want to attend the meeting should contact the office of the clerk to the board at 252.738.2003 by 12 noon Friday, Sept. 11 to provide enough time to arrange accommodations.

The Local Skinny! Jail Repairs, Staffing Concerns Top Commissioners’ Public Safety Committee Discussion

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At its Sept. 2 meeting, the Vance County Board of Commissioners Public Safety Committee got an update on repairs being made at the jail.

Frankie Nobles reported on a long list of repairs, replacements and demolition that have been made thus far and said all the maintenance items that had been noted on jail inspections have been made.

“We’re in good shape,” Nobles said in reference to addressing deficiencies that included broken locks, doors, missing ceiling tiles, peeling paint and more throughout the facility.

Sheriff Curtis Brame said that he feels more comfortable about the safety of sheriff staff and detention center staff in light of the repairs and upgrades that have been made.

But he reiterated that if something’s not done about the staffing shortage – 16 to 18 openings at the jail alone – he won’t be satisfied.

“People get complacent, people get tired,” Brame said of the overworked detention center staff during the meeting. “Until we get our staffing up to par, not only at the detention center, but also at the Vance County Sheriff’s Office, we’re going to continue to have these issues and these problems.”

Salaries need to be more competitive to attract quality employees. The repairs that have been made have helped to reduce incidents at the jail, and that may entice more people to apply to work there.

“We have minimized assaults, we have minimized and improved officer safety,” Brame said. It’s vital to get the staffing levels up as the county prepares to build a new detention center. Brame said people need to be hired now so they’ll be trained and ready when the new jail opens.

The current jail remains over capacity, for reasons that include backlogs in the court system, repeat-offender detainees not able to post bond and a lack of beds in the state prison system.

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: After They’re Grown

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Jamon Glover, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Today we talk about how you adjust to life after your children are grown up.

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

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TownTalk: Seeking Help Without Feeling Shame Is An Important Aspect Of Addiction Treatment, Recovery

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Asking for help comes easily for some and not so easily for others. When it comes to asking for help with mental health challenges or addiction issues, Katie Lee often sees reluctance wrapped in shame.

Lee, a registered nurse and program director at Vance Recovery, helps raise awareness about programs that are available in the community to encourage people to seek help and get on a path to recovery.

“I don’t think recovery should be shameful,” she said on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

Addiction and mental health struggles affect individuals differently, and treatment plans are not a one-size-fits-all, either.

MOUD – which stands for Medications for Opioid Use Disorder – is one course of treatment. In a nutshell, people addicted to opioids are given a substitute medication that reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Methadone is commonly used – Lee calls it “the gold standard” for that type of medication that controls cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

“The point is for it to stop withdrawals,” she said. Patients start slowly and gradually increase dosage amounts until they attain the desired results.

“It takes a lot of patience and a lot of time,” Lee said.

At Vance Recovery, a team of health professionals work to provide wraparound services for the clients they serve. From counseling services to education and awareness, Lee said it’s important to understand what clients need to be successful.

Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of sharing results of a positive drug screen to share exactly what kind of substance they used.

“They buy a bag of whatever it is they’re going to consume, thinking it’s fentanyl,” Lee explained, “and come to find out, it’s a mixture of a bunch of other things.

Xylazine  and medetomidine –  are two medications that are showing up in street drugs these days. They’re both veterinary medications, and they are being substituted for fentanyl. Lee said they can create deep wounds that are slow to heal. Those wounds lead to infection, which can lead to sepsis, which can lead to death.

One of the withdrawal symptoms of medetomidine is heart attack, “so we’re dealing with a really, really nasty beast,” she added.

These drugs aren’t just showing up in big cities or in other parts of the country – medetomidine  is in Henderson, too.

Lee said she’s had patients who have tested positive for the drug.

And while prevention takes up a big chunk of energy surrounding the drug use and abuse issue, Lee said her experience as a nurse leads her to focus on the “now,” the people struggling right now.

Unfortunately, the situation is becoming one of generational drug use. Parents use in front of their children, then the children use and the cycle continues.

“These kids are growing up around it,” Lee said.

“Our kids are getting off the bus not knowing if they’re going to have to Narcan their parents,” explained. “That is a real problem here, but people don’t talk about it…you would be surprised at how many children know how to use Narcan.”

And while Narcan is effective with fentanyl overdoses, these veterinary medications are proving trickier. Awareness and prevention through educating and informing young people is one approach, but removing the stigma around recovery and getting help for people caught up in the web of addiction must be another approach.

The numbers speak for themselves. Lee shared some data at a recent Chamber-sponsored Women in Business event that show treatment effectiveness over time.

Measuring the percent of local patients in the Vance Recovery program and the percent of negative fentanyl results (that is, no fentanyl in drug screenings) were promising:

People in treatment for less than 30 days: 47 percent negative

31-90 days – 36 percent negative

91-180 days – 41 percent negative

181-270 days – 49 percent negative

271 days -1 year – 56 percent negative

1-2 yrs – 55 percent negative

2-5 yrs -64 percent negative

5+ yrs – 72 percent negative

September is National Recovery Month and Vance Recovery is partnering with the City of Henderson and Freedom Bridge to host an event on Breckenridge Street to celebrate those in recovery and to share educational resources and more for the community.

It takes place Saturday, Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features activities for the kids, guest speakers, food trucks, vendors and more.

Vance Recovery is located at 932 W Andrews Ave. Visit https://www.morseclinics.com/our-locations/vance-recovery or contact Katie Lee at

klee@morrisclinics.com

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(Vance Recovery is an advertising client of WIZS. The text and audio above are not a paid ad.)

The Local Skinny! MPH Having Toy Drive Through Sept. 22

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— submitted by Maria Parham Health

A child’s hospital stay can be difficult and frightening, especially when that stay stretches from days into weeks or even months. Sometimes, something as simple as a new stuffed animal, a box of crayons or a sticker book can provide a welcome distraction and a little bit of comfort.

Maria Parham Health is inviting the community to help bring that comfort to children at Duke Children’s Hospital through a special toy drive taking place September 8–22.

The effort was inspired by a member of the Maria Parham Health family whose young daughter recently spent time receiving care at Duke Children’s Hospital. During her stay, the family discovered firsthand that the hospital has a need for toys and other simple activities for children who may be hospitalized for extended periods.

After seeing how much a simple toy could mean to a child during a difficult hospital stay, the family wanted to turn that experience into an opportunity to help other children.

“Knowing how much joy a simple toy can bring to a child during a difficult hospital stay, we wanted to find a way to help other children experience that same little moment of happiness,” said Bert Beard, CEO of Maria Parham Health. “We hope our community will join us in showing others love through the gift of toys.”

Community members are encouraged to donate just one or two basic, new toys. There is no need to purchase anything elaborate or expensive. Suggested donations include:

  • New stuffed animals
  • Crayons
  • Sticker books
  • Coloring and activity books
  • Other small, age-appropriate toys and activities

**Collection boxes will be available at Maria Parham Health in the lobby throughout the drive, September 8–22. Toys can be dropped off between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily. **

Following the collection, Maria Parham Health will deliver the community’s donations to Duke Children’s Hospital.

The toy drive is a simple opportunity to make a meaningful difference. For a child spending weeks or months in a hospital room, a new toy can offer a moment of fun, a creative outlet, a comforting companion and a reminder that people are thinking about them.

Maria Parham Health encourages community members, employees, families, churches, schools, civic organizations and local businesses to participate by donating whatever they can.

One toy. One child. One moment of joy.

Together, our community can help bring a little more comfort, happiness and hope to children when they need it most.

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(This information and audio is not a paid ad.)

TownTalk: Faith In Mental Health Program Coming Sept. 21

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The Faith in Mental Health initiative is taking its project to the next level when it kicks off a free year-long program on Monday, Sept. 21 that is open to churches in Vance and Granville counties.

Karl Johnson, program coordinator with Granville Vance Public Health, said there’s still time to register to participate. The meeting will take place at the Salvation Army, 2292 Ross Mill Rd. in Henderson.

Find a registration link at www.gvph.org.

In the couple of years since its inception, the Faith in Mental Health program has held community forums, formed an advisory board and has provided trainings for more than 100 people.

The Sept. 21 event puts in motion another layer of the initiative designed for churches and the role they play in the community.

The term “cohort” may sound a bit formal and structured, but Johnson said there will be plenty of room for flexibility as the program moves forward.

Having conversations about substance abuse disorders and other mental health issues isn’t always easy, Johnson said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

Being part of the Faith in Mental Health cohort provides a nice mix of structure with open-ended flexibility depending on a particular church’s wants and needs – a way to have conversations in the context of a faith community.

The hope is that churches will pursue different activities, whether it’s forming a support group at church, creating a mental health library or having a special bible study on relevant topics.

The project aims to lessen the stigma that surrounds mental health, substance abuse and addiction.

“Stigma is a huge barrier that’s come up again and again in the different community health assessments that we’ve conducted at the health department,” Johnson said. The Faith in Mental Health initiative seeks to view an individual’s struggles through the lens of faith, whether it’s through particular spiritual practices, spiritual passages of scripture or theological voices to better understand how to care for someone caught in the web of mental health or addiction challenges.

“For all the topics that we’ll address in the next year,” Johnson said, “we’re trying to center them with people’s concrete lived experiences.”

Hearing from people who speak openly about their struggles with mental health and addiction is a helpful way to learn how they sought and received the care they needed.

“Hopefully it humanizes this topic can be so hard,” Johnson said. It also demonstrates to those who are currently struggling that there are people in our own communities who have faced the same challenges and have overcome them.

“That’s life,” Johnson said. “And we are called to come around people who are struggling to support them where they’re at.”

Visit https://gvph.org/ to learn more, email Karl Johnson at kjohnson@gvph.org or call him at 616-298-5626.

Learn more about the program at https://gvph.org/faith-in-mental-health

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Dangers of Clearing Land

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Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Today’s segment warns of the dangers associated with clearing land too quickly and ends with a reminder of today’s pesticide class.

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

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